Susan Meier's Blog - Posts Tagged "her-summer-with-the-marine"
Her Summer With the Marine
Normally, I don’t get questions on my books. My stories are fairly straightforward. But my March release, HER SUMMER WITH THE MARINE, came with a question from a few readers. Not a lot. Most people loved the book. But some wondered…Why the heck would the hero chose to run a funeral home? LOL
The answer is easy. Finn Donovan is a businessman. But he also thinks like a chess player. He plays down the board. He doesn’t just see what’s happening now. He looks for what will be happening in the future. When he got out of the marines, knowing he had to settle in Harmony Hills, he looked at the economic landscape of his small town and saw most needs were already filled — except that Mark McDermott, the funeral director, was getting old. His goal was to work for Mark and ultimately buy him out. But when he was ready (after he did his schooling and apprenticing) Mark wouldn’t sell. Not one to waste an education, he started the competing business. Which ultimately puts him and Ellie in competition and also gives them a chance to realize they are the love of each other’s life. <3
I like using everything in a story.
But back to Finn. Something that a lot of writers forget then they are writing about small towns is that the economics of a small town are different than those in a big city. Granted, you will sometimes find a housewife who starts selling cookies from her garage and ends up as successful as Mrs. Fields. Or as in the case of my heroine in A FATHER FOR HER TRIPLETS, you find a heroine who starts baking wedding cakes for friends and ends up an accidental entrepreneur. But, mostly, the businessmen of a small town make their money serving the needs of the people around them.
It’s more true to life to have a hero who makes his money serving those around him, then a secret late-night stock market trader. :) (Though I’ve written about that guy too! LOL)
I wanted The Donovan Brothers series to be about “real” small town life. I wanted to show that the leaders of a small town are part of the town. Not just bystanders who make their money on the Internet or through mail order and have no other tie. I wanted to show that small town leaders live with and work with the people in their community. So, later this summer, you’ll meet Finn’s brother Cade, a rancher, who suddenly finds himself “saddled” with the town’s grocery store…and the town’s runaway bride. A few months after that, you’ll get Devon’s story. Devon is a big city guy finally tying up the loose ends of being the executor of his friend’s estate — who discovers his duties aren’t done when the money is all divided. He’s got responsibilities far beyond that! LOL
So why did I want to go this route of a “real” small town experience? Because investing in your community is the way a small town entrepreneur doesn’t just make money; he makes a life – Finn. Because sometimes we think running away and reinventing ourselves is the way to escape our past, but life has a way of drawing us back and forcing us to face our issues – Cade. And because sometimes you have to go the extra mile for your neighbor, realizing, in a small town, everybody is your neighbor — Devon.
I loved the fact that so many people were intrigued by my choice of funeral director as Finn’s occupation. I’m sure it prodded people to read on. LOL But I especially loved the fact that I get three books, three brothers, to really explore small town life and show readers a true glimpse of living with the same people you work with, go to church with, shop with, share a fence with.
To me, small town life, real small town life, is a blast of loving, fighting, coming to others’ rescue, and loving some more.
So if you like small town gossip that turns into genuine caring, watching the members of a community live and love, you’re going to love The Donovan Brothers series. <3
Happy Reading…
susan meier
Oh, and, btw, someone asked me what happened next with Finn and Ellie. :) A wonderful fan went to my Goodreads page and said…Hum, so did Ellie sell Finn her funeral home? Short answer: Given that they were married, it become community property. :) But another thing I didn’t get to talk about in the book — no time — was that Finn started many, many more businesses in Harmony Hills and beyond. He was, after all, a businessman who played down the board. :)
The answer is easy. Finn Donovan is a businessman. But he also thinks like a chess player. He plays down the board. He doesn’t just see what’s happening now. He looks for what will be happening in the future. When he got out of the marines, knowing he had to settle in Harmony Hills, he looked at the economic landscape of his small town and saw most needs were already filled — except that Mark McDermott, the funeral director, was getting old. His goal was to work for Mark and ultimately buy him out. But when he was ready (after he did his schooling and apprenticing) Mark wouldn’t sell. Not one to waste an education, he started the competing business. Which ultimately puts him and Ellie in competition and also gives them a chance to realize they are the love of each other’s life. <3
I like using everything in a story.
But back to Finn. Something that a lot of writers forget then they are writing about small towns is that the economics of a small town are different than those in a big city. Granted, you will sometimes find a housewife who starts selling cookies from her garage and ends up as successful as Mrs. Fields. Or as in the case of my heroine in A FATHER FOR HER TRIPLETS, you find a heroine who starts baking wedding cakes for friends and ends up an accidental entrepreneur. But, mostly, the businessmen of a small town make their money serving the needs of the people around them.
It’s more true to life to have a hero who makes his money serving those around him, then a secret late-night stock market trader. :) (Though I’ve written about that guy too! LOL)
I wanted The Donovan Brothers series to be about “real” small town life. I wanted to show that the leaders of a small town are part of the town. Not just bystanders who make their money on the Internet or through mail order and have no other tie. I wanted to show that small town leaders live with and work with the people in their community. So, later this summer, you’ll meet Finn’s brother Cade, a rancher, who suddenly finds himself “saddled” with the town’s grocery store…and the town’s runaway bride. A few months after that, you’ll get Devon’s story. Devon is a big city guy finally tying up the loose ends of being the executor of his friend’s estate — who discovers his duties aren’t done when the money is all divided. He’s got responsibilities far beyond that! LOL
So why did I want to go this route of a “real” small town experience? Because investing in your community is the way a small town entrepreneur doesn’t just make money; he makes a life – Finn. Because sometimes we think running away and reinventing ourselves is the way to escape our past, but life has a way of drawing us back and forcing us to face our issues – Cade. And because sometimes you have to go the extra mile for your neighbor, realizing, in a small town, everybody is your neighbor — Devon.
I loved the fact that so many people were intrigued by my choice of funeral director as Finn’s occupation. I’m sure it prodded people to read on. LOL But I especially loved the fact that I get three books, three brothers, to really explore small town life and show readers a true glimpse of living with the same people you work with, go to church with, shop with, share a fence with.
To me, small town life, real small town life, is a blast of loving, fighting, coming to others’ rescue, and loving some more.
So if you like small town gossip that turns into genuine caring, watching the members of a community live and love, you’re going to love The Donovan Brothers series. <3
Happy Reading…
susan meier
Oh, and, btw, someone asked me what happened next with Finn and Ellie. :) A wonderful fan went to my Goodreads page and said…Hum, so did Ellie sell Finn her funeral home? Short answer: Given that they were married, it become community property. :) But another thing I didn’t get to talk about in the book — no time — was that Finn started many, many more businesses in Harmony Hills and beyond. He was, after all, a businessman who played down the board. :)
