Norman Conquest Day is Coming!

October 14 is Norman Conquest Day! So I'm re-reading The Conqueror by Georgette Heyer to begin my celebration.

Medieval Word of the Day

Parchment: material made from animal skin used for the pages of books or other writing

Vellum: a very thin, fine form of parchment made from calf-skin ("veal-parchment", i.e., vellum)

Parchment was made from the skin of various animals, but vellum only came from calf-skin

And Let That Be a Lesson to Myself!

So on Monday, I didn't want to write. I mean, I really didn't want to write! But I had just finished being interviewed by Cindy R Williams for The Writer's Mirror where she'd asked me (basically) how I got past writers block, and I replied that the only way to get past it was to "write anyway". With my own words ringing in my ears, I said to myself on Monday, "If you don't sit down and write tonight, you'll be a hypocrite, Joyce! Telling other writers to 'write anyway' and then you don't do it yourself?" So I set my little timer, plunked myself down on the couch for an hour with my laptop, and whined my way through a writing session. And yes, at the end of that hour, I hated every word I had written.

So tonight, with only slightly less reluctance, I set my timer and plunked myself down on the couch again. (I'd known in advance I wouldn't have any writing time on Tuesday.) This time, the words not only came easier, but you know what? That stuff I wrote on Monday wasn't nearly as bad as it looked on Monday night! I mean, I'm not saying it was spot-on perfect, by any means. But it wasn't horrible, and I'll probably end up keeping almost all of it in one form or another. Time wasted Monday night? Definitely not! It might have been painful (it certainly felt so at the time) and my perspective wasn't what I would have liked (some of those words I hated actually made me laugh when I read them back...and I mean laugh in a good way). But was it worth it to "write anyway" when I didn't want to? Looking back on it from where I sit tonight, I'd have to answer with a resounding "Yes!"

Let's Write a Story Together!

A dear and very clever friend of mine, author Cindy R. Williams, has started a new blog called Write a Story Together! It's one of those fun games where Cindy starts a story, then other people jump in adding a few lines or paragraphs, each person moving a story in a new, unique and exciting direction. The story currently underway is called The Princess and the Masquerade Ball. So far, Cindy and I have been bouncing this story back and forth with each other, but I think it needs some new writing blood. I know there are a lot of writers out there, and this is a FUN GAME! So exercise your imagination and your writing muscles and come and join us! The only requirement is to keep the story child-friendly. (Let's think G-rating.)

So come on, you all, and jump in! I can't wait to see where you will take the story next!

Medieval Word of the Day

Crespin: a decorative hair net worn by women

C. LaRene Hall: Author Interview and Book Giveaway

Today we have an interview with C. LaRene Hall, author of the children's historical fiction novel, Martha's Freedom Train. You can read my review of Martha's Freedom Train by clicking here.

C. LaRene Hall was kind enough to allow me to interview her, and, yes! offer an autographed copy of Martha's Freedom Train to some lucky reader of my blog at the end of our chat! So stick around and find out how you can win a copy of this book for your very own!

JDP: What did you find most fascinating about the time period of Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: The stories of the Utah Pioneers have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. There isn’t just one thing that stands out to me during that time period. I’ve always admired those people who had the courage to undertake such an adventure. If there hadn’t been any rivers to cross, I’d loved to have been in their shoes. Wearing the dresses, seeing Indians for the first time, and watching the buffalo would have been exciting. As an adult, I realize it wasn’t all fun and games, but for a child I think the entire journey would have been enjoyable.

JDP: I’m always interested in how authors research their historical novels. Could you tell us a little about how you researched the the historical background for Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: I read everything on line and in books that I could about the Underground Railroad, slaves, and pioneers. The last part of the book is taken from the journals of my own ancestors who travelled west in a wagon train to Utah.

JDP: What a fun source to have available to help you research your novel! Can you share with us your top three favorite research books or other resources?

C. LaRene:

1. Journals of the grandma and her son. I will not disclose the names because this is a work of fiction, and all names were changed. The grandma in the story is actually one of my great-grandmas. No, she didn’t have a colored girl travel with her, but since she was a very kind woman I’m sure she would have, if the opportunity had been available.

2. Green Flake – Black Pioneer.

3. Lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanysearch

JDP: Are there any historical figures from the era of Martha's Freedom Train who particularly intrigue you?

C. LaRene: In the front of the book I listed four historical people, who I greatly admire. My favorite is Allen and Barbara Mayhew. This couple put their own lives on the line when they willingly took slaves into their home to keep them safe.

JDP: What inspired you to write Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: While I was on a tour of the Mayhew Cabin, an Underground Railroad, the idea of this book came to me. I could actually picture the girl Martha and imagine her coming west with my own ancestors.

JDP: Visiting the Mayhew Cabin must have been a marvelous experience for you. Tell us a little bit about Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: Twelve-year-old Martha and her family escape slavery with help from the Underground Railroad. Because of her mamma’s poor health, Martha’s heart almost breaks when her papa sends her west with a wagon train of strangers. Along the way, she helps put out a fire, and after falling asleep beside the trail, they accidentally leave her behind. Upon reaching her destination, Martha wonders if she’ll ever see her mamma and papa again.

JDP: What would you most like readers to feel or learn when they read Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: There are many good people in this world – it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, it’s what’s inside that counts.

JDP: Are you working on any new projects?

C. LaRene: I am looking for a publisher for my book, Magical Journey to the Past. John and Mary discover an ancient home along with an old journal written by their very own Great-Grandpa. As they read the old-fashioned writing, and wish they can see where he lives something strange happens, the dugout whirls around them, and everything goes black. The pair arrive in North Carolina in the year 1813, during a war. The two children experience many adventures and learn to appreciate those people who protected our freedoms, as they search for their great-grandpa.

I have several children’s stories that I’m writing, but the main one I’m working on is the sequel to the Magical Journey to the Past. It takes place in Medieval Times at the Warwick Castle.

JDP: You can bet I'm gonna want to read that medieval sequel of yours! Where can readers obtain a copy of Martha's Freedom Train?

C. LaRene: If you live near Salt Lake I can get a copy to you. If not, you can order it from Amazon.com or Authorhouse.com.

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, C LaRene! You can read more about Ms Hall on her blog, C LaRene Hall.


Okay, now for the giveaway! How can you win an autographed copy of Martha's Freedom Train? By doing one, two or all of the following three things:


(1) Leave a general comment on this interview.


(2) Leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite children's book (other than Martha's Freedom Train!).


(3) Go find whatever book you're reading right now, turn to page 51 (I hope it has at least 51 pages!), then type the 7th sentence on the page into a comment, and include the name of the book and the author.


After you've done one, two, or all three of the above, please email me at jdipastena@yahoo.com WITH YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS telling me you've left comments so I can check them out. (And so I'll know how to contact you if you win!)


If you do all three of the above, you will be entered three times to win a copy of Martha's Freedom Train. DEADLINE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS MIDNIGHT PST, OCTOBER 18.


Have fun and good luck!

Medieval Word of the Day

Tunic: a sleeved, loose fitting outer garment worn by both men and women; could be worn alone or under a surcote; for the man, could be knee or ankle length

Surcote: also known as the surcoat or super-tunic; a secondary tunic worn over an under tunic, usually more elaborately decorated.

Here is a woman wearing a green tunic, with a sleeveless reddish surcote layered over it.

Here is a man wearing a long tunic, with a shorter, decorated surcote over it. 

Winner of "The Sister Pact"!

Congratulations to Heather Justesen of Utah, winner of The Sister Pact by Cami Checketts! 

And thank you to all of you who entered my drawing. It's great to know how many fans of Law & Order there are out there besides me! :-)

Medieval Word of the Day

Smock: a loose, blouselike undergarment

The woman in this picture is wearing a smock

Medieval Word of the Day

When we think of a romance today, this is what we usually think of:

But in the Middle Ages, a Romance was: a long, narrative tale recounting marvelous adventures and deeds of chivalry. While some romances had heroes and heroines falling in love, not all of them did. "Love" was not what made a romance a romance in the Middle Ages!

Click here to learn how you can win a copy of Cami Checketts' romantic suspense novel, Sisters Pact! Deadline to enter is Sunday night at midnight PST!

Medieval Word of the Day

Now that you can picture in your mind the high table on the dais in the castle hall, what are you going to put on that high table? What else but a...

Trencher: large slices of stale bread, cut either round or square, and used for "plates" for medieval dining

Click here to see a trencher.

And click here to learn how you can win a copy of Cami Checketts' romantic suspense novel, Sisters Pact!

Medieval Word of the Day

High table: the table on the dais in the castle hall where the most important people sit

Would you like to win a copy of Medieval Women, by Eileen Power? Click here for details!

And click here to learn how you can win a copy of Cami Checketts' romantic suspense novel, Sisters Pact!

It's Time For a Non-Virtual Experience

(cross-posted with slight adaptation on ANWAFounder&Friends)

Last Sunday, as I was getting dressed for an early morning Church meeting, I had cranked up the sound to a BYU Devotional on TV to listen to while I dressed. Now, you must understand that the TV is some distance from my bedroom and bathroom where the bulk of my “getting ready for Church” takes place, so between running water for such things as brushing my teeth and the A/C cycling on and off (yes, even at that hour of the morning, for you non-Arizonans who may be blinking in dismay), I don’t generally catch a lot of words from these early morning devotionals. But I do remember that the speaker last week was a woman, and during one interim of relative silence on my and the house’s part, one comment broke through that caught my attention. Speaking to a college age audience, she was warning them about spending too much time in cyberspace. The comment went something like this (paraphrasing): “I’ve heard many students say that they feel closer to their cyberspace friends than they do to actual people they know on campus.”

What she said in follow-up escaped me, as the A/C cycled on again, but from her tone of voice, I suspected this was not something she particularly approved of.

Her words struck both a chord of guilt and justification in me. I freely admit that I spend a lot of time with “virtual friends” on the internet. Not all of them are completely “virtual” anymore, as many of them are members of the American Night Writers Association whom I have now met at writing conferences and retreats, so I can count many them as “real people”, rather than the “virtual friends” they were to me for so many years. Yet some of them I still have never met, and there are other writers I have connected with in cyberspace that have become good friends, as well. Why have I bonded with these people in cyberspace? Because we share a common interest—writing!—and to be honest, because of where I live, except for that annual conference and writers retreat, I don’t get a chance to associate with other writers outside of cyberspace. And so I admit, on many levels, I feel closer to many of them through cyberspace than I do to non-writer acquaintances within my town.

Keep in mind that I am also single, so I have no husband and children to associate with on a consistent basis. Even my siblings live in different states, reducing our contacts to phone calls and—yes—cyberspace exchanges!

Hence, my “justification” for the time I spend with my “virtual friends”.

When I found myself invited last week to a Stampin’ Up! party with some other women in my church, my initial reaction was hesitance, even though the party was being sponsored by a friend of mine who lives some distance away who was coming to town just to instruct us in the art of paper crafting—a very non-virtual friend whom I continue to love very much. But I’m also quite shy (though you might question that self-description if you get me started talking about writing ;-) ) and have never particularly felt comfortable in large social groups. Even though I wanted to see this friend of mine very much, it still was a struggle to convince myself to go. But the words of that BYU Devotional kept coming back to haunt (or more likely, prompt) me. “You need to go have a non-virtual experience, Joyce. You need to go be around some living, breathing people, even if just for a few hours.”

Don’t you hate it when you know you should go do something “because it’ll be good for you”, when you really don’t want to do it? But I couldn’t get that voice out of my head. “You need to go have a non-virtual experience.” And so I pushed myself into my car and drove down to the hostess’s house to learn how to Stamp Up some Christmas cards. If you knew what a complete craft klutz I am, even having been craft-humiliated to the point of tears on more than one occasion, you would understand why this non-virtual experience was a double challenge for me.

But you know what? I went, I was not humiliated (Stampin’ Up! must have been designed especially for craft klutzes like me—it’s like I couldn’t make this stuff look bad even if I tried!), and I had a good time! All the non-virtual women there were warm and welcoming, and one of them even said towards the end, “You need to come and play with us more often, Joyce.” And when she said that, I knew it was true. I need to “go play” with some non-virtual people sometimes, even if they aren’t writers.

This takes nothing away from my love for my writer friends, even if most of them remain “virtual” over most of the year. I’ll still spend time with them, because they nourish me and my writing in a way only other writers can do. But I will also try to remain more open to non-virtual experiences closer to home after this.

Hey! When is that next Stampin’ Up! party scheduled?

New Review of Loyalty's Web

My sweet medieval romance, Loyalty's Web, has sort of been standing meekly aside while her newer, younger sister, Illuminations of the Heart, has been taking center stage. So I was thrilled today to discover this wonderful new review of Loyalty's Web by Reviews on Martha's Bookshelf.

Thank you, Martha! Hélene and Gunthar thank you, too!

Medieval Word of the Day

Dais: a raised platform in the castle hall

"Illuminations of the Heart" Book Blog Tour Winners!

Sorry to be posting this so late. Although the names were drawn, it took a little longer than expected to track down some of the winners to let them know about their prizes. My publisher is actually still trying to track down the winner of the BarnesandNoble.com gift certificate, but in the meantime, I'll list the winners names so far.

The winner of a copy of Illuminations of the Heart is: Jennifer B for leaving a comment on Heather Justesen's blog.

The winner of a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate towards the purchase of a copy of Illuminations of the Heart is: Park Avenue Princess for leaving a comment on Cami's Books.

The winner of a $10 DeseretBook.com gift certificate towards the purchase of a copy of Illuminations of the Heart is: Elizabeth Morgan for leaving a comment on Taffy's Candy.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all of you who took time to read the reviews and interviews and leave comments on my blog tour!

Medieval Word of the Day

The hall or great hall: the central living space of the castle inside the keep; the ceremonial and legal center

"The Sister Pact", by Cami Checkett: Book Review & Giveaway

Back Cover Blurb for The Sister Pact:

Savanna Compton is devastated when her sister and best friend, Allison, falls into a coma after a tragic accident. Or was it an accident? Even with a charming and handsome detective at her side, it seems Savannah may never discover the truth. But if she doesn’t her family could be in even more danger. And Savannah’s past holds its own secrets that could change everything.

Now she must prove her innocence to the one person who is beginning to matter most. Join Savannah as she struggles to summon hope and rely on faith even in the darkest of circumstances, and learn how the bond between sisters can overcome anything.

Okay, the first thing I realized when I began reading The Sister Pact is that I watch entirely too much Law & Order. (I’m speaking of the “original series” here.) As soon as the handsome, hunky, and entirely WOWSOME police detective, Noah Shumway, stepped onto the scene, I couldn’t stop my subconscious mind from asking: Is this what Lenny Brisco would do? Nahhh, just can’t see it! How about Detective Green? Well…maybe, but it’d be a stretch for me to buy. What about going back all the way to the “early days” of Detective Mike Logan? Ah, now there we have a possibility! Mike was undoubtedly impulsive and hot headed enough to potentially allow himself to get emotionally caught up with a suspect. Not that I’m advising you to picture Detective Shumway as a Mike Logan. Noah is older and much hunkier and built like a ROCK. Which I mean in the very best of romantic ways. And he doesn’t particularly have a challenge with his temper (except perhaps towards the end, when he is justifiably motivated by extreme circumstances). Nor is he particularly impulsive…except for falling head-over-heels in love with the beautiful Savannah Compton, his prime suspect in a possible murder attempt against her sister.

The Sister Pact is billed as a “romantic mystery”, but there is little mystery in it, since we know who the perpetrator is and how and why the crime was committed from the very first pages. “Romantic suspense” would be a more accurate description, with heavy on the “romance” theme. The “suspense” part does kick into high gear during the last 70 pages of the book. And once the action starts, it comes on slam-bang non-stop. Well done, Cami!

On second thought, I might be wrong about the mystery angle. Just not the way the book billing suggests. The mysteries that are teased out through the course of the book are more of a personal nature. What experiences in Savannah’s and Noah’s pasts have made them afraid to trust each other with their hearts, or even to trust in their own basic self-worth? I liked the way the characters were revealed to the reader a layer at a time, rather than splashing their entire life histories upfront. These were the mysteries that kept me reading, wanting to find out who these people really were, why they had become who they had become, and whether each could overcome the hurts of their pasts to find love in one another’s arms.

If you’re looking for a well told story about fierce family loyalty (the “sister pact” made as children between Savannah and her sister drives Savannah to uncover the truth behind her sister’s “accident”), as well as a satisfying romance (and don’t forget that slam-bang action ending!), then check out The Sister Pact by Cami Checketts.

The Sister Pact is available at Amazon.com, Deseret.com or CedarFort.com

Also, check out Cami's website and blogs: Cami's Books and Fitness for Mom.

You can win a copy of The Sister Pact by doing one or more of the following. Each one will count as one entry in the drawing, for a potential total of 3 entries per person!

(1) Leave a comment on this review, then email me at jdipastena@yahoo.com WITH YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS, telling me you left a comment.

(2) If you're a Law & Order original series fan, send me the name of your favorite (regular) character to jdipastena@yahoo.com, and please include your NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(3) Subscribe to JDP NEWS posts by clicking on the "SUBSCRIBE TO POSTS" box in my left hand side bar (right under my list of "FOLLOWERS") OR become a Goodreads follower of me (Joyce DiPastena) on Goodreads.com, then send me an email at jdipastena@yahoo.com (WITH YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS) telling me which you have done: subscribed to my blog or become a Goodreads follower. (If you're already a subscriber or Goodreads follower, email me to let me know that, too, and I'll count that as an entry.)

Deadline for this giveaway is midnight PST, Sunday, October 4. Good luck to one and all!

Review of "Illuminations of the Heart" at Bella Online!

I just found this wonderful new review of Illuminations of the Heart by C.S. Bezas on Bella Online! (And this one had nothing to do with my recently ended blog tour.) My favorite line: "I...was surprised how much this one pulled me into a medieval world and remained with me long after!"

Read the entire review at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63578.asp

Medieval Word of the Day

Drawbridge: a bridge that can be raised or lowered to permit access across a ditch or moat into the castle's bailey.

(Can you find the little drawbridge? You've all seen this in the movies, right?)