Jennifer Wilck's Blog, page 9
September 29, 2021
Welcome, CJ Bahr
But Why?
Motivation. It’s what good writing contains. Why are your characters doing what they are doing? Why do they feel a certain way? Here’s a look into one of my writing tips…always ask “but why?”
I can’t say I came up with this challenge. It first appeared to me in my monthly Friday Nighters critique group, though I’m sure it’s older than that. I’m not sure how many times my pages came back with multiple “but why?” in the margins. I soon came to despise them; however, I later embraced them. You see, by not taking the easy way out, it forced me to look at the various motivations in my WIP and validate or clarify them, for myself and more importantly, my readers, making my writing richer.
For example, in how many movies, as an audience member, have you watched someone enter a dark and scary basement knowing the character was crazy because he/she was going to die, get captured, tortured, fill-in-the-blank. You think to yourself the character is a complete idiot, call 911, get backup, turn tail and run, anything but enter the basement! As the audience member you just asked yourself the first “but why?”
The easiest explanation (in a horror movie) is the audience needs the scare/suspense so we’re gonna send the character into implausible danger to make it happen. It doesn’t matter why, just so long as we have the big scare. Well a movie may get away with this, but your story won’t.
Have enough unanswered “but whys” in your WIP and it will make the reader shut down in disgust thinking your hero/heroine is stupid.
The good news? It doesn’t take much to fix the unanswered “but why”. It could be a simple thought in your character’s head (if he/she is alone): I really don’t want o go into this dark and scary basement, but the circuit breaker is in there and I really want lights on about now. Motivation now revealed, your character’s IQ has jumped by leaps and bounds.
If you have two characters eyeing the dark and scary basement, you could have them arguing:
Bob: “Are you crazy? The killer is probably down there!”
Jane: “But we need the lights on, besides there are two of us and one of him.”
Bob: “Screw that, let’s get out of here.”
Jane: Be brave, we can do this.”
Bob: “Fine, we’ll go down into the dark and scary basement, but if we die, I’m blaming you!”
Not the best of examples, but I’m sure you get my drift. It’s a great question to work into your internal editor. And if you can’t figure out your “but why”? Well, you could “cover it up” and hope no one notices. Not the best of choices. Or you could “hold it up”, have a character point out the problem and shine a glaring flashlight at it. Oh, and there’s one “but why” fix you could get away with (probably) just once: “I have no idea why…” the “gloss it over” trick. After all, remember Casablanca?
Signor Ferrari: “…why, do not know. Because it cannot possibly profit me, but…”
Actor, Sydney Greenstreet’s line is a classic example of a “Plot Hole / Motivation cover up”.
But it’s better and more believable if your motivations are justified. Do you have a favorite “but why” solution? Share it below in the comments sections.
Don’t take for granted your readers know the unmentioned motivation or see the gaping hole in your plot, remember to ask yourself, “but why?”
Author Bio:
First published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Sword & Sorceress" anthology, C J was bitten by the writer's bug and hasn't stopped since. The Wild Rose Press published her award-winning first novel, "Walking Through Fire"— a Scottish ghost romance. She is currently working on the fourth book in the interconnected standalone series, The Fire Chronicles, as well as a new Urban Fantasy starring a kick-ass Time Enforcer.
When her pen isn't scribing, you can find her busily cutting and tracking music for film and television. With over thirty years of music editing experience, her credits range from "Northern Exposure" and "The Muppets Christmas Carol", to "The Kill Point", "The Following", and ABC’s hit comedy, "The Middle".
In her downtime, you’ll find her curled up with a cup of tea, her cats and a great book in Tarzana, California.
Social Media Links:
Website/Newsletter: https://cjbahr.com
Twitter: @cjbahr https://twitter.com/cjbahr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bahrcj
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828572.C_J_Bahr
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-j-bahr
Amazon Author: https://tinyurl.com/y7jmpqdg
Blurb:
Cassanne Thomas returns to New Orleans to start her life over and becomes the target of a supernatural serial killer. Escaping her close call with death, Casi is the only witness to the crime and finds herself placed in protected custody by a handsome Cajun detective. But with her dark, troubled past, trusting the police is the last thing she wants to do.
Detective Lucas Avery, the top homicide detective in NOLA, is unaware of the supernatural world surrounding him. With the killer stalking the streets, he vows to shield the beautiful, enigmatic, Casi with his life while fighting his growing attraction to her. He's been burned before.
Danger chases Lucas and Casi from the streets of the French Quarter to the wilds of the bayou. Will they be able to stop a monster, straight out of a nightmare or become victims themselves?
EXCERPT:
Casi screamed and covered her ears, though too late. The loud boom made her ears ring. Who was shooting at them? She tried to see, but Luc’s weight had her effectively pinned. Squealing tires along with a string of Cajun curses from Luc, had Casi guessing the shooter had fled.
Luc holstered his weapon when Casi spotted the blood dripping off his arm.
“Oh my God!” She pushed at him. “Let me up. You’re hurt. You’re bleeding!”
Luc rolled off her and did as she asked, while gripping his thigh with both hands. Her gaze left his arm drawn to the blood oozing out between his fingers. The thigh wound appeared much more serious. She tugged her phone out and quickly dialed 911. But before it connected, Luc’s bloody fingers grabbed her phone and disconnected the call.
“We can’t call this in.” Luc exhaled harshly and gritted his teeth as once again, he applied pressure to his leg.
“You’re shot. You’re bleeding from multiple places. We need an ambulance!”
He shook his head. “Can’t. We need to leave. Now.”
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Links: https://www.cjbahr.com/books/
Redeemed By Fire Specific Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CG6JX5T/
B&N: https://tinyurl.com/273fhhtc
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/wctyc9xa
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/3v6mcsn7
BookBub: https://tinyurl.com/vrxs8nbp
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/3yaVMe
September 27, 2021
It's a Book Festival
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to an in-person book event, but I’m excited to announce that I’ll be at one on Saturday, October 2 in Hoboken, NJ!
Like I’ve said many, many times, writing is a solitary event. We all sit in front of our computers and talk with our made-up characters, live in our made-up worlds, and become invested in our made-up problems. While it’s comfy in there, the real world is what allows us to function as human beings, and sell our books.
It also allows us to fill our creative wells. Whether it’s visiting a museum, or garden, or having a meal with friends, we need human interaction and creative inspiration in order to continue to write our stories.
And once those stories are written? Well, it helps if we can sell them. Sure, I sell my books online, and there are always sales—I can track them daily (a fact which can sometimes be quite puzzling—what is it with not buying any books on Tuesdays???). But there’s nothing like talking to readers, finding out what interests them, and matching them up with a book they’ll like, even if it isn’t one of mine. I know a ton of authors, and I’m always happy to send readers to them if I think they’ll enjoy their books.
Thanks to the pandemic, there hasn’t been a lot of human interaction, but thanks to the Hoboken Library, that’s going to change this weekend for me. I’ll be at their book festival with a ton of other authors in a variety of genres. And I’ll be with three other author friends who write great books—Miriam Allenson, Carol Van de Hende, and Victoria Jayne. So stop by, walk around, enjoy the fresh air, and make sure to say hello to me!
If you mention this blog, I’ll give you a special discount!
September 22, 2021
Welcome, Misty Simon
One of the most fascinating parts of being a mystery author (or a murder worder as a friend called me the other day and I loved it enough to adopt it as my own!) is the question What If?
As I look around at different places, different people, different scenarios, I often make up stories involving those places or people at the center. I change them as I see fit, giving them backstories that probably have nothing to do with who they really are, incidents that have probably never happened, challenges that they might never face.
Like the guy who walks around the block seven times a day but never stops anywhere. Does he do it exactly seven times every day? Is there a significance to seven? Or is he clocking himself or his steps? Does he have OCD and can’t stop until he walks seven laps? If he fell would he have a hissy fit if someone tried to make him go to the hospital without finishing that last lap? And then my favorite question to follow up on What If is Why…
The absolute joy of being able to play with the concept of what if is one of the things that keeps me coming back over and over again to tell more stories involving people and places that catch my interest. But he Why is the big juicy cheery in my Shirley Temple. Why do they do these things? What happened in his or her past that keeps them in this pattern?
I keep these places and people in a file. I probably should have it on the computer but raise your hand if you like stationery! A well placed stickie is one of my favorite things and I adore that they have so many colors now.
But I digress… Back to What If?
Take the setting for my upcoming book Par for the Hearse. The amusement park where the book is set is real. It sits back behind what is now a flea market, a speedway, and a train museum. It’s stood for years on the edge of this property. Many years ago our family rented it to host our enormous family reunions. It’s closed now but I wanted to bring it back to life for this story. And the what ifs abounded.
Who would have access? What if that person decided that someone knew too much? Or what if the person had died because someone finally had enough of their attitude and things went downhill from there? I love the way stories come together and almost seem to write themselves once I give myself up to the What If. People come in and out of the story. Some stay and others end up getting cut, but without the What If there would be no story to start with.
I love writing with my hometown as a backdrop too (though I don’t ever call it that because I don’t want to get in trouble for killing everyone in town!). There are so many possibilities. That shop that seems to have a new store every time I drive down Main Street. The woman who sits in her windowsill and flicks the curtain back and forth every time a car or person goes by.
What is she waiting for? Is she worried that someone is coming after her? Is she just that nosy and thinks that everyone in town needs to pass her inspection? But what if she saw something she wasn’t supposed to see and is the on the bad guy’s radar because she’s the only eyewitness? Would she call the cops? Or is she hiding something so she can’t call the cops because that would mean she’d get caught too?
Why does she sit there? Is she wishing that she was anywhere else? Is she waiting for a relative to come home that never made it? Is she unable to move beyond the window because she’s afraid she’ll miss something like she did when she was a child?
The possibilities are endless. And What If and Why lead you to notice so many details along the path that we all walk. I leave my phone in my backpack when I’m walking. I let my gaze dart all over the place and try to take in every detail I possibly can. The one blue wall in a sea of gray, the graffiti on the side of the train going through town. The way someone deliberately planted red and blue tulips in a row, alternating colors. Was it that important? Why?
Now I’m fully aware that most people just do things because they want to. Maybe she likes the colors next to each other. Maybe the guy walks seven times because that’s a mile and that will help him stay healthy. Maybe the woman looks out the window because she’s waiting for the delivery man to give her a package she’s been waiting for and she doesn’t want her dogs to bark at him.
But when you’re a murder worder you have to make things connect. If you have a woman who flicks a curtain then that package ought to be super important or she’s there to see something that later she’ll tell the sleuth about. If the man walks around the block then he has to have a reason or he’s not useful to your story. But the What If leads you down avenues you might never have explored. And the Why makes you think of reasons to explore more.
As a murder worder that’s one of my favorite things to share with readers. Let’s go explore – emotions, situations, people, feelings, locations. All ending ina big old dollop of justice. Par for the Hearse has a ton of what ifs in it and I enjoyed playing with every single one. I hope you’ll join me in the fun!
Catch up on the Tallie Graver Mysteries until Par for the Hearse releases in December 2021!
Bio: Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. She knows how to hula, was classically trained to sing opera, co-wrote her high school Alma Mater, and can’t touch raw wood. Never hand her a Dixie cup with that wooden spoon/paddle thing. It’s not pretty.
Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.
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September 20, 2021
Food Is Love
I love to cook and bake. The best therapy for me is to pull out my baking ingredients and make cakes and cookies and other treats. However, if I did that as often as I need to, my entire family would weigh 500 pounds each. We are a big sweets-loving family.
I also love experimenting with ingredients and seeing what meals I can invent. I used to do this all the time back when I was single. Once I met my husband, though, I had to severely limit my experimentation because of his pickiness when it comes to food. While he’s significantly improved in that area, he still likes what he likes, and other than for health reasons, really doesn’t want to try new things.
My kids were also picky, so although I’ve never been prevented from experimenting for myself, when it came time to cook for everyone, tried and true recipes won the day. Besides, I’m not a short order cook, and the thought of making different meals for different people did not appeal to me. Not to mention, it would have made it very difficult to teach my kids to eat what was presented to them.
So, much of my love for cooking has fallen by the wayside. I still did it, still tried making new foods occasionally, but only using ingredients I knew were on the “approved list.” We were limited, but it was better than nothing.
Fast forward to today, when both girls are away at college and law school, living in apartments. With kitchens. That they have to use. I was all excited, thinking about the shopping we’d do together to outfit their kitchens, the recipes I’d pass along for them to make their favorite foods. But with covid and limited time and their strong wills, my idea of what would happen differed significantly from reality. Again. So I let them take the lead, stayed in my lane, and reminded myself that it was okay.
And then the FaceTime calls started.
“Mom, how do I cook this?”
“Mom, can you send me the recipe for the chicken you make that I like?”
“Mom, how do I store this?”
“Mom, we need more pans, can you help me pick out the right size?”
“Mom, can you watch me do this to make sure I’m doing it right?”
Suddenly, everything was worth it and all is right in my world.
September 8, 2021
Welcome Back, Darlene Fredette
Inspiration For a Title…
Titles are my worst nightmare. They are probably the biggest struggle I have when writing a story. I start writing and hope at some point the inspiration for a title will come. But with most of my books, the title is lost until I write the last chapter. However, I did not have a nightmare with Cherry Red. The title came before the story!
We are huge Rolling Stones fans in this house (saw them three times!), and one of my favourite songs is ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’. There’s a line Mick Jagger sings… ‘we decided that we would have a soda, my favorite flavor, cherry red’. I love that lyric and I knew it would make a great book title. And there is no copyright infringement because I am using a flavor, not the song.
My publisher introduced their One Scoop or Two themed stories, which had to have an ice cream flavor in the title. I thought cherry red is a great flavor! The storyline for Cherry Red soon followed.
As Stones fans, we were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Charlie Watts (the best drummer ever!) I dedicated this book to my husband, but I would like to add Charlie as well.
(The photo is just some of the Rolling Stones souvenirs we have in our china cabinet.)
Author Bio:
Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. She writes contemporary romances with a focus on plot-driven page-turners. When not working on her next book, she can be found with her husband, her daughter, and her yellow Labrador.
Blurb for Cherry Red:
This summer, ice cream entrepreneur Carly Redd's only focus is expanding her business—until she's coerced into attending her ex's engagement party. Showing up without a date is unthinkable. She reluctantly agrees to be escorted by her brother’s co-worker, although doing so breaks her rule of not dating firefighters.
The daughter of the town’s fire chief should wear a Do Not Touch sign, but firefighter Noah Harding's interest blazed the moment he saw Carly. Agreeing to be her fake boyfriend is a no-brainer, but convincing Carly to trust him with her heart is harder than extinguishing a fire.
Overstepping the platonic-only rule is as dangerous as fire and ice swirling into a tempting combustion.
Excerpt for Cherry Red:
“This might seem like a strange question, especially since we’ve just met, but would you be interested in going out for a coffee? Or an ice cream?” Noah rested an arm on the bar.
Carly glanced down at her jeans and black T-shirt with the company name and logo…a cluster of red cherries. In a room full of women all dolled up in fancy—and some a bit scanty—dresses, why would this incredibly handsome man ask her on a date? “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested…”
Noah raised a brow. “I know you like ice cream, so is it the coffee, or me?”
“What? No. I mean, yes.” She took a second to collect her scrambled thoughts. “I like coffee. I just don’t hang out with firefighters.” Not that he was a real firefighter. Did impersonators count in her rules of men to avoid? She never dated a stripper, but she wasn’t sure she could have a relationship with a guy who was paid to take off his clothes and have other women fawn over him. Not that the guy asked her on a date…just a simple coffee. His frown made her feel badly. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal.”
“Burnt in the past? No pun intended.” He smiled.
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Something like that.”
Buy Links:
This link will bring you to my website which has links to all distributing sites for my books.
Universal Purchase Link: http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-books-purchase-links.html
Social Media Links:
Author Web Site: http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Fredette/e/B005NAF660/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarleneLF
August 30, 2021
Back to an Empty Nest
Well, after way too many moves, entirely too much packing and shopping and packing and shopping, ridiculously long drives, and endless stress, we are back to being an empty nest.
The Princess is settling into law school, where she’s learning that a life of “Why?”, “It’s not fair,” and only responding to logic has paid off. She’s exactly where she belongs and is loving it—after a few early bumps during orientation week.
Banana Girl starts class today. In person. Almost like normal. She’s planning to study abroad (I’m still not sure that will happen, but I’m staying quiet). She’s learning how to grocery shop and cook, and redoing all her time management to allow for walking to class and eating.
And the husband and I are rediscovering what a completely empty house is like. We’ve had periods of this before, and I’m not holding my breath that it will last for a long time, but right now, it looks like maybe we will be alone until Thanksgiving. Maybe.
My house is clean. I’ve scrubbed and dusted and vacuumed. And, since there is no one to blame but the two of us, my husband is making less of a mess than normal. J
The girls’ rooms are…basically clean. Since the Princess really doesn’t live here any more—by her own admission—I informed her that when she left for law school, her room needed to be clean to my standards or I was taking a trash bag to the rest of it. My threat worked. Her room is empty of garbage and things she doesn’t want anymore. We donated a ton of clothes to a breast cancer organization, threw out several bags of garbage, and even managed to find someone who wanted a swim team backpack (I’m still trying to get rid of the flippers).
Banana Girl’s room isn’t too bad, either. She’s convinced she’s living here forever (she’s not), so she didn’t want to dispose of too much, but the room is clean and things are put away. I still don’t know why there are clothes in her hamper, since she did laundry, but that’s a “her problem.”
The three rooms of supplies needed for law school are gone. My house probably lifted a good three inches without the extra weight.
And now we’re left to figure out what to do. Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, since my husband, the Pack Rat, is still here. J
August 25, 2021
Welcome Back, Charlotte O'Shay
I’m so happy to be here to show off the cover of my upcoming friends to lovers, romantic suspense, MY ONLY ONE and tell you all about my pre-release giveaway. Thank You!
Every writer is proud when her book baby comes into the world and never more so than when it’s an indie release. MY ONLY ONE is the first book in a projected seven book Fortunato Family series and my very first indie. The romances in this series tread very familiar ground for me as they all take place in and around New York City and involve a large working class family of seven siblings.
Why indie? It’s natural for an author to want creative control over all aspects of her work from copy, to fonts to covers but indie authors are also responsible for every back-end, non-creative task in publishing. It’s a challenge and a huge learning curve for me but one I was ready to tackle. I’ve learned so much from generous fellow authors and indie author groups and the bottom line is I hope I’ve created a story romance readers will remember.
A little about MY ONLY ONE:
Esme:
We grew up in side-by-side New York City tenements. Shane was my first friend, my first crush, and when he enlisted, my unforgettable heartbreak. Fate brings us back together after ten years, and I’m in a world of danger. But I’m not a kid anymore and I know what I want. Shane and I have a second chance at forever and there’s no way I’ll lose him again.
Shane:
Brilliant, beautiful, bound for success, Esme was the girl next door and a temptation I had to resist. I was too old for her, but I couldn’t forget her. When we meet again after ten long years, she’s caught in the crosshairs of a deadly drug kingpin. But I wear a badge now. Nothing will stop me from protecting the woman who claimed me—heart and soul—so long ago. I’ll keep Esme safe or die trying.
Time’s running out for Esme to pay her father’s debt to the cartel.
Pre-order MY ONLY ONE here: https://books2read.com/b/bPQgQz
In the run up to this release, I’m doing a giveaway with the help of N. N. Light’s Bookheaven.
Click below for a chance to win a $50. Amazon or Apple gift card.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $50 Amazon US or Apple gift card:
https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...
Open to US residents only. You must have an active Amazon US or Apple account.
Runs August 23 – September 7, 2021.
Winner will be drawn on September 8, 2021.
Author Bio
The only thing Charlotte O'Shay loves more than reading steamy, emotional romances is writing them. Charlotte believes home is where the heart is and hers is in NYC. She lives with Mac, her IRL hero, two subway stops from her childhood neighborhood, where walks along the Hudson River serve up fresh story ideas every day.
You can find out about new releases, sales and all things romance by signing up for Charlotte’s newsletter.
Social Media Links:
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NEWSLETTER
August 18, 2021
Welcome Back, Jeny Heckman!
Sunflowers in the design of Dee’s Cornucopia
Greek Mythology is such a giving source of inspiration for many aspects of our modern life. The never-ending soap opera-like saga of Greek gods and Greek Goddesses was the inspiration of my fantasy paranormal Heaven & Earth Series. Dee’s Cornucopia is a novella telling the story of Dee Taylor, the beloved grandmother who started the Quest in our modern lives when she communed with Demeter the Greek Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture.
Dee is a grower! She can grow anything! She has a nursery in Hawaii called Dee’s Cornucopia and also happens to be a descendant of Demeter!
The sunflowers are the story of unconditional love! Dee lost everybody she loved the most. She lost her father at a very young age. She lost her beloved husband soon after they married. She lost her beloved mother and later her only child! She loved them unconditionally! Out of all this tragedy comes a story of love for Dee’s grandson Finn Taylor, the protagonist of the Sea Archer, book 1 of the Heaven & Earth Series.
The Cornucopia is one of the only constants in Dee’s life. It is her passion! She loves to grow flowers, plants, and fruits. She loves to grow sunflowers!
The Story of the Sunflower in Greek Mythology
Apollo was the son of Zeus, the god of all the gods, the sky, everything else below, including mankind. Apollo was the son of Zeus and the God of the Sun. He lived in a palace in the East. He would ride his chariot of Gold and Ivory every day in the skies from East to West. As the evening would set, Apollo would end his journey at the far sea on the western end and would return home on his Golden boat.
Everybody admired and loved Apollo. He was believed to love everybody in return. He spread love and life to every being. He was known for his youthful and manly beauty. He had Golden hair and was the most handsome person that anyone had come across.
He caught the eye of a water nymph called Clytie. She fell madly in love with Apollo. She used to follow his movements across the sky with unblinking eyes. Unfortunately, Apollo never returned her love, and he would ignore Clytie.
Apollo’s love interest in return was Daphne, the beautiful daughter of a water God. Unfortunately for Apollo, Daphne did not return his love. I told you Greek Mythology was a never-ending soap opera of tragedies!
When Apollo tried to forcefully convince Daphne to love him, she asked her father’s help. Her father turned her into a plant. When Apollo learned about this, he was heartbroken. His sorrow knew no bounds.
The water nymph Clytie continued to watch Apollo’s passage through the sky. She would starve herself sitting on a rock for nine days without any food and water and just watch Apollo as he passed in the sky. Eventually, she was turned into a flower, which came to be known as the Sunflower.
It is believed that since then, the Sunflower keeps looking at the sun and following it’s movement from the moment the sun rises till it sets.
The History of Sunflowers
The sunflowers’ effect is quite unique. The bright and vibrant flowers seem to always perk up our moods. They cheer us up every time we look at them. It may be something about their shape, size, and color. Their overall appearance never fails to evoke positivity.
While sunflowers’ origin is cited in Greek mythology, they are not necessarily native to ancient Greece. Sunflowers were considered indigenous to the Americas. In 1,000 BC, the indigenous population of the Americans cultivated these sunflowers as a source of valuable food. For centuries, they had been using the sunflowers as a source of food and for medicine, dye agent, and oil.
When European discovered America, the sunflowers became a popular commodity. They took the sunflowers back with them and they started to spread the flowers across continents. And so, the world’s introduction and adoration to sunflowers’ beauty and sustenance began.
Sunflower Meanings and Symbolism
People love sunflowers for many good reasons. They resemble the sun and have many meanings.
I presented the story of Clytie and Apollo. Like Clytie, the way sunflowers stretch to follow the sun is often associated with steadfast loyalty, everlasting faith, and adoration.
Sunflowers also represent happiness and radiance. Who doesn’t improve their mood when they look at a sunflower?
The sunflower bright yellow, orange, and red colors symbolize the sun. But there are also many other species of sunflowers of different colors. Some are red or dark red, some are lighter yellow, strawberry blonde (my favorite hair color), gold, pink, and even chocolate brown. That’s why, a sunflower bouquet can be created for many joyous celebrations including weddings, engagement parties, baby showers, etc.
In some countries like China, the sunflowers have a specific meaning like long life, good fortune, and vitality. This can be attributed to the flower’s ability to endure life. They can stay hardy for weeks even when they are already cut for vases and used in bouquets.
Another example is found from centuries ago in the Inca civilization. The Incas believed that sunflowers were the representation of the Sun God. According to many literature excerpts, the Incas worshiped these flowers in their temples their priestesses decorated their clothes and crowns with sunflowers.
Grab a packet of my favorite sunflower seeds that I am giving away at my book launch party here.
Jeny Heckman is an award- winning fantasy paranormalromance author best known for her Heaven & Earthseries, an award- winning fantasy- paranormal series. Herdebut novel, The Sea Archer, published in October 2018,won "Best in Category," at the Chanticleer InternationalBook Awards. Her second book of the Heaven &EarthSeries, The Warrior'sProgeny won First Place Best in Category at the 2020 OZMA Book Award and is a finalist in the 2021 RONE Awards Paranormal Long Category.
The Warrior’s Progeny also won “Best in Category” from the Chanticleer International BookAwards for the Fantasy Romance genre, as well as earned the Crown Heart of Excellence fromInD’Tale Magazine.
Her standalone Women’s Fiction novel, entitled Releasing the Catch, was a finalist in theFeathered Quill awards, likewise received in 2020.
Jeny loves working with her charities, which include Hospice of the Northwest, the Michael J. FoxParkinson’s Foundation, the Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the American Cancer Society. Jenylives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over twenty- eight years.
Website: https://jenyheckman.com/
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Blurb:
Dee Walker can kick your ass. At least she thinks so and isn't afraid to say it.
A no-nonsense spark plug, Dee keeps everyone around her hopping. When she meets fellow field hand, Arthur Taylor, her colorful world becomes even brighter when she makes him an offer he can't turn down.
However, this story of a bright explosion of color in a monochromatic world isn't what you might imagine, as Dee's life doesn't exactly turn out like she thinks it will.
This novella is the life story of Dee Taylor, the feisty and eccentric grandmother of Finn in the Heaven & Earth series. Her bright colorful muumuus and big floppy hat are her trademarks, and this story will tell you how it all began. She also has this little ability to see future developments. Oh, and commune with the greatest Greek family in history, but she just doesn't know it... yet.
EXCERPT:
“My God, it’s hotter than a billy goat’s ass in a pepper patch out there,” Dee announced as she entered the office furnished with the rich fragrance of leather, old wood, coffee, and tobacco smoke.
Her boss, Bert Norton, sat hunched at his desk, puffing on his ancient pipe. His gaze snapped to hers, and he gave the merest hint of a smile before frowning at her crass expression. The two fellows, also occupying the room, stood a little straighter at her appearance, but gave each other surreptitious glares. They wore identical uniforms of scarred leather boots, dusty work trousers and damp cotton shirts, right down to the sweat-stained field-hand hats squeezed together in their enormous fists.
“Ah, sorry?” Dee phrased it almost like a question and raised her eyebrows at all the testosterone in the small space.
“Deidre, please, take a seat.” Bert gestured to one of the broad wing-back chairs occupying the area in front of his desk.
The two imposing men shifted their weight from foot to foot in apparent agitation. If I sit in that chair, I’ll look weak. Possessing a vagina created enough of a disadvantage chasm already.
“Thanks, Mr. Norton, I’ll stand. No sense in giving anyone the upper hand, right?” she quipped and slapped her hands on her hips, shifting her own weight from side to side. The corner of her boss’s lips twitched, but he sighed, and they both looked over at the two workers.
Purchase Links
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2TCPJzH
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3jIRyWs
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3xt6vj9
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3xlNwqA
August 11, 2021
Welcome, Wendy Rich Stetson
In the stifling heat of a Manhattan summer, a fresh-faced, red-haired woman huddled in a garret, awaiting the opportunity that would change her life. The air was rank, rife with the scents of summer in the city. Beyond the fire escape was nothing more than a sliver of sky. She’d fled the tiny town where she grew up, leaving lush fields and rolling green ridges for dirty sidewalks and towering skyscrapers. As the days dragged on, she grew restless, nagged by a feeling that instead of chasing her dreams, she was treading water, barely keeping afloat as a murky eddy of shattered hopes threatened to drag her under…
If my journey to writing a romance novel was, indeed, a romance novel, it might begin something like that. The time was the early 2000’s, and the place was a sixth-floor studio apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. I’d just finished my Master of Fine Arts in Acting, and I was ready to make my Broadway debut. Little did I know…that momentous event wouldn’t take place for another ten years. Every student actor is told repeatedly that the odds of making a living in the theater are slim at best. Nonetheless, thousands follow their dreams, believing that surely, they will be the exception. And with lots of hard work and tenacity, many actors do carve out a career in The Biz. But progress is slow and hard won, and for lots of young artists, the urge to keep creating—to keep telling stories even during dry spells—tugs at our insides until we branch out into other disciplines.
I remember lounging on the blue and green plaid sofa that sat a mere six inches from my bed and a foot or so from the dining table, watching Oprah Winfrey interview successful romance writers who found purpose and joy weaving heartwarming tales of love. “I could do that,” I thought, every bit as naïve as I was to think a starring role on Broadway would arrive on my doorstep all wrapped up in shiny paper and tied with a satin bow. Still, I cracked open a notebook and gave writing a whirl.
I never set out to write “Amish Romance.” Indeed, in the early oughts, the genre was nowhere near as large and popular as it is today. Encouraged by those Oprah guests with the often-heard truism to “write what I know,” I came up with a simple premise: what if a girl went back to her hometown in central Pennsylvania and fell in love with an Amish guy? I dove into my story with the pent-up fervor of a frustrated actress, holing up in coffee shops and teaching myself the art of writing as I went. Over the course of many months, I researched, brainstormed, and revised, until my heroine finally achieved her happily ever after.
Hometown sat on my hard drive for decades as my acting career took off. I performed at theaters around the country and in New York City. I dipped a toe in commercial acting, film, and television. I narrated over twenty audiobooks and taught Shakespeare workshops to high school students. I had a child. I started running. I twiddled my thumbs.
Then one day I thought…hey, what about that book I wrote? Could now be its time to shine? As nervous and hopeful as that young performer who first acted on the crazy whim to write, I approached small, romance publishers, hoping the story of a red-haired girl trying to find her place in the world, would, in fact, find its place in the world.
Much to my delight, it did. “Hometown” is coming August 11, 2021, from The Wild Rose Press.
Oh, and, Oprah? Thanks.
Bio:
Wendy Rich Stetson is a New York City girl who still considers the Central Pennsylvania countryside to be her home. She grew up road tripping in a 1979 VW camper van, and she keeps a running list of favorite roadside attractions from coast to coast. Now an author of sweet, small-town romance, Wendy is no stranger to storytelling. She’s a Broadway and television actress, an audiobook narrator, and a mom who likes nothing more than collaborating on children’s books with her teenage artist daughter. Wendy lives in Upper Manhattan with her family of three and rambunctious Maine Coon kitty. Follow Wendy’s journey at www.wendyrichstetson.com
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StetsonRiches
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyRichStetsonRomance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyrichstetson_author/?hl=en
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wendy_stetson/_saved/
Blurb:
When Tessa's big-city plans take the A Train to disaster, she lands in her sleepy hometown, smack in the middle of the most unlikely love triangle ever to hit Pennsylvania's Amish Country.
Hot-shot Dr. Richard Bruce is bound to Green Ridge by loyalty that runs deep. Deeper still is Jonas Rishel's tie to the land and his family's Amish community. Behind the wheel of a 1979 camper van, Tessa idles at a fork in the road. Will she cruise the superhighway to the future? Or take a slow trot to the past and a mysterious society she never dreamed she'd glimpse from the inside?
Buy links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097NVNFDF
Barnes and Noble
Excerpt:
The girl entwined her fingers in her skirt and tugged the fabric tight. “Your hair is the same color as my cat, and she’s the best cat in the world.” In a heartbeat, she fled and buried her face in the man’s lap.
“My goodness. What a compliment. Thank you.” She fumbled with the clasp of her wallet, discovering only then she smooshed her thumb deep into the whoopie pie.
The elfin child giggled and bounced on bare toes.
Standing, the man swept her into his arms and smiled down at Tessa. “Rebecca has not seen many women with ginger hair.”
Ginger hair. For years, she was tormented by boneheaded boys shouting, “Carrot Top” and “Flame.” No one ever called her mane ginger. Beneath his candid gaze, her curls heated like embers, warming her from top to toe. Who was this man?
The girl wriggled, knocking askew his straw hat.
He tossed her under one arm like a sack of flour and righted it, loosening a tawny curl that escaped the wide brim and fell over one brow. His gaze passed over Tessa’s face.
Her unruly hair and short shorts tweaked at her consciousness. What did the Amish call outsiders? English? She was definitely dressed like an English woman. And not one from a Jane Austen novel.
He deposited the giggling girl right-side up on the floor and approached the table. “I’ve rarely seen hair that color myself. Like a copper penny.”
She stared at the mangled whoopie pie and blushed even deeper. For a brief moment, she felt his gaze trail down her body like a caress. Or did she?
July 26, 2021
I'm A Finalist!
I received some good news this weekend. My book, Whispers in Washington, is a finalist in the Published Maggie Award for Excellence. The Maggies are sponsored by the Georgia Romance Writers. The awards recognize the achievements of published authors of romantic fiction (there are also awards for unpublished authors). Books are ranked by librarians, booksellers, and other industry professionals. Winners receive a silver medallion and national recognition, and are announced at a conference in October.
Needless to say, I was excited. They even called me on the phone to let me know about my status.
I enter my books in lots of contests. Although I try to avoid the “popularity” ones—where you have to ask for votes from people you know—I enter those occasionally, too. There are many reasons why I enter contests. The popularity ones get me attention from my reader friends. The winners often receive free advertising, which is useful when I’m trying to promote my books.
The non-popularity ones, like the Maggie, help to get my books in front of industry professionals. If nothing else, I get editorial feedback that I can use to improve my craft. And if I somehow win, well, national recognition in the industry is nothing to sneeze at.
Usually, I lose out to writer friends. Although it stings, I love seeing my friends win. And this community of romance writers is supportive, so we all love to cheer for each other.
This time around, with the Maggie, I’m up against one of my critique partners. She actually finaled with two books, so my chances of winning are even less. The funny thing is, this book was not seen by my critique partners. Due to the speed with which we critique each other’s works, and my deadlines, I was unable to submit my manuscript to them first. But I wrote and edited with all three of them on my shoulders, reminding me of the things they usually pick up in my work.
It must have worked.
Regardless of the outcome, I’m buoyed by the fact that I’m a finalist. It’s a big achievement, and it gives me that little extra psychological nudge that I needed.
So, until October!
