Mia Epsilon's Blog, page 2

The Great Debate: To Cliffhang or Not to Cliffhang

 

There was a trend a couple of years ago (and is still seen, though a bit more rarely) where authors (especially new ones, and Indie ones) 'divided' their books into 'parts' that had cliffhanger endings. Readers, for the most part, (including myself) HATED this trend and felt, rightly so, it was a 'ploy' for the author to make money, banking (haha) literally on the fact readers wanted more of the story so would pay...and pay...and pay...

Well...no.

I tended to be...harsh...on authors who wrote cliffhanger-buy-next-book ploys. I felt cheated, and really, really, really (did I mention really?) hated this practice. I felt it was the mark of a less great author to cliffhang a book just to make me, the reader, buy the next. It's beneath a good writer, IMHO, to cliffhang one book to sell another book.

 I wasn't alone, judging from the reviews. To this day, if I see a review on a book that mentions a 'cliffhanger', I won't read or especially buy it.

Then my all-time favorite author wrote a new series, and the first and second books ended on major, stop in the near middle of a sentence, cliffhangers.

I honestly cried when I read the first one. I felt betrayed. I felt appalled. How could she DO this to me, her faithful long-time reader?

Do I still read her books? Yes. 

She's my rule exception for the simple reason I have read her...umm...since the 90s, when she was barely known and just getting her name and talent out in the world. I have read her still going series under her pen name (it's almost 60 books strong now) since the very first paperback in 1995. Because 1. she's the absolute best writer in the universe; 2. she's like a member of my family; and 3. her stories have me caught up enough that I want the next one, even if I have to pay more to get it and wait a year. Bonus: she's also redheaded and Irish, so she's part of my tribe and people, even if I'm sputtering frustratingly mad at her because the character walked into a portal and the book ended.

I'm not a patient person. Any longer.

See, I'm one of those from the generation where we watched Hans Solo get frozen in carbonite and then had to wait THREE WHOLE YEARS to see Luke, Leia, and company rescue and unfreeze him. It wasn't like Harry Potter in the 90s, where the movie stopped and a year later you got the next (and to be fair,  The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, and the Marvel movies, etc. all have used this same ploy). Or you could binge-stream the whole 8 movies in a weekend. We had to wait THREE WHOLE YEARS. I was barely a baby when Hans froze and almost in high school when he unfroze. That is mucho, mucho time, people.

But as I grew older, I grew less patient. Although I must say when we viewed the first Lord of the Rings movie, and it literally just stopped, my ten-year-old son stood up, shook a fist at the screen, and loudly announced, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S THE END??? PUT ON THE REST OF THE MOVIE!"

So I'm not alone. Or it's genetic. Or both.

TV shows were notorious for the May cliffhanger that made viewers wait until the show resumed from Summer break in September to get a resolution (Who Shot JR from Dallas is the prime example)...but I was too young to care, and my parents didn't let me watch Dallas anyway, so I think more of the Bones episode where Tempie went off to discover a lost tribe in the jungle, Angela went to Paris, Booth went to Afghanistan and we all had to wait a couple of months to see them reunite again in DC.

But books...sighs. I don't want to read cliffhanger books. Books are different from visual media. I make my own visual media when I read a book (or at least I do for the good ones) so they are like movies and tv in that way...except I don't get auto access to the next part of a cliffhanger. 

Don't get me wrong. I love series books, where we get 'the next chapter' of a couple's story when that couple has had their main story. I mean, I write these sorts of books. I never cliffhang, but you do see the main characters from book 2 (like Anna and Robin) in book 3. In the new super sweet series I'm writing, some of the main characters have lifelong issues (like PTSD and recovery from abuse) that aren't solved in one book, and pop up for them as now minor characters in other books. Because that's real. That's what happens in real life.

But I don't stop mid-scene.

So the reader me sees this as totally different from just literally stopping a book mid-chapter, or mid-scene and the reader has to wait for the rest. I just can't do it. I can't invest precious time (I'm a teacher, a counselor, an admin, and a writer not counting 'real' life: believe me how precious time is) reading a book, trying to remember everything, while I wait for the next.

The above author is my sole exception. I usually wait for all three books and then read them all I want, cliffhanger or not, because I know the next chapter is literally at my fingertips. My exception to the rule.

So...to cliffhang or not to cliffhang? That is the question... Have an answer? Share it in the comments!

TV Sees the LIGHT!

 I posted on social media how funny I find it some of the very people who ridicule romance books, tropes, and genres are now seeking to profit off those very ideas. 
Case in point: Several television and streaming channels are filming and airing variations on 'The Marriage Pact', where two people make a pact, or agreement, to marry each other if they say, reach the age of thirty and don't find anyone else.
I watched one of these series on Roku called (of course) 'The Marriage Pact'. And wow, it had almost EVERY romance novel trope invented including: (and remember, there are only six couples)
* Older woman-younger man* Best friends turned lovers* One bed/forced together* Opposites attract* Unrequited Love* One night hook up*Childhood friends/sweethearts* Second chance* Parents demand you get married* Need to get married to have kids* Single parent * Brother's best friend* Cheating/Betrayal * Strong religious conflict* Forbidden love* Diversity/Culture differences* Rich successful woman-poor guy* Pregnancy Scare* Long-distance relationship
Please don't get me wrong: I'm not 'downing' this. I find it delightful to see TV FINALLY realizing (besides Hallmark Channel) that romance is a fundamental life foundation that doesn't get the respect it deserves. We need more shows where Love is the central goal and theme, and the real, true life problems and experiences that come with not only finding your love but creating a valid life with him/her.I just wish maybe perhaps the producers of this show I watched (and I don't speak for those I haven't seen) would have actually TALKED to a romance author first. Or better yet, actual couples who went through these tropes (which are, let's face it, based on real-life in the first place) to gain a more realistic perspective for this show. As it is, I can't advocate for anyone to waste 8 hours of their life watching this drivel. 
Here's why:
In the Roku series, six couples have made a 'Marriage Pact' and have 21 days (yes three weeks) to decide if they are going to 'go through' with an actual marriage or 'part ways forever'. They all live in a communal big house, with a suite of rooms for each couple and then several common areas like the pool, kitchen, living room, etc. on the tropical paradise island. There's a 'facilitator' relationship guru (a popular podcast host) who appears in each episode to 'help' the couples in making their decisions.And of course, each couple's room only has one bed. 




Here's what I did NOT like:* One couple doesn't last beyond two episodes. And the reasons why are very clear.* Three weeks? Seriously? Not enough time at all to make a decision affecting the rest of your life!* The couples are all so YOUNG. One of the ladies is 22! I mean come on! 22? And you need a marriage pact because you "can't find" a perfect partner? Another is 27; a few are 30! Um, no way! They are way, way too young * The 'older' women (who are 35 and 43) are constantly referred to as 'older', 'old' 'time running out'(to have kids), etc. It's degrading and demeaning.* The people are, for the most part, poor caricatures of actual people: one man is like a younger frat boy who cheats on a night out; another doesn't lift the toilet seat; another eats the lady's last burrito (yes, this becomes a whole fight and basis for the couple to want to separate); one lady is a total witch, finding nothing but fault in her man; another seems like a complete pushover, blaming herself for, a year after breaking up with her guy, briefly dating his best friend and 'hurting him deeply when he had cheated at least six times on her and had five other girlfriends during that year; one is described as 'extreme high maintenance', etc.* The woman's clothing choices....sighs. I see this in almost all the 'reality' shows. These are supposed to be, for the most part, successful 'professional' women. Do they seriously dress in sports bras and skin-tight shorts to go on dates around town and for a 'professional' meeting? I really can't see this in the real world. And please, if you're going to wear a dress, wear something that isn't a long shirt that reveals everything if you slightly bend over.* The men's clothing choices: All jeans, sweatpants, and the worst pattern shirts you will ever see. This is where ugly Christmas sweaters (imagine the Summer equal) go to die.* The men, for the most part, are shown focused on 'when will we have sex' while the women are focused on 'when will he open up to me and show me his vulnerable side'.* The over-the-top (to me) expression of religious views, esp. the line "the devil comes out after 9:30PM" as a reason to "avoid temptation". This seemed disingenuous to me and could have been more delicately handled rather than being filmed almost as a joke and a way to show how 'extreme' this person's views were. Religion is a touchy subject for many, and while I appreciate the show trying to portray how religion can be either uniting or dividing for a couple, it was so, so extreme it was an immediate turn-off and unbelievable. Someone who truly believed what was shown would never be on a reality show in the first place.* The guy who was a serial cheater, who cheated numerous times while STILL in a relationship, is more or less 'excused' as 'this is what he does' while the lady, who merely dated his friend after they broke up and while she is single, is shown as 'hurting him'. Excuse me a second while I go punch a pillow and regain my composure at this completely 'it's okay for a guy but not for a girl' thing to do. He cheated on her and never owned up to the damage he did (she actually moved away from their hometown, friends, and family to escape the gossip and toxic situation). Add to this: she willingly went back to him, and wanted him as 'my forever partner'.
A couple of things I actually liked:* The man who really wanted children, didn't hide this fact and is paired with a woman who isn't sure (because of her 'advanced 'age of 36) she can have kids. His parents even bring up that they don't want their son to regret or start to resent if he doesn't fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a dad while the couple themselves discuss options: surrogacy, fertility treatments, adoption, etc. This is a very real problem for many couples, and it was handled very well (besides, to me the stress of her 'advanced' age-- that was a grrrrrrrrrrrrrr moment to me each time).* The couples are, for the most part, fairly well-known to each other. These aren't 'strangers' like in some reality shows. They are literally best friends choosing to explore the 'chemistry' of a romantic relationship; a couple who dated in college; life long known to each other through their families and his friendship with her brother; co-workers; and for one couple, they had a one night stand they want to explore more fully.* The tantric exercises were...wow. Very well shown and acted out, and not done just for the sex. This is a valid way for couples to connect, explore, and in some cases, help them with intimacy issues.* The endings were for the most part, true to the couple and made sense. Viewers expect these endings long before they are shown. If you're surprised, you weren't paying attention.
So... I started this as a YAY television is discovering what we readers have long known: Romance sells and sells BIG because it's romance and it became a review. Feel free to agree or disagree and let me know in the comments.

Blessed Samhain/Happy Halloween

 

Blessed Samhain and/or Happy Halloween! On this day, October 31, 2023, two celebrations occur and neither is 'right' or 'wrong'. In our divided world, especially now, it's important we remember this.

To explain...

Ever heard, 'One person's trash is another person's treasure'? Put simply, what someone doesn't value, someone else may. I can look at an empty paper towel roll and see a variety of useful items (like binoculars, a ribbon threader, an electric cord hider, a telescope, a sock holder, a ponytail band organizer, etc). while many see something to throw in the recycle bin.

The same applies to holidays. What some consider a celebration, others may not. Learning to accept all the ways and wonders of the different ways humans choose to celebrate and enjoy holidays is, to me, the highest form of tolerance. After all, doesn't everyone love enjoying a holiday?

Hence, we have Samhain and. Halloween. Like many holidays (some could, and would, argue ALL holidays) both go back a long time into history and have common roots. At their heart, each is a celebration of the end of the time for growing and harvest, a remembrance of those who have passed on, and the start of the 'dark' season, or time when few things grow or flourish (winter), the cold temperatures take over, and the days have less light and more darkness. And there are as many ways to celebrate Samhain and Halloween as there are people who celebrate.

First, Samhain (which literally translates as "Summer's end") is a Celtic origin festival that typically lasts for three days. Many call it 'pagan' as it was around long before Christianity came along. Samhain ushers in and celebrates both death and rebirth, at the end of the harvest and the beginning of the cold, dark season of winter. It is believed the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest at this time, leading to easier communication and tricks/haunts by those who have passed on. Those who celebrated didn't fear the dead; they respected and appreciated them and their wisdom of what lies beyond. Samhain is not a 'dark' holiday: it's a time of joyous celebration, rejoicing in (hopefully) bountiful crops to sustain the village/towns/families through the coming long, cold winter and the giving of food and gifts to those spirits who have passed through the veil from one world to another. 

When Christianity began its rise and spread, the priests and esp. Pope realized local populations would embrace this new religion not through force and bloodshed, but by incorporation. Samhain's honor of the dead became 'All Saint's Day' and 'Day of the Dead', where people honor the dead and also implore them not to play pranks on the living by dressing in costumes to not be recognized and thus avoid the pranks-- and the perhaps not so light-hearted tricks of a vengeful spirit with a grudge-- and giving treats and food.

Second, given all the above knowledge, it's really easy to see how Halloween came to be. Costumes, tricks-or-treats, etc. all have their roots in Samhain celebrations. Like most things, the early celebrations gradually evolved to what we see in mainstream Halloween celebrations now: costumes, kids going door to door yelling, "Trick or treat!" to get candy/treats, parties with ghosts, witches, pumpkins, etc. Halloween is a celebration of all things fun and light, a time to be 'something/someone else', and a way to get lots of free sweet stuff.

And let's face it: The scariest part of Halloween is the fear of death and what may cause our death many humans have. We fear what we don't know, and no one who knows what lies after death is here to really tell us. The idea of what's 'beyond the veil' can be terrifying because it's unknown and many of us do not want to contemplate how we may actually get there! There are real, true 'things that go bump in the night', mean spirits, and scary monsters in our everyday world-- some known all too well to many people, in many, many forms. There may or may not be vampires, but there are fearsome wars, terrorists, and evil.  Terror comes with fear and to cope, we try, at Halloween, to make more light or short-lived of things that scare us most (for example, watching a horror movie)-- or maybe to try to forget, if only for minutes, that real bad things exist in this world-- and we hope do NOT exist beyond the veil.

So however we choose to celebrate this time of the change in seasons, (or choose not to celebrate at all), tolerance of all celebrations should also be included. Blessed Samhain to you and yours and/or Happy Halloween!

Ouick Update...

 IT's HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On what would have been my Granddaddy's birthday, too!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH1KHQTT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ESOTJNQYQB57&keywords=worth+the+wait+kylie+maxwell&qid=1693572891&sprefix=worth+the+wait+kylie+maxwell%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

Cover and Release Date for Worth the Wait!

 I have a shiny new pretty cover for Becky and Chip's book, 'Worth the Wait' AND a RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2023!

This is a story very close to my heart, with a Hero who finally opened up and dictated his story so I could write it. Chip is a lifelong EMT, and used to be the one who fixes everything. Good old dependable Chip. He's been in love with his best friend Becky since the day they met in kindergarten but waited too long to make his feelings known and she moved on. He's dedicated to saving lives but is beginning to realize the toll the career of his heart is taking on his life.  Can Becky help him?

Trigger Warnings for this book include living with PTSD, discussions of mass shootings, medical scenes, and the death of a child.

Here's the gorgeous cover, which captures Chip & Becky perfectly:

He’s loved her their entire lives, even when she married another man. Now she’s the only one who can help him find his way back to the light again. . .

Charles ‘Chip’ Bell has been in love with Becky Grey since he sat next to her in kindergarten. He’s become the ‘fixer’ of the small town of Abbeville, the Head EMT who strives to make everyone better. Now, after almost fifty years, Becky finally seems to see him as more than a friend and has agreed to their first real date. But Chip has been battling against a darkness that is steadily threatening everything and everyone he loves most: his career, the people of his town, and most of all, Becky.

Becky has become accustomed to being independent and living alone since her husband died and her son left Abbeville to pursue a career as a musician. She’s built the small family bakery into a thriving coffee, ice cream, baked goods, and more business with her two partners. Chip has always been her best friend and, besides God, the only other unfailing constant in her life who pulled her back into active living after an unspeakable tragedy spiraled her deep into depression.

Yet it’s Chip who needs her most now when unimagined violence strikes their close-knit community and severely tests everyone’s trust and faith. When Chip breaks, and shows Becky just how close to the edge he is, she must fight not solely to help him and everyone in their town, but to give them a love Worth the Wait.

Just to Keep It All Straight...

 

I had a couple of questions about my books and what belongs to which series, etc. Also, while each book stands alone, it helps to read them in order so you get the characters' stories and some of the more inside jokes and mentions (I try to keep these to a minimum, but often the characters have other ideas!).

So here is a breakdown of the series with books published and planned (there's more still planned than published, but I'm catching up!). Feel free to ask any other questions anytime!

A couple of things:

Each series has its own 'brand': little picture icons that mark each book in that series. I'll post the icon at the beginning so you know each book listed is in that series.

Each series has its own unique color (since that's how I try my best to keep them separate too).

Published books have a ** by their title.

First up...The 'Weddings by C & C' series. Two Golden Rings entwined symbolize the weddings, in some form, featured in each book, usually arranged by Christine and Charlie, who own 'Weddings by C & C' an exclusive, up-and-coming destination wedding planning service.

This is the series that started it all for me, with 'Wedding Belle Blues' (Anna & Robin). Robin actually gave me the ideas, then Christine started planning with me, and...well... boom! A series is born!

       

                       

Weddings by C and C

Join Christine & Charlie (C & C) asthey arrange Destination Hawaii weddings for some very interesting brides andgrooms! You'll find Second Chance, Workplace Romance, Best Friend's Sister,Fangirl Dream Come True, My Best Friend, Grumpy & Sunshine, and SecretBabies!

There's also a bit of a fantasy element (shh, let's not say that too loud: Pele, the Goddess of the Volcano, would NOT take kindly to be called a fantasy, at least not by anyone but Poki!) and plenty of Hawaiian history from the only state that was its own Kingdom before it joined the US!

The settings here vary from Helo, on the Hawaiian Big Island, to Abbeville (more on that) to New York, Australia, New Zealand, and Rome! Big cities, big money & lots of glam & glitz.

And Pele...the Goddess with big secrets who controls volcanic eruptions and the flow of lava-- but has a very soft spot for couples in love & people who show kindness to her 'dog' Poki. (Yes, Poki is much more than he seems!).

Also, a special note: These heroes and heroines, with the exceptions of Anna, Robin, Adam & Emily, (books 2 & 3) are older, (40s & up) and in many cases, established business men and women. So if you like more mature characters already well on their career paths, here they are!

Heat Level: Mild Heat to Steamy (Let's call it PG & PG-13 rating)

Language: Some mild curse words and swearing

Trigger Warnings: (appear at the front of each book, if necessary)


Books:
1. **Take a Chance on Me (Christine & Charlie)

2. **Wedding Belle Blues (Anna & Robin)
3. **If You Want Me (Emily & Adam)
4. **Take on Me (Kirstin & Tom)
5. **Let Me Know (Aly & Harry)
6. Winner Takes it All (Sara & Stewart)
7. Knowing Me, Knowing You (Crystal & Ben)

8. The Hot One (Pele and Poki)

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Next up...the 'spin off' series from 'Weddings by C & C': This small town is modeled on and a combo of the little town where I grew up (that is now a BIG town) and the one where I currently live now. Christine's kids & childhood/young adult friends star in this series, with very sweet, mild themes and a sort of 'Hallmark movie' feel. Its icon is Abby's Oak, which plays a key part in all the Abbeville books.

Abbeville

Come visit Abbeville, a small town in central NorthCarolina, as couples find love helped (or hindered) by a whole cast of zany,fun, nutty, annoying, and loving town citizens! Here we have Family Hates MyMate, Bad Boy, Bad Girl, and Second Chance (mature characters)!

You'll recognize Anna, Robin, Adam, Emily & Monica from their 'Weddings by C & C' series appearances. Abbeville is Christine's hometown & she's Anna & Adam's mom, so their hometown, too! It's small-town goodness, with all the good (and not-so-good) of small towns, with a history dating back to before the US was a nation in the only state in the US that hasn't been completely 'tapped out' for its gold & mineral reserves (NC was the lead gold producer in the world, before the CA gold rush).

If you're looking for sweet, closed-door love scenes, characters just starting on career paths (with the exception of Becky & Chip), and a cast of characters straight from your own childhood days, here they are! There are also some hefty topics here, too: Secret Child, PTSD, spousal abuse, adultery, cancer, and of course, lots & lots of family drama!

I also love my Old Guard & Golden Guy clubs, and I think you will too! These are the older folks we learn from, who meddle and tell us what to do...and have hearts of gold under the gossip and 'just trying to help' attitudes.

There's also a mysterious man who may or may not be an actual Angel and a very large, very friendly dog who seems smarter than many humans!

Heat Level: Sweet, Close-the-Door, Religious/Christian undertones; G rated

Language: No curse words, swearing, or taking the Lord's name in vain

Trigger Warnings: appear at the front of each book, if needed

Books:

1. ***When You Believe (Monica & Daniel)

2.  Worth the Wait (Becky & Chip)-- coming soon!

3. By Faith Alone (Emma & John)

4. Be My Baby (Kassie & Jacob)

5. Stuck on You (Amber & David)

6. Colors & Promises (Marsha & Jamie/Maggie & Phillip)

7. Principal of Schooling (Susan &Abel)

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Next, a series born from visits to REAL ranches in the great state of Texas (it really is FLAT-- to a mountain girl, that was a huge shock, the first time I saw you could see for miles and miles and miles), with some of the hardest working, least appreciated people in this world. These ranchers and farmers are the backbone of our world, struggling to produce meat and food for hundreds of thousands of people, for little profit and are hugely dependent on Mother Nature and the weather year after year.

These are my sexiest, most descriptive books, and I don't hold back from telling the stories these characters tell me in the way and language they dictate! These are hard-living, hard-loving folk make a promise and move heaven and earth to keep it. 

The Parkers of Texas

In the Lone Star State, join a hard-working,hard-loving family as they keep their ranch afloat and find (or refind) love.These cowboys and their ladies have Runaway Brides, Second Chance, Serious& Flighty, Secret Baby, Different Worlds, and Workplace Romance! 

You'll recognize Amelia (Amy) who has an appearance in 'Weddings by C & C' book 4 (she's the Hero's sister) and all the brothers of the heroine from book 4, too, here in stories (and lots of troubles) of their own.

There's history from the only state in the US that has been under SIX different flags (England, Spain, France, Mexico, Texas, & USA)  and was its own country before joining the USA, raising horses and cows, and trying to preserve a way of life fast dying out in trying economical times.

Some serious issues here with domestic violence, spousal & child abuse, serious medical injury, conservation, brief political scenes (NO parties or preaching, I promise!), and therapy horses.

There's also a family of owls led by Huey who have stolen my heart and make an appearance in some way in each book.

Heat level: Very Steamy & Spicy; very descriptive sex scenes; R rated

Language: Coarse, swearing, curse words, slang

Trigger Warnings: at the front of each book, as needed 

 

Books (Best in order, but all are Stand Alone)

1. The Write One (Amelia & John)-- coming soon!

2. Only You (Nora & Wayne)

3. The Stubbornest Man in All of Texas (Carol& Sam)

4. Briefs, Books, & Babies?  (Katie& Elliot)

5. Why Not Me? (Meridith & Rob)

6. Drive Me Crazy (Samantha & Mitch)

7. Flight of Fancy (Elizabeth & Wyatt)

I'll be updating as I finish books and/or as...hmmm...characters change their minds on titles and such. 

HAPPY READING!

Don't Create Stupid Characters!

 When I was a kid, around 5 or 6 years old, my mom used to load a stack of records (okay, youngsters reading this: we had a big box thing, with a stereo, and had to place a pile of vinyl records on it to play music-- as one album finished, the next in the pile dropped down, so the needle could hit it and play) every Friday since it was cleaning day. There was a song called 'Running Bear' (Apologies upfront, as this is not a new century PC-correct song: I think the song is from the '50s or '60s). I didn't like that song because the people were "stupid". 

A stereo, like I grew up with: Radio on the left, records play in the middle and are stored on the right

Here's why I hate that song and said the people are stupid:

In the song, a Hero is on one side of a "raging river" and the heroine is on the other side. They can't get to each other because of the "wide raging river", and overcome with longing one day, the Hero "goes in the water" and the heroine does too and as they meet in the middle, grab hands, and kiss, the "raging river pulled them down" so they were "always together in their happy hunting ground".

Do you see why these people are stupid???

Here's why (using me at 5-6 yrs old as I recall this conversation then):

Me: Why did they drown?

Mom: Because they wanted to be together so badly they risked death.

Me: Well that's dumb. 

Mom: No, it's romantic. They loved each other so much.

Me: It's dumb. They died! Why didn't they just go around the river?

Mom: Because the river was so wide. (also a line from the song)

Me: Well, yeah, THERE, but all they had to do was follow the river until it narrowed or wasn't so raging and crossed it and then they were alive not dead, and together in love.

Mom: It ended in a waterfall. (not in the song, but Mom could improvise with the best, and I was her youngest, so she had had a lot of practice by then)

Me: Then they could turn around and go to the other end. I mean the WHOLE river wasn't big and raging and mean. Even in Little House (my favorite books and series at the time) Pa found a shallow place to cross the river so Ma could drive the horses and they could get across and--

Mom: Well these people couldn't, because it was a big wide river with no way to cross.

Me: Well why not build a bridge or a boat if they were too lazy to follow it to the end? They could build a raft too, I mean even Gilligan tried that on an island, and the ocean is a whole lot bigger than a river so-- (Gilliagan's Island, another show that I never understood WHY they didn't try to find help-- and how they baked all those coconut cream pies with no milk and oven)

Mom (exasperated by me now): You're missing the whole point of the song! That's not what the singer is trying to say. Or why. It's about loving someone so much you give up everything for them.

Me: What is the point then? Love will make you stupid so you die? And why do I hafta give up anything for some boy to love me? I mean, it's not gonna be a great life if we're both dead and can't enjoy it.

Mom: turns on the vacuum to drown me out and sweeps for a long time hoping I forget

(NOT my mom, btw, in the above picture. My mom had dark hair)

See why these are NOT smart characters? Sorry, I detest the whole Romeo-and-Juliette love so much they die for each other bologna in movies and books. You shouldn't have to die to prove you love someone. Unless you are a hostage at gunpoint, and you offer yourself instead of the person you love to be killed, but that's a whole other story.

But here's my point: Characters in books should have a conflict SO wide and raging that it's not easily solved. Don't make them stupid (and yes, I know the point is true love is supposed to conquer all, but since they both drown in the song, obviously it didn't!) Give them reasons not easily solved to be apart...and then show how they conquer those reasons against all odds to be together.

THAT's the sort of song, movie, and story I like. And I write.

For example, in the movie Bram Stroker's 'Dracula' (with W. Ryder & G. Oldman-- the BEST Dracula, btw), his wife gets a vengeful message he has been killed, and unwilling to live without him, she leaps to her death--he then spends lifetimes in vengeance against God trying to find her again and finally gives up his need for revenge against God once he thinks he does, but realizes she has moved on & isn't 'his' anymore, and he can be with his lost wife once again by letting go of his vengeance so he does-- there's lots of other explanations and sub-stories, but that's the jest). 

The Hero, such as Dracula is, dies, but he is finally reunited with his lost love after learning centuries of lessons (and being really evil) and has to work to be redeemed (which some will say he didn't get redeemed: I believe in letting the present day Mina go, he redeems himself, because she was, in every way, to him, his lost love, so he's losing her all over again--until he does release her and ask for death, which he's always avoided, he's evil--asking for death, and for her to kill him, is his way to redemption, and to release Mina).

Le sigh...

So after waiting for Mom to turn off the vacuum and realizing after a while she had no intention of continuing our discussion, I went to my room and decided to re-write the song. I can't find the version I wrote, which would have mostly been pictures for me at that young age, but I've always remembered that when I want to write my own books.

Like this...

In the song I would write about a raging river separating the characters, I'd add about the hard work of building a raft or a bridge. Poor heroine broke her saw and couldn't find another. How can she make a raft or a bridge if she can't cut the trees? And please do NOT have her just sit by the river, day after day "blowing kisses 'cross the waves" (yes, a line from the song) to the hero and waiting for the big strong man to rescue her. She needs to actively WANT and WORK toward finding a way across that raging river.

And the poor Hero...as he's walking to find a better spot to cross on the river...he's attacked by bears and then nursed back to health by a medicine woman who doesn't want him to leave (shades of 'Misery' anyone?). OR a neighboring group of people captures him and he has to do booms for them to release him so he can find the heroine again. (Like in 'The Last of the Mohicans').

Now THERE's a movie: omg...It was also filmed near where I live, so that's an added bonus for me.

(SPOILERS>>>DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T AND WANT TO WATCH THE MOVIE). 

You have poor Daniel Day-Lewis trying desperately to save Cora from a vengeful warrior who has killed her father and now takes her for 'judgment' and the judge's decision is to kill her so Daniel, after trying so, so hard to track and save her, including getting tortured by the people who have Cora hostage, offers himself for her and then goes after the warrior who has taken her sister, and loses his beloved brother in the process..there's much, much more to this story (including some very graphic violence) but that is the heart of the love story. And when he tells her: "No matter what, you submit, you do whatever they tell you and you stay alive. I WILL find you! I will come for you! No matter how long or how far, You stay alive and I will find you." (paraphrased)

Stay alive! I will find you.

Okay, safe now. Read this paragraph:

For that matter... make this the heroine! She is captured or has to evade the evil tribe of bandits. She helps build the raft or the bridge. She finds the shallow part of the river, swims across, and has to rescue HIM from the villains.

 SPOILERS AGAIN!!!!

In the above movie, Cora is no shrinking violet who waits for him to find her. She leaves him signs so he can track where the warrior bad guy (and man, he is a mega bad guy!) is taking her...she pleads with her father for Daniel's release...she follows him when he says, Come with me...and fights to stay alive and keep her sister alive, losing her whole family in the process, and her whole way of life).

(Okay read now )

See where I'm going? That's a MUCH better way to show true love conquers all. So make your characters FIGHT and be strong. 

For the book I'm writing now...Becky and Chip are lifelong friends who have (in her case) finally decided there might be more than friendship between them. But Chip is fighting some very, very dark and heavy demons in the form of severe PTSD and Becky needs to learn how to deal with less than 'fairy-tale' life. This is a couple I root for, having lived through much of their situation, and also, a more mature than my usual twenty and thirty-somethings (even more than my forty-something ones in Harry & Alyssa and Charlie & Christine). Stay tuned to find out when you can see how Chip & Becky write their own happily-ever-after in the actual real world.

And if you think any of my characters are "stupid" please let me know so I can update them. :)

If you want to hear the song, it can be found here: Again, it's not PC and was a big hit in 1959, so please consider that was another time, place, and generation.

https://youtu.be/1PfrpcqLyzY

Loss is More than Losing...A very dear, beloved Friend o...

 Loss is More than Losing...

A very dear, beloved Friend of mine is dying from pancreatic cancer. This is one of the more deadly forms of cancer because it can't be detected usually until it has spread and taken over so much of the organ and body it's almost impossible to stop.

Patrick Swayze, of Dirty Dancing fame, fought this disease like a champion and still succumbed within two years.

So I've been spending all the time we can with my Friend. He's more than a friend, as some of you may have guessed. He's my heart, and soul, and one of the absolutely genuinely 'good guys' who still believes in opening doors for a lady, in saying 'Thank you' to everyone, and in being nice until it's time to not be nice.

I'm not handling this well. Not at all.

He's had four surgeries in a month, and doctors want to start Him on chemo in a couple of weeks. He's too weak right now, because of the surgeries and just trying to survive. He's in incredible pain. He's lost 39 pounds in two weeks. He doesn't look anything like himself.

I'm losing Him a piece at a time, and it's breaking me.

And yes, I'm selfish for thinking of 'my' pain and 'my' loss when He's losing his life. Death is the most cruel of all things in the universe, not because it takes someone away from you, but because it leaves you behind. That's the cruelest part. Being left behind.

And I don't want to be. I don't want to be on an earth without Him. I don't want to wake up and know He's not looking at the same sun, or sky, or moon, or stars I am. I don't want to be left behind. I don't want to be here. I want to go, too. I want to be where He is. I want to take His cancer. I want it to take me and leave Him so He can finish all the projects and things He has started, all the things He still wants to do. One day, He won't be here any longer.

That day is coming. Too soon. Too fast. So I'm spending all the time we can, to make those precious memories we can, so I will one day have a reason to want to be on this earth, in this place, without Him.

Loss is so, so much more than losing.

First Responders...and PTSD

 TW: Vivid descriptions below of trauma & human suffering...mental health...and illness.

I'm working on the next 'Abbeville' series book...It's called 'Worth the Wait' and its stars (besides, of course, the indomitable Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Edney, who will tell you (and everyone else) they are the stars of everything Abbeville) are Becky and Chip.

Those of you familiar with Abbeville and Monica & Daniel's story from 'When You Believe' will remember Becky the Baker who becomes Monica's Black Bear partner and EMT Chip who helps save Jamie Manning's life. This is a story close to my heart, as I grew up in a First Responders family & Chip is based on a very, very close and loved person in my life, and his struggles are very, very real-- and very misunderstood.

Let me explain...

Chip is a first responder EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) but also much more: His entire life has been centered around helping people, seeing them at their worst, and doing his best to comfort and heal in almost impossible situations. We take for granted our First Responders, just as we took for granted our 'Essential Workers' before (and I'd argue, even after) the all too recent Covid 19 pandemic. Yet they are always there when we need them the most: when we're in an accident, a fire, have a medical emergency. When there's a fair or a festival or parade, we see their trucks and know they're near if we feel faint from the heat or fall and bloody a knee. 

But do we ever really consider what they do?

They see the worst: things we can't begin to imagine. They see what happens when a teenager takes a curve of the road too fast and the car hits a tree. They see what happens when someone decides to take their anger and frustration out on another person. They see the aftermath of the all too common mass shootings. They see all the things we hope and pray we never, ever have to see.

Every day. And they still continue to do their job.

There's a saying, in firefighter families, "When others run away from the fire, we run into it". When others pray not to see how utterly fragile every human body is, EMTs have to fight to keep them alive until the doctors and nurses can try to fix them. They are always on duty, even when not at the station or on the ambulances, because being a Healer, a First Responder, is who they are.

Is it any wonder an estimated 30 % (1 in 3) of all First Responders have PTSD?

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is commonly associated with military personnel, and rightly so. We don't, as a society, talk about this very often. We want to think only the military have this condition. But anyone who suffers a trauma will suffer from PTSD. People in storms. People in wars. People in fights.

First Responders have to put aside their feelings to do their jobs. It sounds and can seem cold. They are clinically doing their job, not being emotional, and not showing horror or fear. Because that's the job. Maybe as much, often more, than tending to wounds and hurts and broken parts, their job is to remain clinical so they can do what has to be done, what most of us can't.

When we dream about being hurt, about being in a hurricane or tornado, or being shot, or having a heart attack, or someone shooting at us, or a car accident, we call it a nightmare. PTSD is a nightmare when you can't wake up that happens when you don't expect it. It takes a strong, strong person to see what First Responders see and still return to the job.

I'm not that strong.

I'm from a family of First Responders from way, way back in the line (at least twelve generations). I've seen my immediate family's PTSD. Maybe no one called it that, but it was. I've seen my father cry from remembrance dreams where he relives what he's seen, what he's done to try to help, to heal. I've held my husband when he's woken in a cold sweat or when he's gone into a cold sweat when I cut my hand badly. Not because he faints at the sight of blood, but because he was reliving a scene where the lady wasn't able to be saved after her boyfriend took his anger out on her and their two-year-old.

If you are experiencing PTSD, please contact your doctor or speak to someone you love and trust. No one needs to suffer alone. Help is always there if you just reach for it.

Chip is suffering from PTSD and refuses to admit it. He's about to break, in a very hard, very bad, way. He needs help. But for someone who is so used to giving, not receiving, he's not going to easily accept or admit what he needs the most.

Becky the baker is a solid part of Abbeville who's been on her own for a long time. She's also been Chip's friend since they were in kindergarten. When she sees him, really, truly sees him, and what he needs most, she's going to try to move the grass and skies above to get him what he needs.  Because somewhere in all these years as friends... she now realizes Chip is much, much more.

You get to meet some new-to-readers Abbeville folk: Chip's partner Maury & wife Olivia... nurse Sherrie...Linda, assistant baker... and many more.

Readers also get to see updates on familiar Abbeville folks...have Anna & Robin become parents yet? How's Jamie after his near-fatal attack and have his warring daughters Emily & Kassie finally made a lasting peace? Are newlyweds Monica & Daniel still in wedded bliss? What new schemes have Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Edney devised to keep the whole town on its toes?

And Eliza-Bear gains a very close, very needed friend.

It's been a journey writing Becky & Chip's story, in the quiet way Chip finally opened up to me and in the rather rambling way Becky talked to me in bread, cake, and pie metaphors. These two are not to be missed!

Welcome to Abbyville...First up...Meet Monica & Dani...

 Welcome to Abbyville...First up...Meet Monica & Daniel...and rejoin a few familiar faces!

Nature or Nurture? For Daniel, who has no family or past, and Monica, who can trace her family tree generations, they must answer not only what ‘belonging’ means, but what makes us the person we are.

Once lost in the foster care system, Daniel sets out on his own at the tender age of fourteen. Until he meets Monica, he never cared who abandoned him as an infant or why. Monica’s strong family roots (and her disapproving father) urge Daniel to trace his ancestry so they can begin the life they’ve always wanted. But will they survive when Daniel’s search uncovers a shocking heritage that rocks Abbeville’s foundations and leads to a mind-numbing betrayal?

Monica has lived in the small town of Abbeville her whole life. Yet life in Abbeville is experiencing progress that may not bode the best for its citizens. She dreams of owning the coffee shop where she's worked since a teen but needs financial help to make the dream real. And then there's Daniel, the man who owns her heart and yet divides her from her beloved family. Which changes are good and which are not?

In addition, citizens experience ‘miracles’ around the stranger Michael. He seems to know everything about everyone and can see into your soul when he looks at you. How does he fit in Daniel’s search? Is he a threat to Monica and Daniel, and more, to all of Abbeville? If they can’t uncover who—or what—Michael is and come to terms with Daniel’s heritage, Daniel will be alone forever and the town of Abbeville may cease to exist.

https://www.amazon.com/When-You-Believe-Kylie-Maxwell-ebook/dp/B0BP8C3S73/ref=sr_1_4?crid=14OR64S29OAE7&keywords=when+you+believe&qid=1676691734&s=digital-text&sprefix=when+you+believe%2Cdigital-text%2C115&sr=1-4