Lila Johnson's Blog, page 4
July 12, 2018
A Bump in the Pages
As authors, we hit a lot of speed bumps along the way in the attempt to get a story right. We try to create characters that readers will love and want to follow. We attempt to create a mood and a world that will draw you in and make the real one obsolete, at least for a few hours. Most of all we hack away here, and cut and paste there to give you the best story possible and yet…
For example, in my first book, The Fat Girls Club, I left a cliff hanger on the last page of the book to signal a sequel would follow. People thought it was the conclusion of the book stating it ended abruptly.
In, The Fat Girls Club Paris Bound, I ended the story on page 421 and immediately placed a teaser sample to The Fat Girls Club Queen of Hearts on page 422. Somehow it was missed and people thought once again, that the book ended abruptly.
I say these things to let you know that as writers we hit a lot of pot holes and sidewalk curbs while missing a few “turn right not left” signs along the way to great, good or decent writing. Just understand that as some writers turn to gin and tonic, others, a cigarette and yet another group like myself, a bowl of popcorn to drown our disappointments, we’ll continue to hack through the pages of our manuscripts to bring you the best we have to offer in the attempt to get better along the way.
For example, in my first book, The Fat Girls Club, I left a cliff hanger on the last page of the book to signal a sequel would follow. People thought it was the conclusion of the book stating it ended abruptly.
In, The Fat Girls Club Paris Bound, I ended the story on page 421 and immediately placed a teaser sample to The Fat Girls Club Queen of Hearts on page 422. Somehow it was missed and people thought once again, that the book ended abruptly.
I say these things to let you know that as writers we hit a lot of pot holes and sidewalk curbs while missing a few “turn right not left” signs along the way to great, good or decent writing. Just understand that as some writers turn to gin and tonic, others, a cigarette and yet another group like myself, a bowl of popcorn to drown our disappointments, we’ll continue to hack through the pages of our manuscripts to bring you the best we have to offer in the attempt to get better along the way.
June 24, 2018
Only the Best Will Do
As I continue to discover the world around me during the Big birthday year, I took a trip in my own backyard. I decided to find out more about the greeting card giant based in Kansas City.
In 1910, a young entrepreneur by the name of Joyce Clyde Hall arrived by train, with two shoe boxes of postcards under his arm and little money in his pocket. The local YMCA became his home and office as he set out to make his dream come true.
In January, 1915 with his brother Rollie at his side, the company, Halls Brothers was formed. But in the same year, a fire destroyed the office and inventory leaving only a salvageable safe and the brothers in debt. The devastation didn’t stop them but pushed the brothers forward as they purchased printing presses to create Valentines and Christmas cards to offer a public that desired more privacy in their correspondence. From the ashes, an idea for creating cards was born.
It’s fun information like this that you’ll learn during your time at the Hallmark Visitor Center.
You’ll also see the following:
Displays that show the timeline of the company’s birth.
How J.C. Hall was the first to design such things as card display cabinets and in 1924 the first cards with sound.
How the Peanuts became a part of Hallmark cards in the 1960’s.
You’ll see Christmas tree displays.
Watch a bow being made.
My favorites were the showcases of Santa Claus tree decorations and the history behind the creators of some of our favorite Hallmark ornaments.
Overall: The self-guided tour is truly remarkable and rich in history. The best part of all, it’s free.
In 1910, a young entrepreneur by the name of Joyce Clyde Hall arrived by train, with two shoe boxes of postcards under his arm and little money in his pocket. The local YMCA became his home and office as he set out to make his dream come true.
In January, 1915 with his brother Rollie at his side, the company, Halls Brothers was formed. But in the same year, a fire destroyed the office and inventory leaving only a salvageable safe and the brothers in debt. The devastation didn’t stop them but pushed the brothers forward as they purchased printing presses to create Valentines and Christmas cards to offer a public that desired more privacy in their correspondence. From the ashes, an idea for creating cards was born.
It’s fun information like this that you’ll learn during your time at the Hallmark Visitor Center.
You’ll also see the following:
Displays that show the timeline of the company’s birth.
How J.C. Hall was the first to design such things as card display cabinets and in 1924 the first cards with sound.
How the Peanuts became a part of Hallmark cards in the 1960’s.
You’ll see Christmas tree displays.
Watch a bow being made.
My favorites were the showcases of Santa Claus tree decorations and the history behind the creators of some of our favorite Hallmark ornaments.
Overall: The self-guided tour is truly remarkable and rich in history. The best part of all, it’s free.
June 14, 2018
Life, Art and Fashion
I have been on a high since my visit to The Cloisters and could not let the day end until I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka The Met.
The continued presentation of Heavenly Bodies Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, is astounding. For anyone like myself that grew up making your own clothes and enjoyed the creative drive that comes from it will be enraptured with this collection. For those who enjoy art in all it’s methods, will appreciate the presentation of this collection. Blended with medieval art, fashion and Catholicism, the pieces are from early 20th century to the present. The exhibition ends October 8th, 2018.
Overall: Heavenly Bodies Fashion is not to be missed. You will have a new appreciation for designers and their ability to express beauty in this intense and different art form.
The continued presentation of Heavenly Bodies Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, is astounding. For anyone like myself that grew up making your own clothes and enjoyed the creative drive that comes from it will be enraptured with this collection. For those who enjoy art in all it’s methods, will appreciate the presentation of this collection. Blended with medieval art, fashion and Catholicism, the pieces are from early 20th century to the present. The exhibition ends October 8th, 2018.
Overall: Heavenly Bodies Fashion is not to be missed. You will have a new appreciation for designers and their ability to express beauty in this intense and different art form.
May 23, 2018
Return
Boy, you talk about a long drive home-try two and half days all alone from Reno, NV to Kansas City.
Now that I've shaken off the dust not only from my clothes but my car, I'm ready to kick into high gear with completing the third book in the Fat Girls Club series, and another manuscript with a new character. Let's add in newsletters, blog postings and that thing called work, I'm ready to go into the dying cockroach position. (Lying on your back with legs and arms in the air giving them the last shake of life before passing out!)
In the meantime...
The Romantic Times convention was great. I saw some familiar faces and made some new friends. The coming together of authors and readers is great way to make the experience a real and enjoyable one for all.
I brought home a 170+ books along with wonderful tote bags and plenty of swag.
The convention also provided the inspiration I needed to continue writing. During the awards banquet, I watched and listened to authors that struggled to get where they were but through love and support from editors, friends, spouses and readers, they were able to walk away with well deserved awards.
Now it's time to roll up my sleeves, and with pen and paper, yes, I write part of my books this way, it's back to work I go.
Now that I've shaken off the dust not only from my clothes but my car, I'm ready to kick into high gear with completing the third book in the Fat Girls Club series, and another manuscript with a new character. Let's add in newsletters, blog postings and that thing called work, I'm ready to go into the dying cockroach position. (Lying on your back with legs and arms in the air giving them the last shake of life before passing out!)
In the meantime...
The Romantic Times convention was great. I saw some familiar faces and made some new friends. The coming together of authors and readers is great way to make the experience a real and enjoyable one for all.
I brought home a 170+ books along with wonderful tote bags and plenty of swag.
The convention also provided the inspiration I needed to continue writing. During the awards banquet, I watched and listened to authors that struggled to get where they were but through love and support from editors, friends, spouses and readers, they were able to walk away with well deserved awards.
Now it's time to roll up my sleeves, and with pen and paper, yes, I write part of my books this way, it's back to work I go.
May 5, 2018
Reno, Here I Come
It's that time of the year again! Romance Times (RT) Booklovers Convention will be underway, May 15-20th. This year it's held at the Peppermill Resort.
This will be my second full convention attendance. My first experience took place in Kansas City in 2013 but I did a one day pass and volunteered for the Big Book Fair held on Saturday.
Last years event was held in Atlanta, GA and was a blast. This year I will hit the road and make it a mini vacation while I coast the highways of America. The drive will also provide fertile ground for a second manuscript that I'm writing unrelated to the Fat Girls series.
So here's to a lot of books, plenty of swag and a whole lot of fun. Catch you on the flip side!
This will be my second full convention attendance. My first experience took place in Kansas City in 2013 but I did a one day pass and volunteered for the Big Book Fair held on Saturday.
Last years event was held in Atlanta, GA and was a blast. This year I will hit the road and make it a mini vacation while I coast the highways of America. The drive will also provide fertile ground for a second manuscript that I'm writing unrelated to the Fat Girls series.
So here's to a lot of books, plenty of swag and a whole lot of fun. Catch you on the flip side!
May 1, 2018
April Excitment
Hello!
April was an exciting time for me. So far, THE FAT GIRLS CLUB: PARIS BOUND is triggering laughter and wows from readers who are looking for escape, history and a little fun on the side. As Angela, Nicki and Sissy explore London and Paris, they find that sometimes when you think you know someone, you really don't!
I appeared on a local televised program, Better Kansas City on April 18th to share with viewers the reason behind the book series, the importance of friendship, taking ownership of one's health and that beauty is much deeper than skin level.
Thanks again to Sue and her staff at the Phoenix Gallery in Lawrence, KS and Brad Mitchell at Rockwood Books and Collectibles in Manhattan, KS for hosting my book signings. I had a great time meeting new readers and autographing my books for their collections.
April was an exciting time for me. So far, THE FAT GIRLS CLUB: PARIS BOUND is triggering laughter and wows from readers who are looking for escape, history and a little fun on the side. As Angela, Nicki and Sissy explore London and Paris, they find that sometimes when you think you know someone, you really don't!
I appeared on a local televised program, Better Kansas City on April 18th to share with viewers the reason behind the book series, the importance of friendship, taking ownership of one's health and that beauty is much deeper than skin level.
Thanks again to Sue and her staff at the Phoenix Gallery in Lawrence, KS and Brad Mitchell at Rockwood Books and Collectibles in Manhattan, KS for hosting my book signings. I had a great time meeting new readers and autographing my books for their collections.
February 26, 2018
A New Year, A New Book
The New Year is off and running at full speed and so is THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND!
The second book in the series is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, this was a way to get my writing legs back on the ground after several personal issues sidelined my work. Once I found my way, I knew that my love for the written word would never die and that no one or thing would stop me again.
Second, I returned to France and England in 2014 and 2015 to do the research for this book. It had been many years since my first visit and I wanted to touch, taste and feel all the things that my characters would explore when they arrived in Paris and London. Although it was fun to be in my favorite cities, it was just as exhausting. I had to cram a lot of research into a very small amount of time; rising early in the morning while staying up until midnight in some cases.
I wrote a lot of the scenes during my visits and took copious amounts of notes and photographs. At times I felt as though I had returned to my part time job as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. All in all, it was so worth it for all the knowledge I gained along the way.
For Angela, Sissy and Nicki, this trip was an eye opener for them too. It was the first time the friends had traveled together overseas while revealing things about each person’s character that they were never aware of. Isn’t that how it goes in real life? The people we are closest to, that we think we know so much about does an about face and surprises us with an opinion, action or behavior that we never had a clue about?
I hope you enjoy THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND as much as I enjoyed writing it. Au revoir!
The second book in the series is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, this was a way to get my writing legs back on the ground after several personal issues sidelined my work. Once I found my way, I knew that my love for the written word would never die and that no one or thing would stop me again.
Second, I returned to France and England in 2014 and 2015 to do the research for this book. It had been many years since my first visit and I wanted to touch, taste and feel all the things that my characters would explore when they arrived in Paris and London. Although it was fun to be in my favorite cities, it was just as exhausting. I had to cram a lot of research into a very small amount of time; rising early in the morning while staying up until midnight in some cases.
I wrote a lot of the scenes during my visits and took copious amounts of notes and photographs. At times I felt as though I had returned to my part time job as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. All in all, it was so worth it for all the knowledge I gained along the way.
For Angela, Sissy and Nicki, this trip was an eye opener for them too. It was the first time the friends had traveled together overseas while revealing things about each person’s character that they were never aware of. Isn’t that how it goes in real life? The people we are closest to, that we think we know so much about does an about face and surprises us with an opinion, action or behavior that we never had a clue about?
I hope you enjoy THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND as much as I enjoyed writing it. Au revoir!
July 1, 2016
Summer Already?
We ask ourselves this same question every year; where did the time go?
Didn't we just celebrate, New Years Day, a birthday, Valentines Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day?
In two days we will light up the sky with bombs bursting in the air, those funky, charcoal things called Snakes slithering on our driveway while we wave sparklers late into the night. Remember parachutes? They were these things you shot from a little tube and from the sky it would drift. A clay weight hung on the end as the thin, parachute drifted towards you. As a child, I would try to knock my sister and brother down so I could be the first one to grab it.
It's time for the ice cream man. His loud music and the white van with a detailed list of confections, is hard to resist. "I'll take a bomb pop!" Red, white and blue in color as it's chill cooled us after two hours of playtime.
Picnics are planned and executed with the utmost care while the ants and flies take it upon themselves to join in. Little pests!
Yes it's summer already, my favorite time of the year. So take a dive in the pool, sit under a shady tree in the late evening, blow bubbles into the sky then laugh and have fun like a child-again.
"Welcome summer!" My arms are open wide just for you.
Didn't we just celebrate, New Years Day, a birthday, Valentines Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day?
In two days we will light up the sky with bombs bursting in the air, those funky, charcoal things called Snakes slithering on our driveway while we wave sparklers late into the night. Remember parachutes? They were these things you shot from a little tube and from the sky it would drift. A clay weight hung on the end as the thin, parachute drifted towards you. As a child, I would try to knock my sister and brother down so I could be the first one to grab it.
It's time for the ice cream man. His loud music and the white van with a detailed list of confections, is hard to resist. "I'll take a bomb pop!" Red, white and blue in color as it's chill cooled us after two hours of playtime.
Picnics are planned and executed with the utmost care while the ants and flies take it upon themselves to join in. Little pests!
Yes it's summer already, my favorite time of the year. So take a dive in the pool, sit under a shady tree in the late evening, blow bubbles into the sky then laugh and have fun like a child-again.
"Welcome summer!" My arms are open wide just for you.
May 2, 2016
Just Breathe
Bear with me for a moment or two. My thoughts are scattered and I need a moment to pull it all together. I know that someone out there will understand when I say, at times you must take a moment to breathe. The sheer force of exhaling seems to, not only open the lungs but the mind, spirit and every cell in the body. So here we go...
I shared with my readers that in August my aunt Angela passed away. Why is it that eight months later, her youngest daughter, by way of the most unusual, died?
And almost two months ago I spoke of my cousin Freddie who, in an untimely, unexpected way, died. Now his mother, my aunt, is in ICU battling blood clots in her lungs. Let's not forget the surprising deaths of singer Prince, Billy Paul and Les Wass, the advertising legend behind the Mister Softee ice cream jingle.
This much sadness is enough to make a person want to sit down and stop trying to live. Sometimes you say what's the use? Well after I cried a little and moped a lot, I realized one thing. All these people did something in their lives that they loved and or enjoyed.
For example, my aunt Angela loved to read and after a few twists and turns on life's road, finally found love and marriage. My cousin Freddie volunteered his time and energy to so many causes and people. Aunt Louise gave the most wonderful handmade Christmas ornaments that remain in my collection to this day. The singers sang, the jingle on a ice cream truck made children laugh, scream and beg for a surgery delight and Angela's daughter danced to her own tune.
When I think of things in this way, I can't be sad. I'll miss their physical presence but what each person presented in life, will remain in my soul forever.
So, it's time to move forward, not linger on the things I can't change and breathe.
"One way to break up any kind of tension is good deep breathing." Byron Nelson
I shared with my readers that in August my aunt Angela passed away. Why is it that eight months later, her youngest daughter, by way of the most unusual, died?
And almost two months ago I spoke of my cousin Freddie who, in an untimely, unexpected way, died. Now his mother, my aunt, is in ICU battling blood clots in her lungs. Let's not forget the surprising deaths of singer Prince, Billy Paul and Les Wass, the advertising legend behind the Mister Softee ice cream jingle.
This much sadness is enough to make a person want to sit down and stop trying to live. Sometimes you say what's the use? Well after I cried a little and moped a lot, I realized one thing. All these people did something in their lives that they loved and or enjoyed.
For example, my aunt Angela loved to read and after a few twists and turns on life's road, finally found love and marriage. My cousin Freddie volunteered his time and energy to so many causes and people. Aunt Louise gave the most wonderful handmade Christmas ornaments that remain in my collection to this day. The singers sang, the jingle on a ice cream truck made children laugh, scream and beg for a surgery delight and Angela's daughter danced to her own tune.
When I think of things in this way, I can't be sad. I'll miss their physical presence but what each person presented in life, will remain in my soul forever.
So, it's time to move forward, not linger on the things I can't change and breathe.
"One way to break up any kind of tension is good deep breathing." Byron Nelson
April 10, 2016
A Lovely Day
Today I took a break from work and writing and stepped out into the overcast sky covered day. Some friends invited me to join them as they ventured to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon.
When we approached the grounds to park, the field reminded me of Dorothy and her friends when they reached the poppy fields on the way to Oz. Now I don't know the different varieties by name without a marker like, Blushing Beauty or La Courtine. All I can say is that they are real and wonderful. They swept the fields like one long colorful blanket that made adults smile and children laugh.
People flocked to flowers like bees in search of nectar. Cameras in every style, shape and price range could be seen clicking away at the sight. How could you not be anything but happy with tulip cups in bright yellows, soft pinks or corals standing proud against the wind while being knocked about as people tried to photograph love ones in the fields?
Before leaving, I purchased a roughly made wooden shoe by one of the craftsmen to use as a planter and a pair of wooden shoe magnets from the gift shop. Along the way I also picked up a fresh prospective for my next story and healthy dose of fresh air as well as a clear mind.
It all reminded me of why I travel; the people, places and the learning experience helps to make me a better person each and everyday.
When we approached the grounds to park, the field reminded me of Dorothy and her friends when they reached the poppy fields on the way to Oz. Now I don't know the different varieties by name without a marker like, Blushing Beauty or La Courtine. All I can say is that they are real and wonderful. They swept the fields like one long colorful blanket that made adults smile and children laugh.
People flocked to flowers like bees in search of nectar. Cameras in every style, shape and price range could be seen clicking away at the sight. How could you not be anything but happy with tulip cups in bright yellows, soft pinks or corals standing proud against the wind while being knocked about as people tried to photograph love ones in the fields?
Before leaving, I purchased a roughly made wooden shoe by one of the craftsmen to use as a planter and a pair of wooden shoe magnets from the gift shop. Along the way I also picked up a fresh prospective for my next story and healthy dose of fresh air as well as a clear mind.
It all reminded me of why I travel; the people, places and the learning experience helps to make me a better person each and everyday.
