Jamie Beck's Blog, page 4

What excites me…

…is trying to come up with new twists on favorite romance tropes so the reader isn’t getting a story he or she feels like they’ve already read a dozen times before.

Today is the launch of my new series, the Sanctuary Sound novels. This series revolves around three women who reconnect in their sleepy hometown to repair broken bonds and make peace with the past as they each wrestle with the uncertainty of the future. I’ve introduced a couple of interesting story topics in these books in addition to the friendship rift, including divorce and single-parenthood, traumatic memory loss, a type of PTSD agoraphobia, and breast cancer, and then weaved these issues around three really terrific love stories.

One of my favorite things about writing is doing the research. People are so willing to share their expertise, and because these books deal with the varying psychology of trauma, the articles and books I found were extremely interesting (I’m a closet pop-psychologist!).

In THE MEMORY OF YOU, Steffi Lockwood returns to Sanctuary Sound to start over after an assault, having no idea she’ll also get a second chance with her first love, Ryan Quinn, a newly divorced single dad. I adore the relationship between Ryan and his daughter, and the slow, tender way he and Steffi find their way back to each other. I sincerely hope you will, too.

I’m donating 10% of the release-week proceeds to RAINN, so if you’re in a philanthropic mood, pick it up soon!

xo-

Jamie

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Friendship, Trauma, and Happy Ever Afters

Next month I launch the Sanctuary Sound novels, a heartwarming series flush with romance, hope, and the unbreakable spirit of true friendship. It centers on three women who were the best of friends…until life made other plans. Now in their thirties, Steffi, Claire, and Peyton reconnect in their sleepy seaside hometown to repair broken bonds and make peace with the past as they each wrestle with the uncertainty of the future.

As the book’s preface describes, the idea for this series came about after watching the news following the devastating explosion at a concert in England. That event got me to thinking about how different people process trauma, which ultimately led to exploring how the heroines in this series confront and move past their ordeals.

The first book, THE MEMORY OF YOU, is also a first love, second-chances love story. While its heroine, Steffi, did suffer a sexual assault months before the story opens, I don’t dive deep into the gritty details, but rather focus on how it affected her memory and now affects her burgeoning relationship with the hero. Steffi is also in the middle of a major friendship rift between her besties, so she’s got a lot on her plate.

Because the series arc follows the ups and downs of lifelong friendships, I’ve dedicated the first book to one of my oldest friends, Joanna (pictured here with me, circa 1982). There is something special about a nearly forty-year-long friendship. She and I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh and, throughout the course of our lives, only went through one rough patch in our twenties, the details of which are inconsequential. Miraculously, we both ended up in the same small town in Connecticut in our young thirties and live less than a mile apart. We’ve got two kids in the same grade, and are still extremely close friends. That is a roundabout way of saying that I’ve lived long enough to know the value of a true friend, and this and other longstanding friendships provided the foundation for creating the Lilac Lane League (the name the series’ triumvirate gave itself in middle school).

I hope readers will walk away from this book and series with the belief that love and friendship, when coupled with compassion and forgiveness, can overcome everything.

 

Xo-Jamie

PS  If you’re interested in preordering the book, click here. Here’s the blurb:

Stefanie Lockwood can repair anything, except her heart—that’s still recovering.

Steffi Lockwood has survived more than most. Now left with puzzling memory lapses following an assault, she returns to her coastal Connecticut hometown to rebuild her life the best way she knows how: with her hands. But starting a remodeling business with one longtime friend puts her in the middle of a rift with another. Worse, being hired by her ex-boyfriend’s mother forces her to confront old regrets.

Public defender Ryan Quinn wasn’t shocked when his wife left him, but he was floored when she abandoned their daughter. With his finances up in the air, the newly single dad returns to his childhood home in Sanctuary Sound. The last person he expects, or wants, to see working on his family house is Steffi Lockwood—his first love who shattered his heart.

Although Steffi and Ryan are different people now, dormant feelings rekindle. But when Ryan’s concern for Steffi’s mental health prompts him to dig into her past for answers, will what he learns bring them together or tear them apart for good?

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Updates and Giveaways!

It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted a blog. I apologize for the neglect. All I can say is that this has been an extremely busy spring in the Beck household. Between my deadlines, my Romance Writers of America board service, and college visits for my high school junior, I’m one obligation shy of a nervous breakdown.

While we’re talking about my calendar, here are a few local events where I’ll be speaking/reading. I’d love to meet you, so if you can squeeze one in, please do!

Sunday, April 29th, 4 p.m.   Katonah Village Library (Katonah, NY) with authors K.M. Jackson, Maya Rodale, and Tara Leigh.
Thursday, May 3rd, 7 p.m. Sprouting Spaces, Wilton River Park Shopping Center, Wilton, CT, for a fun cocktail party/art opening, with poetry and literature readings by authors Tara Leigh, Wendy Walker, and Mike Rosen.
Thursday, May 10th, 7 p.m. Darien Library, Darien CT, with author Dee Davis, to talk about going from manuscript to published book.

Also, if you like romantic women’s fiction, click HERE for a chance to win a Kindle and 15 free books. The contest ends on Monday, so don’t delay!

Finally, I’m excited about my two upcoming releases. In late June, I bring the Cabot series to an end with WHEN YOU KNEW. For those who’ve read the first two books about the dysfunctional Cabot family, you know Gentry as the immature half-sib with a chip on her shoulder. Her hero, an humanitarian EMT, sounds like the perfect guy, but he’s got his issues. This isn’t a story where the good guy changes the bad girl. In fact, it might be a bit of the opposite, and we mustn’t forget about the baby daddy, either.

In October, I’ll be launching a new series, set in a fictional coastal Connecticut town called Sanctuary Sound. The series revolves around three high school friends who’ve all come home to start over after various traumas affect their lives. The first book, THE MEMORY OF YOU, is a story I’m really proud of. Unfortunately, I don’t have a cover or promotional copy to share yet as my publisher is still finalizing those details. Soon, though! Very soon.

That’s all from my little corner of the world. Thanks for reading!

xo-

Jamie

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Win 35 Romantic Women’s Fiction Books and an Ereader!

I see it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Suffice to say, it’s been a crazy few months. I’ve got three books coming out this year, so I’m caught in an endless stream of deadlines, workshops, and RWA board obligations while trying to raise two teens! I hope your year is off to an excellent start. It’s hard to believe spring (and daylight savings) is just around the corner.

I’m popping in now with a short and sweet post to give you a chance to win 35 romantic women’s fiction novels and an Ereader courtesy of a bunch of authors and Booksweeps.  To enter the contest, just follow this link. The contest ends on March 12th.

Good luck, and happy reading!

XO-Jamie

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Starting the New Year with a Goodreads Giveaway!

I’ve been away from the blog since Thanksgiving. It’s been a very busy holiday season here at the Beck house. We got ourselves a new puppy–Big Mo–whose been taking up a lot of my time. He’s a “Zuchon” (part Shih Tzu, part Bichon Frise) and adorable! We also enjoyed a white Christmas in Vermont with subzero temperatures. That weather kept up even in Connecticut, where I’ve been drinking plenty of hot chocolate to keep warm.

But not even the freezing weather can keep me from embracing 2018. My word for the year is “balance” and I hope to achieve that through discipline. I bought myself a cheap, old-fashioned planner to map out my schedule and to-do list. I’m trying to exercise. Still working on that healthy eating (the holiday sweets overload has thrown me). But nine days in and I’d say I’m doing a B+ job of finding balance in my life.

On top of all of that, I’m thrilled about the three book releases I have planned for this year. The first, ALL WE KNEW, is coming out at the end of this month. Here’s a short teaser:

So far his plan to rekindle the spark that had thrown them together hadn’t been working out as he’d hoped. Rather than concede defeat, he shifted the conversation. “Did you notice the benches outside Doe?”

     “I did. A nice addition, actually.”

     “I’m glad you approve, because we donated them.” He stared at her, hoping for her wide smile to emerge. The expansive, joyful smile that always filled him with heat and happiness.

     “We did?” She chuckled with exasperation. “I don’t recall discussing it or writing a check. Maybe I’ve got Alzheimer’s on top of everything else.”

     He pulled her to him and kissed her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. “You know why I did it?”

     She shook her head against his chest. He eased his hold and looked directly into those intelligent, sky-blue eyes that he’d never grow tired of waking up to each day. “Because of all the good things that came from my four years at this school, you are the very best.”

     “But what’s that have to do with benches…” Her brow furrowed. Then her face relaxed and, for the first time all day, her real smile surfaced. “You pounced on me in that glade.”

     “Pounced is an exaggeration,” he defended.

     She cocked a brow.

     “Okay. I pounced.” He tipped up her chin with two fingers and lightly kissed her mouth. “I’m not ashamed or sorry, either.”

     “Hunter.” She hugged him, sighing deeply. “Just when I’m feeling uncertain of everything, you say something that reminds me of why I love you.”

***

In June, we release the third Cabot book, WHEN YOU KNEW, and then I have a new series, The Sanctuary Sound novels, starting in October with the release of THE MEMORY OF YOU. I’d love for you to check some of these out. My publisher is running a giveaway of ALL WE KNEW on Goodreads, too, so sign up for a chance to win!

I hope your new year is off to an excellent start, too. Happy reading!

xo-Jamie

 

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Not Now, I’m Busy!

Do you, like me, find yourself barking the words of this post title too often? This month I’ve told myself I had good reason. During the past three weeks, I’ve traveled to Pittsburgh to visit family, been to Denver on Romance Writers of America board business (where I also saw my college roomie), and am now faced with the holiday season. In between all of that, I’ve been writing the first book of a new series (tentatively titled, The Memory of You). But the holiday season reminds me of what I’ve always known–family should always come first. It’s time I take myself in hand and restructure my priorities.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Why? A. It’s food, people. I love gravy. B. It’s about giving thanks and appreciating family (without the commercialization that accompanies next month’s holidays). I adore the traditions and nostalgia, the candles and music, and the laughter.

For fifty-two years, my mother cooked Thanksgiving dinner for our extended family. When I was very young, that group included more than twenty people (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and the occasional boyfriend or college roommate). Last year, we were down to about fifteen. This year, for the first time (and various reasons), the entire family is not gathering in Pittsburgh for the holiday. My mother, however, is coming here.

I’ve only ever missed one Thanksgiving with my whole family, when it fell too close to my due date for me to travel safely, so letting go of a lifetime of tradition is a bittersweet moment. I suspect my cousins all feel the same. But when faced with this kind of situation, I look for the silver lining. In this case, there are two pretty good ones. Not only do I not have to become a road warrior this week, but also my mom will be a guest at Thanksgiving for the first time in her adult life.

She’s a perfectionist who loves pretty things, so I want to make it special. We might be a very small crew at the table this year, but we have big love in our house. For the next few days, I’ll do my best to unplug and never once say, “Not now, I’m too busy.”

With that in mind, I’d better finish some of this prep work before everyone else wakes up. I hope each of you enjoys the holiday with whomever you love. Happy Thanksgiving!

XO-Jamie

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Release Day!

Good morning! I’m excited about the release of my first-ever novella, Joyfully His! For those who’ve read the Sterling Canyon series, this is Andy’s book. I hadn’t originally planned to write a story for Andy, but after watching him grow throughout the series–and at the prodding of some readers–I gave him a happily ever after, too. This is a quick, lighthearted read, and I think you’ll really enjoy meeting his heroine, Nikki. I hope the story makes you smile and delivers a bit of holiday spirit early.

And speaking of holiday spirit, I’ll be donating 10% of the first week’s proceeds to St. Jude Research Hospital.

I should note here that, if you are feeling particularly giving, my daughter and her friend have a sweet, acoustic Christmas album out (Carols for a Cause) and they are donating 100% of ALL REVENUE this calendar year to St. Jude, too. It’s available at Amazon and iTunes. My favorite song is my daughter’s version of The First Noel, followed closely by the duet mashup of Silent Night/O Holy Night.

I’ll end here because I’m guessing I’ve hit your limit of Christmas messaging in October! LOL

Enjoy!

xo-Jamie

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A Virtual Reader Community

I’m so excited to be part of a new Facebook group with ten fabulous authors, all of whom write emotional stories of love, family, and friendship. Fiction From The Heart is a vibrant and supportive community for readers who want to discuss books, life, and love. Members can look forward to getting to know the authors on a weekly rotating basis. Who are the other authors? *Squee* Virginia Kantra, Barbara Samuel/O’Neal, Sonali Dev, K.M. Jackson, Falguni Kothari, Sally Kilpatrick, Hope Ramsay, Donna Kauffman, Liz Talley, and Priscilla Oliveras.

What makes this group different from other author groups? For starters, we don’t plan on hitting readers with much promotion. We intend for this to become a place to make new friends, bond over a love of literature and all the beautiful things in life, and become a community. As co-founder Liz Talley said, “It’s like the back fence of yesteryear.”

Of course, we will have weekly giveaways, occasional guest author posts, and more! As part of our launch, we’ve planned a big giveaway. On October 15th, one member will be selected to win a Kindle Fire, and three others will receive a nice Amazon gift card.

Hope you’ll join us. You can request admission here!

xo-Jamie

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How Publishing is like Parenting

My mother visited this past weekend. She’s come regularly since my first child’s birth, providing much-needed help when my kids were young, and welcome company now. Despite living in another state, she’s here often enough to witness my parenting highs and lows. This weekend she saw a bit of both, I fear, and we had more than one discussion about parenting.

When she left on Sunday, I went to participate in an author talk at a local library. Prior to the beginning of the program, another author and I confided a bit about our professional ups and downs, at which point I was struck by the similarities between writing and parenting. How could these things be alike, you ask? Let me tell you.

Everyone has an opinion. Remember when you gave your infant a binky, but then Aunt Martha told you it would give your child an overbite? The same kind of well intentioned, experiential advice is foisted upon writers by everyone (readers, editors, other writers, agents). Sometimes we actively solicit opinions because critical feedback and brainstorming will often strengthen a story. But sometimes the story we want to tell is just that—a story we want to tell. It may not work for everyone, and that’s okay as long as we tell it the best we can.

You don’t know the result until it’s too late. As a mother, I’m constantly aware of the fact that many of the choices I make may have unintended consequences, or might become that thing my kids complain about to their friends (or a future psychologist!). Similarly, I might plan for the reader to have a certain experience and to understand one message, but to my surprise, she’s taken something completely different away from the book. As with our children, we authors have less control over a reader’s interpretation than we think because that reader’s experience with the subject matter will color his or her emotional response.

Every book is different. If you have more than one child, I’m sure you’ve been surprised at how completely different they can be from one another despite their similar gene pool and upbringing. I find that my books follow this pattern. Each one comes to me so differently. Book to book, I struggle with different elements (sometimes it is a character, sometimes a plot point, sometimes the dialogue). Experience hasn’t made it easier. In fact, sometimes it makes it harder because the mistakes I’ve made before aren’t necessarily going to solve my new problem, but they can paralyze my thinking. Writing, like parenting, requires an ability to adapt and call “audibles” (to borrow from football). For those of us who prefer structure, this can be difficult.

External factors have influence you can’t control or predict. My kids are teens now, which means their friends’ opinions matter as much or more than my husband’s and mine. The fact that this is natural doesn’t make it any easier to accept. I worry about the influence friends and social media will have on my kids, but I can’t control it. Similarly, authors deal with editors leaving publishing houses, changes in technology and platforms altering the way we can sell product and communicate with fans, and shifting genre trends. We can’t control these factors or predict them, but they can hit us sideways and force a major change when we least expect it.

Your heart is all in. We love our children with our entire beings. We invest endless hours to give them the opportunity to succeed. And we want others to see every beautiful thing we see in them (and none of their flaws). The same goes for our books. We rip open our veins and pour so much of ourselves into our work, and we desperately want to make those connections with readers. It is thrilling when it works, and painful when it doesn’t.

Perhaps you agree with me but are now wondering whether this observation I’ve made has any practical meaning? I think recognizing these parallels is helpful as a reminder that, to succeed at either parenting or in publishing, you need to be patient, have a sense of humor, accept setbacks as part of the process, and have faith that, if you do your best most of the time, things will turn out okay in the end. In fact, that philosophy is probably applicable to most things in life!

xo

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5 Tips to Renew the Spirit

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that, at this point in my life, I’m rather depleted–of energy, optimism, and creativity. Why? For the same reasons you are. Too many commitments. Too many horror stories on the news. Too many things I can’t control that, nonetheless, kick into my life with the destructive force of a bucking bronco.

But, hey, that’s life. We all have those weeks, or months, or even years, don’t we? I’ll confess, I’ve been known to wallow in these low points . When I do, my blog mate, Katherine, will say, “Jamie, don’t be a bitter Betty.” I might grouse when she chirps those words, but I know she’s right. Bitterness, frustration, pouting…none of that helps.

Here’s what does (or, at least, what does for me):

Finish the task. Whatever it is that must get done, do it. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t let being overwhelmed make it seem impossible to accomplish. Just start and then chip away, day by day, until that item is checked off the list.

Take a walk. A long walk. Don’t distract yourself with music or your phone. Simply enjoy the scenery, sounds, and scents. Feel the air going in and out of your lungs. Let your mind wander and see where it leads. Chances are you’ll return home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Indulge in a great meal. For those of you who like wine, add that, too. Eating one of your favorite foods, even if you have to break the diet to do so, is good for the soul (and the tummy). You deserve it. You only live once, and you shouldn’t have to go through the year denying yourself everything all the time.

Ask for hugs. Depending on your personal situation, you can ask for extra hugs from your partner, your kids, your friends, or family members. It doesn’t matter where they come from, hugs release happiness chemicals and will literally make you feel better.

Read a great book. When I say great, I mean that by whatever definition that you choose. Escapist fiction? Self-help? A memoir? The genre doesn’t matter, but don’t settle for a good book. Find one that grabs you so hard in those sample pages that you cannot put it down. That’s the only kind of book that will take you out of your life for several hours and deposit you back to reality feeling better.

Okay, that’s my list. How about you? Share your tips for juicing your soul.

XO-Jamie

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