Book Review: Fire Eyes by Cheryl Pierson

Fire Eyes
Cheryl Pierson

The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-470-7
available in Ebook & print

Kaedon Turner is a federal marshal in the days just after the War Between The States. After his parents are killed by Indians, Kaed is rescued and raised by the Choctaw before setting off on his own path, first as a soldier, than as a marshal. When he is severely beaten trying to rescue two young Choctaw girls, the Indians rescue him and drop him at the door of Jessica Monroe.

Jessica is a young widow caring for a baby not her own in the wild Oklahoma Territory. While taking care of the marshal and nursing him back to health, she finds herself falling for his advances. He shows a promise of giving her the attention and devotion she never received from her husband. Still, she’s wary, especially when she learns he’s on the track of the notorious Andrew Fallon – the man who murdered her husband.

Both Kaed and Jessica enter the story with plenty of personal baggage. Fire Eyes is the story of how they face their own intimate fears while battling external dangers. Jessica is afraid of the Choctaw and of allowing herself to trust Kaed. He, in return, is haunted by his own loss and determined not to feel it again. Along with these two deep, true-to-life characters are several supporting characters we get to know well and care about. Fallon is one of the most evil villains you’ll run across, complete with background. The side story of two young girls who escaped Fallon’s clutches is endearing and adds a wider scope to the whole picture.

Along the way, we get lush detail of the landscape as well as some historical background of the times. Cheryl Pierson has a knack for creating intensity with both description and plot that refuses to let you out of the story until you’ve read the whole thing, and even then, it stays with you. There are no clichès concerning the ‘wild west’ or Native American life. I wasn’t always fully convinced that the group of marshals would be quite so open with their emotions as they were, but at least they did have emotion instead of being impervious to their pasts and present (ie John Wayne). 

Overall, Fire Eyes is a smooth, realistic read with wonderful characterization, real dialogue, and an absorbing fullness. Any reader interested in romance and westerns will enjoy this one!

A light note of caution: this is on the spicier side of non-erotic romance in places, but readers can easily move past those short scenes if bothered by them.

Author Interview: Joanna Waugh

Blind Fortune
Joanna Waugh

Regency Historical Romance
322 pages
ISBN:9781419959028

buy link: Cerridwen Press

Read My Review on CRR 

LK: When I first heard about Blind Fortune and saw the cover featuring music, I knew this was a story I wanted to read. The combination of music and history was compelling enough, and then I got to know Joanna through mutual writing sites. Through her daily writings I could see she was well-studied in both her story matter and in the writing craft. I also enjoy her informative blog posts about the Regency period of England as often as I can get to them. As impressed as I was with the story of Lady Fortuna Morley and Charles, Marquess of Granville, I’m honored to have Joanna here talking about her debut novel. Welcome, Joanna!  
 

Joanna Waugh: Thanks so much for inviting me in today, Loraine. And thanks for the great review of BLIND FORTUNE.

The first question I always ask is if you have a response to my review. Is there anything you'd like to highlight or argue?

JW: I only want to say how pleased I am you liked the book. The feedback from readers and reviewers has been heartwarming. I’m overwhelmed by the positive response BLIND FORTUNE has received.

It’s all well deserved! Debut novels tend to be a huge learning curve and I think you’re starting ahead of the game. Speaking of starts, as I mentioned in the review, the amount of research you did for the novel is impressive. Are you a researcher by nature?

JW: I think so. I discovered I had a knack for it in the late 1980s when I researched my husband’s family tree. I was able to ferret out information about his great grandfather others had spent a decade trying to track down. Later, this talent stood me in good stead when I became involved politically. I think I would have made an excellent investigative reporter!

Yes, I’m guessing you would, also. Family tree research is an admirable skill, and tedious. I’ll bypass the political question that’s skimming my brain since I try not to do that here ;-) and move on.  

The Regency Period covers England in the late 18th to mid-19th centuries. How long have you been interested in this era? Did you grow up reading Regencies? If not, what was your favorite reading material?

JW: My mother belonged to Book of the Month Club and I grew up on authors like Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier. I had a voracious reading appetite. By junior high, I was sneaking into the grown up section of the public library. I couldn’t borrow the books so I’d sit there all day, every Saturday, reading them.

Mom loved history and historical romance. She still does. I remember once, when I was in grade school, the Kroger store had a special promotion of young adult biographies. Every week Mom bought me a new one – George Washington, Stephen Decatur, Abraham Lincoln, Louisa May Alcott. I loved American history! But I got hooked on the English Regency when I discovered Georgette Heyer as an adult.

How wonderful of your Mom to feed that interest! I started reading historicals because Mom did, as well, particularly with John Jakes and Irving Stone. I may have to look up Georgette Heyer.

Joanne, as well as history, I sensed a love of art in general from within "Blind Fortune" and had to go peruse your website to fulfill my curiosity. Can I say I'm not surprised you studied art? Now I have to say I also began college heading toward commercial art and changed paths, as well as also being pulled out of college for marriage. This is leading to two questions:

Was your art love a planned theme for this novel or did it appear as you wrote?

JW: How wonderful we have so much in common, Loraine!

Most blind people possess an affinity for music so it seemed logical that Lady Fortuna would play the pianoforte by ear. And because music speaks so deeply to the soul, I knew it had to be important to my emotionally wounded hero, Charles Lowden, as well.

Music, art and classical literature were an integral part of 19^th century life. Some of the greatest painters of the 18^th and 19^th centuries came out of England—Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, JMW Turner. William Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson were wildly popular with their satires of English life.

Remember, this was before photography. The only way to memorialize a scene or person was in a painting or illustration.

That’s something I didn’t know about the blind. Interesting. And I’m applauding your point about music and healing. Speaking personally about the soul, did your own experiences play a role in Lady Fortuna's feelings and fears about married life or about life for women in general?

JW: I wrote BLIND FORTUNE based on personal experiences with my husband’s loss of sight from diabetes. Most human communication is nonverbal so he often misunderstood conversations. It struck me as an excellent premise around which to craft a romance.

I tried to imagine what life would have been like for a blind woman of good birth during the Regency. But the story really came together when I read Mary Wollstonecraft’s Maria or The Wrongs of Woman published in 1798.

Women of the Georgian and Regency periods were owned body and soul by the men in their lives. In BLIND FORTUNE, Lady Fortuna fears a husband might lock her away once he gets his hands on her dowry. It’s a legitimate concern, given how little time alone courting couples were allowed in order to get to know one another. An unscrupulous man could hide behind exemplary behavior until the marriage vows were exchanged.

In Mary Wollstonecraft’s world, a woman’s identity was subsumed with that of her husband when she wed. People literally believed the biblical doctrine “two become as one flesh.” Divorce was almost unheard of and required Parliamentary approval. Once married, a woman was trapped for life.

Ah, I read part of “The Wrongs of Woman” as part of a women’s literature class some time ago. Powerful writing. It’s amazing how far women have come and we need to pay homage to women such as Wollstonecraft for helping that come about. I’m glad you mentioned her.

As romance writers, we know there is a tendency for the general public to look down on romance novels. And yet, they are the best selling genre consistently. I know from your website that women's issues are important to you and you've done a fair amount of research in that vein. Do you think there's a connection between a general degrading of romance and 'chick flicks' that relates to women's fight for equal recognition?

JW: You are right that women’s issue are close to my heart. In the early 1980s, when my husband lost his sight, I needed to find a better job to support my family. As a union employee with the local gas and electric company, I was able to leave my clerical position and become the first female journeyman electric meterman.

As a writer, particularly an American one, I can’t help but bring this experience to my stories. Unfortunately, it makes them less true historically. I mentioned before that women of the 19^th century were at the mercy of the men in their lives. Most of them were content with this position. But that attitude doesn’t resonate with 21^st century women. More of them are entering the military; more are opting to have children outside of marriage. It’s difficult for them to identify with the past as it truly was so an author sometimes must bend the truth to fit modern sensibilities.

I think you did a nice job showing both, balancing the historical aspect with the needs of modern fiction.  I also have to think many women were not content with that slavery but unsure how to go about changing it. It was widespread battered women/victim syndrome where only the strongest dared fight it.

To lighten things up again, what is your favorite color? Do you wear this color a lot?

 JW: Blue has always been my favorite. But over the last few years, I’ve gravitated toward purple and lavender. It goes well with my gray hair!

Are you an outdoorsy type or do you prefer being within closed windows?

JW: Despite working outdoors for almost thirty years, I’m not the woodsy type. I don’t camp or hunt. My idea of roughing it is the Holiday Inn! But I do adore walks along Lake Michigan and boating.

There’s another similarity. I agree! So do you have any "different" hobby you'd like to share with us? Do you collect anything outrageous or scuba dive or so on?

JW: I collect Russian nesting dolls. Lovely little works of folk art. I have one whose smallest doll is roughly the size of a sesame seed. And it’s painted. With a magnifying glass you can make out its little smiling face.

Oh, those dolls are precious! I have a set we picked up in Germany but the smallest is nowhere near that small.

Speaking of painting and art, if you could claim one famous work of art as your own, which one would it be and why?

JW: Only one? What an impossible task! Van Gogh’s Starry Night.  Salvador Dali’s Invention of the Monsters with its flaming giraffe and his Persistence of Memory with its melting clocks. I absolutely adore Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It’s on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. When my son was in grade school, I took him to see the painting. I dragged him up close before he had a chance to assimilate what the picture was about. Shoving him within inches of the canvas, I asked, “What do you see?” “Dots.” He said. Then I dragged him back and watched the wonder dawn on his face as the picture gradually coalesced. “The original dot matrix image,” I told him.

Joanna! La Grande Jatte is one of my all-time favorite works of art! I saw it at the Art Institute back in my college days after I’d studied it in art history class and it’s amazing. I had to use it in one of my books, I was so struck by the piece. Van Gogh is another fave. I love your picks.

Back to writing, tell us what you're doing now. Any projects in the works?

Right now I’m working on a Regency paranormal set on the border of Scotland in 1816. Home from the war, my hero accidentally releases the 6^th century spirit of a pagan king from a well in which it has been trapped for twelve-hundred years. The spirit follows him home and begins wreaking havoc. The hero and heroine must overcome their differences and work together to banish it. In the process, they rediscover the love they lost two years before.

Sounds like another great read. I’ll be watching for it.

Joanna, thank you for taking the time to be with us. I wish you all the best with future books. I also encourage any art and music loving readers out there to pick up Blind Fortune. Is there anything you would like to add? Be sure to leave us your links to find you!

Check out my resources for Regency readers and writers at http://www.joannawaugh.com

(Click on “Joanna’s Books” to read excerpts from BLIND FORTUNE)

Be sure to “friend” me on Myspace and Facebook

And don’t forget my blog about British customs and holidays at http://www.joannawaugh.blogspot.com/
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Author Interview: David McClain

 

       An Interview with David McClain

   Find David's blog at

                Writing.com

    Find Keeper of the Word at

                Lulu.com

 

 

 

 

Keeper of the Word is David McClain’s debut book of short stories, independently published in 2008, and one of the best indie books I’ve had the privilege to read. His stories speak of who he is: spirited, spunky, earthy, and truly original. His writing blog is highly popular and his followers become quickly loyal. It’s easy to see why once you dig into the stories he’s collected in his first book.

I’m honored to be counted among David’s friends and am happy to offer this interview that, as far as I know, is his first.

So, Hello David! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions!

DM: Hi Loraine, and thanks for giving me this opportunity. You are correct, this is the first time getting interviewed for me and I don't mind telling you, I am just a bit nervous. If I stick my foot in my mouth just edit the heck out of me! So go ahead and fire the questions at me lady....I will try my best to make some sense of my answers.

LK: Ah, no need to be nervous. We're all friendly here. ;-)  First off, let me post the cover blurb for Keeper of the Word here. I generally review a book before asking the author for an interview and allow him or her to respond, but this time, I’m using the blurb and asking if you have comments about it:


"Reminiscent of cowboy storytelling around the campfire, Keeper of the Word is an eclectic mix of short stories with a wide range of genres. In his first published collection, David McClain uses a charming conversational style that keeps us pulled in to every word, waiting for what we soon learn will come at the end of each story: the “a ha” moment, humorous or thoughtful or eyebrow-raising. Running the gamut from romance to fantasy, from thriller to mainstream, each story has a constant theme – a pondering of life and love well-blended to touch the reader’s hearts."

DM: Well every time I read that blurb, the first thing that goes through my mind is: “They can't be talking about me can they?” Maybe it is because the blurb appears on the first book I ever published, but it always just seems unreal when I see my name in print....on a book....that strangers will buy and read. I always think there must be another David McClain out there doing this stuff.

LK:  I know what you mean!  David, you consider yourself a Storyteller, as it states in your introduction. What do you think is the biggest difference between a “writer” and a “storyteller”?

DM: This is just my opinion, but to me a writer is someone who is in love with their words. They want to create a word masterpiece that will be admired like the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre. Now don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing....it just isn't me. As a storyteller, I am not so much in love with the words as I am concerned with connecting with the reader. When I write a short story or a novel I tell the tale as if I were telling it to a friend sitting on my front porch, sharing a cold drink on a hot day.

I know you have seen writers out there, some very famous, who use three paragraphs to describe a tree to the readers. Wordy. They use a ton of words to describe the tree. Sometimes this detracts from the story they are trying to tell. As a storyteller, I want you to SEE the tree but not get too caught up in admiring the tree and forget the world of the story I am trying to draw you into. A storyteller wants you, the reader, to be able to slip comfortably into their make believe world and become immersed in the story.

LK:  Excellent point. There is a line between showing and showing too much. And as I've read your stories, I know they have a very comfortable feel, as though you're reading it to me. Now, what shall we drink?  ;-)

From reading your blog, I know you use bits and pieces of your own life to create stories, such as your growing up years, your current job, and your military background. Do you ever pause and wonder if you’re revealing too much? Do you find it hard at times to write so personally?

DM: Someone once said that writing a book was easy, all you had to do was sit at a typewriter and open a vein. I believe that, and part of “opening a vein” is to pour a large portion of yourself into some of your characters. I have never wondered if I was revealing too much but only that I was being honest with the feelings. For that reason, in some of my stories I have drawn from my own feelings and experiences to flesh out a bad guy in the story. I have always believed that every person has both good and evil within them and both can be used to create characters.

LK:  I'm sure that's true, although some of us would have a hard time admitting our villains come from within! If we're honest, where else would they truly come from? I love the "open a vein" line.


Your stories and style remind me quite a bit of Frank Delaney’s Ireland where a storyteller is traveling around the country sharing passed-along stories of Ireland. Both books include touches of humor along with some kind of explanation or moral or come-uppance at the end of each story. It’s a rare style among today’s books. Why do you think that is?

DM:  Well first of all I have not read Mr. Delaney's work but it sounds good. I was affected at an early age by the works of a man who in my opinion was the greatest storyteller of all time: O'Henry. I have the complete works of O'Henry on my shelves today and from time to time I will pick up one of the books and read some of his great short stories again. From "The Ransom of Red Chief" to "The Gift of the Magi," all his stories had some sort of moral or twist at the end which would mete out cosmic justice to those who needed it.

Why do we not see more of it in this day and age? Maybe it is because in today's society nobody is to blame for anything. People are no longer interested in taking responsibility for anything they do so they really aren't interested in seeing a character pay for whatever they did wrong in a story.

LK:  Good point. So do you have a favorite story in “Keepers of the Word”?

DM:  Oh Loraine, that's a tough one. Do you have a favorite child....one you love more than the others? That is the way I feel about my short stories. But, if you insist on making me make a choice....it's a tie. There are two stories that are my favorites of that collection.

1. Mulligan--- As you know, Mulligan is a golf term meaning a “Do-over.” If a golfer hits a bad shot and lands in the rough, he can take a “Mulligan” and take the shot over. In this story all the stars align just right and one dark, snowy night, a man actually gets the opportunity to use a “Mulligan” to make things right in his life.

2. The Last Battle of Arwin Hawken--- This story showcases the fact that a man is never too old to stand up for Justice and take a stand for Honor and the woman he loves.

LK:  What genre(s) of books do you normally read and why did you choose to include a variety of genres within this collection?

DM:  This one is simple. I chose a variety of genres because I READ a variety of genres. I guess it also helps that I never know what genre one of my stories will fit into until I finish it. The story always has a life of its own and I am sometimes surprised at how one turns out.

LK:  Just for fun, if you could choose three songs to take with you to a year-long writing retreat and be limited to only those songs, what would they be and why?

DM:  Dang girl, that is another tough one...just three? Well okay, I will give it a try.

1. Music of the Night---From the musical Phantom of the Opera. You sure I can't take this whole CD? This music always helps to sooth my mind and allows the words to flow.

2. The Breaking of the Fellowship---Instrumental done by a Celtic group and from the movie Lord of the Rings.

3. And finally, Like Two Sparrows in a Hurricane by Tanya Tucker. I love bthis song because it reminds me of my wife and how much I love her.

LK:  Oh! Music of the Night is one of my all-time faves, also! Very inspirational!  I love all your choices, actually.  :-)

I have to ask this one: What is your favorite part of writing?

DM: I call it “The Birthing,” that magic moment when the first seed of the story starts to take root in my head. It grows and grows until I am literally forced to sit down at the computer and transfer the words from my head to the screen. I never know, when I start writing a story, how that story will end. Heck, many times a character will die in the story and I am shocked. I had not intended them to die....the story had its own path....I am just there to put it down in words.

LK:  Great description of it!  That is an incredible feeling. Of course we want to know what you’re working on now. How’s it coming?

DM:  I am currently putting the finishing touches on a novel: The Time of the Troubles, that I first wrote back in 1992. After it was finished, I promptly put it in a box under my bed and forgot the thing. I have about four more chapters to edit and then I have to add two or three chapters at the end because I just didn't like the way the original ended. When I wrote this novel I set it in the early 21^st century and it deals with an Islamic terrorist attack upon America which ends up causing a breakdown in law and order in the country. Looking back now, this premise seems almost prophetic. I plan on publishing that work within the next four or five months.

As soon as I have that project ready to go, I am going to start a sequel to it. I had not planned on doing a sequel, but after I let my oldest son read the novel, he insisted it was needed.

I am also working on a second book of short stories. I plan on using a number of new stories and a group of stories that I didn't have room for in the first book.

LK: Prophetic indeed. Strange when that happens, isn't it? I look forward to its publication and hope it has a good ending. ;-) 

One more quick question: if you could choose one book title to describe your life (title, not contents) what would it be?

DM: Dreams Come True, If You Live Long Enough!

LK:  David, thanks again for taking the time to talk with us. Is there anything you would like to add?

DM:  I would just like to say “Thank You” again for this opportunity to talk about what I love...writing. I would also like to say to all of your readers: If you are a writer, I don't care what kind of writer you are, or what you like to write, please never lose sight of the prize. No matter how hard it is, no matter what kind of roadblocks you have to overcome, all the effort, all the work is worth it in the end. The first time you hold a book in your hands with YOUR name on it you will know a rush, and a high that nothing else in the world can give you. Whatever money you make is just icing on the cake.

Stay true to that little voice in your head that whispers the story to you and keep pounding those keys...it is well worth it in the end.

Thank you.
--

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.]

 

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I Have a Huge Fixation

My to-be-read list is growing like moss in a forest. This is a small section of my bookshelf. Two of these I've read. The rest are waiting. All of them, I can't wait to get to. I'm a bit of a fanatic, I think, and that thought came to me today when I was in the bookstore and found Frank Delaney's Tipperary, as well as a brand new one -- Shannon, I think -- and the one that got me started: Ireland. I haven't yet finished Ireland -- it's not a quick read, but it's so delightful. I felt like I won the lottery finding he has TWO more out! I didn't pick up Shannon because it's only hardcover so far and wouldn't match Tipperary which is trade paperback. Of course, Tipperary doesn't match my mass market Ireland so ... I very nearly picked up Ireland in trade paperback so it would match. I may still. Then I'll pass mass market Ireland along to a family member who would enjoy it. I like trade paperback size.

 

Other than these gorgeous novels, I have probably 10 Ebooks on my Netbook waiting for me, as well, and a bunch of classics and historicals I've picked up mainly at library book sales. I think I would have to do nothing but read all day for two months to catch up with what I already have on my shelves and I know the next library sale I see, I'll have to browse. I don't see the two-month-straight-reading thing happening but my fingers would be happy since all the typing I've been doing has them pretty sore.

I also picked up another kid's book today: The Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Treasury. I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle as a kid. The other side of this same fixation is that I've been picking up lots of kids books when I find them on clearance, some of which are historical/educational puzzle books with incredible photos, some are art books. Okay, there's nothing strange about buying kid's books, right? Except my youngest is nearly 16, and trust me, he won't read what I've been buying. But they're filling out my kid corner so well:

So, although I don't have kids here to share them with yet, they'll keep until I do.

 

I suppose having a book fixation isn't bad. I'm not into fashion or shoes or handbags, so I should be allowed something to splurge on, right?

Never mind my CD/music collection or my urge to get to the garden store and add to my bulbs and bushes collection. Some fixations truly are healthy. Really. Just like having fantasies ... ah, but that's for a different entry.

What about you? What are some of your fixations? What books do you have lined up to read or are waiting to get your hands on?

By the way, I'm now a moderator at Classic Romance Revival's Yahoo group and we're looking for book reviewers! You don't need to be an experienced reviewer. You only need to enjoy reading classic romance, that is romance with heart and story but no erotic detail, and be willing to follow a few reviewing guidelines. Books will generally be in Ebook format. Email me at info@lkhunsaker.com if you're interested and I'll pass your information along to Judah Raine, our trusty, hard-working leader. :-)

 

Different Drummer Serialized #9

 

Rehearsal: A Different Drummer

©LK Hunsaker 2006

ISBN 0-7414-3267-6

 

 

14 March 1974

 

Thursday evening, Susie walked downstairs to catch the rest of practice after Timmy and Taylor went home. Grimacing at the sight of Roy sitting not far from the stage, she walked quietly to the side farthest away from him, staying back where he didn’t see her.

                They sounded fantastic. Duncan was already fitting in well and Evan had no trouble moving from lead guitar to bass. She grinned watching him. He was so wonderful. He had been the band’s lead guitarist ever since joining and now seemed to be stepping back as much as his friend would allow. Occasionally, Stu took over on bass and Evan and Duncan had a battle of guitars – not a battle, really, but Duncan backed away now and then, returning the limelight to his buddy. She could tell how much Evan enjoyed having his friend in the band and the other guys were much more animated than usual.

                Roy stood as the song ended, lumbering toward the new guy. “You think you’re ready for the show tomorrow?”

                “I ’m always ready for a show.”

                Susie chuckled at his eagerness and dedication, but Roy turned and walked away without another word. He noticed Susie as he headed out, barely glancing in her direction. She ignored him and walked down front.

                Duncan looked confused. “Wha’ is with him?”

                “Don’t worry about it.” Evan saw her approach and set his guitar in its stand.

She watched him head toward her while the other guys wondered where he was going. His friend still wanted an explanation for the rudeness, and he deserved one. Susie moved closer. “He thought you were bragging.”

                “Braggin’? That is no’ what I meant.”

                “We know what you meant. And his opinion doesn’t matter.”

                Duncan raised an eyebrow. “I take it you two do no’ ge’ along?”

                Stuart laughed. “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. She avoids him like the plague.”

                “Why?” The bright blue eyes penetrated her own.

                “Because he’s rude and obnoxious and he cheats on his wife. I can’t stand to be around him.”

                Evan touched her back. “I’m surprised you came tonight. I told you he would be here.”

                “I was hoping he’d be gone by now.” She noticed a trickle of sweat on the side of his face. They really needed air in the basement. “And I wanted to ask what time you were playing tomorrow.”

                He wiped at it with his T-shirt sleeve. “Won’t you have the kids?”

                “I cancelled so I wouldn’t miss the show. Can I have a ride?”

                “You know you don’t have to ask. We’re leaving at six-thirty.” He lowered his hand again to head back to the others. “Oh, and maybe you should call Janet and see if she wants to ride along.”

                “Janet? Why?”

                “She mentioned yesterday that she’d like to come to a show. And it would give you someone to sit with, if Kate doesn’t decide to come.”  

 

15 March

Susie rifled through her closet, finally selecting her favorite skirt, a soft cotton blend with darts to shape it just so without being snug. It was straight, but flared slightly at the bottom, just below her calves, and black, with a touch of shine. She chose her red silk blouse, a gift from her roommate, to go with it. She hadn’t worn the blouse very often because the top button was lower than she liked, but she wouldn’t be sitting alone tonight, and Evan would be there.

                Starting to pull her hair up, she changed her mind and left most of it to fall down her back, only pulling the sides into a thin braid down the middle and tying the end with a small red ribbon. Slipping into her black ballerina flats, she heard the doorbell and took a deep breath. Why was she nervous? She went out with the guys all the time. Telling herself to quit being so ridiculous, she opened the door.

                Evan noticed the extra trouble she’d taken, as she hoped. “You look great.”

                “Thank you. Come on in.” Unable to say anything to Evan’s buddy, she met his eyes so he wouldn’t think she was ignoring him. They looked like they had coordinated their outfits, with his faded red T-shirt and black leather vest over black jeans. A nice look. “I’ll see if Kate’s ready.” She forced her breathing while feeling stares from behind.

                Kate opened her door just before Susie knocked. “What do you think?” She turned a slow circle, showing off her shiny blue skin-tight dress which barely covered her thighs.

                “I think you’ll need an armed escort.”

                “An escort with arms will be just fine, and I imagine I can find one.” She strolled past Susie to the main room, purposely drawing attention from the two men, then turned back. “You know, Suse, I think I’ll have to take you shopping and show you how to get a man’s attention.”

                Susie saw her start to say something to Evan and interrupted. “That’s not the kind of attention I want.”

                “I don’t know why not. It’s not like you have anything to hide.” She grinned teasingly and focused on the guy she hadn’t met.

Evan came to her rescue, stopping whatever Kate was about to say next by giving a brief introduction.

                “You’re Evan’s friend? You’re sure?” Kate’s eyes wandered up and down Duncan’s body. “I have to say I’m surprised. Pleasantly surprised, that is. I didn’t think he had any friends who weren’t at least kinda stuffy, if ya know what I mean.”

                “And y’ are Susie’s friend? Or only her roommate?” He glanced at Evan, since that was how he introduced Kate, as her roommate.

Kate laughed. “Guess that depends on how mad at me she is at the time you ask. If Evan had his way, I wouldn’t be either one.”

Susie moved in beside her. “It was his idea for you to move here with me. And thank you for calling me stuffy. I appreciate that.”

Motioning toward her outfit, Kate shrugged. “Only kind of. You have potential. Give me time.” Paying no attention to her look, or to Evan’s, which was worse, she pushed up against Duncan. “Susie says I need an armed escort. What do you think?”

                “I think that migh’ be a good idea.”

                A mischievous smile making her intentions known, she slid an arm underneath the black leather, around his waist, resting her other hand on his chest. “Are you armed?”

                Duncan raised an eyebrow. “Probably no’ enough for you.”

                “I find that hard to believe.” Kate let the hand on his chest slide down, until he caught it to stop her.

                Evan interrupted, saying they needed to get going, and held Susie’s jacket while she put her arms through. She set a hand on his arm as he held the door for her, wondering if he warned Duncan about Kate. If not, she was sure he would.

Classic Romance Revival

 

I've been involved with a group of authors working at trying to clarify some of the misunderstanding of the genre concepts romance and erotica. Readers are often afraid to try "romance" novels because of all of the graphic detail that has moved into much of it. Some of us have been discussing the issue and I'm excited to be able to announce that our deliberation on the subject has turned into a new venue for romance:

Classic Romance Revival

What is classic romance? It's straight-forward heterosexual romance between one couple without erotic love scenes. It's the kind of romance a lot of readers have been scouring thrift stores and yard sales to find from earlier times when they knew they might get some sensuality, and expected that, but never found graphic detail.

With no disrespect to authors or readers of any other kind of romance, we wanted to clarify who we are and what we do and make it easier for readers to find us and give us a chance.

We now have a Yahoo group started: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classicromancerevival/
where writers of this specific genre can join to add their information and participate in chats with readers and where readers who enjoy this type of fiction can safely find romance titles complete with sensuality ratings. Nothing erotic is promoted on this site.

Our official launch date is April 3rd and we'll be throwing a party on the group list complete with prizes and author chats that day.

We also have a blog, complete with our mission statement, our book rating system, and a bit about who each of us are:
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?page_id=2

If you're a writer who fits this category, please consider joining as an author. If you're a reader interested in this type of fiction, we'd love to have you join us on the group and visit the blog and would be happy to chat and answer questions. If you know readers looking for this kind of romance, by all means, please pass the word along. Although sex definitely sells, we feel there is still room for romance that isn't selling sex.

Classic Romance Revival ... Real Romance with heaRt
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/

[permission to forward granted and encouraged]

Different Drummer: Serialized #5

 

Rehearsal: A Different Drummer
LK Hunsaker

www.LKHunsaker.com
www.lkhunsaker.com/DifferentDrummer/main.htm 

© 2006  All Rights Reserved

 

11 March 1974

Keeping her mind on the notes about what her students needed to practice proved impossible. She kept seeing the echo of Duncan’s eyes when he and Evan came to her door to escort her to work. The bright blue snares pulled her in, casting a gaze beyond simple flirting. Evan’s questioning look told her she had stared too long. He had shaved, the intensity showing even more with the bare skin accenting his rigid jaw line and eyes that were less tired. The handshake when they met was still as vivid as while he was still holding her.

He was the kind of guy she would avoid except that he was Evan’s friend, and Evan was more particular than most about whom he called a friend. He had a lot of acquaintances, and people naturally gravitated toward him, but he kept a wall between himself and others. Occasionally, he found someone he would let inside. Susie could count them on one hand: herself, his mom, her dad, Mike … and Duncan. Even Stu and Doug were still somewhere between acquaintances and friends, though she did count them as her friends. But she wasn’t quite as discerning. She needed people more than Evan did.

Deciding that trying to concentrate was a waste of time, Susie got up from the small work table in the teachers’ lounge and reclaimed the bag holding her cassettes and dance shoes. There had to be a free room at this time of the day, since most classes were in the afternoon and evening.

Walking down the quiet hallway, she paused for a moment to watch Janet teach an adult class. Her friend was great with adults and a good studio manager. Of course, she was nearly eight years older than Susie, three years older than Evan, but then, most of the teachers were closer to Janet’s age. Susie was the youngest, but just as qualified as anyone else working there. She had to remind herself of that now and then.

“Hi, Susie. You’re in early today.”

She smiled at Monica’s greeting. “I rode in with Evan.”

“How is he? I haven’t seen him here recently.”

“He’s fine, working longer hours since he’s been short-handed at the gym, and busy with the band, as usual.”

“Oh? Are they playing this weekend?”

“Friday night, at Maggie’s. You might want to come if you can. I think he’s talked his friend into playing and the new sound is great.”

“Maybe I will. Ronnie has cousins visiting and I don’t want them in my house all weekend.”

Susie chuckled as the bookkeeper left, and continued down the hall. They were the strangest couple. Monica was a straight-laced and highly intelligent business woman, the studio’s accountant, and Ronnie … well, Waylon Jenning’s Good-hearted Woman came to mind whenever Susie saw them together, thanks to Evan’s mom’s fervor for country music. Susie personally didn’t care for Ernest Tubb, or much of country music, though she did like that song. From what she’d heard of Waylon’s voice so far, she believed he should sing it himself and do a better job.

Finding an empty room, she slipped out of her flats and into her ballet shoes, beginning with a warm-up stretch, then falling in with the music. Thoughts of Evan and his friend dissolved into energetic strains of Mozart’s Symphony Number 40 and the luxurious feel of her muscles following years of training. She rarely wore toe shoes while working out, preferring the naturalness of the soft, well-worn slippers. Ballet was her first love, other than her parents. Evan was her second. She wasn’t sure which would come first if she ever had to choose.

She danced through the symphony and a serenade, then pulled her toe shoes on to practice her routine for the show. The theme was musicals and each teacher had chosen one musical to use for themselves and their students. She decided on “West Side Story,” with her four- and five-year-old ballet class dancing to I Feel Pretty, and the same age jazz class performing Cool. Her older students were covering the best songs on the rest of the soundtrack, with her soloist performing Tonight on pointe. It was her first show having a student in toe shoes, and she was more nervous about that routine than her own.

Susie was starting her section with Something’s Coming, dancing lead in jazz with her jazz students joining her, and they would end with her ballet students accompanying her solo on Somewhere. The teachers and assistants who actually spoke to her had given her compliments on the choreography. The others had been avoiding her even more.

The song ended and she glanced at the clock. Another hour until she went to meet Evan. Maybe she would be able to study her notes now that she had used some energy.

Dating

 

Revolutionary War Drum

Smithsonian, photo by LK Hunsaker

 

No, I don't mean dating as in going out for dinner. I'm talking about book dating - specifically, the way editors will tell you not to add anything to your novel that will "date" your book, such as listening to your 8-track tapes or mentioning specific currently popular bands.

I've been pondering this since it came up in a writing list. A writer was wondering whether to use a brand name or not because of trademark violations and dating the story. [It's not a trademark violation if you capitalize the brand name to show it's a brand name.]

But why is dating a story so horrible? Heck, I purposely date all of my novels. I have specific time periods in mind and make sure to make references to that time. My series even has dates as chapter headings. Why is this a bad thing?

I love reading novels and being pulled back into the time frame of the novel. While I can't mention any specific novel or author, I vividly remember being in a story where I have to take a term and put it into context because it's no longer applicable. But that's part of the fun of reading. It puts you elsewhere. It opens your small world and makes it larger.

It may depend on the story, but with mine being largely music-based and dealing with social issues, the time periods in which they are set are important to the story. I use specific band/musician references in all of them, and generally brand names, capitalized. Am I making them short-lived that way? I don't think so.

Gone With the Wind wouldn't work as well in today's setting. It has to be set during the Civil War in the south. Otherwise, where's the story?

Rehearsal is set in the 70s, moving into the 80s later in the series. The single-mother issue wouldn't be as big an issue now as it was then. Neither would the heroine being half Native American (termed as "Indian" in the series since it was still called Indian back then).

Is it expecting too much of a reader to put it into context of its time? I hope not. I hope readers have not become that lazy. Of course it's the author's job to be sure the story stays relevant through the years, as well, but being that critical about dating a novel seems unrealistic to me.

What do you think? If you run across a band name or song name you don't know, does it annoy you or does it persuade you to research a bit and check it out?

 

[Side note: my newsletter is coming out today - sign up at my website!  Tomorrow will include a special free read mailed to your inbox if you're subscribed.]

A small matter of quality

"I think all of us like to do things to the best of our ability and it has nothing to do with the competition factor, it has to do with quality."
Jerry Bruckheimer

 

I think too many of us have forgotten the definition of quality, or we've stopped caring.

In the quest for more and more and faster and faster, we've lost this important attribute. We all know we have. We all complain about the lack of quality in items we purchase. We fuss if our 'fast food' meals takes more than 15 seconds to receive and then fuss when the quality isn't there. How much quality should we expect to get in food prepared in 15 seconds?

As much as I would like to believe Jerry Bruckheimer's quote, I have a hard time doing so. I believe most of us just want more and faster, and cheaper. The cheaper things are, the more things we can buy. Never mind if they fall apart quickly or are less than truly satisfying; we have more of it.

*sigh*

I see it in my own profession, as well. I've read excerpt after excerpt of new books coming out. I browse bookstores and read the first two paragraphs from new authors, or at least new to me. It becomes rather disparaging as I continually find weak openings, incomplete sentences not used purposely or for effect, repetition to the point where I want to scream, "Enough already! I get that's she's busty and he's well built! Okay!"

I see a flux of adverbs used instead of strong verbs. I see sentence structures and paragraphs that fourth graders could write (no offense to fourth graders).

I've read the first 25 pages of a book where nearly nothing happens and what does happen is cliche and ... repetitive.

I see authors bragging about having four or more books published in a year and I have to wonder how they have time to rewrite and edit and rewrite again when they're producing so quickly.  And ... when do they find time to study the craft in between selling it? I see them say they don't have time to read. Then, how are they learning and improving?

Maybe I don't have room to talk about producing since my most recent book was supposed to be out last fall and still isn't, and since I have only two books out since 2003. One of them is 3-4 times as long as most of the 4-book-a-year novels and I have been working other jobs in between, so I'm sure those are both factors in the difference. I'm sure some writers see my producing stats and roll their eyes. Still, much of the time in between, I've been continuing to study the craft: reading, reviewing, perusing how-to articles and books, and going back to rewrite and edit several times.

I do believe it should be about the quality, not the competition. How many matters less to me than actual content. I prefer a nice sit down dinner even if I have to do it less often than numerous 15 second meals.

Although I've been trying to stretch into the many contemporary writers, I find myself falling back into my beloved classics when quality still mattered. They tend to take longer to read, but oh, how much more I get out of them!

"You can't fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal."
William S. Burroughs

It was a...

Earlier today, I was taking part in a conversation at Coffee Time Romance [http://www.coffeetimeromance.com] about what readers need in a novel to hold their interest and whether or not they would give an author a second chance if the first they read wasn't very good.

It reminded me of another conversation at Author Nation [http://www.authornation.com] recently where a genre writer was cursing "literature" (meaning literary fiction) and said he couldn't tell anyone why "It was a dark and stormy night" was not a good opening line.

Personally, I'm not interested in reading work by an author who does not know why it isn't, regardless of their genre. That was one thing I pointed out in the first discussion.

I realize the writer's point was that much literary fiction is overdone and pretentious. However, the generalization that it all is and that authors shouldn't have to study the craft well enough to be able to write pretentiously makes me shake my head. Yes, they should. No matter what genre an author writes, the craft should be studied and the rules learned, even if they are broken.

What do you think? How many of you readers and writers know the problem with that opening line? How many think I'm crazy to think it isn't a good way to start a novel?

The rest of my answer as to what I need for a novel to hold me:

1) Characterization -- they have to have real depth
2) Writing quality -- beautiful, deep characters will mean nothing if the craft of the story is poor

Oh, and watch the adverbs.

Author Day at the Library

Does your local library have an author day? If you're not sure, it's a good thing to check out, since they feature local authors and you can chat about their work and possibly even get a book signed or at least some shiny new bookmarks!

The photo here was taken yesterday at my local library. The last time my kids were there, they noticed Rehearsal: A Different Drummer was featured under the "new fiction" section. I didn't even know they had ordered it, so it was a nice surprise and I, of course, had to go back with my camera.

It reminded me that our author day is generally in August. I attended their first one a couple of years ago, but was away last year. So, looking around for a sign, I saw that it was to be held the last weekend of this month, only a few days before I can say I'm no longer local to this area. Our household goods will all be packed away in a moving truck and our house will be empty other than our suitcases, but I'll be at the library chatting with any patrons who drop by, along with at least 19 other authors.

A note to authors: always keep promo items stocked and on-hand for these last-minute opportunities! And if your library doesn't have an author day, ask them about starting one. Some of them will allow you to sell your books there, but even if they don't, it's a great way to encourage patrons to pick it up from the library and read it. If they enjoy it, they're likely to spread the word.

Sign up for my newsletter for more detail: http://www.lkhunsaker.com/newsletter.htm

June Jubilee Author/Reader Mix

It's been a very hectic month around here, but still, I'm enjoying the time I can find to participate in Coffee Time Romance's June Jubilee celebration in their forums. Romance writers of several sub-genres are mingling with readers, giving away prizes, and talking about their hobbies.

I'm there, giving away another music and dance soaps gift set as a raffle for anyone who replies to my post. ;-) I'm also involved in the hobbies discussion under music, art, collecting, sewing, and movies (so far).

Drop in if you get the chance and tell them LKHunsaker sent you (the reference will help get your membership approved faster -- they are careful to avoid spammers).

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=15