Tonya Ashley became my friend several years ago when we both attended KenTen Writers' Retreat. Sadly, the retreat is no more, but Tonya and I have kept up with each other on Facebook. And last year, she became one of my authors I do content edits for. This newest book of hers, which is absolutely lovely, y'all, I got a sneak peek at long before I discovered I'd get to do the content edits. And she had me hooked back then. I think she'll do the same for you. Be sure to read all the way through as she tells you more. Discovering Unexpected Treasure While Balancing Fact and Fiction
The wind rolls in from the river, mussing my hair as I stand on the short dock at the Lee Creek Park boat launch. A tugboat pushes several barges slowly down the Arkansas River. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine a steamboat in place of the tugboat and green grass over the paved parking lot. The task is easier than erasing streetlights and motor vehicles from Main Street. There’s something about historic Main Street towns that spark my imagination and Van Buren, Arkansas has long been one of my favorites. Its restored Victorian buildings, Old Frisco Depot, King Opera House, and trolley transport me back in time. The past and present are seamlessly woven together in Van Buren’s historical attractions, antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, and more. My favorite hangout, Chapters on Main, offers new and used books alongside deliciously creative espresso drinks. All this, along with the warmth and friendliness of its residents, make it so easy to fall in love with this delightful Main Street town.
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Sometimes people ask me if there's any of my life woven into my stories, any reality. Of course there is. It would be rather impossible to write something and not have a little bit of personal experience come through. So much of my life has shaped me and the way I think, and that comes out in everything I do, including my writing.
Naturally, I include other little things on purpose too. For instance, in my latest story, For Better or For Granted, I included our wedding vows. No, we didn't write our own vows. I guess we could've, but neither of us had any desire to do that. Instead, I remembered some vows my Dad had used with another couple a few years before we married. And I remembered loving them. So, I asked him if he could dig them out for us to see if we wanted to use them. And I still loved them. If you guys have followed me for long at all, you know I write romance. No suspense. No mystery. Just straight-up romance. Which means no bad guys, usually.
That being said, for some reason, "bad guys" keep creeping into my writing lately. Last year, when I was writing my fairy tale retelling, of course I had to have a villain. ;) And it was really fun having someone to blame a lot of the heroine's problems on. But my latest book, For Better or For Granted, is not a fairy tale. It's about as opposite as you can think of because it's about a happily ever after that's falling apart. So, why would it need someone to make it worse?
School nurse by day. Lonely by night. Genevieve Stewart loves her job and the high school where she passes out bandages, sends home sick kids, and updates shot records. It was her dream job. And it got even better when Scott started paying attention to her five years before. Having him drop by her office to bring her coffee, chat for a minute, even steal a kiss--it was ideal. How many other women were blessed to see their love during working hours? Needless to say, she figured life after marriage would be even better. But it isn't. I love shining a spotlight on other authors and other books too. Today, we're showcasing Jenny Carlisle's newest release (one of my editing babies). Love Never Fails is the third in her series (fourth if you count the novella in A Gift For All Time, which I do). Y'all, this series is so sweet, and I just love the fictional town and all its people. But this story also deals with some heavy stuff. See what Jenny has to say about it. A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 NJKV “It’s over. He’ll never be able to do anything.” My husband’s boss expressed hopelessness as we stepped outside the hospital waiting room. His brother and business partner was being treated for a severe spinal injury. The doctors were preparing the family for the possibility of paralysis.
“We don’t know that yet.” I said. “The doctors will tell him about the next steps. There are so many possibilities for a normal life.” Even as I spoke these words, I knew the road ahead would be rough. In a way, the concerned brother was right. Nothing would be the same ever again. What's a Christmas story without children? Obviously it can be done, but are they as much fun? I don't think so.
Needless to say, all of my Christmas stories have ended up having children involved. A few years ago, in the Candy Cane Wishes collection, my hero was a single dad dealing with his tween and her attitude. This year, my Christmas story, Mama Dated Santa, has Mark. He's the nephew of Trudy, my heroine. And he's a fun-loving four-year-old who adores Santa. Because that's a really fun age at Christmas. Some neat facts: I also have a nephew named Mark, but he's no longer four, so except for the name, there's not much else in common with the one in my book. The man I call Santa now is also named Mark. See how that all works? When I think of Christmas, two flavors come to mind. Peppermint and gingerbread.
I'm sure some people want to include eggnog in there too, but it's not one I prefer. Needless to say, when writing a Christmas novel, there was going to be some seasonal flavors mixed in. Of course, I don't think I realized Trudy was going to run away with one of them. That's right. My characters sometimes take over my stories. You see, Trudy loves peppermint. To the point that she puts it in her hot chocolate and her coffee. And her truffles. And decorates in that theme too. She just can't help herself. When I started writing Mama Dated Santa, I didn't have a ton of direction. Mostly what I knew was the title and that my main characters were both well, not into the holiday spirit. But as I got to know Trudy, I realized she had been at one point. Then, I just had to figure out what ruined it for her. Of course, with her mom being a widow, it was pretty obvious it was going to have something to do with her dad.
Okay, so then I started exploring her relationship with her Dad. Sure, he loved Christmas. But what made it so special to do Christmas with him? Then, she let me know about their bucket lists. (Yes. My characters talk to me.) So, what is a holiday bucket list? |
This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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