Tartan Day and following the band

The Declaration of Arbroath, which declared Scotland’s independence from England, was signed on April 6th, 1320.

Firstly it set the will and the wishes of the people above the King. Though they were bound to him 'both by law and by his merits' it was so that their freedom might be maintained. If he betrayed them he would be removed and replaced…

Secondly, the manifesto affirmed the nation's independence in a way no battle could, and justified it with a truth that is beyond nation and race. Man has a right to freedom and a duty to defend it with his life.   from TartanDay.org

In 1997, Tartan Day became official across the United States in recognition of the Scots influence in America and that our own Declaration of Independence was modeled after the Declaration of Arbroath.

~~

During the Creative Mojo radio interview, I mentioned that my Rehearsal series was inspired by my favorite band back in the 70s. It was “coming out day” as Nessa said, since I hadn’t said publicly which band that was. As it turns out, yes, the band was from Scotland and that gave a lot of us teenagers and pre-teens a huge interest in Scotland and in tartan. Hey, the BCR lads wore it to honor their heritage (or … to catch attention) so of course it was super cool, although in those days it was only super cool for Roller fans. It’s everywhere now, and it is “sick,” or whatever they say these days to mean cool, to wear plaid. Think it’s only circumstantial that it’s in vogue now that all those teens are now grown up and running things? Hm. Maybe.

Anyway, yes, Raucous, my band in Rehearsal, was inspired directly. And no, they are not meant to be an imitation. Raucous is an American band with a Scottish interloper, and they’re rock in the vein of Chicago and Journey meet KISS. As I told Nessa, I was still a young teen when I created this story and these characters. (Don’t worry; the writing has been completely redone since then!) The idea of a new guy coming in affected my thoughts and of course the tartan thing is there (but not worn by my band), and I borrowed a couple of names as a tribute of sorts.

Mainly, Rehearsal comes from my music obsession and my obsession with wanting to know and understand people’s backgrounds, the whys and hows of what they do and their choices, even when they are people I don’t know. I’ve also made a habit of studying the ripple effect in interpersonal relationships. Everything we do affects those around us, even if we don’t see it. Rehearsal has a huge ripple effect to it.

-- What happens when you give up something you want to help someone else? How does it affect that someone long term?
-- What happens when you choose to stay quiet and let things take their course instead of guiding them?
-- What happens when you don’t tell someone how you feel?
-- What happens when you make judgments about things you don’t fully understand?

There are many, many other ripples in the story, but all of these things spread wider than any of the characters expect.

Anyway, it’s Tartan Day, so back to Scotland. The photos in this post are my own, taken in 2008 when we went on a whirlwind Scotland, Ireland, England trip. The guy to the left is not a Rehearsal character (so far). He stood guard over dinner in a Medieval Castle dungeon.

The guy at the top is a bagpiper we found upon our entrance into the Highlands. We stopped and talked with him (yes, you have to love that accent!) and got our photos taken and picked up a Highland Sounds CD.

Along the way, everyone we met was incredibly friendly and it’s hard to go anywhere else and see as many smiles as we did across Scotland. Maybe that’s because we were so happy to be there they were laughing at us. Or because their Whisky is THAT good. (In Scotland, it is whisky, not whiskey.)

Although I began writing this series looooong before I ever visited Scotland, our trip provided some luscious detail that has been and will be included more here and there as it fits. (To the left is me along Loch Ness.)

Now what I need for the series is to tour with a rock band so I can to add to my internet research with more luscious details. Okay, that’s not likely, but then I never expected to meet the BCR, either, and in recent years, I have met two of them. No, they are not like the characters I created to work with the story. Hm, well, maybe bits and pieces are similar. ;-)


Happy Tartan Day to all Scottish Americans! And to all who love Scotland and all things tartan for whatever reason.

Here’s an excerpt from Rehearsal: A Different Drummer when Susie meets the Scottish interloper for the first time:

~~ ~~ ~~

As Susie walked beside him, she did her best not to let her nervousness show. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t been nervous when she met the other guys; well, not very. And she was nineteen now, not sixteen as she’d been on her first visit.

The guitarist’s eyes remained on her face. They were gorgeous: bright blue, with long lashes, and so shockingly direct. She generally didn’t like stubble on a man’s chin, but his accentuated his ruggedness. Maybe that wasn’t the right word. It was more ... a sensual aura. As she had felt at a greater distance, the man truly emitted pure sensuality.

“Suse, this is Duncan O’Neil. Susie Brooks.”

She barely heard Evan, but she already knew his friend’s name.

He extended a hand without releasing her eyes. “It is a pleasure.”

She felt the calluses on his fingers as he gripped her hand firmly, but carefully, as though trying not to hurt her. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you finally, since I’ve heard so much.” Good. She had managed to keep her voice from shaking.

He glanced at Evan with a slightly raised eyebrow, just one. It was adorable.

“I know you remember me talking about Susie.” Evan touched her back again, her lower back: a possessive touch that didn’t make much sense, considering.

Duncan noticed and released her hand. He studied her as though trying to remember. Evan obviously hadn’t talked about her much.

“My friend from Pennsylvania. I wrote that she moved out here.”

Now, a sign of recognition. “The one your mum took care of?” He tilted his head with a touch of a frown. “He did no’ describe you well. I was picturing a young girl, which you are no’.”

A young girl? Was that how Evan saw her?

“I can no’ imagine why anyone would no’ want you around.”

Susie pulled her eyes away in hopes he wouldn’t see the warmth she could feel crawling into her cheeks. Why was he getting to her? It wasn’t as though she had never received a compliment from a guy. She’d received plenty, but most had only been lines, not real.

“I am sorry. I did no’ mean t’ embarrass you.”

She forced an imitation calm and grinned at him. “No, it’s ... I was thinking the same thing ... about you... I mean...” Cursing herself silently, she shook her head and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long week. What I mean is ... Mike was just giving you a hard time. You fit with the band well. I hope you’ll stay and give it a try.”

“Hey, that is a compliment, coming from Susie.” Stu jumped in and nudged Duncan’s shoulder. “She’s the one who always has an objection for everyone we audition.”

Duncan barely glanced at Stu and his eyes were back on her. “D’ you hang with the band much?”

Band talk. She could handle that. “Pretty often. Whenever I’m not working.”

“In that case, I migh’ just hang around a while.”

Rehearsal: The Series
- A Different Drummer
- The Highest Aim
- Of Chaotic Currents
- books 4-6 still to come

LKHunsaker.com/Rehearsal/main.htm

Technorati Tags: Rehearsal,fiction,music,70s,Seventies,romance,Tartan Day,Scotland,books,BCR,Bay City Rollers

Back to life.. Back to Reality..

I know those are song lyrics, but I couldn’t tell you the song or who sang it. Can someone fill in the blanks without looking it up?

School is starting again. We have a couple of weeks or so to go since we start later than most, and later than before. When we moved here at the start of my son’s Freshman year,  he started several days late because we didn’t get here until the end of August and they’d already started. Poor kid had to be a new student and a late new student at the beginning of his HS career. But then, they were out by the end of May, as most are.

The next year, my sister planned her wedding at the beginning of June, in Illinois (my home state). No problem, I said. School ends the end of May.

Ah well, that year they decided to change dates and didn’t start until after Labor Day, which meant they weren’t out until the first week of June, which meant I had to pull him out to miss the last days of his second year of high school. (It’s an all day drive to get there from here, and as one of the matrons of honor, I couldn’t pull in last minute.)

At the time, those events caused me some deal of stress. I’m a rule follower. If school is in session, it means you’re there unless ill enough you can’t stay on your feet (“You’ll feel just as bad at home as you do at school/work.” – a family motto of sorts).  Same with work. I heard a song on the radio this morning about calling in with a fake illness in order to take the day off. I literally cringed. Unless I can’t stay on my feet, I’m where I’m supposed to be, even when it’s just at my desk at home trying to stay upright just to get that chapter finished by my self-imposed deadline.

Okay, maybe that is pushing it too extreme, but in these times when our social services don’t get taken care of because the county’s budget hasn’t been passed yet, and those in charge are still leaving at 1:00 in the afternoon to go play golf or whatever (maybe a slight exaggeration – they might stay until 4, and I mean lots of places are doing the same, not only my own), I miss the days when more people had that “get it done” work ethic.

The other day, I picked up a children’s book. The reason I picked it up is because when I checked out the few I was buying for myself, the clerk asked if I’d like to donate a book to the children’s drive to help them learn to read. I’m a sucker for those and one of the books put up to select from was “The Little Engine That Could” – what better to provide to a child learning (likely behind schedule) something that can be difficult for many of them?

As I left the store, I realized I didn’t have that one on my children’s shelf at home. I have quite a few, mainly from the discount bins (where they were rescued cheaply from a certain fiery death) in preparation for future grandchildren. (Future, as in not expected for some time, with any luck.)  So I went back to buy it. (I’m not much of a shopper until I find a book, music, or office store, so I let myself splurge on those.)

I was asked once, if I could choose one book to have the whole world have to read, what would it be? I think I said “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran (“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s yearning for itself.”)  Maybe I would change my mind now, though. Maybe I would have to answer:

The Little Engine That Could

Yes, it’s an optimist book. Yes, I’ve been called Pollyanna more than once. *shrug* But I’ve also recently been looking through my old high school things and shook my head at how often I used to attempt things I should have known wouldn’t happen. Cheerleading (much too shy), Homecoming court (laughing out loud at that one: too much of a nerdy bookworm), Basketball my senior year though I’d never played before (yeah so as a senior, I barely played JV), Asking a couple of guys to a dance (Ha! again, shy enough I didn’t even speak to them otherwise)…  and the list goes on.

Did it matter whether or not I was there for the first or last days of school or how many sick days I had? I couldn’t even remember those things. I did find a report card showing a D in social studies one term (I HATED memorizing dates!)  and then winding up on the honor roll with a B in the same class later that year.

Most of all, what I got out of looking back was that I kept trying despite the odds. It’s horribly hard for a very shy girl with unknown ADD to accomplish much in school. And yet, I ended up on the Top Ten with a ton of activities under my name in the yearbook.

The Little Engine That Could was always one of my favorites, and I took it to heart.

Those days don’t seem real to me anymore, at least not very. I’ve done things since then I never could have imagined doing. I went from horribly dependent on my family to being completely on my own with my kids much of my life while my military husband was away doing as his country asked. I’m still away, and still doing much on my own as he has the same work ethic I have and is still doing as his employer asks (well past 4pm, btw). For me, this is reality. It’s not good or bad; it just is. I now have the advantage of seeing things from both viewpoints, dependent and independent, and I try to use it all in my work to share, as well as passing as much as I can to my children, and later to my grandchildren.

This year, my son (my baby) is a senior. As he begins this transitional year toward what he will be, I can’t help wonder what he will take with him most. How will he look back and see these days? What will happen to define him? He’s much more social than I was, and yet has taken part in only two school activities, one of which he gave up last year. He’s more of a rebel than I was, and much more confident. I find it amusing that he’s in that “group” I couldn’t begin to understand during my own HS days, and yet, now I do, at least to an extent. I admire them more now than I did then.

All around me, I see adults who I’m sure have remained the people they were in high school, who still view everything from that one perspective, whose kids follow in their own footsteps. I suppose that makes it easier to figure them out and help them along, but I enjoy this widened perspective, even if many days I think Zeller Zone sounds like a good idea.

So what about you? Are you the same person you were in school?

If you could choose one book for everyone to read, what would it be? Maybe I’ll check it out.

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Book Review: Still Alice

Still Alice
Lisa Genova
Pocket Books 2009
www.StillAlice.com

I picked up Still Alice because it was my library's book club selection this month. I'd never heard of Lisa Genova, but by the time I finished the novel, I was glad to know she's working on another.

Alice is a 50 year old psychology professor at Harvard who has co-authored a text book with her husband, a research scientist, and has established an incredible reputation as not only a preferred teacher but also as a world-traveled speaker. As she celebrates her birthday, she is struggling with memory issues and even starting to get lost close to home in an area she's very familiar with. Going privately to a neurologist, she is diagnosed with early onset alzheimer's disease.

Since Alice is the POV character, you have to wonder how Genova will continue to follow her story as Alice lapses further into the disease. I was rather impressed with how well she managed to show the early struggles as well as the progression. All of the characters are well drawn from Alice's POV and we get to know some of them better than others. I found it interesting that the child she says she knows the least is the one we know the most. The other two are mainly background.

Her husband, John, is an interesting character and at times, I wanted to yell at him for being so self-centered, but then looking back at their history, I couldn't help but think Alice partly made him that way with her work obsession. The novel is a nice look at marriage-combined-with-work issues, as well as the dementia issue.

From the beginning, we bond with Alice. Anyone who has ever been so busy finding a set of keys seems an impossible task will relate. This makes us truly sympathetic of her plight and we pull for her to keep going, keep trying. As we do, we learn much about Alzheimers and how it progresses and how they are working to find ways to slow or stop it. There is also information about how to keep the brain healthy in general.

At times, the writing is a bit stiff, especially at the beginning, but Genova is a first time novelist and I believe she may find her stride with the next.
This is a must read for anyone dealing with dementia in a loved one, anyone with dementia in their family history, as well as for anyone who wants to better understand this disease. It is truly educational and heartwarming and sad and hopeful all at once.

Note: Genova self-pubbed Still Alice when she couldn't find a publisher for it. She went through iUniverse and also contacted the National Alzheimer's Association for a possible endorsement, got their agreement, won a couple of indie awards, and Pocket Books picked it up. She recommends other authors self-pub instead of letting their manuscripts languish.

This review is from a book I purchased and no compensation has been offered or received.

--

A Musical Moment: the 70s

I was a child of the Seventies. Now, when most say that, they mean their late teen and early twenties years were during the Seventies and they were smack in the midst of the hippie revolution. I mean I was a child during the Seventies and my teen years began right at the tail end of that decade. But, I was always kind of old for my age and when I was ten, I fell right into that music-obsessed teen-like musician worship stage. Anyway, it seemed to me that all teens and pre-teens were music obsessed and that all conversation centered around who was hot at the moment and who had the better voice/most skill.

Since those days, I've come to realize that isn't true: not everyone centered their teen worlds on music. Unbelievable, though it may be.

They say scent is the strongest neumonic; nothing brings recall better than a familiar scent. Maybe that's true for most, but for me, nothing will bring back a moment in time more than a song, or a band, or even a musical style. Take the Super Bowl halftime show. I don't watch football, but my son called me out when The Who came on. Suddenly, I was swept back in time to when their songs were on the radio and I was in my parents' home locked away in my bedroom working on something to keep my hands busy just as an excuse to be lost in the music. The Who played a mix of some of their top songs and while some were knocking how "old" they are and how "bad" the sound was, I could only think how cool it was to see them perform and be swept away to the past. And to be fair, they gave a strong performance for a band that came out in the mid Sixties.

It was great to share the experience with my son who is older than I was when The Who was on the radio. He was impressed. For "old guys" they played well and were full of energy, which surprised the sixteen year old with tons of his own. He commented on how good the drummer was and how cool the stage looked. See? This is a kid after my own heart. He gets it. It's not only entertainment; it's an experience. [He also found it cool that their drummer for the show was none other than Zak Starkey, Ringo's kid.]

How can you go through your teen years without falling for a particular band, or a particular musician? Music captures moments of time that can't be captured in any other way, and teens are primed and ready for this musical moment-stealing.

I was swept away by many singers and many bands during those awkward years. Donny and Leif and Andy and David, plus Styx and Journey and Chicago and Air Supply … I could spend as much time with them as I could pull from homework and chores and they were always there waiting. Granted, most of the albums belonged to my big sis since she had babysitting money, but as we shared a room and she was a loving big sis, I got to use her record player and her albums.

I still vividly remember the day she brought home a new album of a band I'd never heard of. I thought they were rather odd-looking, to tell the truth, not as cute as Andy and Donny, but still, there was something fascinating about them I couldn't put my finger on (other than their odd clothing choice). And then she played the album. I was grabbed in a way no other music had ever grabbed me.

I've talked with many adults recently who were big fans of the band, as well, and so often I hear it was their looks that were the big attraction. Hmm.. I'm one of the youngest fans and no, it wasn't their looks for me. Heck, I was ten at the time or right at that. Boys were still only undecipherable creatures and interesting but rather annoying (apologies to my little brother, but he understands). It was the music.

As I grew, I moved into the Eighties with Hall & Oates and Madonna and Michael Jackson and Tears For Fears and Julian Lennon, but that band remained number one on my list. Why? Who Knows? Something about them spoke to me. In fact, it spoke loudly enough, it became a story. What were they really like past the media hoopla? What was it like to tour and live in hotels and buses and be stuck with each other for months at a time? Did they get along behind the scenes? What about girlfriends? How do you have one with that kind of lifestyle?

The questions festered until I had to start answering them. No, I didn't stalk the band. They disappeared and all that was left were those albums and the posters previously smothering our bedroom wall and then tucked safety into folders. I was stuck in a little town in the Midwest going to school and family functions. In my head, though, I was on the road. It moved well past questions about that one band to being about a band in general, and a girl who supported them.

I created my own band to answer those questions. The results were thirty-some years in the making, with tons of research and music-following in general and talking with other fans and reading music biographies, and it became my Rehearsal series. It's not why I started writing. I've been doing that since I knew what writing was. It did spur an obsession for story-telling, for discovering the whys and hows and what ifs, even if the answers are fiction. All fiction has its truths. Reading a novel may mean no more than several hours of escape. Or, it may be a moment in time that causes a lasting effect in some way.

That one moment back in the mid Seventies when I listened to that one album lovingly crafted by artists coming into their own was much more than 30 minutes of escapism. It was pure inspiration. It was lasting joy. It was a trigger. If only one of my books could do the same, that would be a legacy I would be thrilled to have.

If you're wondering, no, I'm not revealing the band name, because that's not the point (and because I called them odd-looking -- apologies to those of you who do know who I mean, but I was only ten-ish and I mostly changed my mind later).

However, for those following the CRR Blog Carnival (and for anyone else who stops by), I do have a musical prize to be drawn from those who leave comments on this post:

A CD full of music from my youth, much of which is mentioned in my Rehearsal series, plus

Rehearsal: A Different Drummer as Ebook on a signed CD. I'll draw the name on Tuesday morning to give those in other time zones plenty of time to get here. Be sure I can contact you or stop back by to see if I need your contact info!

So what about you? Were you a music-obsessed teen? Who did you listen to? If not, what was your teen obsession?

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This is part of the Classic Romance Revival Valentine's Day Blog Carnival. Winners for the grand prize -- a 5-ARC package from Classic Romance Revival authors -- will be drawn from visitors commenting on the most blogs.  To qualify for the grand prize, you need to register for the contest.  Please visit the Classic Romance Revival blog to find details of all the blogs and to register:

http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1671

Book Review: Last Night in Twisted River

Last Night in Twisted River
John Irving
Random House 2009

http://john-irving.com

I’ve been a John Irving fan since reading The World According to Garp several years ago. And then The Cider House Rules and The Fourth Hand. I have many still to read, since his newest is novel number twelve. I’ve read half of his previous novel, Until I Find You. I kind of got stalled on it and am sure I’ll eventually go back to finish, but it was less impressive (aka more rambling) than the others and it lost my attention. A shame, since the copy I have is personally signed.

Yes, I met Irving at the National Book Fair in Washington D.C. just after that novel came out, long enough to get it signed and say hello and how I loved his story variety (which got a cute grin). I suppose I shouldn’t refer to a man who was graduating college about the time I was born cute, but so be it.

Of course I had to pick up his latest. I impatiently made myself wait a few days to start it since I was in the middle of another novel (or maybe 2 or 3 others), although I did read the first two or three paragraphs right away. The way a book begins is hugely important to me, and it yanked me right into the story.

Once I started reading, my literary spirits started to sink a bit. Like the last one, this novel – after the great beginning – felt slow. Now I don’t mind rambling in a novel if it’s interesting and the characters are pulling at me to get to know them. I like literary fiction; it’s my favorite genre and I’m not intent on rushing through books to get to the next. I savor. I kick back at night before sleep settles in and immerse myself in someone else’s world. It’s the joy of fiction.

However, if I find myself thinking I’d rather rather read something else on a particular night, I know the story is not keeping me pulled well enough.

Irving’s characters, as always, are interesting and varied and well drawn. The first problem I had was the time frame jumping. At times we were in the present moving along and then suddenly we were back somewhere in the past and trying to figure out just where in the past. I understand the point of the book: it’s largely about the process of writing, of creating a story from real life without using too much real life. That is what Irving does, and he does it well. And of course writers jump back into their past to pull stories and experiences. For the reader, though, this was slightly disconcerting.

The other technical issue I had with it was the repetition. At times, I felt Irving assumed his readers were either complete morons who had to be told something six or seven times before they would “get” it or else he was writing for dementia patients who do need things repeated (or two year olds, but the story is far too advanced for them). I’m an avid reader with very good comprehension; tell me once and I’ve got it, thanks. Repetition in the way it was used, often in an explanatory tone, felt rather insulting. No need. I gotcha the first time.

After the first half of the very long novel (and I don’t mind long, either – heck, I write long), I finally felt like I was getting swept away in it and truly enjoying it. And then, BAM, an even bigger insult right at the end. A note to writers: if you call a large percentage of your readers “stupid” even through a character’s dialogue or thoughts, you’re not winning them over for your next novel.

I also don’t mind political issues in novels. I use political issues. However, when you’re presenting one side of the issue and all of a sudden a major character comes out ranting about one certain political figure or event enough that it completely pulls away from the story and into a rant, that’s not good fiction. Yes, one of the major characters comes out and calls a whole big group of people in the current population “stupid” and “bully patriots” and “dumber-than-dog-shit” and is agreed with by the main character, the writer, who is presumably a character sketch of Irving himself. Yes, he has a right to his political opinion, but once the reader comes to that point in the novel, she ends up wondering if the whole book was written simply to make that opinion widely known.

I’d like to just remind readers that novels are one person’s opinion and that most novelists have not been on the inside of politics to know any more than the media knows. The novel does put the media down, as well, for presuming to know more than they do and to make up stories around events that aren’t the way they look. Yes, true, but so do novelists. The difference is, we’re supposed to be presenting things as fiction and opening eyes to varying viewpoints, not telling everyone who doesn’t agree with us they’re stupid bullies.

It’s hard to feel so let down by one of your favorite writers. That one section of the book truly ruined it for me. Of course, the character making those statements turns out to do something truly stupid and self-centered, so maybe that was meant to infer his opinions really aren’t worth a whole lot.

Irving can always say that Danny the character is not him and does not share his political thoughts, but as he keeps repeating through the story that fiction is not based on true life and then countering it by having Danny write about his true life, that would be rather hard to buy. 

I found much of the main character’s actions hard to fathom and had more interest in Dominic, his father, than in Danny. Danny seemed to live in his own little world and saw things from his own very limited viewpoint, which would make anything he wrote also rather limited perspective. In addition, they both ran away from things instead of facing them, which made me a tad unsympathetic and unlikely to hold their views in very high estimation. They weren’t bullies, true. They were wimpy instead: just keep running and letting the bad guy ruin your life over and over. Hm…

What I did like about Twisted River was the imagery and the voice and the bits of subtle humor and the “twist” at the end. The novel as a whole was original and rather innovative. Will I pick up his next novel? I don’t know. I may wait to hear reviews and check it out of the library instead. I do still plan to read his older books, a couple of which I have on my shelf waiting. I imagine I’ll wait on that until the “stupid” and “bully” comments have time to fade.

--
Legalities: This book was purchased by the reviewer and no compensation was received.
--

Trigger: no, not the horse

Yesterday’s discussion on a writing list triggered an A-HA moment that led to more questions. The discussion was about books that have influenced your life. While I couldn't name one in particular, I did have a short list come to mind for different reasons. But the discussion's big relevance hit when a comment brought something to light about my writing past I hadn't considered before:

the Cs I received on my English papers in college.

Now, backing up a bit, in junior high, I aced English papers. I was not only asked to join the school newspaper but was put in a high position on it. By the time I hit high school, I was well known as having writing ability, and again, I aced English.

With plenty of confidence in my writing skills (and little elsewhere), I moved on to college. And I started getting Cs on my English essays and stories. It was a huge shock to my system, as bad as the C I got in basic drawing because it was based ONLY on improvement, she said, and she hadn't taught me anything I didn't know already. I had been writing forever. It was part of who I was. Those Cs were like someone punching me in the gut and saying, "Who do you think you're trying to fool?" I expected every other class I had to be challenging, but English comp?

Up to that point, I'd been writing tons of story notes and scattered scenes for books yet to come. I had some bad (juvenile) poetry under my belt and even a play that got some nice comments from close family and a couple of friends.

During my college career, I got "too busy" to write creatively. Then I married and I still didn't touch it. Not for years. I've always blamed marriage and kids and moving and such. Maybe that wasn't it. Maybe that punch in the stomach pushed me away.

I was well used to struggling through classes. School was hard due to the ADD I had back before the days anyone had any idea what ADD was (I struggled with my homework much more than anyone knew just to try to keep my mind where it needed to be), but I kept at it and wound up on the top ten in high school and the Who's Who list in college. *shrug* None of that mattered a heck of a lot as I looked back on it. I think it didn't much matter because the one thing I really wanted had been yanked from underneath me.

I left school before my bachelor's degree was finished due to marriage and moving away. I promised my mom I would finish, though, and years of working child care and retail and part-time taxes when it wasn’t my thing convinced me I wanted more than that. So I went back to finish my bachelor’s degree in my early thirties.

This time, I was determined to do better than the B average I had. I wanted my GPA raised. My major was psychology, with my minor a combination of art and English since I already had tons of those under my belt. And I dreaded turning in essays and term papers for my psych and lit classes. Math and science are my nemesis but I was much more willing to shove them in and see what I could get out of them than to cringe at my writing grades.

Not only did I manage to pull an A in online statistics where I had to teach myself since the professor was largely unavailable, I aced the essays and term papers. Easily. In both psych and English, I received "impressive"-type comments on every paper I turned in.

Huh.

I'd been back to creative writing in the meantime, barely, but I had no thought of showing anyone. I wrote for my sanity, for something that was "mine" during years of military travel and putting kids and my husband and house stuff first.

I'd even taken a novel writing class before going back to school. For myself. I had no plans to put anything out where someone could stomp on it.

I suppose those "impressive" comments changed my mind. My husband kept asking what I was going to "do with" the book I spent so much time scribbling. He hadn't even known all the years we'd been married that I had any interest in writing before I became obsessed with that book, before I'd wait all day for him to be home to rescue me from the hellions so I could lock myself in my room and write.

I've been thinking there may not have been any point in finishing my degree since I'm working at home instead of applying it to a career and am happy doing so, but maybe there was. Maybe without those As and "impressive" comments, my work would still be sitting in notebooks unread by anyone but me.

Now I'm wondering what happened with those early college years for my work to be graded so differently than at any other time. Granted, there was some (a lot of) emotional upheaval during my life at that time, but there was earlier, as well. Maybe it was going from a tiny little town school to a city school where most of the students had more diverse/interesting topics to write about? I was horribly nervous during those early college years. Was that it? Did it show?

I suppose I won't find out the answers to those ponderings, but it seems like such a shame that all those years were wasted not writing because of something so silly as a few Cs.

Youth. *sigh*
--

Artsy gift ideas with a family theme

Today’s ideas focus on the family. To start off, I’m suggesting one of my favorite mainstream authors, Marilynne Robinson. I first started reading Robinson’s work as a “have to” for a college class. The book was titled Housekeeping which I have to say made me roll my eyes. The title, however, is so completely understated. It’s an incredible book, full of cultural and psychological issues and maybe the best prose I’ve read.

The one I’m suggesting today, though, is Robinson’s newest: Home. Also simply titled, this book is an incredible deep look at the inner workings of an old minister’s family and the black sheep son and unassuming daughter who seems to be fine and well-adjusted but holds things within she can barely deal with. Again, the writing is beautiful and the story more so. I’m in awe of this author if you can’t tell yet. Gilead, her second novel, is slower and more inward, also an incredible read. It’s now in paperback and Borders has it for less than $13.00.

If you’re buying for a non-fiction lover, look for her The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought. I’m only partway through this  one. It’s not a quick, easy read, but it’s incredibly thought-provoking and very much on-target.

How about that hard to buy for (other than electronics) group: young teen and pre-teen boys? Personally, I recommend the Hardy Boys series (not only for boys! I loved them as a kid!)

My son would highly recommend Rick Riordan’s Percy series for those who love action-adventure mixed with mythology.

~~~
Different artsy ideas:

Blank Journals for any age! You can usually find these on clearance at a bookstore. Add colored pencils, colored pens, or drawing pencils to spark creativity.

Find an art store and see what they have on clearance for a hodge-podge bag full of creative stuff for kids (or artsy adults). Add a low cost sketch pad or a calligraphy set. (Learning calligraphy is very good for young kids!)

~~
Have your own family theme ideas? Leave them in the comments. :-)

--

RELEASE DAY – Off The Moon

Off The Moon

LK Hunsaker

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing

November 2009

Print ISBN  978-0-9825299-0-4

$14.95, 370 pg, trade paperback
Ebook ISBN  978-0-9825299-1-1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After two years of work on this book, it’s here!  I’m rather excited about this one – yes, I’m excited about all of my books, but particularly this one – because I think it has a much wider reach and draw than my first three. If you’ve followed my tour at all, you know it deals with quite a few issues (love, loss, family relationships, grief, abuse, mental health care, pop music management/fandom, and others) and sometimes is rather intense, but there is always the underlying hopefulness that I keep in all of my work.

Currently, I’ve been focusing on romance network marketing, but will be reaching out into mainstream fiction markets, since this one is more mainstream/literary than the others and less romance-centered.

The reviews are coming in strong and I’m well-pleased with them. I’m always anxious to know what readers think so sign my Guest Book any time to let me know!

Today I’m partying all over the net. Visit any of these places (plus right here) for a chance to win a PDF copy of the book. And remember, if you comment at 8 of my 16 tour stops, you can win a signed, print copy! Links are listed in posts below.

CORRECTION from yesterday: I’m giving away a PRINT copy of the book to one party attendee in any of my listed places, PLUS the Newest CD from Vicki Blankenship:

 
I’ll accept anyone who posts here today (Sat. 28th) as well, since I messed things up. ;-)

My main stop today is at Classic Romance Revival where I’ve answered a few reader questions and am taking more.

Thank you to all who have supported me in the past and present, and to Judah Raine of CRR Promotions and all of the wonderful blog hosts helping to spread the word!

Website: http://www.lkhunsaker.com

Blog: http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lkhunsaker

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Lk_Hunsaker/1419520316

BUY LINK: http://www.elucidatepublishing.net/books.htm
SPECIAL for RELEASE DAY only: free US shipping (discounted elsewhere), plus deep discounts for extra copies to use as gifts!

Boundaries and Edges and Romance

Today I’m on Maryann Miller’s blog talking about crossing boundaries with fiction genres and issues. Please come by and say hello:

http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/2009/11/pushing-boundaries-with-trauma-and.html

A Note: I realize there are some of you reading the tour posts who are unable to comment due to Blogger and WordPress restrictions. Thank you for coming by and reading! If you’d like, my website guestbook is completely open for comments so you can leave your thoughts there, or just say hello.

I read this quote today in the Nanowrimo forum, and thought it was too perfect not to share:

I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.
~~ Kurt Vonnegut

I never would have thought myself an edge-seeker when I was young. I like familiar and comfortable to the point that every time I move, I’m thrown for a good six months or more. However, I’ve come to realize over the years, especially in the past few, that I am an edge-seeker, a boundary pusher. Never mind it makes me incredibly nervous to push boundaries; I continue to do so, anyway. At times, I’ve considered stepping back toward the middle, and do that at times in order to regroup, but before I know it, I’m right back there on the edge.

Why else would a twenty-one-year-old who had never been anywhere without her family suddenly jump up and move out of the country with a brand new soldier husband heading to Germany? One she met over the phone, by the way, and then drove with a friend eighteen hours to meet him. Yes, true story.

It wasn’t in my plans, that’s for sure. My plans were to finish my bachelor’s, move on to my master’s, get going in the psychology field, and THEN marry and think about having kids. Nice plan.

Yes well, the reality turned out to be nice, also. Scary – at many times, it has been very frightening, indeed – but nice. And what I’ve seen since jumping that edge could fill a book itself. Possibly some day it will.

Today, my husband and I have been married 22 years. Last year, I hit the point I was married half my life. This year, it’s his turn. That 21 and 22 year old couple who jumped with no more than love and determination and strength to face the unknown (let’s face it, every marriage is an unknown) walked through a lot of fires in the name of love and romance to get to that comfortably burning smolder that now and then bursts into huge flames. Now though, the flames are truly warm and comforting instead of just fiery.

This must be why I write the way I do, blending edgy mainstream issues into romance. I like the edge. And I’m a romantic at heart. Finally, I’m in my comfort zone and I would love to share it widely.

~~~
If you’re following my tour, here are the last of the dates:

Nov 23 – Sandy James: http://www.sandy-james.com/stable

Nov 25 – Lizzie Starr: http://starrwords.blogspot.com/

Nov 27 – CRR {Release Day!} http://classicromancerevival.com/blog/

Nov 29 – Steph Burkhart  http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

Dec 1 – The Pen Muse http://www.thepenmuse.com

All dates will be permanently linked on the novel’s website:
http://www.lkhunsaker.com/OffTheMoon/main.htm
~~~

My next NEWSLETTER will be out Monday, November 23rd!  It will include details for my online RELEASE PARTY!  Subscribe on my website or here on the blog, linked to the right. Win a signed copy of Off The Moon, plus Vicki Blankenship’s newest CD, signed by Vicky, Blue Flame Trance!

--

Book Tour Day Three

Thank you to all who are visiting my tour! At today’s stop, I’m talking about Traveling Fiction: Places in Story with Sue Perkins:

http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

Also, I now have PRE-ORDER available!  Until the release date, shipping on a personally signed print copy of Off The Moon is free! After November 27th, there will be a small charge included to ship.

Ebook orders will be mailed a bookmark and bookplate, signed. 



My complete tour schedule is here:

http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1520

~~~~~~
I’m still keeping up with Nanowrimo, as well, with over 7,000 words of a brand new novel!  Nanowrimo.org  -- find me if you’re there! I’m under lkhunsaker.

I’m Going On Tour!

CRR Promotions has done a wonderful job booking me on blogs all through November to talk about my books and to promote my newest, Off The Moon, release date November 27th!

Come follow me!  I’m giving away a new short story, unreleased, that goes with the novel as a bit of a prequel at each blog stop. A drawing will be held by each host. The story will be printed, signed, and mailed to each winner at the end of November. Also, anyone who follows me to at least 8 of the 15 stops is eligible for a drawing for a signed print copy of Off The Moon!

THANK YOU to the following blog tour hosts!  Content will be different each day, to include author and character interviews. (I’m missing two links below but they will be added well in advance of the dates.)

I’ll be here to post reminders of where I’ll be and the subject for each blog. If you’d like an easy way to keep up, subscribe to my blog with the form to the right. Your email will not be shared or used for any other purpose than notification of new posts here.

01-Nov	Judah Raine http://judahraine.com/romancewriteup/
03-Nov	Jane Richardson http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/
05-Nov	Sue Perkins http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com/
07-Nov	Linda Banche http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/
09-Nov	Sandra Kay http://www.sandrakayauthor.blogspot.com/
11-Nov	Liana Laverentz http://lianalaverentz.blogspot.com/
13-Nov	Nancy O'Berry http://obe-romancingtheblog.blogspot.com/
15-Nov	Sandra Sookoo http://www.sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/
17-Nov	Lainey Bancroft http://www.elaineforlife.com/LaineysBlog
19-Nov	Lindsay’s Romantics http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com
21-Nov	Maryann Miller
23-Nov	Sandy James http://www.sandy-james.com/stable
25-Nov	Lizzie Starr
27-Nov	CRR - Release Date http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/
29-Nov	Steph Burkhart http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing
November 2009
http://www.elucidatepublishing.net

Weeds and Flowers

There is Scottish Thistle growing along the roads beside our house. We’re in western Pennsylvania, which apparently has such deep Celtic roots and ancestry that thistle happened to spring up from the earth. Okay, I suppose someone brought some back from Scotland. It wasn’t us, although we were there last summer, and although I had a lot of  fun admiring the country’s national emblem growing wild in the highlands and along roads and being depicted on street signs and shop signs. I didn’t notice it here before. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention.

To be honest, it likely didn’t have the chance to grow as well as it has this year because … well, our state has yet to approve a budget so weeds alongside the roads aren’t being cut. At least that’s my theory as to why they’re taking over the sideline landscapes.

Yes, I’m enjoying the purple thistle. It reminds me of Scotland and I have a true, deep love for that country. It doesn’t quite match the love I have for my own, but it would be one of two places I would relocate if I every got kicked out of here (and with some of my political opinions, maybe I will be). The other would be Italy, but then I’d have to learn Italian. The Scots at least speak English: not quite American English but close enough to catch on quickly.

No, I don’t have plans to move, but when I mentioned to my husband that a local plant nursery had thistle growing in front of their building, which I thought was very cool, he said, “I can’t imagine why anyone would plant a sticker bush.”

Oh. I suppose he has a point. As I thought about it, I decided I wouldn’t actually want it in my yard, either. It’s a weed, you know. It will spread and take over if it’s allowed. And although I enjoy the bit of it I see, there is a line things need to maintain or else they cause havoc.

I also enjoy the goldenrod not being cut down. I’m allergic to the stuff and definitely don’t want THAT in my yard, but in my car as I’m driving past with the windows closed, it’s very pretty. [Now I’m hoping I’m naming that bright yellow weed correctly. TC, my professional gardening friend, may correct me, a gardening amateur.]

But that’s the way it often goes – something that looks like a very cool idea in its bright and shiny glory at a distance changes once you start looking closer.  I think we see that in politics a lot. I’ll leave that thought for the moment. I blog politically blatant at Myspace and sometimes at Facebook, but not here. Don’t worry. I won’t start.

I know we see it in everyday life. And I see it in writing. Adverbs are weeds, for instance. In their proper place and kept at a minimum, they  are pretty words that help a writer get an image across. Left to spread uncontrolled, however, they muddy the waters and we’re left with so many of them it’s hard to see the grass. I love grass. It’s the basic structure, the spreading earthy grounding soul of a yard, and of a book. I’ve become obsessed with grass after living in the south for 12 years and having such a time trying to keep my yard green and fresh. I planted some recently here and go look out at it every day. It’s thriving. I did nothing but prepare the soil, throw some straw over top to hold it and mulch it, and timed it just before a few days of rain moved in … and it’s thriving on its own. A beautiful site.

The patch that was nothing but packed dirt and weeds is now soul-soothing (green will do that for you) and makes me feel like my thumb is a touch more natural than I thought.

Of course I have flowers, also. The marigolds in the photo above are now planted here and there around my flower beds. Many don’t like marigolds because they smell bad. Yes, but they are natural pest deterrents. Critters don’t like their smell, either. I put marigolds in with my veggies this year and have had very little trouble with Japanese Beatles.

Flowers are the extra description of a novel. They highlight the story, bring color and beauty. Again, though, too much of it and it  overpowers everything until the story is too hard to find.

Nature is about balance. Grass should be central. The Japanese would disagree with me, but I’m an American and so my statement stands. We like pretty yards of rolling grass without weeds and highlighted by flowers. That’s how I like my fiction, also. Rolling grass [story] with maybe a dandelion accent [weeds] here and there and a flowery [descriptive] highlight. 

~~~
Tomorrow (September 4th)  I’ll be introducing myself during Classic Romance Revival’s “Author Intro” month, part of their grand opening celebration. Come by and see what you can win just by commenting!
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog

--

Setting: The Watery Breath of a Story

 

"Water is the driving force of all nature."
Leonardo da Vinci

 

As water is the underlying basis for everything that lives, so setting is to every story that breathes.

 

Everything has to happen somewhere.

 

How do authors choose where their stories will happen? ~shrug~ I can't speak for others, as we all have our different reasons for sticking our characters wherever we stick them. Generally, it's love: the love of history or love of a certain place we visited or love of the unknown. With me, it tends to be a mix of all three.

 

By now, I've lived in six states and two countries and have traveled* a lot in between. [side note below] I've also taken an incredible cultural psychology class that further emphasized how we are affected by where we live. In the words of Anais Nin, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Setting is not only a place; it's character. It's part of who our characters are and novelists who ignore that are missing a huge chance to fill in the depths of the story.

 

Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, was born of the sea.
from pureinsideout.com

 

In my first-to-publish novel, Finishing Touches, Jenna is a small town Midwest girl raised nearly on the banks of the Illinois River. The river and trees surrounding it play a large part of her story, the trees being symbolic of her inner strength and deep roots and the river of her unbound soul that flows along where life takes her. There's also the little bridge mentioned that she crosses over, pausing to look down into the shallow creek. A bridge is a metaphor for crossing a boundary, for change, or for pulling the two different parts of her life together. In addition to the structural "place" of the story, being from the Midwest helps make Jenna who she is. As each country has its unique qualities that help define its people, so do different sections of countries. As a small town girl raised in the Midwest myself, I fully understand Jenna and have a special love for the people who tend to be very earthy and natural, and rather conservative in actions and speech. Although the story is not autobiographical, other than the searching issue, the setting is. My first novel has the most involved setting; it's the most interwoven with the main character.

 

When I first started writing the Rehearsal series in notes and scattered scenes and character development, I was still in that small Illinois town, but my thoughts were always wandering elsewhere. I wanted to go out and see new things, explore new places. I couldn't do it often at that time, but my characters did. As a result, they are more worldly than Jenna, all transplanted from the beginning of the story which makes the setting less woven into their characters. Two are from Pennsylvania, three from New Hampshire, one from the UK. The story is set in Massachusetts, roughly thirty miles from Boston. However, it takes them out of their adopted town often, into other places, a metaphor for my own wanderlust.

Each of us "belongs" in a certain place. It may not be where we were raised. There may be some other place that calls out to us and helps us feel more settled once we're there. For me, that place was temporarily the Northeast and permanently the Mid-Atlantic. We lived in Massachusetts for some time and I adored the area, was sad to have to leave. At the same time, when we passed through Pennsylvania to go back to visit family in Illinois, it called to me, as it had during family vacations when I was young. And so, my two main characters from Rehearsal, Evan and Susie, had to be from Pennsylvania. I set them in the eastern part of the state so it would work better with the story, but put Evan's alma mater on the western edge. When putting him there, I never in the world expected to end up living so close to it.

 

My New Hampshire characters are supporting cast. I wanted them transplanted instead of being Massachusetts locals in order to give them that extra edge. Their personalities aren't MA personalities. It wouldn't have worked. I have yet to visit New Hampshire, so if anyone from the state wants to comment on whether they fit, I'd love to hear it! Of course, you'd have to read the book to find out. ;-)

 

"It is a curious sensation: the sort of pain that goes mercifully beyond our powers of feeling. When your heart is broken, your boats are burned: nothing matters any more. It is the end of happiness and the beginning of peace."
George Bernard Shaw

 

My next-to-come book, Off The Moon (fall 2009), has two main settings: New York City and Bennington, Vermont. The main character is heavily in the music industry and so it worked well to have him in the midst of one of the music centers of the nation. His family is in Vermont, which worked in different ways: it's a short enough drive from NYC so he's able to run back and forth easily, it's another place I've yet to visit (love of the unknown), and it has a wonderful lake setting that's important to the story since he adores boats and owns a pontoon he uses to escape his busy city life. With any luck, I'll be visiting the area before putting the final touches on the book. However, he grew up a military brat, so for him, place is very fluid and the lack of deep roots shows through his personality and his actions.

 

If you haven't figured it out yet, water plays a big role in all of my stories. I'm drawn to lakes, rivers, oceans, and even small trickling streams. I love to swim. I love to watch and photograph waterfalls. I love to be on boats of any kind. I think it's unlikely I'll write a book without this feature, as it's too embedded into who I am.

 

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine.
(Fortunately) everybody drinks water."
Mark Twain

 

I'm currently in process of adding photos of some of the settings in my books to albums on my website. So far, I have the Finishing Touches album done and most of those photos were taken by family members. More setting albums will come soon.

 

***  This entry is part of Classic Romance Revival's Blog Carnival. Go to CRR to find more authors writing on the subject of setting!   www.ClassicRomanceRevival.com/blog ***

“The Truth is you are a part and parcel of the great being. You are one of the cells of the Great Being, you can call it. And once a drop falls into a ocean, it becomes an ocean. And once you become the ocean, you see the whole world in a different way, and understand the whole world as a beautiful place of enjoyment.”

Carl Gustav Jung

[side note: For those who have read the Rehearsal books, yes, I spell traveled as "travelled" in the series intentionally. There are two reasons for this: back when I was in grade school studying spelling lessons, many of the consonants were still doubled as they tend to be in British English, including travelled. I well remember when that started to change and balked at the idea. I don't always do change well. And I like the way the world looks better with two "L"s instead of one. As this series started to come to life way back during my school days in the 70s, I left it "travelled" as it was still spelled then. Also, much of the series is set in the 70s and so it's appropriate to use the spelling of the time. There's also the third main character who is from the UK and so would also spell it in that manner. Other than in the series, I sigh and conform and drop the extra letter.]

 

-

 

When You Know It's Right

All writers know that moment: when you put down words that flow from somewhere within and it's simply perfect. It doesn't come often, but it does come.

I said a couple of days ago I had the 2nd draft of Off The Moon done. It was. Except it apparently wasn't. The end bothered me. It wasn't "just right" but I figured it would come during edits.

It came last night instead. NOW it feels finished. It feels like a real end mixed with a new beginning and it's satisfying. It feels right. And it's amazing how much more refreshed I feel today.

On the BookSpa list the other day (linked to the right), we were discussing whether a writer is who you are or only what you do. There were good points on both sides, but I said it's who I am, that I'm not me if I'm not writing enough. Then I wondered if I was being pretentious. Last night reminded me why I say it's who I am. When you wake up refreshed in the morning instead of feeling a nagging weight and the only thing that changed is finding the "right" ending (or other part) of your story, a writer is who you are. It's part of you.

This book in itself feels "right" as well. Something inside says this is the one to focus on, the one that will make me more established as a writer to be acknowledged. I know that sounds pretentious and I humbly apologize but the saying that goes "if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you" is completely correct. I believe I'm a writer to be acknowledged. I'm glad to finally be able to say so instead of shying away from saying I'm a writer. And this time, I'm going about the publishing process in a more productive way, a way that will help that more than I have so far.

One thing I'll be doing is ordering ARCs (advanced reading copies). As an indie, I'll have to pay for them myself but I believe it will be worth the cost. I want it reviewed, hopefully by the Library Review Journal among other places. I want names in the business providing cover quotes. I may even go after quotes from big names such as Marilynne Robinson, my unwitting mentor, and Roberta Isleib with whom I've established somewhat of a working relationship.

I can't put in the thousands of dollars for promo as some self-publishers (such as The Shack author) do in order to get big sales, but there are less expensive ways to do things that are still done right and I'm all for finding them.

Keep an eye out for Off The Moon. I believe you'll want to find this one.
-

Joyous Easter Blessings

It has been a nice week around here, full of sunshine and baseball and red-budding trees. The daffodils are wide open and flaunting their bright yellow. The tulips and lilacs and forsythias are showing hints of the colors to come.

 

I think that has to be much of why I love spring as I do. Of course, it also signifies winter's end and the hope of warm shirt-sleeve weather. But the colors of spring are amazing and filter joy into my soul.

 

This week has also been a time of more interaction with young people: the boys on the field, the children buzzing around the bleachers, children again on their bicycles and on shank's mare (a Scottish term for on foot). On top of that, I received a lovely letter from an eighth grader wanting to know more about what it's like to be an author. It was flattering and joy-inspiring. Touching the minds of young people is an honor. It should always be respected as such.

 

Speaking of, my children are waiting on me to finish Easter dinner and go watch a fun movie with them -- our Easter tradition. Afterwards, we'll work it off romping with the dogs.

 

I leave you today with a link to a free story I wrote some time ago, Jacob's Cross. "Alicia goes fishing in the dark of night to wrestle with her grief and to try to understand the nature of loss and sacrifice." It's religion centered but also has general life connotations. If you check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

Wishing you a beautiful, spirit-filled, peaceful Easter and a beautiful spring full of joyous events, large and small.

When a Thing becomes a Character

What happens when part of a setting is so completely integrated into a story that it magically transforms from a Thing into a Character?

Take this rock wall from a photo I snapped somewhere along one of our road trips. It could simply be part of the setting -- background detail to help ground the reality of where our characters are and what they see, maybe even showing how they feel about it that defines them somewhat. This is the typical use of description, even when it's describing such a gorgeous scene as this wall.

On the other hand, it could become such an important part of the story that the story wouldn't be the same without it. It could be a catalyst for a character to change. Maybe he passes it every day and ponders it for miles afterwards, so much so that it becomes a part of him. Maybe he becomes as rigid and strong as that rock wall while allowing enough subtle growth to let himself flourish like the hardy vegetation hanging on to its side.

I used this device in Finishing Touches, my novel about a young artist fighting against being an artist because she marries one and feels she can't compete with him. Throughout the story, she often refers to the huge window in their loft that allows her to look out at the world while staying safely closed within. To my delight, one of my readers picked up on the characterization of the window and how it helped define Jenna herself. It reflects her struggle to look out or to stay in, her urging to explore her art and use it, or to give in to her insecurity of not being good enough. This theme reaches beyond art and into other areas of her life.

Her artist spouse, who she loses just before the story begins, paints a scene of them wrapped in only a blanket looking out at the river below. The window, here, becomes a metaphor of the exposure Jenna feels because of his professional career, because she becomes known as his wife and attracts another young artist who is a fan of his work. Still, it keeps a boundary. She may be exposed but she's beyond anyone's bounds to be able to reach. Or so she believes.

The window becomes a character. The story would hardly be the same story without it.

[originally posted at Lindsay's Romantics 26 March 09: http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finishing Touches is available as a Trade Paperback and as an Ebook. Find its website for more information at LKHunsaker.com/FT/main.htm

What is Mainstream?

Pines in Winter
LK Hunsaker 2009

 

Back several years ago when I headed toward publishing my first book, I was faced with deciding what "kind" of book it was, according to accepted categories: what genre?

 

I have to say this was a harder decision than it is for many writers, since I don't write in a certain specific commercial genre. I wasn't trying to do so. It simply came out the way it needed to come out. So then came the research of what exactly certain genres entailed. My themes were pretty romantic but not the standard romance category of "girl meets boy, have a rift of some sort, and then get together for a happily ever after." They do have that except not necessarily so cut and dry and the "happy" ending is more likely to be a "satisfying & upbeat" ending. There is a difference.

 

Looking further, I found the "mainstream" category, which was defined as not fitting a particular genre, but covered anything outside a particular genre. And then we have "literary" which means much the same except with more emphasis on unique style and voice, plus a deeper look at social and cultural and psychological issues. The problem with that one is readers tend to think of literary fiction as rather high-brow and boring and hard to read.

 

I have talked before here about my genre being defined as mainstream romance or literary romance and even I was uncertain about which to call it.

 

I still am. But looking around at publisher sites and listening to what readers say, I'm apparently not the only one confused on that issue.

 

I just came from a small press site and browsed the "mainstream romance" category. Yes, there is recently an actual category using the term mainstream romance, but it seems not sure how to describe itself, either. When I see a book being plugged as "mainstream romantic suspense," I raise my eyebrows. Literally. Because ... romantic suspense is a specialized genre, which means it's not mainstream, right? If I see vampire fiction under "mainstream" I'm really confused.

 

John Irving is a mainstream novelist. So is Joyce Carol Oates. They may have bits of suspense or romantic involvement in there, but their books are basically character studies embedded deeply in societal issues such as abortion and immigration and cultural (in)sensitivity. That's the main flux of their work. What I'm seeing in small press sites describing mainstream fiction is far from that. It seems too often only to be fiction of mixed genres they aren't sure how to categorize. If a book is romantic suspense or if it's sci fi or paranormal, then no, I can't see that it's mainstream ... UNLESS it is deeply cultural with an emphasis on character study.

 

Not being erotic romance doesn't mean it's mainstream romance. I call my books mainstream romance because they are romantic but ALSO cultural, psychological, character studies. Finishing Touches explores the effects of parenting, of pushing children toward what you want them to be against who they are, and how that affects the young heroine of the story. It shows culture class in that where you live affects you as well as how who you are affects where you are comfortable living. It shows the effects of escaping and ponders whether escaping is really that.

 

The Rehearsal series delves into the music world, the background of the way artists are manipulated by their companies. It has a young half Native American girl raised in a small "insiders only" town and the effects of it on her life. It has an illegal immigrant. There is a character pushed by his divorced mother to prove his "worth" to society when he feels no need to have to prove anything. There are, again, family issues showing how the way each character was raised resulted in their future actions and attitudes. There are friendship issues involving trust and loyalty and differing agendas. Since it begins in 1974, cultural issues such as single motherhood, women's rights, abortion, and attitudes toward long hair and leather feature.

 

Yes, many commercial fiction genres such as fantasy and suspense and romance also include real issues, as well. The difference is how much? Is it background for the story or it an integral part of the story? If you take it out, does the story change? Do the characters change?

 

I would urge publishers and authors to be careful about defining their genres so readers are better informed as to just what they're getting. As a reader, I would be dismayed to buy a book marked as mainstream and get a contemporary, which I think is sometimes happening. And no matter what anyone says, I don't see vampire fiction as coming close to being "mainstream" fiction. Mainstream fiction is reality fiction. Some may argue with me, but I don't happen to believe vampires are reality.

 

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