Blog/Book Reviews

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Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber is categorized as Southern magical realism. This isn’t a normal genre I would pick to read, but I’m glad I did.  The title and cover intrigued me, and I had to find out why so many people were recommending it.

The cafe gets its name from a cluster of blackbirds that consistently appears outside the cafe only at midnight. This unusual behavior brings a large number of bird watchers to the small town.  The cafe also attracts the townies who come to get their fix of blackberry pie. They are “characters” in more than one sense of the word. They believe that eating the pie enables them to get messages in their dreams from their dearly departed loved ones. Readers are lead to draw conclusions about the birds and their connection to the pie and Anna Kate. This is where the “magical” in magical realism comes in, but it isn’t overdone.The characters are the main focus of the book, not the magical aspects, and the points made through the story are important ones.

The book is organized by alternating Anna Kate and Natalie’s point of view. Anna Kate has come to Wicklow, Alabama to bury her grandmother, Zee, and settle her estate. If she stays and runs Zee’s cafe for two months, she will inherit it. Anna Kate wants to sell it and go on to med school in the fall, just as she had planned. Natalie has just returned to Wicklow, the town where she grew up.  She and her daughter are seeking refuge in her parent’s guest house after the death of her husband. Living so close to her overbearing mother is difficult, but Natalie doesn’t have many options. Although the cafe has been set as off-limits by her mother, Natalie needs a job.

As Anna Kate finds herself embracing the town, she learns more about family secrets that explain why her mother kept her away from Wicklow her whole life. As family secrets are uncovered,  it becomes obvious that the two young women are more connected than they could have guessed.

Heather Webber

At the beginning I had to tell myself to keep going, that it’s just a different kind of book than I’m used to. Once I let go of expecting traditional conventions, I enjoyed the book. Occasionally reading something different helps to ignite creativity in my personal writing because it gets me to think about stories in a new way. Although it isn’t usually a word that describes literature, I felt the book was folk-artsy in the best possible way.

Fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Fannie Flagg will enjoy this story. Just like some people love apple pie while others love cherry,  Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe won’t be everyone’s first choice, but I recommend it. Blackberry may be the flavor of the day!

 

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The Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe

If the cold and snow is getting to you, why not spend some time at the beach with Mary Alice Monroe?  Back in July I reviewed The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe. The Beach House can be read as a stand-alone; however, it’s the beginning of a wonderful series. If you like the first one, be forewarned, you’ll get hooked on continuing the Rutledge family story in the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

 

 

 

This series was my escape during the craziness of this CoVid year. Apparently I got so caught up in them, I just realized I hadn’t posted a review since the first book. I’ve finished five in the series! The Beach House is followed by Swimming Lessons, Beach House Memories, Beach House for Rent, and Beach House Reunion.  Rather than give you summaries of four books, I’ll just recommend you read them. Really. Go read them! Monroe brings favorite characters back each time with stories that are sometimes sweet, sometimes heart-breaking. It’s all about family relationships, friendships, romances, and, of course, sea turtles.

On Ocean Boulevard is the next installment which was published this year (2020). The Summer of Lost and Found comes out in 2021. You know I’ll be reading these soon! Maybe we’ll cross paths on the beach at Isle of Palms in our imaginations. If we do, be sure to look up from your book and wave at me.

(If you’d like to go back to read my review from July on The Beach House, click here.)

 

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The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

I’ve been wanting to read The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs since I bought it at a book signing last year, but I held off because it felt like a book that needed read in the fall.  Although it fits with the fall season, it is delicious enough to read anytime. Anyone who enjoys the women’s fiction genre will love it, even Granny Smith.  Ok, ok. Enough of the apple jokes.

Tess Delaney loves living in the city where she makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. She is on the verge of great success in her career when Dominic, a good-looking banker, shows up at her workplace to tell her that her grandfather is in a coma after a bad fall. This is strange news since Tess never knew her father and never met her grandfather.  Dominic also explains that her grandfather’s will lists her to inherit half of Bella Vista, a working hundred-acre apple orchard. The other half will go to Isabel Johansen, a half sister she didn’t know existed.

Tess heads to Sonoma to see Bella Vista for herself.  Although Dominic, the love interest, has done everything he can to delay it, the property is nearing foreclosure. Tess and Isabel are challenged to find a way to save it. A missing relic from Grandfather’s past may be the answer which means learning about his younger life in Denmark during WWII.

The Apple Orchard  is family drama, mystery, romance and historical fiction, all in one. Wiggs does a great job tying the present and the past together. Although country life is a bit romanticized, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it. Susan Wiggs has become one of my top five best-loved authors. In my opinion, readers believe her books will be a light read but are pleasantly surprised with more depth and substance than expected.

The Apple Orchard is the first in the Bella Vista series. The Beekeeper’s Ball and The Lost and Found Bookshop are the second and third installments in the series.

 

 

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Happy Thanksgiving

 

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

2020 has certainly been a challenging year. Although I don’t normally want to rush time, I think most of us would agree we are ready to leave 2020 behind. Before that happens though, we are given a chance to celebrate two holidays – two chances to reflect on the positive, to be thankful for blessings, to share time with friends and family (even if it is through Zoom), and later, a chance to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I plan on living in the moment and truly finding joy in both of these holidays this year.

I wanted to take a quick minute to wish you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you take time to be thankful for the good things in your life in the midst of a pandemic. Sometimes it takes something like this to help us truly appreciate what we have and dream of how good the future can be.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Robin

 

 

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Once in a blue moon

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash

I didn’t take any photos of the full moon last night. I’ve learned it’s a difficult thing to shoot without a professional camera! The full moon last night seemed fitting for Halloween night.  It helped illuminate the way for trick-or-treaters and certainly added mood to the evening. No matter what time of the year, a full moon on a clear night can be a gorgeous sight to behold. Last night was no exception. Along with the full moon, two planets were clearly visible as well as a sprinkling of stars. Awesome (a word often overused and misunderstood) is truly a good word to use for God’s creation.

Did you know last night’s full moon was a blue moon? I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “once in a blue moon.” In the Cleveland area we often apply it to our sports teams. When I was young, I thought a blue moon meant the moon took on a blue cast. After all, I’ve seen moons that are yellow or almost golden in color. I’ve even see a blood red moon. So why not blue?

Well . . . just in case you didn’t know, it doesn’t look blue at all. It’s a term used for the second full moon within the same month. It doesn’t happen often, so that’s why we say rare events occur “once in a blue moon.” According to NASA a full moon on Halloween only happens approximately every 19 years. And yes, the last one was in 2001 (but only visible in Central and Pacific time zones.) The 2020 Halloween blue moon was the first one visible in all time zones since 1944, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.

Apparently any full moon that falls on Halloween is a blue moon due to the month having 31 days. The moon cycle takes 29.5 days. Therefore, if we have a full moon on the 31st, we must have had a full moon earlier in the month as well.

Many terms describing the moon are even odder than a blue moon. In January 2019 a super blood wolf moon occurred and a super blue blood moon Continue reading “Once in a blue moon”

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When Lines in a Book Speak to You

When you’re reading, I hope you experience that moment when you dwell on a certain line or passage that just speaks to you. Perhaps it’s beautifully written, maybe it makes you think, maybe you can clearly picture it in your mind, or maybe it speaks to exactly who you are. When I read the passage below, it made me think of how important it is to see, really see, the beauty God has placed right in front of us. Beauty is around us even when we are surrounded by joy-suckers like the coronavirus, political debates and unrest/injustice, to name a few. Certainly these topics are important, but I don’t want them to consume my thoughts and time.

I’m not much of a sunrise person (too early for me), but I love the sunsets over Lake Erie. Here’s a shot I took a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy it!

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The Joys of Fall

 

Photo courtesy of Debby Hudson

What’s your favorite season? Mine is summer. Absolutely summer. You thought I was going to say fall, didn’t you? Fall and spring are close contenders. Just not winter. Not in Ohio.

I spent decades of my life living in the snow belt of NE Ohio. There were times the plows piled the snow higher than our mailbox. There was no where else to put it! We’d have to dig a hole in the snow mountain to get our mail. We live an hour away from there now, just out of the worst of the snow belt, but I still don’t like the cold, the snow, and the endless gray skies. The months of January – April, months of boredom and the blues, drag on too long. But maybe, just maybe, it’s important to go through that to truly appreciate the other seasons.

Courtesy of Ricardo Gomez Angel

I’m planning on enjoying the fall! Funny how in the fall it’s colder inside my house than outside in the sun. I won’t let the indoor chill fool me. It’s a great time to take a hike in a park and appreciate the seasonal changes. I love walking our dog in the neighborhood or walking along the shores of Lake Erie enjoying our last searches for the year for beach glass and driftwood to supply our winter crafting.

Photo courtesy of Madison Kaminski
Photo courtesy of Josh Hild

It’s fall – time for visiting apple orchards and area farms, looking for the best pumpkin displays, picking apples, and tasting apple cider to find the best in the area. It’s time for apple and pumpkin everything and anything.

 

It’s time for the glorious color change in the natural world around us. Time to crunch through the leaves on a walk or jump into a pile of red, yellow and orange leaves, with or without children. Time to take a drive just to enjoy the fall color of the trees.

Photo courtesy of Alex Holt

And when the sun goes down too quickly now, it’s time for smores by the firepit. Time to show off the perfect toasted marshmallow by knowing that spot by the embers.

And it’s time to bring out the apple cinnamon candles for those evenings curled up in front of the fireplace – with a good book, of course. It’s fall and it will be gone in the blink of an eye. So take time to enjoy. Experience joy in this season.

What’s your favorite season? What’s your favorite part of fall? Leave a comment to share.

Hoping you enjoy every nice fall day. Keep healthy and find your happiness!!

Robin

 

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Pantsers vs. Planners

I’m a big fan of Writer’s Digest magazine. It’s a great resource for those of us learning to improve our writing skills and to navigate the business of publishing.  A while back, I cut out  a piece from Writer’s Digest about *E.L. Doctorow because I loved his quote:

“[Writing is] like driving a car at night: You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Photo by Kane Taylor from Unsplash.com

This is absolutely the way I felt about the writing process of my first book. I had an idea so I started writing, but I had no idea where it was going. It was almost like the characters told me their story and I just wrote it down. I began to worry about how I would end it, but it fell right into place.

People who write like this are called “pantsers,” meaning they write by the seat of their pants. There is no real plan. Other writers organize, pre-write, draw charts, and/or make outlines. They are rightfully called “planners.” Neither is right or wrong, just different.

As amazed as I was at how the ideas kept coming, the pantser experience led me to a lot of editing to do after.  For this novel, I needed a timeline to keep my story and dates consistent, and I had to add additional plot lines to give the story more depth. So now I see some merit in planning. With my next book I am starting with some planning, but I don’t want my creativity to be stifled by sticking to an outline.  I want that amazing feeling again as my characters take me into their lives.

Driving (writing) with the headlights on at night in an unfamiliar place can be scary, but when those beams reveal something wonderful, it’s a great surprise. I think my writing heart parallels E.L. Doctorow’s quote, but the realist in me knows I need some planning. So maybe I’m a pantser with a zipper and a button rather than an elastic waistband. 

For those of you who are writers, which do you consider yourself – a pantser or a planner?

 

 

 

 

Photo by Jasmin Chew from Unsplash.com

 

*E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015) National Book Critics Circle Award-Winner, editor, professor and author of Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, and The March

 

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The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

Ok readers, here’s another book you need to check out. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is wonderful! Five stars! I didn’t know who Kristin Harmel was until a few months ago when I became part of the Friends and Fiction FB group. (See post from Aug. 4.) Listening to Kristin talk about her book got me hooked. I had to read it.

It’s historical fiction that takes place during WWII. But wait. If that turns you off, trust me. Keep reading. At first the WWII focus turned me off. I like historical fiction at times, but I’ve read a lot of HEAVY books about the war, extermination camps, etc. Don’t get me wrong. They are worth reading, but I have to be in the right mood and right time in my life to sit and read a book like that. Well, I was pleasantly surprised with The Book of Lost Names. It took place during the war and never diminished the seriousness of the circumstances, but it wasn’t the heavy reading I was expecting. I found it difficult to put the book down once I started.

Eva, a young Jewish woman, has to put her artistic abilities to work to fake documents. Her forgeries need to be realistic enough to get her and her mother out of Paris as the raids on Jewish people begin. Once they get to a small town at the base of the Alps, Eva feels safer. They should be able to cross over into Switzerland fairly easily. However, while in the town, she gets involved in a forgery ring helping make documents to get others out of dangerous zones and across to Switzerland.

“The danger is real, but the book illuminates valor and goodness in the human heart instead of focusing on evil and darkness.”

 

Instead of depressing, this book is intriguing. It is so interesting to learn about regular people working in the Underground to help Jews, adults and children alike. As Jewish children, often separated from their families by the raids, are being helped safely across the border, the story is secretly, quietly triumphant. The danger is real, but the book illuminates valor and goodness in the human heart instead of focusing on evil and darkness.

As Eva creates documents, she has to change people’s names. As many of them are children, she is afraid they will be too young to remember their real names. She states that the Nazis want to erase her people, and she doesn’t want to be a part of erasing their history through the forgeries, even if she is saving lives. That’s why Eva uses a book to keep track of the children’s names in code. She calls it  The Book of Lost Names. She wants to ensure a way later for them to reconnect with who they were before the war. Decades after the war the book reemerges and only Eva can tell the story and crack the code. Although Eva is fictional, her character and her methods of forgery are based on real people and techniques. What a great story!

This book gets 5 stars from me. Leave me a comment if you’ve read it or plan to read it!

 

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Friends and Fiction Author Chats

I want to share something with you that shouldn’t be kept a secret. Do you remember in  my recent book review on The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe, I mentioned a Facebook group I came across during the pandemic? The Friends and Fiction FB group is sponsored by five women fiction authors:  Mary Kay Andrews/Kathy Trocheck (Hello, Summer), Mary Alice Monroe (On Ocean Boulevard), Kristin Harmel (The Book of Lost Names), Patti Callahan Henry (Becoming Mrs. Lewis), and Kristy Woodson Harvey (Feels Like Falling). (The books listed are their most recent.)

During the pandemic these authors felt the need to connect with each other since they couldn’t get together in person. They started connecting through Zoom for a virtual happy hour –  enjoying a drink while talking books. They realized how much they were missing in-person book tours and meeting their fans so they decided to open up their weekly chat to fans by making it a weekly live video on Facebook each Wednesday at 7 pm eastern. (You can also view it later at your leisure on the FB page.) In just a few months this Facebook group has already gained 14,000 members! What started as a “limited time event” looks like it’s here to stay.

Sometimes the live chats are the five of them discussing writing and books while other times they invite a special guest to join them. Past guests have included Delia Owens (Where the Crawdad Sings), Jasmine Guillory (Party of Two), Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Dance Away with Me), Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle (Close Up)),  Lisa Wingate (The Book of Lost Friends), and Drew Copeland and Ken Block (members of the band Sister Hazel) to name a few. Upcoming interviews on the summer calendar include Elin Hilderbrand on Aug. 5 (TOMORROW!), Karin Slaughter on Aug. 12,  Kristina McMorris on Aug. 19, the Friends and Fiction 5 on Aug. 26, and Etaf Rum on Sept. 2. The F&F5 are finalizing other author interviews for the fall. 

“The authors quickly make fans feel like good friends just hanging out together.”

 

I look forward to watching the live video on Facebook every Wednesday. The authors quickly make fans feel like good friends just hanging out together. We can also submit questions for them and for their guest authors. An independent bookstore is highlighted each week as the authors encourage fans to support them, especially while these businesses are struggling during the pandemic.

Friends and Fiction is a closed FB group, but anyone can join. On Facebook type Friends and Fiction in the “search groups” bar. Just ask to join and soon you will have access to their past videos, their live videos on Wednesdays, and comments and recommendations from other fans/readers. (Also check out friendsandfiction.com.) I’m amazed that with all these ladies have on their plates they want to continue doing this, but I’m so glad they do. Come join us!

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The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe

 

Mary Alice Monroe

Mary Alice Monroe, where have you been all my life? Why have I not read your books before?

Somehow, after all these years of reading, I had never read a book by Mary Alice Monroe. During the pandemic, I stumbled upon a new Facebook page sponsored by a group of five women writers including Mary Alice (more about that on another blog post). That’s when I learned about her newest novel,  On Ocean Boulevard, and wanted to read it. But . . . it was part of a well-loved series, The Beach House series, so I had to start at the beginning.

Last week while on vacation on Sanibel Island (my happy place), I read book one, The Beach House. Wow. I loved this book. Many of you are probably laughing at me because this book was even made into a Hallmark movie starring Andi McDowell.  Again, how have I missed all that?!

I want to say this author knows how to craft a story! Of course I read for enjoyment, but as a writer myself, I also pay attention to point of view, dialogue, how characters are introduced, how new conflicts are added, and so on. I was impressed by her skill. The story flowed perfectly and kept my interest the whole way through. I will certainly read the rest of this series and other books she’s written.   

The Beach House takes place on the Isle of Palms. Olivia Rutledge (Lovie to her friends) knows her time is short and has asked her 40-year-old daughter Cara to come visit her. Having been kicked out of the house at age eighteen by her father, Cara has had to work for everything on her own and has isolated herself from the family. Now that her father is gone, she decides to accept her mother’s invitation, especially since her life in Chicago has recently fallen apart. When she arrives, she discovers her brother inherited the Charleston house from their father, her mother has moved to the beach house full time, and pregnant eighteen-year-old Toy lives with her mother as a companion and helper.

While at the beach house, Cara learns to appreciate her mother. Being able to see her mother through her own 40-year-old lens rather than the lens of a teenager,  she learns why her mother made certain choices in an unhappy marriage. Cara is also able to better appreciate the importance of the beach house and the Turtle Team of which her mother is a founding member. Cara and Olivia are able to create a stronger mother-daughter bond after years of damage, hurt and misunderstandings. Cara also begins a relationship with a new man while on the island, a summer fling she tells herself.

I truly loved this book. Mary Alice is a master storyteller, knowing exactly when to introduce a new plot twist, character, or conflict. If you like a good beach read, you will love the story, the setting and the turtle rescues that go with it! What a great series to use to escape for awhile!

In case you’re interested, Mary Alice suggests the series should be read in this order: The Beach House, Swimming Lessons, Beach House Memories, Beach House for Rent, Beach House Reunion, and the newest addition, On Ocean Boulevard. Let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed any of Mary Alice’s books and what you thought, or if you want to read one of her books. Enjoy the warm summer days and a good beach read!

 

 

 

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The Heirloom Garden and Girls of Summer

Hi all! Hope you’ve been finding creative and enjoyable ways to spend your summer. It’s definitely different with social distancing, mask wearing, and activities cancelled, and yet there is so much to be thankful for. Enjoy family. Enjoy nature. Enjoy a good book. Speaking of good books . . . .

Did you like how I transitioned right there? I’ve read two good books since  my last blog and wanted to share about them in case you’re looking for something new to read.

The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman was so good. I loved the story of Iris who is a recluse in Grand Haven, Michigan. She lost her husband in WWII and then her only child at a young age. After Iris is misunderstood by the townspeople during another unsettled time, this botanist puts up a ten foot fence to block everyone out of her life.  She finds joy only in her gardening.  Iris hybridizes daylilies as well as masters growing a variety of other flowers in her garden. She also owns the house next door and rents it out to a new family. Cory, the father, is struggling with PTSD after serving in the Iraq War. Abby, hIs wife, and Lily, his daughter, are negatively affected by his disconnect to life at home. Gradually Cory connects with Iris since her husband died fighting in the military, but it bothers him that she never got closure since her husband’s body was never brought home. Iris connects with the couple’s daughter because Lily brings love and joy into Iris’s life that she’s been missing since the death of her daughter. Iris and the new family next door help each other heal.

The best way to describe The Heirloom Garden is as a lovely story. The author is able to balance difficult  topics so that they never become too heavy to interfere with the sweetness of the storyline. I truly enjoyed the story.

 

I also recently enjoyed reading Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer. Although I felt the first few chapters delayed the real story from starting, I really liked this book. Lisa is a divorced middle aged woman with two adult children, Juliet and Theo.  After raising the children alone and putting her own life on hold, Lisa finally discovers she has interest in a man in town. Just about the same time, her daughter comes home to Nantucket for the summer.  On the boat to the island, she meets a new guy she’s interested in. Then Lisa’s son comes home and starts up a relationship with a girl he liked back in high school. Privacy becomes an issue for everyone since no one knows when someone else might pop in at the house, especially when they want to bring dates home. Add the complication that the girl Theo wants to date is the daughter of mom’s new boyfriend and you get an interesting story. This was a good, light, beach read.

I have read some other books over the last few months, but not all of them were ones I would recommend. Instead of writing a bad review, I have chosen to simply not mention them. I like to keep things on the positive side. Besides, as an author myself, I know how difficult it is to write a novel so I don’t like to talk badly about someone else’s hard work. I’ll  just focus on books I liked and hope you find some enjoyable books mentioned in my blogs. When you need a break from life, escape into someone else’s world for a little while.

Happy reading!

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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one of those books that has stuck with me for weeks after reading it. I recommend this coming-of-age story mixed with a murder mystery.

Kya’s family has abandoned her in their remote shack in the North Carolina swamp in the late 1960s. This ten-year-old’s struggle to survive in the harsh swamp tugs at the heart-strings, while the reader is also delighted by the marsh’s beauty as seen through Kya’s eyes. Her life is hard, but Kya values the marsh, she understands it, and living a simple life in nature suits her. Most of Kya’s experiences involving the nearby town are negative, so she remains reclusive out of self-preservation. Known as Marsh Girl,  no one in town cares about the well-being of this wild child.

Kya grows into a young woman with a natural beauty that catches the eye of two boys from town. Tate Walker gradually earns her trust and friendship until he abandons her to attend college. Kya longs to connect to someone, but being immature both in social norms and in love, Kya get used by Chase Andrews. Then, when Chase ends up dead, Kya becomes the number one suspect.

Where the Crawdads Sing is both a New York Times Bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Reese loved the book so much, she is going to produce the movie version along with Lauren Levy Neustadter. Fox 2000 owns the rights. It is still too early in the process to know who will be cast in the film or when it might be released, but as of fall 2019, Owens stated the screenplay’s first draft was nearly completed although she couldn’t comment on who was writing it.

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Don’t miss Stargirl premiere

DC’s Stargirl on The CW

Set your DVRs! If you’re a fan of the superhero phenomena both on TV and the big screen, you need to check out the new CW show, DC’s Stargirl, premiering May 19 at 8 PM. (Check your cable listing to verify date/time.)

Even if you’re not a superhero fan, keep reading to see why you should check it out.

I am so excited. Not only do I love these superhero shows/movies, but I have a personal connection to this one. Many of you know I taught English at Painesville’s Riverside High School for thirty years, but you might not know that ten of those years included teaching video production.  Students learned the whole process from developing an idea to filming to editing. We created commercials for our school-televised morning announcements, we filmed and produced videos of school events for the local cable channel, and we developed our own film festival with student created movies complete with trophies and prize awards.

Kyle Gallagher

I was blessed to have Kyle Gallagher as a video student from his freshman through to his senior year.  His passion for film started even before he entered my video class. He was already making movies when he was in my eighth grade English class. His talent grew through his perseverance, including through our school film festival which was partly his brainchild.  His special FX skills went beyond mine, but I like to think I challenged him. And he challenged me since he was my student in the first few years I was developing the school video program.

I continued to watch his journey from a distance as he went to SCAD for film and as he started his career. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when he called with exciting news last year. He was moving to LA for a new job! Kyle’s title is VFX Artist on DC’s Stargirl, a new CW show. Kyle tells me he has also been doing VFX supervisor work and directing other projects.

One reviewer from TVLine said about DC’s Stargirl, “The visual effects work — from the personality-infused Cosmic Staff to S.T.R.I.P.E. the robot (who, yes, gets his own training montage) — is solid and sometimes stellar, without ever being splashy.”

I thought it might be fun to chronicle some of Kyle’s journey. In high school Kyle honed his special effects skills through a Star Wars spoof called School Duel. You can see his progression in the three shorts (links below). Impressive work for a high school student! After high school he did the Cleveland Awakens piece (link below). And now, he’s working on a CW network show!

Make sure to open each link in new tab so you don’t lose this page.

Link to School Duel I      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bopKelOLZZg

Link to School Duel II part 1    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qa0q6TEkOw

Link to School Duel II part 2    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pTNY0O0hZw

Link to Cleveland Awakens  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2ZmlOOibxs

So if you’re from the Painesville area, you too will feel the thrill of knowing a local kid has developed into a successful man in the entertainment industry.  I am so proud of Kyle! And I’m so excited to see what the future holds for this talented young man!

(If you’d like to leave Kyle a message, comment below. I’ll make sure he sees it!)

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The mind of an author

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Ever have a dream you hope you’ll remember in the morning? I had one last night. I woke up amazed at the incredibly vivid sensory details. Before going back to sleep, I thought about what I saw, heard and felt in the dream to try to cement it into my memory so I could recall it in the morning. Gladly, I did remember.

Most of you know I am searching for the right agent for my first completed novel, The Lighthouse Legacy. While I’m doing that, I’m also working through ideas and writing scenes for a new book. Apparently my mind was working on my new book in my sleep. Will the details from my dream make it into the final book? Who knows for sure, but even if they don’t, the dream got me to creatively think in a different way about the developing story.

Most writers will tell you that we can’t wait for inspiration. We have to sit our butts in a chair, write, and find the inspiration. But I sometimes find that trying to force inspiration can mean writing a lot of empty words or going in the wrong direction. Then I have to work backwards and kill my darlings (Stephen King’s writing advice). But even that process moves me forward. It tells me what my story is not. It tells me the characters are whispering in my ear, but I’m not hearing it right. Not yet. Sometimes it means putting the idea on hold to let my subconscious work on it. Then, out of the blue, a breakthrough comes to me. But while I’m waiting, I’m not wasting time. I’m doing things to help my mind find that breakthrough. I’m researching the topic. I’m reading books in my genre or articles on writing and the publishing world. I’m writing my blog. I’m looking for new ideas. I’m adding to a story in progress. I’m sitting quietly, thinking, daydreaming about my characters and the stories they want to tell.

I started work on a sequel to The Lighthouse Legacy. Both stories take place in the quaint coastal (fictional) town of Port Morgan, a town readers would enjoy visiting over and over again. It’s like Robin Carr’s town of Virgin River (only on the Carolina coast) crossed with a Mary Kay Andrews beach read. I’ve made progress in this sequel, but I sometimes stories are just not ready to reveal themselves yet. Or maybe it’s me holding it back. It’s hard to put so much time and effort into a sequel when I haven’t found an agent for the first one – yet. Who knows if there will even be any interest in a sequel?

And then one night while watching tv, a new idea hit me. The Netflix show (I won’t mention here) included this family structure that I thought felt familiar. I recognized similarities to a book series I had read. My mind began analyzing what made this structure work. Then I began considering other elements the two had in common that work. It was a great sign that these elements didn’t feel overused and tired yet, but I needed a new angle, my own angle. Something fresh. Next thing I knew, I had a whole storyline (basic at this point, of course) in my head. I shared it with my husband to get his reaction. He gave me one of those looks I don’t see often when I can tell he’s amazed. He knows I’m creative, but it sometimes takes him by surprise. He said, “When did you come up with that?” I explained how the pieces came together, but the funny thing is, at first I wasn’t even aware my mind was working on it. He loved the idea and was excited to talk it out with me to help me flesh it out. Now I’m researching, working on the plot, writing some scenes that I can visualize (I’ll figure out where they go later), and trying to determine the point of view. I have the character names and their background. I’m beginning to know who they are. Now I need them to tell me their story. That’s where my dream from last night comes in. It’s a critical point in the story. My characters have started speaking to me.

Meanwhile, I wouldn’t say the other book (the sequel) is on hold exactly. I’m just letting my subconscious work on it for awhile. When something amazing comes forward in my brain, I’m open to go with it. Or if I find that perfect agent for The Lighthouse Legacy who is interested in a sequel, let me tell you how inspiration can come out of necessity!

The mind of an author is always processing, imagining, creating, pondering, dreaming. So much is going on in our minds while we fit the pieces to our puzzle together. The story sometimes pours out and other times it trickles. Then hours of editing and proofreading come next. Why do I do it? The joy!  The process of creation brings me joy. And hope! It’s that desire to share my creativity with readers, to bring them joy in their lives.

So I keep dreaming and writing. And the search for a literary agent continues.  During this pandemic, I hope you can find that something that brings joy to your life. Sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective. The things that bring joy may be standing right in front of you just waiting to be recognized.

 

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Runaway Heart by Teresa Slack

Note: I just noticed this book review I wrote in February but never published to my blog. Hmmm. Well, hope you enjoy it now!

Thank you, Amber, for your thoughtfulness of buying this book, Runaway Heart by Teresa Slack, for me for Christmas. Amber recently became my daughter-in-law and we are so glad to welcome her into the family. She bought this book from an Ohio author at a craft show.

Ok, so I have to admit I was curious. I’ve read books either self-published or published by small presses that were less than expectation. That’s so sad to say because there are some really great authors writing great books that just can’t break in to the larger markets through the traditional publishing route. But there are also authors out there publishing books before they are really ready. So…I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this book. I didn’t want to judge it before I’d given it a try, but my experience caused me to wonder. As I opened the book, I noted that Teresa Slack had published a half a dozen other books. Ok. That gave me hope. I wanted to like it. So I dove in.

A few chapters in I began to realize this lady can write. It had great flow, and interesting characters, it was free of distracting grammatical or spelling errors (that I find in many self-published books), and it kept my interest.

Runaway Heart is Christian fiction. It is sweet, wholesome, and heartwarming. Kya is a less than perfect character working through baggage left by her mother’s view of life and love.

Kya  gets spooked when her relationship with Will becomes serious. Love became very real for her, but she has learned from her mother that men are users. Rather than face her fears, she runs. She quits her job and moves to her grandfather’s house out of state. Brandon, the young man next door who has been of great help to her grandfather, works his way into Kya’s life as well. Since Kya last saw him, Grandfather has been positively affected by his connection to his local church. Kya’s connection to church had been sporadic growing up since her mother uprooted her often. Now, in a small town where life is slower,  Kya has a chance to grow in her faith. As she begin to rely on God, what direction will He take her? Toward Brandon? Or toward Will?

So thank you, Amber. I really did enjoy it! It just proves that sometimes authors have to work really hard to sell their books, even at craft shows, even after they’ve put the work and their heart into writing it, even after writing multiple books. If you see authors personally selling their books at a table out of a box, give them a chance to prove themselves! Runaway Heart is also available through bookstores and on Amazon both in paperback and for Kindle.

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Strange Dreams

As I was watching the news, an interesting side story was brought up. Yes, it still related to COVID-19. What doesn’t these days? But it wasn’t one of the typical branches from this topic. The topic was dreams. Apparently people are reporting remembering more strange dreams. It makes sense with all the stress and uncertainty about the future. And we all know how our subconscious can turn a thought or feeling into something wild in a dream.

Photo by Jay Mantri

Ever have an experience of waking up and remembering a dream that could never possibly happen and yet it seemed perfectly normal in the dream? Funny how we don’t question it when we’re dreaming.

 

 

Photo by Jay Mantri

So I was wondering, what strange dreams have you been having since the virus started, since you’ve had additional concern about your health and the health of loved ones, since so many have lost jobs, since we’ve been social distancing and isolating ourselves in our houses? Anyone willing to share?

Wishing you sweet dreams and good health!

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Oh the changes a week can bring!

As we continue to stay at home during the pandemic, do you ever find yourself wondering if this will ever end?  One day blends into the next. One week into the next. And then we are told the peak in Ohio is going to be farther out than was first guessed. Our anxiety grows as businesses struggle to survive, the numbers of infected people rise, the numbers of hospital beds and ventilators decrease, and we still can’t find disinfectant spray, wipes or hand sanitizer in any store, even on-line.

It’s scary. However, my fears are calmed when I remember that God is still in control of all.

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Does that mean bad things won’t happen. No. Of course they can and will. But so will good. God takes these situations and turns them to glorify Him and to bring his people to Him. Situations that come out of this pandemic will also allow the best in people to shine. Neighbor helping neighbor. New technologies and medicines developing to meet the needs. People returning to God in prayer.

Today is Palm Sunday. As we enter this week approaching Easter, remember that a week can bring huge changes. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday being celebrated with cheers and palm branches waving. A few days later he was arrested which led to his crucifixion on the cross which we memorialize on Good Friday. I’d say things had certainly taken a major turn for the worse. Or at least that’s how it looked. At first glance, even the term Good Friday seems counter to the event. But what we have to remember is that His death on the cross had to happen before we could have Easter. He had to die before He could rise again. We deserve the punishment, but He took it for us if we choose to accept Him as our savior over sin. Easter Sunday we celebrate a rebirth, a resurrection from the dead, our King once again taking up his heavenly crown after He sacrificed himself. All that happened in just one week.

God can step in and stop this virus. He certainly can. But perhaps there is more to His plan. Maybe there is more we need to learn first. Whatever amount of time it takes, I remind myself that God is in control and His plan is perfect for what He wants to accomplish.

I am grateful for all the doctors and nurses on the front lines. I am grateful for the lab technicians and research facilities that are working so hard to help out. I am grateful for the farmers, truck drivers, stockers and cashiers that enable us to have food available. I am thankful for all the workers at essential businesses. I am thankful for the average person who is taking this seriously with limiting their exposure to others. I am praying for them all.

I am praying for the sick. I am praying for those who have lost a loved one to this virus. I am praying for our leaders as they make tough decisions. I am praying for the small business owners and their families. I am praying for the parents that they can be godly parents to their children while they are all home together. I am praying for all the teachers who are trying to keep some sense of normalcy in a new normal for education. I am praying for soon-to-be parents who have anxiety over giving birth in a hospital at this time. I am praying for all those couples who have had to postpone their weddings. The list goes on and on. Prayer can give you peace. Let go of anxiety over things you can’t control and just let God be God. Remember a lot can happen in a week. Reflect on Jesus throughout this passion week and find your own unique way to celebrate come Easter Sunday. Don’t let this virus steal your joy during this Easter season.

 

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash

 

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What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Sun, sand, blue skies and turquoise water. Sounds like a dream right about now as we shelter-in-place due to the Coronavirus, doesn’t it? That’s what’s so wonderful about books. They can take you places you can’t go in person . . . at least not right now.

Just about a year ago I wrote about Elin Hilderbrand‘s book Winter in Paradise that takes place in St. John (USVI). I just finished the sequel, What Happens in Paradise, and it didn’t disappoint. Between these two books I have gotten attached to the characters and fallen in love with the location. It will be difficult to leave it all behind when she finishes the series.

This installment focuses on the relationships that are developing between the Steele family (Irene, Cash, Baker and Finn) and the people living on the island (Huck, Maia, Ayers, and Mick). They may live in a tropical paradise with beaches, boat excursions, and beach bars, but they aren’t immune to the ups and downs in life we all experience. And then the FBI gets involved. They, along with everyone else, want to know what Russ actually did in his job before he died in the helicopter accident. And was it an accident? Hilderbrand masterfully weaves in just enough information on the investigation and leaves us with a major dilemma to keep the reader wanting more in the third book to come.

While you’re at home quarantined, why not lose yourself in a good book that will take you to paradise with Winter in Paradise and What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand. The final book of the series Troubles in Paradise will be out in October of 2020.

I can’t give you more of the story because I don’t want to ruin the first book for you if you haven’t started this series yet. All I can say is that it is a light, enjoyable read. Or check your bookshelves for something you haven’t gotten around to reading. Buy an e-book. Order books on-line. Do a curbside pick-up at your local library or bookstore. Let your favorite author take you to another place and time for awhile.

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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Have you noticed the upswing in movies about musicians over the last few years? The fourth remake of A Star is Born, a fictional story, was released in 2018. Two movies based on real lives, Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddie Mercury and Queen) in 2018 and Rocketman (Elton John) in 2019, also come to mind. Perhaps the market is there because we’re curious about what a rock star life is like. Perhaps we’re amazed at their talent so much that we want to see that they are real people with real struggles, too. Perhaps it’s the nostalgic part that brings us back to our lives in our teens and twenties. Yes, I saw all three movies. So when I heard there was a book out inspired by Fleetwood Mac, I have to admit I was interested.

Although Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Reid Jenkins is fiction, the book is loosely based on the experiences of the band members of Fleetwood Mac and other 70s bands. I have always enjoyed the music of Fleetwood Mac and there’s just something mesmerizing about Stevie Nicks. Her delicious, sultry voice, the carefree gypsy vibe like a breeze that can’t be caught or tied down, and the rebellious girl rock ‘n’ roller fascinate audiences. Yes, we want to know more about the band! But, remember, Daisy Jones and the Six is a fictional story of living in the 70s rock world loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. Be forewarned: you know the saying “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” That is this book. If reading about that world isn’t your thing, that’s fine. This book isn’t for you. If you want a closer look into that world – the ups and downs, the struggles and the big breaks, the insecurities and egos, the choices both good and bad, the friendships and the rivalries – then try it.

Even though I knew the book was fictional, the Fleetwood Mac members came alive to me as I read.  At times I believed I could pinpoint that this character or that event was about Stevie Nicks or Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie or Mick Fleetwood, as well as John McVie, Neil Finn or Mike Campbell coming through in the story. Other times I wondered if a detail was based on a real event or totally fictional. Reid has a way of making these people and this band seem totally real. You will catch yourself believing it all and then reminding yourself it is a fictional story and band.

Written in a unique style, the book is told through responses to an unseen interviewer, like a rock documentary. I wasn’t sure I would like this technique going in, but rarely did it throw me. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed hearing what one band member said and then hearing another band member with a different perspective or different memory of the same event. It added realism. Although this technique doesn’t allow for inner-dialogue, I found myself sometimes questioning what the person really thought, what they couldn’t or didn’t want to say to an interviewer. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, that’s how relationships are in real life. It makes us question but perhaps also not be so judgmental since we don’t really know the whole story that makes up a person’s heart. Be prepared to keep an open mind at trying this unique technique in storytelling. It might work for you. It might not.

If you grew up with bands like Fleetwood Mac, you will relate to this story. It’s not necessarily a feel good story, but it is realistic look into the 70s rock world. It doesn’t apologize for the 70s rock experience. It simply lets us peek into the inner circle.  Daisy Jones and the Six is a New York Times Bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Amazon is currently working on a series based on the book.

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Clear Vision for a New Year

Can you believe it’s the middle of January already? Can you believe it’s 2020? Where does the time go?

 

I took time off from blogging around the holidays, but now it’s time to get back to routines. Looking back at my first blog from last year, I talked about New Year’s resolutions. I tried a new system using a vision and a mission with very specific goals. The vision is the big picture of what I want to accomplish. The mission is how the vision will happen. The mission includes specific small steps to track progress and taking time to reevaluate/reenergize along the way. I don’t know what you want to accomplish this year, but maybe give this technique a try. My system didn’t work perfectly, but it was actually better than I expected. I’m happy with what I accomplished last year. By the second half of the year I noticed my efforts were generating more responses from agents, including requests to see the full manuscript. That was definite progress.

Here’s my example:  My vision is to get my book published through the traditional publishing route. (Nothing wrong with self-publishing, but my dream has always been to get in print through a publishing house that will get my book into bookstores, libraries, various stores like Costco and Walmart, as well as doing online sales.) So, how do I get my book published? I have to get a literary agent. Therefore, my mission is to get a literary agent. (To get published traditionally, the normal route is to get an agent first – a tough thing to do. They are very selective. An agent will only take on your book if they LOVE it and believe in its ability to sell. That’s because they work for free to find the publisher, only getting paid IF they sell it. Publishers know that if an agent has taken on a book, they’ve already screened it. The book has already jumped the first hurdle successfully. Agents also already know what publishers would be interested in my book. So, first I must find the right agent.) Now for the specific steps. What must I do to get an agent? I’ve already done many steps toward that, but here are my specific steps for this year.  Step 1: Continue sending query letters to agents, a minimum of 10 per month. Step 2: Every other week review what queries and manuscripts are out (and follow up). Notice how specific these are.

If I find an agent, I know they will want another book on the way. Therefore, I also have a second mission: to work on book number two. I started it last year but only just started it. The steps? Take time to to daydream about the characters and story. And write! I’m setting a goal of at least 40 pages by the end of February. Hopefully I can do more, but at the early stages it sometimes goes slow as I work out the details and plot.

This technique can work on most goals – losing weight, getting healthier, getting organized, learning a new skill.  Maybe you want to travel more, save more, read more. Making a plan to get to your end goal will help you be more successful than just wishing it would happen. Want to join in? Think about your vision for 2020. (Ah! I didn’t even plan that pun on 20/20 eyesight and vision! But now that I did, my husband was kind enough to make me the 2020 graphic above.) It’s a great year to see your goals clearly! Figure out your mission(s). And lastly, write down the specific steps to completing your mission. In a few months, let’s review how we’re doing together. I believe just having the goals set and reevaluating them helped me accomplish more last year than I would have otherwise. Drop me a note here if you’re going to try it. I hope you find success in all you do this year!

Robin

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Unexpected Little Blessings

It’s so wonderful to get a surprise blessing. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes when you least expect it, a little something special comes your way.

On Tuesday I got an email from the radio station 95.5 The Fish that I won tickets to a screening of Frozen II. We got to go that night before it opened to the public.

You may wonder why I entered a contest to win tickets to Frozen at my age. The answer is simple. Grandkids! I have two granddaughters, ages 2 and 4. They are both as obsessed with the first Frozen movie as any other little girls. They would certainly love to see the sequel.

My husband and I got to treat my daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters to the movie and they treated us to movie snacks.  It was perfect! We all got to watch the girls as they experienced their first movie at a theater. It was adorable watching the oldest sit on the edge of her seat most of the movie, totally glued to the screen. It kept the attention of the youngest one too! I feel blessed to have won these tickets, but even more blessed to be there to watch their reactions.

Do you remember – what was your first movie at a theater?

 

 

 

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Caterpillars, deer and cardinals, oh my!

About a month ago my family went to a local festival in Vermilion, Ohio, called The Woollybear Festival. If you don’t know what a woollybear is, it’s a fuzzy caterpillar. It has black bands on either end with a coppery stripe in the middle. So why would something as simple as a caterpillar be important enough for its own festival? It’s how we determine the severity of the upcoming winter here in northeast Ohio. Some say these little critters show how severe the winter will be based on the length of the stripes. You might say a woollybear is the counterpart to Puxatawny Phil, the groundhog. 

Thanks to my friend Peggy Wheeler for this photo!

The festival has become so popular that it drew approximately 100,000 people this year, and that was on a rainy day! The festival includes races for kids, a crowning of a queen, a parade including kids and pets dressing up like woollybears, craft and food vendors, and live entertainment with local bands and local TV personalities. And yes, everyone wants to see the woollybear race. The caterpillars are placed at the top of a board and the board is tipped at a slight angle. The first woollybear to crawl to the finish line wins!

That day I got to hold a caterpillar. It’s been a long time since I held one. I highly recommend it. I had forgotten the amazing tickling sensation as its little legs grasped onto my hand as it moved. And I find something intriguing about the face of a caterpillar with those big black eyes.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get bogged down in just doing what needs to be done. I have the normal routine things, and then life throws extra stuff (sometimes good, sometimes bad) on top of it. I get so involved in living everyday life that I start to miss the little details that can bless me and my day. Something as simple as holding a caterpillar and being amazed at this little life was such a special moment. And what joy it was to watch my 2 and 4-year-old granddaughters learning to gently touch this fuzzy creature.

About a week ago my husband and I were taking the dog for a walk in the neighborhood. We have a lot of deer in the area so it isn’t unusual to see them, but this day stood out. We were walking down the sidewalk and glanced to the left. There, in a neighbor’s side yard, was a young buck standing perfectly still. He was maybe 30 feet away from us. His pose made him look so majestic. We really had to look twice because he looked too perfect. He looked like a yard decoration. When it dawned on us that he was real, we also realized we were probably too close, especially with a dog by our side. If we spooked him, he would probably run away from us, but we didn’t want to take the chance he would come toward us instead. Those antlers could really do some damage! I was bummed that I didn’t bring my phone with me so I missed getting a picture, but it was one of the moments that burned into my memory. 

A few days later I glanced out the sliding glass door at a bright red cardinal that had landed on top of the patio chair. I didn’t move to get my phone, afraid the movement would scare him off. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. His color alone was beautiful, but there was something about the shape of this particular cardinal. He was definitely well fed. His body was rounder than most cardinals I’ve seen. His shape was somehow humorous. This round, red bird looked, well . . . jolly.  It made me smile.

I don’t know why I was suddenly noticing these little blessings in nature, but I’m glad I did. Each experience was a little gift and a nudge to remember to see the beauty surrounding us every day. If you’re feeling bogged down or in a rut, don’t miss the little gift that might be right in front of you. Hoping for little blessings for each of you this week!

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Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis, you need to pick up Patti Callahan’s book Becoming Mrs. Lewis.  This historical fiction is based on many interviews and loads of research which enables Callahan to bring Joy Davidman’s experiences to life as she develops a long-term relationship with Lewis.

I have read books by CS (Jack)  Lewis (The Narnia books and The ScrewTape Letters, for example) and by JRR Tolkien (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series), but years ago when I found out they were friends, I was enchanted by the thought. These two giants in the literary world hung out together. They were in a writing group together called The Inklings.  And as the story goes, Tolkien helped lead Lewis to faith in Christ. After this, Lewis began to weave Christian themes and undertones into his writing. It has fascinated me for years how these two men could write such brilliant, fantastical stories with Christian themes and symbolism that has been and continues to be loved by both the secular and Christian worlds. Lewis is well known for his theological and philosophical writings, as well.

Although Becoming Mrs. Lewis mentions Tolkien and The Inklings, it is really the story of Joy Davidman. As a person with a similar conversion story as Lewis, she began writing letters to him. She also felt a literary connection to him since she was a published poet. Struggling in an abusive marriage and new to the Christian life, Joy sought counsel from Lewis. Her letters from America traveled across the ocean to Lewis at Oxford and he wrote back, gradually leading to a long-term pen-pal friendship.

Over many years Lewis continued to give her advice and encouragement, but he always kept his integrity. This life-long bachelor kept his feelings in check, only allowing his love to be philia (friendship/brotherly love). After many years when Joy’s circumstances changed and Lewis had the support of the Church of England, only then did he allow his feelings of eros (romantic love) to surface and they were married. For years there was a clear line he never crossed, often leaving Joy to wonder if the love she felt was only one-sided.

I applaud Patti Callahan’s success in writing this book. The amount of research she did truly made these two people come alive again. The love and respect readers have for Lewis will only be reinforced by seeing his continual integrity and kindness. As for Joy, we see a woman who endured many struggles with strength and courage during a time when society did not see a woman’s value. Additionally, we see how Lewis valued her and was influenced by her. Readers will realize that she greatly impacted Lewis to become the man we cherish today.

If this sounds like your kind of story, pick up a copy of Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan.

 

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Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs

 

I’ll admit it’s been a few years since I read a book by Susan Wiggs, and I’m so glad I rediscovered her. When she was on a book tour in our area last month, I attended so I could listen to her and hopefully pick up a few tips on getting into the business. I also picked up a couple of her novels including Map of the Heart.  I just finished it last night and I loved it!

Susan’s skill at storytelling is impressive. In Map of the Heart she seamlessly intertwines stories from two different generations. The first story surrounds Camille,  an American photographer who specializes in developing old film.  People  come to her to salvage the images on long forgotten film in canisters found in attics or film found in old cameras. When Finn, a college history professor, comes to her about some personal film, Camille is instantly attracted to him, but she struggles with moving on after being widowed five years earlier. Her teenage daughter is also struggling with an overprotective mom and school bullies.

Meanwhile Camille’s father receives some old family film from France.  The pictures lead Camille, her teenage daughter and Camille’s father to spend the summer in his hometown in France to research the parents he never knew. The lack of family resemblance in the photos make them question if his father truly was the tyrannical mayor, hated in the village because he was a Nazi collaborator during WWII, or if his father was someone totally unknown.

Finn, the history professor, returns to his teaching position in France. Along with his assistants, they help uncover the second storyline in the novel about Camille’s grandparents, Lisette and Didier. They learn that Lisette felt forced into marrying this Nazi collaborator, but she secretly helped the resistance. Is Camille’s father the son of Lisette and Didier as he had always believed? Or did an occupying Nazi soldier force himself on Lisette? Or is he the son of someone from the resistance or allied troops? Although revealing the past brings Camille and Finn closer together during their summer in France, what happens when she returns to America and he remains to teach in France?

I love these unique and yet relatable characters. Lisette’s story in a small worn-torn village occupied by Germans in WWII France was captivating. I’m not one to usually go for a war story, but this novel has such a nice balance of yesterday and today contrasting the problems faced by people in WWII versus now. The author in me kept thinking about the amount of research on WWII and France Susan must have done for this novel. Because of all the French cultural details, I wonder if she has a French background. Even though I don’t speak any French and know very little about France, the French words and traditions she included added interest and flavor.

I would recommend this book and  I will definitely read more by this author. The newest book by Susan Wiggs is The Oysterville Sewing Circle which tackles the topic of domestic violence. Susan says it isn’t about sewing. It’s about a support group for women who have experienced abuse. I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my “to read” list!

 

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Farewell Dear Dottie

My week began with taking a few moments to catch up on Facebook when I noticed a post from one of my favorite authors that I follow. I sat in shock as I realized the post was from her page, but it was written by her family. They were announcing that their dear mother and wife, Dorothea Benton Frank, had passed on Labor Day, September 2, 2019. Dottie, as her family, friends and fans called her, died after a brief battle with MDS, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a type of cancer much like leukemia. She was 67.

I was especially shocked since I had just been at a Meet and Greet event for Dottie in June as she promoted her latest book, “Queen Bee” which reached no. 2 on The New York Times best-seller list.  She seemed healthy then. At another author Meet and Greet event this week, many of those in attendance were saying the same thing and wondering if she even knew she was sick. It really reminds me how precious every day is when I see how quickly this illness took her.

Dottie was known for writing about the Lowcountry/Charleston area. Her writing would be categorized as women’s fiction and even “beach reads,” but the labels may not clearly identify the depth of her writing skill and style. Her first book, “Sullivan’s Island,” was semi-autobiographical. It debuted at no. 9 on The New York Times best-seller list. She was known to add another title approximately one per year having completed 20 books total. Some of the titles include: “Isle of Palms,” “Pawleys Island,” “Folly Beach,” “The Last Original Wife,” “By Invitation Only” and “Same Beach, Next Year.”

I love the story about Dottie’s childhood home on Sullivan’s Island. When her mother passed, the siblings wanted to sell the house. Dottie did not; however, she didn’t have the money to buy them out. At the time Dottie was a fashion buyer turned executive for a sportswear line. She announced, “I’m going to write a book and I’m going to sell a million copies and I’m going to buy Momma’s house back.” Her first book ,”Sullivan’s Island: A Lowcountry Tale,” was published in 1999 and sold more than one million copies. Although she could now afford to buy her mother’s house, it had already been sold. She and her husband bought another house on the island instead.

I’m grateful I got the chance to hear her speak. Authors truly pour their souls into their writing, but I get a whole new appreciation of the master storyteller when I meet one in person. I got a sense of her personality, a warmth and sweetness mixed with a bit of humorous Southern sass.

Although Dottie will live on through her beloved stories, I will miss reading new books by her. I think it will be time to go back and re-read the ones in my personal library soon.  If you haven’t read Dorothea Benton Frank, I think you should.

 

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Getting Organized – Recipes

One thing I realized as I was moving for the second time in two years – I have a lot of recipes! Do I use them? Not so much. Why? They are scattered everywhere! You know what I mean – recipes scribbled on tattered pieces of paper, ripped out of magazines, saved as photos on my phone, written on index cards in a recipe box, etc.  Whenever I think, “Oh, I’d like to make ________ ,” I can never find my recipe. Then I go online to look up a recipe for it only to find it isn’t quite what I’m looking for or I’m tweaking it anyways. I’ve decided to put an end to all that! I’m getting organized!

Sure it will take some time, but when I’m done, it will be great! When I want to make a certain recipe, it will be at my fingertips. If I don’t know what I want to make or I’m bored with meals, I can flip through to find inspiration or that recipe I’d forgotten about. (By the way, the picture above is only a sample of the mess I’m facing.)

So next was to decide HOW to organize it all.  Once before I made a recipe card template on the computer to type them all out.  I thought I’d put them in my recipe box but also have them saved digitally so I wouldn’t lose them. That didn’t last long. It was just tedious to get everything to fit on that small of a format.

I’ve searched the internet for solutions. Everyone has their favorite. Although I haven’t found one yet that did everything I hoped it would, I discovered a free app called Pepperplate. I can add recipes on my computer using a full sized screen and keyboard but access them on either the computer or my phone app.  I started using Pepperplate a few years ago, but I was just too busy to do much with it. Now I’m excited to try again.

Soon I will be able to share recipes with my daughter and future daughter-in-law. Next time they ask for a family recipe or a new idea, I can share it with them through Pepperplate. I can send it through email, Facebook or Twitter.  I can print it out in several formats.  If I want recipe cards, I can print those. Or I can print in a larger format to make a recipe book to give to family and friends. And I can pull up the recipe on my phone when I’m at the grocery store so I don’t forget an ingredient.

Have you organized your recipes? What format did you use? Did you use any tools or apps you like? Share! We’d all like to know! And if you haven’t organized them yet, it’s ok. That’s where most of us are!

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Childhood Career Dreams

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Was your dream to be a fire fighter, a doctor, a teacher? Did you want to build things, be your own boss, or save the environment?

I still chuckle when I remember my daughter’s preschool graduation. This group of 5 and 6-year-olds were asked what they wanted to do when they grew up.  After a lot of fireman, policeman, and doctor responses, my daughter’s quick, unrehearsed response was, “I want to be a paleontologist.”  The audience cracked up. When the teacher asked her what that meant, she knew. How does a 6 year old know what a paleontologist is?! Or even know how to pronounce that?! Over time her ambitions changed. In her teens she found her passion for martial arts. By age 21 she opened her own taekwondo school. She now has her fifth degree black belt and a very successful business. 

At one point in my childhood I wanted to be an archaeologist. I love history, especially ancient history. The idea of being in an exotic place digging in ruins looking for lost artifacts sounded exciting and fulfilling. I wanted to brush dirt and sand away to uncover pottery or bones that haven’t seen the light of day for centuries.  It seemed like an intellectual puzzle. I wanted to do the research to determine where to dig. Then, discovering pieces of the past would be the prize for persistence. These discoveries from an ancient civilization would also bring wonder – of who these people were and how they lived.

Petra, Jordan – Photo by Reiseuhu on Unsplash

In my teens, I thought about the reality of living and working on site as an archaeologist.  Ruins in a place like Egypt would mean dusty, hot, sweaty work with no running water but plenty of scorpions. Ruins in the rain forest would be hot, humid, sweaty work with no running water but plenty of snakes.  This job would probably include living in a tent for months (or maybe even years). Keep in mind this was all before the Indiana Jones movies romanticized the whole field. Archaeology didn’t seem so wonderful to me anymore. And I realized that I wanted to have a family someday and this career didn’t seem conducive to family life.

I also toyed with the idea of becoming a writer. I could write about exotic places and research any topic I had interest in. I could write about the distant past, the possibilities of the future or anywhere in between. I could teach others about real people and places or help them escape into a world I totally made up. But I feared writing wasn’t a stable enough career to help support my future family. Would I be able to sell books or articles consistently enough to bring in a regular paycheck?

With my love of reading and writing, I decided to become an English teacher. I got paid to study and teach wonderful literature and hone my craft in writing while coaching others to write better.  I had the privilege of working with junior high and high school students and watching them mature. I had the joy of seeing those “ah-ha” moments when the light bulb went on for them. And I loved challenging myself, including when I took on rebuilding a video production program at the high school. But the idea of becoming a professional writer was always at the back of my mind. I loved so many aspects of my thirty year teaching career, but retirement meant an opportunity to finally pursue my dream of being a writer.

So what did you want to be when you were a kid? What did you end up doing?  Do you have other career dreams and goals you still work on during your free time or hope to get back to some day? Please share!

 

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Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Meeting Mary Kay Andrews

Put Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews on your reading list even though the summer is coming to an end.  It isn’t about lounging around on the sand and it’s not a romance on the beach. It is about a young woman, Drue, moving past tough experiences in life to create new possibilities while helping others and finding justice. 

After Drue’s mother dies, she finds herself in a tough spot in life. She decides to move back to her hometown and take a job at her father’s  law firm even though he hasn’t been a part of her life since she was 15. Drue learns that she inherited her grandparents beach house, but it’s in rough shape.

While fixing the place up, Drue finds newspaper clippings and a police file from the ’70’s on a missing person case that was never solved. Her curiosity is piqued about both the missing woman and her family’s connection to it. Meanwhile, a disgruntled woman visits the law office wanting to see Drue’s father. The woman’s daughter was killed while housekeeping at an area hotel. Although Drue’s father won the case, he wasn’t able to get much money. The hotel claimed the daughter was killed while working which made it a workman’s comp case with a cap of $150,000 for a settlement. The woman is struggling financially to raise her granddaughter and can’t get to the money until the child turns 18. Drue feels the settlement is ridiculously low and wonders what can be done to help the woman and her granddaughter. Without her father’s knowledge, she begins to investigate both situations.

After reading so many beach romances, I found this book refreshing. Even with the murder mystery, it is still a light read, not the kind of story that keeps you awake a night. The characters and plot kept me engaged.  I enjoyed a strong female character who took chances while investigating. Sometimes her curiosity put her in danger, but her motive was always to help someone.  I enjoyed it enough that I will definitely read more books by Mary Kay Andrews.

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Summer’s Almost Gone

Photography by Daria

I can hardly believe it will be August tomorrow. As people always say, where has the summer gone?  I’ve had a busy summer so I haven’t blogged recently. If your summer has been as busy, you probably haven’t missed them! I know the reasons for not blogging are really all excuses, but time slips through our fingers.  

We bought a house, moved, and sold a house. That says a lot right there! The packing, unpacking, finding the perfect spot for most things, weeding out what needs to go (Does it bring me joy, Marie Kondo?), painting walls, rehanging pictures, filling in all those little things that the new house needs . . . , it all takes time and energy. Then add those things we really want to do like enjoying our grandchildren, attending family events, being available to help loved ones,  spending time together as a couple to keep our marriage strong, going to craft/art shows, catching up on the new season of Stranger Things on Netflix, etc. (There are priorities, of course!) Then add all the things you have to do: bill paying, doctor/dentist visits, yard maintenance – you know the list.

We are mostly settled now, but as we approach August we want to soak up as much of summer as we can while it’s still here. I hope for more walks at the beach, swims in the community pool, picnics with friends/family, outdoor fun with the grandkids and games of corn hole in the backyard. 

If your summer has flown by, take time to evaluate what you haven’t been doing (or doing enough of) to enjoy the season while it’s here. Then make time to do it! Schedule it! We all know what’s around the corner.  Share with me what’s on your list.

Until next time!

Robin

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Author Sighting – Mary Kay Andrews

As an aspiring author, I am always looking for opportunities to meet and listen to people who have been successful in their writing careers.  Recently I went to a meet and greet for Mary Kay Andrews, a NY Times bestselling author. She has published 26 novels including The Weekenders, The High Tide Club, Hissy Fit and her newest novel that just hit #5 on the NY Times Best Sellers List, Sunset Beach.

How fun to meet the person behind the books you read! I loved listening to Mary Kay (Kathy Hogan Trocheck) talk about what sparked the idea for a plot or a character, how she chose character names, what her writing routine is like, and why she’s made certain choices in her writing style.

It is always a pleasure to hear authors speak. Over the years I have been  blessed to hear Elin Hilderbrand, James Dashner, Mary Higgins Clark, John Berendt . . . and now Mary Kay Andrews. Later this summer I’m excited to hear Jane Green and Dorothea Benton Frank.

Each time I meet a successful author, I’m reminded that he/she is a regular person like me. It reinforces that I can publish my book, too! I just have to have patience and persistence.

Watch for my review of Mary Kay Andrew’s Sunset Beach coming soon.

Hugs to you all!

Robin

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Moving Time!

I can hardly believe it, but it’s true. My husband and I are moving . . . again!

It seems so surreal since we moved to Avon Lake only a year and a half ago. Before that, we raised our kids in a house where we lived for 18 years in the same town where I grew up.  Like many parents, once our kids left the nest,  moving to Florida was tempting, but we decided to move closer to our daughter and her family. Yes, the grandkids won out.

We found a great house in a great location, half a block from the lake. We spent the next year making it our own. It was my chance to decorate our house with a coastal vibe. We painted every room, replaced windows and a furnace, laid new flooring with a reclaimed look, and tweaked every nook and cranny. It is a cute lake cottage home, if I do say so myself.

But, as we lived in it, we realized it wasn’t quite the right house for us. When family visits, it’s cramped. We are used to more square footage and a more open floor plan. My husband doesn’t have a workshop space here for his crafting business. He creates home decor out of driftwood. He’s so talented and creative! (Search Lakeshore Treasure Decor on Facebook.) 

He tries to use space in the laundry room, but that doesn’t work well when the sawdust starts to fly! And my years of standing all day while teaching have taken a toll on my knees, but we bought a house with the laundry room in the basement. Huh. We considered adding on but discovered it made more financial sense to look for a house with more of what we needed.  Long story short, after only a year and a half in our cute lake cottage, we are moving to another house in the same town. Here we go packing up again – hopefully for the last time!

Before we move into the new house, we’ve started painting inside it. My husband and I are a great team when it comes to painting rooms. I’m the one who trims the room. I like trimming. I have a steady hand to paint straight lines up at the ceiling. My husband always rolls the walls. After painting, we plan to update the flooring. Although we’re not looking forward to all this work again, we are looking forward to making this new house our home. And we’re hoping to sell our current house soon.

With our hands covered in paint right now, it made me wonder – do you enjoy painting your rooms? What are your color pallets? Are you the roller or the trimmer? Do you have any memorable moments while painting to share? I’d love to hear from you all!

 

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Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is one of my go-to authors. Most of Hilderbrand’s stories take place in the Nantucket area where she lives. However, when I attended an author series presented by the Cuyahoga Public Libraries last fall, I was excited to hear her speak about her new series that would take place in St. John (USVI). If spring weather isn’t coming fast enough for you, try escaping to St John for awhile in her first book in the series, Winter in Paradise.

Irene discovers that her husband Russell has died in a helicopter accident while away on “business” in St. John. When she and her adult sons arrive in St. John, they uncover that he was living a secret second life there. Russell owned a $15 million villa and had a long-time lover (Rosie) who was also killed in the crash. We learn about Russell through the people he impacted on the island including Huck (Rosie’s step-father), Ayers (Rosie’s best friend) and Maia (Rosie’s daughter). The way Irene’s family becomes entangled with Rosie’s family makes for interesting relationships.

Although Irene has been living a life of wealth, readers may think it is unrealistic that Russell could have hidden a $15 million villa and another family.  However, suspicions arise concerning both the helicopter crash and what Russell was actually doing for a living. The villa had been cleaned out of any personal items before Irene arrived and the company Russell worked for has disconnected their phone and taken down their website.

Readers will want to read the next book to find out what Russell was involved in and whether or not the crash was an accident, but they will also be excited to spend more time with fun and unique characters in the Virgin Islands. I give it a thumbs up!

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Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole

Hi everyone! In my last post I shared part of my journey to pinpoint the genre term publishers and agents might use to describe the book I’ve written, The Lighthouse Legacy. ( In case you wondered, I concluded it is upmarket fiction with a crossover to the women’s fiction market.)

Anyhoo – while researching, I came across a book that has romance using a male protagonist, like my novel. (Not a common thing, apparently). It isn’t chick lit ( a real publisher term, by the way) and it isn’t women’s fiction (because of the male protagonist).  Sebastian Cole, the author, labels Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love as romance fantasy (as in events happen outside our idea of reality, not as in “sexy”). Ok, so it doesn’t match my novel’s genre, but I had to read it to find that out. I’m glad I did.  I still think about the characters months after reading the book.

This story is told in retrospect by an 80-year-old Noah to Josh, a hospital orderly. (Yes, I believe the character is meant as a nod to Nicholas Sparks’s Noah in The Notebook.) In his 30’s, Noah seems to have everything a person could want – a nice car, a secure, well-paying job in his father’s company, and a great beach house. What Noah doesn’t have is his soul mate.

When he meets Robin, he is enticed by her free spirit. His parents, however, don’t see her as a good fit, so they exercise their strong control over his life by threatening his future in the family business. Due to both his inability to break away from his parents’ control and Robin’s own issues with staying in a relationship, they find each other and lose each other several times. In time he discovers that Robin’s issues revolve around a childhood trauma which brought on Borderline Personality Disorder.  All his attempts to fix their relationship fail. Although he loves Robin, he realizes it’s time to move on with his life. Just as Noah is preparing to marry Sarah, a woman who is more his friend than soul mate, Robin arrives at the church to interrupt the wedding.

Robin could be too late to save their relationship. Besides his fiance waiting at the altar, Noah must also consider his position in the family business. Sarah is the safe option. Which road will he choose and can he find true happiness in his decision?

The end of the story returns to 80-year-old Noah as he continues to tell his story to Josh in the hospital. All the people he has loved are standing around his death bed, so we still don’t know what choice Noah made on that wedding day. The author gradually reveals the choice. As a reader, I felt content with the ending.

I loved the story and the characters, but occasionally the time period of the scene or the organization of the story was confusing. The symbolism also seemed a bit heavy-handed. While the story is original, at times I felt it pulled ideas from The Notebook too much.  Having said that, Cole’s character of Noah has stayed with me. He felt like a friend I didn’t want to say goodbye to.

Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole has earned several awards. In 2012  ForeWard Reviews Book of the Year named it their bronze winner, Feathered Quill Book Awards awarded Sand Dollar as their silver winner, and it was a USA Best Book Awards finalist, just to name a few. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

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The Genre Game

Hi Shells! Thanks for opening my post today. I hope you are enjoying my blogs. Please share with your friends and family. The more, the merrier! Anyone can go to robinshelley.com and sign up to get my blog sent directly to their email box. Your support is much appreciated!

Over the last few years I’ve been learning about the publishing world so I can make an educated plan of attack to get my book published. To publish in the traditional way (not self-publish), I need to find an agent who believes in  my writing and my book. When approaching agents, one thing they want to know is the book’s genre. That sounds like an easy request, but not all novels are cut and dry. It’s actually a deeper topic than it first appears for identifying my novel, The Lighthouse Legacy.

Let’s start analyzing:  It’s fiction. That’s easy. It has romance in it, but it isn’t a romance book. Still, women readers will be attracted to this story which includes romance. The protagonist strives to overcome his past to become a better person because of the woman he’s falling for. Ahhh, it must be women’s fiction, right? Wrong. Apparently this isn’t the normal formula for women’s fiction. People in the industry argue that women’s fiction must have a female protagonist. Go figure!

Ok, well . . . The Lighthouse Legacy centers around Ryan, a male protagonist, who must break a family cycle to find success in love again. It’s his journey, and yet this multi-generational story is so much more. Ryan arrives in Port Morgan to learn about his grandfather who was a lighthouse keeper there. Through his interest in his family’s past, Ryan meets Kate, a shop owner and local history junkie. She discovers a journal written by Ryan’s grandfather. As they follow up on stories in the journal, Kate and Ryan build a relationship. Together they investigate unanswered questions about a moonshine rivalry during prohibition, his grandfather’s death, and an antique necklace. Meanwhile, when a rich developer wants to force Kate out of business, Ryan tries to fix the situation for her. Plenty for both women and men to enjoy!

During my research to identify the genre, I kept believing my novel was women’s fiction. I went looking for well-written and well-received books that would prove that women’s fiction can have a male protagonist. That’s how I stumbled upon Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole. Unfortunately he doesn’t label his book as women’s fiction. He considers his book romantic fantasy. So does that mean my novel is romantic reality? Is there such a genre? Silly, right? It just shows how hard it is to wrap my head around this genre debate.

After reading Sand Dollar and writing The Lighthouse Legacy, I don’t see why male protagonists aren’t in more stories with romantic elements. A male character can be strong while also having a vulnerable side due to love. After all, isn’t that what women are looking for in a mate?

Yes, the industry looks for a female protagonist for women’s fiction, but I continue to wonder why it can’t include male protagonists who are made better by a good woman. Don’t most women think their guy is a better man because of her influence in his life? Wouldn’t women want to read about a man who overcomes for his woman?

 What do you think? Can women’s fiction have a male protagonist?  Would that turn you off or doesn’t it matter to you? Let me know your thoughts.

Finally, after much deliberation, I’ve decided my book isn’t women’s fiction.  Nope. It’s upmarket fiction with a crossover to the women’s fiction market (at least until someone in the industry tells me otherwise!)  Upmarket novels lie somewhere between the commercial and literary genres. These books appeal to readers who want a high quality and complexity of writing but also look for strong characters and plot. 

Okay, I’ll stop my ranting now.  But since I read it for research, my next post will be the book review of Sand Dollar: A Story of Undying Love by Sebastian Cole. Look for it coming to your email box soon!

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Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

Hi my shells! Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to hang out with me.

Photo courtesy of IslandLifeNC.com

I hope you caught my last post on the Kindred Spirit mailbox located in the middle of nowhere on a North Carolina beach. People leave stories from their lives there for others to discover. (If you missed it, I hope you will look back in your email or go to the blog page on robinshelley.com to read it.)

I first became aware of this intriguing mailbox when I read Nicholas Sparks’s newest novel Every Breath, released in October of 2018. Sparks uses this very real mailbox as an important part of his fictional story. With a unique narration, Sparks puts himself into the novel creating a frame story (a story inside a story). The novel begins with Sparks (as the narrator) finding the mailbox which contains a large envelope. Inside is a story that piques his interest. As the narrator, Sparks tells us he felt compelled to research the story which takes us back into the 1990’s to meet our characters, Hope and Tru.

Hope Anderson is spending a week at the family beach house before it gets sold, trying to work through some emotional issues in her life. Her long-term relationship isn’t headed any closer to a marriage proposal and her father has been diagnosed with ALS. 

Tru Walls, born and raised in Zimbabwe, makes a career out of being a safari guide. When he receives a letter from the father he never knew, he travels to North Carolina to meet him.

Tru and Hope end up in side-by-side beach houses. It doesn’t take long for them to meet and for the “sparks” to fly. The problem is to figure out how to make a relationship work when they live on different continents and both have obligations at home. The fairy tale beach romance gets overshadowed by reality. Hard choices are made putting family ahead of personal happiness. The story jumps to 2014 when they meet again.  Is it too late for Hope and Tru to find their personal happiness with each other? I can’t tell you more or it will spoil the book for you!  Just read it yourself.

Personally, I would have liked more scenes in Africa and more development of Tru’s relationship with his father. After all, Tru came all the way from Zimbabwe to the United States to meet him. It also bothers me that Hope and Tru fall so deeply in love in a matter of days, but that’s part of the formula. I’m able to set that aside while reading so I can enjoy an otherwise well-written story.  

The last Nicholas Sparks book I reviewed, Two By Two, disappointed me because it didn’t fit the brand Sparks has developed. It wasn’t the love story we’ve come to expect from him. However, with Every Breath, Sparks has found his way back to telling a love story like previous ones loved by so many. There will always be people who don’t like the formula he follows.  For others, it’s just what they crave. All I can say is it seems to work for him. I TRU-ly enjoyed Every Breath and give it a 4.8 on a 5 star rating.  If this is your kind of book, I HOPE you will pick it up and give it a try. Keep on reading!

 

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Kindred Spirit Mailbox

Hi shells! My last post was about the Arctic Blast that came through, and since I’m sure many of us are fighting the mid-winter blues, today let’s turn to warmer thoughts.

The shores of North Carolina have a lot to offer.  Wonderful beaches, fun water sports, interesting wildlife, dazzling sunsets, warm weather, and an intriguing mailbox. Yes, a mailbox that is intriguing. On Bird Island near Sunset Beach but off the beaten path about a mile and a half walk from anywhere, this lonely mailbox pops out of the dunes. The lettering on the outside of the box simply says Kindred Spirit. As its location and purpose have become more well-known, it has become a destination for visitors of the area.

Photo courtesy of IslandLifeNC.com

The peaceful walk along the shore may put you in a contemplative mood, readying you for what the mailbox provides. Open the box and you will find notebooks written in by many visitors.  Strangers share private reflections on their lives and their loves, successes and failures, hopes and dreams, and mainly what they are thankful for.   Many write in the notebooks left in the mailbox. Others bring their thoughts already written down to leave in the box. Visitors leave cards, photos, and items – from baby toys to old jewelry. Go ahead. Sit on the bench for a spell and read what others have written or contribute your own thoughts, stories, or poems.

Yes, please. I just convinced myself. I want to go. What a wonderful way to slow down in life and reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. It’s a place to relax, to think, to pray even. But how did it get there? No one knew until recently. Continue reading “Kindred Spirit Mailbox”

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Brrr!

What’s with this weather? I live in northeast Ohio near Lake Erie. Granted, I expect cold winters with snow, but this week we were colder than Alaska! Seriously. We were. Temperatures were below zero and the wind chill was -35 here. I love living in Ohio and being near the lake. I’ve endured living in the snow belt for many, many years, but I didn’t sign up for this kind of cold! Sorry, winter lovers.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

While I tried to stay inside wrapped up in blankets as much as possible, I was amused by what others were doing out in this cold. I’m not talking the typical winter activities of building a snowman or going skiing or sledding. I’m talking about truly creative uses of this extreme cold. (By the way, whatever you do in this cold, don’t forget how dangerous it can be! Stay safe.)

So here’s one example: Have you ever tried to make your own snow? People have been throwing near boiling water from a pot into the air outside in these frigid temps. It immediately turns to snow. It’s awesome to watch! Search for it on YouTube. Just make sure it is truly cold enough if you try it. Safety here. It is HOT water.

Another creative example I saw this year is a new fad. Have you heard of the frozen pants challenge? Well, I guess it’s not new new, but it was new to me. People are soaking their pants in water and taking them outside (not while wearing them, duh). As the pants begin to freeze, they sculpt them to make them look like someone is wearing them – posing them in different positions and in interesting locations. Some have taken it to the next level with freezing police uniforms, karate uniforms, and complete tuxedos. I loved the pants family – it included the dad jeans, mom jeans, and two children-sized jeans. I didn’t want to use a photo without permission on my blog, so you’ll just have to check it out yourself. It’ll give you something to do since you’re already on the internet. Gotta love the search bar!

By the way, it’s supposed to be 50 degrees on Monday. I’m sure somebody will have on their shorts and flip flops.

 

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How ya doin’?

Image by Lynn Greyling – CCO Public Domain

Hello to all my shells! That’s you – all of my blog followers. It’s how I refer to all of you. With my last name being Shelley, it just works. When I was teaching video production to high school students, I called my personal production company Shells in the Sand. So now, as my media platform has changed to blogging and writing novels, you have become part of my shell world. I love it because each shell is a unique and beautiful work of art, just like each of you. Thanks for hanging with me, and welcome to my new shells! Nine new shells joined us this week! Thank you to everyone for spreading the word and sharing my blog with your friends and family.

My last post was about new year’s resolutions and how we all struggle to keep them. I shared with you my take on it for this year.  I developed my vision for the year and my mission – a plan of attack by taking small steps each month. Now that it’s February 1st, it’s time for me to look back at January and see how I did.

I’m pleased with my progress so far. I admit I didn’t exactly complete the plan for the month, but I took care of some other “to do” items that still lead to the end vision. My goal for January was to create a list of 50 potential agents for my book and to revise my query letter. I do have the agent list ready, but I didn’t get to the query letter. I already have a good one prepared, but it never hurts to make it better. That’s on my “to do” list for next week. Looking at February’s goals, my plan is to start sending query letters to agents (at least 10 per month). I also planned to write/revise a long and short summary of the novel for agents who may request it. Here’s where I’m ahead a bit. In January, I decided to do another revision of the novel. As I went through page by page, I also took notes that will become the summaries. All I have to do is revise them this month. So in January I didn’t get to the query letter, but I did get a lot done on February’s summaries.

That’s what I like about doing my resolution this way. There’s flexibility. It takes the pressure off . It gives me breathing room. It isn’t so black and white – either I succeeded or I failed. Instead, I continue to simply make progress toward the vision.

So how ya doin’ with your goals? Take time to look at how you did in January and what you want to do in February. And if you didn’t develop a vision and a mission, it’s not too late. Check out my blog from January to help get you jump started. Make it a productive 2019! You can do it!

 

 

 

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Here’s to Success in 2019!

Did you miss me? I hope all of you experienced love and joy throughout the holiday season. I took off some time to celebrate and to enjoy family, but now the new year is here and it’s time to get back into a routine.

Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

Have you noticed how we get inundated with ads for fitness equipment, gyms and diet plans every January?  It’s so predictable. With the start of a new year, many of us think about new starts.  We refocus our energies on whatever we want to improve about ourselves that we missed the mark on last year. We might want to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, or we may want to work on our organizational skills, a career goal, or our relationships. According to U.S. News, approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. That doesn’t give us the motivation to even try!

Perhaps part of the problem is that our resolutions are too vague .  Instead of resolving to lose weight, a more successful resolution may be to pick a specific amount of weight so you know exactly what your mark is.  Perhaps we fail when we make goals that are too big.  Instead of making it a big goal for the year, like losing 50 pounds in 2019, how about making smaller goals? Try setting a goal like this: I will lose 10 pounds in the next three months. Or I will limit my fast food intake to once per month. Or I will get my fancy, high calorie, drive-thru coffee only once per week instead of every day. Perhaps we fail because we make resolutions without a plan to get there. Saying what you want to improve doesn’t mean you’ve thought through the steps necessary to be successful.

Among other things, I want to focus on career goals this year. Instead of making a resolution, I’m going to take a different approach.  First, I’ve taken time to develop my vision – I’ve looked at the big picture of what I want to accomplish. It may take more than this year to get there, but I have to start by seeing the long-term vision and then take the first step forward. Break the vision into specific smaller goals  that need to happen to get to the finish line.

For example, my vision is to get my book traditionally published. I’ve already done some steps toward getting there, like making sure my book is the best it can be, researching the publishing business, writing a query letter, researching agents, starting this website/blog, and so on. But at this point in my journey, the specific step I need to take is to find an agent that is a good fit for me and this book. So how do I do this? That becomes the mission.  I create a specific plan of attack. Looking at each goal in your vision, develop a strategy of what you are going to do to achieve that goal.

I set some goals by month. In January I have a goal to create a list of at least 50 people I think are potential agents for this book. Another goal is to revise my query letter, again. Starting in February,  I will send out at least 10 query letters per month. In February I will also write/revise a long and a short summary of the book since some agents will request one or the other. In March l will continue sending query letters and responding to requests to see my manuscript. January through March I will also start processing the next book idea in my head and do some basic outlining. April will be the month that I start to seriously write my first draft of a new book. No, that’s too vague. Let’s set the goal to write at least 25 pages of the new book by the end of April. Also at the end of April, I will evaluate how well I’m reaching these small goals and revise if necessary. If you’ve noticed, the mission gives you boxes to check as you progress. Re-evaluating every four months (in April and again in August) and setting goals for the next four months will make this an achievable process rather than a failed resolution. The point is to keep moving forward.  That in itself is success.

Do you have a vision for this year?  If so, have you made a plan to get there?  If not, this is your mission if you choose to accept it.  With a plan in place, the success of your mission is possible.

 

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What’s your favorite holiday song?

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

Hi everyone! I’m back. Sorry I’ve been away so long, but there is so much to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m sure you’re right there with me. Balancing life during the holidays so I still have time to write gets tricky. I didn’t forget about you guys!

As busy as it is, Christmas is my favorite time of the year so I thought I’d throw out a fun question. What is your favorite holiday song? I know there’s been a lot of controversy over some holiday songs lately, but I’d rather not dwell on controversy. Just simply – what is your favorite holiday song?

For me, some of my favorite songs must be sung by a certain performer. I love Nat King Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” “(I’m Dreaming of a) White Christmas” has to be sung by Bing Crosby. Also at the top of my list is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as only Karen Carpenter can sing it. But throughout the season and especially on Christmas Eve, it doesn’t feel like Christmas without the traditional “Oh Holy Night.” Josh Groban does a great version.

Merry Christmas and peace to all of you and your families! I hope you make time in the busyness to really enjoy the season and reflect on the reason for the season.

Don’t forget. While you’re here, please post a comment and let me know what your favorite songs are!

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It’s a wish minute!

Photo by Hayley Seibel on Unsplash

I don’t consider myself a superstitious person, but some of those childhood games/traditions have stuck with me.  Our family still fights over who gets to yank on the wishbone after Thanksgiving each year.  If I see a penny on the ground facing up, I will reach down to pick it up. Yes, it must be facing up. I will take a quick minute to see if that four-leaf clover is right at my feet.  And yet I don’t count on these things to make or break my day…or month…or year. They’re just superstition.

And then there is the wish minute.  When I glance at a digital clock or my phone and the hour and the minutes are all the same number (like 3:33), I immediately think – wish minute!  As a child I was told that if I made a wish during that exact minute, it would come true.

Just the other day I noticed the clock at a wish minute, but somewhere along the line I’d changed the rules to my wish minute game.  I don’t know when I started doing this, but whenever I see a wish minute, instead of wishing, I send up a prayer for someone.  Whoever comes to mind first gets my “wish prayer.”  This most recent time my niece was on my mind since she just had a birthday.  So Sara, that one was for you!

So why a “wish prayer”? I think I wanted my special wishes to have greater meaning, to be directed to a higher power that can actually act on them, and to be less egocentric. It’s one more way to remind me throughout the day to lift others in prayer.

So what time does your clock say right now?  Could it be your wish minute?

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Welcome to my dream team!

Hi friends! Welcome to all my new blog followers! Like stores sometimes do a soft opening before opening to the public, I did a soft start of my website and blog this summer. You might call this past week my hard opening.  It was an exciting step for me as I invited all my Facebook friends to come along for the ride. I had an overwhelming response!  It truly blessed me to see such an outpouring from friends willing to take a moment out of their busy lives to sign up for my blog. And if you’ve been with me since the beginning, welcome back! Thank you all for supporting me as I work toward a dream of being a published author.

I hope you got a chance to look around on the website (robinshelley.com) while you were signing up for the blog.  Feel free to check out earlier blog posts you may have missed.  You can also peek at the story line of my first book, The Lighthouse Legacy. Hopefully it will get you excited about following my journey to get it published.  I’m excited to get it out there for all of you to enjoy!

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Unsplash

Although I could go the self-publishing route, I prefer to connect with traditional publishers. That is one long road to walk.  Let me give you a glimpse into the world of traditional publishing and my journey ahead. 

Completing a novel was only the start. I realized that if I wanted people to enjoy it, I had to learn how the publishing industry works. Now I’m putting that knowledge to work.

I am currently focusing on finding a literary agent that is as excited about The Lighthouse Legacy as I am.  It takes a lot of research to find the right agents to approach.  I email query letters including sample pages and then I wait. Patience and persistence are key.  Agents can get hundreds of these emails each week.  Therefore, my letter and the story has to catch their attention.  It’s about persistence to find that special agent who emotionally connects with the story and sees its potential. 

Here’s where you come in.  If an agent has some interest, he/she will likely look to see if I have a social media presence.  Seeing my website, reading the blog and noting the number of followers I have may sway them to invest more time in my book by asking to see the whole manuscript.  When an agent asks for the manuscript, it may take weeks or even months for him/her to find the time to read it.  If an agent decides to take on my project, then we discuss representation.  If we agree that we want to work together, then the agent begins searching for a publisher for the book. 

When a publisher buys the book, it still goes through more preparation before it’s printed, marketed and distributed, taking another year or two to hit the store shelves.  Now when I pick up a book at a store, I appreciate all the time and work it represents by a whole team of people.

So, if you ask me how the book’s going, I’ll probably say, “It’s going.”  It just means I’m working through the process, being patient and persistent, and dreaming up ideas for the next book!  I’ll let you all know when I have any big news. Meanwhile it helps keep me encouraged knowing you’re all out there cheering me on!  Thank you! Don’t forget to comment on posts that interest you. And please – tell your friends.  The more, the merrier!

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What are your favorite movies?

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

An interesting question was posted on Facebook the other day. It said something like this:  What movies have you watched more than five times and still enjoy watching? I’m a big movie fan so this got me thinking.

I first thought, what movie was my favorite as a child? Keep in mind that when I was a child, it was a big deal to go the movies. We didn’t have DVDs or Blu-Ray to watch our favorite movies over and over again. We couldn’t DVR shows on TV to watch again or watch later at our convenience. We couldn’t even pause a show to go to the bathroom. We ran for it during commercials and did our thing as quickly as we could so we wouldn’t miss when the show returned.  Our choices were to either watch what was on TV when it aired (from four available channels) or go to the movie theater. And that was always a special occasion. So my favorite movie as a child was The Three Lives of Thomasina, a non-animated Disney movie. If memory serves me right, it was told from the perspective of the girl’s cat. It was a sweet, feel good movie. I’m sure if we had VHS back then, I would have worn out the tape.

As an adult, it’s so hard to pick my top five or even my top ten favorite movies.Some movies are amazing because of the story telling and sometimes the brilliant twists. (If I had to bet on it, I’d bet most authors are movie lovers. It’s just another way to tell a great story but with the use of other tools. Often when I’m writing, I find myself visualizing my story in a movie format. It helps make the story and characters come alive for me.) Other favorite movies are because of the cinematography. Other times it’s a character or situation that resonates with me. Then there’s the addition of the music, the location, the lighting….Usually it’s a combination of reasons.

Even though I’m a big fan of movies, somehow I’m not a big fan of the movies picked by critics. I just like certain movies because I like them. It’s a personal thing. So listed below are some of my favorites (in no particular order), although if you asked me next week, some of my choices would probably be different. I’m sure there’s some I’ve missed, those movies that will come to mind as soon as I post this. If you haven’t seen some of these, check them out! Let me know what you think. And, tell me, what are your favorite movies?

 

The Shawshank Redemption

 

 

 

Inception

 

 

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

 

 

 

Message in a Bottle

 

 

 

Under the Tuscan Sun

 

 

 

Vantage Point

 

 

 

The Tourist

 

 

 

The Illusionist

 

 

 

Legends of the Fall

 

 

 

The Postman

 

*The movies, characters, artwork and such are the properties of their respective studios.

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Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks

Do you have a favorite author?  For me, it’s Nicholas Sparks. If you don’t know who he is, which I find hard to imagine, perhaps it will ring a bell if you hear some of his titles, several which have been made into movies. He wrote A Walk to Remember, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, The Last Song, Message in a Bottle, Safe Haven, and the iconic The Notebook, just to name a few. He is usually thought of as an author of romance with tragic elements. He was my inspiration to start writing novels.

I just finished his latest book Two By Two. As much as I want to give it 5 stars, I can only give it 3.5. It was definitely worth the time to read it; however, Spark’s heartache from his own divorce understandably appears to be leaking into his writing. If you are looking for the typical Nicholas Sparks love story, this isn’t it. You might call it an anti-romance. Yet, I found the development of the main character interesting.

Through a large part of the novel (probably too much) we see the slow disintegration of a marriage. Russ is a people-pleaser. His wife Vivian manipulates him to the point that he becomes a non-entity in the relationship. When she leaves him, he struggles with his self-worth. He is overwhelmed by the divorce, his new role as a single parent and getting his new business up and running. Through these experiences and with the support of loved ones, Russ grows into a stronger man.

At first I thought it was strange that Sparks would write a book about a failing marriage. He’s supposed to write about romance, right?  And yet, it works. Readers feel for Russ as he goes from drowning in a nasty divorce to gasping Continue reading “Two By Two by Nicholas Sparks”

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Bucket List

Recently my brother and sister-in-law had a stroke of luck at a pro soccer game. Picked as the “Fans of the Game,” jetBlue gave them tickets to go anywhere they fly – for free!  Congratulations, Bob and Sue!

It got me thinking, if I could go anywhere in the world, where would I pick?  My first thought goes to anywhere warm with a beach and turquoise water. The beach is definitely my “go-to” happy place. Thoughts of Aruba, Jamaica, Tahiti, and Fiji flash through my head. (The list reminds me of Kokomo, the Beach Boys’ song!)  Let me soak in the sun with a piña colada in my hand or stoop for shells along the beach, and I’d be happy. I’ve done the Florida thing many times (love Sanibel Island!) and I’ve been in the Caribbean a few times. However, beyond the beach, I also enjoy immersing myself in the culture and history of a new place. I’ve had the pleasure of trekking through the Mayan ruins of Tulum and walking the Great Wall of China. I’m always up for trying out somewhere new.

Then I think of my bucket list. My husband and I have always wanted to Continue reading “Bucket List”

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Writing Inspiration Box

Do you tear pages out of magazines or newspapers?  With articles, pictures, quotes and project ideas piled everywhere, I wondered why I bothered. Would I ever look at them again?  I mean, really. They pile up in every room. Mixed in with my writing inspiration were clippings for craft projects, information on travel destinations I hope to see some day, pictures of rooms that inspire me to redecorate, and so on. It was a jumbled mess. And I’m certainly not going to sift through piles of this stuff when I need inspiration.

Then I got the idea for my writing inspiration box. First I bought a small pack of pretty folders. I labeled the obvious topics on them:  Décor, Travel, Recipes, etc. I gathered up all my piles and began sorting. Some things went directly to the trash. I’d already tried it, it was outdated, or my tastes had simply changed. I set the writing inspirational clippings together in a different pile since I noticed most of these were small. I had a different idea for them.

Continue reading “Writing Inspiration Box”

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Reflections on a Garage Sale

Last weekend I brought a few things to my daughter’s house for our garage sale (or tag sale, depending on where you live). I didn’t have much to add since I purged my house just before our move last December. Still, when you move into a new place, not everything “fits.” Maybe a piece doesn’t fit the new space or it’s out of place with the new décor. After all, moving to a new home is the perfect opportunity to change things up a bit. So, into the sale they go!

Looking around the house for garage sale items usually means cleaning out those closets, searching through drawers, and finding boxes stashed away in the basement or garage. It always amazes me how I can find a bunch of things for the sale, and the next day when I walk by the same spot, I find more. It reminds me of editing a novel. No matter how many times I revise, I can always find something else to edit the next time. (Yes, I did just make a correlation between the writing process and garage sales. Impressed?)

Editing is an age-old problem of writers:  It isn’t the fun part. It has to be done. But when is it enough? How many times do you need to edit a Continue reading “Reflections on a Garage Sale”

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The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2018 

Reading goes hand-in-hand with writing.  Writers need to be reading.  So in between writing, researching how to get published, building my social network/platform, and living life, I still find time to read.

I just finished The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand which I would highly recommend.  The story revolves around twin sisters who are nothing alike.  One raised by her mother, the other by her father; one lives on Nantucket, the other on Martha’s Vineyard; one is very proper, the other leaps into trouble because she doesn’t think first.  They have been at odds with each other for years until a family tragedy forces them to cross paths.  Only they can decide if blood is thicker than the water that divides them.

What I liked:  The characters became like family to me.  They were realistic and interesting.   When I finished the last page, I didn’t want to leave their world.   I didn’t notice any slow spots in the story.   I just wanted to keep reading!  Elin used a smart parallel structure in her writing to masterfully show the differences in the women while also showcasing the differences between their two islands.  You will enjoy her nod to The Parent Trap when the women switch lives as they try to work out their personal issues.  

Fun Side Note:  Elin has a twin brother.  Obviously they aren’t identical, but she knows a thing or two about twinning!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

@author.robin.shelley

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And so it begins…

I am so excited!  I just got this author website up and running, I’m writing my first blog post, and I’m preparing to pitch my book to several agents at a writer’s conference in about two weeks.  My author life just jumped into hyper-drive.

A new chapter in my life has begun.  Although I’ve been writing for a lifetime, I recently retired from my career and started giving my writing the time it needs and deserves.  I kept getting the same questions from friends and colleagues:  What are you going to do when you retire?  What are you going to do with all that free time?  The funny thing is, I’m just as busy now.  I’ve been able to spend more time with my family as well as with my computer in my home office writing away.  I’m as happy as a clam. (Such a strange saying.  Does anyone really know if a clam is happy?) Continue reading “And so it begins…”

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