Elaine Marie Cooper Author

Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

American History

Traveling with Your Dog

by 4 Comments

Earlier this summer, my husband and I did a very brave thing—we traveled thousands of miles with our dog, Mocha. We really weren’t sure at the time if it was courageous, or really stupid!

I had a research trip to go on, along with scheduled book signings in upstate New York. This would have necessitated finding full time care for our 8-pound Chihuahua/ mix. We decided we couldn’t part with our eight-month-old pup for two whole weeks so preparations got under way to take her with us.

We learned a lot about traveling with our furry baby so I thought I’d share some of the travel tips that might help you, should you want to hit the road with your Rover.

MochaCannon

  1. Bring calming medication from the pet store or your vet. Also get pill pockets to hide the pills in, in case the medicine is not palatable. Those pill pockets were a life saver!
  2. If your dog is small, invest in a doggie car seat. We ordered the “Snoozit 2” online and it was awesome. It fit in our seat belt in the back. We purchased an extension belt that attached to Mocha’s harness. That way she would not become a projectile object in the event of an accident. Bring your pup’s favorite toys and blanket.
  3. Find hotels that allow dogs. LaQuinta Inn and Suites were our home-away-from-home for two weeks. Mocha made herself at home in each one!
  4. Carry puppy pads and use them. No explanation should be needed. 😉
  5. Stop every couple of hours at rest stops. You will both need it!
  6. Bring a sweater if your dog tends to get cold. I was SO glad we did since it was rainy and chilly the whole time, despite the calendar telling us it was summer.
  7. Bring food your puppy likes. Traveling can change their appetite. I know it’s a no-no but a few times we resorted to buying a plain hamburger and giving her a portion. It never upset her stomach or caused problems, and it gave her sustenance!
  8. Protect your pup from the sun. We purchased a simple screen that attached to the inside of the window to give her protection from the rays.
  9. Be a responsible pet owner. Don’t assume you can bring your pet wherever you go. There were times my husband and I had to take turns going inside libraries, museums, etc.
  10. Give your pet a break from travelling. Non-stop travel on the road is no fun for anyone so plan on staying in one place at least a couple of days here and there. You—and your furry baby—will be glad you did!

 

Here are a few fun pics of our trip to New York from Iowa. And by the way, we are very glad we took Mocha. Now she LOVES to go in the car!! 🙂

LaQuinta Inn and Suites

MochaPacked

 

CarSeat

 

 

Mocha chasing ducks outdoors at a McDonalds
Mocha chasing ducks outdoors at a McDonalds

 

Mocha and Steve eating outdoors at a fast food place
Mocha and Steve eating outdoors at a fast food place

MochaMcD

IMG_3978

 

 

Mocha and Steve walking on the Hudson River
Mocha and Steve walking on the Hudson River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINALLY! The Selah Award Winner!

by 3 Comments

I think I must be the worst Author-Blogger! How many months have flown by since I announced my friend, Janet Grunst, and I were both finalists in the category of historical romance for the Selah Award? Too many, that’s for sure!

 

Janet and me at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference awards ceremony.
Janet and me at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference awards ceremony.

In truth, I have been overwhelmed with a research trip, book deadline, and family trip for my son and daughter-in-law’s baby shower. I’ve not been twiddling my thumbs, but I apologize for this late blog post!

 

I owe all my readers an update. The short answer about the Selah winner is … Janet won the Selah award for historical romance!! Now, everyone who is a finalist wishes they received top award. But I tell you, when I heard Janet’s name announced as winner, I was thrilled!! She sat next to me stunned and I literally shook her arm and said, “It’s YOU!! Go up there and get your award!” Her wonderful husband, Ken, was there to see his wife receive this precious acknowledgement of a book well written and I was so pleased for them both. It was an awesome moment and I am SO happy for Janet!

 

Here is her Selah award-winning book cover for “A Heart Set Free,” so if you’ve not had a chance to read it, be sure to pick up a copy. And please write a review at Amazon and Goodreads. Other readers peruse book reviews and it can really help an author get attention for his or her book.

Lg-A Heart Set Free Final Cover

In summary, congrats to my wonderful friend, Janet, who deserves this special accolade for her first novel!

WELL DONE, dear friend!

 

Saratoga Letters: Finalist in Selah Awards!

by 6 Comments

 

 

Yesterday was extra special when it was announced that Saratoga Letters was a finalist in the historical fiction category for the Selah Awards! What made the day even sweeter was my good friend, Janet Grunst, was also announced as a finalist … in the same category! I am truly excited for us both.

 

Lg-A Heart Set Free Final Cover

Janet’s book A Heart Set Free was a labor of love for many years for Janet and finally saw fruition this past year when it was published. Saratoga Letters was published at the culmination of one of the most difficult years I’ve ever experienced personally. I was diagnosed with a serious knee infection last April and was laid up in treatment for months.

I suppose it seems like writers just write their story, submit it to a publisher, do edits, and then watch it get a new cover and magically appear on Amazon.com. But there is so much more behind the story. There are family crises, numerous frustrations on the path to publication, and personal trials that become woven into the big picture. So when both Janet and I were chosen as finalists, it was a sweet reward indeed. Regardless of who wins (and there is a third contender in the category) just being a finalist is a category I treasure. And I thank the Lord for His goodness in the trials.

Selahs_Seal_Finalist_2017

Psalm 27:13-14

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage.

 

 

 

 

DNA kit for my birthday

by 4 Comments

I recently celebrated a V.I.B. — a very important birthday. 😉 In celebration of the event, I asked for one gift: A DNA kit from Ancestry.com to determine the lineage of the person that I am.

It’s not that I don’t know the probable ancestry of most of my bloodlines. Lots of English, Irish, some German, and French Canadian. But there is a lingering question that birthed years ago when my grandfather shared that one of our “great-greats” was the first white child born in Indian territory.

Whenever a family member brought up our heritage, I mentally grabbed the words and stored them in my memory banks. Something about family history has always intrigued me.

That piece of information from Grandpa Mueller was re-ignited when I worked nights at the hospital. It was my custom to drive home after a busy shift and have some oatmeal at the dining table before settling down to rest. This one day proved different: As I switched on the TV with sleepy fingers, the Today show was playing. I sat down to eat, barely paying attention to my comfort food when I heard it: My father’s voice.

Suddenly wide awake, I focused on the television to watch an interview with the chief of the Winnebago tribe in Wisconsin. You may have already guessed that this was the homeland where my father grew up, where he was a descendent of a white child born in Indian territory, according to my grandpa. Was this a half-caucasian child?

Uncle Mel, Dad, and Uncle Dave
Uncle Mel, Dad, and Uncle Dave

To look at photos of my dad and his two brothers, there are many traits that seem to shine with Native American features. To look at me, I very much resemble my mother’s side of the family with my light hair and skin.

 

But I could not get the memory of hearing my dad’s voice coming from that Indian chief. The deep resonate quality was unforgettable. I have wondered about my heritage ever since.

 

On this birthday, I decided to put my questions to the DNA test. So I spent my birthday morning spitting into a test tube and mailing the solution to the lab in Utah where they examine the DNA of countless curious citizens who wonder where their cells had their beginnings.

IMG_3755

I can’t wait to get the results.

 

 

Meet Debut Author, Cindy Huff

by 10 Comments

Cindy, CONGRATULATIONS on your debut novel, Secrets and Charades!

Tell us a bit about the plot, without giving away any spoilers.

Dr. Evangeline Olson’s niece has been writing to a rancher out west, posing in her letters as her Aunt Evangeline. When the good doctor finds out, she is livid. But a series of events both past and present cause her to revisit her niece’s charade.  Shame and fear had a lot to do with the decision. Prayer brought peace to go forward.

Rancher Jake began writing for a mail-order bride so that the niece he is caring for does not need to go away to boarding school. She needs a better education and genteel ways. Jake’s past as a veteran in the Civil War, along with his history of a broken romantic relationship, play into how he reacts to his new bride. There’s a lot more secrets within the community neither are aware of at first. These play a crucial role in building the relationship of Jake and Evangeline.

How were you inspired to write this story?

“Evangeline” came to me and shared her story. Some people close to me have battled these same emotional traumas. Placing Evangeline’s and Jake’s pain in an historical setting gives readers a little distance from their modern lives. Yet, the pain is still relatable.

 

Have you always been a fan of westerns? Do you have any favorite western authors?

I love a good western or any historical if it is done well. Louis L’amour writes great westerns. I was inspired by Jeanette Oke and Gilbert Morris when their Christian fiction spoke to the heart rather than preached at the reader.

 Secret & Charades front cover

Your female protagonist is a doctor. Was it difficult getting research about women physicians in that era?

Yes and no. If you stick to the internet you find interesting things. But the library and amazon used books provided so much more insight. I have a friend with a huge historical library. He was willing to share some great books. Choosing which things to put in my story was the challenge.

 

Any plans for a sequel?

Yes. I am currently writing a sequel. One of the secondary characters begged me to tell her story.  I have a third idea ready to start after I’m done with Bride in Disguise.

 

Any future novel ideas brewing in your writer’s muse?

I finished a contemporary romance entitled New Duet.  An abused widow meets a wounded warrior. Their past hurts and insecurities are relatable and I hope help those who read it. My agent is currently looking for a home for it.

I have other plot lines both historical and contemporary waiting to draw my attention for future novels.

cindy huff 2016

How can readers contact you on social media?

My blog:Writer’s Patchwork Blog www.jubileewriter.wordpress.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cindyehuff

 

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyErvinHuff

Facebook Author page:https://www.facebook.com/author.huff11/

 

Google+:https://plus.google.com/u/0/117599590227912410637

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8029703-cindy-ervin-huff

 

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946016144/

 

Amazon URL https://www.amazon.com/author/cindyervinhuff

 

Thank you, Cindy, and, by the way, your book cover is gorgeous! Congrats again!

You are so kind.

 

MY REVIEW:

It wasn’t for love that physician Evangeline Olson left her home in Missouri in 1873. There were few options left to keep her fading medical practice alive and she had nothing left to lose by accepting a mail order bride request from a cattle rancher in Texas. But the emotional baggage from her past weighed more heavily on her than the numerous trunks containing her worldly goods.

Rancher Jake Marcum wasn’t seeking love but a mother for his orphaned niece. The  bride who arrived on the train from Missouri however, soon captured his affections. But it would take time, patience, and divine intervention to unravel the mysteries that shielded Evangeline’s heart from his ardor.

“Secrets & Charades” by Cindy Ervin Huff is an engaging post Civil War Western that captures a reader’s interest from page 1. Author Huff does an excellent job of weaving complexity into the simple life of the rugged Texas terrain.

A captivating novel of the Old West, “Secrets & Charades” should find itself on the bookshelves beside many long-loved western classics.

 

Cindy has offered to give a copy of Secrets and Charades to one commenter on this blog post. Please leave your email in the comment so we can contact you.

 

 

 

Returning to Saratoga

by 2 Comments

It hardly seems possible that June is less than three months away! When I first began setting up events in the Saratoga Springs area, June seemed like a decade away. Yet here I am planning my tour and anxiously awaiting book signings, speaking events, and visits with historians! It is a history geek’s dream! 😉

If you are interested in having me speak at your church, library or women’s group in the upstate New York area, please feel free to contact me. I speak on everything from Colonial American history to being a patient caregiver and advocate. (Bethany’s Calendar)

You can email me at elainemariecooper@yahoo.com

Be blessed!

9781938499142

The story of my daughter's journey with cancer.
The story of my daughter’s journey with cancer.