Friday, June 18, 2021

The Sixteenth Issue

 


If it’s the 19th, that means it’s time for the news. The 3 19 news that is. That little grouping of numbers continues to pop up when I least expect it.  Just last week, gas prices here in the Mitten were at $ 3.19 a gallon.  I was also reading “Lisey’s Story” by Stephen King and room 319 kept popping up in the story.  It’s a good thing I don’t believe in coincidences, or I’d be looking over my shoulder.

Here’s a peek into my world of writing, a bit about my latest work in progress, an interview with another great author and of course, music. How dull this world would be without music.  Let’s roll.

 

Writing 

          When and where your story takes place can have as much impact as a character. Some people enjoy reading about events from a hundred years ago. Others want to look at the future and jump several decades or lightyears ahead.  Does your story take place in a real location, or a mystical garden of make believe?

          The setting plays a role.  Almost all my novels take place in the metropolitan Detroit area, where I lived for many years. Set in a contemporary time frame, I like to use some landmarks that people familiar with the area will recognize.  This includes Comerica Park, Ford Field, the McNamara Federal Building, Belle Isle, the Grosse Pointe suburbs and more.  There are often restaurants mentioned where I’ve enjoyed a great meal.

          In addition to the physical geographic area, the time of year can be a factor too. In “Vanishing Act” the story takes place during the winter months.  While other parts of Michigan often get hammered with blizzards, it’s unusual for the Detroit area to experience this. Most storms move from west to east and it’s not uncommon for them to run out of steam crossing the mitten state.  But I need a storm to be part of the story.  The arrival of a snowstorm hampers the search for Jamie’s best friend when she goes missing.

          In one reader’s review of the story, they claimed to be able to feel the cold of these winter scenes. Considering they were enjoying the book during the summer and in the warmth of Atlanta, Georgia, I’ll take that as a compliment.

Here’s a picture of a favorite spot in Motown.       

 


Work In Progress

          The query for “The Wayward Path” was submitted ahead of schedule.  Feedback from my fantastic team of beta readers was very positive and they helped catch a number of screwups I made in the earlier drafts.  Now it’s time to ‘hurry up and wait’ to hear from the publisher.

          Meanwhile the fourth Jamie Richmond book has begun.  I hit 18,000 words the other day, which is a good start.  There is a main plot and one subplot slowly developing.  I’m looking forward to seeing what mischief my favorite redhead gets herself into here.   There may also be a crossover appearance.  Jamie has popped up in the second and third Jefferson Chene novels. Maybe Chene and his team will return the favor. Anything is possible.

 

Author Interview

          I think of this month’s featured author as a dear friend.  After all, we’ve both been featured in two anthologies and have been writing for a few years now. We’ve both appeared on Dr. Paul’s Family Talk on Impact Radio. The fact that we’ve never met might seem a bit odd. But the world is a smaller place these days. The wonders of technology do bring us all a little bit closer together.  I’ve no doubt that if the opportunity were to present itself, Liz Ashlee and I would gather at a corner of the bar, with a cocktail or two and pass several hours trading tales, ideas and experiences.

 



Where are you from? 
I’m from Independence, Kentucky! It’s located in Northern Kentucky, very close to Cincinnati, Ohio.

What’s your ‘someday’ or dream vacation spot and why?
I am obsessed with Banff in Alberta, Canada. A few years ago, I was looking at one of those slide shows that randomly pops up your Google News and the subject was beautiful vacation spots. Banff happened to make the list. I’m not sure if it was the mountains straight out of a Window’s Desktop background, the glassy water, or the Stephen-King-vibe Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, but I vibed with it. Hopefully someday I’ll make it there!

What’s your favorite thing to do for relaxation?
Like a lot of people, I’m really into true crime. What better way to relax than to listen to a podcast or watch a documentary about murder, theft, or unsolved mysteries? Weirdly, it makes you very thankful that your life is normal and lacking those mysteries!

Any favorite hobbies?

I’ll be blunt: I’m not your average twenty-something. I love to watch TV shows like Columbo, M*A*S*H, The Twilight Zone and Green Acres. So it should be very shocking when I say that my hobby is to cross-stitch. There’s something magical about creating thousands of tiny squares and seeing them slowly form a message or picture. I’m currently working on a pattern of the Biltmore.

How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since I was in the second grade. It was probably horrendous, I’ll admit. It started with an amazing, kind teacher who recognized that a shy young girl had potential; she would exchange letters with me. I also remember yearning to be a writer because my mom was taking a writing class when I was around that age. I wanted to be just like her. Later in elementary school I started writing a book - it was a horrendous ghost story that will never see the light of day.

Are you able to write full time or do you also have a job/career?

I am Prospect Analyst for Northern Kentucky University. I like to joke that my job is to creep on people. I research alumni, community members, organizations, and foundations who might be interested in getting further involved with NKU, either by participating in events on campus, making a gift, or joining a board.

Is there a particular genre that you write?  Or more than one?  What led you there?

I write contemporary romance, particularly New Adult romance. I’m very much a happy-endings person! This is to the extent that I’ll intentionally spoil movies, books and television shows to see if they end happily - if they don’t, I won’t usually go down that path. Weird, considering I like true crime, right? But I just believe that there is enough unhappiness in the world and if I’m going to create something, I want it to be filled with love, hope and happiness.

Do you use friends or family as characters in your work?
I try not to! Because it’s fiction, I never want somebody I know to think, “Oh, this is me!” but then that character does something horrible or dies...how depressing would that be? I even feel weird about using the names of people I know half the time. For example, in Heart’s a Mess, the love interest was named John...and in the midst of editing the book, I began working for a man named John. Although, nobody else but me would probably feel weirded out by me!

I will say, though, that situations do slip in here and there that echo my life. I feel like writing is always an extension of the author’s world. Nothing that I’ve experienced directly correlates with my writing, but it’s always adjacent. With Step Toward You, I was dealing with the loss of my grandfather and my thyroid cancer diagnoses. When I was writing Sort of Normal, I needed to laugh, and Boone’s character made me do just that. When I started Heart’s A Mess, I was reading The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Gunn.


What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? 
I am probably one of the few writers who will say that I did not like reading when I was little. I’ve always been anxious about reading aloud and I’ve never been good at understanding as I’m reading, so I probably psyched myself out! But when I was in high school, I remember picking up random books here and there, and eventually I tore through the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine at about a book a day. Those books taught me to love and appreciate what reading can do for you! The other authors who have impacted me the most are Mia Sheridan, Abbi Glines, Tonya Kappes, Kylie Scott, Jennifer Echols, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Carian Cole. My favorite author is Agatha Christie - her books are marvelous and mysterious!

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite? 

My favorite part of writing is dialogue. I feel like it is the best way for the reader (and myself) to get to know a character. Once you hear their voice, you see the way they look and act, and eventually, it’s like they’re sitting in the room with you. There isn’t anything as energizing as just letting your fingers fly over a keyboard as you’re just typing out dialogue - it feels like the characters are speaking through you.

My least favorite part is writing descriptions. I’ve gotten to a point now where I combat the problem by having Google Images at the ready, or I type “NEED MORE HERE.” Of course, when I go back in my first round of edits, those words make me feel sick to my stomach. I always find it difficult to know when you should tell the reader what they see, versus just letting them make up whatever they want.

What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on? 
Is it okay to say sitting down and writing? You would think that in this pandemic, I would have more time to write, but when I do have free time, I just want to watch TV and cross-stitch. 2020 was a big year for more - I got engaged, finished grad school, started a new job (my first without downtime to write during!), got married, and bought a house. I feel both guilty and thankful to say that 2020 was the best year of my life...but not when it came to writing. So, hey you, 2021...I’m coming for you.

Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing? 

When I write, I usually have The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, or The Head and the Heart playing quietly. I’m obsessed with those bands, so I have their lyrics memorized, so it’s something I can mindlessly listen to. Other than that, I can be in any environment at any time or anywhere. A few weeks ago, I was writing while I was getting my hair done!

Is there a common theme or item that appears in each of your work?  
I think that loss shows up a lot in my writing. Here I talk about only happy endings and loss is the exact opposite of that, but it’s a part of life. It’s something we can usually all identify with. But for me, when you have something like loss, it is always bookended with hope and joy because to have loss, is to have life. I love to write about people who are moving through loss and toward their happily ever after.

What have you learned the most from being in the writing business?

The writing business is a lot bigger than just writing. It’s something I expected but didn’t necessarily know. You have to be your main advocate and advertise yourself. There is so much competition out there, so you have to figure out a way to make yourself stand out. It’s not something I’ve cracked the code to, but it just gives you a reason to explore opportunities and try new things. This leads me to say, thank you, Mark, for giving me this amazing opportunity to be involved in your newsletter! 

Tell us about your latest work.  How did you decide on your story plot?

Like I mentioned before, I was reading a book on Jim Jones. Nothing as tragic happens in Heart’s a Mess, but it struck me how a person can make others follow them to that extent. I wanted my plot to have an antagonist with that charismatic quality and show people whose lives have been impacted by it. And, also, I wanted to rewrite history, in a sense - create a fictional world where *SPOILER ALERT, but also, duh, because happy endings* you can stop the bad guy before he becomes the big kind of bad that Jim Jones was.

Describe how this method works best for you. Outline or ‘seat of the pants’? 
I write by the seat of my pants! For me, I could never finish anything if I had an outline set - it wouldn’t be as exciting! Usually, the only thing I sort of know is how the book will end. Other than that, I like to let the characters write their own story through their dialogue and actions. I do wish I was more of an outliner, though! At least then I would have more direction.

Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written? What makes it special? 

My favorite scene to write was in Step Toward You. The love interests pretend to get married so the heroine’s dying mom can see her only child’s wedding. It was the one scene that I could see, hear and feel from the moment I first imagined Silas and Rooney. And, in part, it was also a wish that everyone could have their dreams come true in front of someone they’ve lost, even if it is just pretending.





Here’s an excerpt from the story. 

Sometimes our hearts break…

When John Smith’s father was dying, his family knew there was nothing to do, but they tried anyway. Paying more money than they had, they took John’s father and the last of their hope to Ezra Abel for a healing.

And we fight to keep it beating…

But Ezra’s faith healing is only a trick—a way to fool families out of their money. Worst of all, he humiliates these families when they’re at their lowest. After his father dies, John devotes his life to revealing Ezra for the evil person he is. And when Kinley walks into his life, he’s much closer to accomplishing his goal. But all you can do is hold it in your hands. Kinley Abel is Ezra’s weapon, milking families of their hard-earned cash. She doesn’t want to do her father’s bidding, but she has to. Except the more she falls for John, the more she questions her role in the church, leading her down a dangerous path which could break her heart.

Sometimes you fall in love with lies.

Here are some links where you can learn more about Liz.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Ashlee/e/B07CHGG3GF/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

Website: https://www.liz-ashlee.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizAshleeAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizashleeauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizashleeauthor?lang=en

 

Music

          There’s been a lot of variety this month, but an old favorite keeps popping up when I least expect it. 



          Paul Simon has been performing for more than 50 years and his catalog of songs are still as popular today as they were back in the sixties and seventies.  Simon has won 12 Grammy awards, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. He’s also been honored by the Kennedy Center and has won the Gershwin Prize.

          Here’s my top five songs from Simon. Picking just five wasn’t easy.

Call Me Al: https://youtu.be/uq-gYOrU8bA

Baby Driver: https://youtu.be/J8i4Rp3qizk

Me & Julio: https://youtu.be/Z6VrKro8djw

Obvious Child: https://youtu.be/9HKNAhAxMAk

Loves Me Like a Rock:  https://youtu.be/CjFzw8AxSBA

 

 

         

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