Creating a Loveable Fictitious Character by Peni Jo Renner

Everybody wants to be liked, right? Would you say that goes for fictitious characters as well? Not necessarily.

Initially, Daniel Eames, my own 8th great uncle, was going to be the protagonist of Letters to Kezia, and even though he was a bit of a rake, I hoped my reader would still root for him. As it happened, the female character took center stage. Similarly, I didn’t want her to have all the personality of a cardboard cutout and I hope I was successful in bringing some dimension to all my characters. That, as a writer, is one of my biggest challenges.

I try to give my characters flaws; selfish, impatient, crude, whatever. It’s so fun to breathe life into a fictitious character! I consider mannerisms and habits. I imagine my reader seeing in her mind’s eye my character in full period attire scowling, crying, desperately holding back laughter. If a reader tells me, “I can see everything happening in my mind,” I know I’ve done my job!

When I was younger, I wrote very wishy-washy stories where everyone lived happily ever after because I didn’t want to be too hard on my characters! Isn’t that silly? They’re my characters to do with as I wish! So it really helped my writing when I decided to flesh out my characters and make them more human.

So, as you read Letters to Kezia, I hope your mind will be filled with images of Colonial Connecticut. I want you to see the people, smell the campfire smoke, feel the rough-hewn wood, taste the venison and hear the birdsong. If I’ve succeeded, I hope you’ll decide to check out my first novel, Puritan Witch, and look for my continuing stories in The Puritan Chronicles!

About the Author

PENI JO RENNER is the author of the IPPY award-winning novel, Puritan Witch: the Redemption of Rebecca Eames. Originally from North Dakota, Peni now lives with her husband in Maryland where she is currently researching for the third book in the Puritan Chronicles series.

For more information please visit the Puritan Witch Website and Facebook Page. You can also follow Peni Jo Renner on Twitter.

About the Book

It is 1693 in Hereford, Connecticut, when Mary Case, the spinster daughter of a Puritan minister, finds herself hopelessly smitten by the roguish thief, Daniel Eames. Betrothed to a man she does not like or love, she is soon compelled to help Daniel escape from jail. Suddenly, she finds herself on the run, not only accused of being Daniel’s accomplice, but also of murder.

The fugitive pair soon finds solace-and a mutual attraction-among the escapee’s Algonquin friends until two men from Daniel’s dark past hunt them down. After Mary is captured and returned home to await trial, a tragedy takes the life of her younger sister, revealing a dark secret Mary’s father has kept for months. But just as Mary learns she is pregnant, she makes a horrifying discovery about Daniel that changes everything and prompts her to develop an unlikely bond with his mother, Rebecca, who soon saves Mary from a shocking fate. It is not until years later that her daughter, Kezia, finally learns the truth about her biological father and family.

Letters to Kezia shares a courageous woman’s journey through a Puritan life and beyond as she struggles with adversity and betrayal, and discovers that loyalty can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

A Look Behind The Memoir by Elisabeth Amaral

You can spend your life planning it, or you can more or less sit back and let it unfold in front of you. That is what happened to me when I was a young wife and mother living in New York City’s East Village. It was the Summer of Love, 1965. My husband and I were walking down Second Avenue with our baby when my husband announced that he wanted to move to Boston to study mime.  We gave up our apartment and his job to move north, and that was the beginning of our improbable adventure.
 
At first we supported ourselves by creating large, heavily beaded earrings and selling them, as well as incense, kurtas and beads, in the stores and streets of Cambridge. Through an unlikely path, that activity led us to open an upscale children’s boutique. Then, a year or two later, while sitting in our store during a blizzard, we decided, in a flash of inspiration, to open a restaurant.
 
Our adventure took an unexpected turn when we realized that my husband was gay. Homosexuality was barely understood, and rarely discussed during that era, and I began a slow, sometimes, dangerous journey down a road paved with growing self-doubt and lowered self-esteem. While our marriage was full of warmth and love, it suffered from the obvious. The lack of sexual gratification eventually propelled me toward risky behavior as I sought, and eventually re-discovered, my own sexual identity.
 
These memories had long been either forgotten or repressed. For the most part, my life with my first husband and our young son was filled with friends, fun and creative pursuits. Those were the memoires I chose to remember. But my focus changed suddenly while I was at a Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. I was next in line to pitch a mystery novel to a literary agent when I realized that what I really wanted to write about was those Cambridge years and that thrilling era. I had experienced a lifetime by the time I was thirty, and was now at an age where I felt a strong need to preserve those memories. Not quite the journey of my grandparents from Russia to the Lower East Side, but my journey. My self-discovery. A story for my new granddaughter, when she is old enough. My era of youthful experimentation during the Woodstock years. I had a sudden, fervent need to recall all of it, even the sex, the drugs, and rock and roll.
 
I reached out to acquaintances from that time, and my ex-husband put me in touch with staff from Duck Soup, our former Harvard Square restaurant. He also reminded me of so much:  our first date when the car broke down on a deserted road, decades before cell phones; our wedding in an unheated house when a state trooper showed up with our marriage license; his memories of young fatherhood, and the joys we shared as parents.
 
My own memories flooded back, making the early writing of the memoir a joy. At first the memories were all good, not only mine and my ex’s, but also those from former friends and colleagues.  And then, well into the writing came the memories of my youthful pain, my confusions that had led me to a second marriage with a different set of problems, and a deeper despair. Writing about it all with the honesty it deserved was difficult, but it was one of the most important, satisfying things I have ever done.
 
When I look back on that time of my life I am amazed at how much was accomplished, and how far ahead of the times both the children’s boutique and the restaurant were. I believe we were the first in New England to sell toddler’s bell-bottom jeans, Finnish rainwear, wooden clogs. The first to have a slide and a hiding place for the kids. I was the buyer, the seller, and the bookkeeper. In the restaurant, we served only the freshest, homemade soups, salads and chili. We made our own mayonnaise, steak sauce, and dessert breads - in 1970! We ground the coffee frequently and sold it for a dime, with free refills. And it wasn’t just the healthy and delicious food or the comfortable and flirtatious ambience. The endless soundtrack that included Billie Holiday, Gershwin, Django Reinhardt, Fred Astaire, and much more, held professors, students, poets, locals and hangers-on there for hours. And everyone was welcome for as long as they wanted to be there.
 
It was such a good time in our lives that whomever I approached from those years had their own stories, recipes and photographs to share. I have included it all. It took me almost three years to finish the memoir and it was quite a ride. As I look back, I am fascinated at how it all unfolded. And I am glad I can share it. 

About the Author

A native New Yorker, I have lived in the city for much of my life. My first jobs after graduating from NYU were jewelry design and case worker for the Departments of Welfare of New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts. This was followed by co-ownership of a children’s boutique (Czar Nicholas and the Toad) and a restaurant (Duck Soup) in Cambridge near Harvard Square. I then worked as an industrial purchasing agent in New Jersey, and for the last 25 years have been a real estate broker in Manhattan, accumulating stories of the wonder and madness that is this city. I published a book of short stories (When Any Kind of Love Will Do), wrote two children’s books and a memoir (Czar Nicholas, The Toad, and Duck Soup), and am currently working on a novel.

You can reach Elizabeth via: Website | Facebook 

About the Book

The mid-1960s through the mid-1970s was a heady, turbulent time. There was a lot going on back then, and author Elisabeth Amaral was in the middle of it all: the fights for women’s rights, racial equality, a music revolution, be-ins, love-ins, riots in the streets, the rage against the Vietnam War, and sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It was an amazing time to be young.

In Czar Nicholas, The Toad, and Duck Soup, Amaral shares her recollections of those times. She and her husband gave up their jobs in New York City, relocated to Boston with their infant son because of mime, unexpectedly started a children’s boutique, and opened a popular restaurant in Harvard Square. Most of all it is a coming-of-age story about herself and her husband as they embarked on an improbable and moving journey of self-discovery. 
With sincerity and humor, Czar Nicholas, The Toad, and Duck Soup offers a personal and revealing account that reaches out to those who find themselves striving to make a relationship work that, by its very nature, may be doomed. But this story is also one of friendship—and of finding the courage to move on.

"A truly wonderful memoir that reads like great fiction.  The characters come alive on the page."  – Elizabeth Brundage, author of The Doctor's Wife and A Stranger Like You.
 
“The story of how Liz Amaral and her husband became successful at the epicenter of counterculture businesses near Harvard Square / Cambridge from 1967-1975 with their boutique and restaurant is told with humor and insight. Swirling around them are all of the entrapments of the era, the drugs and free love and betrayal, as well as the politics that defined the times. 
With a fierce dedication to her son and husband, Liz Amaral triumphs in this stunning memoir where she discovers that, while love isn’t always what we think it is, it remains, in all its multi-faceted transformations, the driving force of who we are and how we live our lives.”  – P.B. O’Sullivan, writer and mathematician

“In her intimate and humorous memoir, Liz Amaral reveals the challenges of a young family establishing a home in Cambridge amid the tumult of the late 1960s. You will discover the disconcerting truth about her marriage and the painful path she takes to find herself again. A true adventure of the heart.” – Kathrin Seitz, writer, producer, and coach

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Believers: Truth In Deception by Tamara D. Taylor

1) I wrote the book to prove to my children that there is no dream to big to accomplish with a lot of hard work and determination.

2) Aunt Ruth is based on my Great Aunt Ruth, who taught me how to read by giving me a penny for each word I read correctly.

3) Mary’s personality is based off of a mix of personality traits of my three best friends.

4) Believers takes place in the Bay Area California where I was born and raised and has scenes in Omaha Ne, where I now live.

5) The social pull of the medi’s and non medis mirrors the discontent that we see today between Liberals and conservatives. The story is meant to show that there are good people in both camps even though they do not always agree politically. 

6) In the beginning of the book Adam Easter is found dead and questions surround his apparent suicide. In the final book,  circumstances of his death will be revealed along with who was involved.

7) When I first started writing Believers the anti-aging medication was called age-stop however after a good friend read it she suggested I change it to Xenvie.

8) The scene in the Limo, where Mari throws up on Joseph, is loosely based off of an incident that happened to me when my oldest child threw up on a male friend of mine.

9)The pork chops that Mari eats at the Montana Ranch is a real recipe that my mother has made for our family since we were small children.

10) I almost changed the title of the book Believers to Pistuo however all my friends and family liked Believers.

About Tamara D. Taylor

Tamara D. Taylor was born and raised in the East Bay of California until she moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend Creighton University. Today, Tamara still resides in Nebraska where she and her husband, John, are raising their five young children.

A life long lover of all forms of the written word, Tamara is an avid reader, and has been writing short stories and poetry since elementary school. After watching her son struggle with succeeding in school, she decided to finally write the novel she had been thinking about for years in an effort to show her son that no dream is too big to achieve.

Her latest book is the YA, Believers: Truth in Deception.

You can connect with Tamara via: Facebook | Twitter

About Believers: Truth In Deception

Mary lives in a world of the future where an anti aging drug has torn society apart, creating an insurmountable divide between the wealthy and the poor. Her life is thrown sideways after she receives an unsolicited promotion at work, which leaves her as assistant to one of the most notorious playboys of the wealthy elite.

Mary struggles to find solid footing in a world that drastically conflicts with her humble upbringing. Her moral compass is tested as she finds herself falling in love with a man she knows she should not trust,  compromising her relationship with her childhood sweetheart.

After her life is threatened, she fears for her safety and that of her family. Will she be able to guard her own secrets to prevent even further danger? Will death be the consequence of falling in love with the wrong man?

Q&A with Sarah Morgan author of FIRST TIME IN FOREVER

First Time in Forever is the opening book in your brand new Puffin Island series. What inspired you to write this series?

I knew from the start that I wanted the link between the characters and stories to be a strong friendship. I write romance, but I also love exploring the other relationships in my characters’ lives, including family and friends. I had finished my O’Neil Brothers series, which was set in the beautiful mountains of Vermont, and I wanted a completely different setting for my new series. I decided on an island, a coastal retreat where three friends could escape when life was hard. I want readers to dive in, breathe in the sea air, taste the fresh blueberries and the smooth chill of ice cream and take a beach holiday while they read. 

What is the title in reference to?

The title was chosen by my publisher but it’s perfect for the story because for my heroine, Emily, it is a summer of firsts. Like many of us, she lives her life well within her comfort zone. She thinks she has control of everything but life has a way of shaking up that theory and overnight her life changes. Suddenly she’s forced to do all the things she has been avoiding and by pushing herself she discovers she is capable of more than she thought. For Emily, it really is ‘First Time in Forever’.

Can you tell us a little about best friends Emily, Brittany and Skylar?

I love these characters, and their friendship is a constant theme flowing through all three books. They met in college and formed an instant bond that has deepened over the years. Theirs is a deep, authentic friendship. They know each other, accept each other without judgment and they’re always there for one another. In a crisis, they’ll be on the phone – they may not always agree, but they always support. They encourage, laugh, listen and forgive. They share history, secrets, and they always want the best for each other. 

All three girls are very different. Emily is the more cautious of the three. She’s guarded, but very loyal to her friends. After a difficult childhood, she protects herself emotionally by keeping tight control over her life. She lives well within her comfort zone, avoiding responsibility for anyone but herself. When she finds herself responsible for a child, everything changes for her.

Brittany is an archaeologist, a cross between Lara Croft and Indiana Jones (but nothing annoys her more than being asked if she owns a whip!). She is smart, adventurous and given to impulse. At the age of eighteen she married island bad boy, Zachary Flynn. It lasted all of ten days. Since then she has travelled the world and put that relationship behind her. Brittany’s story, Some Kind of Wonderful, will be out in September in the US, but readers who would like to meet her early can find her in Playing by the Greek’s Rules, a story I wrote for Harlequin Presents, which is out now. 

Skylar is a jewelry designer, an artist with a dreamy streak and a wicked sense of humor.  She’s a free spirit, a trait that causes conflict with her family who are continually hoping she will choose a more conventional career path. Skylar is romantic but she doesn’t dream of weddings, she dreams of love.  

How do you decide which character to write about first? 

I’d had Emily’s story in my head for a while, and she was my starting point for the whole series. What I didn’t have was the setting or the other characters. I started to think about what had happened to her (finding herself guardian to her half sister’s child when she’d made a life decision never to have children) and how she’d react. Even though it was never her choice to have Lizzy, she is a very responsible person so I knew she’d do anything and everything within her power to keep the child safe. I’d already decided that she would have close friends, so I decided the three women would have somewhere they always went in times of trouble. Castaway Cottage is owned by Brittany, and all three women treat it as a sanctuary. Once I had the friends and the island, all I had to do was build a warm, wonderful community who would gradually ease Emily out of her shell. And populate it with hot men of course!

What is the central theme of First Time in Forever?

The central theme is courage. We all have a tendency to avoid the things that scare us, and that is what Emily has done. Her whole life has been constructed to avoid her biggest fears and suddenly she is forced to meet them head on. She is determined to protect herself and not make herself vulnerable so taking that leap with Ryan is huge for her. She’s known loss, so now she chooses to keep people at a safe distance. In the end Emily faces her fears and triumphs. Love and making yourself vulnerable, requires courage.

What made you choose the Puffin as the island bird? 

I spent a long time researching the various islands around Penobscot Bay, Maine. Although I prefer to have a fictitious setting, it’s important to me to make it as authentic as possible so I was focusing on the national park and the wildlife of the area. I discovered that although Puffins are not an endangered species, they are rare in Maine and there are projects to reintroduce them to the islands. 

I first saw Puffins in the north of England and they are the most amazing sea birds. As I was researching, one of the facts that stayed with me was that although they spend most of their lives at sea, they usually return to breed on the same island where they were hatched. This fitted well with my idea that Puffin Island would be a sanctuary for the three friends. Emily, Brittany and Skylar each live busy independent lives but when they need a safe retreat, they return to the island. In the books, the Puffins actually live on Puffin Rock, which is a small rocky outcrop to the north of the island. They don’t like humans to get too close!

The names that you chose for the island and the cottage are so lovely - how do you come up with them?

Picking the setting for a new series is very important because I’m going to be spending so much time there myself during the writing process. It has to be somewhere that captures my imagination, and I need to fall in love with it myself before I create a word that hopefully the reader will love too. I knew I wanted to set the series in Maine, but I am lucky enough to have readers all around the world, so the place I chose had to work for them too. As part of my research, I was looking at seabirds in the area and decided that calling it Puffin Island would work for readers all over the globe.

The cottage is a sanctuary for all three women and I wanted the name to reflect that. It’s somewhere they can escape to when life is difficult, so ‘Castaway’ seemed like the perfect name. I wanted it to be secluded but also warm and welcoming and in the end I fell in love with the cottage. I’d move there tomorrow!

Were you involved in the cover design process?

I’m very lucky because the team in the art department at HQN do a wonderful job with my covers. My editor and I make sure they have as much information about characters and setting as possible, to help them design a cover that reflects the feel and tone of the story. My agent and I do see early concepts, and feedback our ideas too. I love the cover for First Time in Forever. It conveys that warm, summery, beach feeling that matches the tone of the book.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

That’s a tough question. I enjoyed writing the beach picnic scene because it represents a real challenge for Emily, but also for Ryan who is equally out of his comfort zone. A woman with a child isn’t on his wish list and this is the scene where he realizes he isn’t as in control of his feelings as he’d like to be. 

What first attracts Ryan to Emily and vice versa?

Ryan first meets Emily because he is asked by their friend Brittany to check on her. At first he is simply fulfilling a duty, but he senses that she has secrets and he’s intrigued. Ryan loves a mystery and, of course, he’s very attracted to her. Once he finds out more about her, he wants to help her. Ryan pushes her out of her comfort zone and with him she starts to do things she hasn’t done before. In helping her, he is forced to take a long hard look at his own life. 

Emily has been playing it safe for most of her life, but now she is right out of her comfort zone, not only because of the responsibility for Lizzy, but also because of her feelings for Ryan. He makes no secret of the way he feels about her. He is strong, persuasive and insanely hot! The relationship is very sexually charged, and she isn’t used to that. She doesn’t know how to handle it. At first she resists but gradually he nudges her out of her shell and persuades her to open up to him. Also, he has experience in the area she feels most vulnerable – caring for a child. It’s through his dealings with Lizzy that she sees his true character. 

Your character Emily has a terrible fear of the ocean. Why did you choose to include this in the book?

Overcoming fear is a theme of the book, and Emily’s fear of the ocean mirrors her fear of emotions. She is afraid of being swamped, of losing everything. She is torn because on the one hand Puffin Island is the perfect place to hide away, but it also means confronting her worst fears. When she visited the island with her friends she was able to stay indoors and inland and think only of herself, but now she has Lizzy, who wants to play in the sand and swim in the sea. She is forced out of her comfort zone and it’s difficult for her. I love challenging my characters and watching them grow, and that’s the case for Emily.

You have a strong connection to the ocean. What are your fondest seaside memories?

I love the ocean. I live close to London, so escaping to the sea is nothing more than a dream for most of the year. I have two sons and some of our happiest holidays have been spent by the beach. Every summer we hire a house near the ocean and like many families, we have our own routines and rituals that we often repeat each holiday. If we’re feeling energetic we brave the freezing waves to go body boarding and walk miles along the coast path. If we want a more leisurely day we explore the tide pools, delving beneath rocks and through fronds of seaweed to find hidden treasures. We build the most amazing sand sculptures and of course we eat! Beach picnics are always fun and sometimes we’ll take a fishing trip and cook what we catch. There’s nothing quite like the taste of freshly cooked fish eaten on the beach as the sun goes down. And no beach holiday would be complete without ice cream (my current favorite flavors are pistachio and vanilla). It’s no coincidence that ice cream plays a role in First Time in Forever. I had so much fun dreaming up Summer Scoop and the whole family (and my readers on facebook!) helped pick the flavors.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing

I love spending time with family and friends.  I’m a sociable person and people are the antidote to long hours spent in front of the computer. Having friends over is a favorite pastime, and I love cooking. 

I also try to spend time outdoors whenever I can. Writing is a mostly sedentary, indoor job so when I’m not tied to a deadline I like to walk and ride my mountain bike (but only in the summer I confess). 

When I want to flop, I read (of course!) and I’m addicted to various TV dramas (The Good Wife, Scandal, House of Cards, The Big Bang Theory are among my favorites).

Who would play Emily and Ryan in First Time in Forever, the movie?

Emily Blunt could be Emily, and Chris Pine would be Ryan.

Are you a seat of your pants writer or do you plan out the story idea beforehand?

I’m definitely seat of my pants, but I do have a rough idea of where I'm going before I start. I know the characters and the conflict, but the detail evolves as I write. I do find it helps to think hard about the ending right at the beginning of the process. If you know where your characters are going to end up and how they will change over the story, it forces you to think hard about what decisions they might make, and lessons they might learn, to affect that change.

What are you currently reading?

Sarah Addison Allen’s First Frost. I love her work. One of my favorite books is The Peach Keeper.

Are there any quirky rituals/habits you have during the writing process?

I use a lot of sticky notes and I don’t throw anything away until the book is finished. I make a playlist but I don’t usually write to it. Music is a wonderful way of evoking emotion, and finding exactly the right track can make a scene easier to write. It’s very personal. I’m not sure that a reader listening to a playlist would necessarily enjoy the music unless it was played in exactly the right place in the story, but it really helps the thinking process for me. 

Who are some of your favorite authors?

This is such a difficult question because there are so many authors whose work I enjoy and I love discovering new authors. I read a lot. Among my top favorites would be Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis and Sarah Addison Allen. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Read
Write every day
Stay off the internet
When you’re stuck, keep going
Read more
Make your characters as human and real as possible
Join a writing organization such as Romance Writers of America
Put your work aside and don’t be afraid to revise. Revisions are part of writing.
Read it aloud for rhythm
Develop resilience.
Find at least one good writing friend.
Every time you’re knocked down, get up again.
READ

What are you working on next?

I’m in the middle of the third book in the Puffin Island series, Skylar and Alec’s story, called Christmas Ever After. Sky is a really fun character to write and the tension with Alec is electric. It’s one of those stories where life keeps throwing boulders at the characters (a bit like real life!) and it’s interesting to see them fighting their way out. I love this couple. Their relationship borders on adversarial but they have off the scale chemistry and plenty of humor so it’s fun to write. And it’s a Holiday story, so there is all the extra frosty sparkle I always enjoy.

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA TODAY bestselling author who writes hot, happy, contemporary romance, and her trademark humor and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. Described as “a magician with words” by RT Book Reviews, she has sold more than 11 million copies of her books. She has been nominated three years in succession for prestigious RITA® Awards from the Romance Writers of America and won the award twice: in 2012 for her book Doukakis’s Apprentice and in 2013 for A Night of No Return. She also won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their Top Pick slot.

About First Time In Forever

Windswept, isolated and ruggedly beautiful, Puffin Island is a haven for day-trippers and daydreamers alike. But this charming community has a way of bringing people together in the most unexpected ways.

It’s been a summer of firsts for Emily Donovan. From becoming a stand-in mom to her niece Lizzy to arriving on Puffin Island, her life has become virtually unrecognizable. Between desperately safeguarding Lizzie and her overwhelming fear of the ocean–which surrounds her everywhere she goes–Emily has lost count of the number of “just breathe” pep talks she’s given herself. And that’s before charismatic local yacht club owner Ryan Cooper kissed her.

Ryan knows all about secrets. And it’s clear that newcomer Emily–with her haunted eyes and the little girl she won’t let out of her sight–is hiding from something besides the crazy chemistry between them. So Ryan decides he’s going to make it his personal mission to help her unwind and enjoy the sparks. But can Puffin Island work its magic on Emily and get her to take the biggest leap of trust of all–putting her heart in someone else’s hands?

Q &A with Vivian R. Probst author of DEATH BY ROSES

What inspired you to write Death By Roses?

It had something to do with my older sister’s death from Lou Gehrig’s disease, which had occurred six months before the story began.  I had grown up deeply introverted with an intense fear of death that never relented until I wrote this story.  Somehow, I think my sister’s passing started this story, as if she was telling me to relax, enjoy my life, and not take death so seriously. My older sister had always watched out for me. Perhaps, even now, from her heightened perspective, she knew how to help.

Mae Rose’s pride and joy is her antique VW Beetle. Are you a fan of antique cars? What are your top three favorite models?

I am not a fan of antique cars—furniture, yes; cars no. I want maximum protection like airbags; navigation that tells me where I am and how to get where I’m going; full warranties, and many windows. A chauffeur would also be nice.

Our family, however, spent a lot of time inside VW Beetles as I grew up.  As a child in a family of six people, riding around the country in a VW Beetle was NOT my idea of a good time.  But the affection for VWs was prevalent and in tribute to my sister, who eventually owned a yellow VW Beetle, I couldn’t help but include one in the story. I didn’t understand the important role the VW would play until the story developed.

Mary Lee Broadmoor, the screenwriter known as Scary Mary, interacts with her daughter in the complete opposite way that Mae Rose treats her own children. Do you think that Mary Lee has any regrets in how she treated her daughter Allie?

Mary Lee has masked any possible regrets inside her caustic personality.  Years of brutality toward her daughter and massive doses of narcissism make regret virtually impossible until Mae Rose’s energy “moves in.” My guess is that Mary Lee’s upbringing was pretty brutal and that her self-absorption was longstanding. After Mae Rose begins to notice Allie and admire her, Mary Lee appears to soften.  But I don’t believe she is able to face her regret until she passes into her next life and has an opportunity to explore her attitude toward her daughter.  

What was the biggest challenge while writing Death By Roses?

Keeping up with the story. Once it started, DBR wanted to take over my time in a more aggressive way than I could handle in time/space reality. I own my own national consulting business and life kept giving me this amazing work to do in the affordable housing industry so I could not always just “give in and write.” But I got the time I needed over the course of the five years that the story developed. I also believe that life knew I was not ready to be a published author back then—I had a lot of growing to do. So life took care of me during this entire time until the story was complete. But it was hard sometimes to share my life between my work, my writing, and my family. I’m still writing and facing that challenge but it helps to know that this story is complete and making its way in the world.

---

VIVIAN R. PROBST is an author and entrepreneur, whose first novel, Death By Roses, explores her fascination with the comedic side of worldly and otherworldly events. Probst has been writing fiction for the past 14 years, and has built a successful national consulting practice. Her company provides training to major investment firms that work in the affordable-housing industry. She submitted her manuscript for Death By Roses to the When Words Count Retreat literary competition where it won first prize. 

About Death by Roses

Mae Rose McElroy never imagined that she would die while sitting on a toilet. At the sight of her totaled Volkswagen Beetle, her unfaithful husband, and the bouquet of yellow roses, Mae Rose careens into a fit of rage and dies in her bathroom.
 
Mae Rose’s humiliation at being found dead on the toilet is carried into her afterlife. While in Heaven, she is shown all the possible happier outcomes her life and marriage could have taken. Armed with this knowledge, Mae Rose can’t keep herself from interfering in her family’s affairs from Heaven. Her unsanctioned meddling earns Mae Rose a ticket out of Heaven and traps her spirit in the body of Mary Lee Broadmoor, a cantankerous writer and director of horror movies known as “Scary Mary.” Mary Lee knows she is dying of cancer and wants only one thing before her lifeline is cut: to win an Oscar. 

Can these two formidable women learn to share the same body? Will Mae Rose get a second chance with her husband? Will Mary Lee get the Oscar she so craves? While untangling a complicated web of relationships at the core of their lives, Mae Rose and Mary Lee must learn to make the most of their second chance—or die trying in DEATH BY ROSES. 

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How I Became a Writer by Amelia Ford

I've always loved reading but writing is something I have come to relatively recently.  A few years ago, I had just read Twilight and whilst I wasn't big into vampires, I loved the sense of all-consuming, yet forbidden love between the two main characters and was totally hooked.  After trawling Amazon trying to find my next read and not having much luck, I decided I would have a go at writing the kind of book I was looking for.  When I started, I found I couldn't stop and Tagan's Child was born. I loved everything about writing; the story-making, how the characters come to life, and the totally absorbing nature of the whole process.  It was a real turning point in my life and now I can't imagine doing anything else. 

I grew up reading Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, C.S Lewis, Hans Christian Anderson and read all the time.  These authors were masters of storytelling and wrote stories that draw you in, the characters are flawed and real and they have the ability to transport you to another time and place and influenced me hugely.

When I started writing, the biggest challenge for me was self-doubt.  Would anyone find my stories interesting?  But in spite of this I carried on writing.  I decided that if no-one ever read my books it wouldn't matter, what mattered was that I had something that I was completely passionate about.  My writing journey has been an almost vertical learning curve but I have loved every second of it.  I read this quote the other day, "To get closer to perfection you have to practice imperfection."  I love this, not only could it apply to anything in life, but it completely sums up the writing process for me.  I write every day and I learn every day.

About Amelia Ford

Amelia Ford lives in Kent, UK with her husband, three children and a variety of four legged and feathered friends.  Tagan's Child is her debut novel.  She is working on her second novel due to be released later this year.

You can reach Amelia via: Facebook | Twitter

About Tagan's Child