Renee Yancy

Last chance to pick up A Secret Hope for 99 cents!

2012-02-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Isn't that a cool pic? It comes from last Chance, Colorado. What a great name for a town. Almost makes me want to write a story set there. Another great town name I've come across is Half Moon. I think I saw it in New York State and it's stuck with me for several years.

Tomorrow February 8 is the last day to pick up an e-copy of A Secret Hope for only 99 cents. The price is going up to $2.99.

A few readers have written to ask when the next book will be out. Music to a writer's ear! The second book in the trilogy, The Fury of Dragons, is written and in the last stages of editing. It continues the tale of Eleri from the first book.

Thanks for the support and encouragement I've received from friends and family. You rock!

A Secret Hope now available at Amazon!

2012-01-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to announce that A Secret Hope is now available at Amazon and Smashwords.com.

Soon it will be available at Barnes & Noble as well. However, if you have a Nook you can purchase an ePub version for Nook from Smashwords that looks great.

My hubby tweaked the cover a bit last night, adding a Kells manuscript illuminated letter "A".

The book will be available for two weeks at 99 cents for all my friends and family. After that the price will go to $2.99.

If you read it and enjoy it I hope you will recommend it to your friends and possibly write a review for Amazon.

Thanks to all my friends and family for your support.

Click here to purchase my book

For epub (Nook) and other formats, go to Smashwords

Preview the cover for A Secret Hope!

2012-01-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

The lovely and talented Miss Chrissy Page designed the book cover for A Secret Hope, my soon to be published historical novel.

Designing covers for eBooks requires that they look great both full-size and thumbnail size. I think Chrissy achieved the goal and I am thrilled with the result.

Chrissy works as a graphic designer in sunny Florida. She and my daughter Sarah met in college and have been best buds for years now.

Isn't she a talented girl?

And isn't the cover GORGEOUS?

I love it! By the end of the week I hope to have it up on Amazon for Kindle, and soon after that up ready for Barnes & Noble's Nook and the rest of the the e-readers.

Great job, Chrissy!

I'm Gonna Do it!

2012-01-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Dale. Thanks, David Wheat.

I made the decision and I'm putting my first historical novel up on Amazon as a Kindle
e-book.

I'm also going to use Smashwords to get the book up on Barnes & Noble, KOBO, and all the other I-Pad devices and e-readers.

For the last two weeks I've been formatting the book for publication.

Dale says I won't have to worry about my brain going to mush because I'm stimulating my brain by learning all the HTML stuff.

A lovely young lady, Miss Chrissy Page, is designing the book cover. She is awesome! I can't wait to see it.

I am just about done with the Kindle formatting and I'm still working on the Smashwords version. (They both have different requirements.)

I am getting very excited about actually doing it! Publishers and editors have been telling me for years that the time periods of my first two books are nearly impossible to sell. So it makes perfect sense to publish the first two books as e-books. I sure hope they find an audience!

When I get the cover, I'm going to preview it here.

Ooooh, I'm so excited!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

The weary world rejoices...

E Book, Anyone?

2011-12-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

I'm seriously considering put my first historical novel up on Amazon as an e-book. My husband has been telling me for at least the last year that I ought to do it.

I've held off, wanting to take the more traditional route of getting an agent, then a publisher and a contract.

Today, both my husband and my very good friend, David, sent me the same article from the Wall Street Journal, regarding the story of a woman who did exactly that - put her novel on Amazon after numerous rejections. And she made a go of it.

It's scary. You're on your own as far as publicity and advertising and all that. But my husband could design an awesome cover for the book. (He's so amazing.)

Today it's as if a light in my brain suddenly turned green.

I think I'm gonna go for it.

Stay tuned.

Building a Character

2011-11-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Capriccio Padovano by Bernardo Belloto

Here is the painting I chose for my character, Evangeline Lindenmayer, for her bedroom.

Evangeline has simple tastes and isn't given to frills and furbelows like her mother, whose taste runs to the lavishly extreme and frou-frou.

This is one of the fun and necessary things a writer must do when they are building a character. I think about everything from her hobbies, her looks, her gifts and talents, her character defects, to what she might carry in her reticule. (That's old-fashioned for purse.)

I have to pin down her speech, her favorite colloquialisms, and the way she laughs. I figure out the way she thinks and reacts to stress. I searched for a while before I found this painting and I think it's perfect! I'd love to have this hanging in my bedroom.

Charles Frederick Worth & Haute Couture

2011-11-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

One of the pleasures of doing research for historical novels is learning about cultures different from my own. This applies whether I am writing a story set in the 5th century or the 19th Century.

Charles Frederick Worth was an English designer who lived in Paris and is considered the "father" of Haute Couture. He dominated Parisian and American fashion for the second half of the 19th century.

Before he started designing and making everything from peignoirs to ball gowns for American aristocrats and European royalty,
women usually bought fabric and brought
it to their own dressmaker.

Worth was different. He spent hours in museums, studying old paintings for his inspiration. He used every type of material available, from silk to velvet to brocade in his garments. He was also the first designer to "sign" his designs, with a label that was sewn into the dress.

He made 7 Rue de la Paix in Paris the place to go for superlative style.

Many of his gowns are in museums today. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a large collection, also the British Museum in London, and the Costume Institute.

Pictured here are just a few of his creations.

Of course, to wear these beautiful gowns required a corset reinforced with whalebone stays, and laced to an 18 or 19 inch waist.

Often the weight of the gown, due to metallic beading, real silver and gold thread embroidery, fringe, tassels, and crystals made the gown very heavy to wear.

I think it's better to look at them and imagine wearing them at a ball, sweeping across the floor in a Viennese waltz!

Big Decision

2011-11-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have something to tell my friends here on the blog. This is a scary thing for me but it's part of the steps I have to take to move on in my life.

Almost three months ago, I had to face the fact that I had become an alcoholic. A high functioning alcoholic. This is what probably 80% of alcoholics are in this country. Usually when you think of the word "alcoholic" you picture a skid row bum. But the real face of alcoholism is very different. A high functioning alcoholic is just what it sounds like. You don't miss work. You do your job. It seems like everything is fine. It's just that you have this little secret.

This week I marked 75 days without alcohol.

I always knew it was a possibility. It runs in my family. You know us Irish. We love potatoes and alcohol.

Anyway. I'm going to AA. I'm doing great. I did have one terrible night at the recent ACFW convention in St. Louis that was difficult but the Lord got me through it.

I'm starting to tell my friends. My family has been very supportive.

Now I'm getting to the point where I want to help others, if possible. Three months ago I started writing a blog about this. I needed to get my thoughts out on paper (so to speak) about it.

If you'd like to know more, or if you know anyone that might benefit from reading about it, the blog address is www.theresa-carmella.blogspot.com.

If anybody out there wants to talk about their own possible problem, email me privately. I'd be happy to speak to you.

The Lord reigns!

Miniature Books

2011-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I'm working on plotting out my Gilded Age novel and doing lots of research.

I've decided to give my main character the hobby of collecting miniature books, which have been around for thousands of years. The earliest one on record is a tiny one inch square clay tablet written in Sumerian script from 2000 BC.

To qualify as a miniature, a book must be no larger than 3 inches wide or tall. I have a few in my own personal collection, acquired after years of antiquing and flea marketing.

Medieval Book of Hours

Some of the miniature books were bound in leather and mother of pearl, with gold lettering and beautiful illustrations. Some had enameled covers and gold clasps, set with gems. They can be slipped into a pocket (which my character will do) and carried about easily.

Popular subjects were Bibles and religious books, children's stories, histories, and famous speeches such as Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Emancipation.

Snap these up if you come across them at a flea market or a tag sale. They are precious.

Entering the Gilded Age

2011-10-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

The Gold Room at the Marble House

I've been a busy little bee, working at plotting out not one but two novels.

I'm very excited about #4, set in the Gilded Age of America. This time period was roughly 1870 to 1914.

It was a time of excess the likes of which had never been seen in America. On one side you have the moneyed and revered patrician stock - the Astors, the Stuyvesants, the Van Renssalaers, and the Roosevelts.

The Breakers, New port, RI

And on the other side, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and the Carnegies, who wanted to enter the highest echelons of society - Mrs. Astor's famous Four Hundred.

TheVanderbilts were nouveau riche. After the Civil War, immense fortunes were made in the railroad industry, coal, mining, manufacturing, etc. The wives of these newly rich magnates were social climbers of the first rank. Mrs. Astor didn't want to receive "those people" into her revered circle of society.

But clever Alva Vanderbilt finally broke into that circle and soon the nouveau riche built ostentatious mansions on Fifth Avenue in New York City, spent spring in Paris, and moved on to London before coming home to summer in their "cottages" along the Atlantic in Rhode Island right along with the old guard.

The Marble House, Newport, RI

In the fall, they moved back to New York for the "season" and started all over again.

Alva Vanderbilt's summer "cottage," Marble House, is pictured here, as well as the Gold Room in the cottage.

Another stunning mansion is the Breakers, the summer home of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.

I'm researching the Gilded Age and it's fabulous and fascinating.

I think I'm going to have to make a trip to Newport!

I Didn't Win! But I Did Win!

2011-10-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of email and comments on Facebook asking me about the conference. What a whirlwind it was!

First, I did not win the Historical category. A very talented writer named Johnnie Alexander Donnelly won.

BUT...

I felt very much like a winner. There were 8 categories and 3 finalists in each. That meant at a conference of nearly 700 people, 24 of us had "Finalist" ribbons on our name tag. Now, there were probably at least 100 published writers at the conference. ACFW has approximately 2500 members. Also the "Carol Awards" for published writers were also awarded at the Gala on Saturday night. I think there were about 30 finalists for those.

So just the fact that I was a Finalist did a lot for me. For one thing, I learned that when you include the fact that were a Genesis finalist in a proposal, the editor or agent will take a closer look because you've proven that you can write. It's a given.

I made 2 new friends, met with 3 agents and 2 editors, took some marvelous classes on honing the craft of writing, and basically enjoyed being in the company of other writers.

From most of my meetings, I came away with the basic knowledge that the time period for my first two manuscripts is still a "hard sell". But that's OK. I'm working on my 3rd WIP (that's writer talk for Work In Progress) and have a new idea for a story set in the Gilded Age (1879 - 1899).

The important thing is: I know I can write.

Everything else is all part of the journey. I already have plans to enter these two new stories in the Genesis contest for 2012.

Later this week, I will have a few photos from the conference and some stories. Thanks for all your support!

New Website and Conference Time!

2011-09-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's time!

I leave tomorrow for St. Louis and the ACFW Annual conference. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

Excited, because I get to be with lots of other writers and attend some dynamite classes designed to help me improve my craft.

Nervous, because for the first time, I will be "pitching" my novel to agents and editors in fifteen minute blocks of time.

Saturday night is the Gala semi-formal dinner. This is when the winners of the Genesis and Carol Awards will be announced. I am one of three finalists in the Historical category.

I would also like to announce that my wonderful husband has finished revamping my website. Please check it out and leave a comment. On the site I have an excerpt from my first two novels, and also my third WIP, (That's writer talk for work-in-progress.) Instead of the 5th century, this one is set in Boston in 1848.

www.reneeyancy.com

I will be blogging about the conference when I return! I'm so excited!!!

Never Forget

2011-09-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

One-Page Sell Sheet

2011-09-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my One Page this week.

A One Page is sort of a visual aid for editors, agents, and publishers. Authors are encouraged to bring these to the upcoming conference.

Another way to think of it is as a visual Query letter. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a query letter is what you send to an agent or an editor to get them interested in your manuscript. To get your foot in the door. If your query is brilliant and outstanding, you might get a request to send some of your chapters.

My husband put this together for me and I think it's beautiful. I also think, however, that I need to work on my text a bit more. It just doesn't FEEL right to me.

Let me know what you think.

2 Year Anniversary

2011-08-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

September will mark the two year anniversary of this blog.

It doesn't seem possible that two years has gone by!

Many blogs reveal their stats on anniversaries, so I'm going to take a moment away from my furious writing, re-writing, and editing to share a few numbers with you.

All Time Page Views: 10,513

Last Month's Page Views: 1,040

Most popular blog post has been the post on Wax Tablets & Writing Instruments: 1,022 All Time Page Views

Second Most Popular was Woad: 751 Page Views

I've had visitors from all over the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, India, China, and Italy.

It's been fun. I guess I need to graduate to Twitter now!

New Critique Partner

2011-08-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

I have a new critique partner!

Her name is Stephanie Thornton. She writes historical fiction. Like me. And her settings are ancient history, too, like mine. So we have a lot in common. She would time-travel to ancient Egypt if she could and I'd be right there with her!

Her first manuscript is about Hatshepsut, the first and only female Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. She is currently hard at work on manuscript #2, and the main character is Theodora. A one time prostitute and actress who reaffirmed her Christianity and became Empress of the Byzantine Empire. This is the manuscript I will be critiquing for her. It sounds amazing!

Stephanie is also a high school history teacher, lives in Alaska, and had a recent encounter with a bear.

Check out her website and blog at www.stephanie-thornton.com.

BTW, Stephanie has 347 followers on her website. I'm definitely going to ask her how in the world she did that!

Time is running out!

2011-08-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Only seven weeks left until I go to St. Louis for the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference!

Seven weeks to finish the revising, rewriting, and perfecting of this manuscript that finaled in the Historical category of the Genesis Contest for unpublished writers.

My crit partner Melissa and I have been feverishly trying to get through the remaining chapters of our manuscripts. There will be literary agents, editors, and publishing houses at the conference and we want to be ready! Just in case we get the coveted request for the "completed manuscript".

I am one of three finalists in my category. I haven't quite allowed myself to dream that I could actually win. I feel as if I've already won because the agents and publishers will have all the finalist's names. It's my chance to stand out from the crowd.

So housework has gone to the dogs. Forget about my favorite TV programs. Sleep? Who needs it? I'm eating, drinking, and breathing the 5th Century. All my brain synapses are alert. The neurons are firing. All systems go!

Reconnecting with an old friend

2011-08-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I received an email from my sister. My best friend from childhood had contacted her and asked for my email. Adele and I grew up in Tonawanda, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around Adele.

She was tall and beautiful and we were very good friends, up until her family moved to New City, NY. That was about 1963. We wrote letters a few times and then, as so often happens, we lost touch.

But I never forgot Adele. I always wondered how her life turned out and what she was doing.

Reconnecting with her on Sunday was the coolest thing ever. She sent me these two photos. In the photo above, we are Christmas caroling on our street, Findlay Avenue. That's Adele in the back on the right. That's me on the left.

Here we are in all our Easter Sunday finery - hats, gloves, purses and even flowers on our lapels. I remember going to Woolworth's with my Mom and picking out a new hat for Easter. That's me on the far left and Adele is in the red coat. Roberta, Deanna, my sister Bernadine, and Nancy Elardo make up the rest of our little group.

Here is Adele as she looks today. I did a search on Facebook and pulled up about eight possible ladies. As soon as I saw this photo I knew it was Adele. Still absolutely beautiful with that dynamite smile! We are hoping that we can plan a reunion sometime in the future.

Isn't it funny when a blast from the past knocks on your door?

Underground Rome

2011-06-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Basilica di San Clemente

I'm fascinated with the archaeology of ancient civilizations. Especially Rome and Egypt. Recently I've been reading quite a bit about underground Rome. There are archaeologists and spelunkers who explore the ancient remains of the city of Rome, below the surface of the modern city.

Ceiling of the Basilica

One of the most fascinating examples of this is the Basilica di San Clemente in Rome, finished in 1120. It is famous for its 12th century frescoes and mosaics.

But it's what lies under the basilica that captivates me. An Irish Dominican priest began excavations underneath the present basilica in 1857 and soon unearthed a 4th century Christian church and catacombs. Building of the catacombs began in the 1st century. The ancient volcanic rock called tufa was perfect for tunneling because it was soft at first but hardened after exposure to air.

4th Century Christian Catacombs

Below the 4th century level, more excavation revealed a 1st century shrine or temple to the ancient Persian god Mithras.

When Rome conquered another country, it often adopted that country's gods and Mithras was one of these. Mithras was a special favorite of Roman soldiers.

1st Century Shrine of Mithras

The rites of a Mithraic temple were open to men only and took place in near darkness. The photo above shows the Roman altar stone in the temple. Offerings would be left on the top of this stone. Stone benches for the worshipers are carved out of the rock on either side of the altar.

We don't know what the offerings consisted of but Mithras is frequently portrayed slaying a bull by cutting its throat and spilling its blood. You can't see it very well in the above photo but that is the motif relief-carved onto the front of the altar.

In my second novel, I have a scene that features a Mithraic temple built alongside Hadrian's Wall, outside the city known in Roman Britain as Luguvalium, today's modern city of Carlisle, England.

Do you have a fascination for ancient archaeology? I'd love to hear from you!

Brands and Tag Lines

2011-06-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband is currently studying Dreamweaver so he can build me a new website.

This is one of the photos I've chosen for it. I want to incorporate both Celtic and Roman-British images, since my first two historicals take place in those cultures.

Another thing I've been thinking of is my "brand". I hear this constantly in the world of publishing. What is your brand? How are you going to market yourself? How many people do you have ready to go out and buy your book when it's published? Will they talk about it it? Will you Twitter?

So, in between working with my wonderful crit partner Melissa to get my Genesis novel revised yet once again, I am trying to come up with a brand or a tag line for myself that characterizes my writing and my books. And it's hard!

I'm a member of several online writer forums and some of these authors have the coolest brands. Some of my favorites:

Kathleen Y'Barbro - "Fiction With a Southern Accent" - www.kathleenybarbro.com

Marcy G. Dyer - "Roller Coaster Suspense" - www.rollercoastersuspense.com

Janice Hanna Thompson - "Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters" - www.janicethompson.com

Rachel Wilder - "Romance With Old World Charm" - www.rachelwilder.net

Ane Mulligan - "Southern Fried Fiction" - www.anemulligan.com

and my personal favorite: Camy Tang - "Romance With a Kick of Wasabi" - www.camytang.com

I've come up with a couple ideas but nothing that grabs you like these tag lines I've mentioned. I've thought of History Unveiled. But that seems rather dull. How about Sword and Spirit? Nah, not quite right. See? It's hard.

Maybe somebody out there could come up with a bright idea for me?

Husband's New Blog

2011-06-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that my husband, the amazing Dale Yancy, former hippie and Jesus freak, pastor, and father of three, now has a blog of his own.

I kept after him to start one so he'd have an outlet for all the thoughts he has (and he has a LOT of thoughts) on Christianity, politics, and all the other issues of the day.

The blog address: www.daleyancy.blogspot.com

His next blog post is going to be on Christians and how many of us don't tip well when we go out to dinner. Two of our three children have been servers in restaurants and we've heard it all.

Check him out and hang around for a bit. It's sure to be a wild ride!

Genesis Contest Final!

2011-05-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Early this spring I entered one of my historical manuscripts in the Genesis contest. American Christian Fiction Writers is one of the biggest Christian fiction organizations in the country, and this is their yearly contest for unpublished writers.

The top 20 highest scoring entries made it into the semi-finals, which were announced in April. Only 3 manuscripts would be selected from those to become finalists. The finalists were to be named on May 13, and I spent that day talking to the Lord, telling Him I wished it didn't matter so much to me, and trying to prepare myself for disappointment. I told the Lord that whatever happened, I would take it as coming from Him, and either way it would be OK.

And then when I got the phone call that I was a finalist - well, after the word "Congratulations!" I didn't hear anything else the ACFW representative said. I had to replay the message later and listen to it again.

The winners of each category won't be announced until the national conference in St. Louis but I feel as if I've already won. I'm blessed and grateful. Unpublished writers as a whole are very insecure. We are constantly asking ourselves if we're "good enough".

The affirmation and encouragement that finaling in the Genesis has given me is wonderful. I'm reminded again to keep going, keep writing, keep learning the craft, and above all ABIDE in HIM. He is the one who holds all the days of my life in His hand and I can trust Him.

Thank you, Lord. It's all You.

Old Apalachicola Cemetery

2011-05-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

I love visiting old cemeteries. So many stories waiting to be told! People who lived in past centuries had a different take on death than we do today. Life expectancy was shorter and many babies didn't live to see their first birthday.

I'm always struck by the evidence of people's faith engraved on the stones. Little Clarence Goettinger was two years old when he was taken away from loving parents. They erected an angel to watch over his tomb. You can read the verse they had inscribed on the stone below.

Apalachicola's old cemetery had Confederate graves, victims of shipwreck and yellow fever, and many monuments to dearly loved children. Even across the centuries you can still feel the pain of losing a loved one.

A child's gravestone with Scripture.

Spanish moss, white sand, and seashells everywhere.

One creepy grave. When I was a kid, I would've wanted to look in there!

A family grave. Four infants lost. The tiny stone slabs that
mark the grave's outlines are heart-rending.

The stone at the foot of Clarence's grave.

Clarence Goettinger closed his eyes in death,
and flesh and spirit severed.
When earth and fatherland and home
with all their beauty sank in gloom
say, Was it to be forever?
No, not forever.

Clarence's angel.

A Confederate grave. 2nd Florida Cavalry.

Apalachicola, Florida

2011-05-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

I finally had my beach day.

My husband and I spent five days in beautiful Apalachicola on the Florida panhandle, just where the coast turns south.

It's also called the "forgotten coast" of Florida. No main interstate goes directly to or by Apalachicola. Therefore it has never been developed like the rest of Florida's beach communities.

No high rise hotels or condos. No McDonald's. Just a sleepy Florida town with bungalows and historic homes that probably looks much the same today as it did fifty years ago.

The beach in the photo is on St. George's Island, a barrier island on the gulf of Mexico. There were very few people there. You can see the closest ones in the photo above. My kind of beach. And it was pristine. That famous white sugar sand and the water was so warm! Tons of shells. It was heavenly.

Of course, with my penchant for history and graveyards, I had to visit the historic cemetery draped in Spanish moss that stood across the street from our bed and breakfast. It had Confederate Civil War graves and memorials to people who died of yellow fever.

I will be doing a post on some of the graves and the unusual statuary I found there.

If you'd like to have a look at The Coombs House Inn, here's the link: www.coombshouseinn.com.