A Little Perspective in 2024

Happy New Year! Glad to be back from my short break. Hope everyone is staying healthy during this “cold” season fraught with viruses galore. If you’re like me, you hear someone sneeze or cough and you run for cover.

The weather here in Georgia has been unreal. Like the rest of the eastern USA, we’ve experienced freezing, and I mean raw, to the bone temperatures. The house stays too cold, and I can’t seem to keep my feet warm. Today, it’s raining and chilly and according to the weather app, temperatures should rise tomorrow. Thank goodness!

The Definition of Perspective – A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view; true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion.

Due to the cold, lately I only run errands when it is absolutely necessary. Being retired affords me that luxury. That being said, the situation has given me the time to do some soul searching. Giving some thought and utilizing my old lady perspective, I looked back at the past few years and questioned. Had I always taken the easy road? Were the choices and decisions I made due to how I perceived my life was supposed to go? Who knows?

Of course, seeing myself as a qualified adult and all-around nice gal, I made what I thought were good choices, shared various opinions (being neither meek nor soft spoken), and owned way too many assumptions. Can you relate? Being honest here, sometimes my assumptions were way off the mark and unbelievably illogical. When I voiced my opinions, I mirrored the viewpoints of others due to apathy and/or passivity. By doing things the easy way, poor choices were made. Yikes! As you can see, one’s soul-searching will yield guilt. Oh well, such is life.

“The optimist sees the donut,
the pessimist sees the hole.”
—-Oscar Wilde

But things can change. Every day, month, or year that I’m still alive, there is room for growth. So, in 2024, I plan to gain a new perspective, see things differently. In turn, I’ll try to only impart wisdom from my own experiences and offer educated opinions. I’ll brush up on the facts before making assumptions. This will be a hard road for me, but at least I’ll give it my best shot.

Here’s one man’s opinion on perspective.

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

As far as my writing is concerned, most of 2023 was muddled and foggy. I honestly don’t know why. I couldn’t seem to find THE story, so I occasionally wrote only small bits and pieces that weren’t worth keeping. There were a few promising ideas but I couldn’t make the stories work.

In 2024, I want things to be different. Okay. I will stay the course and be more prolific. My perspective needs to change in order to accomplish this. My outlook will be positive instead of negative. Using this mantra as a version of a New Year’s resolution, I will give it my all. I will write 3-4 pages per day, edit those pages, take time to do research, and also study my craft. I also hope to make more time to read just for pleasure. Lately, I’ve gotten into the Dave Robicheaux Series by James Lee Burke – very gritty, but a great detective series. Because Santa Claus brought me an iPad for Christmas, I’m also beginning French Braid by Ann Tyler on my tablet. For me, it’s a first.

Can you change your outlook? Change how you see your life? Or maybe make a twist in the attitude department, or even make a choice to do less or do more? Life is always about the choices we make, but it’s also about how we see ourselves, don’t you think? What’s your perspective?

February is right around the corner! The month represents everything to do with the heart. My husband recently had a virtual heart scan which said he was in pretty good shape. That allowed us to breathe a huge sigh of relief. After all, he’s no kid. People are living longer with the help of modern technology and good cardiologists. Don’t let things slide. If you are having any heart issues, please see a reputable doctor. As they say, the heart knows what it knows. That applies to the physical as well as the emotional.

Since I won’t post this blog again until the end of February, here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day! Some folks don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but my husband, Mike, and I do. We make a big deal about it and always exchange cards and go out to dinner at a favorite spot. Why not? We’re still in love!!

My novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES, is available at the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

I hope to have a guest author join me next month. Thank you so much for reading my blog. Stay well and safe.

Jody

A Little Perspective

Happy New Year! Glad to be back from my short break. Hope everyone is staying healthy during this “cold” season fraught with viruses galore. If you’re like me, you hear someone sneeze or cough and you run for cover.

The weather here in Georgia has been unreal. Like the rest of the eastern USA, we’ve experienced freezing, and I mean raw, to the bone temperatures. The house stays too cold, and I can’t seem to keep my feet warm. Today, it’s raining and chilly and according to the weather app, temperatures should rise tomorrow. Thank goodness!

The Definition of Perspective – A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view; true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion.

Due to the cold, lately I only run errands when it is absolutely necessary. Being retired affords me that luxury. That being said, the situation has given me the time to do some soul searching. Giving some thought and utilizing my old lady perspective, I looked back at the past few years and questioned. Had I always taken the easy road? Were the choices and decisions I made due to how I perceived my life was supposed to go? Who knows?

Of course, seeing myself as a qualified adult and all-around nice gal, I made what I thought were good choices, shared various opinions (being neither meek nor soft spoken), and owned way too many assumptions. Can you relate? Being honest here, sometimes my assumptions were way off the mark and unbelievably illogical. When I voiced my opinions, I mirrored the viewpoints of others due to apathy and/or passivity. By doing things the easy way, poor choices were made. Yikes! As you can see, one’s soul-searching will yield guilt. Oh well, such is life.

“The optimist sees the donut,
the pessimist sees the hole.”
—-Oscar Wilde

But things can change. Every day, month, or year that I’m still alive, there is room for growth. So, in 2024, I plan to gain a new perspective, see things differently. In turn, I’ll try to only impart wisdom from my own experiences and offer educated opinions. I’ll brush up on the facts before making assumptions. This will be a hard road for me, but at least I’ll give it my best shot.

Here’s one man’s opinion on perspective.

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

As far as my writing is concerned, most of 2023 was muddled and foggy. I honestly don’t know why. I couldn’t seem to find THE story, so I occasionally wrote only small bits and pieces that weren’t worth keeping. There were a few promising ideas but I couldn’t make the stories work.

In 2024, I want things to be different. Okay. I will stay the course and be more prolific. My perspective needs to change in order to accomplish this. My outlook will be positive instead of negative. Using this mantra as a version of a New Year’s resolution, I will give it my all. I will write 3-4 pages per day, edit those pages, take time to do research, and also study my craft. I also hope to make more time to read just for pleasure. Lately, I’ve gotten into the Dave Robicheaux Series by James Lee Burke – very gritty, but a great detective series. Because Santa Claus brought me an iPad for Christmas, I’m also beginning French Braid by Ann Tyler on my tablet. For me, it’s a first.

Can you change your outlook? Change how you see your life? Or maybe make a twist in the attitude department, or even make a choice to do less or do more? Life is always about the choices we make, but it’s also about how we see ourselves, don’t you think? What’s your perspective?

February is right around the corner! The month represents everything to do with the heart. My husband recently had a virtual heart scan which said he was in pretty good shape. That allowed us to breathe a huge sigh of relief. After all, he’s no kid. People are living longer with the help of modern technology and good cardiologists. Don’t let things slide. If you are having any heart issues, please see a reputable doctor. As they say, the heart knows what it knows. That applies to the physical as well as the emotional.

Since I won’t post this blog again until the end of February, here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day! Some folks don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but my husband, Mike, and I do. We make a big deal about it and always exchange cards and go out to dinner at a favorite spot. Why not? We’re still in love!!

My novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES, is available at the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

I hope to have a guest author join me next month. Thank you so much for reading my blog. Stay well and safe.

Jody

GOBBLE, GOBBLE

HAPPY NOVEMBER, THE GRATEFUL MONTH!

Because I have Type 2 Diabetes, I am vigilant about my diet 95% of the time. I’ve learned what to do and what to eat (and not to eat) to keep me healthy and maintain my weight. But here come the holidays. I do love this time of year, but unfortunately there are temptations everywhere–goodies hiding in plain sight, gravies, sauces, and the evilest of them all, SUGAR! So, as I focus on being thankful for my many blessings this month, like my family and of course, my health, I would be incredibly grateful if I can get through this season without gaining five pounds. 🙂

My husband and I journey to a family farm in rural Georgia for Thanksgiving. The occasion encompasses extended family and then some, a special place with special people. Everyone brings a dish, either a side, salad, or dessert, and you can’t believe the layout of wonderful food. Some folks are famous for their specialties, like my daughter-in-law’s Mac & Cheese, and my son-in-law’s Brussel Sprouts dish, those favorites are actually requested every year. The hosts provide the turkey and other meat options. It’s quite a spread! You can understand why the day is anticipated and yet challenging for someone like me who loves good food. It’s a challenge I look forward to every year and wouldn’t miss it for the world.

BEING THANKFUL FOR OUR VETERANS

This month I’m also thankful for our servicemen and women who we honored on November 11th. My grandchildren’s school holds a very patriotic tribute to our Veterans every year. Last Friday, my 23-year-old granddaughter, Ava, a graduate from that school, was asked to sing God Bless America and lead the audience in The Star-Spangled Banner. I was so proud of her and her beautiful voice.

A SALUTE TO STRONG WOMEN WHO SERVE

How many women do you know who currently serve or who have served in the military? Each one of these women represents a strong female role model. Because of this, I’m contemplating creating a female protagonist for a new project, a forthcoming novel in the historical women’s fiction genre. She would be woman who served in the Vietnam War. You know how I love to create strong women characters.

Let’s call her Charlotte, or Charlie, for short. I think Charlie would have a gentle spirit but be strong in her convictions and loyalty. She’d be a heroine to her own family as well as to her friends. The story would take place before and after she served in the military, and it would reveal how she changed because of the course she chose for her life. Charlie would have a strong moral compass who had flaws and insecurities like most of us. She’d be a practical joker and a sucker for a sob story. As I write this, the idea of this strong woman is becoming real to me. Can’t wait to see where her story takes her.

PLEASE WELCOME MY GUEST BLOGGER

PATRICIA QAIYYIM is an award-winning author. She grew up in a large family and lived in several states throughout the Midwest. From a very early age, Patricia knew that her career choice would be a military one. After high school, Patricia attended college for two years before joining the United States Air Force. As a member of the Air Force, Patricia had the opportunity to work in several specialties (jobs), and her assignments included Air Force bases in Texas, Illinois, Spain, Arizona, South Carolina, and Japan.

Patricia became a mom early in her military career and spent most of her career tackling both military service and motherhood. She retired from the Air Force after 23 years and worked as a contractor before becoming a professional writer. Patricia’s non-fiction book, Moms in the Military Raising a Child While Serving in the Armed Forces, was awarded the Military Writer’s Society of America’s silver medal in 2023. She is preparing to publish her second book, Shrouded in Words: A Collection of Poetry, and working on a companion piece to Moms in the Military Raising a Child While Serving in the Armed Forces.

Thank you, Jody, for the opportunity to write about my book, Moms in the Military Raising a Child While Serving in The Armed Forces, and the more than twenty women who contributed their stories. Because it’s non-fiction, I cannot use the word protagonist, but these women are definitely heroines. I am excited to provide your readers with a glimpse into the insights and perspectives of women who are or were raising their children while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The decision to serve in the Armed Forces is brave and requires much of its servicewomen (and men). Likewise, being a mother comes with many responsibilities. Both roles are unique and require you to be available and “on duty” 24/7. These strong women take on the obligation of service and the responsibilities of motherhood simultaneously. A choice that was not available until the early 1970s; before then, pregnancy meant separation and the end of a military career.

Like me, the women in the book chose ‘military service and motherhood.’ Navigating both roles with determination and courage, dealing with issues such as separation from their children because of military obligations (separations that could last from a few days to more than a year), raising their children without the familial support many mothers take for granted, and frequent moves to meet military needs. Throughout the book, you can see just how successfully these women managed this unique lifestyle.

Women like Navy veteran Jacqueline G., who joined the Navy in the early 1970s and faced challenges that her male counterparts did not. As a female sailor and a mom, she was a trailblazer in her unit, where her presence created circumstances that her leadership had not encountered.

Jacqueline’s service opened the doors for women like Coast Guardsman Melissa B, serving in the Coast Guard, the service with the least number of women members and one that doesn’t provide the traditional support found on military installations. She achieved the rank of Admiral and adopted a child later in her career. She shares how motherhood made her a better leader and gave her new insight into those under her command. Today, she is an example and a voice for the current and future women of the Coast Guard.

Another contributor to the book is Air Force Spouse Eboni A., who tackled moving her family every few years, acting as a single parent during her spouse’s deployments, and putting her career on hold to support her husband’s military career. She represents many other women who choose to ‘serve’ as spouses of service members.

These women chose to bravely serve their country as servicewomen or spouses, raising their children in a unique environment in locations across the United States and around the globe. The strength of these brave women is undeniable, and this book provides a glimpse into their lives as they ‘write’ the narrative of what military service and motherhood look like.

This book offers encouragement and inspiration for not just military moms but for every mom and anyone who loves them.

A big thank you to Patricia Qaiyyim. You can check out this author on her
website at https://patriciaqaiyyim.com, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaQaiyyimAuthor/

Patricia’s book is available on:       Amazon: https://bit.ly/49C6wVz
                                                            Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3Qy4QDY
                                                            Books a Million: https://bit.ly/3G1789Y
                                                            Green Apple Books: https://bit.ly/3u9fRnA

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The holidays are right around the corner, and I think BOOKS make the best gifts. Don’t you?

My novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES, is available at the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

Hope your Thanksgiving is full of blessings! Thanks for stopping by…see you next month,

Jody

Monster Guts & Boobs

October – A Fabulous Month

I hope everyone is enjoying the month of October. For me, it’s soup weather here in Georgia! In fact, I made vegetable soup in the crock pot just the other day. Yum! I’m not much into corn mazes or festivals, but I do like to decorate my home with the touch of Autumn and for the 31st. Halloween has always been one of my favorite celebrations.

Toward the end of the month, my husband, Mike, Bella (our mini-Australian Shepherd), and I will drive up to North Georgia to spend a few days in the mountains to buy apples, soak up the atmosphere, and hopefully see the leaves in their glory.

As we move towards the end of the month, Halloween lurks. We see our neighbors’ front porches and lawns adorned with pumpkins and blow-up Frankensteins, witches, ghosts, and scary creatures. I love this time of year! I get excited just dragging out all my bins of Halloween decorations. Can’t wait for the adorable, costumed kids to trick-or-treat at my front door.

When my kids were young, I was a Girl Scout Troop Leader for a time. One Halloween, I enlisted my family in the creation of a “Garage” Haunted House in anticipation of the neighborhood kids creeping through it. My husband played Dracula and rose and down in a wooden coffin; my teenage son handled the eerie music, lights, and visual effects. We even had a spooky rocking chair that rocked on its own or by the “ghost” who sag in it. The kids who came through my kitchen to enter the Haunted Garage had to take off their shoes before venturing inside into darkness. They had to step through “monster guts” as they entered. Of course, the guts were nothing more than cooked, wet noodles scattered on the concrete floor. It was so very cool!!

For me, October evokes good memories and makes me smile. It’s a good time to nest, cuddle up under a throw, drink hot tea, and read a cozy mystery. In addition, October kick starts the holidays, gives a mini-fresh start before the year comes to a gradual close. Yes, the leaves will drop, and the trees will eventually become bare, but the beauty of the seasonal changes uplifts me somehow. During this time, I feel the change in me. I want to be outside more, breathe the cool air, and appreciate nature. I become refreshed, supercharged with energy, and motivated to get more things done.

Lately, I’ve made lots of headway on my new book. No more excuses for me! I won’t let myself miss my writing deadline again. It can get scary! Yikes!

One thing that I must do this month is to get my yearly mammogram! As we all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Welcome My Guest

Cara Bertoia just launched her novel, The Perfect Breasts, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The author grew up in a strait-laced Southern family, but she was always fascinated with casinos. In her twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, she drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe. She discovered that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake. Her mother highly disapproved of her working in a casino, “a place so bad it has ‘sin’ in the middle.”

Eventually, she succumbed to pressure from the family and returned east to take a hi-tech job in Boston. She also began working on her MFA in writing at Emerson. Her goal was to write the first realistic novel about casino life from the perspective of an experienced table games dealer. She is always amazed that normal and sometimes quite intelligent players become absolutely clueless in the casino. They repeat superstitious nonsense, and no amount of logic can change their position; maybe her novel will.

While in Boston she was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, she spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. She was awed by the wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in St. Petersburg. Cara returned from ships with a very special souvenir, her Scottish husband Ray. They went to work at the Spa Casino in Palm Springs, and now live in Hollywood, Florida, where she writes about her casino years while wistfully gazing out at the ocean.

The Perfect Breasts

Growing up Jewish in the South, Hannah Clein considered herself an ordinary child who loved challah bread, reading, and her family – often in that order. She didn’t appreciate how normal her life was. She would take breaks from reading to criticize her physical appearance in the mirror, her brown hair was mousy colored, and her hazel eyes were too small. She would always remember the day she went to a department store with her slightly irritating mother to buy her first bra as her last best day, “B.C.” before the cancer.

With a normal life in the rear-view mirror, we follow Hannah over three decades, as she navigates the tricky transition from girlhood to womanhood. All her life, she just wants to belong. Be normal.

In a tale that explores a women’s complicated relationships with her body, and the love of her life, we learn the psyche is a funny thing. What are The Perfect Breasts? And how does the loss of a loved one affect those left behind?

The Perfect Breasts mixes family lore with imagination in a compelling tale of loss, longing, and love. It is a personal and raw short story about boobs. I always write about strong women and in this case a young girl who will become a strong woman. Not because she wants to but because she has to. Because when her mother becomes ill, she becomes the caregiver for her mother.

In college, she sets out to make up for lost time. She wants to be footloose and fancy-free. She could get drunk if she wanted to, smoke pot, have sex, be a regular teenager, or could she? But it is not so easy to forget that you are the member of the sad club. Memories can pop up at unexpected times, especially when you are trying to start over. The great thing about Hannah is the strength she must deal with her demons and not lose herself.

The inspiration for writing The Perfect Breasts was the death of my father at a young age. He dropped dead on the tennis courts at the Jewish Community Center. I just remember how badly it hurt and still hurts. It was a pivotal moment that forever changed my life. The pain is for what can never be. I also grew up Jewish in Charlotte, North Carolina. I think it is those memories that made the story so raw. I cried for Hannah because I remembered what losing a parent at a young age felt like. That is why I am donating all my proceeds to breast cancer research.

**Cara Bertoia loves to connect with her readers. Please send her a picture with any or her work. She will post those pictures to social media. You can follow Cara on the following links:  carabertoia@yahoo.com, TIKTOK, Cara Bertoia’s Blog, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, Facebook, Women Writers Women’s Books — Cara Bertoia, The Big Thrill Online Magazine

Don’t forget you can find my novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES on the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

Next month, my guest will be Author Patricia Qaiyyim.

Have a Happy Halloween, and I’ll see you in November – just about Turkey Time!

Stay safe and well,

Jody

Hello Autumn!

How are you guys? I’m good. I’m enjoying the change of the seasons. Don’t you love it? The nights are cool, and the days are warm. It’s perfect Autumn weather. I’m predicting change and colorful Fall here in Georgia.

A Change in Outlook

So, after struggling during the summer months, I’ve finally made progress on my manuscript, sorting out the plot and discovering new elements of the mystery.

Do you have secrets? Most people keep secrets—mostly things from our past that we don’t want to share. The characters in my fiction are secretive. These characters have something to hide or know someone else’s secret. If these secrets were found out, someone would be hurt. For me to create climactic fiction, I must delve into the psyches of both “nice” characters and a few “not-so-nice” characters. I certainly don’t want my audience to figure out who done it right away. I need the proverbial cliff hanger or hangers to keep the reader interested. Drama equals suspense equals resolution. That’s the way I like to write.

Even Victoria (Vikki) Campbell, my protagonist, has a secret. By the way, in pursuit of the bad guy or girl, Vikki will have her hands full. As a strong female character, she will find them, but it might take her to places she doesn’t want to visit—mentally, emotionally, and/or physically—places from the past and present. Vikki is tough but fragile, strong but emotional, headstrong yet vulnerable. Can’t wait to see how Vikki, with help from her colleagues and old friends, puts the puzzle together.

Please Welcome My Guest Author – Marlene Wagman-Geller

Author Marlene Wagman-Geller, who has written a dozen fascinating books, received her Bachelor of Arts from York University and her teaching credentials from the University of Toronto and San Diego State University. She recently retired after teaching high school English and history for thirty-five years. The author shares her home with her husband, Joel, daughter, Jordanna, and dog, Harley. Reviews from her eleven books have appeared in The New York Times and dozens of other newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and The Huffington Post.

Marlene’s book, Women Who Launch, is part of her six-book series, Celebrating Women, is filled with inspiring true stories of strong women—activists, artists, and entrepreneurs who launched some of the most famous companies, brands, and organizations today and changed the world. It is at once a collection of biographies and a testament of female empowerment. This excerpt is about one such strong woman.

“Huff and Puff” (2005) – In a contemporary Greek myth, Arianna Stassinopoulos was born to a middle-class Athens family. From her humble beginnings, she became media mogul Arianna Huffington who launched the eponymous Huffington Post. Through intelligence, charm, and chutzpah, Arianna broke the glass ceiling of journalism, thereby taking her place beside the press barons of yore such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Heart. Women Who Launch shows that with enough huffing and puffing one can blow down the house once only the domain of men.

Jim Morrison of The Doors remarked, “Whoever controls the media controls the mind.” The Greek baroness of the media became a household name when her website made her a contemporary Colossus of Rhodes.

Athens born Arianna’s father was Constantine Stassinopoulos who had been incarcerated in a Nazi concentration camp for publishing an underground newspaper. Despite Constantine’s name, with its association of constancy, his eyes wandered to women other than Elli, his wife. In 1969, at age nineteen, Arianna traded the shores of the Aegean for the halls of British academia when she enrolled in Cambridge; she lived in one room, alienated from her classmates who were uncomfortable with the six-foot girl-not from their country or class.

Love lessened Arianna’s loneliness when she fell for Bernard Levin, the lionized columnist for the London Times. He was twice her age and half her size and not of her faith-he was Jewish-but Arianna was gaga for him. The fly in the romantic ointment was Levin was committed to bachelorhood, and Arianna longed for commitment. After a decade, Arianna broke off their relationship and headed for America to put distance between herself and her lost love.

Arianna ingratiated herself into a moneyed rarified circle and became the toast of the Big Apple where she socialized with Barbara Walters, Henry Kissinger, and Dan Rather. Trophy escorts at black tie events were on the arm of California governor Jerry Brown where she left behind the scent of her signature perfume, Cartier’s La Baiser Du Dragon-The Kiss of the Dragon. A detractor of the newly minted woman of the hour described her as “the most upwardly mobile Greek since Icarus;” another referred to as “the Sir Edmund Hillary of social climbers.” In 1984, Arianna left for Los Angeles to promote her book on Picasso who she portrayed as a mountain of misogyny.

At age thirty-five, desperate to clasp the brass ring of marriage, heiress Ann Getty introduced Arianna to Michael Huffington, the Texas oil tycoon. They married six months later where the bride wore mammoth diamond earrings borrowed from Princess Michael of Kent; her bridesmaid was Barbara Walters. The power couple moved to Washington where Michael pursued a political career masterminded by his wife who a journalist referred to as a “right-wing lady Macbeth.” The girl from the country who gave birth to drama had more than her fair share: after the birth of their two daughters, Michael dropped the tidbit that he had engaged in adulterous affairs-with men. After their divorce, Arianna claimed she had been unaware of hubby’s homosexual inclinations, but many believed she had been blinded by bling. A friend of hers remarked, “Honey, when they fixed me up with Michael in Houston, I knew he was gay at shrimp cocktails, and Arianna’s smarter than I am.”

After transitioning to the political left, Arianna lost out on a bid for California governor to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ever versatile, Arianna launched the Huffington Post where bloggers were celebrity pals such as Norman Mailer, Larry David, and Nora Ephron. Initially, the online news site attracted barbs aimed at its founder such as one that described Arianna as “an intellectual lap dancer.” Nevertheless, it found favor with AOL who purchased the Huffington Post in 2011 for $315 million.

Regardless of one’s perspective on LaHuff, opponents take heed: as with the big bad wolf if angered, Arianna can “Huff and puff….”

Check out this author at the following: https://marlenewagmangeller.com
https://amazon.com/author page/ and https://www.facebook.com/marlene.wagman.5

Thank you, Marlene!

Don’t forget, my novel, Relative Consequences, is available on the following sites:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

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October will be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so my guest author in October will be, Cara Bertoia (Debby Beece) who will introduce her new book, The Perfect Breasts, a story about boobs. The novel, which debuts on September 29, mixes family lore with imagination in a compelling tale about loss, longing, and love.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jody

Digging In

Happy August!

Do you remember when I mentioned my potted vegetable plants growing out on my deck? Well, sorry to say, I’ve lost several more. The remaining and healthy ones—a few sightings of green peppers and the hanging-on cherry tomato plants. That’s it. So, what if I don’t have a particularly green thumb? Next year, I’ll buy my tomato and pepper plants at Home Depot or Pikes. In spite of this sad effort, I did enjoy watching the little plants grow to maturity, which reminds me of my work in progress, currently titled Lies in The River. Though I’m stuck in my own writing limbo, I still enjoy the process. I put the manuscript aside for a while and then picked up an old one to work on trying to kick start my brain. Sometimes a story takes so many twists and turns that it’s difficult to find the right fork in the road to go down. However, I know from experience, the story will eventually come together.

“Nothing’s a better cure for writer’s block than to eat ice cream right out of the carton.”
—Don Roff

Writing about strong characters requires authors to do massive amounts of research even if you’re drafting a narrative that takes place in the modern-day era. Going back in time requires even more categorical digging–clothing, music, news, etc. The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to create. Research keeps the author honest. Although I have done quite a bit of research already, there’s more out there waiting for my shovel.

In Lies in The River, the strong female protagonist, Vikki Campbell, must struggle and fight her way through her family’s mess before she finds contentment. Her adventure is full of ups and downs, and it’s one that gives her the opportunity to become someone’s hero.

Introducing My Guest Author, Donna Keel Armer

Donna is the author of Solo in Salento: A Memoir which has been translated into Italian as Un’americana in Salento. She recently completed a book tour of Southern Italy. She is a photojournalist and has published essays for travel anthologies and magazine articles with accompanying photographs on travel, food and wine, home and garden and various other topics. When she’s on the road, she writes a private travelogue. Contact her at donnakeelarmer@gmail.com to be added to her email list. She graduated with honors from Mississippi University for Women with a double major in psychology and social sciences as well as graduate studies in theology. Her first job during high school was a gofer for a furniture company and her last position before turning to writing was president of the hospitality business owned by Donna and her husband Ray. In-between she’s been in senior management in both the insurance and airline industries. She is a former board member of Friends of the Library, a member of Sea Island Spirit Writers, and a docent at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. Donna and Ray split their time between their forever home in the South Carolina Lowcountry and their beloved Italy.

Grazie mille (Thank you very much), Jody Herpin for inviting me to be part of your strong women blog. You mentioned procrastination in your last blog and that struck home. To say that from time-to-time writers procrastinate is probably an understatement. Sometimes I’m so overwhelmed by my “to do” list that I simply stop and do nothing. Of course, nothing means a day at Hunting Island where I can feel the rush of the wind in my hair, the salt on my face, and the sand between my toes. The ebb and flow of the Atlantic recharges my batteries and once more I can face the world. I highly recommend it whether it be the ocean or the mountains or the flowers in your yard. Some days are just meant for procrastination.

I grew up in the south with the prevailing attitude of marriage and kids as the goal. Although I attempted marriage several times, I never managed to have the white picket fence, the yard full of kids, and I certainly didn’t wait for my man to come home so I could feed him a home cooked meal and rub his feet and back before he retired. I grew up out of step with my generation.

My southernness includes Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina. All places I’ve called home at one time or another. I’m also a late bloomer. What about you? I didn’t go to college until I was thirty-three. I didn’t start my career until I was thirty-seven. And I certainly didn’t have any ideas about traveling solo other than for business.

But one day the entire world swallowed me up and spit me out. I looked in the mirror and said, “Your life is unraveling. What you need is a major change—a change that will allow you to grow, to be brave and strong and recreate your life as you want it to be instead of listening to and obeying all the voices clamoring in your head.” By then I was on my third marriage. And yes, it did happen to be the lucky number for me. Our past histories were not full of marital bliss but every year for the past forty years we have signed on for another year. But the joy of finding the right person after so many trials and errors resounded when I said, “I need to leave home for a while and travel alone.” He simply gave me a big hug and said, “I love you, I know you’ll come back, and I’ll be waiting for you, so go and search for the self you need to find.”

And I did. And from that adventure—free of stress, responsibility, and my old self—I grew into a person that I admire, that I care about, that I see as courageous, brave, compassionate, and full of joy and grace. During my solo journey, I learned about putting the fragmented pieces of my life back together through a class in mosaics. I learned how a complicated recycling system in Italy taught me to sort through my own personal trash—saving, restoring, or throwing away the burdens I’d been dragging around with me for a lot of years. I met lovely as well as wacky people and found myself in unusual situations that challenged me to be brave.

When I set out on my solo adventure, I had no idea that I would write a memoir and I would be the strong female protagonist in that memoir. From that trip, my first book Solo in Salento was born. It took a few years to write it and when I was finally ready to give birth, covid struck. Every book event was cancelled. But the spirit of Solo in Salento endured as did my spirit. I remembered the moment when I stood before the statue of the warrior woman on the promenade in the small coastal village where I stayed. She spoke to me and said, “Insieme siamo forte.” Together we are strong.” And she was right.

I stepped out in faith, and there was no turning back. Life gave me opportunities, and I held on tight. When the world turned right side up again Solo in Salento was picked up by an Italian publisher and was translated into Italian as Un’americana in Salento and in the fall of 2022, I was invited on a ten-week book tour of Southern Italy.

Now I’m working on a mystery series. Book #1 ~ The Red Starfish will be released on October 7, 2023. And guess what? The protagonist Caterina Maria Lucia Gabbiano aka Cat is a courageous woman.  Cat (like me) has one foot planted firmly in the South Carolina Lowcountry and the other in Southern Italy. Her catering business is thriving until her best friend from childhood disappears and Cat’s better angels tell her to drop what she’s doing and find her friend. Mystery, mayhem, and the mafia take Cat into a catastrophic series of events.

Is Cat a strong woman? Sometimes. Is she brave? Sometimes. But more often than not, she’s confused. She blunders and she makes decisions that are not always in her best interest, but her heart is brave, and she reaches for life. She’s like all of us. We take a step forward and fall back into the black hole. But together as we reach out our hands and help each other, we can find the strength to open our hearts, to be full of love and compassion without judgement, to be both soft and powerful, to be a person of value. It is within ourselves to find these gifts and to continue the amazing journey we are on. I invite you to live your life the way it was meant to be lived.

Jody, thank you for giving me this spot in your lovely blog Sensing Southern. It’s an honor to hang out with strong women.

Thank you, Donna. You can find her at:
donnakeelarmer@gmail.com, https://facebook.com/donna.k.armer/, &
www.donnaarmer.com

Don’t forget to grab a copy of my novel, Relative Consequences, available on the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

It’s my pleasure to announce that Author Cara Bertoia will be my next guest in September. Can’t wait for you to meet her.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jody

You go, Girl!

Hello All!

Have you tried to fry an egg on the pavement yet? Me, I won’t waste the egg, but I bet it’s a safe bet that it will work. I know it’s soooo hot!!! Hope you’re staying cool!

“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.”
…Estee Lauder

I have made an incredible discovery. Writing is hard! Yes, there I’ve said it. I suppose that’s why it takes me so long to complete a project. (That, and I do tend to procrastinate. Please don’t tell!) I know of authors who can whiz right through it, but to my regret, that’s not me.

However, I enjoy writing and creating, no matter how long it takes, and no matter how much hard work it entails. I love imagining characters. I want them to be human, but interesting…especially my protagonists who epitomize strong women. When birthing a protagonist, I want her to be courageous, independent, and with the ability to reinvent herself. I want her to believe in herself and her abilities, and work relentlessly at what she needs or wants to do. She doesn’t give up. She’s a strong woman.

Some examples of strong women can be found in great fiction. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott comes to mind. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a story where the protagonist, Kya, the marsh girl, is strong and relentless yet not perfect. In City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, the character of Vivian Morris is shown to be able to reinvent herself when necessary as she grows in character. And how about movies? To cite a few—Steel Magnolias, Silence of the Lambs, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Help, Terms of Endearment, Silkwood, The Color Purple. The illustrations are endless.

In other words, one can find examples of strong female protagonists everywhere. They reign! My goal is to create a fascinating protagonist that will tell her story in a way that makes me proud to have known her.

Meet My Guest, Author Anne M. Beggs

Born with the horse gene, Anne M. Beggs’ first spoken word was “worsey” for horsey. She was drawing, painting, and spinning tales of imaginary equines for years. Her medieval fetish is nearly as long, and she claims to have researched the Middle Ages into and beyond middle age. Anne is a fifth generation Californian with ties to the Gold Rush. She is still married to her high school sweetheart (1975) and they have raised two children–who were all dragged along from castle to castle, cathedral to cathedral as Anne conducted her research, looking for a home for her characters. After nearly 40 years living at the beach, they sold that dream house to live a new dream, moving from surf to turf. They live on and manage a horse boarding ranch, Equisance, in Watsonville, California on the beautiful Monterey Bay, with their own eight horses and seven cats. Anne is a member of the Historical Novel Society, and for more about her writing, horses, mounted archery, her grandson, and more, please see the links below.

Strong Female Protagonists

Thank Jody Herpin, I am delighted to be here writing about strong female protagonists. Of course, a funny thought, it would be hard to write a gripping book about a weak female character, because the character arc of the story would require her to transform, to find strength. It wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise. Our characters don’t always start out strong. Something happens.

I write adventure romance and family saga set in 13th century Ireland. A brutal time, on a volatile island poised for civil war with the threat of another English invasion lurking. Archer’s Grace, Book One, starts the series with seventeen-year-old Eloise, the sole heir of Dahlquin in remote Connacht, rebelling against her patriarchal society. A treasonous siege catapults her and a stranger on a dangerous trek to save her life, her family, and mayhap Ireland itself.

Eloise is faced with many challenges in her flight across Ireland. She knows how to ride and shoot and live rough. But now she is on the road without the power of Dahlquin supporting her. She must learn to keep her mouth shut. Listen. Learn. Book Two in this five-book series is with the editor.

My protagonist, Eloise, is on a lifelong spiritual quest for understanding. This was a dangerous pursuit in her time when anyone, male or female, who questioned the Church was condemned a heretic. She sees the hypocrisy in her world and seeks answers. Even in the nature that abounds around her, Eloise wonders why a God or Goddess could create such glory and allow such suffering. She must learn to be her own hero, and not wait to be saved.

“The Dragon Lord, a Winter Solstice Tale,” is a short story based on my Dahlquin characters. Eloise, pregnant, is excited to participate in the traditional Solstice celebration, but her husband forbids her from performing in a pagan ceremony. This and seven other short stories of historical fiction are in Unlocked, A Paper Lantern Writers Anthology. We are publishing a holiday anthology in November 2023.

As a horsewoman I am always challenged to be strong. Strong in intention, strong in communication and strong enough to truly understand the need for softness and patience. It is a delicate dance to bond, build trust and keep it. The average horse is 1000 pounds of emotion and flight. I need to be strong enough to feed and care for them, as well as astute enough to watch and feel their intention. They need us to be confident and emotionally stable/strong. 

More than a decade ago, my gelding, Desejo, taught me fear. He was beyond my understanding then. He was afraid, and I made it worse, until our big wreck. Accidents can trigger fear, be it horses, cars, bikes, skiing, flying, (bad relationships), you name it. Fear that has little to do with the accident. Fear that has been festering, expanding, waiting to explode like a lanced wound.

I sought help, lots of help. But I had to dig deep and do the work. One scary durned thing at a time. No one could do it for me. So many of us cope with various kinds of fear, and the longing for strength that accompanies it. We need to find our inner hero. We can get help, but ultimately, we must do the work ourselves. When we find our inner hero, we can help others find theirs. Don’t wait to be saved.

That is Desejo with me in the photo. We are still working on building his trust and confidence, but on a good day, he is a unicorn. I have two chestnut ponies, Mystic and Elf. I could go on and on about my ponies and my books. I have enjoyed this opportunity to give you a glimpse into my world, and the world of Dahlquin. I hope you join me there by reading the books.

For more about me – books, ponies, mounted archery and my grandson, check out:

https://www.facebook.com/AnneMBeggsAuthor/
https://www.instagram.com/annibella72/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anne-m-beggs
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19577659.Anne_M_Beggs
https://www.amazon.com/Archers-Grace-Book-One-Dahlquin/dp/0989130207/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1651170012&sr=8-1

And thank you again, Jody Herpin, for inviting me to share this time with you all. I love learning more about great books and authors right here.

Thank you, Anne.

Remember, my novel, Relative Consequences, is available on the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

It’s my pleasure to announce that in August, Author Donna Keel Armer will be my guest on this blog. Can’t wait to read her take on strong female protagonists.

Thanks for reading,

Jody

Patience

“Patience is a flower that does not grow in everyone’s garden.”
–English Proverb

Summer is all about sunshine, vacations, pool time, relaxation, longer days, and shorter nights. What are you doing that makes your summer special? Since my husband and I went to the beach for a week in May, our plans for the summer are minimal. We will visit some friends in nearby Tennessee for a long weekend, and maybe spend a cooler night in the Georgia mountains, but other than that, we’ll just be hanging around the house, watching the Braves on TV, cooking on the grill, and having relatives over for dinner. Of course, I’ll still be working on my new novel and Mike will be teaching piano lessons as usual. Yeah, folks, we’re boring people!

I mentioned a while back (think it was February) that I was growing vegetables from seed. Sorry to say, some of my seedlings didn’t survive the transfer to pots and the outdoors. From the original seeds, I have only one tomato plant, five pepper plants, six sad and spent broccoli plants, two thyme plants, and a few carrots. We bought two more tomato plants, basil, cucumber, and citronella. My husband and I had some oregano and a small potted rosemary bush that survived the winter. Everything is growing in large pots on our deck. Fingers crossed that we will soon reap a small harvest.

To this day, my mother’s words remind me, “Patience is a virtue.” Okay, I will admit, that’s not one of my assets. Watching the garden come to fruition tests my patience. In all honesty, sometimes so does writing my new book—LIES IN THE RIVER. I love to write, but it’s the deadlines I put on myself, and the days I need to be super productive that get to me.

“A garden should be in a constant state of fluid
change, expansion, experiment;
above all it should be an inquisitive, loving,
but self-critical journey on the part of its owner.”
–H. E. Bates

Yes, growing a garden takes patience and some work. Any new project you begin is like that. A long time ago, I was into needlepoint. At first, I struggled with it, as I am sort of a perfectionist. The process from beginning to end exhausted my patience. I would start, stop, and put the project aside before trying it again. However, I refused to quit. Eventually, I mastered it enough to want to frame a few pictures.

I’m sure there have been many times in your life when you’ve tackled a hobby or project and you struggled a bit before you got the hang of it, or were able to complete it.

Currently, my work-in-progress (WIP), like one of my seedlings that hasn’t reached its expectations, has stalled, i.e., one of my sad broccoli plants. I have reworked the outline several times and each time I think I’ve got it. Sometimes I have to put the work aside, and play around with a short story or essay for a time. Then I can come back to the WIP. Today I blame the lovely summertime distractions for making me sidestep my goals.

Meet Another Character

I do love my characters. I just need a few more to love me back to reveal the complete story that will be the first book (Lies in the River) in a series called Sequoyah. By the way, I’ve changed the main character’s name again. It’s Victoria Campbell.

Let’s take a look at one of the other important characters—Kenzie Campbell. Like Lucy from Peanuts, Kenzie is a dynamic character, who is never ignored – a strong female character.

In the story, when you first meet her, she is twenty-three, but we also see her when she is nineteen. She is the youngest of Maura and Colin Campbell’s children, the surprise baby born in the couple’s early forties.

Kenzie stands 5’4″ tall and weighs around 115 lbs., and has black hair and violet eyes. Though spoiled, her beauty and personality have won the hearts of the entire small town of Sequoyah, Georgia. Kenzie is charming, fun-loving, immature, naïve, and loves too easily. In high school, she dated Buck Ferguson, grandson of the owner of the Ferguson Mill, Hamilton Ferguson. Unfortunately, she also dated someone else at the end of her senior year and through the following year, but kept the relationship a secret due to circumstances beyond her control.

A few personal facts about Kenzie – she’s an animal lover, wants to be a vet like her father, has a fear of spiders, eats all the time but never gains weight, and she has a diamond-shaped birthmark behind her neck. The worrisome thing about Kenzie – she takes too many risks.

AND THE WINNER IS…

At the beginning of this month, I ran a promotion for the Women’s Fiction Writing Association (WFWA) – WOMEN’S FICTION DAY (June 8, 2023) on Facebook, Instagram, and my website (jodyherpin.com). Anyone who wanted a chance to win a digital copy of my novel just had to signup on the special section on my website. I’m happy to announce the winner – KRISTEN COX received an ePub version of Relative Consequences via her email address.

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Don’t forget that Relative Consequences is available on the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

Its my pleasure to announce that in July, Author Anne M. Beggs will join my blog post. Can’t wait to read her take on strong female protagonists.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jody

Keeping It Real

I love, love, love this time of year in the South. The pollen has just about run its course, leaving us with the many glorious tints of green in the trees, an abundance of colorful blooms and warm sunshine. One can look out their window or experience the outdoors to face the reality of the season. Unlike many types of reality facing, this is a pleasant one. I find myself feeling better, looking better, and even grabbing hold of extremely better moods. What about you?

Do you like to read books about characters who face reality? Or ones who hide from it? Do you enjoy stories with a protagonist who lets others in allowing them to see who she really is? Or does the protagonist keep so many secrets that other characters in the story don’t have a clue, and only the reader knows?

When I read a good book, I usually want to identify with at least one main character even if it’s only in a small way. If it’s the protagonist, even better. Therefore, I like my protagonist flawed like me, making stupid mistakes like me, and ultimately facing reality or even suffering the consequences of her actions. Though a story is fiction, the characters should ring true.

A strong female protagonist isn’t always doing the right thing; she isn’t always making the best decisions. However, yet she continues to do her best, eventually attaining a goal or surviving in today’s world.

WELCOME MY GUEST AUTHOR, JESSICA JAMES

Jessica James is an award-winning author of historical fiction and military suspense/thrillers. Her first Civil War novel, Shades of Gray, re-released as a trilogy, has been called “the greatest love story ever told.” In addition to writing books, Jessica loves sharing her passion for history and travel on her blog Past Lane Travels, which was named the #1 History and Travel Blog in the U.S. You can learn more about her books on her Author website, https://jessicajamesbooks.com

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When readers think of “romance novels,” they often picture tough, musclebound men who swoop in and save the day. But, don’t you just love strong women who push through no matter the odds and sometimes even take on the hero? Even though I didn’t really set out to do it, I realized when writing this post that all of the women I create as main characters are strong-willed, and inevitably bump heads with their male counterparts.

Perhaps my strongest female character was the first one I wrote, which was Andrea Monroe in the Civil War novel Shades of Gray – Civil War. What could show more courage and strength than dressing as a man during the Civil War and carrying messages for officers in the Union Army? As if that wasn’t enough, this heroine audaciously taunted the most revered—and feared—Confederate cavalry officer in the region whenever she could.

That slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers novel has received more than 1,000 positive reviews and was even called “the greatest love story ever told.” I truly believe that the strong female character is what makes the book so memorable.

I loved writing the character of Andrea, but I also enjoyed developing the heroine in the novel, Lacewood. This dual-era novel contains two complete love stories—one contemporary and one set during the Civil War. Since I’m a “pantser,” (meaning I write by the seat of my pants with no preconceived notions about where the story is going), I started writing Lacewood only with the knowledge that the main character was hurting. I didn’t know how strong she would end up being until I wrote “the end.”

For a little background, the story begins when New York socialite Katie McCain stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion while searching for her grandmother’s house in Virginia. Enthralled by the beauty of the neglected estate, she purchases the property on a whim. As Katie attempts to heal her broken spirit by working on the house, she also tries to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood,” whose haunting portrait hangs on the wall in the stately home.

Enter another broken spirit, hometown hero Will Durham, who returns from war with no obvious wounds, but plenty of ones below the surface. With his help, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about love and loss, roots and belonging, and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

I hope that readers not only enjoy Katie’s story and her strength in dealing with her life issues, but how her story connects the past with the present and the present with eternity.

Connect with Jessica here:
https://linktr.ee/AuthorJessicaJames
www.facebook.com/romantichistoricalfiction
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessicajames
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IYTXOG
https://www.goodreads.com/JessicaJames
www.instagram.com/authorjessicajames

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CELEBRATING WOMEN’S FICTION DAY – JUNE 8, 2023

Happy Women’s Fiction Day! Did you know this genre of books routinely tops best-seller lists? Check out some other Women’s Fiction Writers and their books! #womensfictionday2023 #womensfictionwriters #womensfictionwritersassociation #womensupportingwomen #womensfictionbooks #womensfiction #womensfictionrocks

If you’d like a chance to win a copy of my novel, Relative Consequences during this promotion, please go ahead and sign up on my website, https://www.jodyherpin.com.
Just look for the logo and the special signup section. I will draw a winner on June 8.

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On April 17, 2023, I had so much fun being interviewed by Maggie Smith on her Podcast, Hear Us Roar! which she hosts for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. If you’d like to check out these podcasts, they are available on Apple and YouTube.

And by the way, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES is available on the following:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

See you next month when my guest author will be Pamdiana Jones.

Jody

Just like a Woman!

“Praise the spells and bless the charms,
I found April in my arms.
April golden, April cloudy;
Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy;
April soft in flowered languor,
April cold with sudden anger,
Ever changing, ever true–
I love April, I love you.”
                       —-Ogden Nash

Yep! The month of April is just like a strong woman. Don’t you think? Sometimes moody, always beautiful both inside and out, committed to being the best she can be, and always strong and determined to survive!

Since February, I’ve been attempting to grow veggies and herbs from seed indoors without much luck. I began with seedlings in 12 peat pots. I’ve transplanted the broccoli, thyme, and onions, and they are stagnant because of the cool nights of late. The tomato, cherry tomato, and sweet peppers stayed indoors with a grow light. Unfortunately, the other morning I awoke to three dead baby tomato plants. Ugh! I probably forgot to give them a drink before I went to bed. The good news is that one healthy one survived. I named her Spring Wonder Woman! No doubt, she will produce the best, juiciest babies ever. She is the strongest!

Female protagonists fighting for emotional or physical survival are the most interesting. They take you on fantastic rides, show their true colors, and though not perfect characters, make you want to cheer for them. I like to think that Jessy Tate is one of those women in my novel, Relative Consequences.

My April Guest

Let me introduce you to Author Gaby Anderson, a first-generation Hungarian-Canadian, born in Montreal, Quebec. She lived in Paris as a child and then moved to the U.S., where she’s been ever since. She’s been a member of The Atlanta Writers Club since 2011 and part of the Wild Women Who Write Podcast since 2020. Her essay, “Queen of the Hungarian Mafia,” was published in 2021, and her debut novel, South of Happily was published in January 2023.

You can find more information about Gaby at www.Anderson-Author.Com. She has an author page on Amazon (G.A. Anderson), on BookBub and GoodReads. Her book is available on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual places books are sold.
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Strong women come in all shapes, sizes, and opportunities. Some recognize their strength from the get-go, others need a shove, a seminal moment when there is no choice but to stand and fight.

For Katy Kiss, the daughter of immigrants, the moment doesn’t come until her late twenties. Married to an emotionally abusive philanderer, and stuck in her parents’ version of American dream, Katy takes the long way around to find what she’s made of. That she deserves the good thing – the “Happily” her Hungarian grandmother wished for her when she was a child. It also takes a little therapy, a non-negotiable item because her lawyer/ best friend, Jesse, says Katy is reactive, scattered, living her life like she’s been plugged into a light socket.

Now that South of Happily is published, many people ask if I’m Katy. The answer is yes, of course. After a twenty-year gestation from first line to last, Katy and I have both learned that we are flawed but repairable, sweet, funny, often frustrating. We are brilliant, sometimes nonsensical…imperfect in so many ways; almost always hopeful. Most importantly, we’re strong. We keep going.

In other words, we’re like most women.

And that was the first of my goals for this book. To show Katy’s arc, from the moment the reader meets this quirky young woman in a “coming of awareness” story, to shaking their heads and saying “No, Katy! Don’t do it!” Through the tears, the laughter and an ending to sink your teeth into. I wanted to develop a character you can relate to. One who grows on you.

My second goal was to honor my family. The Hungarian immigrants who migrated to Montreal, Canada after the Russians invaded their country in 1956. Their story is told through Katy; the history she learns about them in the first book, and will continue to discover in the second.

The third goal, though I couldn’t have told you this when I began writing, was to make you smile. To entertain by creating a small cast of characters who are developed enough to be recognizable if you walk past them on the street.

  • You’ll know Katy because of her energy, her hazel eyes, just like her dad’s, and that thick knot of dark wavy hair crammed into a scrunchy that’s about to bust open.
  • Jesse, her best friend. You’ll want to hang out with her and hide from her at the same time. She’s funny, direct, mean as hell. The friend who loves us. The same one who tells us we’re being ridiculous.
  • Katy’s parents. Thick Hungarian accents, quick-witted, salty. Full of color, humor, and wisdom that comes when it’s most needed.
  • Dylan. The husband. The blue-eyed Floridian who thinks speaking in the “fourth-person” is an actual thing. He’s not wearing his wedding ring, but he is wearing a leather bracelet that Katy didn’t give him.
  • Quinn. Tall, dark, and handsome must be a good thing. Or is it?
  • And one more, but that’s a secret for now.

A secret I’ll end on, and I hope I’ve enticed you enough to give the book a try, and because I’m a first-time author, hope to hear your opinion, either through my website or Amazon review.

Gaby Anderson, South of Happily – Available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Walmart.com, and other booksellers.
Home | Anderson-Author.com
Wild Women Who Write Podcast 

REMINDER!
Don’t forget, my current novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES, is available here:

BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp

Next month, my guest will be Author Jessica James.

Thank you for stopping by.

Jody