Monday for the Military: Meet Sarah Sundin

Today it is my pleasure to welcome Sarah Sundin to the blog! Sarah is the author of the "Wings of Glory" series (A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow). If you'd like to read my review of the second book (A Memory Between Us), click HERE. I loved it!

Amber: Thank you so much for joining us today, Sarah! To start, could you share a little bit about yourself?

Sarah: I live in northern California with my husband and three children, a cat and a yellow lab. When I’m not ferrying kids to soccer and tennis, I work on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teach Sunday school. I started writing fiction about ten years ago, and my first novels are now published—A Distant Melody (Revell, March 2010), A Memory Between Us (September 2010). The third book in the Wings of Glory series, Blue Skies Tomorrow, comes out in August 2011.

Amber: What inspired you to write a book series about the military set during World War II? Do you have any military members in your family?

Sarah: I ended up writing historical fiction almost on a whim. I wrote a few contemporary novels (badly), when I had an idea for a story that would only work in a historical setting. I had no idea how much research the story would require, so I dove in. The World War II time period grabbed me. There are so many dramatic stories and settings—a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women explored non-traditional roles—while remaining ladies.

My grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate in the US Navy, and he was quite a storyteller. Also my great-uncle, Roderick Stewart (yes, the original Rod Stewart) was a B-17 pilot. I grew up hearing the story of how he was in one of the Flying Fortresses coming into Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. He flew missions out of Hawaii and Australia, then served as a squadron commander with the 94th Bombardment Group serving in England. In the early 1960s, my father-in-law served as an Army chaplain, but we don’t currently have any family members in the military. Wait, though. I could easily see my youngest son in uniform.

Amber: That's quite a legacy! What do you admire most about the military?

Sarah: I admire how our military men and women—and their families—are willing to sacrifice so much for the rest of the nation. Not only do they put their lives on the line, but they have difficult jobs, frequent moves, and restrictions to their freedom that civilians would not put up with.

Another thing I admire is how the military embraces the qualities that made America great—courage, discipline, respect, hard work, perseverance, working together, responsibility—qualities that are less and less common in the civilian world.

Amber: I completely agree! As an acclaimed published author, is there anything you have learned about humility that you can share with us?

Sarah: First of all, get rid of “acclaimed.” =) And oh yes, God is constantly, laboriously teaching me about humility. What helps most is to remember that writing was God’s idea in the first place. Before Jan. 6, 2000, I had never written a story that wasn’t assigned in class. After that date, ideas flowed. He definitely called me to write. I know He turned on the story faucet, and He could just as easily turn it off. Also God gave me a teenage daughter at just the right time to humble me. I read her an email from a girl her age who raved about my books. I told daughter, “See, she thinks I’m cool.” Daughter (not even looking up from texting): “That’s because she doesn’t know you.” I need that.

Amber: What’s next in your writing career? (I saw on your website that you have a new WWII series in the works! Could you tell us a little bit about it?)

Sarah: Yes, I do! I’m really excited about it. While researching A Memory Between Us, I became enthralled with flight nursing. Five hundred women served during World War II as the very first flight nurses—adventurous, dangerous, pioneering work. My next series, tentatively titled Wings of the Nightingale, follows three World War II flight nurses in the Mediterranean Theater. I recently signed a three-book contract with Revell. The novels will be released in September 2012, June 2013, and June 2014. I’m about halfway done with the rough draft of the first book, and I’m loving the characters.

Amber: Sounds great! So, how can we pray for you and other authors?

Sarah: Thank you for asking. I can always use prayer. Please pray the stories I write would glorify God and help people grow in their walks with Him. Also pray I can learn balance and time management. And yes, pray that God will keep teaching me humility—and if I ever become prideful that He yank the writing away!

Amber: Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us, Sarah!

Readers, if you would like to learn more about Sarah and her books, click HERE to visit her website.

This just in: Sarah is giving away a copy of A Memory Between Us to one lucky commenter. Leave a comment and your e-mail address to enter the drawing! Thanks, Sarah!

My Review of Dracula

Read For: 19th-20th Century English Literature class

My Review:

My grandpa has often told me about reading Dracula and/or Frankenstein when he was in school, noting how much he enjoyed the setting descriptions of one or the other. I have not read Frankenstein, but after having now read Dracula by Bram Stoker I have to agree that this book is full of vivid, haunting descriptions of landscapes and graveyards. But the setting isn't the only haunting aspect of this book.

From the very beginning I was drawn into a horrifying story that is at once intriguing and engaging. I tend to be the kind of person that is easily bothered by certain books or movies. In high school, one of the books that bothered me the most was Lord of the Flies. Yet even though this book has gruesome and fearsome aspects to it, I found that I was invested in the story and enjoyed it, as much as this sort of "horror" story can be enjoyed.

The book is written in a different sort of way--as documentation of a series of events, including diary/journal entries, phonograph recordings (transcribed), letters, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. As much as this style would seem to stifle tension and bar reader involvement, the opposite was true for me. Everything was organized in a way that made me want to read more and find out what would happen next, and there was a lot of dialogue written in the accounts. (I don't know how these characters could remember so much!)

This is a somewhat longer and convoluted tale, but it is certainly very interesting. It was especially interesting to me to find out more about the legend of the vampire--very creepy! Even the first few chapters are filled with chilling and intense scenes that set the stage for an epic battle of good vs. evil.

As for the meanings in the book, suffice it to say that it's taught in a college literature class for a reason. There are numerous critical theories about the themes of the book, some of which we've already discussed in our 19th-20th Century English Literature class, including sexuality, inverse biblical symbolism, etc. I don't know which theme is necessarily "right," but I do know that the book is well-written and thought-provoking, filled with symbolism and complex characters.

I was kept in suspense until the very end, and when I finished the final note it was with a mixed sense of relief, accomplishment, and unease that I closed the book. I am glad that I have read it and I think some might be surprised if they pick up this book, in that they might like it more than they originally thought. However, I can't say for sure how each person would react, and along with my recommendation I give a warning that this book has some grotesque, strange, and disturbing scenes and images that might not be suitable for all readers.

P.S. Did you like this review? Would you be interested in reading some other book reviews of well-known literature on this blog? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Just vote in the poll in the sidebar and/or leave a comment below.

P.P.S. Have my posts become too cluttered and random lately? Would you prefer to have a more strict schedule (ie: book reviews on certain days, etc.), or do you enjoy a bit of unpredictability on the blog?

My Review of Surrender the Night

Here's a description of the book from Barbour Publishing:

"Step into a breathtaking novel of adventure and romance set amid the War of 1812. During an assault by an enemy sailor, timid farm girl Rose McGuire is saved by the least likely of heroes—a British Naval Lieutenant. Now that he’s wounded, she’ll have to heal as well as hide him. Alex Reed is being aided and abetted by his enemy—albeit an innocent and attractive one. But he might be doing Rose more harm than good if his presence on her farm is discovered. As their love blooms, trouble looms. Will this couple survive another British invasion?"

My Rating: Summer

My Review:

With vivid descriptions and a tender romance, all permeated with a sense of grandeur and destiny, MaryLu Tyndall has crafted another beautiful, exciting story! With an obvious love for the ocean, many of Tyndall's previous books have captured the reader's imagination through tales on the high seas. But with Surrender the Night, Tyndall has solidified her writing talent by spinning a marvelous and riveting tale on dry land!

As with all of Tyndall's other books that I have read, I found this book quite difficult to put down. The stakes continue to rise with each chapter, and the tension kept me turning pages into the early morning hours. And Tyndall is an amazing artist with words--she makes something as mundane and unromantic as a farm into a place of loveliness and refuge.

Another wonderful aspect of this story is the romance. Lieutenant Alexander Reed is a hero destined to warm the hearts of readers with his teasing, his charm, and his bravery. Not to mention his dashing good looks and his gentle heart! The love that grows between him and his beloved Rose is sweet, and it is wonderful to read about a love that promotes understanding and sacrifice.

Surrender the Night is a well-written, enjoyable, and inspiring story that reminds readers of God's plans for each of our lives and His overcoming and overwhelming love. And with interesting and poignant historical details, this second book in the "Surrender to Destiny" series is destined to be a winner!

*With thanks to author MaryLu Tyndall for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Second Chance Book Swap!

Were you unable to attend the book swap last week here on the blog? If you did come, did you think of some other books you'd be willing to exchange or some more books you've been eager to find? Well, here's your second chance to swap some books!

The guidelines are the same as the ones posted last Friday. If you missed that post, click HERE to check it out.

I personally won't be joining in on this one since I made a lot of swaps last time, but I hope that everyone enjoys this opportunity to swap again!

Just post a list of some books you're willing to swap and a list of some books you're interested in, along with your e-mail address, in the comments section, and see if anyone's lists match up with yours!

Let the swapping begin!

(Remember that you will have to cover the cost of shipping for each book you swap. Have fun!)

Just For Fun

My assignment over this past weekend for my Teaching the Bible class was to write a really short, children's story about Noah's ark from an animal's perspective. (This was to show one way of incorporating creative writing into Bible/Sunday School classes.) We had so much fun yesterday reading our stories to the class! I was surprised by how different each story was--everyone is so creative!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share my story with all of you. =) I chose to write about a bunny's perspective, and I modeled the bunny after my sister's pet, Candy (pictured left). Enjoy!


Noah's Ark: A Bunny's Perspective

Candy the gray-and-white, lop-eared bunny felt a drop of water splash on her soft head. She had never seen such dark, ominous clouds before, and her little body trembled at the grumbles of the changing weather.

The people had been acting so strange lately. One man had been building a huge wooden house of some sort, and nobody listened to him as he spoke to them in urgent tones. Now his structure was complete. Candy had watched all sorts of animals follow him into the big house, going in by twos, as she sat amid the leaves of a bush.

Stretching her hind legs she peered out between the branches and let her flat nose sniff the air. Suddenly, gentle hands reached down and picked her up, and she was carried into the house.

“We almost missed this little one,” the person holding her said to what must be his family. She was set down by another bunny in a little grass-strewn room, and then the big door of the house was shut tight.

For many days Candy listened to water hitting the now floating rectangular house. She felt safe inside with all of the other animals and the kind people who fed her and petted her fuzzy ears.

One day she hopped out of her stall and watched in awe as a window was opened and bright sunlight fell across the wooden floor. A raven and a dove flew out the window, and later on the dove returned.

A week later the dove was sent out again and she came back with something green. Candy was excited—perhaps soon she would get to see fresh green food again, and her ears would grow longer and her feet would grow bigger!

Candy didn’t know how much time had passed since the dove returned, but one morning she awoke to find herself in the man’s arms, being carried outside, where the water was gone and the sun was shining. The man gently set her on the ground and patted her head.

Her other bunny friend joined her and they began to hop down the mountainside. So much space to play in! Taking one last look back, she saw a beautiful, multi-colored rain-light in the sky. For some reason it made her feel happy and protected as she hopped in search of green, green grass.

Dracula and Surrender the Night

Today I'm over at The Borrowed Book talking about Dracula, Surrender the Night, and writing what you read. If you have some time, I'd love to see you there! It should be an interesting discussion!

Click HERE to read the post!

I thought I'd also take this time to mention some of what's coming up in the next week or so here at Seasons of Humility:

• CSN Stores review of a set of six mini vases, just in time for spring!

• Second-chance book swap. For all those who couldn't make it to the Contentment Reading Challenge book swap on Friday or for those who would just like to try for some more swaps, there will be another day to post your lists and get in touch with your fellow bloggers!

• More on the Woman to Woman Conference. I apologize for having these posts so broken up! There are two more posts to come about my experiences at this conference, including a post about Spiritual Discipline and a post about the talks given by author Robin Jones Gunn.

• Review of Surrender the Night. If this book just keeps getting better as I expect it will, I'm going to have a lot of wonderful things to say about it in my review!!

• And don't forget, this blog's first blogoversary week is the last week of March! You won't want to miss it!
  

Sunday by the Sea

Let's spend a Sunday by the sea and in the Psalms:

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
~ Psalm 93:3-4

Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
~ Psalm 89:9

May you have a blessed Sunday filled with the peace of the Lord who is mightier than the waves of the sea!

(With thanks to my dear friend, Amanda, for suggesting Psalm 89:9 for a Sunday by the Sea post!)