The Light Within Me

Rita Stella Gailieh | @RitaSGalieh

Front Cover Photo - Brian M Tully

I have just this week finished reading an inspirational memoir of a lovely lady who happens to be an anchor on the morning breakfast TV show, Fox & Friends.

We often watch this TV show at about 9pm EST and have always appreciated Ainsley Earhardt's warm personality.

The words of some of her contemporaries tell it all:

    "Very few public figures would ever be willing to be vulnerable and real by sharing their innermost thoughts and secrets. In The Light Within me, Ainsley does just that revealing the true secret of her success - her deep faith in God."
    --- SEAN HANNITY
Fox News Channel television host and nationally syndicated radio host

    "If you are looking for a refreshing and uplifting account of a person who has found success without losing her bearings, this is it. Ainsley invites us to meet the people who shaped her, the principles that sustain her, and most of all, the faith that grounds her. In a day when so many public figures struggle to maintain balance, her story is a welcome breath of fresh air."
   --- MAX LUCADO, pastor and author

 I enjoyed reading about her passion for journalism and how much she was tested. But in that long road to the top, she maintained her dedication through plain hard work - never giving up. She is so open the way she shares those low moments many of us go through and the challenge of being a working mother.

At the White House -  Photo, Brain M Tully

Tim Tebow, a professional athlete, shares her secret. "Among other things, Ainsley is passionate about her relationship with Jesus."

I also believe such openness is God honoring and her reliance of the Lord for her strength really resonated with me. Reading the highs and lows of her story is a real inspiration for readers and writers alike.

BIO:
Australian Historical Romance novelist, Rita Stella Galieh, has Indie Published a trilogy and is now working on a third series. Her brand: Everything can change in a heartbeat. She has also contributed to several US Cup of Comfort anthologies. As a member of ACFW, CWDU, ACW and Omega Writers, she can also be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galleyslave Twitter: @RitaSGalieh and connect with her at www.ritastellapress.com

Currently she co-presents Vantage Point, an Australia-wide Christian FM radio program. Her fun-filled presentation of "Etiquette of the Victorian Era" in costume is also inspirational. Contact ritagal (at) optusnet (dot) com (dot) au

Three Attitudes that Give Impetus

Beatrice, Irene, and Dora

As I can't picture three attitudes, I thought my grandmother, and my two great aunts might just capture these mental positions.

1. Need
A leading character, either male or female or both, should have some sort of deep need.

2. Determination
If they want to reach their goal, this is necessary to reaching it.

3. Hope
This is that wonderful something to keep striving toward.

Need can be physical or mental. And it can be a real struggle for your character to face the challenge to overcome and when they have the odds against them. They remain conscious of their need throughout the story. Maybe others are aware of it, maybe not, but it's as if it mocks all their efforts.

Determination can also be considered as Perseverance. As we say, 'hanging in there' no matter what. We want to root for our main character - though at times bloodied and nearly beaten - to hold on and come through. Maybe at times with so much thwarting them at every turn they feel like giving up, but still they 'grit their teeth' and get on with pushing toward their goal.

And Hope. What would be do without it? Hope gives us courage. Hope promises better things. Hope helps push us forward. And so with our characters.

As in real life, the great thing is to see our leading lady or man developing stronger characters by what they've been through. Even though, being human, they stumble along the journey, they pick themselves up and move forward.

As Christians we soon learn to trust God in every area of our lives, which means we often need to search out the root of our problem and ask the lord to help us overcome it. So if we write inspirational novels, let's also write our characters so they learn some great lessons along the way.

This is something I am working through right now with two stories, as part of a series. At first my characters were thin. But they are slowly developing as each is showing me throughout the plot how they would react. I am really liking them now. Even though at first I thought, "Oh, you're so boring!" There's no doubt throwing difficulties for them to overcome pushes the story forward, at the same time leaves me, as the writer, scratching my head as to how I am going to get them out of the trouble I've thrown their way. Thankfully, they just seem to find their own path, despite mean old me!

Indie Publisher, Rita Galieh, has written a trilogy of historical novels & has also contributed to several US anthologies. She is now completing a second historical romance series. She can be found on Facebook and www.ritastellapress.com  

Rita studied art at the National Art School then joined the family ceramics studio. After their marriage, she and her husband attended Emmaus Bible College, and currently co-present Vantage Point, an Australia-wide Christian FM radio program. She enjoys giving her fun-filled presentations of ‘Etiquette of the Victorian Era’ in costume.

What is Tack?

 Rita Stella Galieh @RitaSGalieh

Have you ever decided to write about something of which you have scant knowledge? Actually my 19th century hero is an estate or land agent in England. Now I need to know something about what his work entails. Before I knew it, my research has led me to find out all about farms in that century. What sort of farming and in which shire would it be? After hours of searching on Google, I decided on Wiltshire with the closest town being Swindon (because it needed to be on a rail line - the Great Western actually.) And was it set on the Midland Ridge or Clay Vales? groan....

What did I get myself into? Even so, I am learning so much and glad I'm living in the twenty-first century. My hero needs to ride a horse. So even though my niece, Jesse, is into horses and therefore knows what tack is all about, it was completely new to me.  I probably won't even use most of what I am discovering, but I need to be comfortable about its use. And I'll sure check with someone who knows all about tack supplies. I never before had the faintest idea of all the bits and pieces needed with horse riding. Now a working horse is an entirely different matter. It might be a draft horse, or one used for mill grinding, or ploughing!

I have to disagree with the someone who once said... 'write what you know.'  That's impossible if you happen to be a historical romance author. Still, wouldn't it be wonderful to find everything you need in one book?  I wonder if our readers know what we writers go through just to write a story?  I can tell you I never thought about the amount of research needed before I had to do it myself. It would be interesting to know what type of research our writers have done that's important to their story. How long it took and whether it was something you had scant knowledge of before you began.


Indie Publisher, Rita Galieh, has written a trilogy of historical novels & also contributed to several US anthologies. She is now completing a third historical romance series. Besides her weekly blog, she is on Facebook and www.ritastellapress.com  

Rita studied art at the National Art School then after their marriage, she and her husband attended Emmaus Bible College. Currently she co-presents Vantage Point, an Australia-wide Christian FM radio program. She enjoys giving her fun-filled presentations of ‘Etiquette of the Victorian Era’ in costume.