Emilie Richards's Blog, page 22
April 24, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: Things you live and die for
“My cousin Helen, who is in her 90s now, was in the Warsaw ghetto during World War II. She and a bunch of the girls in the ghetto had to do sewing each day. And if you were found with a book, it was an automatic death penalty. She had gotten hold of a copy of ‘Gone With the Wind’, and she would take three or four hours out of her sleeping time each night to read. And then, during the hour or so when they were sewing the next day, she would tell them all the story. These girls were risking certain death for a story. And when she told me that story herself, it actually made what I do feel more important. Because giving people stories is not a luxury. It’s actually one of the things that you live and die for.” ― Neil Gaiman
It’s so easy to take for granted the written word and the power of stories, but this reminiscence by Neil Gaiman — one of my favorite authors — reminds me that books are vital and even indispensable in our lives and our world. Can you imagine a world without the books that tell us stories of transformation, courage and love? Who would we be if we hadn’t read and pondered books like “To Kill A Mockingbird” and “Pride and Prejudice”? What kind of world would we be living in without the inspiration of William Shakespeare or Jane Austen? I wouldn’t like to live in that world.
How about you?
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April 17, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: Be joyful!
“To be joyful in the universe is a brave and reckless act.
The courage for joy springs not from the certainty of human experience, but the surprise.
Our astonishment at being loved, our bold willingness to love in return —
these wonders promise the possibility of joyfulness,
no matter how often and how harshly love seems to be lost.
Therefore, despite the world’s sorrows,
we give thanks for our loves, for our joys and for the continued courage to be happily surprised.”
-Molly Furnia, author
When was the last time you were truly joyful? I hope it wasn’t long ago. Like Molly Furnia I find joy to be a way to give thanks for the many blessings of life. When I see a beautiful sunset, when I talk to my grandchildren on Zoom, when I read a delightful book, I feel a sense of gratitude that mushrooms into joy.
May joy be your companion today and every day.
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April 14, 2021
Coming Soon(ish): The House Guests
Coming soon(ish)? Or is that later(ish)?The way we choose to view the timing for the debut of The House Guests, my latest book from Mira, depends on many factors. Until recently June 29th seemed years away to me. After all, time’s been moving slowly this past year, one day fading into the next with remarkable similarity. I finished the book many months ago, and the edits have been finished nearly as long. There’s been plenty of time to sit back and think of other things.
Only, now there’s not. Not really. Because suddenly the book’s publicist is lining up possible events and other projects for me to be part of. And reviews are coming in. Good ones, I’m happy to say. Like this one, on Monday, from Publisher’s Weekly:
Emilie Richards. Mira, $16.99 trade paper (432p) ISBN 978-0-7783-3186-5
In this serpentine thriller from Richards (the Ministry Is Murder series), Cassie Costas moves from Manhattan to Tarpon Springs, Fla., her hometown, with her 15-year-old stepdaughter, Savannah Westmore, after her husband’s death. Savannah detests the place and manifests her unhappiness by making friends with the wrong crowd. When the girl finds a handmade purse containing $800 in a parking lot, she lets her friends persuade her that the money should be spent on a party to be held at her house while Cassie is out of town. On returning to her now trashed home, Cassie discovers the distinctive purse among the rubble and determines its true owner: Amber Blair, the single mother of a 16-year-old son. As a result of losing the money, the pair have been evicted from their humble apartment. Deciding to right Savannah’s wrong, Cassie invites them to live with her until Amber can get on her feet. Both women are hiding dangerous secrets that will alter their lives. The carefully constructed entwining of Cassie and Amber’s stories offers some genuine surprises. This is pure soap opera of the best sort.
What’s not to love about “serpentine thriller,” “carefully constructed entwining,” “genuine surprises” and “pure soap opera of the best sort?”
For the author the review is completely lovable, of course, although I was surprised to see the book positioned as a thriller. Yes, there are hidden secrets, some of them laden with danger. But in my mind, The House Guests falls into the category my editor once titled “suspenseful women’s fiction” because the relationships among characters seem most important to me. Cassie and Amber. Cassie and Savannah. Amber and Will–her son–and Savannah and Will. Of course relationships create lots of suspense, don’t they? Not to mention everything we learn along the way.
And pure soap opera? In the sense that a lot happens, there are emotional moments, surprises, and a need to turn the page–or tune in for the next TV episode. Yep, I agree.
For a deeper dive and preview of The House Guests, visit my website. I want you to see the new home page, which I am so impressed with–I have a great webmaster. Then click on the book cover and enjoy a little more about why I set the book in Tarpon Springs, FL and what you have to look forward to.
Finally, don’t forget to view the excerpt to read the first chapter.
Coming Soon(ish). Enjoy!
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April 10, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: A single glorious thing
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April 3, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: Happy Easter!
Wherever you are, whatever your religious convictions,
I hope you enjoy a lovely spring day
and the promise of joy and beauty in the months ahead.
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March 27, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: Beware of destination addiction!
Beware of
destination addiction,
a
preoccupation with the idea that
happiness is in the next place, the
next job, and with the next partner.
Until you give up the idea that
happiness is somewhere
else,
it will never be
where you are.–
Robert Holden
It’s so easy to fall prey to “destination addiction,” isn’t it? Especially with the pandemic threat beginning to wane.
Now that I’m vaccinated I certainly feel that urge to shake things up a bit, but I’m trying to keep in mind that grass does look greener from a distance. Unfortunately sometimes when we get a closeup view, we find that the new grass is the same shade as the grass we’ve been gazing at for months. It might even be turning brown at the roots.
At the same time, we do want to get back out into the world and reconnect with friends, family and the places we’ve dreamed about for months now. It can be puzzling. Do we feel unsettled because we’re finishing so many months in place? Or do we feel unsettled because we’ve learned what we really need in life and have new ideas how to find it?
How are you balancing life these days? What destinations are calling you? Are you launching right in or proceeding with care?
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March 24, 2021
That Was The Year That Was–And Is
I can’t seem to write 2021.Every time I’m asked for a date, I find myself thinking this is 2012. I always catch myself, but this anomaly doesn’t really surprise me. I’m sure it’s not as much a desire to time travel back nine years as it is to pretend this past year didn’t happen. I transform a few numbers and erase a year of hanging around the house figuring out how best to use Instacart, Facebook Portal, and Zoom.
But 2020/21 did happen, didn’t it? For each and every one of us.
I’ve been thinking about the past year a lot this week. Tomorrow I can metaphorically wave my “get-out-of-jail-free” card and start doing ordinary things. Like going to the grocery store. I haven’t been inside Publix or Costco for a year, but tomorrow I’ll feel safe there. I haven’t been in a restaurant either, but tomorrow I’ll be visiting two of my favorite to celebrate. One, for breakfast, with my husband and one, for dinner, with two couples who also can wave their cards. I’ll wear my homemade mask and socially distance, but I won’t be anxious. That will be new.
We made it. We didn’t—to our knowledge—catch the dreaded virus. We did, despite obstacles at every turn, manage to get our vaccines and survive the waiting period.
The last twelve months have pulsated with highlights, both negative and a few positives.
Positive: After a gazillion years of marriage, four children and two demanding careers, my husband and and I could still spend a year in the closest proximity enjoying each others’ company. We could take up gin rummy after dozens of years away from it and make playing in the afternoons something to look forward to. We could carve out safe walks in our area, usually capped off with safely procured food, and find new things to see along the way. We renewed our gardening hobby by growing vegetables and herbs on our lanai. We cooked constantly, trying new recipes and enjoying occasional takeout meals. We have the extra pounds to prove it.
Negative: We couldn’t see our children or grandchildren. When we did see two sons briefly over Thanksgiving, all of us worried that despite every possible precaution, we might infect each other. We didn’t, but the worry was there. Another son contracted Covid and we waited and worried while he quarantined far away with his wife and his two young sons. His case was a mild one, but that was the verdict, not the diagnosis. We thought about him every hour.
Positive: We read many more books than usual, and found wonderful new series on television to entertain ourselves. We didn’t feel rushed anymore. With no place to go we were able to take stock of our lives and do everything at a slower pace. Smaller worries seemed to recede into the background because Covid put everything into perspective. I worked on a new book at my own pace and enjoyed being at the computer.
Negative: We lost so many friends this year it’s hard to wrap our minds and hearts around the loss. Some died because they had lived long, full lives and it was time. We couldn’t go to their memorial services or share songs, prayers and reminiscences with their families. Some died because they couldn’t escape the virus. When we venture out the world will look very different. And not for the better.
What a year it was. Our family came through it safely, and if you’re reading this, so have you. My hope is that the experience will make us kinder, more thoughtful, and more compassionate. We’ll be able to relate better to those who still suffer, and find ways to reach out to them.
That’s me being positive again.
Thoughts on your year? Positives and negatives? Please share if you’d like.
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March 20, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: The beauty of the earth
find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—
the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”-Rachel Carson, author and naturalist
I offer these inspiring words in honor of the spring equinox, celebrated yesterday here in the Northern Hemisphere. Nature is so often taken for granted in our age of technology, but along with all the problems, a year of enforced isolation and social distancing has inspired me to spend time reconnecting with nature’s beauty and healing powers.
Without all the other diversions in my life, I’ve taken frequent walks through our state parks and along sandy beaches. I’ve gazed at stars, made new friends with Venus and Mars, and planted a colorful array of vegetables and flowers. Everything has reconnected me to the wonder of this world we are a part of.
Has nature inspired you this year of Covid? Have you found ways to participate despite everything else? Our days are growing longer and warmer again. Spring does come after winter. Let’s not forget to enjoy it.
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March 16, 2021
What Do We Love About the Irish?
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!The day has arrived for dyeing beer and rivers green, singing Danny Boy and enjoying ice cold Guinness in a frosted glass–which is not how it’s served in Ireland, BTW.
Like many of you, I have Irish DNA, at least one-quarter. My maternal grandfather was born in the U.S. to Irish immigrant parents. I know very little about the Kelleys, who were adamant that they spelled their name with an “ey,” and for some reason that mattered. My mother always said my grandfather claimed it was better not to look too closely at their ancestors. I’m hoping when he shook his head and said “horse thieves” that was just his Irish wit–which my mother inherited.
An uncle told me that the Kelleys originated in County Cork, and 23andMe shows my DNA has deep roots there, along with County Mayo, a fact I didn’t know when I traveled to Mayo twice to research Whiskey Island and The Parting Glass. I suspect there are more than a few Kelleys left in County Cork, but I’m sure the Irish are tired of sentimental Americans claiming they’re related somehow, somewhere, way, way back… I do know my great-grandmother, Mary Kelley, a widow, ran a boarding house on State Street in Auburn, NY. I found a census online with the names of her boarders. Irish down to their toenails. I hope to visit Auburn this summer to see what I can find.
So other than a few Irish curses and superstitions that my mother kept alive, I know very little about my heritage. But here’s what I do know about the Irish from observation and research.
They are masters of the tall tale: Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and James Joyce. Frank McCourt, Seamus Heaney, Maeve Binchy. Plus so many more novelists and poets whose genius has contributed to the literary canon.The Irish are generous and welcoming. Céad míle fáilte, which you see in so many places, means one-hundred-thousand welcomes. Making strangers and guests feel at home is part of the culture. I’m certain this is behind a quirk we noticed when asking for directions on the Emerald Isle. Everyone tried to help us, whether they knew where to send us or not. Thanks to their generosity of time and spirit we saw lots of their beautiful countryside we were never slated to see.For a country that historically was so steeped in poverty, famine and misery , the Irish emerged from all three with their sharp wit and sense of fun intact. The Irish know how to celebrate. St. Paddy’s Day is a prime example.Corned beef and cabbage? It’s unlikely you’ll find it in Ireland. Corned beef was cheap from Jewish delis in the U.S. urban neighborhoods where the Irish emigrated during and after the famine. (And that’s where we’ll get ours today.) Cabbage was and still is cheap and filling. Allegedly St. Paddy himself was born Maewyn Succat in Britain in the 4th Century and enslaved by Irish slave traders as a young man. After his escape back to England he returned to Ireland to introduce Christianity, which he and his followers did with amazing efficiency. The snakes he drove out of Ireland were probably the Druids.
Wherever we or our families come from, whether we eat our annual plate of corned beef today or raise a Guinness in celebration while we carefully socially distance, let’s be grateful for all the wit and wisdom of Ireland and celebrate the Irish.
For each petal on the shamrock. This brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck and happiness. Today and every day.
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March 13, 2021
Sunday Inspiration: A Marvelous Thing
“What a marvelous thing a book is.
It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts
on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles.
But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person,
maybe someone dead for thousands of years.
Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you.
Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions,
binding together people who never knew each other.
citizens of distant epochs.
Books break the shackles of time.
A book is proof that humans are capable of making magic.
-Carl Sagan, scientist and author
As we commemorate a year of living with the Covid pandemic, and as we grieve for all those we have lost and for the painful loss in our own lives of precious intimacy and relationship, I would like to honor and celebrate the miracle of books that have helped keep me and many others sane during this tragic time.
I would like to thank all of my colleagues who inspire us with their words and stories, giving us courage and hope for our future.
And I thank all of the readers who participate in this wonderfully magic world of words, sharing your support and enthusiasm for this “greatest of human inventions.”
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