"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The Story Behind Shattered Memories by Debbie Lynne Costello



Thank you for having me on your blog, Jodie! I’m excited to be here and look forward to chatting with your peeps.

Charleston, SC is one of my favorite cities. My daughter went to MUSC (Medical University of SC) in Charleston and that sealed my love for the city. As I visited the old city I discovered so much history and one of the tidbits I gleaned was the earthquake of 1886. I walked down the streets and was fascinated by the earthquake bolts used on so many of the old homes and business. 

So when I was brainstorming for a new series the earthquake came to mind. As I researched the history of the earthquake I was fascinated by not only the earthquake, the sounds and results of it but also by the reactions of the people. I really tried to put my reader into the story—to feel what the people of Charleston felt, to hear what they heard, and to see the response of the local people. I hope I’ve achieved that on every page. 
 
Now my characters are also based on real life. . .sort of. You will meet 4 siblings in Shattered Memories, Drew (Andrew), William, Christian, and Jo. Those 4 characters and their names are loosely written after my 4 children, although I used their middle names for the story. Unlike me, my husband and children have all medical backgrounds except for one who married a nurse and goes on medical mission trips with her. So you can see how easy it was for me to weave this family of medicine together. 

Now my characters are not carbon copies of my children. I used my right as a writer to make the characters fit into the roll they needed to play, but I will tell you that each character has one dominate trait of the child they are molded after. For example: Drew takes life serious and wants to fix things, but with close people is a lot of fun and isn’t afraid to cut up. William is a thinker and very serious. He thinks beyond his years. His humor can be rather dry. Christian is a happy-go-lucky guy. He’s intelligent, a hard worker, loves animals, and loves to have fun. Jo likes to stay busy, but she likes to stay busy doing things she likes. You’ll find she is strong and a hard worker. She loves to laugh and is another with rather dry humor. 

So armed with a great setting, a devastating disaster, 4 molds for characters I set out to write Shattered Memories. I hope you get a chance to read it and find yourself immersed in the history of Charleston.
 
      Thank you, again for having me on your blog Jodie. I’m looking forward to chatting with your readers. I’d love to give a choice of one of my books (paperback or ebook), Shattered Memories or Sword of Forgiveness away to one lucky winner. To enter answer one of these two questions:
 
      1.) If you’ve been to Charleston, what is your favorite thing about the city?
           2.) I told you about my 4 children, tell me which you think would be the most fun to write their character?

Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children’s director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, She and her husband enjoy camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses. Visit Debbie Lynne at www.debbielynnecostello.com, www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com,  https://www.facebook.com/debbielynnecostello , https://plus.google.com/+DebbieLynneCostello/posts, and https://twitter.com/DebiLynCostello
 


Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Welcome Joi Copeland

Welcome to 'Love of Story' Wednesday where we sit down with an author and learn a little more about them and their writing life.

Today, our guest is Joi Copeland. How did you develop a 'love of story'? 

I developed a love of story by reading. Over time, I’ve read many fantastic stories which caused me to desire to write.

So many authors have a tie to love of reading and writing. :) Tell us a little about yourself. 

I’ve been married for 16 ½ years to my very best friend. We have three boys, 11, 12, and 14. About two years ago, we were called to go to the mission field as church planters in Ireland and we are raising support to do that. We plan to be in Ireland by the end of August, 2016. 

That's cool. Sounds exciting to be moving to Ireland. What is the genre you write in? 

I write in Christian Women’s Fiction, mostly romance.


Where do you get ideas? 

I get ideas through life. Life is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, joys and sorrows. To find an idea on what to write about isn’t difficult. It’s bringing that story to life that takes time.

Well said. :) What is one thing you hope readers will take away from your story?

One thing I hope readers will take away from my stories is hope. There is always hope even in the midst of deep sadness. It's true we don't see that hope right away, and that's normal and ok. But at the end of it all, I hope readers will find hope.


Thanks for the reminder. :) What do you plan to work on next? 

I’m finishing up Camden’s story. He is an extension of Christmas Rayne. I had a lot of people ask me what is going to happen with Camden since he was such a great guy.  


I'm guessing this book is part of a series then. :) What is the farthest place from home that you've traveled? 

The farthest place from home I’ve traveled is Ireland.  

That makes sense since you plan to move to Ireland. One final question. Is there something about you most people wouldn't know?

I was born with two thumbs on my right hand. My parents had the little one removed, but I have a bump/scar that is a reminder of my abnormality. That actually fits well with my personality since I am a bit abnormal. :)

LOL. I think we all have a bit of abnormality within us. That's what makes us unique. :)
Thanks for stopping by today, Joi.
Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to be entered into the mystery giveaway for February. You won't want to miss it. :) Next week DeAnna Dodson will be joining us.