And HOPE Does Not Disappoint...

When the recent college scandal brought Hallmark Channel's TV series When Calls the Heart Season 6 to a screeching halt, the network set out to remove all traces of one of the most prominent characters in the show. Plans to rewrite and reshoot the remaining episodes went into instant hyperdrive in an effort to get Season 6 back on the air asap.

I didn’t know what to expect when WCTH S6 resumed, other than to see a really good, solid effort to salvage a wounded show.

What I didn’t expect was to find myself back in Hope Valley watching one of the best seasons yet.

Something happened in that scramble to rewrite the episodes. I don’t know how writers, directors, cast, and crew were able to come back from other projects and commitments, and I don’t know how crazy the writers’ room was while it was decided how to remove whole scenes and scenes that referred to those scenes, and remove or alter storylines to replace one character with another.

I certainly don’t believe it’s the absence of certain characters, but the increased depth of those remaining that has made this season so engaging.

I’m not sure if they took scenes that had been shortened because minutes had to be edited out and then stretched to fill the hour by adding more lines for other characters, but somehow, the scenes feel longer and fuller, the characters seem to be displaying more depth, secondary characters are SHINING. The Kids' storylines are truly engaging and delightfully reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie (Come on, Allie/Nellie!). Lee and Rosemary have gone from charming comic relief to a couple with poignant, relatable struggles. And the increased tension & action is reminiscent of Season 1.

Bravo to those who dropped what they were doing and came back to the drawing board & set and ended up pulling off some of THE finest TV I've ever seen.

The When Calls the Heart Season 6 Finale airs Sunday, June 2 at 9/8c (6 pacific) on the Hallmark Channel. Tune in live, tweet if you can, and watch this stunning gem of a TV series that has (once again, long story) emerged from the ashes. Join the Facebook “Hearties” fan group (over 70,000 strong) to chatter about the show.

Then prepare to return to Hope Valley for the return of WCTH, Season 7!

Free eBook: The Healer, a Love Story

(cover art: Roseanna White Designs)

It's 1913, and the story is still boy meets girl, but the question is: will boy lose girl before he even gets a chance to win her?

His name on her lips twisted something in his chest. He swallowed hard, then watched as she took a strip of cloth from her basket and wrapped it around the wound. He continued to watch her, mesmerized by her hands, her quick movements, her gentle touch …

Join my mailing list at www.CamilleEide.com to get special offers and book release news. And when you subscribe, you’ll receive an instant link to download my FREE eBOOK: The Healer, a Love Story. This tender little romance is my exclusive gift to you for joining my reading tribe.
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Also, find my novels and read 2 sample chapters of each at WhiteFire Publishing's READ site.

Guernsey Literary, Letters, and Love

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society was a delightful book, and the Netflix film adaptation is now one of my top favorite films. I have to admit I liked the film even more than the book, which I loved.

I adore stories with sweet romance, relational drama, and a mystery or question to solve—it’s what I love to read, watch, and write. (I write both contemporary and historical fiction, so I hope those who also adore these qualities will find something to your taste in my work, and I hope you will recommend your favorite books and films to me!)

So about Juliette’s letters…

I adore letters in novels — there’s something intimate about the way people share their deepest heart in a letter than doesn’t come across in dialogue or even in the character’s internal thoughts. Heart-to-heart, written communication in a story tends to make us, the reader/viewer, feel as if we are being let in on a deeply personal, meaningful secret.

Like There’s No Tomorrow, my first contemporary novel, was inspired by the cross-continental romance between my brother and his now wife. In the novel, Ian and Emily are caregivers to two quirky old Scottish sisters, and for two years, they have been writing letters on behalf of the old women, since Maggie is nearly blind, and Grace is addle-brained.

Ian, in Scotland, has a gentle sarcasm that comes through in his writing, which delights Emily, and he also takes advantage of the fact that he can “report” on Maggie’s mischievous activities to Grace, but with restraint, as he doesn’t want to worry the old woman too much. In America, Emily is well-acquainted with Ian’s character, and though she pictures him all wrong, she has gotten to know, respect, and admire the man. The same goes for Ian. Emily’s letters give him, in addition to wrong notion that she’s a sweet, white-haired old spinster, the impression that she is a very kind, devoted, selfless lady. So when they finally meet and discover one another to be young and easy on the eye, the attraction is quick and fully-encompassing.

When I re-watched the Guernsey film this week (such agony we writers have to endure…), I was reminded of the importance of the familiarity between Juliet and her pen-pal, Dawsey. I love that the written word can give people a unique window into the soul of others. (Much like the Word of God gives us a window into God’s nature, character, and His unyielding desire for relationship with us.)

So, about the written word…

In The Memoir of Johnny Devine, it’s not letters exchanged, but a memoir that Johnny writes (with Eliza’s help) that gives a clear window into his soul, a stark, transparent view that would make most people feel too exposed and vulnerable. But his honesty, despite the critical scrutiny his memoir invites, is more important than protecting his image, because he has a purpose. He wants the hopeless to know that there is no one too far beyond the reach of God’s grace.

And on the topic of really knowing a person…

I’m working on a short historical love story now that will be available as a gift for joining my mailing list. Like the Guernsey story, both main characters have the opportunity to value something within the other, something deeper than outer beauty or visible qualities, and it’s this recognition and appreciation that draws them together, when obstacles would keep them apart.

I love this so much. (I need to go now so I can finish it…😊)

Who doesn’t want to hope in a Love that never fails, that overcomes every obstacle? I believe that God wired us all with this hope, and for a specific and glorious final outcome that He has in mind.

Question: Do you write letters? Have you ever exchanged letters with someone you love, or someone you have grown to love/admire/respect as a result? Is writing letters a lost art you would like to revisit?

READ at WhiteFire Publishing! 

2 Sample Chapters of each book available to browse for FREE!

Sign up for WhiteFire Fiction and never miss a story!

New Cover, New Price

The Memoir of Johnny Devine, under new management with WhiteFire Publishing,

has been given a new face. What do you think of the new cover?

AND the kindle version of my 3 novels are now 3.99. Such a deal!

-Camille

$5 Dollar Books (While They Last)

Friends, Readers, Librarians, Book Clubs, Bibliophiles, Bargain hunters, etc...

I’ve acquired a small overstock of my books and they'd love real homes, so I’m shipping them out at my cost. Paperbacks are $5, plus $3 s/h (multi book rate varies). 

I also have one Hardcover Large Print of The Memoir of Johnny Devine for a little more.

So, just comment below if you’d like books shipped. There’s a limited amount, so 1st come, 1st served, etc. I hear it’s never too early to start Christmas shopping.

😉

If you’re not familiar with my work, it’s been compared to Melissa Tagg, Becky Wade, Dale Cramer. I write love stories some call “more than a romance,” deep, poignant tales laced with grace, humor, and redemption.

Like There’s No Tomorrow (2014): An amusing, tender love story about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on reuniting, and too many agendas. It’s a tale of family, falling in love, faith, and the gift of each new day.

Excerpt –
There were a number of things Ian had grown to appreciate about his co-correspondent over the last two years. A very natural bond had developed between them. A bond that, until now, he thought he shared with a stout, tenderhearted spinster on the downhill side of middle-age . . . His mind worked frantically to reconcile the Emily he knew from the letters with this one, and to accept the fact that this woman, this very lovely young woman, had been his pen pal for the past two years…

Like a Love Song (2014, Genesis Winner & Romantic Times 4.5 Star Top Pick): A romantic, heart-tugging drama about a social worker turned surrogate mom to a bunch of cast-off teens, desperate to save the group home she’s worked hard to build in Oregon’s outback. She faces foreclosure and heartaches that won't stay buried. Her only hope lies with the last person she’d ever turn to—a brawny handyman with a guitar, a questionable past, and a God he keeps calling Father.

Excerpt –
“An oil rigger?” Sue hacked out a laugh. “A roughneck? With my kids? Great. Who are you going to send next, a lumberjack and a couple of bikers? Maybe they can pull night watch in the girls’ dorm.” Sue yanked open the driver’s door of her Suburban, climbed in, and cranked the key. A few feeble chugs, then nothing. Big surprise.

“I’m serious, Sue. Joe is an all-around handyman and knows how to manage a crew.”

“I’m sure he’s charming, Layne. On an oil rig. But I need someone with experience handling kids. Special needs kids. You know that.”

“Yes, in the long run, in optimal circumstances, absolutely. But you’re going to give old Roberta a stroke if you don’t get some help. You have to hire someone.”

Sue rested her aching head on the steering wheel. Pain and fatigue rolled over her in a cold fog…

The Memoir of Johnny Devine (2015, Romantic Times 4½ GOLD Star Top Pick, Seal of Excellence, & Best Inspirational Romance; OCW Cascade Award Best Historical): In 1953, a young war widow hired to write an exclusive memoir lands on McCarthy’s hit list and must clear her name while trying not to fall in love with the born-again, ex-Hollywood heartthrob whose scandalous past keeps him too busy to notice her. Or does it? It’s a love story set at a time when post-war America seeks security in prosperity, Hollywood’s Golden Age is coming to an end, the Red Scare reaches new heights of paranoia, and unrest over civil rights continues to grow. It’s a story for those who enjoy a character-driven, inspirational drama, a strong-yet-tender romance, and a touch of intrigue.

Excerpt-
“I was topping all the charts, but even with so much fame, all I had to show for my life was a stack of films and a long line of women who wished I’d never been born. Even if I’d wanted honor, you couldn’t find a trace of it in me. If there was ever a time in my life I’d longed for true significance, it was long past.”

Eliza’s pencil froze. True significance? The words echoed, taunting her. She had believed everything John said so far, but his last statement struck her as ludicrous. Could a Hollywood star with scores of fans truly have any concept of the quest for significance? Could a man whose name had emblazoned every marquee in the country understand the void that she—a penniless nobody—had so long struggled to fill?

Don’t think, just write…

Passing the Baton & VOTE for a NEW Look for Johnny Devine!

And no sooner did I announce that Ashberry Lane is closing its doors than another publisher has stepped in to keep the AL line alive! WhiteFire Publishing has acquired Ashberry Lane and will resume publishing AL titles under the same name, as an imprint. 

This means my full length AL novels will continue to be available! I'm not sure if they will be sold beyond Amazon, or if so, when, but I'll share more info when it comes.

One of the first things WFP wants to do is give Johnny Devine a new face, and they want your help!  Whether or not you've read the book, you can help WhiteFire decide which cover to use for my novel. 

Voting is super easy! Go to: https://goo.gl/forms/9fWaK7qqr4paxK9q2

Thanks! 

To Everything, A Season

Ashberry Lane, the publisher who championed three of my novels, is closing its doors. When other small presses were floundering after biting off more than they could chew, AL sought out special stories and authors in whom they could believe. I'm grateful to AL for their help in bringing Like There's No Tomorrow, Like a Love Song, and The Memoir of Johnny Devine to print.

But the publishing industry is a rapidly changing place, and sadly, is becoming a difficult place for the small press to stay afloat. So this forced transition is the end of a particular publishing season for me, but perhaps, Lord willing, the beginning of another.

Since AL is closing, all of their 24 titles (including my 3 novels), now found only at Amazon, will no longer be available. It is my hope to relaunch these three books under my own indie brand one day. But, until then, these titles will no longer be available in any format after April 30.

So if you've been thinking of getting one of my books for yourself, or for an upcoming gift, or a few for your church library or book club, be sure to get the copies you want before the end of this month (HERE).

I don't have a relaunch date yet, but if and when these stories become available again, YOU will certainly be the first to know. Until then, please be sure to get the copies you may have been meaning to get. (AND for those of you who belong to Kindle Unlimited, they are now available FREE under that program - but only until the end of April.)

And in the meantime, keep an eye out for my next novels, currently under construction, which will be published one way or another... Lord willing.

Thank you, my reading friends, for your support.

Isaiah 43:19
~Camille

The Birth of A Novelist

I don't know how many of my novelist friends can pin down the day they became a novelist. I can. March 7, 2007.  My friend Lisbet and I had been all dreamy-eyed, discussing the cross-continental romance between her sister (in Norway) and my brother (in America) and we decided someone ought to write a story about two people continents apart who fall in love over correspondence. That giddy musing turned into me going home, jotting a couple of notes (HAHAHA!), firing up the old computer in the kids' upstairs den, and sitting down to write. I planned to contact a publisher located in my state, because, after all, we were neighbors, and they would want to publish my book, right? I went to work, excited about what just might be the next best-seller. 

*Cough Gasp Cough*  Pardon me.

About 100 pages into the story, I realized my story, the one I'd been staying up until nearly dawn each night writing and was now irrevocably invested in, was in serious trouble. I had no clue how to proceed and figured it was time to seek out help. I searched online and found writing sites (www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com) and writer's organizations (www.ACFW.com, www.OregonChristianWriters.org), and from there, soaked up all the coaching, craft books, and critique I could get my hands on. (A word to the wise: not all critiques are beneficial, but ought to be considered for value and weighed against the instinct you must train into your writing gut with an obscene amount of high quality reading.)

In short, eleven years later, I have 3 full length published books (thanks to Rachelle Gardner and Ashberry Lane Publishing) and a Christmas novella (ebook), and a couple of novels in the works. That first story went through the proverbial ringer numerous times, and then came my agent's 10 page revision letter... but that first one did eventually become a book. The title went through several changes, as well as the opening, the storyline, and much more. My writing skill as well as my understanding of the publishing industry had to grow. A LOT.

So, since today marks the anniversary of the day I turned into a novelist, I thought it would be fun to pull out the first page (below) of that very first draft of what is now the book, Like There's No Tomorrow. (For those who know the story, Megan was later renamed Claire.)

Thank you, Gary & Merethe, for inspiring me to become something I didn't know was in there.

Here's the opening of that first draft, started 11 years ago today. :)

~CHAPTER 1~

 Megan Kendal sat speechless in the backseat of her own car. 

Anyone acquainted with the formidable little Scotswoman, especially those traveling with her now, knew she usually had no trouble unleashing her probing questions and fiery opinions on anyone within reach. But today, she was speechless. 

As the station wagon containing her whole family, including her brother Ian, headed toward Glasgow, she was still in shock. And not just Megan, but her teenage sons as well, who couldn’t remember their father ever coming to church with them. 

Ian and David had spent today the way they had spent many recent days: fishing at Loch Blane; and now Megan’s mind was churning with questions: What had happened? What did they talk about? How had Ian managed to get David to come to church with the rest of the family? Without thinking, she leaned forward to take a sniff of her husband who sat in front of her in the driver’s seat.

No smell of whiskey. 

She sat back, ashamed of her suspicions. Did she really think David would have to be drunk to go to church? She glanced over at 15-year-old Jack and understood the look on his face; he’d had the same thought. 

Johnny Devine, Living Large (Print, that is)

I'm pleased to share the ENORMOUS news that 

The Memoir of Johnny Devine is now available in Large Print!

These glossy lovelies arrived in the mail today, compliments of Center Point Publishing.

It's a hefty 415 page hardcover edition and weighing in at a whopping 1.3 lbs, according to Amazon.

(Whose job is it to weigh books? So, what do you do? Uh, I'm a book weigher. But I'm really discreet about it. You don't want the bigger ones to feel self-conscious, so I try to be sensitive and avoid weighing the heavy ones right after the skinny ones...)

So you get a book you can finally see without straining your eyes, but it's heavy enough to pull a hamstring. (?)

Seriously, I love large print. Not only do these books make reading easier, but when I go to reserve a popular title through the library, the large print versions are often available when the regular ones have 187 holds. Win-win!

The Memoir of Johnny Devine (Large Print) is available at Amazon for a hefty price ($36.95), but my guess is those who typically buy large print are prepared for that. Hopefully you've won the lottery or inherited a fortune from book addict. (Oh wait... that's a good one...)

The Memoir of Johnny Devine, a Novel, is a dramatic story-within-a-story of a Hollywood bad boy reformed and a good girl in need of reform. Set in the 1950s, it’s a powerful tale of love, redemption, intrigue, and the miracle of grace. Recipient of RT Book Reviews rare 5-star Top Pick, Seal of Excellence, Best Inspirational Romance 2015, and OCW Cascade Award for Historical Fiction.

I was pleased to find that the Cincinnati Library website includes a feature called Why This Title Appeals to Readers. They took the time to scan the 99 Goodreads reviews and pull the most frequently or commonly used terms people use to describe the "feel" of the Johnny Devine. According to CL, this book appeals in Tone: Moving, Strong sense of place, and in Writing Style: Engaging. I'm delighted to know readers are able to take away some of the things authors work so hard to include in our stories. 

I'm happy with the way this edition turned out. If you get a chance to read one of these, let me know how you liked the larger print. I almost expected to see a center section of film stills, autographed photos of Johnny, and his Hollywood Boulevard star.