The Holidays to the Rescue!

 It was the first Friday in November, and I was still exhausted from the constant onslaught of negative news, when I saw a Holiday Open House sign at a florist/gift shop. I decided I needed a lift, so I pulled into the parking lot and walked into the store.

The minute I stepped into the warm cozy inside from the damp chilly outside I could feel my stress melting away. "Jingle Bells" floated gently through the air, snowmen, ornaments, bells, and other holiday decorations and gifts peered out from every shelf, table, and tree.

A table laden with free hot cider, miniature muffins, and tiny cookies lured me to that corner of the room. I sipped the cider, nibbled a muffin (and then a cookie, I couldn't help myself), and the rancor of the election year all but evaporated, replaced by the spirit of the holiday season. I continued to sip and nibble as I browsed, and selected a couple of small, charming gifts that I know will bring a smile to the friends for which they were chosen.

When Flying Was Fun by Karla Stover

   

Find Karla's books here

By the Same Author:

A Line to Murder

Murder: When One Isn't Enough

Wynter's Way

Parlor Girls

  In 2015 actor Brad Pitt began protesting conditions of caged chickens. [ The ] "birds producing eggs for your shelves are crammed five or more into cages that are not large enough for even one hen to spread her wings," he said. "They deserve better." Would that he'd taken on airplanes. According to finance.yahoo.com, "airline carriers are reducing [the]“pitch,” which is the distance from one seat to the one in front of it in order to fit in extra rows. Forbes reports that “pitch” has shrunk in coach sections from 34 inches to around 31 inches, or sometimes even less. This allows airlines to fit more seats."

    However, there was a time when flying was a pleasant experience, and in her book, Child P.O.W. A Memoir of Survival, author A.L. Finch describes the trip to the Philippines she and her mother took just prior to the beginning of World War 11.

    "We were met at the Pan American terminal by uniformed personal," she wrote, "and uniformed personnel took our bags. We were greeted warmly as though we were expected guests."

    Please allow me to digress for a moment. My entire working career was spent at the brokerage house Merrill Lynch where my husband and I not only invested in Pan Am but also bought the stock to give away when gifts such as graduation were called for. According to Wikipedia, it "epitomized the luxury and glamour of intercontinental travel." Sadly, the company went bankrupt when deregulation came along.

    However, back to Finch's trip. Her plane was called the Pacific Clipper. To boardshe walked across a "large landscaped patio and a ramp with cables attached to stanchions." Once on board, a uniformed gentleman assisted her. The inside, she said, was "richly decorated, and reminded her of a Pullman train car. There was plenty of walking-around room; the windows were large and the seats were wide and comfortable, resembling her living room furniture at home. Curtained beds folded down from the ceiling. "One  climbed a ladder and crawled in."

    The plane had a double deck with a top level for the crew and equipment: flight controls, radio equipment, etc. She knew this because passengers were given tours. A circular staircase connected the two levels. In those days, flights such as this one made a number of stopovers so chefs had access to fresh food. 

    While a galley crew was getting meals ready, fresh fruit, warm croissants, lobster, prime rib, passengers were given headphones and plenty to listen to: music, audio books, and radio programs. Finch had access to a lounge but VIPs had their own deluxe area. Pan Am also had a plane-to-shore lending library to access during stop-overs.

    Finch devoted 23 pages of her book describing the flight. I have a few words I could use to describe my last flight.

    Where is Brad Pitt when you need him?

Getting to The End - Barbara Baker

 

Happy 2024 greetings. I am hopeful the snow continues to fall and knee-deep powder will greet me on the hills as my ski pass is rather dusty. The few times I have skied this season, I was lucky the views were stunning because the exposed natural hazards still required the use of my rock skis (old skis with gouged bases).

 

Thanks to everyone who checked in to see how Jillian and Book 3 were doing. Yes, I made my self-imposed deadline, and I finished the final read through before I whisked the novel away to my editor. When I completed the story, I realized each book I have written has taken me through a different process.

My first novel, Summer of Lies, I wrote scene by scene. I didn’t jump ahead. I never thought of ideas for what would happen next until I got to the scene. And I wrote it like a movie playing out in my head.

It took me years to finish writing it because I didn’t know anything about pacing, or story arc or making shit happen. An editor told me I loved my characters too much. They needed to have more conflict. But I had a hard time letting them make mistakes. They were the perfect children every parent dreams of having. Needless to say, I had a lot of work to fix my story and the characters got sent to their rooms many times.

 

My second book, What About Me?, took just over a year to finish writing. I had the storyline/storyboard in my head from the start and I would skip ahead to fill in ideas for new scenes and then go back and then jump forward again. It worked well and the flow and momentum kept me motivated to ensure all the threads played out. 

Book Three remains untitled because the title I chose has so many books listed on Amazon already. Not a good sign but I still have lots of time to think of a best seller title. With this book, the last of Jillian’s story, I wrote a solid beginning and then the ending.

How hard could it be to write the middle?

Freakin’ hard.

I procrastinated with the busyness of life and struggled to finish until I established my 5 AM get out of bed and write process. There is nothing like a loud alarm clock to kick me in my pajama bottoms. In the wee hours of the morning, I took my characters to places they didn’t want to go. And it hurt me. A lot. I shed many tears getting to The End. It felt as if I was saying goodbye to dear friends who I knew I would never see again. It broke my heart. Book 3, with a real title, will be released November 2024.

While I wait for the edits, I look forward to tackling short stories again and perfecting my snow dance. I have a lovely pair of fatty powder skis that are eager to hit slopes.

 

You can contact me at: bbaker.write@gmail.com

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

What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

New Year's Resolutions by J. S. Marlo

 

 

The Red Quilt 

Sweet Christmas Story

 Click here to buy

 

 

  

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

This is the beginning of a New Year, which brings to mind "New Year's Resolutions". Nearly 40% of the people make New Year's resolutions, but less than 10% of them follow then through. Most resolutions fail within 2-3 months.

So, what are five most popular resolutions for 2024: Improve fitness, improve finances, improve mental health, lose weight, and improve diet. 

Yes, I could work on some of them, but then I also know from experience that I would fall into the 90% category who fails to keep them.

Instead I count my blessings. A loving husband, wonderful children & grandchildren, a new little one due in 2024, relatively good health, and a body which most days can still keep up with oldest granddaughter (though not as gracefully as it once could).

Resolutions would make good premises for a story. While I was browsing for ideas, I stumbled onto some unusual, fun, and even bizarre ones. Here are a few:

- Order every drink on the Starbuck menu

- Wash bra more often

- Always leave 1 potato chip in bag

- Make a new friend a month

- Try a new food every week

- Work "Time will tell" into conversation at least once a week

- Stay in the bathroom while brushing teeth...

I could probably work on some of them too LOL

Enjoy winter! Hugs,

J. S.

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Historical Research by Eileen O'Finlan

 

Click here for purchase information

Have you ever wondered why it seems that a lot of time elapses between books from authors of historical fiction? It can feel like a long frustrating wait, especially when authors of many other genres seem to pump out books at lightning speed. There are several variables that determine how much time it takes to write a book such as the speed at which any given author writes, the amount of outlining (or lack thereof) done ahead of time, and the number and depth of revisions to name a few. But for most authors of historical fiction, the preliminary research can easily take just as long as the actual writing of the book. Sometimes, longer. This is not to say that authors of other genres don't do any research. They do. But historical research seems to be naturally more in-depth.

I usually take anywhere from six months to a year for research before I even begin to write. Once I start writing, I will still stop several times for more research because something invariably comes up that I didn't realize I was going to need to know about before I started.

So what does that initial research look like? Maybe I'm a bit old school, but I still favor using books for research so that's where I start. Right now I'm in the research phase for the next Irish book (so those of you who are fans of Kelegeen and Erin's Children, there will be a third and, most likely, a fourth book with these characters). The next book will be set during the American Civil War. Even though the setting is Worcester, Massachusetts, some characters will go to fight in the war and at least one of them will be a POV (point of view) character. So part of my research is on the Civil War in general then narrow in to focus on the regiments that were sent from Worcester and the battles in which they took part.

I will also need to know about everyday life in the 1860s including foodways, how holidays were celebrated (Christmas was finally becoming a "thing" in New England by then), fashion, etc. I'll need to know what was happening in Worcester during that time which I will learn about from reading the City's annual reports for that decade. Women were becoming more independent so some of my non-Irish female characters may take up employment. I will need to know where they might have worked and what that was like for them.

The books being used for research for my next Irish novel (yes, all of them!)

While what I plan to write determines what I will need to research, my research also informs what I will write. As I do the research, I often come across something very interesting and decide I want it in my story. Then I may need to learn even more about it. The research and the writing are co-dependent in this way. There are a lot of rabbit holes one can go down while researching. Fortunately, most of them lead to something that can be used, if not in the current manuscript, then in a future one.

I do not stop at books, though. I will also include websites, trips to museums (I foresee several to the Worcester Historical Musuem), chats with Tom Kelleher, my dear friend and favorite historian, and whatever else presents itself as needed.

Like most authors of historical fiction, I strive to create books that are as historically accurate as possible while also being stories in which my readers can totally immerse themselves. And that, dear readers, takes time.

Click here for purchase information