What’s Romantic in a Guy?

Elizabeth Camden All about Me! 9 Comments

Today is my anniversary. Now, my husband and I may be the least romantic couple on the planet. Need proof?   I have a cz engagement ring (honest…I asked for it. I wanted a down payment for a house more than a sparkly ring).    Our weekly “date night” is a Saturday morning breakfast at McDonalds….because we are both too zonked to go out on Friday night.

Here’s the thing. I’m no princess, but Bill loves me anyway. Here are the things that Bill does for me that make me feel like the most cherished woman on the planet:

· He picks out my clothes for me. I was born without a fashion gene, and I’d rather sit in a dentist’s chair rather than go shopping…. But Bill picks out clothes that will look good on me, and waits outside the dressing room to lend me advice. Really, I could not be seen in public without his advice.

· Whenever he borrows my car, it is returned with a full tank of gas. Always.

· He helps me write my books. Whenever I need to know how a man would act, or I’ve written myself into a corner and need an ingenious solution….Bill comes to the rescue. I can’t tell you how many hours we have hashed through half-written scenes and brainstormed solutions.

· He makes me laugh every single day. Without fail, even on the snarly, bickering days when I’m not a whole lot of fun to be around… he can always make me laugh.

Happy Anniversary, Bill!   Saying ‘yes’ was the smartest thing I ever did….

Drawing Inspiration from Fiction

Elizabeth Camden Recommended Reading 2 Comments

Can you be inspired by a novel?

People read fiction for numerous reasons: escapism, to learn more about an era or topic, to be thrilled by a dramatic story. All perfectly valid motivations, but one of the reasons I love to read novels is to draw inspiration from the characters.

Which sounds completely insane…I mean, Frodo and Sam never existed, so how on earth can they inspire me to keep trudging forward even when my body, soul, and mind are running on empty?

They just do.

One of the things I aimed for when I wrote Into the Whirlwind (due out August 1) was to create those kind of inspiring characters who tough it out through the worst of circumstances. The book is set during and immediately after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. As in any crisis, the fire brought out the best and worst in people. Mollie thinks of the months following the fire as a “wonderful, terrible time.” I am not the first person to suggest it is the hardest things in life that make us great, but I wanted this to be a major theme of the novel.

I explore the exhilaration that comes from surviving a crisis, and then Mollie’s triumph in remaking her life into something even better than it was before. This is an uplifting novel about the power of community and the bonds that can be formed during a shared crisis.

Some of the other novels I’ve loved because of watching the inspiring characters battle the odds are Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers) The Bronze Horseman (Paullina Simons) and Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett). What about you? Any novels you’d care to recommend that puts a character through the wringer but still gives you that thrilling jolt of inspiration?

Giveaway for my next book

Elizabeth Camden Musings on Life 3 Comments

Into the Whirlwind up for Grabs!

My wonderful publishers at Bethany House are hosting a giveaway for my upcoming book at Goodreads. If you are a member of Goodreads, you can click here to sign up for one of fifteen copies of Into the Whirwind.  This book has it all: love, survival, heartbreak, and the soaring power of hope.

Hurry….the giveaway closes first thing on July 15th.

Here is the blurb fro the back of the book:

Mollie Knox is a woman whose comfortable world is shattered the night she loses everything in the legendary Chicago fire of 1871.  As she struggles in the aftermath of the fire, two powerful men vie for her affection.  One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her.

Into the Whirlwind is a turbulent love story set amidst the rubble of Chicago as Mollie endures the challenge of survival and the triumph of rebuilding the city.  It will hit the stores everywhere August 1.

Enjoy your summer……

Elizabeth Camden All about Me! Leave a Comment

The 4th of July is probably my favorite holiday.  I love the slow, steamy days of summer.  Posting will be very light for the next month as my husband and I escape for a long-delayed vacation.  I’ll be back in August!