Julia Imari's Blog, page 2
May 1, 2018
Where I get ideas to write my romance novels
It’s a secret and nobody knows, except me. I’m just kidding. The ideas I use in writing my romance novels come from two sources: primary and secondary.
Primary sources
My own experiences
PC: Pixabay Photo
Almost everyone has experienced how it feels to fall in love while still in school. When I was fourteen years old, I had a huge crush on my best friend. Sound familiar? I’m sure as a teen you had fallen head over heels for someone in your class. My crush was a popular, gorgeous, friendly and fun guy to be around. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who clamored for his attention—all girls in my grade competed to be his girlfriend.
We became best friends, and when he chose one of my friends to be his girlfriend, I was surprised. No, I was devastated. But I wished him the best. Then, we lost contact when he transferred to a different school. Fast forward, he contacted me via social media after twenty years. And when we talked, it felt like nothing had changed at all.
So, when I had the chance to see him face-to-face, we both laughed like it was the old times. Then, he surprised me with his confession. “You were actually more than a best friend, but I was afraid to tell you.”
“Why?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes, like best friends always do when they banter. “What did you expect from a fourteen-year-old kid?” he replied.
We both laughed. His answer washed away my negative assumption about him all these years—like how could he be so blind to not see that I had a crush on him. “I was surprised you chose her to be your girlfriend,” I said.
“Please,” he pushed his palms forward as if to ward-off the pain from what I’d said, “don’t remind me. I was stupid. I broke up with her several months afterward.”
Meeting and getting an honest answer from him put closure to a question the fourteen-year-old in me had carried. Today, as an adult, he’s no longer a crush, but the fourteen year old in me cherished the memories of our friendship. He’s still and forever a best friend.
Why do I tell you this? Because this is a critical point—in my preparation to create and breath life into my fictional characters. All the pain of a broken heart, and the joy of falling in love, helps me to infuse emotions into my heroes and heroines. I had to experience the emotions firsthand in order to create realistic characters. By drawing upon my own experiences, I can make my characters empathetic, believable and hence, make the readers root for them.
I came across a question like this in a writing forum, “How can I make my hero/heroine fall in love when I’ve never experienced it myself?”
Well, it’s tough to put authentic feelings into your characters if you’ve never experienced those feelings. But, don’t worry; you can always use a secondary source.
Secondary sources
My observations and sensory input
As an author, I’m an avid observer of all things that unfold around me. For instance, I take notice of a couple in a restaurant starting a fight, a couple in a movie theater murmuring sweet nothings, a couple sauntering in the park, holding hands, etc. I watched their mannerisms discreetly and transferred these observations into my characters—granting that was what my hero or heroine needed to do, as per the scene I created.
I use all my senses—what I see, hear, smell, taste and feel in making my observations. I had collected a lot of data for one of my stories when I was waiting for a train, walking into a shopping mall, etc.
I wrote my latest novel, Their Secret Rendezvous, based on golf balls my husband found on the golf course. One of them had a written a motivational quote in it. This unique motivational quote ignited the fire of creativity in me to write the story.
You can read Their Secret Rendezvous and figure out the combination of these two sources I have used. But, I prefer you just enjoy Ryan’s and Lauren’s journey in reaching their Forever.
PC: By Pixabay (pexels.com)
April 23, 2018
Poems: The Marching Ants and The Price of Being A Mockingbird
I’ll do anything to avoid going back to my prose writing. While writing a scene, out of nowhere, the idea of marching ants intercepted my mind. WTH. Ants weren’t even the subjects or in my novel. Where do they come from? And to make things worse, I wrote another one: about a mockingbird.
My subconscious mind has its own mind.
Well, here they are:
The Marching Ants
They are relentless
They are powerful
They are patient
Waiting and waiting
Waiting for me to inverse,
I press the delete key
And poof!
The picture of you disappears
Without a trace
Without apologies
And yet
The marching ants stay
Waiting for the next command.
the price of being a mocking bird
i just returned from the south
a new language I have with me
on the very tallest building I stand, on the chimney
belting my new song at the top of my lungs
i croon
i whistle
i murmur
everything to catch a new friend in sight
————————————————
Photo credit: pixabay.com
April 16, 2018
Ten Reasons Why I read Romance Novels
I’m an avid romance reader. My Kindle is overflowing with novels (other than mine) and that is not counting the ones I bought or borrowed from the library. Other than reading, I’m also a sucker for romantic comedy movies. I’ve watched most of them, including the old ones with Audrey Hepburn, as a heroine. I’ve even watch the Hallmark movies.
So, here are ten reasons why I read romance (I made a graphic image of the list):
I love a Happily-Ever-After or at least a Happy-for-Now ending.
Romance will sweep me all the way to the ending; makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I can read the scenes with cute and sexy banter between the hero and heroine.
Keeps me awake at night because I’m dying to know how far the hero and heroine can deny their growing feelings for each other.
Makes my heart ache for the couple. I long and yearn for them to reach Forever.
In romance, you’re the heroine. The hero is dangerously handsome and irresistible. He treats you with respect and admiration. He’s also kind and generous.
Allows me to experience the love between the hero and heroine from the comfort of my chair.
Inspiring and uplifting. I feel empowered and rejuvenated.
The story has the power to sweep me into the fantasy world where I don’t have to worry about the real world.
Brings a positive impact on my relationship with a loved one.
What are your reasons? Share them with me.
Garden Creature: Chippy the Chipmunk
Since I started taking an interest in photography, flowers and backyard birds have become the target of my camera lens.
Chippy the chipmunk
Then last summer, I noticed this little guy.
Finn, the orange tabby house cat.
My husband had yanked him from Finn’s mouth. He was dazed for seconds before he ran to safety. Finn was not pleased.
Chippy took a residence in the front yard, near a large oak tree. There are at least seven other chipmunks in the area, and Chippy doesn’t get along with any of them. He chases each and every one who intrudes into his property. The sharp noises he made were so threatening, the other guys all ran for cover.
While all the garden creatures were skittish, Chippy is an exception. He isn’t scared of me at all. And when I gave him nuts and seeds, he plunged in and vacuumed up the food as fast as he could. He allowed me to pat and take pictures of him all while he stuffed his face with sunflower seeds and nuts.
The duh look on Chippy’s face is priceless.
I called, “Chippy, slow down.” And he stopped and looked at me. One side of his cheek pouch is filled with seeds: the darn chipmunk.
Since then, I took a lot of pictures of him and he doesn’t even care. All he wanted was food and more food. Chippy is funny and entertaining. He had the duh look on his face every time I called him. I laughed at his quirkiness.
Usually he perched on a laurel branch so he could take a wide view of his property. Any intruder would get a loud warning from him. I guess he’s very territorial and protective of his space.
I hope he survived the cold winter and I look forward to see him again this spring.
Do you have any favorite garden creatures?
April Showers Bring May Flowers
I love taking pictures of flowers. And this is my biggest excuse to not write. I take pictures to procrastinate. But, the process is therapeutic. I love the burst of colors from tulips, different shades of pink from magnolias, dogwoods and crabapple trees.
My favorite views are from the close up range. I strive to take the best pictures I can and won’t stop until I’m satisfied with the results. Since everything is digital, I can take as many shots as I like. Composition is important and I’m still learning how to produce the best results.
Patience is what you need when taking nature pictures. My worst enemies aren’t bees or sun or rain; it’s the wind. Ugh. Every time I hold my breath and get ready to press the shutter, the wind suddenly arises and ruffles the bloom, ruining the entire composition.
Here is a collection of flower pictures I’ve taken over the past several years.
Tulips
Tulips
Crabapple Blossoms
Crabapple Blossoms
Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart
Tulips
Tulips
Hydrangea
Hydrangea
Pink Rose
Pink Rose
Redbud Crabapple
Redbud Crabapple
Common Lilac
Common Lilac
Pink rose
Pink rose
Lily of The Valley
Lily of The Valley
Also, here are beautiful flower pictures from my newsletter subscribers who are kind enough to share. Thank you, Bernie and Tina.
Flowers Images from Bernie
Surprise Lilies 2010
Surprise Lilies 2010
BlackBeauty
BlackBeauty
American Dream
American Dream
Peruvian Daffodil2
Peruvian Daffodil2
Shirley 2
Shirley 2
Dizzy 2
Dizzy 2
Shaggy Poppy
Shaggy Poppy
Landini
Landini
AppleTreeInBloom 2013.5.3
AppleTreeInBloom 2013.5.3
Centerfold 3
Centerfold 3
Yellow Calla Lily
Yellow Calla Lily
A Flower Image from Tina
Blue Plumbago and Pink Miniature Roses by Tina
April 11, 2018
Healthy Bran Muffin Recipe
Treat yourself daily with healthy food and your body will thank you. This recipe is simple and delicious. If you like bran muffins, try this recipe. I’ve created a pdf format of the recipe at this link.
Ingredients:
(Makes twelve bran muffins)
1 cup all bran cereal
1 1/2 cup water or milk
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup rice flour
2 tbs hemp protein or chia goodness by Earthy Choice (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204.4 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, add bran cereal, raisins and water (or milk). Let it stand for five minutes. Then, add molasses, oil, eggs and stir to blend.
3. In a bowl, mix together all flours, hemp protein, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add mixed dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Mix all until blended.
5. Bake for 23 minutes. Insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the muffin and when it comes out clean, it’s ready.
6. Enjoy with your favorite book!
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 23 minutes
Ready in 48 minutes
