In Ebook ~ At Last

Writing these two novels was an adventure in itself. Years ago, it was on my heart to write a story about the Revolutionary War era in the area I live in, Frederick County, Maryland. I dove into big leather-bound books in the library archive and read some harrowing accounts of settlers in the 1700s that gave me goosebumps.

There were the great Indian Wars and the hopes of the British to bring the Nations onto their side to fight the Americans. Chief Logan, a peacemaker, joined in the hapless war after his family was massacred. Settlers fled east, and the fervor of the American's to be independent grew to a fevered pitch.

Back in Britain, families were torn in allegiance to either the King and his policies, or their American cousins, some of which were family members, sons who had gone to the fruitful land to build their fortunes.  

Both these books were first published in 2003, unabridged and unedited, and were out of print by 2005. After I had become vetted as an author, after writing and publishing through Abingdon Press four novels, my agent and former editor recommended I edit the books and bring them back to my readers. And so, I deligently worked on revisions, and have brought them back in a 2-in-1 collection first in ebook with Kindle. Later, in a few weeks, in paperback.

My husband formatted the book and did all the uploading. My son Paul designed the beautiful cover. It was so fun making this a family effort. I'm thrilled to have reissued these books on my own, combined, with a cover I approved, with a price that is sure to make readers happy, and a story that will last with them a long time. The reason for the latter is not merely due to the story between patriot John Nash and the young British girl he falls in love with, but that the story is laced with events that actually occurred, some of which you will not find in history books today, fictionalized to flow with the story.

Here is a synopsis.

John Nash, has built a new life in the Maryland frontier, and journeys back to England to see his father before the first shots of the Revolution are fired. Rebecah, a young woman who has known little more than the solitude of an isolated manor has lost her father and is now under the control of a domineering patriarch. As their romance unfolds, they become trapped in the schemes of her uncle and immersed in one of the most infamous Indian wars in Colonial history. 
As the firebrands of Revolution grow hot, they marry and work together to build their estate, Laurel Hill. Facing a strange new world, Rebecah experiences the prejudice of being English, but finds friendship and acceptance in the wilds of the Maryland frontier. Joy reins at Laurel Hill when she announces she is carrying a child. Nash, known as Jack, is captain of a band of rangers who protect the frontier families from Indian attack. His friendship with Chief Logan has not prevented the Indian War from reaching their peaceful home along the lush hills of the last outpost.  
Can he protect his wife from warring Indians and from a man who has no allegiance to any nation, tribe, or creed, wanted for robbery and murder, who has vowed vengeance? In Thorns in Eden and The Everlasting Mountains, love and faith are the sustaining forces that cannot be overtaken by the vines of adversity.  

 In EBook for $2.99:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CIV5IRO
Paperback to Follow.
Praise for 'Thorns in Eden & The Everlasting Mountains.

Rita Gerlach captures the feel of Colonial America in her sweeping saga, Thorns in Eden. With lush descriptions and well-drawn, captivating characters, Gerlach creates a story I won't soon forget. ~ Author Jamie Carie

Writing 'After the Rain' with heart palpatations.

This has been the coldest April I can remember. But it is keeping me inside at my desk. I put on a sweater on this morning, and worked on 'After the Rain' all day, except for a lunch break. I listened to the Pride & Prejudice soundtrack and others while writing. Music stirs my imagination more than silence, and the dialogue flowed out of me.

 I am loving writing this novel. I just finished a scene that got my heart pounding. I could see the look on Louisa's face when her grandmother told her she was leaving, and the anxiety Jackson felt when his father told him he had tickets for the train going west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains.

From Louisa's scene: 

Without making a sound, she left and went to her room. She changed her clothes, and when the cab arrived she went downstairs with Millie trailing behind her. She had no way of knowing what calamity would face her the next time she came back through it.

Jackson's scene:
           Jackson hurried to the peg on the wall and grabbed his hat.

            “Where are you going?” his father asked.

            “There is something I’ve been wanting to say to Miss Borden, Pa. This might be my only chance for a long time.”

            He pushed on his hat, drew his coat on, and stepped back out into the cold.

What I know is ahead is my heroine is about to hear some devastating news that will have a ripple effect and cause her comfortable world to come tumbling down. My hero will be faced with a challenge he never expected.

When writing a novel, you have to see every scene in your mind's eye as if a movie were running through it. You have to be able to feel what your characters are feeling, touch what they touch, taste what they taste, hear and see what they hear and see. Otherwise they will fall flat.

When you write, do you feel? Does your heart swell inside you? Do you cry when it is a sad scene, smile when there is joy in your characters'  lives? Writer, you are an actor. Did you know that? You are acting on paper. You are everyone of your characters, because if you are a good writer, even a great one, you will be 'in character'. You will be your heroine and your hero. You will see their world through their eyes. 

Robert Frost wrote: 

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” 

If you are not a writer, but you find a novel that accomplishes this for you, puts you right smack dab in the book, send a note to the author and tell them. You'd be surprised how much a note from a reader encourages a writer to keep writing.

 I recommend the book 'Getting Into Character' by author Brandilyn Collins. http://tinyurl.com/cgzs2ob

THE FINALE! The Making of a Book Cover

 Book covers are the first thing readers see when considering purchasing a book. Book covers are the first step in whether a reader is drawn to the story. A poorly designed cover can prevent a novel from being a success.
 
If it isn't selling maybe it is the cover that is not attacting readers. Some may not agree, saying it shouldn't matter what the cover looks like, but it does. You know the old saying, 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'. When this saying came about, books were hard bound and simple, some with a bit of gilding and fancy scroll work, but  not like the graphic designs we see today. If you have any old books on your shelf, like I do, you know what I mean.

 It is in our nature to be drawn to beauty. We are in awe at a vivid sunset or a golden sunrise. We soak in the glory of a starry moonlit night, or the allure of an open rose. 

In this post, I want to share the production of a novel I plan to have released this May. It is a two-in-one historical drama of romantic love and frontier adventure beginning in 1774 in Georgian England and Colonial Maryland.

The cover is extremely important to me. So I conducted a poll, and everyone said 'have the heroine on the front'. As a result, I began searching for the perfect model. I poured through online stock photos. Nothing but a lot of cheesy stuff. 

Finally, after a long search, I found a young lady's page on Flicker. She makes and models period clothing. When I saw the photo above in her turquoise gown, I knew she was exactly the model I was looking for. She perfectly represents my heroine, Rebecah Brent, in demeanor and looks. So I emailed her and asked if I could have her permission to use her for the book cover, and she promptly replied and sent me other photos to choose from.

The aqua color of her gown was wrong for the period. My designer, who happens to be my oldest son Paul, changed the dress color also because it was too bright for the emotion we were aiming for. Then he used two of my photos, a sunset and a farm field, and inserted them. There were tweaks to be made and he wanted to make a new banner for the title, and we chose black for the spin to match her choker.

We were on our way to an awesome book cover that readers would love. How do I know that? I placed the cover on Facebook and asked. The response was enthusiastic. One last point, I highly recommend Amazon's KDP program for authors who want to bring their out of print books back to readers. Visit this site to see how some bestselling writers have done just that. http://christian-ebooks-fiction-reissued.blogspot.com/

Here is the final cover. 

As a reader, what do you look for in a book cover? What makes you want to pick up the book and read it?

(Thorns in Eden & The Everlasting Mountains to be released May 1st to Kindle and in paperback, exclusively through Amazon.)