Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!
- The hunt BEGINS on 6/15 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
- Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
- There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 6/18 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
- Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way
Hi, I’m Ann H. Gabhart and I love being called a storyteller. I’ve gone down plenty of story trails in my home state of Kentucky. I’m sort of a nut for nature and dogs and my grandkids. Oh, and books too! Most of my books are historical fiction but I have some cozy mysteries as well. You can find out more about me and my books here on my website and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and BookBub. I like dropping my characters down into some interesting historical times or settings, but for my newest novel, In the Shadow of the River, I told my characters “All Aboard” and set my story on a river showboat. Here’s a little more about the story.
When Jacci Reed was five, someone tried to steal her from her mother who was badly wounded in the confrontation. Jacci and her mother find refuge on the Kingston Floating Palace, a river showboat. Fifteen years later, Jacci loves being an actress and singer on the showboat, but the memory of her mother’s death and the events leading up to it has shadowed Jacci through the years. When her life is threatened, she knows she must search for the answers she needs. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows . . . and the answers she craves will not come easily.
Have You Ever Had Stage Fright?
Acting? On Stage? Not me! I loved getting into character with Jacci but I want to stay backstage doing the directing. Not on stage in the lights.
An actress, I’m not, but that’s the fun of writing fiction. My characters can be way different from me. I could say different than I can imagine being, but that doesn’t work for a writer. My characters do things I can’t do all the time.
Me at the first stage fright ageBut what about that stage fright? When I was five, I had a part in a church play. A speaking part. I practiced my lines until my sisters were ready to throttle me, but I had it down pat. Then, when my big moment came, I looked out at the congregation, opened my mouth, and nothing came out. My vocal cords froze. I knew then acting wasn’t for me.
That dread of being on stage stayed with me all through school. Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is a common phobia shared by three out of four people. Maybe you are one of the three. I used to be, but after my first book was published years ago, I agreed to speak to a group of librarians and discovered stage fright wasn’t fatal. At least not for me. Now I even enjoy speaking about my books. However, I’m not about to try acting!
In my book, In the Shadow of the River, I could have let my character, Jacci, have stage fright, but that wasn’t Jacci. From the time she first went on stage at age five, she loved the spotlight. She is a true showboat actress who likes nothing better than rolling downriver to a new landing each day to put on a show. When the music starts and the curtain goes up, an actress like Jacci is ready to take the stage to say those first lines and entice the audience into the magic of story.
How about you? Ever have stage fright or do you love performing?
Here’s Your Critical Stop #21 Info:
If you’re interested, you can order In the Shadow of the River on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Baker Book House, or your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: hammock,
Link to Stop #22, the next Stop on the Loop: Leslie Gould’s site!
But wait! Before you go, I’m offering some prizes here on my site. One entrant will win an actress make-up bag and a choice of one of my books. Two other winners will get their choice of one of my books. All you have to do is leave a comment here that you signed up for my e-newsletter on the form in the margin here on my website or note you’re already a subscriber. For fun, you can say if you suffer from glossophobia or if you love performing the way Jacci does.
Giveaway starts June 15, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time (2:00 p.m. EST) and deadline for entries is June 19, 2023 12:00 a.m. Mountain Time (2:00 a.m. EST.) Winners will be picked by random and notified by email.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hunt!
Comments 333
Signed up but I think I already subscribed before.
Author
Well, now you can be sure, Margie. You do have to confirm that you want to get the newsletters. That’s just so I can be sure those who sign up really want to get my news. I’m glad you do.
I love all your books and am so looking forward to reading In the Shadows of the River! I subscriber and I also have a fear of public speaking.
Author
Thank you, Beth, for reading my stories. I do appreciate that and hope you’ll enjoy my river showboat story when you get a chance to read it. Thanks for being a subscriber to my newsletter too. I won’t ask you to make a speech. 🙂
Hello, I am already a subscriber! I can’t wait for your newest release, it sounds wonderful. I so enjoyed An Appalachian Summer!
Author
That’s great, Mandy. I’m so glad you enjoyed heading to the mountains with Piper in my Frontier Nursing story. These Healing Hills has Frontier Nursing history too if you want to check it out and haven’t already. I do hope you’ll like In the Shadow of the River. Thanks for being a subscriber.
I signed up! Can’t wait to start reading your books!
Author
Great, Whitney. Hope you’ll enjoy some of my stories.
I’m already a subscriber- and I’m definitely not into performing.
Author
Thank you for bieng a subscriber, Amy. Not all of us can be actresses like Jacci. But I had fun imagining a character who loved to act.
Already a subscriber. I am not a makeup person. It is already a project when I have to put some on.
Author
Thanks for being a subscriber, Sonnetta. And I’m not much of a makeup person either. My grandkids are much better at fixing their faces than I could ever be.
New subscriber. Acting, no. But I don’t mind speaking up front in church too much, although I do get nervous. I prefer singing up front, though! LOL
Author
Sometimes singers can get nervous too, Wendy. It’s interesting how we all have our favorite things to do. The Lord gave us all different talents to share.
New subscriber. Thank you!
I’m one of the 3 with glossophobia, for sure.
You were an absolutely adorable 5yo, Ann!
I am happy to be a subscriber. I did just change my email address in your server’s preferences. I decided to create a new email account for all things bookish and my author newsletters!
Thank you so much for this giveaway opportunity and for participating in the scavenger hunt. <3
Author
You’re not alone in having stage fright, Laura. And thank you for your sweet words about my little girl picture. I appreciate you being a subscriber and that’s sort of neat to have a special mailbox for the bookish things. Hope you didn’t have trouble changing your address. I’ll be sending out a new newsletter sometime in July.
You’re welcome!
No, I didn’t have a problem switching. Hopefully I did it correctly.
I will look forward to that newsletter! I always enjoy them.
I am already a subscriber. I don’t like public speaking. I am looking forward to reading more of your books.
Author
That’s great to know, Peggy. I hope you’ll enjoy more of my stories when you get to read those books.
I subscribed.
I don’t really like public speaking, but if I’m teaching math in front of a classroom of middle schoolers, I’m fine. 🙂
Author
You’re braver than a lot of us, Maureen. Teaching those middle schoolers. So good to hear from teachers. Thank you for helping our kids learn.
just subscribed to your newsletter! Can’t wait to read more of your books!
Author
Great, Becky. That’s wonderful. I hope you’ll enjoy heading out on more story trails with me.
I subscribed. I have enjoyed your historical books–the Shaker series and the traveling library book.
Author
So glad you’ve enjoyed some of my stories, Brenda. Thank you.
I believe I’m already a subscriber! Thanks!
I am a subscriber!
I’m already a subscriber and I must suffer from glossophobia as I could never perform. Blessings
Author
We can’t all be actresses or performers, Lucy, or there might not be enough people in the audience. Always great to see your comments here, Lucy.
I’ve have preformed on stage like Jacci did 2 years ago on acting and yes I’ve subscribed to your newsletter!!
Author
I’m meeting so many actresses here in these comments, Courtney. Jacci has a lot of kindred spirits.
I just realized I forgot to answer the glossophobia question in my last reply. I spent many years doing theatre performances. I loved it, so have no problem speaking in public.
Author
You sound like someone I could have based my character’s love of being on stage to, Kim. Glossophobia isn’t good for a performer.
I’m a subscriber. Yes, I can say I have glossophobia.
I subscribed. Performing and public speaking are not for me. I’d rather be in the audience enjoying the show.
Author
Thank you, Shelley, for subscribing to my newsletter. Some of us would always rather be in the audience than on that showboat stage.