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Johnnie's book to be released in January 2016 |
By
Johnnie
Alexander
I read a gazillion books on different aspects of
World War II before and while writing my debut novel Where Treasure Hides.
Often a book suggested a path for my character, such
as Colditz: The Untold Story of World War
II’s Great Escapes or The Monuments
Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Theives, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.
My hero, who is captured at Dunkirk, is imprisoned
at the infamous Colditz Castle for a time. Later he joins the Monuments Men.
Keeping a record of all the interesting information
I found as I delved into the history of this tragic war was a challenge. My
solution was to write pertinent information into tablets and blank books.
It’s not the most organized method because I often
read more than one book at a time. So the notes from different books are
interspersed throughout the pages. But there’s something about that little bit
of chaos that nurtures creativity. When I reviewed my notes, I didn’t know as I
turned a page if I’d still be reading about an infamous Vermeer forgery or
details about the Battle of Dunkirk.
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Johnnie's debut novel |
At the top of the third page, I wrote: My name is Alison Schuyler, a fitting name
for me and my forebears. It’s Dutch, like my ancestors, and has the connotation
of hiding and shelter.
The entry continues, revealing tidbits about Alison
and her family that I didn’t know.
A few pages in the journal almost resemble math homework
as I reconciled years of birth and ages with historical events. Major
characters have a page to themselves with descriptive notes taken straight from
the manuscript.
Even The Girl
in the Garden, a fictional painting of Alison’s mother, has its own page.
There’s a page titled “Questions!” and the following
one begins, “What’s next.” Near the end of the book, “Revisions” tops a page
which is followed by a long list of items to double-check or reconsider.
Here’s one of my favorites, totally forgotten until
I flipped through the journal to write this post:
May 13th – Got the call!
Treasure is a Genesis finalist!
A few months later, Where Treasure Hides won the American Christian Fiction Writers 2011 Genesis contest in
the Historical category.
Now that I’m writing a contemporary romance series,
I use small artist sketchbooks. I can’t draw, but a page without lines allows
freedom to make connections, to scribble, to play with colored markers.
The tablets, journals, and sketchbooks I prefer
measure approximately 6 inches by 8 inches—just the right size to balance on my
lap with another book and not too cumbersome to carry around. As I work on my
manuscript, the sketchbook is next to my laptop so I can jot notes or refer to
something I’ve already figured out in its pages.
The tablets full of research notes still come in
handy when I want to write a WWII guest post. Those three notebooks hold a
treasure of material that’s easily accessible even if a bit disjointed. I
cherish the Treasure journal and Where She Belongs sketchbook because
they reveal the nitty-gritty process beneath their finished stories.
Back Cover
Artist Alison Schuyler spends her
time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the
curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and
back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is,
until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life.
Drawn to the bold and
compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love
as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own
battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the
Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces
of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow.
As time, war, and human will
struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for
their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?
Meet the Author:
Johnnie
Alexander writes inspiring stories that linger in the heart. Where Treasure
Hides, her debut novel, won the ACFW Genesis Contest (2011) and Golden Leaf
Award (2014). The first of her three contemporary
romances, Where She Belongs (Misty
Willow Series), releases from Revell in January 2016. Her first novella, “The
Healing Promise” will appear in Barbour’s Courageous
Bride Collection (July 2016).
She
also has won Best Novel and Best Writer awards (Florida Christian Writers
Conferences), and Bronze Medalist (My Book Therapy Frasier Contest).
A graduate of Rollins College (Orlando) with a Master of Liberal
Studies degree, Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, road trips,
and stacks of books. She lives in the Memphis area where experiences farm life with a small herd of alpacas and
Rugby, the princely papillon known for treeing raccoons.
Buy Links: Hyperlinks List
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-treasure-hides-johnnie-alexander-donley/1113498024?ean=9781414380995
Christian Book Distributors
(ChristianBook.com): http://www.christianbook.com/where-treasure-hides-ebook/johnnie-donley/9781414380995/pd/34191EB?product_redirect=1&Ntt=34191EB&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
Personal Links: Imbedded Hyperlinks
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