" A Stray Drop of Blood" by Roseanna White

Guest post by April W. Gardner

Meet recent Clash of the Titles Champion, Roseanna White. She is the author of A Stray Drop of Blood, which by the way has one of my all time favorite tag lines: Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For seven years, Abigail has been a slave in the Visibullis house. With a Hebrew mistress and a Roman master, she has always been more family than servant . . . until their son returns to Jerusalem after his years in Rome. Within a few months Jason has taken her to his bed and turned her world upside down. Maybe, given time, she can come to love him as he says he loves her. But how does she open her heart to the man who ruined her?

Israel's unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas's sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when the criminal is punished. But when she ventures to the trail, Barabbas is not the one the crowd calls to crucify. Instead, it is the teacher her master and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God . . .

ABOUT ROSEANNA:

Roseanna M. White is the editor of Christian Review of Books. She makes her home in the mountains of Western Maryland with her husband, two small children, and the colony of dust bunnies living under her couch.

Welcome, Roseanna! Have you learned anything new about God's character through this book?
Oh my, yes. As I rewrote this book a couple years ago for its paperback release, I realized that one of the most beautiful aspects of God’s nature that the story highlights is how He surprises us by meeting us in unexpected places. In Stray Drop, Abigail goes to Jesus’ trial hungry for revenge, and instead runs smack into the Lord’s forgiveness. She’s never the same, and I wasn’t the same after writing it.

What does your process look like? Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
Both. ;-) When I’ve got an idea for a book, it’s usually about 70% complete within 24 hours. I’ll write the first three chapters, then a synopsis. I’ll pants my way through the first half of the book, sticking to my loose outline (mostly) but with plenty of freedom. By the second half of the book, though, I’ll have already figured out what scenes need to finish it out, so I’ll jot down a more detailed outline so I don’t forget them and can pinpoint any holes that need filled in before I hit my climax.

Of course, Stray Drop was so long that I went through this process twice—the crucifixion scene being my first “climax,” then the actual ending my second one. Beginning the second half of the book was like starting a sequel in a lot of ways, though I couldn’t conceive of actually ending it after that first “climax.” (Quotes on purpose, since it’s not the real climax, LOL.)

When's your favorite time to write?
It used to be early morning, but that was before my kids started waking up at 6 rather than 8. (boy do I hear ya) Most of my writing time ends up being during my son’s naptime, but my favorite times are still those times of quiet and semi-darkness, when I can sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, some treasured silence, and no interruptions—early morning or after the kids are in bed, when hubby’s occupied with a hockey game. ;-)

Thanks, Roseanna!

--April W. Gardner is the Sr. Editor at the literary site, Clash of the Titles. 

She is also the author of the best-selling novel, Wounded Spirits.