The Crayon Messages by Christine Thackeray

From the back cover:

Cath Reed has been feeling desperately lonely. With a husband away, a daughter on the brink and adjusting to her new ward, she hopes her new visiting teaching route will bring much needed companionship.

Then she finds out she has been given the hardest visiting teaching route ever. At least her companion Gwen seemed nice, an older woman in a nursing home who said no one had visited her in years.

Using this to her advantage, Cath calls her new sisters and convinces them to cheer Gwen up. Surprisingly most agree but when Cath arrives at the Pleasant Valley Home for the Elderly she is disappointed to find Gwen fast asleep.

Apparently Gwen has a sleeping disorder called KSL and no one knows when she will wake up- it could be weeks.

Armed with a bucket of crayons and a handful of paper, Cath convinces the sisters to write Gwen notes so when she does wake up, she'll know some cares. What no one guessed is that Gwen would write back and change all of these women's lives forever.


You can purchase The Crayon Messages by clicking here.

You can learn more about Christine here.

Interview with Rachel Rager

RT: Welcome, Rachel. Tell me, when did you first start to think of yourself as a writer?

Rachel: An author? Who? Me? I guess that I still don't see myself as a writer. It's more of a hobby. Yes, I have a book published but I started writing just to see if I could do it. When I accomplished that goal, I tried to publish it, just to see if I could. I finally published By Love or By Sea in April of 2009 with Cedar Fort, Inc., six years after I started writing. But am I a writer? I always thought writing was a job but to me it's my release; my escape. So, I guess I'm a writer but I really just create the stories for me!

RT: I know what you mean. And they say to write what you love, so it's clear you do that. So, how do you write your rough drafts--computer, typewriter, pen…? Have you always done it that way? If not, why did you switch?

Rachel: I always write on the computer. However, I have notebooks everywhere – the car, my purse, my bedroom – I just never know when an idea will strike and if I don't write it down then I forget. I have often written several pages of notes or even entire scenes on paper but then I put them in the computer when I get the chance. It's so much easier on my hands to type.

RT: That sounds familiar! What surprised you about being a writer?

Rachel: How much work was involved after the book was written. I had no idea! I thought authors were so talented to fit everything together just right. And many are. But what I never realized was how much work goes into the editing, publishing and marketing aspects. Just the marketing could take over your life if you let it! But what a fun adventure it has all been!

RT: It is something of an adventure, isn't it? Tell me, what was your inspiration for this book?

Rachel: I was writing my second story and was in the shower one day when I came up with the idea for By Love or By Sea. (By Love or By Sea is the third story I wrote. The first and second are prequels to By Love or By Sea but not published.)I wrote down some notes and when I was done with the one I was working on, I began By Love or By Sea. It wasn't until I was part-way done that I decided to use piracy. Of course, then I sat in front of the computer every day for an entire month trying to figure out a way to solve the problem I'd created! All lot of research came into play!

I guess I should fess up to one little secret. Caleb Newman was inspired by my little brother. Though my brother is quite different than Caleb, he has a similar build and attitude. My brother once dropped a plant in his bedroom, spilling soil all over the carpet while he was talking on the phone to a girl he didn't particularly care for. And, not wanting my mother to hang him for making a mess on the carpet, but not knowing how to get off the phone with the girl, he decided to vacuum up the mess while on the phone! That made me laugh so hard and it just felt like something Caleb would do (if he lived in today's world!) So, there you have it!

RT: That's funny! I love pirates, too! Thanks for being my guest today, Rachel.

I reviewed By Love or By Sea here.

By Love or By Sea can be purchased at:
Seagull Book, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Cedar Fort, Inc.

Rachel's Website and Blog -

Cover Contest--Woo Hoo!

My cover for Altared Plans was recently in a contest at LDS Publisher. Although it didn't win the overall contest, it won in the Romance category. My cover won both the Reader's Choice and LDS Publisher's Choice. It was interesting to read the different comments about it. I love the cover, especially the pink accents.

If you voted for my cover, thank you!! I appreciate it.

Because there must be opposition in all things, a reader at Goodreads gave my book 2 stars and then wrote, "A mindless read for New Year's Eve." Ouch.

So there you go--up and down--such is this crazy writing life. Good thing I absolutely love it or I might try to do something far easier, like brain surgery :).