Setting as framing

I'm so fortunate that my husband and I have so many great pieces of artwork (mostly science fiction and fantasy) and needlework to adorn our walls.  I used to take everything to our local Ben Franklin's store, because my "Framing Goddesses" were there.  These two ladies understood my tastes, could pull the mat that would match perfectly and knew exactly which frame was in stock that would pull the piece together.  They've gone on to other occupations, but I think of them every once in a while, when I look at one of my pieces.  I've been going to our local Michael's recently and they've done a terrific job, but it hasn't been as much fun.

The right frame really makes the piece, doesn't it?  So, when I was writing my novel Seven Days, I knew it would have to be set in places familiar to me.  I wanted to drop in little details that would make the reader go, "She's been there" or "I know that place" or "That tells me what I need to know."  My heroine and her sisters are from Indianapolis, a place where I spent about a third of my life for work over six years.  My hero, however, lives in Las Vegas and we were fortunate enough to spend two vacations out there in 2008 and 2009. 

There were many incidents that sent shivers down my back from synchronicity, but two stand out that may make you laugh.  The first was when I first started writing the book in the last half of 2006.  I checked into one of the hotels we usually stayed at while in Indy, the Residence Inn at the Airport.  I was so excited about the story, I mentioned it to the desk clerk, asking if she knew who I could talk to in order to find out about the fanciest suite at the Marriott Downtown.  She got a funny look on her face, then said she used to work down there and got me a faxed floor plan for their two Presidential Suites.  Either can host a reception for up to 35 people, perfect for the wedding reception in the second book in my series, Seven Months.  Ask and ye shall receive. 

The other took place on our second trip to Vegas.  Chris was off playing poker and I started exploring.  My main characters in Seven Days decide to get married on a Wednesday morning.  My hero gets the heroine to pick out an engagement ring on the way to the chapel, so I went in search of the high-end jewelry stores on The Strip.  I found the Tiffany store in The Forum Shoppes, associated with Caesar's and boldly went in.  I mentioned I was researching for my novel and they couldn't have been more helpful.  The salesman showed me several rings that would be appropriate, but here's the kicker.  I asked the security guard the best way my characters would get in to the store, since it's a long walk from the main entrance.  He got a funny look on his face and told me the VIP Entrance was just out the door, complete with valet parking. 

Now, how cool is that?  I got to see exactly what my characters would see, walk exactly where they walked, feel what they were feeling.  It gave me a frame for that particular scene, to enhance it.  Fate and faith puts you where you need to be, doesn't it? 

What is your favorite "guilty pleasure" book?

I've really enjoyed reading the Friday Blog Hop and one of the blogs asked for a "guilty pleasure" book.  I thought I'd pass on my story here, too.  It's a great question--we all have those books that our friends or co-workers would go, "REALLY?!" 

I grew up with much older brothers (12 and 14 years) and my mom worked in the local library, so I've always been surrounded by books and readers.  I tore through my brothers' science fiction paperbacks and some still have honored places in my personal collection.  They were important to me growing up, influencing me to do well in math and science and I met my husband and most of my friends through the science fiction conventions I attended.  Most of my characters in my romance novels are fans and gamers, because those are the smart, funny people I know.

Anyway, I remember when I was ten or eleven, reading one of the Robert A. Heinlein novels written specifically for what they now call the Young Adult market, titled Podkayne from Mars.  It wasn't his best work, but I didn't care.  I adored it from the first page, because it was about a girl around my age who got to go on adventures, said the things she wanted to say and generally was successful because she was smart, even though she got in trouble for being a smart ass.  [SPOILER ALERT!!!]  It was one of those books I didn't want to end and when I read the epilogue, it was written by her brother.  I was totally and completely distraught, because my beloved character had been killed.  It was right after my oldest brother was killed in an accident and I'm sure that had a huge amount to do with my emotional angst. 

Skipping forward twenty or so years, I started writing essays for our local science fiction club AND writers guild newsletters.  BTW, I am The Queen of the 300 Word Essay, so this blogging stuff is cake.  But, for an essay on what books have influenced me (which is another blog topic), I decided to reread Podkayne.  Lo and behold, I got to the end and realized that all those years ago, I'd skipped over the sentence which implied she lived, but was only severely injured.  All those years, I'd been convinced she died and I was wrong!

A few more years later, I was with my husband at a World Science Fiction Convention (why, yes, I am a fan girl!) in Boston, at a panel titled "Women Who Love Heinlein."  Ian and Betty Ballantine were there as guests, as they had signed and edited many SF authors, including RAH.  I got up and told my story about how I'd misinterpreted Podkayne's fate all those years ago and Mrs. B explained that in his original draft, he DID kill her off!  Now, the book came out in the '60s for kids and it wouldn't do, so they convinced him to change the ending.  Mystery solved and I was glad they had a chance to share the story. 

Guess what came out from Baen Books a while later?  Sure enough, a trade paperback edition of Podkayne from Mars with both endings.  I spoke with a woman who works for them at another convention and said I should get a commission and she just laughed.  But, at a library sale a few years ago, a shiver ran down my back when I found an old, well-worn copy of that juvy, that now sits on my shelf. 

So, what's your guilty pleasure?  Harry Potter or Twilight?  You won't get any sneers from me, I certainly understand.  A trashy romance from when you were a teenager that fed your love of the genre?  I'd love to hear your story.  Bring it into the light and share, please. 

Follow Friday Online Writers' Blog Hop

Follow Friday Online Writers' Blog Hop

Welcome to my first ever Follow Friday Online Writers' Blog Hop!

TODAY'S FEATURED QUESTION:

Some people like to do it in the office. Others prefer it in bed. Some people like it on the dining room table. Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm asking where you like to write!

MY ANSWER:

I do most of my writing on my ancient laptop, sitting on the loveseat in my living room.  Unfortunately, the TV is there and Jewel Quest III is loaded on that computer.....

Elizabeth Sharp of SomeSharpWords started this blog hop. So if you're a writer and want to participate, join in! Not sure if you qualify? Well, if you have a blog to add, guess what, you're a writer. Click the quill logo above to join the fun and view the spotlight writer, Liz Schulte from Bat Country, and her answer to this week's featured question. Here are the rules to follow:

• Follow this blog (required).
• Follow Elizabeth's blog, the originator of this hop.
• Follow the featured author of the week.
• Copy the image code on SomeSharpWords (Elizabeth's blog) and paste it in your blog. Add your link while you're there, too.
• Copy and paste the rules to the blog hop, as well as this week's question.Answer the question.
• Follow, follow, follow! Network, connect, make a community! We love talking to our followers and replying to your comments.
• If someone stops by, says "hi," and follows you, the polite thing to do is to follow back.
• Comment here; introduce yourself. You just might find a new follower or two.

Happy blog hopping, everyone!

What would you have in your kit?

I have a friend that went into the hospital last night, via the emergency room.  He came through surgery okay, but will be down for the count for a couple of weeks.  But, it was serious enough that when his wife called, I packed one of my canvas bags with some stuff to take with me.

First thing I grabbed was the book I'm currently reading.  I usually have a book in my purse, but just started Jo Beverley's An Unlikely Countess and didn't know how long I'd be sitting and waiting.  Next, I grabbed a bunch of magazines.  You never know what they'll have in the waiting lounge and friends and family might want to be distracted.  Then, I packed a needlework project, making sure I had a pair of scissors and extra needle in the kit.  I started to grab some snacks and sodas, but didn't have what my friends really like and don't have any bottled water, so I headed out the door. 

I did make a run to my friends' house to get their phone charger cord and got the snacks and beverages there, along with some quarters from their overflowing change bin.  Also, gave the cats some treats and told them their humans were "at the vet's." 

We're at the age where we're sometimes called to sit with friends or family at the hospital or funeral home.  It's best to be prepared.  You never know how long you may be there or what might be a comfort.

I worked this into my novel, where the sisters are in Vegas for a bachelorette party and one ends up in the hospital.  Instead of drunken revelry, they end up taking turns, sitting and waiting.  The hero and heroine take a turn too, because seeing how your character reacts under a stressful situation or even ordinary situation, should tell the reader a lot about them. 

So, while I hope we don't have any more situations requiring hospital runs for the foreseeable future, it's reassuring to know I was able to contribute to the situation and ease the burden a bit.  What would you grab, if you were called upon to do hospital watch? 

Smaller portions

My mom learned how to cook from her mother-in-law, my grandmother.  Grandmother didn't think anything of whipping up a church dinner for 300 and thought recipes were merely suggestions.  I regret that by the time I got old enough to know her, she was in a nursing home, having suffered a stroke.  But, she left a legacy of a well-loved cookbook and a red plastic measuring scoop. 

I was helping (okay, watching) Mom in the kitchen one day and she explained that she used a couple scoops of flour for what she was fixing.  Now, I was too busy taking math and science classes to take Home Ec in high school, but I knew that sometimes measuring was important and I asked how much that scoop held.  She shrugged, that's just the way Mom J did it, so that was the way she would do it.  Then, she told me how Mom J organized and cooked a chicken dinner for a couple hundred people to pay the insurance premium for the church.  Good thing, because they had a fire the next month and were able to rebuild.

So, I always grew up cooking large quantities of food and learned to eyeball things.  A few years after we were married, I bought a big stockpot.  Many thought I was nuts (and I am), but I've always been one to fix batches of spaghetti sauce, chili, chicken noodle soup, beef vegetable soup, etc., then we'd eat on them during the week.  Kind of the way Mom would do it.  Dad worked for the railroad and kept odd hours.  I remember eating steak at 2am on a TV tray.  That's the way we did it, we ate when we were hungry and there was always something on the stove or that could be warmed up.  The cooking shows where they fix only enough for one meal and sit down at a table are fascinatingly foreign to me. 

It's still the way I work.  But last night, I asked my husband if he wanted me to fix chili or spaghetti sauce with the ground beef and he threw me for a loop.  He said, "Why don't you fix both?"  Fix just a small batch?  Of two things?  In explanation, I have food allergies which include beef and tomato (and chicken and dozens of other things--it sucks!  But that's another story.), so I can only eat a serving of either say every other day.  I immediately thought about sharing some, making a casserole and taking it over to someone.  That's what Mom or Grandmother would do.  Or I could freeze some, so it wouldn't be sitting in the 'fridge forever.  And that meant I could fix the chicken later in the week and not worry the stuff I already had would go bad....

So, while I was grateful Chris actually gave me a suggestion, rather than saying "I dunno.  Fix what you want," I was also grateful that he made me think.  True, I still had to dirty up the pans, but that's okay.  I ate the spaghetti for lunch and he had the chili and life was good.

I've tried to put a little of this in my fiction.  Important scenes happen during meals.  My heroine considers what it would be like if she didn't marry the hero and ten years down the road would be fixing dinner for one and eating it by herself.  In another book, her niece gets a coffeemaker from her lover with the promise that he'll fix coffee for her every morning. 

Important things happen in life while cooking and eating or one could say cooking and eating are life and love. 

Spring Fever and other distractions to life in general

Just in time for a cold front to come through.  That's okay, though.  I still have a bunch of long-sleeved shirts in my drawer and my weather-obsessed husband promised it won't get to freezing tomorrow.  Occasionally, I am somewhat practical enough to dress appropriately and make sure we have clean clothes and things to eat.

Ah, well.  I was sitting with hubby at lunch today and something told me to check my notebook.  There was a time when the little spiral-bound pages were my life line.  When Dad fell ill in 2001, I had to take care of all their finances, arrange care for Mom and travel a third of my life for my work.  Did I mention I was 45 minutes away from my folks?  I HAD to write everything down, doctor's appointments, grocery lists, phone numbers (I'm soooo low tech, I rarely have my cell phone on) and the huge list of Things to Do.  I don't get everything in the notebook now, though I do have lists of books read, needlework projects in various stages of completion and movies seen recently.  I really hate it when I can't dredge up a title or remember so and so's cell phone number, so this is a God-send.  And during the early Aughts, I was averaging four hours of sleep a night, meaning most days if you'd asked me for my phone number, I'd draw a blank. 

But, when I checked the list of doctor appointments today, I almost started crying.  I'd missed a doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon!  Totally flaked it--wasn't even home if they'd called, which they didn't.  The funny thing was, my husband got two calls reminding him of his dental appointment yesterday, one Friday and one Monday.  When I got home, I called and apologized profusely.  I told the woman I'd make a big sign and put the rescheduled appointment on our door, which I did. 

So, should I blame Spring Fever?  Early-onset Alzheimer's?  Lack of sleep?  Does it even matter?  In my novel, my hero (who's not always a very nice man) takes advantage of the heroine's sleep-deprived mind.  Two of the sisters comment about having to be "the responsible one."  Like they would, I felt bad that I wasted an appointment that someone really sick might have needed. 

There were many times over the past five years I've been "distracted" by my fictional characters and their world.  I'd take something that happened and obsess about how I would use it in one of my story lines.  How dare real life interfere with my imagination!  I have to admit, even as a child, people would comment about how I seemed to be "in my own little world."  I just have to be in the moment enough, responsible enough, to function and do the practical things a self-employed writer would do, while continuing to write and edit.  Like not forgetting doctor's appointments.............

Princesses redux

I have to laugh at all the TV shows based around weddings and finding someone (though I do watch "Say Yes to the Dress"--train wrecks, you know).  We're coming up on wedding season, waiting for the current crop of bridezillas to make their appearances.  Looking at some of the $$$s spent makes my stomach churn.  I could never feel comfortable paying $40K for a wedding--that's what we paid for our house for heaven's sake!  But, with this culture of The Perfect Wedding, I have to ask:  Are women in danger of thinking our wedding day will be the only day we're special? 

I have several weddings in my fiction.  One thing about the first book in my series is that it's titled "Seven Days," starting on a Monday night and the main characters get married that Wednesday.  Not a traditional romance, in that I found the real story was how they dealt with the next few days.  But, Will and Elizabeth get married in jeans at the hospital's Meditation Chapel in Las Vegas.  He did offer to take her to the chapel where you could get married by the guy in the green alien suit, but they decided to do this instead.  They go back to Indianapolis, her hometown, for the oldest sister's wedding that Saturday.  I'm making that one a major production number, but only touching on some details, because the story happens at the reception after. 

Mary Margaret, the middle sister (yes, they're named after Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice sisters), is horrified when her dad jokes, "How much for you to elope to Vegas, Princess?" 

But, that's what my dad offered.  I'm glad we went ahead and had our small wedding for under a hundred people, because it was the first time in decades two of my uncles were together.  We were married by a judge in an apartment complex's party room.  I found a try-on dress for under $100 that was waltz-length and perfect.  I told my high school buddy to pick out a dress she'd like to wear and that was that.  By the way, Mary Margaret marries in a red dress, since she'd spent the previous four months in Japan, one of the cultures that considers white the color of mourning. 

So, while it's important to hold a ceremony (traditional or same-sex, as I have several gay couples in my fiction) as a celebration and I'm always up for a party, don't you think it's dangerous to focus so much on the wedding?  Shouldn't we worry more about the life and relationship after?  Just sayin'.  Stepping down off my soapbox now.  Thanks for listening and I'd love to hear your thoughts.