Emilie Richards's Blog, page 26

Sunday Inspiration: The Opposite of Love

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

― Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was a survivor of the Holocaust and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, so I would say he was an expert on how to save our planet. Indifference, he said, is the cause of injustice and violence.

Indifference at this time in our history is especially dangerous, and that’s why I encourage you to vote in the upcoming election — if you haven’t already (Proman and I voted by mail two weeks ago). The opposite of indifference is to care, to be involved, to make your voice known, and as insignificant as voting may seem, it’s one of the most significant, caring, and transformative actions you can take.

Make a difference in our world and in your life.

Vote.

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What Makes A Good Cover? What Makes Us Pick Up a Book?

I don’t know about you, but after months of quarantine, I’m finding it hard to find anything to say.

These days our house is much quieter than usual. Proman and I have little new to share because we’re together all the time. No exciting pickle ball games to recount, no lunches or Mah Jongg games with friends to discuss, no trips in our future to plan for.

Of course I know that if that is all I have to complain about, I am supremely lucky. I feel that, too. Still, it does make coming up with something to say on the blog rather difficult.

Last week I came up with…nada. This week I thought you might like to share my latest venture.

I’ve told you about the reissues for this fall, two so far with one more, Fugitive, available for pre-order now. While I wrote forty romances at the beginning of my career and five novellas, not all of them will see the light of day again. I’m reissuing the stories that are enough like my mainstream women’s fiction to still interest my enthusiastic readers. I thought the Homecoming series held up well enough to be on sale again. There are others, too, which you’ll find on my book pages.

While reading Fugitive I realized–almost belatedly–that a character in the story was actually the hero in another book. That made choosing the next books to reissue easy. Desert Shadows, and it’s sequel Twilight Shadows, were the two books I needed to put on sale next. I’m delighted to say they’ll be out next year.

Reissuing a book is an interesting but time consuming process. For me, it goes like this:

Choose the book I want to reissue
Have the book scanned so that I–and sometimes another professional–can edit it. Since all my books were written on a computer, why is this necessary? Because word processing systems change as years pass. While I still had the books on giant floppy disks, I had no way to read them. For some of my books I had even used word processors that no longer exist. Scanning the pages of an actual paperback using specialized equipment is the simplest way to get a manuscript to work with.
Edit the book. When a book is scanned, mistakes occur. It’s my job to make sure o’s weren’t scanned as c’s, for instance. Above I mentioned “another professional.” While every one of my books was edited several times when it was originally published, for some of the older books, substantial changes were needed for this next go-round. When that’s true, I use an outside editor in conjunction with my own edits.
Designing a new cover with a professional designer.

The covers for Palm Springs Confidential (the Shadows books I mentioned) are all done now. Once I complete the editing, they’ll be ready to republish. For now, though, and because my cover artist is so good, it’s hard to get on her schedule, my next job is to help her design two more covers next week.

So here’s the fun (?) part. We’ve created a look for all my reissues. If you look at my book page–scroll down to ebook Classics–you’ll note that each one has a ribbon ending in a little heart across the top third of the book. The ribbon says “USA Today Bestselling Author” and the heart has “Classics” inside it. While the covers are all different, the ribbon is the same, a clue to readers that they’re looking at one of my reissued romances.

Up next week are covers for From A Distance and Somewhere Out There. From a Distance was one of two books for which I received a highly coveted five stars in Romantic Times Magazine. Melinda Helfer, the reviewer, was enthralled by the story. Both books were a real flight of imagination for me. This time around I’m calling the series Beyond the Stars.

That leads right into why designing the covers will be interesting.

Both books are built around a UFO sighting.

Having said that, and now that you’re over the shock, I’ll add that these are not science fiction. The stories are romances that deal with things we understand and things we don’t, things we agree on and things we don’t, what makes a good marriage, a good relationship, about trust and loyalty and letting down our barriers.

Great, huh, but how do I communicate all those things on the covers? The two covers pictured at the top are the originals for From A Distance which was reissued in early 2000 by my publisher. You can see how hard the cover artist worked to give readers the sense that these romances had a bit more going on, something a little paranormal, perhaps, but they were still  solid romances with the same issues and themes they loved.

Simple, huh?

Next week, Karri and I will explore how to do that, too. I want my readers, even the ones who think they don’t like anything “out of this world,” to give the books a chance, because I think they’ll be happy they did. On the other hand I don’t want to pretend the stories aren’t a little unusual.

Now you understand the challenge, one I never fully appreciated when other people had control of my covers. Designing covers is hard work.

For the record? This past week I also saw the new cover for The House Guests, coming out in June 2021 by Mira Books. I’d seen a mockup, made suggestions for what I thought were improvements, and they listened. I absolutely love what they came up with and the changes they made. I’m not sure I can share it yet, but stay tuned for a cover reveal as soon as I’m able.

Meantime, do you have thoughts on how to convey a sense of something “Beyond The Stars” on these two covers without making them look like Star Trek spinoffs? Have fun with the idea and let me know.

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Sunday Inspiration: Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!

“Love, like everything else in life, should be a discovery, an adventure, and like most adventures, you don’t know you’re having one until you’re right in the middle of it.”

― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly,

To celebrate tomorrow’s holiday (known by some as  Columbus Day and by others as Indigenous Peoples Day) I chose a quote about a different kind of adventure, the discovery of love.

Ancient maps used to have these words printed where no one had returned from an adventure: “Beyond Here There Be Dragons.” Perhaps those words should be engraved in our hearts whenever we enter into a new relationship, rather a romantic one or with family or friends. Relationships are brimming with danger: the threat to our ego, the risk of reaching out, the torment of loss.

Wouldn’t you find life without the adventure of love to be shallow and sad? Though the risks are many and the pain unavoidable, the discovery of love in our lives, in every nook and cranny of our existence, breathes purpose into our days and joy into our moments.

Let’s never fear to sail into the unknown, which is the only place the discovery of love can be found.

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Sunday Inspiration: About Writing…And Life

“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”

― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

Annie Dillard, a well-known naturalist and author, also has many insights about the skill of writing itself. She reminds us of the necessity of writing with passion and purpose — not waiting and not holding anything back — jumping in with both feet and no fear.

I hear in these words not only advice for writing but for living. In these days when it’s so easy to hold back because of our enforced limitations and fear of moving about in the world, I do not want to give up on living life fully — and safely, with the help of science and logic. Adorned in masks, hand sanitizer at the ready, and keeping our distance, there may still be ways we can jump into a fuller, happier existence while we wait for better times. We have to watch for opportunities. We have to be willing to “spend it all” right now.

For me, writing is my passion and purpose, as are my family and friends, and I will strive not to hold back one ounce of love.

Are we willing to take the plunge?

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The Way Back Home

Book Two of my Homecoming Series is now available.

I’m delighted to say that The Way Back Home, book two of my homecoming series, is now available for purchase. You’ll find it at all your favorite online bookstores as an eBook, plus the print version at Amazon. That link takes you to my webpage to learn more, read an excerpt and find links to the book at your favorite bookstores.

The Way Back Home is one of my classic romances, published before I began to write mainstream fiction, but it has many of the same elements of books I write today. When I wrote Runaway, the prequel, I didn’t immediately intend to continue the story. I talk more about that here, but my intention was to highlight the toll that searching for a child who is missing takes on a family and on the child or teenager. But not far into Runaway, I realized the book cried out for a sequel.

So here it is.

There’s one more book in the series. Fugitive will be released on November 1st, featuring another character introduced in Runaway.

While editing Fugitive I remembered that a character from THAT book also became one of the main characters in another! Clearly I’m very suggestable, or else my characters are very pushy. Whichever it is, watch for Desert Shadows to be reissued next year. I already have the cover, which is gorgeous. And Desert Shadows will be followed by Twilight Shadows, another sequel. I do believe that’s the end of the chain.

How fun that one idea, that came to me when I was feverish with the flu, ended up spawning five books. Stories are like that, aren’t they?

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Sunday Inspiration: Asking Forgiveness

A Prayer for Yom Kippur

To those I may have wronged
I ask forgiveness.
To this I may have helped,
I wish I could have done more.
To those I neglected to help
I ask for understanding.
To those who helped me
I thank you with all my Heart.
-G’mar Hatimah Tovah

Today’s quote is in honor of the Yom Kippur which is being celebrated by Jews around the world beginning this evening and ending tomorrow evening. This is also a time to reflect on those whom we have hurt or harmed during the past year and to seek forgiveness.

Not your faith or tradition? Don’t worry. This is a worthy practice for people of all religions and one of my favorite religious messages.

Who do we need to forgive? What past hurts and insults do we need to release? Let it go. If we can’t, why not? Are we better, happier, healthier for holding our painful past so close? Here’s some tips on how to apologize.

My thanks to one of the world’s great religions for this welcome reminder.

 

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What Have I Learned About Myself Right Now?

Have you heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?

Many of you have both heard about this personality inventory that helps individuals learn where they fit in the psychological types described by Carl Jung. If you go to the link I just provided you’ll get a great overview. There are sixteen personality types, and unlike some other assessing tools, there are no good or bad types. In fact when Proman and I took the test and learned in what ways we were similar as well as different, suddenly many mysteries in our relationship were explained. All without rancor or judgment.

Sixteen personality types or four? 

Instead of breaking the test into sixteen personality types, some psychologists and writers have condensed them into four basic archetypes. For people, like me, whose assessment has an N (intuition or a preference to interpret and add meaning) and F (looking at people and their special circumstances instead of relying completely on facts and logic) finding meaning in everyday occurrences and events is crucial. No surprise many NFs are writers, clerics, and social workers.

Of course there are degrees in every category. Proman and I are absolute opposites in the “structure” category. I want closure quickly and closure makes him unhappy. No surprise that until we understood this was simply a difference between us, neither good nor bad, he thought I was judgmental and I thought he was wishy-washy. (Not that either of this would have put it quite that way.) In another category, though, I’m an introvert and he’s an extrovert. For that type, both of us are moderate. He’s more likely to want to go to parties than I am, but not by a lot.

I find the Myers-Briggs valuable for more than just my marriage.

I’ve used the Myers-Briggs throughout my career. I’ve figured out where my characters are on the inventory and what they might do because of it. I’ve looked at what kind of readers probably like what kind of books–not always mine, by a long shot if they value a thrill a minute. And I’ve even used it to figure out publishing professionals I come in contact with. It’s a great tool. I recommend you check it out. This is a perfect time in history to understand yourself a little better.

So what have I learned about myself right now?

One of the questions NFs tend to ask themselves is “What have I learned from this?” Remember we want to find meaning in everything. I’ve been asking myself that question a lot since quarantine began. Not because I want to pretend the pandemic is really a good thing. It’s not. Not because I have to have a happy ending. I don’t. I’ve been asking because it’s clear that quarantine is not almost over with, no matter what politicians running for office are pretending. So while we’re hunkered down, we might as well learn a few things. Not just Spanish and sourdough–both I’m enjoying immensely–but what I’ve learned from this moment in history.

I’ll point out that some of the things I’ve learned about our world frighten me. But let’s not go there. Let’s talk on a personal level.

My conclusions so far.

My personal revelation is anything but earth shaking to anyone but me. I’ve learned how busy my life was and how it took an act of Mother Nature to make me slow down and start breathing slowly and naturally. After many years of raising four children, pursuing a career, being the wife of a minister and moving from state to state repeatedly, I had learned to run at top speed through every obstacle and along every road that presented itself. Now, unable to do that, I find I don’t miss all the events and appointments.

This is my first big revelation, and now I’m dissecting what I do miss and hope to regain once restrictions are lifted. Do I really need to attend this and this? Can I filter out the things I haven’t missed a bit?

Conversely I’ve learned that what really does matter are the people in my life, many of whom I’ve neglected because I’ve been so “busy.” How can I change that in the future? How can I make sure the “Covid-Affect” doesn’t disappear and I go back to racing harder through life?

Now what about you?

Now it’s your turn (no matter what personality type you are) to tell us what you’ve learned. Ask yourself, what have I learned about myself through this ordeal? Not about other people, but about yourself. What have your discovered about who you are and how you want to change–or not? Have you considered it already? Or is this an intriguing new idea?

Let us know.

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Sunday Inspiration: Everybody Is a Story

“Everybody is a story. When I was a child, people sat around kitchen tables and told their stories. We don’t do that so much anymore. Sitting around the table telling stories is not just a way of passing time. It is the way the wisdom gets passed along. The stuff that helps us to live a life worth remembering.”  Rachel Naomi Remen 

This is why I love to write, because I do believe with all of my heart that everybody is and has a story, and that the way these stories weave together is transforming.

During these days of pandemic it may be more difficult to find ways to share our stories with those we love, but it’s critical we do so. Whether we share by Zooming or email or phone calls or writing our own memoirs (we have the time now, so why not?) we can’t afford to let our stories fade and die. They are far too precious.

Let’s keep our stories alive in every way we can, and weave them together. We have never needed wisdom more than now. Let’s generate all we can.

 

 

 

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Cliffhangers and Wallbangers, Which is It?

I’m working on reviewing my copy edits for The House Guests–formerly titled Lies and Other Mercies. In addition I’m writing a novella for a collection I hope to publish in early 2021. So let me quickly share a conversation we’re having at Read Along With Emilie Richards.

We’ve been talking about books that end with cliffhangers. I know you’ve read a few. There you are, reading away, and suddenly the book is finished, but you STILL don’t know how it ended. The book is over but the story is not. The characters are figuratively hanging from a cliff, and the author is hoping that you will buy the next book to see if they drop or manage to crawl back up to safer ledge.

Runaway, which I reissued on September 1st, has a cliffhanger. Since the book is romantic suspense, there are two major elements to the story. The first and most important in a romance is the relationship itself. Will it end happily? Will the couple work through whatever has separated them and move forward together? The second is the suspense element. Have one or both of the characters in love solved a mystery, unearthed a bad guy, moved forward from darkness to light?

Runaway was written to showcase the problems of runaway teenagers on our streets. The ending wasn’t meant to promote the sale of a second book or a long series of books to finally get an answer to the story of one teenager who is central to the novel. But when I finished it I knew I had to resolve the cliffhanger. My readers wanted to know: What happens next?

I felt comfortable leaving that question unanswered because the other important question, would the characters find love and long term happiness together, was resolved. But I didn’t leave it unanswered for long. The suspense is resolved in the second book, The Way Back Home, which comes out in two weeks.

We’ve had really interesting responses to the question “How do you feel about cliffhangers?” Some people hate them. Others like them if there’s not a lot of time between books. Waiting a year to find what will happen is unacceptable to them–me, too. Continuing characters are fine with some readers, but not unresolved story lines. Some readers will buy all the books and only read them once they have each one.

Series came up, too. I’ve heard a rumor that publishers are more enthusiastic about publishing single title novels these days than series. I’ve told you before that both the Shenandoah Album series and the Goddess Anonymous series were ended by my publisher before I provided what I considered a satisfactory conclusion to both. I was asked to write single titles from that point on, but I know from your email, that many of you wish both series had continued.

So what are your thoughts? Do you like series or single titles? Are you upset with cliffhangers, but not upset if the next book is available to find out what happens?

We’d love to hear from you. Meantime I watched an episode of Season Two of Endeavour last night. If you love Inspector Morse on PBS, Endeavour is the young Morse, just beginning his career. They story is set in Oxford, one of our favorite places in the world. Last night’s episode almost defined cliffhangers, ending with a very major one. And it was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t change a moment.

However, I know I can watch the follow-up because I can find it on Netflix. That helped.

We’re open to opinions here. Tell us what you think.

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Happy Grandparents Day

“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” — Author Alex Haley (Roots)

Happy Grandparents Day to everyone who has grandchildren, to those who had grandparents in their lives, and to everyone who has mentored a small child with the love of a grandparent, whether there are blood ties or heartstrings.

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