Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #21

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 333 Comments

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 age

But 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

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  2. I just signed up for your e-newsletter here on your website, and I cannot wait to join your community of subscribers. I definitely suffer from glossophobia, and I became a teacher to overcome it! In Christ, we are MORE than conquerors!

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      The Lord can help us do things we couldn’t do without prayer and love. I have heard from several teachers who say they conquer fear of public speaking by teaching. Thank you for being a teacher to help our young peole gt a good start in life. And thanks for signing up for my newsletter too. Hope you’ll be glad to see it in your inbox when I send one in a couple of weeks.

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  4. I already subscribe to your newsletter and I would love to enter. I definitely dislike being the focus of everyone’s attention, but I have learned to stand in front of an audience and function as intended (whether speaking, singing, playing an instrument, or even acting, which I first tried last year during VBS).

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    CutePolarBear/Hanna

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      Wow, Hanna. For someone who doesn’t like the spotlight, you have met some challenges by doing all those things. I’m sure the VBS acting turned out to be great. Thanks for being a subscriber to my newsletter.

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  6. I am a subscriber! I love your books! I have read your Shaker series and I just finished reading These Healing Hills.

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      I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my stories, Hannah. I really enjoyed going to the mountains and writing about the Frontier Nursing Service. That was interesting research. Thanks for being a subscriber to my news. I’m planning to send out a newsletter in a few weeks.

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      Well, I think if you don’t know by now then you probably don’t have to worry about glossophobia and that you’ll be able to give a great speech if you do get the chance, Gigi. Thanks for signing up for my news.

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  12. I am already a subscriber to your newsletter and I love your books and love to recommend them to others! …and I do not enjoy the spotlight, either! 😉

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      Thanks for being a subscriber to my news, Laura. But thanks even more for reading my books and recommending them to your reading friends. Friends telling friends about books is the very best advertising a writer can get. Very appreciated. Glad you don’t have to get in a spotlight for that. 🙂

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  17. I am a subscriber and I do not like speaking in front of a crowd. I used to get so nervous in school when we had to put on a play and say a little part. I never did freeze, but I think I paused a couple of times.

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  20. Signed up for your newsletter. I have always had stage fright and have issues with giving speeches in front of an audience. Thanks for the opportunity to enter the giveaway.

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