Stories Behind Names – By Barbara Baker

 

Baker, Barbara - BWL Publishing Inc. (bookswelove.net)

Stories Behind Names – By Barbara Baker

Naming characters is like naming children and there are so many ways to select the right one: Google, TV shows, Apps which rank names by popularity - the list is endless.

But in 1958, when I popped out, those options didn’t exist. I was Mom and Dad’s second child, and they were sure I would be Johanne Wilhelm. They didn’t even have a girl name selected. In fact, when the nurse told Dad I was an 8 lb 12 oz healthy girl his response was, “Are you sure? She’s supposed to be a boy.”

The nurse assured him I was a girl.

What a dilemma. Back then, babies couldn’t leave the hospital till they were named so Mom asked the nurse if she had any suggestions.

After thinking about it for a while the nurse said, “How about Barbara, Barbara Ann. Like Barbara Ann Scott, the Olympic figure skater who won the gold medal for Canada.”

            “Barbara,” Mom nodded. “Barbara Ann. Ja, das ist schön.”

Growing up, I never expected to have an actual connection with the Barbara Ann Scott.

            Fast forward to 2010 when I contacted her. I knew she was running a segment of the Winter Olympic Torch Relay in Ottawa and I would be running the flame from that same torch in Drumheller, Alberta. Coincidence? Stars aligned? Luck? Whatever, I felt it was time to tell her how I got to share her name and, of course, share the excitement of our torch relays.

Being who she was, I knew I couldn’t send an email or a typed letter. This had to be handwritten. With my favourite pen, I used my best cursive writing skills; o’s round as bubbles, everything slanted the same direction and equal spaces between each word. It had to be perfect. When I finished, I thanked her for listening, folded it into three equal parts and sealed it away with a stamp stuck square in the corner.

Neat. Proper. Appropriate.

Weeks later the red light was blinking on my answering machine. I tapped the button, and a lively, clear voice filled the room. I recognized her right away. It was Barbara Ann Scott. She said she hoped she had the correct number to leave a message for Barbara Baker.

“Yes, you do!” I danced a jig right in front of the phone while I listened to her message.

 

She thanked me for the letter and told me she too was thrilled to run the Olympic Torch. She closed off with well wishes and said good-bye.

 

I played the message a hundred times. I phoned and emailed all my friends to share the news.  How gracious of her to take the time out of her day and call me. And how lucky am I that Mom’s nurse picked a great name.

How I named Jillian, my main character in SUMMER OF LIES, is a mystery to me. I didn’t know a Jillian. I didn’t use Google. None of my kid’s friends were named Jillian. So how did I pick it? I have no idea. The name jumped on the page and stuck and now I can’t imagine calling her anything else.

How did you get your name? How do you name your characters?

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

Summer of Lies - YouTube

Smashwords – About Barbara Baker, author of 'Summer of Lies'

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If I Die, Please Delete My Google Search History by Vanessa C. Hawkins

 

 Vanessa Hawkins Author Page

      So summer has sprung and I have been up to my eyeballs in projects. As I said last month, I won second place in a long fiction competition, and was invited to read aloud at a local University. It was fun. Many eyerolls were had when I finished, because thanks to liquid courage, I attempted to read a smexy passage with all the ardour that the piece required. 

hur hur!

But I wasn't fazed! In fact, I have been told on multiple occassions that I am pretty good when it comes to reading aloud? Why? Well, because frankly I don't give a *$5^%. There! I said it--kinda--I just don't care. Now my husband, who sat in the front row to listen to me read? Well, he might have cared a little, but all in all it was fun to stand in front of everyone, get an award and a cheque, then read a bunch of *pron* to a crowd of people I don't know.   

I honestly gotta give it to the judges though. They had good taste! And no, of course I'm not biased.

In other news--and before I get in trouble with the moderators for being too risque--I have finally finished penning another novel! Whoot. Together, my co-author and I have finally finished the first draft of Ballroom Riot 2--title pending. It feels good to finish a work in progress...

I should have used this gif earlier...

Now I am on to editing, and then after that, I shall be working on a new project with several other writers at Books We Love Publishing. I won't say too much about it right now, just because I haven't had a whole ton of time to think on it, but it's a mystery that takes place in PEI.

And also, I am going to PEI this summer! Whoot! How fortuitous. I shall spend all my time at libraries and in the fields sniffing the potatoes, and buried beneath the red, sandy beaches getting a feel for my island neighbours! 

and also paying to leave :/

 It will be exciting. Though my timeline to finish is a few years time, and I have a few other projects I hope to conclude before then, I will make sure I stick to a plan and deliever before HBO comes out with any shows based on my books. 

Get it? Because it will never happen... *cries* T_T

But then again... neither will Winds of Winter, right George?

Lies. All lies...

A writer's hobby by J. S. Marlo

  

Seasoned Hearts

"Love & Sacrifice #1"

is now available  

click here 

 

 

The Red Quilt 

"a sweet & uplifting holiday story"

click here 

  

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

I have many hobbies, which I indulge between books or when I need to think about a story. One of them is woodworking.

We had a magnificent poplar in our backyard. When Hubby planted the little twig twenty-five years, we never expected it would grow three times the height of our house, but it did. Some of its leaves were bigger than my hand with my fingers outstretched. In the fall, we raked forever, to the delight of my little granddaughter who loved jumping in the huge pile. We filled many orange bags with them, then with a black marker, I drew Jack O'Lantern on them. Easy Halloween decorations!

Unfortunately, the tree got sick and we had to cut it down at the end of last summer before it fell on the roof.  We were left with a giant hole and huge logs in the backyard. We turned the hole into a gravel circle, then bought a portable fire pit. We kept all the wood. When Hubby started chopping it, it occurred to me I could turn some of the bigger logs into stools to put around the fire pit.

I peeled the bark, sanded the logs, carved a design on them, then stained and treated them. For months, my garage smelled like cut wood. Here they are: Owl, Wolf, Bear, Squirrel, and Rabbit. My granddaughter decided the Owl was hers LOL

I don't know how long the stools will last, but hopefully, they will withstand many Canadian winters. In the meantime, they add charm to the backyard -- and they were fun to make.

Stay safe!

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

 

Walking Tour of Erin's Children Neighborhood by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's website

One of the most fun parts of writing Erin's Children was setting it in my own city. I did an enormous amount of research on the history of Worcester, Massachusetts including visiting many sites I would incorporate into the book. I am very fortunate that one of the women in my writing group, Cindy Shenette, is a docent for Preservation Worcester and gives tours of Crown Hill, an historic district not too far from the bustling downtown. When I was looking for a location for a few of my main characters, Meg, Kathleen, and Nuala, to live and work as domestic servants, she suggested Crown Hill and offered to take me on a private walking tour of the area. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I was even more fortunate that one of the residents took me on a private tour of his home which has been kept almost entirely the way it would have looked in the 1850s both inside and out. This house became the home of my character, Hiram Archer.

Being an historic district, Crown Hill residents are governed by strict standards that don't allow for much change to the outside of their homes. There are even still a few gas lamps and hitching posts on the streets. According Cindy, if you removed the modern vehicles and unpaved the roads, it would look pretty much the same as it did in the mid-to-late 1800s.

Erin's Children had been released in December of 2020. Because of COVID, the few book talks I was able to give were virtual. One of these was to a local book discussion group in March of 2021. Because everyone in the group was from Worcester or close by they were all very interested in the real life locations in the book, especially Crown Hill. Like me, many of them hadn't even known it existed. It is close to downtown but tucked just enough away to remain fairly anonymous. One of the group members proposed a walking tour of Crown Hill once pandemic restrictions allowed for it. The idea was enthusiastically received. More than once, we set a date only to have it canceled for one reason or another. We all began to wonder if it would ever happen.

On May 14, 2022 the planets must have finally aligned correctly. We met in a nearby parking lot and walked to Crown Hill with Cindy, our knowledgable tour guide, leading the way and imparting all sorts of interesting information about the original owners of the historic homes and buildings. I interjected with comments about houses and buildings that inspired me when I was writing. We walked the streets where Meg, Kathleen, and Nuala lived and worked, seeing pretty much the same sights (minus the cars and asphalt) they would have seen.

It took over a year to make the walking tour finally happen, but according to the group it was worth the wait. I couldn't agree more!

The walking group tour stands in front of what would become

 the inspiration for Hiram Archer's home in Erin's Children.

Heading down one of the lovely tree-lined streets in Crown Hill

New releases from BWL Publishing Inc. for June 2022

NEW RELEASES FOR JUNE 2022

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The Simper Augustus, most famous tulip in history may or may not have actually existed, but to the industry in Holland it is legend worth exploring and to Professor Jacob Dirksen it is worth recreating.  Once he has the correct hybrid, he takes the information to the largest tulip growing area outside Holland to sell it.  When he is found dead in a tulip field, several  agencies from the Dutch and US government get involved. Max Maxwell is given the mission of tracking the professor from the day he arrived until his death.  He finds the good professor may have more than tulips on his mind when he came to Seattle, WA.