Showing posts with label second chances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label second chances. Show all posts

Friday, September 6, 2024

A Window to my World

R

Here is the cover of my new book which will pre-release in October. Isn’t it great? I love the idea of the window because my main character, Bonnie, is in the process of lifechanging events and the window is so symbolic of looking outward, or looking beyond the walls that have held her back.

Windows are often overlooked (no pun intended). They are just “there”. We look out a window, we look in through the window. We window-shop, yet sometimes we need to just see the window. I like the way Sydney J. Harris makes a comparison between us and windows:

“People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

Perhaps a more well known “windows” expression is “The eyes are the window to the soul” or as another author said, “They say dreams are the windows of the soul--take a peek and you can see the inner workings, the nuts and bolts.” Either way, there is much more to each of us than window dressing, and sometimes we have to look deep to find it. At the same time, we need to be careful, or as Benjamin Franklin said:

“Don't throw stones at your neighbors if your own windows are glass.”

As writers, it is our job, and responsibility, to show our readers what is beyond those windows; to open the world for them and take them places they can’t go on their own, and to describe it in such rich detail they feel as if they are indeed in the middle of a flower garden.

“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” Neil Gaiman

I love to write, sharing stories with my readers that will make their days a little brighter, like light through a window. My love for the written word “unlocks doors and opens windows that weren't even there before.” (Mignon McLaughlin)

Erma Bombeck, one of my favorite columnists, once said, “Never have more kids than you do car windows.” This does not apply to books, because the more books you have, the more windows to open; the more worlds to explore.

So open this browser window and explore worlds I have imagined just for you. https://bwlpublishing.ca/baldwin-barbara/

I hope your day is as bright as a freshly washed window!

Barbara Baldwin

www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

www.amazon.com/author/barbarabaldwin

 

 



 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Seasoned Hearts by J. S. Marlo

 

 

Seasoned Hearts
"Love & Sacrifice #1"
is now available  
click here

 

 
The Red Quilt
"a sweet & uplifting holiday story"
click here




As I mentioned last month in my blog, I was busy rewriting a novel from a decade ago, but as the weeks & months went by, it turned into more than a rewrite.

The motivation of my protagonists and antagonists changed, and so did their backgrounds.


I eliminated characters and introduced new ones. 

I eliminated events and plots, and created new storylines. 

 

And while the premise of the story remained the same, the new novel shared limited resemblance with the old one.

 

So this month, it is my pleasure to present you this new, wonderful, and inspiring novel: Seasoned Hearts

Explosion, arson, and murder play an integral and entertaining role in Actor Blythe Huxley’s life, but when his wife is shot, the tragedy becomes real and the decisions heartbreaking.

Love, sacrifice, and duty aren’t empty words that Riley Kendrick writes in her television scripts. They are the threads weaving her life together—a life marked by the loss of her husband in the line of duty, the hardship of raising two children alone, and the strength to move on.

As Riley offers a friendly ear to the actor’s difficulties, an arsonist strikes close to home, casting a shadow on her husband’s death and forcing her to revisit her past. Meanwhile, another bullet flies in proximity of the television studio, entangling her life with Blythe’s tragedy.

Can she and Blythe stop the arsonist threatening her family and the killer set on destroying his life before they each lose another loved one and have their hearts shattered beyond hope of repair?

 


A friend asked me why I chose 'Seasoned' Hearts as my title.

Seasoned means experienced, but it also means flavoured or spiced. My protagonists, Blythe and Riley, are in their forties. They have
been around the block a few times. They experienced great joy, great sorrow, and most things in between. They also tasted life to the fullest, bitter and sweet. It seemed like a fitting title.

  Seasoned Hearts is the first instalment of my new series: Love & Sacrifice

 

 

It will be followed by Wounded Hearts (Fall 2022), Rebelled Hearts (Spring 2023), and Dedicated Hearts (Fall 2023).

Each book is a stand-alone, but some characters will appear in more than one book.

 

Seasoned Hearts is available in print and ebooks. For a list of retailers, click here

Stay warm & stay safe!

JS

 



 
 

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