Meet the Writer: Roseanne M. White + Giveaway!

Welcome to the Celebrate Lit tour for A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White. My review will be posted as part of a separate tour next week, so today I’m going to introduce you to Roseanna M. White the writer, giving you a little glimpse into her writing process and habits. And, of course, you’ll have a chance to enter the giveaway! So, without further ado, let me introduce you to Roseanna.

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~ About the Author ~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels…to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring.

Connect with Roseanna
Website  //  Blog  //  Facebook  //  Twitter

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Plotting: What I’m doing when you ask me a question and I don’t answer.

Editing: DONE! For now…

Spelling and Grammar: Easy-peasy.

Reviews: Appreciate getting them but have given up reading them for the sake of my sanity.

I am quite disciplined about my writing time: by necessity, given all the other things I have to do!

What is your favourite part of the writing process?

I love most of the process, but there’s something magical about that idea-forming period when I’m first getting it all down on paper in vague terms. This is such a discovery process, and I love seeing what facts will inspire me to develop a story around them. This is also the part where I get to know my characters, which is always such fun!

Where is your favourite place to write?

Anywhere quiet. 😉

What is the average time it takes for you to write a first draft?

I utilize my full six months between deadlines, but active writing days are probably 2-3 months.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Since I write historicals, accuracy is important to me. I usually search for things like “Cornish name boy 1880” or whatever terms are relevant to my book, to make sure I find names that (a) fit the location (b) fit the time and (c) are still easily pronounced by modern readers, LOL. I frequently dive into census records to double check the names I’ve picked too.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

If time allows, I give myself a break to let the creative wells refill. If deadlines are looming, then I usually just take a day to pinpoint what the problem is—it’s usually either an issue in my plot or a lack of enough research—fix it, and put myself on a schedule that I don’t compromise on. I have pretty good discipline, so once I’ve done that, I know that feelings and laziness must be checked at the door, and I’m not allowed to do other things until my daily word count has been met.

How do you celebrate typing THE END?

I would love to say it’s by going out to dinner or having ice cream—and occasionally it is—but generally it’s by catching up on the life I’ve shoved aside while trying to finish. Namely, doing dishes and cleaning the house (yay, fun, LOL).

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they concentrate on stealing high-value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. But when Rosemary must determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany, she is in for the challenge of a lifetime. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

Peter Holstein, given his family’s German blood, writes his popular series of adventure novels under a pen name. With European politics boiling and his own neighbors suspicious of him, Peter debates whether it might be best to change his name for good. When Rosemary shows up at his door pretending to be a historian and offering to help him trace his family history, his question might be answered.

But as the two work together and Rosemary sees his gracious reaction to his neighbors’ scornful attacks, she wonders if her assignment is going down the wrong path. Is it too late to help him prove that he’s more than his name?

Amazon  //  Goodreads

Where did you get your inspiration for these characters?

Peter I defined largely by circumstance—I wanted a novelist of German descent to fit the plot I’d developed. But then discovering who he was…that was a whole different process, and I loved the idea of making him reclusive because of difficulty speaking. It was actually inspired by King George V, who himself had difficulty expressing himself, so wrote letters to his wife (that’s how they fell in love). I adored that idea, so borrowed a bit of it for Peter and Rosemary.

Rosemary was a whole different character, to be sure! Prickly and tough, she’s from a whole different world than Peter—a world of street rats and thieves and starvation always threatening. When I decided to make my heroine a thief, I knew I wanted her to be a particular breed of thief—one with a noble streak that would endear her to readers. I wanted people to root for her—not that she’d get away with a crime, not that she’d get her comeuppance, but that they’d want her to find redemption and to realize that even in the darkest night, God still loves her and calls to her.

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~ Giveaway ~

To celebrate this tour, Roseanna is giving away a grand prize of a paperback copy of A Name Unknown & 2 dozen cookies from Roseanna!!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bc0e

~ Blog Tour ~

TOUR LANDING PAGE

July 18: Faithfully Bookish // These Splendid Sentences // Bibliophile Reviews // Neverending Stories

July 19: Bookworm Mama // Seasons of Opportunities // Blogging With Carol

July 20: A Reader’s Brain // Genesis 5020 // Just the Write Escape // Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

July 21: Fiction, Faith, and Fun // Pause for Tales // Connie’s History Classroom

July 22: Bigreadersite // Fiction Aficionado // Avid Reader Book Reviews // D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

July 23: Vicky Sluiter // Inklings and notions // Moments Dipped in Ink

July 24: Pursuing Stacie // Cordially Barbara // Reflections of my Bookshelves // Zerina Blossom’s Books

July 25: God’s Little Bookworm // Blossoms and Blessings // Live.Love.Read.

July 26: Black ‘n’ Gold Girl’s Book Spot // Margaret Kazmierczak // The Fizzy Pop Collection // Carpe Diem

July 27: cherylbbookblog // Christian Chick’s Thoughts // Splashes of Joy

July 28: With a Joyful Noise // Have A Wonderful Day // Christian Bookaholic

July 29: Thoughts from Mill Street // Raining Butterfly Kisses // Karen Sue Hadley // Faery Tales Are Real

July 30: His Grace is Sufficient // History, Mystery & Faith // Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

July 31: Reader’s cozy corner // Cafinated Reads // Artistic Nobody // The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate