Round Robin Blog Hop Feb. 20 - Where do you get your ideas for stories?

This year is moving at the speed of light – February is almost over and I’m just getting used to writing 2021 on things and crossing off things I need to get accomplished before, hopefully, life gets back to something more like normal. But, back to the question above – where do I get my ideas?

XX

Two of my books, one a mainstream political intrigue and the other part of a romance series both have Vietnam Veterans as the main character: one coping with the return to civilian life amidst the chaos of a country divided over that war and the other revisiting emotions and grief he thought he’d left behind years ago. The second (The Candidate) came to me after I’d been to see the stage play Miss Saigon, the first (Worry Stone) after spending a night with my brother stretched out in front of a fire with more than enough beer in our systems while Scotty shared some of the anguish his experiences visited on him.

XX

My time travel story grew out of a sailing trip to explore a now abandoned island off the coast of Maine that has a history predating the arrival of the pilgrims in Massachusetts. Being something of a history nut, I wanted to see this scrap of land, and once out there, wondering about the men and women who once lived and worked there, I stood at the edge of a very large cellar hole gazing down at the sparkling blue water of the harbor. When the big chunk of granite wobbled, I jumped back, not wanting to fall and get hurt. But later, on the sail home, my writer’s brain kicked in and I asked myself the question, “What if I had fallen and hit my head, then woke in a different century?” And Iain’s Plaid was born.

XX

Because I enjoy reading about the less well known and often amusing bits of history, I’ve come away with other ideas for books I’ve written, like one revolving around a fire that destroyed a good part of the picturesque Maine coastal town of Camden. Growing up just outside of Boston Massachusetts and having wandered the streets, buildings and cemeteries from as far back as the 1600s, there are dozens of plot ideas I have jotted down notes for. I spent five days in Pennsylvania visiting towns with names like Intercourse and Paradise, both with history that dates back to the Revolutionary War. I visited a living history museum that portrayed life the way it was in the 1800s and then spent the night in an old coach house (now operated by Best Western) that was a hostel on the road between Philadelphia and Harrisburg back when our country was still just a collection of British colonies. LOTs of great ideas for stories, either historic, time travel or even contemporary.

XX

The book I’m currently writing is part of a mystery series, but an experience my sister had appears in the story as part of the plot. When my sister and I were cleaning out my dad’s old woodworking shop she discovered some “unexplained ordinance.” Being pretty sure it did not belong in the dumpster we’d been tossing stuff in, she put in the car and took it to the police station to ask how it should be disposed of properly. As you might imagine, the cops took this very seriously, wouldn’t let her return to her car even to collect her dog, panting in the back seat, until the bomb squad had checked it out. Annoying at the time, it was funny in the telling and I decided it needed to be part of one of my stories.

XX

Other stories I’ve written have come straight off the front page of the newspaper. Others involve real life incidents that I had to research after the fact. In Healing a Hero, I needed to have a reason why my hero and heroine would have lost touch after they fell in love while he was on compassionate leave fourteen years earlier. In a world of email and cell phones this was going to be a major challenge, but I’d subscribed to the Marine Times while writing this book because my hero was an active duty Marine currently recovering from injuries and I needed to know what kind of action he might be eager to get back into. And one issue of that paper had a story about a ship that was about to be decommissioned and two men who had served aboard her were interviewed. One was a sailor and the other a Marine. The ship had been in port in Perth Australia and these two men, like most of those who’d been given shore leave, were at a bar downtown when the MPs came rounding up all the sailors and Marines to return to the ship immediately. Such an unusual order had them wondering what was up. Then urgent discussions about the trade center in NY started circulating and the bartender reached up to turn on the TV over the bar just in time for the horrified Americans to watch the North Tower crumble into the ground. The ship they were from had been ordered back to sea and once on it, the orders were for NO COMMUNICATION. Their families would be notified about where they were and that they were okay, but there would be no phone calls, and no emails going out until further notice. My problem of how my hero and heroine had lost touch was answered and much of my plot revolved around that real-life experience.

XX

Some ideas come from events in my own life or the lives of family and friends. I’m still trying to figure out how to incorporate the night my sister and I broke into a hotel in Inverness Scotland into a story. (That’s a story for another blog.) But coping with widowhood and becoming a single parent is something I lived through and so it became part of Keeping His Promise. My mother had Alzheimers and I used that experience in the first book in that series, Falling for Zoe. Sometimes we have to go looking for ideas. My cover artist took one look at the photos I posted of my new puppy and started brainstorming ways I could incorporate the pup into my writing so she could create a cover with a dog on it. Or maybe you’re cleaning out your attic and you find a journal someone wrote. Maybe a family member, or perhaps a total stranger, but as you read their words: their thoughts and loves and lives, an idea comes to you for a story, or you realize, with a little twisting of facts you can take that very plot and turn it into fiction.

XX

I think most writers start out our stories with just a nugget of an idea. Maybe it was a dream we had, or a story we heard from a neighbor, or, as I’ve suggested, triggered by and event in the news, or even just a funny joke someone told. Maybe it was a photo you came across – the kind that makes you ask what’s going on, or ask questions about the expressions on the people’s faces. But it sticks in our mind and we worry it over like a dog with a bone, looking at it from every angle and considering all the what ifs. Rarely does a plot come to us all fleshed out and ready to write. So, like the mustard seed that starts out so tiny, we plant the idea and water it and eventually it grows into a magnificent tree – a story with characters and a plot and everything one needs to have a grand adventure between the covers of a book.

XX

So, now you know how I find my ideas – check out how these authors find plots for their books:

Anne Stenhouse 

Beverley Bateman 

Connie Vines 

Diane Bator 

Dr. Bob Rich 

Fiona McGier 

Helena Fairfax 

Marci Baun 

Victoria Chatham 

Judith Copek 

Rhobin L Courtright 

Rhobin is putting us on the spot this month asking: What is on your writing to-do list for this year? Do you have any long-range goals or just wrap-ups?

XX

Where to start? Considering it’s already the 23^rd of the month and my goals for the year, prior to writing this blog were kind of vague wishes, it really was time to get serious. I used to make New Year’s resolutions for all aspects of my life and most of the time kept them, but the last few years I’ve slacked off. I don’t want to admit it might be my age, but if I’m honest, it probably is. I’ve been retired for ten years now and finally come to a point where I’m happy just to enjoy each moment of my day without feeling like I have to accomplish something. There’s always tomorrow, isn’t there? Of course, we all know that eventually my tomorrows will run out, but for now, life is pretty good. My personal life, anyway. We won’t get into the contentious politics and outright hostility in my country, or the devastating effects of Covid 19. I’m just thankful to be healthy, active and enjoying life, even if parts of it are via various online entities.

XX

But back to my writing goals. Sort of related to my writing is my reading. As an author, I know how vital it is to have reviews for your books, so my first resolution is to read a book a week and write a review. So far, I’m up on that, having posted #3 and soon to post the 4^th.

XX

I got derailed last fall halfway through FRAMED, the second book of my new mystery series. First it was a problem with plotting – I’m a pantser so plotting is a major challenge. Then it was the final days of my furry buddy’s life and his passing that left me feeling lost and aimless. I did a lot of walking and a lot of missing my dog. At first, I said I wasn’t going to have another pooch, it was too hard saying goodbye, but before long I realized this house and my life just felt way too empty. Duffy had been a great dog and his paws will be hard to fill, but I needed to try. So, the hunt was on at rescues and online. I finally ended up on a waiting list for a Golden Retriever puppy that was born on November 30. I will pick her up in two days and I’m eagerly anticipating her becoming part of my life, although I admit Jessi is going to be a serious distraction for a while. But in spite of housebreaking, training and playing with Jessi, I am determined to get FRAMED finished and off to the copy editor now that the holidays are past and I have no more excuses. I have faithful readers asking when my next book is coming out.

XX

I am also noodling on story ideas for another book in my Camerons of Tide’s Way series. Many of my readers have asked if I’m ever going to write another, but my original plan was for 6 books, and that’s how many I put out there. However, in KEEPING HIS PROMISE a secondary character walked on stage about two thirds of the way through the book. It was a character I suddenly realized I needed for the story and hadn’t created before the book began, but here he was, demanding my respect and a place in the story. At the time, I didn’t think too much about where he would go in the future, only what his place was in that book, but since then I’ve begun to wonder how he made out with his project. And, since the series itself is contemporary romance, I’m going to have to find him someone to fall in love with. So, that is another of my goals for the year. Once FRAMED is off to the editor, I’ll start working on Lucas Trevlyn’s story.

XX

I am also entering a short story for the first time in the contest to be included in the annual Florida Writer’s Anthology. Every year, they put one out with 30 or so short stories, the best of all that have been submitted. There is a theme to the anthology and this year, that theme is Footprints. I’ve got my first draft of that and will be working on polishing and getting it submitted.

xx

Then comes the marketing stuff. I am horrible at marketing. I hate it and manage to procrastinate on all the stuff I do take on, and dismiss a lot of options I might do, but choose to ignore. This year, I want to try putting some of my indie books on sale via Amazon. I’m also going to look into Goodreads options. At the start of last year, I planned to walk into shops downtown here in St Augustine that carry books by local authors (both book stores and shops that cater to tourists.) But Covid happened and walking into any place was totally out of the question when BULLSEYE, my first book set right here in St Augustine came out in late February. I kind of thought by fall I might follow up on that, but the next wave of cases and tightening of precautions got in the way. So, now I’m planning to take FRAMED, as soon as it’s out along with BULLSEYE and see if I can make that happen. Hopefully the vaccinations will be well under way and life getting back to normal again on main street here and all across the country.

xx

Lastly, I am going to make a better effort with my newsletters. Last year I totally slacked off after the announcement of BULLSEYE’s release. In the past, I’ve showcased other authors and their new releases as well as my own, had “interviews” with characters from my own books and others, as well as just touching base with my readers.

xx

Those are my goals: two new books written and released, a short story I hope will make the cut in the FWA 2021 Anthology - Footprints, 52 book reviews and a more aggressive marketing effort, including a return to writing newsletters.

xx

Check out what the other authors in our Round Robin Blog Hop plan to do this year:

Victoria Chatham 
Beverley Bateman 
Connie Vines 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Anne Stenhouse  
Diane Bator 
Fiona McGier 
Judith Copek 
Rhobin L Courtright 

Marci Baun 

Just released ...

Liz Johnson single-handedly raised an exemplary daughter—honor student, track star, and all-around good kid—despite the disapproval of her father and her small town. How could that same teenager be responsible for the death of the high school’s beloved football coach? This is Texas, where high school football ranks right up there with God, so while the legal battle wages, the public deals its own verdict.

Desperate for help, Liz turns to a lawyer whose affection she long ago rejected and attempts to play nice with her ex-husband, while her daughter struggles with guilt and her own demons as she faces the consequences of an accident she doesn’t remember.

Available everywhere - find Buy Links at: CaraWrites.com/blind-turn 

Skye: Today I am pleased to welcome Liz Johnson, the main character in Blind Turn to Blogging By The Sea. Nothing better for getting to know a new character like meeting them in person.  Liz, it's such fun to have you here today. I'm wondering what your life was like before Cara decided to plop you down in this book, Blind Turn. 

Liz: My life was okay—not exciting, but okay. My only daughter, who I basically raised by myself since her father was too busy with his fishing boat, his hunting dogs, and a rotating cast of girlfriends, was just beginning her junior year of high school. Besides being an all around great kid, Jessica had excellent grades and was a stand out track star. Based on my income working as a nursing home day manager, we had high hopes for her to get a scholarship to a good school which would lead to a successful career and a great life, somewhere beyond this tiny Texas town where most of the time we feel like we live in a fishbowl. I was solely focused on Jess, and hadn’t begun to think about what my life would be like without her. Being her mother had defined my life.

Skye: I was a single mom for a good part of the years when my four kids were growing up. I know what you mean about they kind of define who you are and it really is hard to figure out who you are without them. What do you see as your strongest characteristic?

Liz: I’m determined—I set my mind to things and don’t let circumstances or people get in my way. When it came to Jess, I was willing to sacrifice my own happiness and dreams to be sure that she had a good life and a chance at something more.

Skye: So, before Jess, were there any secrets in your past that make you blush?

Liz: Doesn’t everyone have secrets? In our tiny town, it’s hard to hide them. My biggest secret became obvious to everyone when I got pregnant the spring of my senior year. Until that point, I was the smart kid headed to Baylor to study biology, but once my secret was out, my whole world changed.

Skye: I can only imagine. Becoming a mother is a life changing experience at any point in your life. But tell me, Do you ever argue with your author? Like maybe you didn't want to be an unwed mother.

Liz: I argued a little with my author, only because I wanted to share my side of the story. For a while, she planned to tell Jessica’s story and mine was only backstory, but eventually, she let me have my say.

Skye: As it should be. So, what is your biggest joy in life?

Liz: My daughter has always been not only my biggest joy in life, but the focus of my life. After the accident, finding joy in anything was much harder, but in the end I think I expanded not only my definition of joy, but my openness to it.

Skye: Is there anything about yourself you’d change if your author listened to you?

Liz: That’s a hard question—I don’t feel ashamed about anything in my life; I have no regrets. Sure I wish a few things had been different, but if they were it might have changed the outcome and I love my happy ending.

Skye: Tell me about a couple your fellow characters that you think make this book engaging.

Liz: Well, I already mentioned my daughter Jessica- the light of my life and also a typical teen struggling with who she is and who she wants to be. But there’s also a quirky kid next door named Dylan, who despite some questionable wardrobe choices and being several years younger than Jess, proves to be a real friend who helps her when she needs it most by being honest and available. I probably have to mention my ex-husband Jake who lives in a falling apart housetrailer with two smelly hound dogs and fixes cars for a living. Jake has never had any trouble finding fun, in fact, that’s probably what drew me to him but also what ended our ill-conceived marriage. There’s another guy I’d love to mention, but I don’t want to give too much away. Plus a high school guidance counselor, my sister in Minnesota, and the victim’s widow who shared their wit and/or wisdom at just the right moments,

Skye: Well, I'm looking forward to meeting these folks. I love quirky characters - they add such color to a story. And, as you say, support and love often comes from the least expected places. And now that your story is out there for folk to dive into, tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Liz: Cara writes all sorts of things beyond novels—blogs, freelance articles, and two memoirs about her experiences fostering dogs. She also co-founded a non-profit called Who Will Let the Dogs Out to raise awareness and resources for shelter dogs. She has three of her own dogs, plus two horses, a barn cat, and a dozen chickens in addition to a rotating roster of foster dogs and cats. Readers can find information on all of that (and lots more) at her website: CaraWrites.com

Skye: Thanks so much for joining me today, Liz. It's been a real pleasure. 

Readers - you might also want to check out Cara ßue Achterberg's book, One Hundred Dogs and Counting. 

A challenging foster dog invites an experienced foster mama to explore where the endless stream of unwanted dogs is coming from and how it will ever end.

After welcoming her one hundredth foster dog (and her puppies), Cara grabs her best friend, fills a van with donations, and heads south to discover what is really happening in the rural shelters where her foster dogs originate. What she discovers will break her heart and compel her to share the story of heroes and villains and plenty of good dogs, in the hope of changing this world. Cara fosters her most challenging dog yet and she and her husband are pushed to the brink of what they will do to save a dog. Cara wonders why the need seems endless. She hatches a plan to head south on a Thelma & Louise-style road trip. Each stop exposes more of the realities of rural animal shelters. The hopelessness seems unsurmountable until they discover one shelter, deep in South Carolina that has found the answers and is truly a ‘no-kill’ shelter. One Hundred Dogs and Counting will introduce the reader to many good dogs, but also to inspirational people sacrificing personal lives and fortunes to save deserving animals. It will offer not just the entertaining stories of plenty of loveable good dogs, but the real problem of unwanted animals in our rural shelters, and how the reader can be part of the solution.

Our December Round Robin Blog Hop assignment was: Write a short story, flash fiction, or use an excerpt from one of your books. I considered an excerpt. Or perhaps digging out one of my short stories not yet shared here. But then this came into my head - or maybe it was my heart. It started out to be fiction, but I'll be honest - it's really my life over the last two months since Duffy crossed the Rainbow Bridge to wherever beloved pets go. If you've ever had a pet, you'll understand. If not, I hope you enjoy the story anyway. And Happy Holidays to you all, however you will be celebrating. 
XX

The vet and I were both on our knees, my face buried in his silky fur as Duffy passed from this life to the next. The vet, her eyes damp, gathered up her things and prepared to leave us, giving me permission to stay with Duffy as long as I wanted. But my furry buddy was gone. Everything good about him was in my past. He could no longer lick away the tears that continued to slip down my cheeks. I hugged him one last time, then stumbled weeping from the room.

I don’t know if there’s a rainbow bridge, or not, but I pray there is. For Duffy’s sake. I want to think of him romping and playing, not crippled with age and unable to get to his feet on his own, no longer able to walk to the beach for a swim, or gallop over the sand with joyous abandon.

Duffy was special. I know, everyone says that, but really, Duffy was extraordinary and the hole he was leaving in my life was enormous.

MacDuff been a rescue, born on the streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and picked up along with his mom and siblings. I’d adopted him from a photo online and agreed to meet the truck bringing him out of that chaotic place along with dozens of other dogs.

A fuzzy ball of black fluff. They told me he was part Labrador retriever and part Australia Shepherd. The shepherd part wasn’t in question since he’d been with his mom when rescued, but as he matured it was increasingly clear he was more likely flat coat retriever than lab. I’d never heard of flat-coats when the vet mentioned that breed so I googled them and found they were considered the Peter Pan of the canine world, playing like puppies for most of their life. And he certainly lived up to that. Even on those last, painfilled days when struggling to his feet was a chore, he’d still bring me a toy and want to play tug of war with it.

Duffy was torn between his genetic inclinations to fetch and herd. When my grandchildren were small, he’d try to round them up and keep them away from dangerous things like water and streets. He’d gently put his mouth on people’s wrists as if he wanted to show them something or take them somewhere. But fetch was more like keep-away. Once you’d thrown the ball or toy, getting it back was the challenge and he loved teasing you, seeming to offer the toy, then snatching out of reach at the moment your fingers closed around thin air. He outgrew the herding thing, or perhaps it was my grandchildren who outgrew his thinking he needed to protect them, but he never outgrew his desire to play and he always enjoyed being with my grandkids.

Swimming was another of his favorite things. Any game played in the water at the lake always included him, and he especially liked it when it involved things that got tossed back and forth like frisbees that he could snag and carry ashore. The waves at the ocean didn’t faze him in the least. On hot days, he’d walk in up to his belly, sit down facing the shore and let the waves break over his head. If I went in, he was game to swim at my side, for as long as I wanted to be out there.

At home, he elected himself the welcoming committee for our neighborhood and since there are a number of rentals here by the beach, he was always making new friends. Everyone knew him and he knew everyone. But he was also my self-appointed social director. It wasn’t enough for him to greet folks passing by our little bungalow on their way to the beach. Once he’d greeted whoever was out there, he’d hurry inside and thrust his nose under my wrist, interrupting my typing and insisting I get up and go out to chat with whoever had stopped by.

Often, for no particular reason, He would push his head between my thighs. My brother informed me this was a doggy hug. And, perhaps it was. Duffy did it often and it sure felt like I was being hugged. That along with the eager, tail-wagging welcomes every time I’d been out for ten minutes, ten hours or ten days, made it clear how happy he was to see me.

And now that he was gone, my heart and my home were going to be horribly empty.

So, I’m never getting another dog. How could I ever find another canine that special? I could never replace the love, acceptance, and joy that nearly fifteen years with Duffy brought me.

It’s been two months and still . . . when I out of my recliner to head to bed at night, I want to bend down to pat his silky black head. It seems impossible he’s not sacked out there in front of my chair where he’s always been, and come morning, there’s no one eager to share my breakfast eggs. I haven’t skipped our midnight walks, though. Even on rainy nights, I’m out there making our usual rounds, remembering how he stopped here to add his calling card to a favorite clump of sea oats, or there to sniff along the ground to see who else had been by. I still slog through the soft sand near the sea wall when I go to the beach because that’s where he was most intent on sniffing things out. But then my heart aches when I remember I will never again feel the softness of his fur brushing against my bare skin as he walks close to me in the dark.

I got almost as many sympathy cards for MacDuff as I did when my dad passed away two years ago. I have them hanging on a ribbon in a doorway reminding me how much my friends care, but they also remind me how many people knew and loved Duffy. How could I possibly replace a dog like that?

 . . . . . . But then I see a face like this one, and I realize it’s not about replacing Duffy. It’s about offering another dog a fur-ever family and finding joy again in the wagging, comforting love of a canine companion. (Sadly, this adorable pup was adopted before I got to the shelter, but there will be others....)

So . . . maybe I will get another dog . . .

Thank you, Duffy – for teaching me about unconditional love, the joy of an eager welcome, a warm body to cuddle and the solace of a wet tongue to lick away tears when life gets tough. Maybe it is time to share my bungalow with another extraordinary fellow like you.

XX

For your holiday reading pleasure - hop on over to see what these other authors have for you today.

XX

Anne Stenhouse  
Victoria Chatham 
Diane Bator 
Helena Fairfax 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Connie Vines 
Fiona McGier 
Margaret Fieland 
Beverley Bateman 
Rhobin L Courtright 

This month we were asked to review or recommend a book, a short story, or an online article. Just in case you're interested in what we authors like to read when we aren't writing our own stories...

XX

A few months ago I was out for my daily walk on the beach and noticed a woman sitting in a beach chair only a few feet from waves running up the sand. Her husband, thigh-deep, with a fishing rod in hand stood nearby. Knowing they were not locals, I stopped to mention the tide was coming in and in a short time she’d be surrounded. She reached down to pull her bag into her lap just as one eager wave swirled up around her feet and laughed. Then we got chatting about the book she’d been reading and books in general, and of course, I handed her my card and mentioned I was an author. When I revealed I was working on a new mystery series, she asked if I’d ever read the Miss Fortune books by Jana Deleon.

XX

I hadn’t. Hadn’t even heard of the author, but as soon as I got back to my desk I checked them out since my new friend assured me I’d enjoy them. I ordered up book one in the series: Louisiana Longshot.  That night I started reading and before I knew it, the clock told me it was bedtime. So, I took it to bed and read some more until my eyes would NOT stay open. When I finished it the following day, I was very happy to find there were 18 books in the series and also that Amazon was willing to sell me the set for a discounted rate. I read a lot of books, usually more than one at a time, so I’ve still got a couple books left to read, but I have enjoyed this series immensely.

XX

Miss Fortune Redding is a CIA assassin who has managed to get herself on a very nasty man’s hit list and now has a price on her head. Even worse, there appears to be a mole in the CIA, so to keep her safe until they can deal with the problem, her boss sends her to the Podunk down of Sinful Louisiana to hide, disguised as his niece who just inherited a house from a distant relative. Fortune arrives, pretending to be a school librarian on summer vacation while the real Sandy Sue Morrow, a former beauty pageant contestant, tours Europe. What could possibly go wrong?

XX

Until the dog Sandy Sue also inherited from the great aunt manages to dig up a bone. A human bone. Buried in her back yard. Then Fortune is befriended by two old ladies with a lot of secrets of their own and a past most of the town is totally unaware of. Fortune isn’t the shrinking violet the woman she’s pretending to be is, and she’s off to solve the mystery of the resurrected corpse. Add in the handsome Deputy Carter LeBlanc who has an eye for Fortune long before he finds out about her past, Celia who takes an instant and intense dislike of the newcomer in town, and you are off to a wonderful romp of a mystery with more twists than a corkscrew. Fortune has to stay one step ahead of ever getting hauled into the sheriff’s office because she’s poking into things Carter thinks should be left to law enforcement. If she’s ever fingerprinted the jig will be up and her cover blown.

XX

Her new elderly friends should have been safe to hang out with, but Ida Belle and Gertie were spies once upon a time, have seen their share of war, are handy with weapons and just as eager as Fortune to solve the mystery behind Deputy Carter’s back. Ida Belle drives like she was in the Indy 500, on land or through the bayous. Gertie carries a handbag filled with things Fortune thinks she’d rather not know about. All three are always armed and manage to get into more scrapes than a gang of mischievous boys out of school for the summer with no supervision.

XX

The Miss Fortune Mystery Series is laugh out loud funny. Sinful, Louisiana is Mayberry on the surface with an underbelly of crime and disorder that frustrates and disappoints the upstanding young deputy who thought it would be a nice quiet hometown to return to after his time in service as an elite warrior. Jana Deleon’s plots are outrageous, ingenious, intriguing and impossible to figure out before the big reveal. Her characters are colorful, and diverse and some of them make you smile just by walking onto the page. A series without violence, sex or swearing. Clean reading but without the preaching. There is a hint of romance, more than a hint of mischief, a dollop of suspense and plenty of mystery, equaling hours of enjoyable reading. Did I mention there are 18 books in the series, and this author is still writing.

XX

But perhaps mystery isn’t your cup of tea. Or maybe you like a little heat in your romance. Or violence in your suspense. Check out what these other authors have read lately that they thought is worth recommending.

XX

XX

Margaret Fieland 
Diane Bator 
Anne Stenhouse  
Connie Vines 
Fiona McGier 
Dr. Bob Rich  

Beverley Bateman 
Rhobin L Courtright 

This month our Round Robin Blog Hop question is:  What is your favorite book(s) of all time in your favorite genre(s)?

XX

My eyebrows went up when I read this topic – How in the world could I possibly name a single favorite book of all time? Just not possible! You’re talking to a person who actually has a library rather than a “study” where I write that boasts floor to ceiling bookshelves on three walls – all filled with books of some importance. I’ve given away more books than I currently own to give you some idea of the number I’ve read in my lifetime. Add to that a well-used library card. I don't even have a favorite genre. There are a few genres I don't care for, but I read and enjoy action/adventure, mystery, suspense, mainstream and some less mainstream romance.

XX

Part of the reason there isn’t just one best book is because there are just too many that have touched me deeply, even changed my perspective on life, or given me pleasure over and over again. But also, because I am an ever-evolving person. I am not the same person who loved Heidi at the age of 8, or the young woman who discovered Georgette Heyer. I’m not even the same person I was when I first read Outlander shortly after I became a widow. Even my attitude toward books in general has changed. Once upon a time, if I’d purchased, been given or even just borrowed a book from the library, I was determined I’d finish it however boring or difficult it might turn out. But, let’s face it, even if I live to be 300, there’s no way I can read all the great books out there, probably not even all those currently in my TBR pile either in print or on my Kindle, so if a book isn’t really good, it gets tossed, even ones I’ve paid good money for.

XX

So, let’s consider a few that stand out. As I mentioned, as a kid I fell so in love with Heidi I wanted to be that little girl living on the mountain with her grandfather and Peter. Definitely one of my favorites. I read every single book that Georgette Heyer wrote. I loved her rich cast of diverse characters. Even in the regencies, set in the same place among the same strata of society, she created wonderful characters, some of who have stayed with me all these years, but then I found her historical, The Conqueror. For someone who barely passed history in high school, this book was a revelation. Suddenly a historical figure came more than just a name to memorize for a test. That discovery led to an interest in English/Scottish history my high school teachers would find nothing short of amazing.

One of my former employers, after discovering I loved to read, brought me a copy of Killer Angels, a book he’d been required to read in officer candidate school. Another eye-opening book. This one told the story of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg, seen through the eyes of the men who fought it on both sides, from grunt to general. That turned my historical reading from the isles across the Atlantic to my own country. Michael Shaara’s son, Jeff, picked up where his dad left off and has written books about all of America’s major wars and I’ve read them all, but my favorites were Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause, which tell the story of how our nation became The United States of America. Those two books give the reader a far better understanding of what our forefathers put on the line to stand up to the most powerful army in the world at the time, a monarchy that considered us nothing but rabble and a Navy that outclassed even the Spanish Armada, and again, it was told through the eyes of many who participated, on both sides of the war. Thoroughly researched through dispatches, letters, journals and news articles at the time, those men and women became people for me. People who had put everything on the line, including their reputations, their property and even their lives. So, I would have to say those two books are among the top of my list because they gave me a better understanding of the meaning of Freedom and the price it costs, both to gain and to maintain. My Book Iain’s Plaid was inspired in part by the stories and history found in those two books.

XX

House of the Purple Hearts, by Paul Solotaroff cut deep into my heart. It is the story of men and boys who came of age at the same time I did, but who went off to fight an unpopular war, then came home to little thanks and a lot of scorn. This non-fiction account of the struggles these young men fought after they came home actually began my serious attempts to write a novel. (I’d been dabbling at writing ever since high school, but an early marriage and a houseful of kids derailed that for many years.) Some parts of three of my current books in print, The Candidate, Worry Stone and Healing a Hero, took shape in my mind after reading House of the Purple Hearts, so that book has to be on the top of my list, too.

XX

In my spiritual life there are two books that stand out. One is Two From Galilee, by Marjorie Holmes. Written as a novel, it’s the story of two real people whose lives were touched by God: two people chosen by God to provide an earthly home for His Son. Another author who made important people from the past, only partly understood, real. Mary and Joseph weren’t just remote figures I read about in the Bible, or thought of as our Lord’s parents – they were real people - a teenage girl and a young carpenter—alone, frightened, in love, and faced with family conflict, a hostile world, and an awesome responsibility. How could that NOT color everything about the faith I’d grown up with and continued to believe? That was followed by Three From Galilee, the missing years of our Savior’s life on earth.

XX

But it took Michael Quoist, a French Catholic priest, theologian and writer to deepen my prayer life. His book, Prayers, doesn’t use the flowery, lofty words heard in church and read in prayer books, but the down-to-earth language of everyday people, praying in every day situations. For the first time, the Stations of the Cross became meaningful to me. Instead of simply rattling off the same prayers at the speed of a gatling gun, he stops to consider what that last walk of Christ was really like. The agony, the heartbreak, the loss and the anguish of all who witnessed it. That changed my personal prayer life forever and gave far more meaning to Good Friday. Wherever I am, every year, I follow that journey with Quoist and my Lord.

XX

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite novel of all time is Outlander. Long before Sam Heughan and Starz made it a popular series, I read Outlander and fell in love again with the history of Scotland (where many of my ancestors came from, by the way) and a young Scot named James “Jamie” Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. I am not so enamored of the later books in that series or even the Starz TV series, although I have to admit I think Sam Heughan is pretty damned sexy. Diana Gabaldon seems to be so in love with her research that she includes way way more minutiae about the time period than I can possibly stay interested in and a 300-page story becomes a 1,000-page drag. I haven’t read the most recent of her books, but I’ve read Outlander several times and probably will again before I leave this earth.

XX

If you had all day, I’d tell you how much I like Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan and Mitch Rapp, to name a few favorite heroes, but that’s for another blog perhaps, a blog about our favorite series.  But until then check out what these other authors love to read and why.

XX
Anne Stenhouse  
Diane Bator 
Connie Vines 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Fiona McGier 
Victoria Chatham 
Helena Fairfax 
Beverley Bateman 
Rhobin L Courtright 

Our September Round Robin Blog poses this question: Most novels have an easily understood point to make to the reader, do your stories ever have more subtle or intuitive themes?

ZZ

GOOD QUESTION!  I almost opted not to participate this month since every time this specific question comes up when I’m discussing a current work in progress with a critique partner, my answer is always “I don’t know.” Sometimes I wonder if it’s because I personally fail to ask myself those questions about my own life. When tragedy or hardship comes into my life, and there has been plenty, I never ask myself what lesson am I supposed to learn. I’ve been hurt. I’ve cried. I’ve had setbacks and hurdles to overcome, had my trust betrayed, my love scorned, lost precious family members far before their time. And yet, I never ask if there was a lesson to be learned. SO, maybe it’s me and my survivor approach to life that leaves me stumbling when someone asks what the theme of my story is.

ZZ

But then I look back at my stories all written and published and I realize there were lessons to be learned, or themes if you prefer to call them that. Years ago, when my husband was coping with on and off sessions of chemo for cancer, he was a very unhappy man, even when he was in remission and going about his usual pursuits. We were speaking to a very wise counselor at one point who made the point that it was my husband’s job to find joy and pleasure in the good things in his life, but it was NOT everyone else’s job to make him happy, which was his default setting. That one comment gave me a great deal of comfort because I felt like I was failing as a wife; not loving him enough, not saying the right things, doing something wrong, not doing something right. And this man gave me permission to see that my husband’s happiness or lack was not my job. That lesson, unconsciously perhaps, found its way into my book WORRY STONE where my hero struggled with the toll of war and guilt and my heroine started out believing that her love would be enough to heal him. Both had to grow through that story -her to realize she couldn’t fix what was wrong and he to understand that he needed to ask for help, reach out, and fix himself. The same lesson winds its way through LOVING MEG.

ZZ

Another common theme that finds its way into several of my stories is that “second chance.” Opportunities to make changes in the direction of a life. Or a second chance to fix things that are broken. And sometimes just the courage to open a heart to love in spite of having previous hurt, either from betrayal of an unfaithful lover or the loss through death of someone close. That theme appears in one form or another in FALLING FOR ZOE, HEALING A HERO, TRUSTING WILL and KEEPING HIS PROMISE.

My mainstream novel, THE CANDIDATE, explores the themes of Honesty is the Best Policy and Be True to Oneself. The photo handed to Matt Steele at a campaign rally jerked him back to a time he’d done everything to forget, to emotions he never wanted to relive, and in the midst of a hotly contested race for the White House the photo challenges everything Matt thought he knew about himself. The choice he faces to put honor on the line could change the outcome of the election.

ZZ

ZZ

My new Jesse Quinn Mystery series is different. The main thought in my mind is – it’s a mystery to be solved. What other lesson should there be? But even as I say that there are always take-aways. Perry Mason was great at Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover, and Lieutenant Columbo was a master at Persistence Pays Off. In my mystery, BULLSEYE that theme might be “Be Suspicious of Conspiracy Theories.” Or, for any good detective, look at ALL the angles before zeroing in on a solution. Jesse overlooks one of the most obvious persons of interest as she and her partner chase down a theory that seems to have a lot of traction and in the end, that focus almost costs another detective his life. The second book in that series is still being written and as I consider themes while writing this blog, there are a few different threads so far. But then life always has more than one lesson to be learned and themes are often subtle. So, maybe I won’t know what the main theme is until I’ve typed the end. We’ll see…

ZZ

In the meantime, check out some of my fellow Round Robin Blog Hoppers and find out if and how they incorporate themes into their stories.

ZZ
Connie Vines 
Judith Copek 
Diane Bator 
Fiona McGier 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Anne Stenhouse  
Victoria Chatham 
Helena Fairfax 
Rhobin L Courtright 

For our August Round Robin Blog we are discussing what elements do we include in our stories to
make a story seem and feel more realistic to the reader?

ZZZZ

When Jules Verne wrote 20 Leagues Under the Sea I’m guessing that nothing felt real about that story to the people at the dawn of the last century. Submarines were a very primitive thing at the time, yet Verne describes things that are standard on today’s amazing underwater vessels.  A true visionary, Verne foresaw the skyscraper, the submarine, and the airplane, and is now regarded as one of the fathers of science fiction. I imagine it is just as much of a challenge for today’s science fiction and fantasy writers to create places, things and people that don’t yet exist and make them real.

But for me, with one exception, all my books are contemporary, so I don’t have to create whole new worlds. I just have to be an observant of the world around me and pay attention to current events.

ZZ

But for me, with one exception, all my books are contemporary, so I don’t have to create whole new worlds. I just have to be observant of the world around me and pay attention to current events.

ZZ

One of the things writers are always told to keep in mind are the five senses: Sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. When an author incorporates these senses into their writing, they can pull the reader into the scene. For instance: "The acrid stench of burnt flesh seared my nose" – might not be something we have all actually smelled, but we can imagine it because of the descriptive words used. Other more familiar odors can put the reader right into the scene - like the smell of fresh rain steaming on hot tarmac, or the delightful scent of steaks on the barbeque. The antiseptic smell of a hospital corridor, or the diesel fumes of a truck passing by.

ZZ

Then there’s touch and things we can feel: The cleansing, muscle relaxing feel of a hot shower, the exciting touch of a lover, the inviting softness of a puppy’s fur. Or overpowering heat that has sweat dripping down the character’s back, or cold so chilly that their head aches with it. The gritty discomfort of walking barefoot over gravel strewn pavement, the brain-splitting throb of a headache.

ZZ

One can include sights that we’ve all experienced to make a scene real. The endless river of red taillights parading over the next hill of the highway, waves curling up and crashing down in a froth of white foam. Describe a little kid with a chocolate ice cream cone dripping down over his fat little fist and onto his clothes and you can almost taste the smooth, cocoa flavored ice cream itself.

ZZ

Which brings us to taste. Back to that steak on the grill – savor the juicy, smoky flavor of the perfectly cooked steak as you bite into it. Um-um-um! Or the bitter wake-me-up cup of black coffee. Instead of just telling the reader that the kid sucked on the lemon, describe the throat tightening, eye-watering, face scrunching effect. The reader will be puckering up with the kid.

ZZ

And lastly there is hearing. The bleat of horns in that endless traffic jam, or the plop of fat raindrops landing on foliage as the summer shower begins. The creepy sound of footsteps following the character down that alley in the dark, the shuffle, the stopping whenever the character stops, signaling the follower is stalking your guy, can send shivers up the readers back. The bleep of monitors in a hospital room can bring on the angst of having someone you love in that bed, tied to all that life-saving equipment.

ZZ

All these are everyday senses most of us have experienced or can easily imagine so paint the picture – a full rainbow of color, sound, taste, smell and feel.

ZZ

Now, how do we make the characters themselves feel real? Show your reader how they move, how they speak, how they dress and act. Unless you’re deliberately creating an eccentric, keep it real. If you plan to have a teenager in your story, spend some time listening to them speak. Watch how they move with the awkward gangly, haven’t-grown-into-their new bigger bodies lack of grace. Same goes for a toddler struggling to stay upright as they lurch toward something they want. Or a very old person shuffling down the walk pushing their walker with green tennis balls on the legs. A soldier moves with purpose, a woman on the hunt with swaying hips.  

ZZ

Dialog is equally important. If you plan to have a soldier or a sailor in your story, unless he or she is Frank Burns or Gomer Pyle, they are not likely to use expressions like golly gee willikers. Use dialog that fits the character. A five-year-old will not speak like a ten-year-old. A teenager has a vocabulary all their own and a drill sergeant will cuss. (If you don’t want to use actual cuss words, at least let the reader know the character cussed.)  Men tend to speak in short, direct sentences while women weave in all kinds of additional information, some of it quite irrelevant. If you’re at the grocery store waiting in line watch how a harried mother deals with a fractious child who’s been told no about the candy display. Everywhere you go there are people who speak and act differently than you would so be a people watcher, take notes – mental or for real – and use these ideas for the characters in your books. So, how a character moves, how they speak and how they think help to make the story real.

ZZ

If you’re a woman writing a male character, I suggest you read books written by men with strong male protagonists and pay attention to the way they think because you want to be real when you’re in your hero’s head. Same goes for a man writing a female character. And one last comment here – no one is all BAD or all GOOD. Make sure your characters have flaws and hang-ups. Even the mafia hit-man loves his mother and the devoted father can flip out when his kids don’t do their chores. A law enforcement officer might be an extraordinary individual physically, but give them an emotional hang-up. Something from their past that haunts them and could influence the decisions he or she makes. Susie is the most generous, caring person in the world, but she’s annoyingly OCD. Flaws make our characters human and thus, real. 

ZZ

And my last tip here is current events. If you are writing contemporary, pay attention to what’s going on in the world around you. Everyone loves the Christmas Hallmark movies, but let’s get real, they are a little over the top with touchy feely stuff and the troubles of our world rarely intrude. If you want your story to be real, include the things that everyone is experiencing, things on the front page of papers, things on social media. If anyone writes a book set in 2020 and there is no mention of protests, violence, targeting cops, Covid 19, masks, or the upcoming election and all the grief these things have heaped on us, then the story just won’t feel real. Set a story in Florida in the late summer or early fall with no mention of a hurricane churning in the gulf - it won’t seem real. If you’re setting a scene in a grocery store and never notice the masks or the directions on where to stand, it won’t feel like 2020. If you are driving down the street in October of an election year there will be political posters everywhere. So, include them. They make the scene real, and add depth and color to your trip to the store. Some signs might get the character’s dander up, or just make them shake their head at the absurdity of it all, but either way, it helps the reader to relate to the character.

ZZ

If a writer incorporates things everyone, or most everyone has experienced, then the reader is right there in the scene, feeling it, hearing it, smelling it, touching it and feeling like It’s real. You’ve had clammy hands when you’ve been nervous. You’ve felt the frustration of that traffic jam. And you’ve cussed when pushed to the breaking point. So you can relate to the character who experiences these things. I leave you with one final caution – SHOW don’t tell. If you tell the reader that the kid was crying hard that doesn’t bring the same visceral response that “The boy’s chest heaved with anguish and fat tears ran down his face, leaving wet trails” does.

ZZ

So, enough of my thoughts – lets go see what these other Round Robin Bloggers have to offer to make their writing seem real.

Connie VinesZ

Victoria Chatham
Judith Copek 
Diane Bator 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Beverley Bateman 
Fiona McGier 
Rhobin L Courtright 

August's Round Robin Blog asks the question: How do you develop a character who is different in personality from all the other characters you have developed, or from yourself?

XX

This question made me scratch my head because I was hoping ALL my characters are different. Different from me and from each other. But as I thought it through I realize there are bits of me in all my characters. I created them, after all, so it makes sense that this one favors chocolate ice cream and another is a night owl. One has kids, another spent two years in the Peace Corps. One is impatient, or politically conservative, a Catholic, or one might like to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. But beyond those hints of me that peek through, I really do try to make all my characters different and memorable in their own ways.

XX

Early on as a newbie writer I kept hearing the advice, “write what you know.” But even that had to be taken with a shaker full of salt. If every one of my characters had the same career that I was personally familiar with my books and stories would get boring really fast. So, I began to pick other occupations that I had friends or relatives in whose brains I could pick. Then I reached out to folk in entirely different fields. Research and reading is always required when sitting down to write a story. Unless all your stories are set in the same town you’ve lived in for years and perhaps even grew up in, and all your characters work at the same job, shop in the same stores and have the same hobbies, eventually you have to do the research.

XX

One book on my shelf is from the Careers for your Characters that includes a lot of initial information to help you choose a career for your new character. But then, if you think perhaps he should be a dentist, you might want to visit your dentist’s office and ask questions, look around, take a few photos of equipment, ask the names of things etc. Not everyone who reads your book will have any more familiarity with the dentist’s office than what they see while stretched out in his chair with their mouth open, but you can bet someone will be a hygienist or married to a dentist and they’ll catch any mistakes you made.

XX

Another book I refer to often when creating characters is the Birth Order Book. There are always exceptions, but the influences having older or younger siblings and where in the order your character fits, and their gender makes a difference in the person they become as adults. Depending on the characteristics you want your people to have, you might give them siblings that enhance those tendencies.

XX

Then there is the: A Writer’s Guide series: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and others where you can find dozens of ideas on things that inform who your character is and why he or she does the things they do.

XXXX

I’m betting all writers are people watchers – standing in line at the grocery check-out, waiting for a flight at the airport, in a doctor’s waiting room, on the curb watching a parade, eating in a restaurant – just about anywhere you find yourself with a few minutes unoccupied by other concerns, you can watch how people react to different situations. How the clerk behind the counter copes with an angry traveler, how a mom with a cranky toddler deals with the tears, a child jumping with excitement when the clown strides by on stilts, a couple trying to argue without drawing attention at the next table over. All these people are not you and they all have different ways of coping, of reacting and have different views of the world and the people in it. So people watching is an excellent way to gather fodder for your character creation files.

XX

My first two books were inspired and written because of things my brother experienced during and after his return from Vietnam (The Candidate and Worry Stone) so there is a lot of Scotty in them, but I also read dozens of other books like The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The House of Purple Hearts by Paul Solotaroff to better understand the grief, disillusionment and anger those men endured. It wasn’t enough to read about current day soldiers because the way our country treated those returning heroes was far different from today and I needed to know those differences to get those stories right.

XX

My contemporary romance series was a far less demanding task because I’d fallen in love, broken up, been married, been hurt, met new loves and found my happy ever after moments. But my new series has been a total challenge, even the setting which happens to be a real place, the county and town where I live. I decided to write a heroine in law enforcement. Now, I have zero experience with law enforcement beyond a couple parking tickets so I had to start at the beginning. Watching Law & Order or Blue Bloods on TV does not give you a solid place to write from either. Partly because they have to solve a murder or a rape and get it to the DA in one hour so you don’t see the long slog in between the inciting event and the resolution, only the high points. Or get even a hint of the mountain of paperwork they deal with. So where, did I begin? . . . 

XX

With the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy. Well, actually, I applied for a ride-along first and it was incredibly informative. The deputy I was assigned was everything we all hope for in a model cop: patient, knowledgeable, experienced, helpful, resourceful and effective in all the encounters we had during that 7 hour shift. Aware that I was an author seeking to make my characters real, he shared some of his past experiences with me and anecdotes from all areas of police work. Then I signed up for CLEA – a 12-week course that included everything from the hierarchy and budget of the sheriff’s office to specialized units and equipment. We visited the gun range and handled a weapon, watched K-9s at work, and stepped into a building with a simulator that could put a trainee in any of hundreds of real life situations and demand reactions. We did play-acting for traffic stops and learned how tazers work, climbed aboard the mobile command unit and spent time in communications, listening to dispatchers, callers and deputies in the field. I asked for a second ride-along with a female deputy and learned more about the specifics a woman in law enforcement faces from another great representative from my local sheriff’s office, a woman who had tested for sergeant and got her promotion a week after I got to ride with her and her K-9 Ryker.

XX

Thus, Jesse Quinn was born. A very different person from myself or from any of my previous characters. Jesse grew up in a very different life than I had experienced and she had committed herself to a career field nothing like my own. Even her relationships different than mine. If I had a man like Seth Cameron trying to woo me, I’d have been all in – that’s my personality, but Jesse keeps him at arm’s length. We’re both moms, so I suppose we both have the worry of being a single parent in common, but the personalities of her kids are different from my real-life kids so the way we interact is different as well. But again, people watching helps me develop these very different characters and interactions and make them unique.

XX

So, that’s how I create different characters, but I’m eager to visit these other authors and see if I can pick up some new tips from them. Why not come along with me?

XX
Diane Bator 
Anne Stenhouse   
Connie Vines 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Helena Fairfax 
Beverley Bateman 
Rhobin L Courtright 

Fiona McGier 

This month's Round Robin Blog Hop asks the question -  Do you have any charming, likable villains? 

XXX

Every once in a while we come upon a villain who is portrayed as charming, likeable, and relatable. As an author we are often reminded that our villains need to have some saving attributes because no one is all bad. An example often being a Mafia hit man who kills without turning hair, yet has a soft spot for his mom. Maybe you’ve run into a totally irascible old man, who is mean to his wife and yells at the kids in the neighborhood, but who can’t bear to see an animal hurt. But what about the villain who really does capture your sympathy?

XXX

 Kill List by Brian Shea has just such a character. The hero is FBI Special Agent Nick Lawrence just transferred to the bank robbery unit. The villain is Declan Enright – he’s the bank robber. But he’s also a former police officer, recently fired over a controversial shooting, and he has reached his breaking point. Confronted with insurmountable financial burdens in the wake of his early termination, Declan is desperate for a way to provide for his wife and three daughters. Tapping into an elite skill set forged during his time as a Navy special warfare operator, and using the insider knowledge of a former police officer, Declan crosses the threshold and commits the perfect crime.

 XXX

When you are in Declan’s point of view, you feel his desperation and the hurt of what has happened to him. You watch him case the joint and plan his heist and you are rooting for him. You are as desperate as he is that he will succeed. But then Nick is assigned to the case, and begins closing in. I won’t tell you how it ends because you really need to read the book, but when a series of terrorist attacks rattles the nation, these two men end up on the same side just as desperate to prevent the next attack. Two engaging characters, both working to stop an unthinkable evil and the entire time you are wondering how the heck is Declan going to get out of going to jail when it’s over?

XXX

Years ago I read Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Technically a novel because he put thoughts into the character’s heads and words into their mouths, but it is history, too. A thoroughly researched telling of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg. But what Shaara has done is tell the story from both sides. What few of us think about is that the men who led from both sides were just a few short years before in the same army. They had attended West Point together. They were friends and fellow soldiers. But the Civil war divided their loyalties and Shaara fills us with that anguish that came. It depends on who’s side you’re on in that war which man is the villain. Lewis Armistead and Winfield Scott Hancock were the best of friends and here at Gettysburg, Armistead’s prayer was that he would not have to face Hancock on the field of battle. And it was Hancock who awaited him at the top of Cemetery Hill at the end of the ill-fated Pickett’s Charge. And it was Hancock that cradled Armistead in his arms as his friend’s life ebbed away. Joshua Reynolds had recently fallen in love and wore his sweetheart’s ring on a chain under his uniform. Robert E. Lee ached at the need to fight against men he’d once fought with, torn between old loyalties and his fealty to his home state of Virginia. J.E.B. Stuart was a laughing banjo player and an excellent scout. His reports had never failed Lee, until now. So, who is the villain and who the hero? But Shaara makes you care about them all and it’s hard to read this book without feeling the anguish they all felt.

XXXX

 In my own writing, I have one “villain” who turns out to be pretty darn charming. In Keeping His Promise, my heroine, Kate, a journalist, wants nothing to do with a prominent politician’s plan to turn an abandoned plantation into a second chance house for young men who have gotten into trouble with the law, and Kate’s doing everything she can to make sure it never happens. She is prepared to dislike everything about the man the politician wants to introduce her to, a man being considered to run this second chance house.

XXX

Imagine her reaction to find he is a soft-spoken, educated, gentleman. And just when she’s ready to be charmed, he reveals his past: that of a soldier wounded and hooked on drugs, turning to crime to secure them when money ran out, and who ended up doing time for his crimes. Ah-ha! Exactly the sort of charming scoundrel she doesn’t want housed in her quiet town.   But Lucas Trevlyn’s story is more compelling than Kate can easily dismiss. While he was in prison his father passed away and when he got out, there was nowhere for him to go. The one man he’d depended on was gone. His home was gone. His livelihood as well because his education was in law enforcement was useless with a criminal record. And then came the day when he stood on the wrong side of the railing on a bridge over a highway, ready to end the mess he’d made of his life. And he would have gone through with it, had it not been for Sam Montgomery, an off-duty cop who spied him getting ready to jump. Sam talked him off the ledge and gave him a second chance. Now Lucas has a degree in counseling and he’s been working with young men, helping them to turn their lives around, and he wants very much to help them find their second chance. What is Kate to do now?

XXXX

 I think it’s easy for a reader when the villain is not very likeable. But give him a human face, a human failing or a wound, a reason for what he or she does, and it’s harder for the reader to dislike him and cheer for his downfall. Just as it would be hard for a die-hard Dixie fan to hate a man who wears his sweetheart’s ring or a soldier who holds his friend, the enemy in his arms as he dies, it’s hard for the reader to not to care about the villain with a heart, or a charm or a failing that they can relate to. Just as I did when reading Kill List, knowing that Nick was onto Declan and that something had to happen to reconcile their opposing goals. Just as I did when I created Lucas, and meant him to be a thug that Kate would easily dismiss, but suddenly this character was telling me his life story and I was compelled to change the plot.

XXX

XXX

Hop on over and check out how other authors have portrayed villains with charm.

Fiona McGier 
Judith Copek 
Dr. Bob Rich 
Connie Vines 
Diane Bator 
Helena Fairfax 
Rhobin L Courtright