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What could those four places possibly have in common? Well, the photo is the clue.

Me.

I’ve been to all those places. I love them all. Because I know them and love being there, if only in my mind, I use them as settings in my books. You see, as a writer, I think that no amount of research can do justice to the actual experience. For example, you can research about the Grand Canyon all you would like, including watching YouTube videos, but nothing will top the actual experience. Ask anyone who has been there. And by the way, the I’m on th eBright Angel Trail in the photo above, photo taken in 2011.

Not every writer agrees with me, and that’s okay. I have to be true to myself, though, and I’d like to share some of my writing journey with you. Why I write what I do. Why I set my stories in the places I do.

Beginning today and going through Wednesday, I am going to blog about one or more of my books and give the story behind the story.

Today I’ll focus on my books for young girls.

When I was growing up, I devoured all the mysteries and horse books I could find. Nancy Drew, of course, was standard fare, but Trixie Belden books were my favorites. Trixie had it all. A rich friend, Honey, who lived on the estate next to her family’s small farm and had horses, servants, and resources that helped the girl sleuths solve mysteries.

Like most writers, I wrote my own stories and illustrated them. As a teen, I wrote silly love stories and poems, but in college and adulthood, life took over, and my fiction writing, along with my fanciful thoughts. disappeared.

But when I was fifty-eight, I finally wrote my first complete book. A book targeted to girls ages eight to twelve, it was a throwback to my Trixie Belden reading days. Trixie represented 1950s and 1960s America, and I decided my book would be reflective of modern times and problems while still having some elements of mystery.

Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley (do I really need to clarify that?), was once in a rural setting but now is surrounded by businesses and houses and fronted by a very busy road, Elvis Presley Boulevard. Once we drove around in the neighborhood immediately behind it, and that experience  triggered my curiosity. Did the people that lived there hear the tourists on the other side of the tall, white fence? Did any of them work in the stores? Had those residents ever paid to visit the mansion?

I now had my location and the beginnings of a vague plot. But what about my characters?

I had heard of two women who were such devoted Elvis fans that they moved to that neighborhood when they retired. One was from Maryland. The other was from another state.

Wow. Who would do that? Who would move to a not-very-safe area of Memphis just so she could “breathe Elvis air” every day?

That question gave birth to my Aunt Trina character. And from there, the story flowed as the characters almost created themselves. (Yes, I am more of a panther which my writing friends will understand) than a plotter. I’m trying to do better with that.

The story?

Take twelve-year-old twins who love to read. Send them away from their home in San Diego to stay with a great-aunt they barely know in Memphis while their mother goes on an extended honeymoon with her new husband. Add in the hurt and resentment of being displaced, the thrill of being reunited with their military father, a stranger who seems to be spying on them, mysterious voices coming from behind the house at night, and a homeless teen-age boy who is trying to help  his family however he can, and you have a story that almost any girl in that age group can identify with. And did I mention I even worked in some horses?

A year later, book two was published. The end of book one leads to the girls’ adventures in Nashville, where their father has been hired as security for a beautiful country music singer who is receiving death threats. The obvious interest the singer has in their father is upsetting to Mandi, the main character, and she discovers yet another mystery to be solved while coping with her twin’s sudden interest in makeup and boys. Mandi’s heroics with a shoplifter and her help in looking for a missing child add to the excitement of their short stay.

Book three is still a fuzzy idea going on in my mind. It will be set in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee, thereby completing the twins’ journey across the state.

Tomorrow I will blog about my first adult book, a historical set in 1895-1896. A love story but also…well, read my blog tomorrow to find out!

Note: All of my books are published by Mantle Rock Publishing and are considered to be clean fiction.

The photo above is the cover page of a research paper I did when I was a senior in high school. Severely nearsighted and having worn glasses since I was nine, vision was a mystery to me. I was seeking knowledge. Little did I know that the condition that caused me to wear those thick glasses would someday rob me of my sight while still fairly young. I am not completely blind, and my retina specialist said I will always be able to see something. But legal blindness is very debilitating and devastating. It takes adjustment, adapting, changing your mindset. Those of you with loved ones who  have macular degeneration, retinal atrophy, advanced glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other conditions cannot fully understand the condition if you don’t have it yourself.

That is why I’m writing this letter. For others, not for me. I am legally blind in one eye but not yet legally blind in the other (I hope I never am). Legal blindness is not being able to see better than 20/200 while wearing contacts or glasses. My “good” eye has low vision due to atrophy of the retina. I struggle with many things. I have a tremendous support system, the chief of whom is my husband followed by my sons and daughter-in-law, friends, and other family members. It is my hope that this letter will help others dealing with low vision or legal blindness to get the support they need.

Dear Loved One:

I know my condition is not easy to understand. You don’t understand why I can’t see the dial on the stove or read the digital clock yet can spot a piece of lint on the floor. You don’t understand why I am very careful as I go down steps or why I cry sometimes from frustration. It’s okay that you don’t understand. There is no way you could unless you experienced this yourself.

Losing my vision has robbed me of so many activities I enjoy. I can’t read magazines and books. I can’t sew or do arts and crafts. I can’t even raise my vegetable garden anymore because I can’t see the weeds, and I’m definitely fearful of encountering the snakes I have encountered in my garden in the past.

You may notice when I’m watching television that I’m not looking at it. I’m looking above it or below it. Why? I’m using my peripheral vision. You see, if I look straight at it, there is a grayish-brown fog that covers much of the screen, and the images that I am able to see are more gray or brown because I have lost color vision in some areas. That peripheral vision is why I can spot the lint on the floor sometimes, but that loss of central vision means I can’t see your facial features unless I am about a foot away from you. It is embarrassing to go out and have people talk to me that know me while I have no idea who they are unless I recognize their voices.

One of the worst things is no longer being able to drive. I hate asking people to take me places. I walk where I can, but how nice it is if you call me up and offer to take me to the store or out to eat! Don’t worry, I’ll pay for my own meal. I just need to get out. You see, many people with vision loss are otherwise healthy, as I am. That means I have lots of energy and am limited in how I can use it. I just need to get out of my home, if only for a little while. Such a treat when you help me do that.

I appreciate you listening to me when I need to talk. I try to be upbeat around you because I know it makes you uncomfortable, and I try not to complain. Really, most of the time I’m just explaining, not complaining. But sometimes I can’t help but break down and cry. When I do, don’t feel like you have to fix things, You can’t. But thanks for letting me cry and listening to me. That’s all I need. A caring, compassionate heart.

This handicap has robbed me of so much, but if I have you for support, I can handle it. I count my blessings and try to find activities I am able to do instead of moaning about the ones I can’t. I try not to think of how I won’t be able to read to my grandchildren, if I have any, or how I won’t be able to see their sweet faces. I try not to borrow trouble by wondering how much more vision loss I might have. I try to be strong, and most of the time, I succeed. I’m human, after all, not Superwoman.

Technology is a wonderful tool, and because of it, I can write this letter. This is yet another blessing for me. Even though I can’t see well, at least I can see enough to do this. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not easy. My reading speed has slowed considerably. I have a new empathy for people with learning disabilities. It takes a long time to get anything read, even with magnifying aids.

I think everyone who shares my plight would tell you that we don’t want or expect pity. We want to be self-sufficient and independent. It really bothers us to ask for help, so when you volunteer it or just do it, we are extremely grateful. We know things could always be worse, which is why I count my blessings and feel very fortunate in so many ways, And you, dear loved one, are the biggest blessing of all by giving me your love, support, and effort to understand.

Recently, I was impressed by a pop duo who were the opening act for Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx at a local festival. When I found out one of the members is a former resident of our small town, I was even more intrigued. I reached out to them, and they were gracious enough to agree to an interview. I’m pleased to welcome She’s Alaska to my blog today.

 

Cooper and Eleanor, first tell us your full names and a little about yourselves.

Eleanor: My name is Eleanor Lieder, and I’m from Saint Paul, Minnesota. I’m currently a senior at Middle Tennessee State University, and I’m double majoring in songwriting and marketing. I’ve been writing music for nearly a decade (although I don’t know that you could call the first songs I wrote music… they were pretty awful). I’m a Tennessee transplant, but so far I love it and I LOVE the warmer winters!

 

Cooper: My full name is Cooper Moss Gilliam, and I am the guitarist, co-vocalist, and co-writer for She’s Alaska. I’m currently in my last semester at Middle Tennessee State University, majoring in Songwriting and minoring in Classical Guitar. I’m originally from Martin, Tennessee, and actually attended Westview High School before deciding to make my move to the Nashville Area.

 

How did She’s Alaska come to be, and what prompted the name?

Cooper: Eleanor and I met through a mutual friend during our first week at college. We attended a meeting for a songwriting club together that, funny enough, ended up being a membership-only club. We were greeted with very confused looks after knocking on the door of a member’s apartment and were promptly asked of our membership of the club, but we were kindly let in and initiated our membership for the club immediately after. In the coming weeks we began writing and performing together more and more, until we ultimately decided to start a songwriting/artist duo together.

The name She’s Alaska came about through my interested in the book Looking for Alaskaby John Green (author of The Fault in Our Stars) in which there is a character named Alaska. The main character’s (Miles) curiosity and fascination with this character reminded me a great deal of my experience with Eleanor, for I felt as though I had met someone who had altered my world view and opened my horizons in the same as Alaska had done for Miles. From there we tossed around with names until we found She’s Alaska, and since its inception we felt a spark in it.

 

Describe your musical backgrounds. For example, did you take lessons growing up, study music, have family influence, etc.?

Eleanor: I come from the Twin Cities in Minnesota where there are a lot of really different musical styles represented. My mom was a really big fan of country music, and my dad listened to The Beatles, The Doors, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. When I was 13, I went to a Girls Rock and Roll Retreat (camp) that is aimed at inspiring girls to play music and improve confidence. It was the first time I realized that maybe writing songs was what I wanted to do in my life. After that I wrote songs as often as I could, but I was really afraid to perform and didn’t really start performing until I got to college.

 

Cooper: I became a self-taught guitarist when I was 10, which was actually driven by my parents refusing to buy the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for me. In hindsight, it was for the best, but my ten-year-old self would beg to differ. From there I picked up my dad’s dusty Washburn acoustic guitar, asked him (a guitar player as well) to teach me some chords, and away I went. Following some years of talent shows and trying out singing was my entrance into a four-year-stint of musical theatre at the Masquerade Theatre in Union City, Tennessee. There I learned how much I loved singing and performing which prepared me well for my future as an artist.

 

Describe the process of breaking into the music business. What should someone expect to have to do?

Eleanor: I think breaking into the music business is a very different experience for each person. Especially in the new market, a lot of breaking into the music business involves the business side. Being a musician is a lot like being an entrepreneur, so it’s important to have a strong sound and vision. A lot of it is just about consistency. Consistently writing, consistently playing shows, and consistently getting out there and meeting people.

 

Cooper: Still being novices ourselves, I’d say that learning to take criticism and rejection is the first thing. When I was growing up, I always took “no’s” and losses at talent shows personally and often felt embarrassed at myself, but being in the music industry will teach you that rejection is a fact of life. You have to learn to process them without losing your self-confidence and use them as a drive to improve even further in your craft. I’d also say a huge aspect of the music industry is networking and getting to know people. At first I feared it, thinking that networking was strictly cold business conversations consisting of elevator pitches and “what can I do for you’s,” but with time I realized it was about making friends and showing people that you are a nice, competent member of the industry.

 

I would love to know what a recording session is like. Can you give us a general picture of what is involved and how long it takes?

Eleanor: Most of the recording that we do is actually in home studios. The entire industry has started shifting towards more home studio recording, even for major recording artists. As an artist, it’s really exciting to be able to turn your music into a recording and there’s a lot of things that you can do in the studio that you can’t replicate during a live show. Recording sessions can take a really long time or no time at all, it all just depends on the song and what we’re doing in the recording process. The most important thing I’ve learned from recording in the studio is to be relaxed and let the song speak for itself.

 

Tell us about what you’ve released so far.

Cooper: So far we have released two singles! The first being a pop/country track about what happens to a high school romance when graduation hits called “All-American Dream.” Our second single was a slower, ballad-style song about the aftermath of a straight-laced girl getting mixed up with a troubled boy called “Nicotine.”

 

If an organization is interested in booking you for an event, how can a representative contact you?

Cooper: They can easily contact us at shesalaska@gmail.com!

 

Please share your website and social media sites below so readers can keep up with you.

Eleanor: Our website is shesalaska.com

Social Media: facebook.com/shesalaska

Instagram.com/shesalaska

 

What song and video would you most like to share? I’ll post the YouTube link so readers can enjoy it.

Cooper: We’d most like to share the music video to our song “All-American Dream.” We had an amazing time filming it at the Minnesota State Fair (Eleanor’s home state) and think we really captured the spirit of the song in it!

 

https://youtu.be/wKM0d3s9p0A

 

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Eleanor: If you’d like to stay tuned in to all of our releases/shows/lives, following us on our social platforms is a great way to!

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. Best of luck in your music careers, and I look forward to seeing you perform again in the future!

Photo credited to Caleb Gregory.

I tend to be a little philosophical about life. If you are reading this, I assume you are too. Or maybe you were intrigued by the photo that I found online.

I think everyone would agree that the world could use more patience, kindness, and goodness. But I also believe people think that OTHERS should be patient with them, kind to them, good in general. Most of us probably see ourselves as having those qualities. But do we?

We make excuses for our own unwillingness to be any or all three things. “I’m not being kind to her if she’s not kind to me.” “I’m a good person most of the time. So what if I…?” “(Name) drives me crazy! She’s so…”

You get the idea. I preach a lot about walking in someone else’s shoes all the time. Just ask my family. One of my older blogs is about that concept. Not walking in their shoes to the point of excusing their bad choices, but walk in their shoes to understand why they are the way they are and be willing to help.

There are so many ways we violate these three traits. We gossip, we’re mean via text or social media, or we ridicule and embarrass others. We treat people in ways that we would very much prefer NOT to be treated ourselves.

I use the pronoun “we” because I know I’m guilty of not always being patient, kind, or good, although I try to be. I truly do try, and for that reason, I am often saddened and sickened by what I hear people say and write about each other.

You may think I’m ridiculous, that I’m too idealistic, that I spend all of my time watching Hallmark movies (I don’t.) I enjoy good conflict in books, TV shows, and movies just like most of you do.

That I don’t enjoy it in real life. I always believe working to get along is better than a heated argument, that people can disagree without being unkind, and that the world is  a less stressful, more pleasant place when those three principles are followed.

Maybe you’re one of those people who might say, “I’m a jerk to others, but I don’t care.” That’s your right. It’s also my right not to enjoy spending time with you, but maybe I need to rethink the idea of talking badly about you. After all, I don’t know what made you the way you are. Maybe you had a difficult childhood or have had a lot of pain in your life. Maybe you are bitter about something. Or maybe…you’re just a jerk. If I don’t want to be a jerk also, then I need to keep my opinion of you to myself, wouldn’t you think? That’s how it works.

All of us could stand to take a good look in the mirror. Try to see ourselves the way others see us. Try to think if we enrich the lives of people around us or make them more uncomfortable or difficult. Try to figure out if people are glad when we walk into a room or relieved when we walk out.

Think about it.

Today I’m happy to welcome author and minister, John Fairless, to my blog. John and my husband were classmates (I won’t tell what year they graduated!), and he has written a non-fiction book about his high school’s most successful football years. Before we talk about your book, John, tell us a little about yourself.

 Thanks, Pam; I grew up in the great town of Martin, Tennessee. I didn’t always appreciate all the benefits of small-town life in those days but have come to cherish my years there the more I have traveled and lived in other places.

I have had a great career as a church musician and minister, and that has taken me, along with my wife, Sheila, to six different states to serve congregations, along with stops in many other states and a couple of foreign countries. We were blessed to rear three great children and now have our first grandchild – my granddaughter, Katie.

 As a minister, I am sure you have written countless sermons. Have you written any other books before this one?

 I stopped to try to count the number of words I have written in sermons and articles the other day. I couldn’t continue, because it sort of blew my mind. Hard to believe I’ve put millions of words down on the page over time.

I have written five books about scripture and preaching, along with my writing partner, Rev. Delmer Chilton, who is a Lutheran pastor. We also have a blog and a podcast (lectionarylab.com) with the unofficial name of Two Bubbas and a Bible.

What is the name of this book, and how is it structured?

 My “fun” project was writing 42-0: The Story of Four Extraordinary Seasons. It’s pretty much what it sounds like, as I seek to tell the history in and around our high school football team that went undefeated for four consecutive seasons from 1967-70. There were some very exciting games in that streak, of course, but one game in particular stands out near the end, with two undefeated teams meeting and a record crowd attending to see who would be victorious. Other schools here in West Tennessee cancelled their games on a Friday night so that people could drive to Martin for what came to be known as The Game.

The fact that the winning streak was set against the backdrop of the late 60s – with racial integration of the schools, the Vietnam War, political assassinations, and civil unrest – came into the picture as I was telling the story. Looking back on that time, I was quite moved.

 What inspired you to write it? Why now, after all these years?

 As your husband and my friend, Barry, can tell you – everybody in town was caught up in the football fever during those years. It was huge! I was in a Facebook group conversation one night with some friends, including Julia White Brundige, whose husband figured prominently in the winning streak. I asked her if anyone had ever written the story of those teams. She said no one had, and I caught a bug that simply would not go away. I wanted to tell the story before all the players from those teams were gone and nobody could remember what happened.

How did you do research for it? How did the writing process work for you? Did you use any particular organizational tools, have a routine, or just write when you found the time?

 I started with my own memories as a kid in elementary and junior high school. I knew from the outset that I wanted personal stories as part of the work – not just a sports fact book with the details of all the games. I began to interview people from those teams whenever I would make a trip back to Martin, and as the stories around the story began to grow, I was able to do phone interviews with players that had moved to various parts of the country.

The sports editor of our local paper, The Weakley County Press, was very helpful and gave me unlimited access to the morgue files at the paper. I spent a lot of time thumbing through crumbling copies of the paper from the 1960s and 70s.

I’m a little old-fashioned in that what I see in my brain as I research first goes through my fingers with pen and paper. I took notes of the interviews and summarized the stats from the games in several composition notebooks. People gave me press clippings and game programs from their scrapbooks. I had a huge pile of research material!

When it came time to write, I had a natural outline in the 42-game schedule that the team followed, and intermingled events from history and the stories of the players and fans I had collected. It really started to write itself once I got rolling on that.

 What was the most difficult part of the process? What was the most surprising part?

 The most difficult part was deciding what I couldn’t fit into the book. There are so many great stories and behind-the-scenes episodes that I heard!

The most surprising thing was how vivid and real the events from that time were for everyone I talked to. The story also features a feeling that is hard to put into words – what it was like to grow up in a special small town like Martin was in those days. I will admit that, when I go back and read the book – which I did again this week to prepare for this interview – I still get goosebumps and a tear in my eye as I turn the pages.

 Is the book self-published, or did you have to query different publishers to find one willing to publish it?

 I self-published on Amazon’s CreateSpace platform, now called Kindle Direct Publishing, I believe. I was more concerned about telling the story than I was about making lots of sales.

I heard that this book is possibly being optioned for film. Can you tell us a little about that?

 Lots of readers have said, “This would make such a great movie. It’s like Remember the Titans or Hoosiers!” Nothing would thrill me more, of course, so I talked to a couple of people I know who have been involved in film production. I have the story listed with TaleFlick, which is a repository for stories and screenplays that is used by lots of independent producers to find projects. Think Netflix, Amazon, and other media outlets that aren’t necessarily the big studios.

As it so happened, I was attending a retreat with my wife in Montana a few weeks ago, and part of the program was a premiere of a new Netflix production, with the producer joining our group to talk about the process. I got into conversation with him, he liked what he heard, and he is currently reading the book and considering the project. Fingers crossed!

 What advice would you give others who wan t to write a book but haven’t yet done so?

Can I borrow Nike? Just do it! When the urge to tell the story becomes more than you can bear, you will pick up your pen or grab your keyboard and start writing. Don’t worry about being perfect. Tell your story!

 Where can readers purchase the book?

 It is available on Amazon.com; search for my name or for 42-0: The Story of Four Extraordinary Seasons.

 Do you have plans for a future book or a work in progress right now?

 I continue writing with my pastor partner. We have a book coming out later this year for those who prepare sermons. It’s a companion to our volume, A Simple Way to Preach. Other than that, for the time being, I keep writing sermons and lessons every week, so my fingers never get too many cobwebs on them!

 Thanks so much, John, for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for the chance to share, Pam!

 

 

 

 

 

                       

This morning, on my Facebook author page (Pam Harris, author), I asked the question: What is the biggest obstacle you have faced? I went on to ask: “How did or do you cope?

There is no doubt life is full of ups and downs. There is also no doubt some people endure more adversity and heartaches than others. It seems so unfair, doesn’t it?

Sometimes, in church, we sing “Count Your Blessings,” and I wonder: How does a parent who has lost a child count his/her blessings? How does someone battling a horrible disease or living with a major disability count blessings? It’s easy for me. I’m healthy, my family is healthy, we have what we need and much of what we want. So how do people who are enduring so much more handle it?

So many do handle it. I see them coping, focusing on others, overcoming their heartache and pain to live the best life they can live given their current situation. Those with a strong religious faith rest on that faith to get them through, to help them day to day. I guess those without that faith find other ways to cope.

That doesn’t mean those people don’t feel sadness, grief, heartache. It just means they try not to let their adversity destroy them.

The photo above is of my daughter-in-law and me in front of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She works there as an occupational therapist, and I cannot describe how proud I am of her. Her job is emotionally taxing, but she loves it. She loves working with those children, and the parents often bond with her and other care-givers. I look at her and think about those parents and wonder: How do they do it? How do they cope?

The human spirit is amazing in how strong it can be. Coping doesn’t mean we don’t have our moments of sadness and grief. Coping doesn’t mean it is wrong to give in to that sadness. Sometimes, when by myself and allowing myself to give in to self-pity over my vision loss and loss of independence, I have a good cry. One of those ugly-crying episodes where I cry until I have no tears left.

It is healing. It releases the emotion and allows me to move forward. I am better able to focus on the positives, the blessings, in my life rather than this one big negative.

I often think about those kids at St. Jude and their parents. I think of friends and family members who have lost children, who are fighting cancer or some other disease, who are disabled for reasons far worse than my own disability. Thinking about those things makes me feel guilty for giving in to my own self-pity, but at the same time, that emotional release helps me be stronger.

So what is the point of my ramblings today? What good does it do to talk about grief and pain to those who haven’t experienced any of what I’ve mentioned?

Just this. Some advice. I think  what all of us would tell our younger selves, our before-adversity selves, is “don’t take anything for granted.” If your children are keeping you so busy you are exhausted, hug them because they are alive and well. If your job is wearing you out, be glad you have the health to work, and if you really hate it, try to find a different job. If you can get in a car at a moment’s notice and drive wherever you would like, be glad you have that measure of independence. If you can walk, if you can hear, if you can…you get the idea.

Yes, we will feel tired, stressed, discouraged, hurt, and all the other negative feelings that are a part of human existence. Don’t hide from your emotions, don’t push them aside. If you need a good ugly-cry, go for it. Then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and push forward the best you can.

Count your blessings and don’t take anything for granted. Maybe those almost-cliché words of wisdom are more powerful than we thought. And maybe we all need a reminder of The Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, the sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. –Reinhold Niebuhr

 

 

 

 

This photo was taken at Currituck, between Duck and Corolla, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It’s on the sound side, not on the Atlantic, but it is beautiful nonetheless.

Duck is the setting of my most recent book, a novella entitled Surf Song Inn, one novella of four in Coastal Promises.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know I write clean fiction. You know that my adult books all have romance elements. This novella is no different.

What is different is how the idea came to be. I was inspired to write Aimee when I visited the oldest standing schoolhouse in Arizona. The inspiration for Can’t Help Falling in Love, a novella in Smoky Mountain Brides, came from my publisher, who told me she wanted me to write a romance with the main character being a vet who treated the horses at Graceland. The inspiration for this novella came from falling in love with The Outer Banks in 2018 when I visited it for the first time.

When a group of writer friends and I decided to write novellas set on different islands, I knew mine would be set in the OBX (Outer Banks). But what would my story be? Who would be my characters? What kind of romance could I write in only 20,000 words?

After thinking about it, I decided on a country music singer escaping her hectic life for a brief respite in the OBX. The blurb is:

Dreams don’t always work out as imagined, a fact country music singer Rachelle has learned all too well. Burned out by the demands of her singing career, she flees from Nashville to a quaint inn in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she hopes to find peace and clarity. Registering under her real name of Holly Bellamy and sporting a new hair color and style to disguise her true identity, she revels in being just a “regular person.” When she and the inn’s owner begin to develop feelings for each other, however, her life takes a turn she never expected.

Like the sound of it? Then be sure to go to Amazon and search for Coastal Promises. Read the blurbs for the other three novellas. Buy the e-book for $4.99 or the paperback for $14.99.

Then find a quiet spot with your favorite snack nearby, and escape to an island. Let the waves carry your stress away as you enjoy light romance set in very romantic locales.

I thank you in advance if you purchase the book and hope that you enjoy it. And on a side note–no, dreams don’t always work out the way we expected, but that doesn’t mean we should stop dreaming.

Dream on.

Today I welcome my cousin, Cyndy Haines, who recently published her first cookbook, to my blog! Cyndy, what prompted you to write a cookbook?

My children. They were always calling for recipes, and my boyfriend suggested I write a cookbook. The idea grew, especially after I found out that a co-worker’s sister, who was struggling with personal issues, wrote and self-published a cookbook for their family and friends. She used a local printing company and never intended to make it available to the public. I manage nine antique booths in an antiques mall, and one of the ladies who has a booth there was going through chemo treatments, and she wrote a cookbook while sitting in the hospital going through her treatments. I saw you were struggling with vision problems yet still writing and editing. So the three of you inspired me to accomplish this goal. If you three could overcome adversity to fulfill a dream, then I could too.

 Thank you for saying I was an inspiration to you. I am just glad I was able to be a small part of this process for you. Tell us, how did you choose the recipes?

Most of the recipes are old family recipes and recipes fro friends with no real known origin. For example, I have several of your mom’s recipes, and I have Mom’s, my daughter’s, my son’s, and more. I selected my favorites and my children’s favorites, because the original intent was a cookbook for them. Then you told me about Amazon publishing, and I tbought, “Why not?”

 Are any of them your own creation?

Yes, several of the meat dishes. Some of the recipes were modified from the original by me, but I think a lot of recipes are like that.

 What are some of your favorite recipes in it?

I love Kyle’s brownies, Gwyn’s cabbage casserole, and my baked pork tenderloin. I also love my caramel cake icing recipe and barbecued meatballs.

 Just hearing those food names makes me hungry! know you self-published the book through Amazon. What are some things you learned that others would need to know before self-publishing with them? It was very challenging. The first thing I learned is that formatting is the real key to a perfect book. For instance, when I I typed recipes in Word, I have hit enter several times. Well, that made things not line up correctly. I called a local printer for help. His charge was very small, and he helped solve the problem. You can find the steps for self-publishing with Amazon, and they are very easy to follow. However, be sure the formatting is correct, that you have allowed room for the gutter (the middle of the book), and that you have created your cover. They do have standard covers you can choose from, which is what I did because of copyright issues with the one I had intended to use. But once you go through the process, it’s easy.

Any plans for a future cookbook?

Yes, my next cookbook is already underway. The focus of this one is make-ahead meals that can be prepared and frozen then thawed and cooked when needed. It will also have more crockpot meals.

Where can readers purchase your cookbook on Amazon?

https://www.amazon.com/Cyndys-Antiques-Recipes-Cyndy-Haines/dp/1099904463

Thanks, Cyndy, for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m looking forward to trying out some of the recipes soon!

 

 

 

Maybe you’ve seen the movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, two men supposedly dying who decide to travel the globe and do all the things they ever wanted to do. They do all kinds of crazy things, live extravagantly (thanks to Jack Nicholson’s character’s wealth), and realize that life without loved ones is hollow. They return home and––spoiler alert––one of them dies, the other one lives many years longer.

An unrealistic movie in many ways, it still holds a grain of truth. We all have things we want to do, but we keep putting them off, saying we’ll do them when retire or “when I have time.”

I get it. Life is busy and doing what we have to do gets in the way of what we want to do. While raising children, your life is not your own as you attend all those ballgames, band performances, gymnastics lessons, plays, church activities, and all the things that we do for our children. No doubt the needs of our families must come first.

But I wonder why we make excuses for not doing some things that we want to do now instead of putting it off. Nothing extravagant, like in the movie. Simple things. Affordable things. Things that require not much more than some of our time.

I was guilty of putting things off until retirement. Oh, I did a few things. I did some painting classes. I took some short trips to places I always wanted to see. And, oh, I did write a few books. But I spent fifteen years wanting to do the St. Jude Half-Marathon in Memphis before I actually did it, thinking I didn’t have enough time to train. I finally was on the Elvis Quiz Show on Elvis Radio (pictured above) a year after I retired. I could have done that before then. So why didn’t I?

Because I made excuses.

We have no guarantees in life. We are not promised tomorrow, and I can’t count the number of people I have known who retired and within weeks were dealing with life-changing illnesses.

My advice, then, is don’t put it off. If it’s simply a matter of rescheduling your time or saving on the side for a special trip, do those things while you have the ability to do so. If fear is holding you back (afraid to apply for that dream job, afraid to fly to someplace you really want to go, afraid of being out of your comfort zone), seek professional help or even the help of friends. Do what you can to live a rich life, a life that doesn’t put off things until it is too late.

I would never suggest that your wants and needs should come before those of your family. I am merely suggesting that maybe it is time for you to start checking off those bucket list items before you’re too old to do them.

As for me, I still have a long list of things I want to do. Number one was the half-marathon. Check. Number two was the Elvis Quiz Show. Check.

Number 3? Be an extra in a movie. Guess I need to check those posts with the Tennessee or Memphis film commissions…

 

Last fall, some writer friends and I discussed how much fun it would be to write four short novellas, all with a beach theme, all contemporary romances. A novella is simply a short novel, usually no more than 25,000 words, and it is a bit harder to write than a full-length novel. You have to write “tight,” leaving out unnecessary descriptions, thoughts, and other things that might hinder the story from being told in as few words as possible.

The picture you see is the result. The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon for only $4.99 for the e-book. Pre-order means order it now, and when it comes out, it will be delivered automatically to your device.

If you have followed my blog or looked at my Pam Harris, author, Facebook page, you know that I fell in love with th Outer Banks of North Carolina in 2018. My beach experiences in California and Florida have all been wonderful, but there was something special about the Outer Banks that I can’t describe or explain. So it was natural that I set my book there, in a little community called Duck. The inn in my story is not real, nothing more than a creation of my imagination, but most places mentioned, even the Walmart, are actual sites.

This book is clean fiction, so if you’re looking for the racy stuff, look elsewhere.  The characters in the four novellas are not linked in any way, so you’re not reading the stories of four friends or four sisters or even cousins. (Hmm, Each novella stands on its own, so you can read one entire book in a short time.

Here’s the blurb for my story:

Surf Song

Dreams don’t always work out as imagined, a fact country music singer Rachelle has learned all too well. Burned out by the demands of her singing career, she flees from Nashville to a quaint inn in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she hopes to find peace and clarity. Registering under her real name of Holly Bellamy and sporting a new hair color and style to disguise her true identity, she revels in being just a “regular person.” When she and the inn’s owner begin to develop feelings for each other, however, her life takes a turn she never expected.

The other novellas feature an artist and gallery owner on St. Simons Island, Georgia, a dolphin cruise owner on Tybee Island, Georgia, and a wedding venue owner on Pawley’s Island, South Carolina (a Southern Breeze novella).

Interested? Here’s the link.