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I like nice reviews

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:32:24 -0800

Check out this recent review from PW (Publisher's Weekly). They're talking about my new book, coming out in April. Always nice to hear a kind word...

Wildflowers of Terezin Robert Elmer. Abingdon, $13.99 paper (352p) ISBN 978-1-4267-0192-4

With combined sales exceeding a half a million books, inspirational author Elmer has transitioned nicely from his previous vocations as a pastor, reporter, and an ad copywriter. Elmer’s (The Duet) newest subject focuses on the Danish perspective of the Nazi takeover and extradition of the Jews. Written in quick-step style, Elmer does a fine job mixing a bit of joviality to help balance out the weighty and disturbing subject matter of this particular period of Danish history. The text centers on a burgeoning romantic relationship between Jewish nurse Hanne Abrahamsen and Danish Lutheran pastor Steffen Peterson. With a casual, impersonal faith, Pastor Steffen is challenged by his younger brother Henning’s commitment to the Resistance. Similarly, Steffen finds himself drawn to nurse Hanne and her courageous zeal to help the afflicted. Circumstances throw the two together and each begins a deeper, more introspective search for truth amidst life, death, and rampant suffering. Elmer’s work is so unaffected and genuinely heartfelt that readers find they are willingly reawakened to the horrors of genocide. (Apr.)

Thankful? You bet.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:09:04 -0800

Sometimes holidays are wonderful motivators, and this time of year I’m encouraged to take inventory of the things for which I’m thankful. Although I won’t try to make an inclusive list here, perhaps I could mention just a few. I’ll try to keep it writing-related.

First, I’m thankful for the many people who have directly supported my writing ventures this past year. In part I mean those who have gladly given of time and resources to answer questions or supply background research. I’ve listed a few in the acknowledgements section of my upcoming historical novel, Wildflowers of Terezin (http://www.robertelmerbooks.com/fiction.html.)

What else am I thankful for? For the ongoing encouragement of family and friends, in particular my wife Ronda. Of course, I owe my wife thanks for much more than her support of my writing, but you know what I mean. I’m grateful for people who encourage and offer a pat on the back when it’s needed. For those who offer a timely e-mail or a phone call, and you know who you are. Because the writing gig can get a little lonely, at times. Who wouldn’t enjoy such cheerleaders?

And finally, I’m thankful for readers who write me to say how much they’ve enjoyed a book. Hey, I’m thankful for readers in general, and for those who help keep my books in circulation. For grandparents and parents, uncles and aunts, spouses and teachers and friends who continue to request my “backlist” books. And by the way, one of the best places to pick up an autographed book for yourself or as a gift is on my Amazon page (http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Elmer/e/B001IOBEYS/ref=sr_tc_2_0). If you can’t find the book you’d like there, contact me through my website (http://www.RobertElmerBooks.com) and I’ll let you know if I have any copies left from my stash in the garage.

What are you thankful for? Be sure to tell someone.

Thankfully yours,

Robert

Sample this...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:11:42 -0800

I'm very excited about my new novel, Wildflowers of Terezin, which releases in the spring from Abingdon Press. It's the story of a Danish pastor during World War 2, torn between duty, faith, and love. It's full of action, suspense, and heart. I hope you're going to love it!

I'll add more about the book later, but for now please check out my publisher's cool new SAMPLER to read an excerpt from Wildflowers, as well as from nine other new Abingdon titles. And be sure to let me know what you think, won't you?

Click here to see the sampler.

See you in Dallas!

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:53:15 -0800

Are you anywhere close to Dallas? Here's a "must-see" event you'll want to attend with your family, friends, students, and church family:

The first annual CHRISTIAN BOOK EXPO, to be held at the Dallas Convention Center March 19-22.

Imagine your favorite Christian authors, special music, worship times, panel discussions, writing workshops, acres of booths, a "Kid's Zone," and a lot more. You've never seen anything like this!

Here's a link to the event's website: http://christianbookexpo.com/

The best (cheapest) way to get tickets is to order online. And here's another money-saving tip: Be sure to use ordering code "cbe5off" for an additional $5 savings.

If you do make it, be sure to introduce yourself. I'm scheduled to teach at four workshops through the Christian Writers Guild (Friday and Saturday mornings). On Friday and Saturday afternoons I plan to join my friends Bill Myers and Bryan Davis for panel discussions on fantasy writing for youth, sponsored by Zondervan Publishers. You'll also find me at the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) booth for a book signing on Friday afternoon at two. Too many times to mention, but you can check out specifics at my web site (www.RobertElmerBooks.com) under "calendar."

The CBE is perfect for would-be writers, young writers, or just folks who like good books. Hope to see you there!

If you like ice cream...

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:17:37 -0800

No one has ever asked me this question before: If one of your characters was a flavor of ice cream, which would it be? Until the other day, when Amber Miller interviewed me for her blog. The topic was my new sci-fi book for teens, called The Owling, and you're going to have to visit Amber's blog to find out the answer. When you're there, check out how you can win an autographed copy of the book, as well! Here's the link for you to click or paste into your browser. See you there:

http://ambermillerauthor.blogspot.com/2008/11/spotlight-on-robert-elmer-and-owling.html

The Owling!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:49:44 -0700

Book 2 in the Shadowside trilogy by Robert Elmer has been released!

It’s called The Owling. Journey to another planet, where the new faith of its first believers is tested in the shadow of evil…

Who’s the book for? Young teen (or young at heart) readers who like a rollicking good story! The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl, but with a high-profile boy character it’s equally appealing to the other gender. After all, I’m a guy, too—and my 25-year-old son was my first reader, who gave me great feedback. He loves the stories.

The Owling rolls together a touch of biblical allegory and a good dose of sci-fi, but I’ve written it especially for kids who may not otherwise be sci-fi fans. It avoids much of the darkness and hopelessness that sometimes creeps into science fiction. In fact, I’m already hearing comments like, “I’m not normally into sci-fi, but I love this book!” That’s exactly what I’d hoped people would say! What’s more, The Owling is equally appropriate for Christians (who will recognize the allegory) and non-Christians (who will enjoy the adventure).

So I’d love for you to get a copy for your library, church, family, friends, grandkids… or all of the above. It’s available through all the usual channels—including your local Christian bookstore, or online at Christianbook.com and Amazon.com.

Just as importantly, please help us spread the word about “Shadowside.” With your help and support, we can give Christian fantasy a boost—and help give today’s young readers more appealing, God-honoring reading choices.

Thanks so much, and happy reading,

Robert

P.S. Here’s the more “official” story thumbnail:

Life gets even more confusing for fifteen-year-old Oriannon when her former music mentor, Jesmet, miraculously returns from the dead and promises his students a special power called Numa. But he’s not the only one offering hope. Sola, Corista’s charismatic head of Security, proposes the Ultimate Solution for peace and recruits Oriannon to help her carry out the plan. But Oriannon’s friends are skeptical and try to convince her that the plan brutalizes the once-peaceful Owling people. Will Oriannon embrace Sola’s solution as the answer to Corista’s ancient dilemma? Or will she instead believe the untested promises of a mystical holy man?

The Owling. Pick up a copy at your local bookseller, Christian bookstore, or online at Amazon.com or Christianbook.com. (Just type in "Owling.").

For a dog

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:47:55 -0700

If I had known I would have to bury her in the backyard later that afternoon, I might not have hurried so much through our usual morning walk. I might have let my little sheltie stop to sniff her favorite flowers a little while longer, and I might not have tugged at her leash so impatiently or coaxed her away from the gravel lane, back so quickly into the house.

But I had work to do, and she was content as always to follow me inside, and content as always to plop down with a sigh on the rug next to my desk. As always she would look up at me expectantly and thunk her tail on the floor, glad just to be there and to keep me company.

In recent months she’d been moving much more slowly, yes, and had clearly mellowed with age. Twelve years—almost thirteen—is a good, full life for this breed, and we all knew she was reaching the age when dogs died. But she remained friendly and happy to the end, never understanding about life expectancies or tumors and such.

If I had known what would happen that afternoon, though, I might have offered her another treat or her favorite dog biscuit, before the seizures grabbed her so suddenly out of a peaceful nap on the braided run by my feet. They shook her cruelly as I knelt on the floor, holding her steady and stroking her in her last hours. At first the shaking and panic subsided after a few minutes, but then set in so fiercely there could be no mistaking their grip on my little friend.

After a few minutes I passed my hand in front of her eyes, but got no reaction. I don’t think she saw me, or could not respond as she always had, with an ever-friendly swish of her tail. She had always loved everyone she met, which was perhaps as much a feature of the cocker spaniel in her as anything, but we loved her for it. What more could a family ask of a dog?

At first she had been my son’s pet, after we saw her picture tacked up on a community bulletin board. Free to a good home. So, since our ten-year-old son desperately wanted that puppy, we brought her home, and she happily moved with us from house to house over the years. As long as she could see us in the room, she remained content. (And so were we.) In a touch of irony, she died on the day our son announced a wedding date with the young lady he’s been engaged to.

I think I still have the “Free to a Good Home” ad somewhere, just as I still have her collar and tags, which I gently slipped off before lowering her body into the crude grave I’d dug on the edge of our property. I slipped off her collar the same way every time I was about to give her a bath—which she hated, by the way. In fact, any time she heard water running she would run to a corner, or even hide herself under a bed. This time she received no such warning, however, or I think she might have tried to do the same thing.

If I had known what was coming, I would have scratched her behind the ears once more, or bent down to whisper what a fine dog she was, while she could still smile back at me with her strange, endearing eyes. The sheltie in her gave us one eye blue, the other eye brown. As it turned out, that was usually the first thing people noticed about her. Is she blind? they would ask. And no, she was not—until her last hours.

The veterinarian understood my pain as she lay writhing and twitching on his cold steel exam table, as he glumly told me there was little he could do for a thirteen-year-old dog with a apparent brain tumor. It was time to let her go, he said. I consoled myself knowing she had lived her days happily following a boy as he grew up, and then in her last years just as happily keeping a lone writer company as he wrote stories about life, love, and families.

At the same time I felt a moment of guilt for shedding tears that should have perhaps otherwise been reserved for human sorrow—for babies unborn or teens cut down before they can grow to adults. For people with deep needs. I will cry for them, too, but the tears for this little dog were as much for myself and my family. They came as I recalled happy memories each of my three grown children shared, as well. Even from halfway across the country I heard the catch in their voices, their own sadness as I called that afternoon to tell them what had happened.

Now I must stop crying, and I will, though I walked alone this morning without a leash and a happy little dog. As I passed the spot where I buried her, I paused for a moment to see the stone where I had roughly scratched her name with my pocket knife. Just like a little boy would do.

And I remembered again laying her in that grave, running my fingers through her fur and feeling the faint, lingering warmth of her fever. Kneeling by the open hole, I had apologized over and over for what I’d told the vet to do, and then for covering her with dirt. But as I had—just at that moment—a light rain fell, adding to my tears. It lasted only long enough for me to finish filling the grave with dirt before promptly stopping once again.

But it was enough to know that Heaven had perhaps also shed a small tear over the death of a dear family friend.

Homespun Harvest is here!

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:01:22 -0700

My new novel with the Guideposts book club is now available, called Homespun Harvest. It's a fun read about how the Stevenson family struggles against all odds to keep their new family together on a Nebraska farm. Part of the "Home to Heather Creek" series, Homespun Harvest is exclusively a book club selection (not in stores) and is described in the "fiction" section of this web site. Find out more about the book club by clicking here, or order Homespun Harvest directly by clicking here.

One of my favorite singers

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:33:23 -0700

No, this isn't about writing, but Phil Wickham is one of my favorite new singer/songwriters. And how about this: His latest album is free! Check out his blog for details. Oh, and yes, my son represents him at INO Records in Nashville, so there is a sort-of connection.

Back from Florida

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:28:28 -0700

Just got back from the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Florida, and had a great time talking up my new series, Shadowside. Of course, when in Orlando, one is bound to run into... mice. Here's a photo Christian Retailing took of Zondervan novelists at Epcot Center. Left to right: Nancy Rue, Mickey, Terri Blackstock, Robin Jones Gunn, Melody Carlson, Robin Lee Hatcher, Karen Kingsbury (hidden, sorry), me, Brandilyn Collins, Minnie.

for teen readers

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:21:42 -0700

I'm excited to be teaming up with Zondervan Publishers for my new teen books, called Shadowside. Now Zondervan has put up a cool new web site with contests, freebies, newsletters, and other stuff of interest to teen readers. They're also launching several new books for teens from authors Bill Myers ("Forbidden Doors" series), Melody Carlson ("Sweet Seasons" and "Carter House Girls"), Bryan Davis ("Echoes from the Edge") and me. In fact, Bryan and I are scheduled to sign books together at the annual International Christian Retail Show in Orlando in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, check out Zondervan site by clicking here.

Home to Heather Creek

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:09:08 -0700

My new book in the "Home to Heather Creek" series won't actually be out for a few more months. But it's not too soon to enroll in the Guideposts book club, so you can read all the stories featuring Charlotte Stevenson and her family! The stories take place on the Stevenson farm in Nebraska, and begin when Charlotte's grandchildren come to live on the farm after their mother is killed. I'm sharing writing duties with four other talented authors, and we're each taking a turn at one book. Mine is book four in the series, called Homespun Harvest. If you enjoy a gentle read about farm life, be sure to visit the new "Home to Heather Creek" website at www.guideposts.org/heathercreek.

Shadowside

Tue, 06 May 2008 08:19:52 -0700

This is exciting -- the release of the first in the new "Shadowside" series for YA (teen) readers. The book is called TRION RISING, and the "Trion" refers to the name of a three-star solar system. Can you tell this is sci-fi? It's also fantasy, I suppose, with a dose of biblical allegory. The idea is to capture the imagination of young readers who enjoy this kind of story, while not overwhelming them with too much sci-fi flavor. Sci-fi lite, perhaps.

In any case, this is the story of Oriannon, a 15-year-old girl who lives on a planet where one side is perpetually in the light, and the other side always in the dark. She and her friend Margus live a life of privilege, without too many challenges in life, until a very different music teacher arrives to literally rock her world. The allegory will become evident to Christian readers, while non-believers will enjoy the story, too.

This is a full-length, 342-page, all-out adventure and I'm very excited about it. Book 2 is due out in the fall, while Book 3 is scheduled for release next May. If you know any teens who are looking for good reading alternatives, please let them know. Or hey, maybe you'd like a good sci-fi adventure, yourself!