Snowflake Tiara... in Kenya?

My most recent book, Snowflake Tiara, co-written with Angela Breidenbach, released a few weeks ago. It contains a pair of Christmas romances not only set firmly in Montana, USA, but also meant to highlight Montana's 125th year of statehood as well as the 150th anniversary of its capital city, Helena.

Please don't make me turn in my Canadian card!

Admittedly, it seems very strange to showcase Helena, Montana, as thoroughly as I did in my contemporary novella, More Than a Tiara. While my story hinges on Angela's historical novella (set in 1889 as Montana becomes a state), its purpose is to spread awareness of needs in a far greater capacity.

One thing Angela's character and mine have in common is their compassion for children in need. In 1889, Helena was the last stop for the Orphan Train. Any unclaimed children were dropped off here. When Calista meets a mistreated six-year-old indentured servant from a brothel, Calista knows she must do something, not only for little Lea, but for all the children she sees on the streets.

Fast-forward 125 years. Calista's 3x great-granddaughter, Marisa, also has a heart of compassion for kids. This was primed during her years of modeling shoots in glamorous locations, like the beaches of Kenya, where she became acquainted with missionaries working among the Masai. Now that she's back on the family farm near Helena, Marisa and her mother open part of their property to young moms on social assistance, teaching them to grow and process some of their own food. At her core, Marisa has been challenged to meet the needs of children.

It's a sad fact that there are kids without nutritious food to eat all over this planet. Without safety. Without nurturing and love. And, in many cases, without people who care. It's so easy to be overwhelmed by all the need. I know. I'm there, hardly knowing where to start, knowing the problem is too huge for me. But not too big for God.

A vintage postcard from my father's collection
Snowflake Tiara is a pair of long novellas with a wintery Christmas setting. You'll enjoy cocoa and gingerbread cookies, sledding and skating parties, decorations and Christmas trees, and harps, penny whistles, and flutes playing Away in a Manger and other carols.

But throughout both tales of beauty, talent, and pageantry, you'll be reminded of children around the globe whose needs are much more basic. Like the little Lord Jesus, many little ones have no crib for a bed. The prayer in Away in a Manger asks God to bless all the dear children in His tender care. It's my prayer, too.

How can we help? This is my question for you today. I'm offering one ebook copy of Snowflake Tiara to someone who replies by comment before the end of the month. This isn't a competition or a "look at me and what charities I'm involved in" request. I'd like a thoughtful discussion of the topic.

The story's tagline? Is all about the children.

What if you were caught doing something good, but the man you loved didn't see it that way?

The Debutante Queen by Angela Breidenbach ~ 1889 (Helena, MT): Calista Blythe enters the first Miss Snowflake Pageant celebrating Montana statehood to expose the plight of street urchins. But if her hidden indentured orphan is discovered, Calista’s reputation and her budding romance with pageant organizer, Albert Shanahan, could both unravel. Will love or law prevail?

More Than a Tiara by Valerie Comer ~ 2014 (Helena, MT): Marisa Hiller’s interest in competing in Miss Snowflake Pageant for the city of Helena’s 150th anniversary is at zip zero zilch when she discovers the official photographer is Jase Mackie. Can Jase make amends for past mistakes and offer her, not only a tiara, but a partner in her crusade to help needy children and families?

Interested in reading Snowflake Tiara? I'm offering one reader a digital copy, your choice of mobi (for Kindle) or epub (for most other ereaders). If you'd like to put your name in the hat, please add your email address with your comment no later than Tuesday, September 30, replacing @ with (at) and .com with (dot) com.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local food movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie writes Farm Lit where food meets faith, injecting experience laced with humor into her stories. Her debut novel, Raspberries and Vinegar: A Farm Fresh Romance, was awarded Best Contemporary Romance published in 2013 by The Word Guild.

Vicious Villains & Other Nasties

Tasmanian Devils

Although these short tempered nasties wouldn't normally attack humans they'd just as soon chomp off your arm if you were weakened and lying wounded in the Tasmanian wilderness. Like any villain worth his salt, once sensing a weakness they'd hone in for the kill.

So how about the villains we write about? Do they always have to be like the moustache (English sp.) twirling villains out to do a mischief to the heroines that our grandmothers loathed? Well hardly. We're so much more sophisticated today ... in some ways. No, we expect much more of our antagonists. Maybe something that happened in their childhood twisted their outlook in life. Maybe it's a mental problem. Maybe they suffer from gall stones, halitosis, or sport a hooked nose causing others to shun them.

Seriously though whatever the case, we want to delve into our compassion and put our empathy to good use. Sure, they can be absolutely ruthless, but we want to know what made them that way, don't we? In other words, the baddy can't be all bad, can he? Shouldn't we be able to find a little bit of good in there somewhere? A tad of saving grace? The hope that he or she will repent in the end?

The strange thing is this, an antagonist does not have to be a person. We're supposed to have a plot with our protagonists hindered at every turn. Something that will halt them in reaching their goal. I normally like to have a real meanie, oh dear, so often a frustrated woman. But in the third book of my historical trilogy my nasty had to be something other than human to carry the plot all the way through.  At first I thought I was missing something, because although I have one particularly mean-spirited person in my story, I realized it was something else entirely. A long-entrenched system worked well in keeping my hero and heroine from ever crossing that certain line. I wonder if you can figure out what it was?

The protagonist can battle the elements for the whole of  the story. Think of Tom Hanks cast away on that deserted island. It can be a perverted belief system that keep the protagonists apart. It can also be a loved
one who strives to keep their beloved from doing the right thing.

My cuddly heroine Wilma Wombat

Think of High Noon when Gary Cooper not only has to face the
villains because he is the sheriff, but he has to struggle with the fact
his wife has left him because of this. Maybe our police detective
hero will lose custody of his children if he continually dogs the
tracks of a criminal. Oh, there's a multitude of reasons why our
 main character/s has to deal with something that helps push our
 story to its climax. Maybe you can suggest a few more!

* With two books published, a third on the way and two
 more with Hartline agency, Rita Stella Galieh enjoys life
 with her husband of almost 52 years. A short trip to 
hospital is imminent, with a partially blocked artery to be
dealt with, then she can return to doing what she really 
loves. Her weekly blog,  
http://inspirationalromance.blogspot.com is needing some
 input from you dear folk, if you'd like to share your story
 with her. Her contact email is 
ritagal  @  optusnet  dot  com  dot  au.