Living in a Book’s World

Do you ever finish a book and find you’re not only sad to leave it but you’re reluctant to leave the world created in the book? That has happened to me tonight. I just finished Ruth Reichl’s Delicious, her first and as far as I know only novel.

I meant to work all weekend. I had a lot I was going to get done, mostly editing a novella. If I had applied myself I might be almost through with it tonight. But yesterday, seduced by Saturday’s delicious laziness, I spent most of the day reading the novel. Today I went to church and did some household chores, a bit of cooking, but every other minute, I read Delicious.

Confession: at first I wasn’t drawn into this book. Through most of Book One, which details a young girl coming to New York looking for a writing job and lucking into an interview with an old and revered food magazine. The editor sends her on a deliberate wild goose chase, during which she discovers many wonderful tastes, the unique small food places of New York, some unusual and distinctive characters—and demonstrates that she has a remarkable palate, able to distinguish subtle flavors in almost any food. Okay, so much so good but where is it going in the rest of the novel?

In Book Two, she discovers a cache of correspondence during WWII from a thirteen-year-old girl in Akron, Ohio, to iconic American chef James Beard.  Clearly Beard held up his part of the correspondence, because his suggestions, recipes, and ideas are referred to. The letters are lively, and the readers comes to believe Lulu is a real person, her mother and boyfriend only a little less so, and then there’s the father, missing in action. You can’t help but be embroiled in the story.

It would be a spoiler to reveal too much about Book Three, but it brings together wonderfully intriguing threads—not only food. The Underground Railroad, WWII, romance, architecture, transformation, forgiveness and acceptance. All those things floating through the book are made clear in surprising ways.

So tonight I find myself reluctant to start another book, though the stack on my desk is high. Editing my own work? I’ll dig into that tomorrow, but tonight I’m still floating in Lulu’s world.

Delicious by Ruth Reichl—find it, read it, and then try some of her nonfiction food books. She’s addictive.

At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen—a book review

I wanted to read this book because the blurb billed it as about a search for the Lochness monster. As many of you know, I am fascinated by Scotland, all things Scottish (okay, even haggis), and particularly Lochness. The ancestral lands of the MacBean clan (of which I am a member) lie in the hills above Lochness, and I’ve been there.
Nessie is almost a deus ex machina in this excellent novel, with its hints of the paranormal. The story features Ellis and Maddie Hyde and Ellis’ best friend, Hank. Ellis and Hank could be straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel moved into the 1940s and WWII. Both 4-F. Ellis has disgraced himself in his father’s eyes and been cut off from family funds, so he decides the thing to do is go to Scotland and solve the mystery of the Lochness monster, a mystery his father tried desperately to solve years earlier, failed, and made enemies among the locals. Ellis has no trouble convincing his wife and Hank to go along with the scheme and the three carefree partiers set off for Scotland.
But this is less a novel about Nessie, than it is about Maddie, who tells it in her own voice. It’s about her growth in maturity, compassion, and understanding of other worlds than that of privilege which she married into, about discovering a world beyond that she has known in her marriage. Ellis and Hank have no comprehension of the horrors of the war that rages on continents near them, although there are occasional air raid alerts in the small Highlands village. They stay in an inn which is clearly not up to their standards—either in accommodations or service. But while the “boys” are off chasing monsters, Maddie gradually comes to know the villagers and the starkly beautiful land around her and becomes fast friends with two young women who work at the inn. The story unfolds from there—one of love, and growth contrasted with selfish self-interest. I was drawn into its world, stealing every minute I could to read. Maddie almost become my alter ego.
Not so the “boys,” who remained spoiled, petulant and deceiving. They still referred to the innkeeper at “the help” and urged Maddie not to become too friendly. Gradually Maddie grows away from her two companions and closer to the Scottish people around her.
No spoilers. It’s a story with tragedy, passionate love, war, danger, and intrigue. But it held me spellbound. My only complaint is that while the war was always omnipresent, in the conclusion suddenly too much focus is on the details of the end of the war and the discovery of concentration camps--really removed from the world of the novel--and there is too much afterstory—but that would be another spoiler.
Nessie? Maybe she’s real, maybe not. It’s enigmatic. But strange things happen at the water’s edge of Lochness. I’d give this one four stars and recommend it highly.

As the page turns

Please welcome my Wednesday guest, award-winning author, Vicki Batman. Vicki has sold many romantic comedy stories to the True magazines, several publishers, and most recently, a romantic comedy mystery to The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.

Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking "What if??"

 ***

What if a friend decided to play a silly Q & A game while we were driving home from a fun girl weekend?

What if she asked the question, “Write the opening words of a book using the word window.”

What if your answer was doggie doo-doo?

That was the boat I rowed the weekend I was prompted to write. And after she’d asked the window question, I had nothing and I was embarrassed I had nothing. And I think my friend knew I had nothing for she added, “You can always email something later.”

An out--sorta.

Two days after the trip, I sat at my computer with the TV blaring in the background, thinking “I can do this.”

I did--sorta. I wrote eight chapters. However, I liked what I’d done; so I kept adding, editing, and revising. Finally, I grew brave and asked my friend to read it. She returned the file to me and said, “Keep going.”

Awfully nice of her. LOL.

A few months later and I still hadn’t confessed to a soul what I’d been doing. The secret was pushing inside me, wanting to burst out. So before a high school reunion, I went to dinner with Handsome who’d been traveling a lot. After the meal had been served, I summoned all my nerve and said, “I’ve been writing.”

He sat up in his chair. “What?!!”

“I’m writing a book.” And all the words I’d been holding back streamed forth. I explained what I was writing and for how long and how wonderful...

After I’d paused, he studied me hard. “You’ve...changed.”

Guess I had. But I liked it. Yet, because of what he’d said and how he’d said it, I carried a little pang in my chest. There was no “that’s great, Beautiful” or anything else. He didn’t want to talk about it. Perhaps, mom-me had evolved and he didn’t know what to do with her yet.

My book turned out to be a romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed. I worked that baby and even outlined Books 2 and 3. Time tick-tocked by and three years later, I hadn’t sold it. By chance, a friend asked me to critique her six submissions for Women’s World—you know, the newspaper at the supermarket checkout. I did. Osmosis must have set in because I cranked out short stories, selling fourteen to the True magazines. Then different e-publishers pubbed my erotic novella and four more short stories. I’ve also indie pubbed several others.

At a plotting retreat, I whined to my chapter mates about not selling Temporarily Employed. They suggested trying again. I did, and The Wild Rose Press wanted it. Euphoria!

My book. It feels good.

 

*****

Blurb for Temporarily Employed:

New Job. New Love. And Murder. Hattie Cook's dream job is down the toilet and her new SUV violated. Desperate for cash to cover the basic necessities, she takes a temporary job where she uncovers an embezzling scam tied to the death of a former employee--the very one she replaced.

When the police determine there's more to the death of a former Buy Rite employee, Detective Allan Charles Wellborn steps in to lead the investigation. Overly dedicated, always perfect, he puts his job first, even if doing so ultimately hurts the one he loves.

Can the killer be found before Hattie's time is up?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendship--writing for and about women

Please welcome my Wednesday guest, Darlene Deluca, who writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance and likes to explore relationships—what brings people together or keeps them apart. Her characters have a real-life quality with issues and situations that readers can relate to. Darlene has just released her new women's novel, Second Wind.
Darlene released her debut novel, Unexpected Legacy, in January 2013, and it advanced to the quarter-finals in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award. She has been a reader and writer since childhood. With a degree in journalism, she started her writing career as a newspaper reporter and later moved into corporate communications. “Writing fiction is a lot more fun,” she says. “It’s liberating. I can make up the people, places and the pertinent facts.” She has a daughter who just graduated from college, and a son who just started college. Darlene enjoys summers in Colorado. She tolerates living in the Midwest (that’s where the fam is), but when the temperature plummets and the ground turns white, she often longs for a distant sunny beach. Among her favorite things are books, chocolate, and a good cup of tea!

****

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to get together with several different groups of friends, and it got me to thinking just how lucky I am to have these people in my life – some of them for quite a long time. Even though I don’t see some of them very often, maybe only two or three times a year, there’s an important connection that I want to keep.

Friendship. It’s a common theme in books, movies and television. Why? Because we can relate. We all want friends. We all need them. We all want people in our lives we can laugh with and share experiences with, and depend on. Families often provide the most important people in our lives, but with families, you take what you get. No choices. Families come with history and maybe some baggage.

Friends are people you choose to hang out with. How many times have you orchestrated or attended a girls’ night out or recreational shopping to get away from family – away from the kids, maybe. Friends are often our escape!

As I reflected on these groups of girlfriends, I found that common bonds keep us together. These are people I have a history with. Some of us bonded over children and school situations. Some over a bad working environment. Others, a shared love for books and writing.

The host of a women’s radio talk show recently asked me, “What’s the most important thing you want people to remember about your books?” What immediately came to mind was friendship. I want readers to know that when they open a Darlene Deluca novel, they’re going to find characters they can relate to—people they could be friends with in real life. My books, whether they are straight women’s fiction or romance, are primarily about women and for women. The stories relate to women’s careers, parenting, home, and family—issues of interest to women—and always friendship.

Meetings of Chance features sisters as friends. In The Storm Within, the main character deals with death and divorce, and it’s the love and support of her friends that get her though the dark times. My most recent romance, Something Good, is a contemporary romance, but it’s not just about finding romantic love. It focuses on Mandi’s concern for others, her generosity, and her friendships. It’s about digging deep, as women often do, to overcome struggles and keep going even when times are tough. My characters are well-rounded women who juggle careers and personal issues and find love whether it’s through romance or solid I’ve-got-your-back girlfriends. As I said, the kind of women you’d want to be friends with!

The next book in the Women of Whitfield trilogy, which features a group of friends in the small fictional town of Whitfield, releases this month. The story focuses on Dana, and includes Mary and Claire from The Storm Within. A great place to find a friend!

Second Wind

When a devastating tornado rips through the small town of Whitfield, Dana Gerard’s home is reduced to rubble and her well-ordered life to chaos. In the wake of the disaster, she finds herself in financial straits and confronted by challenges that test her limits.

With support from longtime friends, Dana begins the daunting task of rebuilding, but that’s not her only worry, and may be the least of her concerns. Change greets her from all directions – at work and within her own family. At a crossroads, Dana is forced to see her life with a new vision and to trust the one person she’s determined to push away.

Find Darlene here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Darlene%20Deluca

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879809.Darlene_Deluca

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Darlene-Deluca/282385088481413

http://darlenedeluca.com/

 

 

  

Facing Our Fears

Please welcome my Wednesday guest, Kate Wyland. Kate is a life-long horse nut who started riding at three years old. She’s taken part in a great variety of equestrian activities with her greatest loves being dressage and trail riding in the mountains. A few years ago, she exchanged her tech writing “bug” hat for a fiction writing Stetson. Suspense, romance, horses and sometimes the paranormal are the themes she likes to explore in her books. And she delights in sharing her love of animals and country living.

****

One question an author is commonly asked is: “what is the theme of your book?” Since I usually write romantic suspense stories, I’ve discovered that my themes generally revolve around facing fears and taking risks. It can be dealing with a scary situation rather than running from it or it might be risking heartbreak by daring to love. We all face these kinds of choices in our lives, though usually not as dramatic.

I was raised in a time when girls were supposed to be helpless and let the big strong guy take care of them. Of course, while the culture was teaching me this I was also regularly handling and training thousand pound horses and doing the heavy work involved with taking care of them. A rather schizophrenic set of messages, to say the least. I also absorbed a lot of my folks’ fears, provoked by moving from a smallish Midwestern town to big bad Los Angeles. They didn’t know how to judge the very different situation and as a result I wasn’t allowed to do a lot of things that my older brothers and sister had done back home.

Breaking free from those influences has taken a lot of effort and I’ve had to overcome many fears over the years. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to writing about heroines and heroes who have been traumatized and must learn to deal with their demons. In my book Wyoming Escape, the heroine Mikela was badly treated by the police after she found her business partner dead, possibly murdered. Five years later, when she stumbles upon another dead body and a dirty cop, her first reaction is to run.

She stood frozen, her mind whirling. The cop she had seen had to have been involved with this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have just walked away from a crime scene. Given the state of her office, either he or Braddock had been looking for something. If the cop hadn’t found the object of his search and had killed Sam, he’d probably go after her next. If the police took her into custody—given her past and that the gun was hers—he’d be able to get at her with no problem.

Her panic takes her to a Wyoming Dude Ranch where she meets Shawn Saunders, a Marine home from Afghanistan on medical leave. Shawn is all too familiar with the kind of panic he sees in Mike’s (Mikela’s new name) eyes and doesn’t feel able to take on her problems. He has his own healing to do.

A familiar rage coursed through him, setting his blood racing. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm his pulse. Crap, he really couldn’t deal with this. He needed to get HIS shit together. He needed his head on straight when he went back to his men. Not that he would ever be quite the same after the last mission.

He couldn’t become involved with Mike’s problems. He’d have to step back. Let Harry handle her. He'd be leaving in a few more days anyway.

If only he could get her terrified look out of his mind.

When the dirty cop discovers Mikela’s hiding place and endangers her new friends, she starts to run. Shawn steps in to protect her and she realizes she has to face her fears, no matter the cost.

With the gravel gouging her hands, she began scrambling as fast she could. Then gunfire erupted from the hillside. She pulled up short. What am I doing? Shawn was risking his life for her and she was going the opposite direction to hide? Granted, he was trained for this, but she couldn’t just back away. That was the kind of betrayal she’d experienced all her life.

She pivoted around, her jaw tight with determination, and crept back to the boulders.

In my life I’ve dealt with shyness and social fears, as well as fear of heights and speaking in public. Mikela faces her fear of betrayal. What kinds of things have you confronted? What fears have you conquered?

 
One dead body is frightening enough, but a second one, plus a dirty cop, sends chef Mikela Richards fleeing for her life. The ultimate city girl finds a safe hiding place on a Wyoming Dude ranch, where she tries to discover if the murders are connected to the mysterious computer memory stick she found in her car. But her fragile feeling of safety is disturbed by a compelling Marine, home on leave.

Back from Afghanistan to heal both physically and emotionally, Shawn Saunders recognizes the type of fear in Mikela's eyes---it's one of the things he's come home to forget. Even though he knows it's a bad idea, he can't stop himself from trying to help her, while she's even more afraid of letting him. In spite of their reservations, neither can resist the pull of their attraction.

Buy link:

Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/bhgcakn

Contact links

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateWyland
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/katewyland
Website : http://katewyland.com/
Blog:  http://katewyland.com/blog/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

 

photo credit: Historias Visuales via photopin cc

Welcome to Honey Creek, Ohio!

Please welcome my guest, Jennifer Anderson, the last of the authors from the boxed set "Small Town Charm, Love and Mystery." I hope you've enjoyed meeting the authors of these diverse and fascinating books.

 

Take a walk around town, where there is only one stoplight, one gas station, one grocery story, many churches and one lake. But, oh man, what a lake.

Honey Creek Lake is where a lot of the magic and drama happens in the sweet, little town. Maybe take a dip in our man-made waters. Walk along the edge and watch the boaters zip by sending waves a water to lap the shores. Have a lazy day, cast out a line and wait for the fish to bite. Or maybe, grab the hand of your loved one and step inside our new gazebo. Slip under our famous Weeping Willow and steal a kiss from your sweetie. Every corner of our lake holds a story. When you’re there, create your own.

Head five miles back into town from the lake, stop by our White Cottage Restaurant, and have a slice of strawberry pie, although I’m partial to the lemon meringue. The pie display case and red-topped tables only add to the incredible yummies filling every plate. Catch 22 Pizza sets off the perfect Italian mood with soft lighting and scents of garlic, warm bread and spicy sauce. Grab a slice or an entire pizza pie. It doesn’t matter because after one bite, you’ll be back for more.

If you’re only here for a short while, maybe plan a trip back during our summer months. We host a Strawberry Festival with music and booths full of berry fare. July plays host to a Fourth of July celebration with a parade and fireworks at the lake. Rent a cabin and stay awhile. You’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for in our charming town and rural county.

Honey Creek sets the stage for a sweet Young Adult novella, Ice Princess. In it, Mya wants to shake things up in her small town. But once she’s given what she wants, will she change her mind and craves normalcy.

Here’s an excerpt from Ice Princess, Honey Creek Royalty Book 1:

“Okay. Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A farmer and a pig….”

“Stop,” I yelled without looking up.

“I already told you that one?”

“No, but any joke starting with a farmer and pig can’t be good.” I rolled over on the large towel we’d spread across the sand. It was the last day of summer vacation, and Michael and I agreed to spend the day together doing nothing but enjoying the sun. Living in Ohio, we weren’t sure how many more days we had left. Soon the leaves would fall, showing off snow-covered cornfields.

“Can you toss me a Dr. Pepper?”

“Sure.” Without looking, I reached into the small red Igloo cooler we brought and produced a cold dripping can. I knew it was for him since I preferred bottled water to soda. Not Michael. The kid lived on caffeine and sugar. Which made the lack of fat on his body hard to explain. Not that I’d ever noticed. Michael Graves was my best friend. And nothing more.

“So, you ready for tomorrow?”

“Sure, I guess,” I answered. “How’s it any different than the last three years at Fayette County High? Really, we’ve known the same people and gone to school with them for the past twelve years. We all know who we’re gonna eat lunch with or who we’re gonna sit with at opening assembly. Boring.” I wasn’t a pessimist or a Debbie Downer, but Honey Creek needed some excitement and I didn’t think our senior year would prove to be any different unless something unusual happened.

“Ok. So why don’t we spice it up a bit.”

“Like what?”

“Let’s start a nasty rumor or sit at a different table at lunch.”

“Ooh, Michael, you’re so scandalous! Have I been rubbing off on you?”

“Hardly. I think the most daring thing you’ve ever done was streak across my yard when we were five because you’d heard wearing your bathing suit gave you tan lines. Even though you had no idea what tan lines were, I might add,” he said with a smirk. The afternoon sun danced across his blonde moppy hair, intensifying his golden highlights. He sat next to me in a short beach chair staring out at the water. Everyone we knew was out enjoying the last weekend of August. All of the rental cottages were empty from the few Honey Creek vacationers that came to visit the lake. It was a manmade watering hole, but that didn’t take away from the fun we had there. Boats skidded across the water pulling skiers or tubers in their wake. The sand was dressed with towels and blankets full of half-clothed bodies soaking up the sun like Michael and me.

“So word around town is there’s a new kid coming to school.”

4 Star LASR Review: Great Read!

“It is a wonderfully emotional short story with just the right balance of sweetness and sadness. I recommend it to anyone who relishes a charming story of love and friendship.”

"The emotional scenes in the hospital and day of funeral are great - I know I cried when I reviewed initially, and I cried again in both read-throughs this week - I'm such a sap :-)" -Wendy on GoodReads

Blurb:

Mya Newman never minded the routine or quiet that came with living in Honey Creek, Ohio. For her senior year, she craves something exciting to happen instead of it melting into a cookie cutter routine like the previous years.

When a new girl, Audrey Moore, moves to town, Mya finds herself caught in a triangle. She discovers hidden feelings for her best friend, Michael Graves, but he seems to have eyes for the new girl.

After Mya's father becomes ill and eventually passes, she turns to her best friend, Michael. He never leaves her side, but she wonders if he'd rather be elsewhere. With fear of rejection and loss of friendship, Mya decides she can't confess her recently discovered feelings.

When Michael and Mya share a dance at the Winter Formal, does she open her heart to him? Or does she shy away, forever longing to be the princess who finds her prince?

Amazon   Barnes&Noble   iBooks   TMP Bookstore  Smashwords   ARe  

About Jennifer Anderson:

I'm a mommy, wife and author. Even though I've spent many years on either coast, I've spent a majority of my life in the Midwest. Here is where my heart grows with the love and support of my family and friends and here is where I find inspiration for my stories.

My complete list of releases:
Ice Princess, Honey Creek Royalty Book 1
Prince Charming, Honey Creek Royalty Book 2
Queen Mean, Honey Creek Royalty Book 3
King of the Lake, Honey Creek Royalty Book 4
Spider, May 2013
My Brother's Wedding, August 2013

Print edition of Books 1-3 from Honey Creek Royalty Series are now available!

You can visit me at www.jenandersonauthor.com and www.musingsfromthepeanutgallery.blogspot.com

Twitter: @JenniA8677

 

Is it a dream or a premonition?

Suzanne Lily, author Shades of the Future, is my guest from the Small Town Charm boxed set today.  Suzanne is a teacher and a writer who occasionally takes time off to zipline in Alaska, teach in China, and traipse around Rome. She writes sweet stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance, and always a happy ending.

****

Daydreams, night dreams, dreams of the future, dreams of the past. They all affect us in some way. Everyone has dreams of what they want in their own futures. But what if you could see the future and it wasn’t what you wanted? That’s the question that inspired my book, Shades of the Future.

You see, I’ve always had inklings of things to come. I might be driving down the road and realize that I haven’t seen so-and-so in such a long time, and wouldn’t it be funny if I ran into her today? If I get little goose bumps down my spine, I know it will happen.

There was the time I was driving home from work and I just knew I was going to have a car accident. I brushed it off as stress, but sure enough, at the top of an overpass, I was accordioned along with six other cars when the driver of the car in front slammed on his brakes. Fortunately no one was hurt. The weirdest part of that one was my husband knew I’d been in an accident, almost as soon as it happened, even though he was miles away.

Then there was a time a friend told me she was going on a weekend visit with someone she’d met online. I immediately thought of her getting pregnant, and goose bumps quickly followed. She laughed at me and told me it was nothing like that, there wasn’t going to be any hanky-panky because they were just friends. I think you can guess the ending to that story.

The thing is, although I sometimes get these inklings, there’s never a darn thing I can do about it to change them. I’ve often wondered, “What’s the use of knowing about things in advance if you can’t control the outcomes?”

That’s exactly the situation my heroine, Mariah Davis, finds herself in when she puts on a pair of sunglasses that allow her to see the future. She sees some good things and some bad things coming down the road. She tries to do everything she can to stop the bad things. Instead of avoiding fate, she faces it head on and has to learn how to deal with the hard times, as well as how to trust in those she loves.

You can read Mariah’s story in Shades of the Future, one of the eight books included in the Small Town Charm, Love and Mystery boxed set for only $.99. This video trailer of  Shades of the Future will get you in the mood for box full of love and mystery.

In the meantime, care to share stories? Have you ever known about something before it happened? What was it, and were you able to change it in any way?

****

What reviewers are saying about Shades of the Future
This is ultimately the coolest YA book I've ever read. You don't have to be a teen to love this book! ~~~LAS YA Reviews Long and Short Reviews
This is a charming YA book! The character of Mariah is someone you would love to hang out with--and the town of Honey Creek--let’s just say I would love to have grown up there! ~~~Judy Thomas
Find Suzanne Lilly online at these sites:

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-Lilly/e/B006HY79IY

Author website: http://www.suzannelilly.com

Author newsletter: . Sign up for her occasional newsletter to find out about upcoming books before anyone else. You’ll also get exclusive bonus materials and contests just for subscribers. One subscriber is chosen to win a $25 gift card each time the newsletter comes out.

TeacherWriter blog: http://www.teacherwriter.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneLillyAuthor

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258804.Suzanne_Lilly

Twitter: @suzannelilly http://twitter.com/suzannelilly

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a5a5a59d2/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Five lessons of forgiveness

Please welcome another guest from the Small Town Charm boxed set. After a career in the telecommunications industry, Cheryl Norman turned to writing fiction and won the 2003 EPPIE award for her contemporary romance, Last Resort.  Her debut with Medallion Press, Restore My Heart, led to a mention in Publisher's Weekly as one of ten new romance authors to watch. Running Scared, a romantic suspense set in Jacksonville, Florida, and Washington D.C., received a Perfect 10 from Romance Reviews Today. Reviewer Harriet Klausner calls her writing "Mindful of Linda Howard." She currently writes the Drake Springs series romance novels for Turquoise Morning Press.

Her passion for cooking and healthful eating led her to write four cookbooks and an award-winning blog, The Hasty Tasty Meals Kitchen--http://www.hastytastymeals.com. She also offers writers grammar help via her Grammar Cop blog, newsletter articles, and workshops. In addition to writing fiction and cookbooks, Cheryl works with other breast cancer survivors to raise awareness about early detection and treatment of the disease.

Cheryl Norman lives in the Suwannee River Valley area of Florida, near her fictional Drake Springs. She writes romance in several genres: romantic suspense, time-travel, inspirational, and sweet series romance, including the upcoming Drake Springs category romance series. For more about Cheryl, follow her on Twitter (@cherylnorman) and visit her site (http://cherylnorman.com ) or her author blog is at http://cherylnorman.blogspot.com.

FIVE LESSONS ON FORGIVENESS

Rebuild My World is romantic suspense, but its theme is forgiveness. In the course of the story, several characters must learn the power and peace of forgiveness. It isn’t a preachy story or a religious one; rather a lesson in mental health.

You read that right: Forgiveness is good mental health.

How can Taylor Drake forgive the man who attacked her and murdered her roommate? How can Adam Gillespie forgive the man who contributed to his family’s financial ruin? How can Taylor and Wil forgive the person responsible for their mother’s death? How can Adam forgive the man who abandoned his pregnant sister and later forgive a startling betrayal within his own family?

Yet, ultimately, they do forgive, and that’s the heart of the story. Have you had to forgive someone when it went against every fiber of your being? Or have you had to forgive yourself?

I’ve watched television programs about people who visit the killer of a loved one in prison and forgive them. I’ve asked myself repeatedly, “How can they? Could I do that?” Frankly, I hope I never have to test myself on that one!

I remember after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when ministers called on their congregations to forgive those attackers. How’d you do with that one? I struggled. I was angry and shocked. I wanted swift justice. Forgiving those responsible for all those innocent lives asked too much. Yet I finally made peace with myself and forgave them, thanks to the five lessons I learned (and share below).

Forgiveness isn’t easy. It can be one of the hardest emotional decisions you’ll make. If you aren’t able to forgive, the price you pay is high. The Drake and Gillespie families find this out for themselves until they learn these five lessons:

1. Forgiveness isn’t earned: You don’t forgive an offender because he deserves it.

2. Forgiveness isn’t necessarily wanted or requested: The offender need not ask you for forgiveness. In fact, he may be indifferent to your feelings.

3. Forgiveness isn’t approval: You aren’t endorsing the behavior by forgiving the offender.

4. Forgiveness can be anonymous: Just because you forgive an offender doesn’t mean he or she will know about it (i.e. he may even be dead).

5. Forgiveness is healthy: It relieves stress. (Remember, resentment is an acid that eats away at its container).

In conclusion, forgiveness is about the forgiver, not about the forgiven. Do it for your own health.

I hope you enjoy the mystery and romance that unfolds in Rebuild My World. Although its theme is forgiveness, the story is much more. Enjoy.

Books by Cheryl Norman (Amazon):                                                               

RUNNING OUT OF TIME (Turquoise Morning Press)
REBUILD MY WORLD (Turquoise Morning Press)
RECLAIM MY LIFE (Medallion Press)
RESTORE MY HEART (Medallion Press)
RUNNING SCARED (Medallion Press)
ROMANCE ON ROUTE 66 Anthology (Highland Press)

Short fiction by Cheryl Norman:

A Little Faith (Highland Press’s anthology)
Hometown Blessings (Highland Press’s Christmas Blessings anthology)
The Christmas Prayer (Highland Press’s The Heart of Christmas anthology)
Veiled Threat (Turquoise Morning Press’s The Wedding Day Collection)
Twilight Time (Highland Press-Romance on Route 66)
Bad Moon Rising (Highland Press-Romance on Route 66)

 

Feisty Heroines Make Me Smile

Please welcome another guest from Small Town Charm--Julie Anne Lindsey, author Bloom.

****

I love a good romance. Who doesn’t? What I don’t love is a heroine who’s too waify. Too proper. Too snorey. When I set out to write my first sweet romance, I hoped to create a woman who'd make readers smile. For me, that meant making my heroine relatable...and again...for me, that meant she needed to be kind of exuberant, perhaps even a well-meaning hot head. *Looks in mirror* *waves*

Hey, I like big personalities. I can't help myself. They make me smile. I couldn’t help wonder what a slow speaking, hay baling, small town hero might do if faced with an uptight, displaced former local? It was this course of thought that led to my first sweet romance heroine. Voila! Cynthia Potter was born.

In Bloom, my heroine Cynthia says what she means…at the moment… and causes a problem or two as a result. She’s feisty. I like her. She puts her foot in her mouth. A lot. Gets caught kissing someone she didn’t intend to kiss.  (Who hasn’t been there?) And makes an embarrassing discovery of biblical proportions. <-- a="" after="" bloom="" heart.="" hhh="" joke.="" my="" nbsp="" o:p="" own="" s="" she="" that="" woman="">

Writing sweet romance opened a whole new world for me. I learned what mattered most was the chemistry, banter and the will-he, won't she of it all.  I get screwed up in a knot on my couch writing every “Kiss her already!” moment, and I love it. In sweet romance, every sentence leads up to the all-important confession, “I love you.” And getting there is so much fun. Cynthia finds a lot more than romance in Honey Creek, but you'll have to take a peek for yourself to see what else. J

If you’re in the mood for a sweet and sassy heroine , I hope you’ll visit Honey Creek. It’s a beautiful place where anything can happen. Kick off your shoes, relax into that porch swing and cuddle up to a steamy hot toddy. Take a trip to Honey Creek. They're just a click away:  See you there!

Bloom by Julie Anne Lindsey

In a town filled with her past, she never expected to find her future….

Seven years ago Cynthia left Honey Creek with a broken heart. Three years ago Mitchell arrived with one. Now Cynthia’s come home, and these two hardened hearts can’t stop arguing. If they’d only take a break long enough to find some common ground, they might be surprised to find love can grow anywhere.

If they let it, love will find a way to Bloom.

Read more stories like this in the Small Town Charm Box Set! 8 Stories. 8 Authors. 99 cents!

**for a limited time**

Small town America has its charm—not to mention its fair share of romance and mystery!

Everyone knows small towns have their own unique charm, that’s why they make fabulous settings for stories! Turquoise Morning Press presents the best of their small town settings—all in one volume, and for one very small town price!

From Drakes Springs, Florida, to Briny Bay, North Carolina, to Wheeler, Texas, where a little romance and a lot of murder and mystery take center-stage—and then to Honey Creek, Ohio and Legend, Tennessee, where home-grown romance blooms, and love lives right next door.

Eight fabulous authors share their views of small town charm, love and mystery in this eight book boxed set—providing you with a satisfying glimpse into the lives and stories of the quirky characters who live in these charming settings.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS