Sunshine, Lollipops, and A Promise of Rain
We have a guest!
And you're gonna love this woman. This amazing writer.
She's Rula Sinara, and she writes at a fantastic blog called A Writer's Rush. Rula and I have been blog buddies for a few years, and I'm thrilled over her writing debut: THE PROMISE OF RAIN - about a woman raising her daughter alone.
Read what Rula has to say.
Oh . . . a surprise awaits at the end, too :)
After a childhood enriched with exotic travels and adventures (both in books and real life), Rula Sinara is now settled in rural Virginia with her husband, three boys and crazy but endearing pets. When she's not writing, she's busy attracting wildlife to her yard, watching romantic movies (despite male protests) or researching trees on her garden wish list. According to her kids, she's obsessed with anything that grows, including the seed of a story idea and the love between unlikely characters.
Rula also enjoys interviewing fellow authors and is a Special Contributor for USA Today's Happy Ever After blog. Find links to her interviews and discover more about Rula at www.rulasinara.com or www.awritersrush.blogspot.com.
And you're gonna love this woman. This amazing writer.
She's Rula Sinara, and she writes at a fantastic blog called A Writer's Rush. Rula and I have been blog buddies for a few years, and I'm thrilled over her writing debut: THE PROMISE OF RAIN - about a woman raising her daughter alone.
Read what Rula has to say.
Oh . . . a surprise awaits at the end, too :)
Carol, thanks so much for having me as a guest at the Tiki Hut! Visiting the Tiki Hut has become a right of passage in authordom, you know ;). Wow. This place looks even better in person. The colors, the palms…and I can smell enchiladas cooking J. You’re such a great hostess, Carol!
Mmmm. The salty tang in the air and sifting of silky sand between my toes takes me back to some of the most memorable years of my childhood, when my family spent a few years living in North Africa, right on the Mediterranean Sea. Experiencing a different culture and learning a different language as a child was a phenomenal gift. But in addition to opening my mind and heart to the world, living in a developing country nurtured my imagination and creativity. You see, we only had one TV channel and it only worked after 4pm…and only 30 minutes was dedicated to a kid show (I think it was Felix the Cat). I spent my childhood immersed in creative play with dolls, jumping rope with friends, exploring the sand dunes, collecting sea shells and rocks (I still collect both), reading books and writing poetry. The beach brings all of those precious memories back.
In my debut, The Promise of Rain, my heroine, Dr. Anna Bekker, is raising her daughter on a remote, rustic camp in Kenya’s Serengeti. And when Anna took me aside—after the girl’s father threatened to take little Pippa away—and insisted Pippa was experiencing the richest of childhoods and learning to appreciate and respect people, animals and the environment…I understood.
Times have changed. Kids are always ‘plugged in’, even for schoolwork. I think parents have to make an extra effort these days—through camping trips, hikes or other means—to get their kids, and themselves, to stop and sift through all the gadgets and conveniences until they can see the bottom. The basics. All we really need to be happy and whole.
Do you remember a time—even if it was a vacation adventure or a power outage—when you felt truly in touch with nature and/or had to use your imagination for entertainment?
Leave a comment and be entered in a random drawing for a chance to win a $15 Amazon.com gift card.
Thanks again for having me at the Tiki Hut, Carol! I bet your guests never want to leave... ;).
The Promise of Rain
He wants to take her child out of Africa…
The Busara elephant research and rescue camp on Kenya's Serengeti is Anna Bekker's life's work. And it's the last place she thought she'd run into Dr. Jackson Harper. As soon as he sets eyes on her four-year-old, Pippa, Anna knows he'll never leave…without his daughter.
Furious doesn't begin to describe how Jack feels. How could Anna keep this from him? He has to get his child back to the States. Yet as angry as he is with Anna, they still have a bond. But can it endure, despite the ocean—and the little girl—between them?
Buy Links:
Find Rula at:
Twitter: @RulaSinara
Rula also enjoys interviewing fellow authors and is a Special Contributor for USA Today's Happy Ever After blog. Find links to her interviews and discover more about Rula at www.rulasinara.com or www.awritersrush.blogspot.com.
Rula is very generous!
She's giving away a $15 Amazon gift card.
All who comment here prior to the deadline will be entered to win.
Comment Deadline: 10 p.m. Central Time, Sunday, January 19
I will announce the winner on next Monday's blog.
Good luck!
Comments
Congratulations on the book, Rula!
You're so lucky to have lived in Japan! What a fascinating culture. I studied Japanese marital arts and have a great deal of respect for the culture and people.
And the story sounds wonderful. Congratulations Rula!
We used to visit a lot of natural places when we lived in ABQ. Going up to the top of the Sandias was always my favorite.
Rula, welcome. Your book looks fascinating. And I hear you on the 'unplugged' learning. I am pretty certain that my best discoveries have been made without the benefit of technology. And outside.
My family needs to get stranded on a remote island so they can appreciate the ability to entertain themselves without electronics. I guess that's my fault for letting them have said devices.
I'm not sure I agree with you about electronics but I certainly will not argue that you a gifted writer so if being mostly deprived of TV when you were a child got you here, then you are points up on the argument.
Good luck with the book. I'll keep it in mind.
Love,
Janie
Those typing reflexes...
I just visited your blog. It's incredible and I think everyone should read your latest post on the 'sick' auction to kill a black rhino. Wow. I did a lot of research in writing my book, and the info and pictures I saw with respect to elephant poaching was really hard to take. Thanks for posting! And thanks in advance for reading my book!!! :)
My kids are in their early 20s now and even when they were kids the tech was becoming powerful. We managed to avoid game systems completely and thankfully they both love sports so we managed to keep play alive and well in our house!
You make a great point about sports. Kids need that structured, exercise outlet and team sports also teach them how to interact with others...face to face, rather than via a screen. Plus, the exercise itself is important. Unfortunately, the more kids are on electronics, the more sedentary they are...unless perhaps they're playing something like Wii sports...but that's not the same as running across a soccer field or basketball court. Kudos to you for steering your kids toward sports!
Yes, Rula, I do remember simpler times. Growing up in the 70's and not very rich we had an old black and white tv. NO AC. just the beautiful park across the street from our building.
Snow days were spent outside on the pond ice skating or sled riding down suicide hill... That was it's nickname. It was the biggest hill we had about a quarter mile from our building.
Half the time the landlord never paid the oil bill so my borders and I would stand by the gas stove in the early morning hours to get dressed for school. Times were DEFINITELY different. But through it all there was love, family, and simple living. There was always delicious food on the table from my mom and Italian grand mother. All i needed the were my crayons, markers, pencils, and paper... and I could create any world I wanted.
Julie
We didn't have a TV for ages when I was a kid and lived out in the country. We used to explore, make huts and play outside all day, every day. Those were the days :)
I hear you on getting kids out and unplugged. I developed two outdoor science education days for my daughter's elementary schools and held them at the local state park last year. (I'm in the midst of researching and writing the curricula for this year's right now.) Most of the students were receptive to being outdoors for the whole day, but there were those few recalcitrant ones who wanted their electronics by lunch.
Carol, I'm so glad you hosted Rula. That was so kind of you!!
These days, I think we're all too plugged in (she says typing on her computer using cable internet, a wifi keyboard, with her smartphone beside her). It's easy to take nature for granted, both its beauty and the lessons it offers.
VR Barkowski
Thanks, VR :)
Here's to much success.
Thanks for playing hostess, Carol. (You do such a super job helping other writers!)
Agreed - Carol is awesome :)
Love the new header, Carol. Very nice. :)
And ditto on Carol's header. I love it!
We live in a place that used to have power outages all the time. We kept candles at the ready and kerosene heaters for those cold times. If the outages happened in the evening, we'd tell stories--mostly ghostly ones to scare ourselves--but I remember those times as the best. So connected with each other and very aware of that howling wind through the trees outside.
I agree that kids are too plugged in these days. A little more contact with the real world--one not viewed via a screen--would definitely benefit most of us. :)
The correct title is THE PROMISE OF RAIN.
Mea Culpa.
TRIVIA: Did you know The Promise of Rain was my working title? Yep. It's the only title this book has known. My editor loved it and it fit the book so well, it got to stay:).
I was lucky enough to grew up before the "plugged in" generation. Nature and our imagination was our primary entertainment and it was wonderful.
And btw...you have the most adorable animal pics on your blog!
Wow and this does entice. The Promise of Rain does seem to be an intriguing read. Congrats, Rula, on your writing debut. As a single father, I believe I could relate to this in my own way.
Gary
Harlequin has been fabulous to work with. Top notch editors too!
Great post and Carol, your blog looks so pretty! Love the new header.
I'm glad you like the new header!