Darlene Franklin is one of three authors working on our Texas Trails Series that will start being released in September.

My very first attempt at a novel involved taking a fantasy-like story I had made up as a child and converting it to a western setting. As I wrote the story, I came to realize that the Wild West forms the basis of American mythology. We view ourselves more in terms of rugged cowboys than patriotic revolutionaries (although both apply). For a girl who had grown up in New England, it came as quite a revelation.

 So I was delighted when the opportunity came to work with respected authors Susan Page Davis and Vickie McDonough on a Texas series. Texas embodies the West, and I even lived there for a brief span of time. (Now I make my home next door in Oklahoma, which has its own western traditions.)

 Vickie, Susan, and I tossed around several ideas for creating a historical series set in Texas. We flirted with the idea of six flags over Texas(France, Spain, Mexico, Texas, Confederacy, and United States).  In the end, we settled on Texas Trails, a generational saga during the nineteenth century. That way, our stories are tied together but allow for individual freedom in writing.

We used one of my favorite tools: a historical timeline, in particular, www.texasbob.com, and took note of events in Texas history that interested us. I looked into everything from camels used by the army to the visit of Lillian Gish to Galveston to a train collision filmed early in the silent film era. Continue reading / Leave a comment…

The River North Fiction Book Club met for the first time this past Saturday and it was great. We have a great blend of women who are thoroughly excited about the idea of discussing Christian Fiction and giving some input on future projects from titling and book covers to content ideas. We really started getting to know one another and passed out the first book that we will be discussing, Pearl in the Sand. The ladies were very excited about this title. We even came to confirm as a group, and to the surprise of most of us there, that Rahab, the central character in the book, was the mother of Boaz. This is a big deal because God placed Rahab in Jesus’s genealogy even though she was a harlot. We were all quieted by this idea and then led to even deeper conversation. It might have only lasted an hour, but it was an hour filled with laughs, learning, teaching, and growth. Some of the favorite quotes of the morning came from Elizabeth and Linda, respectively, “Mom, I can’t go and play outside, I am reading, the books are my friends!” and “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” I am looking forward to getting together again with these ladies next month to discuss the book. Please check us out on our meetup link: http://www.meetup.com/River-North-Fiction-Book-Club/ we welcome any age and any level of technology knowledge. I will keep you posted on the details of our next meeting time. Until then, pick up Pearl in the Sand and keep up with us. Continue reading / Leave a comment…