The Continuing Saga of a Debut Author

A Fall Bouquet

My posts the past few weeks have been about new experiences since Black Ribbon Affair has been released.

Sorry, okay–not really , you’re getting another post on new experiences for a debut author.

On Monday morning I had my first phone interview with a reporter from our local newspaper.  She does several continuing columns and I have long admired her deft hand with words and topics. Those of you who are writers and interact with other writers are familiar with the pitfalls and/or skepticism of some interviewers.  No matter the genre of romance writers or the excellent writing quality, we often have to endure less than flattering portrayals of our work.

I’m very happy to report my reporter was interested, friendly and positive.

The result was an interview I’ll always treasure and probably have to reread often when I encounter less positive reports.

Another result of the interview was  many phone calls, emails, and cards from friends, relatives and acquaintances who had read the interview and wanted to send me congratulations.

Needless to say, that pushed me through the rest of the week.  One that had more than normal crises and problems in my daily life.  Good thing I learned long ago that establishing priorities and handling stress when it mounts higher than Mount Rainier was a survival skill I had to depend upon.

My week closed on Saturday.  First up, not a new experience but one I appreciated.

My writing group hosted  an excellent and thought-stimulating presentation by Leanna Renee Hieber.  She described her cross genre book, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, published by Leisure Books as a Victorian Gothic romance, a cross between Jane Austen and Ghostbusters.  This talented young woman not only writes, but is also involved in the theater and uses acting and directing techniques in developing her writing scenes.

Toward the end of her presentation, she asked us to use one of her methods and apply it in our minds to a scene we are currently writing or going to write. Now I had been working one a scene all week but I wasn’t quite sure about its place in the progression of my heroine’s growth.  Nor was I happy with it.  Using Leanna’s exercise brought me to better understand the importance of this scene and how to pull it together. I feel much more confident about next week’s writing and what I must accomplish from here on out in this project.

Wow!  But I often have light-bulb moments when I’m fortunate enough to attend a writers  meeting.

My week still offered me one more new experience.  My first booksigning in a PUBLIC setting.  This time a Waldenbooks in one of the larger shopping malls in our corner of the state.  Saturday was a lovely day.  The mall was very busy and crowded.

That was a good sign.  After all people were out and in a shopping mood. Maybe my worst fears wouldn’t happen.  I wouldn’t be left sitting in the bookstore surrounded by all my books.  But no one was interested in buying them.

Leanna Renee Hieber and I at booksigning

Leanna was also signing her book.  Having a colleague made the experience not quite so daunting.  We could talk about writing topics if no one showed up to talk to us about our books.  Or to buy them if they were interested.

Yes, Leanna and I learned a bit more about each other during the infrequent lulls at the signing.  She’s a delightful, interesting woman.  We had steady streams of people stop, chat and buy books during the hours of the signing.  The whole event proved very successful.  The bookstore manager and employees were very pleased with the result.

Needless to say, so was I.  I’m sure Leanna was, too.

Two Happy Authors

One perfect piece of my favorite chocolate truffle capped the afternoon for me.  I hope Leanna enjoyed the treat also.  How did that delectable treat arrive?  Through the magic that embodies Edie.  She always seems to provide the perfect ending.  Thank you, Edie.

I am truly blessed.  This past week held major firsts for me.  I’ll live on those memories for a very long time and use them to keep me focused on working toward other new goals.  My memories will also serve as consolation when life doesn’t go smoothly.  Those memories will prod me into not giving up hope or quit on my journey.  Real life is all about peaks and valleys, sometimes, fathomless dark pits.  Just like what I do with my characters in books.  But I can control the outcomes.

My niece Beth--One of my greatest fans & supporters

Too bad, I can’t do that with my life.

What do you do to help you get out of the pits and treasure the peaks?

A Booksigning to Remember

Black Ribbon Affair is introduced

I survived my first book-signing on Friday, the 13^th.  Scary?  Frightful? 

Not a chance.  Everything behind the scenes ran smoothly.  I managed my pre-signing jitters.  I’m too mature and seasoned to worry about a zit or suffer a bad hair day.  I’ve come to terms with my body image. 

Using my booksigning pen

With my virgin book-signing pen, which my dear female friends since school days gave me, I was ready.  For my maiden voyage.  Hard to believe it’s only taken me a few decades to see this event happen.  But it did. 

Desserts & appetizers--yum yum

Thanks to my dear sister who decorated the room and those great forever friends who provided fantastic desserts and appetizers, a great punch drink, we were ready. 

Even our local newspaper sent a photographer who was personable, chatty, asked great questions and looked great enough to be a very interesting hero in a novel. 

But would people come and be interested in Black Ribbon Affair, my book or just to enjoy the desserts, punch, coffee and tea?  After all, it was Friday, the 13^th. 

I should worry about world peace or the economy or healthcare… 

I have the answers

We had steady groups of people arrive, over a 100.  Many already had their books and had read them.  They had wonderful questions, great remarks, and all asked, “When’s the next book with Caitlin and Mike?  We want more about them.”  All who wanted their books signed and were already telling their reader friends about what a great read Black Ribbon Affair is. Others bought a book or two for friends who couldn’t make the signing. 

Those who came who didn’t have the book bought one, sometimes more than one and wanted them signed.  All agreed to spread the word about my book.  

I know all book-signings won’t be as productive but I have to say my virgin experience was one to remember always.  My readers are unanimous: Black Ribbon Affair is a page turner. 

I got flowers from a grateful reader

This week I have two more scheduled, a private one for a book club which has read the book and another one at Southridge Mall in Milwaukee at the Waldenbooks.  2- 4 PM., Saturday, November 21^st.  If you can make it, I’d love to see you there. 

Ivan left a few "gifts"

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few comments.  Perhaps they will whet your reading appetite.  “That fireplace scene – wow, really hot.”  “Where did you find Ivan?  Did you really know someone like him?”   “What happens to Rachel?”  “What a fantastic ending.  How did you think of that?”

Lips and Character

Lips 1

Lips.

We all have them.  Some of us love the ones we have, some never think about lips, and some spend many dollars to enhance the ones they were born with—almost to the point of them looking unnatural.

We can’t all have Angelina Jolie lips.  Nor should we wish to.  I know I’d look horrid with a set of lips like that—too out of proportion.

However, lips are a very visible part of our anatomy.  Often first impressions of sometime or a quick read of emotions might be done by viewing a person’s lips.

Lips 2

When I am developing a character’s description, I sometimes have a clear idea of how their lips are shaped.  Sometimes not.  But as I write character’s lips come into play with action.  How can someone sneer or snarl without a bit of lip action.

Describing the sensations of a kiss.  Or a kiss itself.  Lips are integral to the action and the response.

So I thought about having a bit of an interactive exercise today.  Look at the lips below.

Lips A

Lips B

Lips C

What do you think the owners are feeling or doing or have done?  Might you be able to get a sense of age? Income?  Profession?

Could I develop a character starting only with a pair of disembodied lips?

Or do we need the whole face to create a character and his or her actions?

Let me know what you think?

Eyes, Heart, or Both

“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.”  G.K. Chesterton

Baby Blue Eyes

I’ve been thinking a lot about characters this week.  And real people who are characters.

I’ve been thinking also about what makes me take a second look at a person and think: I want to get to know more about you.

My mind kept circling back to two items.  Eyes and heart.

For eyes it’s not so much the color or the shape, but it’s what those eyes reflect.  Such characteristics as joy, sadness, intelligence, illness, age, youth, goodness,guile, evil.  You get the picture.

What about these?

As for the heart?  Well, some of the least healthy hearts are really those that have the greatest amount of love and joy in them.  They are heart healthy in personhood if not in cardiac terms.  In know several.

On the other hand, some of the healthiest hearts I’ve known appear the most selfish.  They might have perfect hearts, but not perfect personhood.

I play around with these ideas as I flesh out my characters.  Just as an excellent cardiac surgeon and cardiologist might be able to repair and make healthy a sick heart, as a writer, I can do the same to a character whose got some personhood that can sparkle if I do my job well.

Ah, but what about those eyes?  Well, modern medicine can make tired, old eyes look better, and I guess a writer can do the same.  But somehow I think the essence of who and what a character is emerges from his or her will and intellect.  So as a writer, I can’t do much to change the essence in my characters’ eyes and what they express.  Only my characters can lead the way in that process.  Their eyes are direct links to their souls.

Dark Eyes

I guess that’s true in real life also.  We can change our eye color with contacts, get rid of puffiness, bags and dark circles with a variety of methods from Preparation H to cosmetic surgery.  But that light from within is ours alone.  Only we can change it.  Or keep it aglow.

I must remember that as I work with my characters and as I react to those around me whom I love.

What’s your view on hearts and eyes?

Characters–Love ‘em or Not

Characters.

Trick or treat moose

As writers we deal with them in our books.  As TV and movie watchers we bond with some on the screen, detest others, and remain neutral about others.  As members of a family we see characters within our family circles.  As friends, we see them emerge within our friendship circle.

No matter what our perspective, we all deal with characters.

As a writer, I am often asked how I find my characters.  I’ve taken classes which explain how to build characters and how you must know them well before you begin writing.  Sometimes that process works for me.  But not often.

Sure, when I start a new project I have ideas and jot down some basics, but really each character builds on his or her own energy.  Sure, I know some very important elements about my characters, their demons, their flaws, their strengths.  Or I think I know.

But often in the course of working with them for hours each day, I discover layers and issues I had no clue about before I began.   Usually, I worry about this.  Could these new discoveries, these new twists of character ruin my story, kill my character uniqueness in the view of my readers?  Will what I find so intriguing and special about my characters turn off others or worse, leave them totally neutral?

But those characters keep bugging me if I don’t be true to them.  So I listen to them as the world on the pages I write is their world, not mine.

I think I’ve been true to this concept in my just released book, Black Ribbon Affair.  Two people who’ve read it and have known ME for years, have remarked that the voices they heard, the world they read about in Black Ribbon wasn’t me or the world they know I inhabit.  They entered the worlds of Caitlin, Mike, Rachel and others.

I believe this is high praise.  Not for me, but for my characters.  All I did was listen to them.

In the project I’m working on now, I have a character I really thought I’d be killing off in some way.  Just because he’s so selfish and self-destructive.  Instead, I find he’s insisting on staying alive and putting himself into greater trouble.  All that ripples out to his family.  Maybe at some point, he’ll allow me to sideline him—somehow.  But for now, he’s still in my chapters.  Always hurting himself far more than others.

Tricker Moose

I guess I won’t know him completely until I get to the end of the story.

What about you?  Do characters in your lives, your stories, or family or friends rule you?  Do you continue to find new layers to them as you continue your interactions?

A Visit at the “White House”

So what was it?

An afternoon tea in the White House, “the people’s house,” as Mary Todd Lincoln referred to it.  She was the tea’s hostess.  Her feature guest, Mrs. Cordelia Perrine Harvey was the widow of the Governor Louis Powell Harvey, Wisconsin’s recently deceased governor.

Okay, no dream here. Or time travel.  Just a very informative and entertaining afternoon at Kenosha WI’s new Civil War Museum.

Mary Todd Lincoln hold a tea

Mrs. Lincoln was most gracious.  She even granted me permission to snap a few photos of her after she had finished her presentation.  She looked charming in a light blue flower patterned frock with a short jacket of a solid blue.  She marveled at the camera which didn’t require long minutes of posing absolutely frozen until the shot was taken.  She showed more amazement at the immediacy of seeing the results and approved my photos.

Mrs. Lincoln talked a bit about her mission to redo the White House which in her words was nothing more than a “stinking pig sty” when her family arrived.  She so enjoyed that task though it has brought her no amount of distressing newspaper coverage and a marital discussion about finances with “Mr. Lincoln.”

She mentioned her enjoyment of the only house in Springfield, IL that she and Mr. Lincoln owned.  How Mr. Lincoln complimented her on her purchase of “gee-gaws and doo-dads” for the Springfield home as well as the Executive Mansion.  She informed Mr. Lincoln and us she never purchased “gee-gaws or doo-dads.”

A very personable and at times very humorous in a very ladylike manner provided tiny details of her life with such a man as her husband.  His worry about her weight, his love letters when he was away, how they handled the death of their son.  She left us for a time as her two surviving sons were ill with a slight fever and she wished to check on them.  While Mrs. Lincoln was gone, the staff served us our tea, sandwiches, salads, and a most delightful assortment of desserts.

When the First Lady returned, she indicated the boys were doing better.  She provided a bit more background about Mrs. Harvey to introduce the widow’s subject of discussion.

A study in contrast to Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Harvey wore stiff black heavy silk and a small black hat.  Her only touches of color were a white lace handkerchief attached to her belt, a bit of white blouse, and a tiny white feather in her hat.  Even more petite than Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Harvey bustled efficiently and spoke clearly but more quicker.  A study of northern woman vs a daughter of the south.

Mrs. Cordelia Harvey, Wisconsin's Angel

Known as the “Wisconsin Angel” for her service to wounded and ill Union soldiers, Mrs. Harvey was in Washington to plead with Mr. Lincoln, Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton.  After Mrs. Harvey’s death the new Wisconsin governor appointed her to the mission of seeing to the needs of Wisconsin soldiers serving in the western zones.  Her husband had died an accidental death while visiting infirmaries housing Wisconsin soldiers.  His last letter to her mentioned the despair of the men who were receiving neither care, food, or the concern of loved ones while they lay on dirty cots and died of disease.

Armed with her husband’s last words and a need to serve, Mrs. Harvey entered the camps with more authority than just being a worker.  She had a title and the Wisconsin governor’s backing.  What she found appalled her.  She quickly realized while the injuries and deaths from bloody battles along the Mississippi River states (and she went as far south as Vicksburg) were high, higher still were preventable deaths due to disease, unsanitary conditions, fevers, and diarrhea.  No one talked to these men who longed for home.

She believed moving these people out of the hospitals and sending them north to “clean, disease-free northern air” would hasten their recovery.  So would better supplies of food and clean supplies which were almost non-existent in the camps.

That’s why she beseeched President Lincoln, over the period of several days.  Her story showed her determination in meeting with him and his conflict with justice, politics, and dwindling resources.  Her meetings were much the same with the Secretary of War, but her determination impressed President Lincoln.  She won her request and recovering soldiers were moved north to hospitals near families and supplies.

Two strong and determined women, but different in their approaches.  A genteel setting.  A most interesting afternoon.  You can learn more about either woman with the links I provided.

What a Week

Black Ribbon in Hand

Last week I posted a short excerpt from Black Ribbon Affair.  This week I have more news.

First, I received my author copies I mentioned last week in the post, and I actually held my book in my hand for the very first time.  What a thrill.  That three word sentence sounds so tame considering the rush of emotions flying through me, hovering around my head and buzzing in my ears.  It was like birthing my first born son, my wedding day and finishing grad school all rolled into one.

I haven’t been able to settle down since then.  And this is SO not like me…

The next event was discovering that the buy sites were active on Amazon.com, The Wild Rose Press.com, and Barnes and Noble.com.  My book, my baby was now OUT THERE.

What if no one liked it, much less loved it as much as I do or my husband does?  Yeah, it’s his favorite; then its sequel which he takes ownership for the idea that started it.

So I’ve been on a real roller coaster this week.  Up and down like the proverbial yo-yo. But loving the angst and joy all bundled together.

Then yesterday, I got an email from a friend who’d ordered the book and now had it in her hands.  Her email thrilled me as she indicated how excited she was.  Yesterday evening, my niece called—screaming.  I thought something was wrong.

NOT!  She’d come home from the hospital to find the book she ordered in her mailbox.  She was more excited than I was, but she inspired me once again.  After she screamed some more, she indicated she was so glad she wasn’t on call this weekend because she intended to read it. ALL WEEKEND.  She even mentioned something about not feeling bad that her boyfriend wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be coming to see her this weekend.  While I hope he doesn’t have the bug that’s floating around, I’m chuckling that she will be with MY book this weekend.  I’m so terrible.

Anyway, this past week has been heady and emotional.  However, I better get down to business and work on my next book.  Otherwise, when Lady Luck taps me on the shoulder again, I won’t be ready.

Have a great week, everyone.

Release Date Is Looming

Something really exciting happened this week.

The Leaves are Changing and Falling

I received an email from my publisher that I could pre-order my book, Black Ribbon Affair, as of that date.  I immediately did so as I have my first book signing scheduled in November. Of course, this email notice will pale in significance once I actually get my books in the mail and hold one in my hands.

Since October 23 is fast approaching, I’m including an excerpt today to whet your appetites.  I hope you enjoy this tidbit.

From my bookmark:

A smart woman.  A sensitive man.  A second chance at love. But danger stalks.  Death looms over her.  But their love triumphs all.

Excerpt:  Black Ribbon Affair:

The door latch clicked. She looked up and confronted…liquid smoke, fringed with thick dark lashes. Her breath caught; her heart skittered to her toenails. Killer eyes. They always had been. Recovering quickly, she extended her slender hand. Those lapsed years had honed him into a man worthy of an appreciative look.

“Hello, Cait…” He stared right back and grinned, a heart-breaking one like she remembered. But this was not the place, or time, to walk those old paths.

“Mike…it’s been a long time.” Was that her voice, all husky, almost sultry, and foreign?

He moved toward her as though his knees bothered him. She inched closer to him, fighting his pull but losing the battle. They shook hands, but he didn’t release hers.

She didn’t object. His hand warmed hers, but it always had.

“You two know each other?” Keith asked.

“Years ago, in college,” Caitlin answered. “I wondered when I saw your memo, but thought it was too much of a coincidence. There must be several Michael Sean Raffertys in the world.”

“Cait. I…never thought we’d meet again…especially like this.” Mike still hadn’t released her hand. Was he as unwilling to break the connection as she was?

Keith eyed them, an eagle measuring his territory. “Is this going to be a problem?” His words shattered the moment.

“Not for me,” she answered with professionalism she didn’t feel. She slid into the leather chair nearest her coffee mug. She swallowed a gulp, hoping to dislodge the tightness in her throat. Mike appeared…wonderful. Calm. Mature.

And totally off limits.

“Nor me.” Mike sat in the remaining chair.

“There’s another mug, Mike, if you want coffee.” Keith pointed to the carafe and cup but made no motion to pour.  “We’ve a lot of ground to cover this morning.”

The Road Not Taken

Farm pump two paths

This Robert Frost poem was much on my mind this week for a few different reasons though none of which center on the poem’s theme.  Then as I was mulling over what topic to choose for today’s post and how to develop it the title and the last line of the poem kept running through my head. 

So I dug it out from that large shelf of saved books from the college years and reread the poem.  And thought some more. 

Meanwhile another part of my mind kept circling back to a topic I read on Monday which was the daily posting there.  The basic question the poster left the readers to answer was this:  “Were their points in our lives when we knew we had a make a choice between two “roads” or options?

And after that choice and in hindsight, do you now wonder what would have happened had the other choice been the better or more interesting or even worse choice?” 

In other words, she asked the readers to consider the what-if game. 

That’s what I considered all week as I thought of several specific times in my life when I made decisions, clear, well-thought out decisions, even if later they turned out not to be what I hoped.  I guess that’s my nature.  

But I don’t dwell on what-might-have-beens.  I’m more of a what’s-going-on-in-the-present with a serious serving of what-might-be-kind of woman. 

So I thought I had today’s topic nailed down Friday morning.  However, we had guests for dinner that evening, dear friends who moved to Florida when they retired and we rarely see them unlike when they were our neighbors.  But we do stay in touch.

 After lots of conversation and a great dinner, my neighbor made the point that we were the kind of friends that just picked right up where we left off even if a great deal of time had elapsed since last we were together.  That led to how had we met originally.  That brought me to thinking about what I’d been considering all week, those times when you make a decision and follow one path over another. 

 I said that in something like:  ”If I hadn’t gotten my teaching jobs here, we’d never have met.”

 My hubby said then: “You’d never have met me…and…”  (You get the drift.  The rest is history)  So did I…because my hubby is my love.  While I might get upset with him at times, I know he’s always there for me, and he knows the same about me.  We are each others’ greatest supporters.

 Taking that first teaching position was easy.  The job market was very tight in my field.  Finding work would be easier if I could relocate and shift into a field that needed my skills but not in a teaching capacity.  That would have meant needing a solid child-care system and a friendship network in a place definitely out of state and perhaps overseas.

The sons were vocal in their determination not to move.  They were getting into their teens, not a time to add fuel to a rebelling age.  When I was about to the end of my rope in my job hunt, I interviewed for something a bit of a challenge but I explained how I could handle that.  I was offered the position.  A decent salary, security, the proximity to an extended family and friends.  Those are important when you need a job as a divorced single mom with three growing sons–who didn’t want to move away from their friends or their grandparents.

Black eyed Susans

So I looked no further for work.  That road was the one for me.  And as Frost’s poem ends: “And that has made all the difference.”

Risk Taking

Dragonfly kite outside my office window

I’ll be starting a new book in the next week.  That’s always a very scary time for me.  Well, one of several such times in the process of birthing a book.  Generally, I’m pretty much risk-averse in my personal life.  Or if I take a plunge I’ve pretty much tried to limit the bad places I might fall or the awkward situations I might find myself in.

 With a book start I can try to limit my writing risks by doing research as necessary, character analysis and backstory, figuring out conflict, goals, motivation etc.  However, sometimes characters have a way of changing my plans once I get into the first few chapters. 

This can be risky.  Their insistence could change the whole focus of the book.  That’s scary especially if the writer, in this case—me, is a bit of a control freak.  I’ll worry about that new direction as I haven’t thought it through.  What if it’s really a writing demon’s trap to have me write thousands of words only to have to delete them all because my first idea was the best idea.  Or at least a better one.  Or if I change directions, how will the details I’ve already thought about and written in earlier chapters still apply?  And?  And?  And? 

 The list could be endless.   And use up weeks.  Or more.

 So for the next few days I’ll battle my urges to not start but just keep pulling together my needed information, set my stage, and then plunge in.  I’ll see where my characters’ currents take me and trust them, mostly.  :-) I guess in writer terminology that makes me a hybrid—both plotter and pantser.  

Should I or not?

I have to stuff down my fears of taking a risk if I’ve done my preparation well.  Because if I have done my planning well, how could my characters derail their story?  And if they are insistent about change?  

Well, like my best of friends, I better listen and take heed.  After all, it might be a greater risk not to.

What’s your take on this?