The Dames’ Hometowns

A question often asked to those interviewed by the Dames is “Where do you live? Tell us about it — we love to travel.”  We decided to ask that question of ourselves.

Laurel-Rain Snow:  When I think of the city where I now live, I remember how it all happened somewhat accidentally.

That’s how I saw it in the beginning.  It was the early 1970s and I had a new baby and two older kids to take care of…and my husband had just landed a job teaching in a small town in West Fresno County.

I remember driving there on that summer day when he had the interview.  Eight months pregnant, I felt truly helpless to direct my destiny.  Who has less power than a pregnant woman, barefoot or not?  Especially in the 1970s.

It would be a few months before I began working in that same town, for the County of Fresno.  Without realizing it, I had launched a career with that one defining moment.

Now, more than forty years later and after retiring from that career several years ago, I am thoroughly entrenched.  Yes, I could have moved elsewhere, but by the time I realized that I could, some of my grown kids were living their lives here and I had somewhat reluctantly attached myself to this place.

For awhile—actually thirteen years—I lived in a neighboring foothill community, but eventually found my way back to the city.  Not a small city any longer, with over 510,000 residents, Fresno sprawls outward into neighboring areas, like Clovis, a city of its own with 95,000 + residents.

Sometimes when I’m trying to justify why I still live here, I think fondly of former residences in San Francisco and Sacramento.  But then I realize, except for the downtown area of Sacramento, Fresno doesn’t feel that different to me.  And here’s where I’ve lived for more than forty years.

I like my current neighborhood of River Park, with restaurants and shopping centers surrounding me, like encircling friends.

And within a short distance, I can travel to places like Shaver Lake orYosemite.  Beautiful mountains are very close by, and that fact also reminds me that nature has a wonderful display at almost every turn.  Two-and-a-half hours away, I can navigate to the coast, with Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo—all at my fingertips.

Maybe home is where familiar sights and sounds surround us like a warm hug.  LAUREL-RAIN SNOW’S CREATIONS http://laurelrainsnowauthor.com/

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CC Tillery is the pseudonym of two of the Dames of Dialogue who also happen to be sisters: Christy Tillery French and Cyndi Tillery Hodges (aka Caitlyn Hunter). Christy lives in Powell, Tennessee and Cyndi lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina but they came together in Hot Springs, North Carolina, the home town of their great aunt Bessie whose story they told in Whistling Woman.

The beautiful little town of Hot Springs is the home of their collective heart and they feel as if they’re walking in the footsteps of their ancestors, the characters of Whistling Women, whenever they go there. Though the town has changed, there are still remnants of Bessie’s time:

The Dorland Chapel which was built in 1899 is now home to Dorland-Bell Presbyterian Church.

The Hot Springs Resort and Spa (in Bessie’s time, The Mountain Park Inn).

The Hot Springs Baptist Church where the Dorland graduation was held.

Spring Creek which plays an important part in Bessie’s life.

To find out more about Whistling Woman, Hot Springs, and the people the book is based on, visit  http://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/.

Christy Tillery French is a multi-published, award winning writer who usually writes suspense and thrillers. She is the author of The Bodyguard series and four stand-alone suspense novels. To find out more about her work, visit her website,  http://christytilleryfrench.com.

Caitlyn Hunter is the author of the Eternal Shadows series and Winds of Fate, all paranormal romances based on Cherokee legends. She has also written several contemporary romance short stories and a fantasy novella. To find out more about her work, visit her website,  http://caitlynhunter.com.

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Maggie Bishop:  Watauga County’s main town is Boone, North Carolina, where I’ve lived since 1993.  Boone is nestled high in the Appalachian Mountains at around 3200 feet; my home is at 3600 feet.  I truly live in the clouds on some days.  Deer and turkey are regular visitors who come up from the New River at the base of our property.

Grandfather Mountain, a biosphere and home of the NC Highland Games in July, is 40 minutes from my home, located near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Besides the long range views from the swinging bridge near the top, the profile trail is a challenge to hikers.

Appalachian State University is in Boone so the residents are a friendly mix of mountain families, professors, retirees, students, artists (home of Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff), Christmas Tree farmers and other merchants.  High Country Writers has encouraged writers since I started the group in 1995.  We currently have over 70 members, many are published.  Something about the clear mountain air, the forests, wild flowers and critters as well as the appreciation of craftsmanship that encourages music, painting, writing, woodworking, pottery, quilting and other creative endeavors.  Merle Fest is an annual event of mountain music which draws thousands of listeners.

Sugar Mountain Resort and Beech Mountain are two ski slopes in Banner Elk.  My parents ski patrolled at Sugar for over 20 years after they retired from the Air Force and I was a ski patroller for five years.  My second novel, Emeralds in the Snow, came from those experiences.  Lance Armstrong and other mountain bikers trained in the Banner Elk area.  Appalachian Ski Mountain is located closer to Blowing Rock.  Twice a year, the Blowing Rock  Charity Horse Show is enjoyed by riders and tourists.

Next time you yearn to travel, come on up to the High Country.  Bike, hike, canoe the New River, picnic and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in warmer weather.  Downhill ski in winter.

Visit my website  http://maggiebishop1.tripod.com  and learn about my novels (mystery and romance), all set in these mountains.

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Betty Dravis:  Love from the Central Valley of California

I moved to the small Central Valley agricultural town of Manteca, California only three years ago. Manteca, known as the “Family City,” is charming in its quaintness and the people are very friendly. Since I lived in Silicon Valley for over fifty years, it’s more rural than I’m used to.

The bad news (for readers and writers) is that the only book store in Manteca is a used book store, but they have a lovely library…and the mandatory Target, McDonald’s, Foster’s, Penny’s and T. J. Maxx. J The good news is that it’s only 76 miles east of San Francisco and about an hour from Sacramento.
I’m fortunate to live in Woodbridge, an upscale Del Webb retirement community that has two pools, saunas, golf-course, tennis court and many more luxurious amenities, all surrounded by a picturesque man-made lake and activities 24/7. (Now that I’m too old to enjoy all of that. J ) But when I’m in the mood, I don’t need to wander too far from home for entertainment. In fact, with writing, reviewing and book promotion, I don’t take time to partake of the planned activities very often. This video will introduce you to my community. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek.

http://www.55places.com/california/communities/woodbridge

I love living here, but my heart is still in Silicon Valley because I lived there so long and most of my children still reside there. Luckily, the freeway goes both ways and it’s only an hour-and-a-half away.

One of the large murals in Manteca is on this building at the corner of Yosemite and Main.

Visit website:   http://www.bettydravis.com/

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What’s your favorite part of your own hometown?

Tourists? In Yellowstone? In 1877? By Meg Justus

Whenever I am asked to explain what Repeating History is about, this is the first thing people ask.  But it’s not all that odd, really.  For one thing, the American version of the Grand Tour was a well-established concept by the late 19th century.  For another, Yellowstone was created as the world’s first national park in 1871.  Of course, that was mostly a formality at the time — Congress allocated no funds to support the new park, and even the superintendent was a volunteer.  The only hotel was a sod-roofed log cabin where customers paid for space to throw down a bedroll while they “took the cure” in the Mammoth Hot Springs.  There were no roads.

But people did come.  A trickle at first, compared to the millions who visit every year now — in 1877, the year my fictional Byrnes ran into the Nez Perce Indians, roughly between 300 and 500 (The Yellowstone Story, by Aubrey L. Haines, p. 196 — this two-volume set is the definitive history of the park).  This does not count the over 500 Nez Perce, over half of them women and children, fleeing from the U.S. Army into Yellowstone, the most famous of whom was Chief Joseph, of “I will fight no more forever” fame.

They were on their way to asylum in Canada, a goal they would fail to reach by less than 100 miles.  They were running because, ultimately, they refused to move away from their homelands onto a reservation.  The army was after them ostensibly because of the actions of some of the young Indian men in retaliation for what the white people were forcing them to do.  But their path led across Yellowstone National Park, and, in spite of the odds (3000 square miles, less than 1000 people in total), straight into several parties of tourists.

The chance to replenish horses and supplies could not be missed, because by then of course, their own horses were becoming worn out and their own supplies low.  If some of the tourists had not resisted, the situation might have ended with simple theft.  But they did, and the encounters ended in kidnapping.  And murder.

Eventually the kidnappees were let go, but the damage had been done.  What amazes me is something that Emma Cowan (who was the basis for my fictional Eliza Byrne) said many years later.  “It occurs to me at this writing (in Reminiscences of Pioneer Life, published by the Montana Historical Society in 1903) that the above mode of trading is a fair reflection of the lesson taught by the whites.  For instance, a tribe of Indians are located on a reservation.  Gold is discovered thereon by some prospector.  The strong arm of the government alone prevents the avaricious pale face from possessing himself of the land forthwith.  Soon negotiations are pending with as little delay as a few yards of red tape will admit.  A treaty is signed, the strip ceded to the government and opened to settlers, and ‘Lo, the poor Indian’ finds himself on a tract a few degrees more arid, a little less desirable than his former home. The Indian has few rights the average white settler feels bound to respect.”  Quite a statement by someone in her circumstances.  And one reason I was drawn to write about her.

Repeating History is available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005E8S8UM), Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/repeating-history-m-m-justus/1104728901) Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/76672), and iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/repeating-history/id454474620?mt=11)   To read the first chapter, go to my website at http://mmjustus.com/fictionRepeatingHistory.html.

Author Victoria Marshal answers the Dames’ Dozen

Today, the Dames are pleased to spotlight Victoria Marshal. Join us as she answers the Dames’ Dozen. Welcome, Victoria. Tell us about your latest release Bookended by Beauty Queens.

Bookended by Beauty Queens is about Angie Palmer. Angie has really isolated herself from people including her family. Until one day her Grandmother comes to live with her. Grandma brings with her a world of changes, including Val a drag queen who wants to be friends. Angie tries to keep Val distant but can’t. When Val becomes the victim of a violent crime that leaves him in a coma, Angie finds herself in a very public battle to save Val’s life.

Ultimately Bookended by Beauty Queens is a journey of the heart.

You describe your main character in Bookended by Beauty Queens, Angie Palmer, as a woman who likes her privacy. How did you come up with the character and the plot?

Angie is a lot like me in many ways, and I think I was the jumping off point for creating this character. Eventually she morphed into Angie with her own quirks and traits. I’m not sure if all writers write themselves into their characters but I did.

The plot was a little tricky for me. I started out to write a romance with a generational subplot but it’s not that anymore. When I was writing Bookended by Beauty Queens, the whole country was focused on the Terri Schiavo case, and I was trying to understand what was happening. How could people who really knew nothing about the circumstance feel so passionately about this woman and her family. Me trying to understand their passion, eventually worked its way into the story and transformed the book into what it is now.

I can’t speak for other writers, but I’m guilty of writing myself into my characters and often have to stop and think of how they would act instead of how I would act.

Can you tell us about what you’re working on now or what’s coming next?

I’m working on a romance that has a little mystery in it. Then again I thought Bookended by Beauty Queens was going to be a romance too and it wanted to be Women’s Fiction. We’ll see what this one wants to be.

I have a feeling we just read the answer to the next question but I’m going to ask it anyway: Are the characters in the driver’s seat when you’re writing or do you take control of the wheel and guide them where you want them to go?

The characters are in complete control! When I was writing they just would not do what I wanted them to at all. It’s such a strange place to be in when you realize that you’re only taking dictation.

“Taking dictation,” that’s a great way to describe it! What is a typical writing day like for you?

My husband works nights, so I was taking my writing to bed with me every night. I now have a giant gel pen stain on my mattress, because I couldn’t stay awake, so now I get up an hour early to get solid writing time for myself. I sneak writing in around other family activities thanks to my trusty notebook and pen!

Hmm, maybe I should try writing in bed. Who knows, it could be a cure for my insomnia. Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

Everywhere. That sounds flip but it’s the truth. When I turn on the news, or leave my house there’s inspiration waiting for me. I have to keep a notebook with me at all times to capture moments.

I once saw a woman on a subway in Washington DC who was decked out in a bright yellow sundress with a crinoline, white gloves, and sun hat. She seemed out of place somehow on the subway. She became the inspiration for Val the drag queen Angie meets on the subway in my book. Not that she looked like a drag queen, but her prim appearance was a juxtaposition to the surroundings so she made an impact on my writer’s mind.

I’m the same way when it comes to inspiration. You just never know where you’ll find it. Promotion is a big part of being a writer. Can you share a little bit about how you promote?

Social media is so huge right now that you can’t ignore it. I have a Facebook page, twitter, and I just joined Pinterest. I hired Enchanted Book Promotions to help me out with booking blog tours, and interviews, which has helped a great deal.

I haven’t joined Pinterest yet, but I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about it. How long have you been writing?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t write, though I only got serious about writing full-length fiction for the past 15 years or so.

Who are you favorite authors, the ones you read when you should be doing something else? Why do they appeal to you?

There are so many! I love Stephanie Bond, Sue Grafton, Jennifer Cruisie, Christopher Moore – the list would be endless, so I’ll stop there. Really anything that grabs my attention I’ll read. I said once that I’m a genre omnivore and I’m going to stick with that statement.

All good authors and a couple of my favorites are on your list. I’ve never read Christopher Moore but I’ll be sure to check him out since our tastes seem so similar. Who or what has been the biggest influence in your writing career and why?

My family. The encouragement I’ve received from my parents, sister, and husband has been overwhelming. I would be doing this if it wasn’t for their support, and cajoling.

Yep, family is the most important for me, too. In fact, I often say if it wasn’t for my sister, Christy, I would never have written my first word. What do you consider the single most satisfying aspect of being a writer?

The ability to make the world what you want it to be. As a writer you get a great opportunity to right the wrongs, and create happy endings. That is the best part for me.

Your answer reminds me of my favorite quote from author Anais Nin: I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. Tell us a little bit about where you live in “real life.”

I live in sunny Minnesota! Yes, I said sunny. Why are you laughing?

Minnesota has always been my home and always will be if I have something to say about it. It’s so beautiful here. Everyone should come to Minnesota. If you’re wimpy about cold then come in July, it will be plenty hot!

I’m not laughing, I’m remembering when I lived in Maine. It’s not for everyone but I loved it—cold, snow, the whole bit. And when spring comes, there’s nothing to compare it to.

Thank you for joining us today, Victoria. I enjoyed getting to know you and hope you’ll come back and visit us often.

For more information on Victoria, visit her website and blog at http://victoriamarshal.com/.

Craftsman Houses by Judy Alter

             In the early 1960s, I lived next door to a man who worked in a shoe factory. Day after day, he sewed the same seam over and over, then passed the leather on to the next person on the assembly line. My brother, his wife, and I were astounded when he told us one night he’d set his all-time record for the number of pieces sewn in one day. We were all in graduate school, and I’m sure  we studied harder that night. As far as I know he never saw the finished shoes that came out of this process, but they all looked alike. A century after the Industrial Revolution,  he was caught in its trap. Before that, he would have hand-crafted each complete shoe, and no two would have been quite the same.

It’s not as big a leap as it may seem from shoes to houses. In this day of tract housing, when all suburban houses for blocks and blocks look the same, it’s no wonder there’s a return to the inner city with its old houses. And there’s an emphasis on the charming Craftsman houses from the first thirty years of the twentieth century.

The Craftsman movement grew out of revolt against the disappearance of the individual craftsman in the assembly lines of that Industrial Revolution. Many architects, artists, and others believed that the Industrial Revolution devalued nature and the human touch in favor of progress and production, the result being second-rate mass-produced objects. The movement encompassed architecture, furniture, landscape, almost all areas of design, and was tied to a lifestyle philosophy. Gustav Stickley, born in Germany but brought to this country as a youngster,  is one of the men most prominently associated with the Craftsman movement, which probably got its name from the magazine, The Craftsman, that he established in 1901. Stickley was a designer, furniture maker, and editor. Today, original Stickley furniture is rare and highly collectible.

In the Victorian era, Queen Anne and other styles of houses were built for families with servants. The kitchen for instance, was separated from the family living areas. With the rise of the middle class at the turn of the twentieth century, Stickley and others focused on the housewife who did not have servants, who kept house and also kept an eye on the children. So floor plans were open. The walled-off pantry was replaced by built-in sideboards. Kitchens opened into dining and living areas, often separated not by doors but by arches. With the innovation of the breakfast nook, the kitchen became part of the family living area. Consistent with the emphasis on natural materials and on craftsmanship, there was an exuberant use of dark, natural wood, no longer hidden under plaster and ornament. Built-in bookcases and cupboards were fronted with leaded and sometimes stained glass. Exterior windows were often paned, letting the outdoor light flood in but still giving a distinctive touch to the house. And in most Craftsman houses, a fireplace, often tiled, was central. Decorative tiles frequently adorned the front of the fireplace.

Mixed materials were another hallmark of Craftsman homes, and exteriors were generally wood or shingle with frequent use of stone. Gabled or hipped low-pitched roof lines sloped gently down to the exterior walls. Encircling front porches were large and generally covered by an extension of the main roof of the house. These porches and often the interior sported open rafters and brackets. Tapered square columns supporting the roof at the front of the porch were common.

Stickley declared the bungalow to be a house “reduced to its simplified form,” and the bungalow is the most common Craftsman house. The Craftsman  provided floor plans and pattern books, sometimes offering ads for pre-cut lumber with instructions, and many students if Craftsman architecture claim that the true Craftsman house came from Stickley’s plans and magazine. .

Several other architectural styles were closely aligned to the Craftsman style—Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style, Mission Style– n many cases, the name of the style is associated with a particular region of the country. California is noted for Craftsman bungalows, but Texas had—and has—them. Wright’s Prairie Style contributed the four-square, a plain, boxy, two-story version of the Craftsman. Wright believed the horizontal lines of the four-square more suited the prairie’s from which the style sprung, but it too has spread across the country. These houses had little exterior ornamentation, but shared many features with the bungalows—beamed ceilings, wainscoting, heavy use of wood, exterior shingles and wooden siding, large roofed porches.

Gardens followed the concept of individuality and creative craftsmanship, with an abundance of plantings left to grow naturally, curving walkways, often of stone, and a sense of nature dominating.

Today some original Craftsman homes have undergone “unfortunate” upgrades—wood gutters replaced with metal, houses covered with siding, exposed rafters and shingles hidden, and front porches enclosed to become sunrooms. Many of these houses are being renovated back to their original state, and there is also an interest in new homes built according to the Craftsman model. Floor plans for bungalows and four-squares are available from a variety of sources, although one would do well to check for authenticity.

Why am I so interested in Craftsman style? For one thing, I love old houses and live in one built in 1922 which, although brick, has some slight Craftsman touches such as the roofed porch, built-in bookcases, and central tile fireplace. But beyond that, the heroine of my Kelly O’Connell Mysteries (Skeleton in a Dead Space and No Neighborhood for Old Women) is a realtor who specializes in renovating Craftsman house in the Fairmount Historic District of Fort Worth, Texas. She can spot a gem and knows what needs to be done to restore it. The neighborhood, which has more Craftsman than any other area of the city, becomes a character in the book. It’s just that while she’s renovating houses, Kelly stumbles over skeletons and follows the trail of a serial killer who preys on old women. A harried, hassled, and loving single mom of two young girls, she often unwittingly puts her children, her mom, and herself in danger and almost derails her love life.   Visit her website http://judy@judyalter.com  

 

Meet Lila Hopkins, Author of Mabel’s Way

  1.     Tell us about your latest book.

 My latest book is Mabel’s Way, a novel of suspense, fun, and I hope it reflects life in a Continuing Care Retirement Center.

2.     How has your current lifestyle influenced your writing?

 The setting in Mabel’s Way is pretty much the same as where we live now.  We have lived in a CCRC for nine years.  Friends and neighbors begged me to write it.  Finally I started keeping notes on funny or poignant scenes I saw here.  Then  I progressed to the next stage: what could happen here?  I had great fun.

3.     Why do you write novels?

  I write novels because I can “lose” myself in them.  Each of my characters becomes a friend.  I have written non-fiction also but novels can be far more exciting.

4.     Which of your characters haunts you the most? Why?

 I don’t believe any of my characters “haunts” me.  I have had more comments about two of my characters, both in the same novel: Garnet – or Gram, and Pax.  At one book reception, one of the ladies in the audience asked me: “If you ever find another Pax, will you save him for me?”

5.     Where do your ideas come from?  

I don’t seem to have any problems with ideas.  I do have trouble getting enough time to fully develop some.  I guess I have always had a “wild imagination.” At least my mother-in-law said I did. I develop my characters first, because to me, no book can succeed unless you have a character that readers can connect to.

6.     Describe your writing process.  

  I usually start slowly—with a note book and pen.  And I can do that anywhere. But I do a lot of thinking before I write much down.  The “Thinking Stage” can last for months.  If the novel requires a lot of research (example- The Master Craftsman),  my next step is talk with experts and I usually enjoy this part of the novel the most.  Often plotting ideas take shape as I research.  When I am well into the manuscript, I speed up and spend more and more time at the computer.  Near the end of the work, I become obsessed with the manuscript and neglect my husband a lot of the time.  It’s okay, he understands.  I have been known to write most of the day and far into the night.  The speed with which I write may explain the errors that I make.

7.     What advice do you have for beginning writers?

The best advice I ever had was from a college professor who really directed me to become a writer.  He said, “Write every day.  Write about everything. Just write, write, write.

8.     Who influenced you the most in your writing?  

 My father was a best selling writer for the Southern Baptist Convention.  He encouraged me when I was little more than a child and writing for school papers.  After I finished college and got married, I would go for years without writing and he would ask me quietly, “Are you doing any writing?”  “No, Dad, I don’t have time to write.”  “You must not give up your writing.”  He didn’t live to see my novels.

9.     How did you meet your husband?  We love a romance.

I was working in the bookstore at Hardin Simmons University when a tall ex GI walked in, wearing his Ike jacket (died brown) from a South Pacific Tour of Duty.  I looked up and my heart skipped a beat. I guess the marriage might last.  We have been married nearly 62 years and are still very much in love.  He is my strongest supporter and is especially helpful when I am doing research.  Also, he can spell anything and saves me valuable time when I would be looking in the dictionary.

10.     Tell us about where you live — we love to travel.

 We live in the deep south, in the Raleigh, N. C. area. We grew up in the West—Richard in Texas and I was born and raised in New Mexico.  We have done a lot of traveling and even lived in Venezuela, South America for two years.  Because of health problems, our traveling (at least long distance) is probably over but we have delightful memories of Europe, Alaska and South America, plus cris-crossing the country many times.

11.    How did you mess up your new book?

 When I was writing it, residents here kept asking if they would be in it.  “Of course,” I said, “but you will not recognize yourself.  Each person is a composite of many people.”  Several have bought the book and expressed disappointment because they were not in it, at least not that they could tell.  I have held my breath when several bought it – because I thought their character was so clear that I might even hurt their feelings.  It has become a sport here to try to identify the characters.  I tell them it is not a biography, it is fiction.  But, there is a nugget of truth in all the drama.

12.   What’s next in your writing life?

When I finished The Master Craftsman, I promised myself and my family that I was not going to write another book. But, I could not resist the pressure from friends here and “the man across the hall” who nagged me nearly every day to write Mabel’s Way.

At this point I have no plans to tackle another novel.  I am 82 and I think I have earned the right to retire!  It has been a happy journey, but I am ready to do more reading and I want to do more watercoloring.

Lila Hopkins at Amazon

Lilahopkins.com

 

Heroes – you have to love them! by Bronwen Evans

Hello from way down in New Zealand. Thanks so much to the Dames for having me over today.

My latest Regency romance is being released on 1 May 2012.  INVITATION TO SCANDAL, book two in my ‘Invitation to’ series. I’m having an Invitation to Romance Blog Tour to celebrate.  Collect all the clues on the tour and be in to win a $200 Gift Card from Amazon or B&N (your choice) PLUS a book basket containing 30 SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR books.

Today I’m talking about heroes. Have you noticed that in romance novels the hero’s traits usually don’t differ across the genres?  There is a certain type of man we all fall in love with. Sure, we usually write them as tall, gorgeous and charismatic, but we like them to have substance when they open their mouths.

We love our heroes to be compassionate, intelligent, humorous, selflessness, tough but tender, determined, and fearless when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.

If we delve deeper across genres, those qualities morph into other differences. Some books call for the hero to be extremely wealthy and domineering, or they have special powers like shape-shifting, or they are over the top, dominant alpha males like Vampires. We meet the beta male who quietly gets on and saves the heroine without too much fuss or, as in Regency romances; we meet the extremely arrogant peers of the realm.

In the Regency period, the period I write in, heroes tend to be very alpha. Not always, but it’s hard to have a believable peer of the realm who is not alpha. The world lay at their feet. It was impossible not to get a god like complex, or at the very least become extremely confident, bordering on arrogant. Kind of like today’s movie or singing super-stars.

The Regency heroes are usually devilishly handsome rakes, who start their journey to the HEA by seeing women as ‘disposal pleasures rather than meaningful pursuits’ as said by the heroine, Vesper Lynd, in James Bond’s, Casino Royale.

Since hero traits in romance are very similar, how do we make our readers fall in love with our hero in particular?

The crux is to have a believable and sustainable emotional conflict. If you nail this, you can help your reader fall in love with your hero (and heroine).

For example, in INVITATION TO SCANDAL, Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, is trying to clear his late father of treason. He’s all about honor and atoning for his father’s perceived sin in order for his mother and sister to be accepted within Society.  He follows the letter of the law, and sees the world only in black and white. He will settle down with a pious wife and live an exemplary, if somewhat boring, life.

Rufus’s journey is all about understanding the true meaning of honor.  Rufus has tried all his life ‘to do the right thing’. What happens when ‘doing the right thing’ may not be honorable? Is right always right? Is the world more complex than he thought, and perhaps filled with many shades of grey?

It is of course the heroine, Miss Rheda Kerrick, who complicates matters for him.  She’s a woman who through her own terrible experiences knows the world is not black and white. She lives her life on the very edge of black, in deep grey territory, determined to be her own woman. She’s learned that sometimes you have to break the rules in order to do good.

When Rufus finally has the means to clear his father’s name, all he has to do is hand to the magistrate the woman he loves.  That’s when he faces his biggest dilemma—what comes first—love or honor?

It’s the combination of the internal conflict or fears, and the relationship between the hero and heroine, which drives their growth and their journey towards their happy ever after. [CLUE THREE: DARK]

There are many types of heroes. It’s the journey the hero takes, because of, and with the heroine, that makes us completely love him.  As we all know, behind every great man is a wonderful woman!

Here’s the blurb for INVITATION TO SCANDAL – book two in my Invitation to series.

Her secrets are coming undone…

Plagued by scandalous rumors, Rheda Kerrich will stop at nothing to restore her reputation and make an honest living for herself-and she’s determined to do it without a husband. But times are hard, and smuggling is a risky though profitable trade. So when a dashing agent for the English government catches her in the act, she desperately resists his charms and conceals her illicit profession. Until she realizes he may be the key to her ultimate freedom-and unbridled passion.

Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, has never had trouble beguiling the ladies of Kent. When his search for “Dark Shadow,” a cunningly elusive smuggler, leads him to alluring and headstrong Rhe, her objections to his amorous advances merely incite a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Soon, they’ll find the very secrets driving them apart could ensnare them in a love they can’t escape…

http://www.bronwenevans.com/bronwen-evans-books/its.html

Read an excerpt

Rufus couldn’t help one further attempt at getting what he wanted—knowledge about the cask of brandy. He reached for her and pulled her back into his embrace. “Name your price. I am an extremely wealthy man, and I shall be very generous.” He paused and gently kissed her lips. “Especially if you tell me about the barrel.”

Rheda was beginning to hate the barrel.

She couldn’t look away; there was something warm and tender in Rufus’s eyes that seemed to be lulling her toward her own demise.

“How does five guineas sound?” He paused and ran his finger gently down her cheek, tracing the outline of her lips until they parted on a soft sigh. “I’ll double it if you tell me where you found the barrel.”

Her heart beat a wild pulse in her throat. A man just bartered for her as if she were a whore. She shouldn’t be surprised. Her actions were deplorable. She’d let him touch her, kiss her… To her great shame, she longed to do more. With him. With this beautiful, dangerous, rake.

Remember your mother.

Rheda twisted within his firm grip. “I am not for sale at any price, my lord.” With her pride hurt she uttered, “Let me go.”

His arms tightened. “Is the sum not enough? One hundred guineas?” She was shocked at the small fortune he’d offered, yet the purring quality of his husky voice quieted her alarm.

Vaguely Rheda realized she was letting him caress her again, stroking with hushed delicacy the column of her throat, her bare shoulder, her tingling breasts . . .

Slowly he bent his head, his lips following the path his fingers had taken, his soft caress sending desire shooting through her body. A tremor shook her as he tugged her bodice lower, deliberately exposing her breasts to his heated gaze and wicked tongue.

“Two hundred,” he said, his voice husky with want, before his tongue played in a leisurely erotic dance on her skin.

Rheda came to her senses just in time. Just before his mouth latched on to her nipple. Just before she forgot everything except what this man could make her feel.

She struggled in his arms, trying desperately to pull out of his tight embrace.

“Don’t be afraid, angel . . .”

She felt the soft brush of his breath on her ripe swells. If he suckled her she’d be lost, so she suddenly found her strength. Spying a heavy stick, she grabbed it and swung it at his head. It connected with a sickening thud, and he let her go. She fell backward on the grass as he struggled to his feet with a roar of injured pride.

“What the hell was that for?”

What is your favorite trait in a hero and why? What romantic hero best demonstrates that trait?

One, commenter will win a copy of INVITATION TO SCANDAL.  Open internationally.

Meet Historical Romance Author and Veterinarian Grace Elliot

Welcome to Dames of Dialogue, Grace. Tell us about your latest book.

Hello and thank you making me feel so welcome! I write historical romance and my last release is “Eulogy’s Secret” (Book 1 in The Huntley Trilogy) – a story of greed, prejudice and a stolen identity. The inspiration behind the novel came from one word “eulogy” which I saw on a poster advertising a memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall; Eulogy struck me as a fantastic name for a heroine.

A ‘eulogy’ is a song or speech in praise of a dead person, and it set me thinking what circumstances would lead a parent to name their child that; perhaps the mother died in childbirth, or another, and altogether more sinister reason. Anyhow, the reason why Eulogy has such an enigmatic name is part of her secret…. So you’ll have to read the book to find out!

Now that’s original. I really like that. What’s next?

“Hope’s Betrayal” (Book 2 in The Huntley Trilogy) is set for a June release. This book tells the story of the middle brother, Captain George Huntley. The idea behind the book came from the true story of a female smuggler, who legend had it was so beautiful that the excise officer sent to arrest her fell in love instead….What a cracking start for a historical romance!

Indeed in ‘Hope’s Betrayal’, Captain Huntley is tasked with breaking up a smuggling ring, but when he captures one of the gang, a woman, his troubles are just beginning. Hope Tyler is unlike any woman he has met before; she is brave, resourceful and loyal…qualities Captain Huntley admires and respects. But Hope was seriously injured in the raid, and if Huntley wants information, his must first keep her alive.

With her father too ill to fish, Hope Tyler has a choice – smuggle or starve. When a landing goes wrong and she is captured by the arrogant, overbearing Captain Huntley little does she realize just how much their values overlap. They both believe in justice – but from opposite sides of the law. As she is nursed back to health, a battle of wills ensues that ends with them falling in love. But a love where either Hope betrays her own people, or the Captain is court-marshalled, is a difficult destiny to follow…

What a hook. Makes me want to rush out and buy the book. I’ll make a note for June when it’s released. I note you write historical fiction. Is this your favorite genre to read as well?

Absolutely! My aim is to write the sort of page-turning historical that I love to read. There’s something about the escapism of the past that makes this genre special for me.  For me, reading is about leaving the stresses of the modern world and losing myself in the past. I understand that for some people, paranormals work for them, but for me it’s historicals every time.

I, too, love historical romance thanks to Katherine Woodiwiss, who pioneered this genre. Do you have plans to write in another genre in the future? If so, which one?

I’ve thought about it but always come back to historical romance, precisely because it’s the genre I read. I have toyed with the idea of more ‘worthy’ historical fiction, but because I write for fun, why burden myself with angst and woe, and instead stick to heroes with toned thighs and heroines in shockingly small bodices?

LOL. Sounds good to me! Tell us about your day job.

I’m in the fortune position of having a dream job, or more correctly, two dream jobs; as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Strange as it sounds the two occupations go hand in hand, because writing is my way of coping with the emotional demands of veterinary work.

I work in a companion animal practice on the outskirts of London; in fact the surgery is in a listed building; a converted 16th coaching Inn – how fabulous is that? I’ve been in the same job for close on 15 years now, which has the advantage of getting to know the clients personally, but the disadvantage of watching their pets age and overseeing the inevitable departure of old friends.

As a rescue worker, animal rights advocate and owner of more than a few rescued pets over the years, thank you for what you do to help our furry companions. I empathize with you regarding their inevitable departure. To me, it’s akin to losing a beloved family member. Back to writing. What works best for you re; promoting?

Perhaps it’s a coincidence but the two things that work best for me, as the two things I most enjoy – twitter and blogging. When I was at school my math’s teacher once told me I had a mind full of useless information – well that ‘useless information’ has found a home on twitter and my blog!

Useless information. Hmmmm. But I’m glad you put it to good use! Do you have a writing regimen? If so, share that with us.

My writing regime is to write in every spare minute! I used to set a target of writing for twenty minutes a day and get so absorbed that time would stretch to two hours. However, last November I took part in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which sets a daily word target of 1,670 words. This revolutionised my writing! Before NaNoWriMo I had no idea how much time I wasted in distractions and procrastination whilst thinking I was working. There’s nowhere to hide with NaNoWriMo and boy did my productivity improve. That’s the way forward now – a daily word count.

Each year, I debate participating in NaNo but chicken out. I admire any writer who can produce that many words in a day. What do you like most about writing? What do you dislike most?

That’s a hard question to answer because I love writing and everything about it, from research to brainstorming, from actually writing the story to blogging about the finished book. OK, if I’m honest I’m not 100% a fan of editing (it gives me a migraine, all those little dots and annotations) and also, when I sit at the keyboard for too long my knees lock up!

I’m one of those weird authors who likes editing most, although used to hate it. Don’t know why the change…What book(s) are you reading now?

I’m currently reading SJ Watson’s “Before I Go To Sleep” and it’s spellbinding. It’s the story of a woman with amnesia who wakes up every morning having to learn who she is afresh, and then slowly bits and pieces of the past start coming back to her. I’m holding my breath to find out if her loving husband is truly a hero or possibly the villain – edge of the seat stuff!

Sounds fascinating. Kind of reminds me of that movie Fifty First Dates. I do hope her husband turns out to be a hero. Who are your favorite authors?

My all-time favourite author is Margaret George. I owe her so much because it was through reading her books, especially ‘The Autobiography of Henry VIII’ that I discovered a love of history. My other favourites are Lisa Keyplas, Gaelen Foley and Mary Balogh.

All great writers. I note you’re a cat lover. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them.

You are going to regret asking this question because I can talk for hours about my cats! So (deep breath) here goes….

I currently have five cats, although I peeked a few years ago at nine. They are: Wallace, Gromit (brothers), Pilchard, Widget and Noni (mother and daughter). Widget may be familiar to you because she’s in my author photo and Twitter avatar. She’s an ex-stray who thinks she’s human – did I mention she’s also my writer’s cat in that she sits beside me whilst I write? In fact she’s sitting beside me now washing her tummy, which may take quite a while as it’s a very ample stomach. She’s helps my word count because when I get up for a comfort break she pinches the warm spot and then looks hurt when I try to reclaim it. The result is I try and get up as little as possible!

How cute! I love the picture of you with Widget.  Cats are special animals, each with their own unique personality. Our last one died a couple of years ago and I miss having a cat in the house. Tell us about your part of the country.

As I mentioned earlier, I live on the outskirts of London, in what is officially a village – although from the amount of traffic passing through, you’d never guess. I live a five minute walk away from were I work, which is opposite a village green, complete with duck pond and a church dating back to Norman times. Just along the road is the cottage where artist Lucy Kemp Walsh lived when she was alive. Lucy was the lady who did the original line drawings for my favourite childhood book, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

Sounds absolutely gorgeous. What a wonderful setting for working and writing, Grace. Thanks so much for joining us today. For more information about Grace and her works:

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

www.wix.com/graceelliot/grace-elliot

Cooking, Writing, and Creativity by Judy Alter

Several years ago a friend was writing a book about the parallel lives of three women, close friends, based on her own experience. She intended to include recipes but her hotshot New York agent said, “No recipes.” I protested that recipes in books are really popular these days—look at all the culinary cozies. She quickly said, “Oh, well, you and I will write a cookbook together.” Intrigued, I went home and wrote my first part, about growing up in a beef-and-potatoes, slightly English household in Chicago. Next time we met, I asked what she’d written. Nothing. This went on for a while and then she suggested a working dinner. Her idea of “working,” was to say, “I don’t have as much to write as you do.”

“You haven’t put in your mother’s recipes,” I countered.

“Mom didn’t cook.”

“Well, how did you feed your kids when they were young?” We had both been single parents, and our daughters were good friends.

“I took them out.”

I began to see that we had a problem. She decided I should write the cookbook, and she’d write commentary. When another friend asked me what my so-called writing partner was going to do, I said, “Write rebuttal.” But even that didn’t work, and I found myself writing a cookbook that turned into memoir.

It was great fun to recall the stories that went along with serving various foods. My kids jumped in enthusiastically and kept saying,, “Remember when you used to fix….” Of course there were a few comments such as, “I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it now.” So in the cookbook you find a chronicle of my youth, early marriage, single-parent days, and my current live-alone and entertain-a-lot status.

I love to cook and feel as creative in the kitchen as at my computer. To me, both activities free your imagination and let you produce something you can share with others, be it a meal or a book. You’re making something out of nothing. I firmly believe, however, that you have to have an active imagination and a sense of  joy for either one—writing fiction certainly requires imagination and so does cooking. I’m not an innovative cook, making up my own recipes—except for things like tuna dishes or chili or spaghetti. I follow recipes and my oldest son claims I get into trouble when I don’t read them carefully—he’s right. On the other hand though, when I write I don’t plot. I’m a pantser, writing by the seat of my pants, getting that first thought down and then seeing where it goes. And strangely enough, in my first series, Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, I created an amateur sleuth who doesn’t cook and constantly feels guilty for feeding her children fast food and pizza or taking them for hamburgers.

Here’s a family favorite from Cooking My Way Through Life with Kids and Books (I wanted to call the cookbook The Faux Gourmet but the publisher objected.)

Colin’s Queso (for my oldest son who loves this)

1 lb. hamburger

1 lb. sausage

1 lb. Velveeta

1 can mushroom soup

1 jar Pace picante sauce

Brown hamburger and sausage, breaking up the chunks of meat until it is all crumbly. Drain and put in the crockpot. Add Velveeta, cut in chunks, and melt. Add mushroom soup and picante sauce (really works best if you use Pace—you can choose mild, medium or hot in both picante and sausage).
In No Neighborhood for Old Women, the second Kelly O’Connell Mystery, a serial killer  targets older women in Fort Worth’s Fairmount neighborhood. Realtor Kelly O’Connell investigates, in spite of the pleas that she stay out of it from her companion, policeman Mike Shandy, and her assistant, the colorful Keisha. Kelly knows a serial killer will hurt business, and she worries about the frightened old women in the neighborhood. And when Claire Guthrie, a friend and former client, shows up at Kelly’s front door announcing that she’s just shot her husband in the butt, Kelly becomes her champion. Kelly knows about bad marriages and bad husbands from her own experience. Then Kelly’s mom, the needy Cynthia O’Connell, decides to move to Fort Worth to be near her grandchildren. Kelly, a harried, hassled, and loving single mom of two young girls, unwittingly puts her children, her mom, and herself in danger and almost derails her love life. The first Kelly O’Connell Mystery is Skeleton in a Dead Space (Turquoise Morning Press) and Judy’s cookbook is Cooking My Way Through Life with Kids and Books.  Visit Judy Alter’s website http://judy@judyalter.com

ANDREW C. HUDSON ANSWERS THE DAMES DOZEN: APRIL 18

Today, Andrew C. Hudson is joining us to talk about his novel, his anthologies, and the world he is creating through his books and short stories.

 

1.    Welcome to Dames of Dialogue, Andrew.  I’m fascinated that you’re already doing revisions of your recently published book “Drift.”  What led to that project, and what can you share about why you’re doing it now?

A major revision was not something I was expecting to do. I had done a few drafts and had my editor go through it before I published it. However, I did make the  naïve mistake of publishing the novel right after I approved/disapproved the editor‘s changes. Looking back on it, I definitely should’ve marked up that manuscript and done another draft before publishing it.

Unfortunately, it was a lesson that had cost me a few stars from the reviewers. Most of them really liked my novel but felt it was a little too rough for them. So I’m going back and revising it with everything I’ve learned in the past few months. It’s a bit frustrating having to go back but it is also very exciting to be revising it. I have faith that the new edition is going to be light-years ahead of the first edition in terms of grammar and prose.

 

 
2.    What would you like to tell us about your anthologies?  

There are two anthologies I’m doing.

Strange Happenings is the first anthology coming out soon. All of the short stories in that one are done by me. It’s going to be quasi science-fiction. Science definitely has an impact on all of the short stories but it’s not the typical science-fiction that most people expect (outer space, ray guns, futuristic, etc.). Hopefully this one will be out by early July (or perhaps a little earlier).

The second anthology is going to be a horror anthology done by multiple authors. So far there are thirteen of us on the project. It’s very democratic in the sense that we split the responsibilities and royalties evenly. If anyone is interested in contributing, feel free to ask me about it.

Also, I have a short story (The Porcelain Man) in Saffina Desforges Presents… (The Kindle Coffee-Break Collection Vol. 2)
3.    As an indie author, how would you describe your journey to publication?  What have you learned from that process that you can share with us?

It’s  been a very educational journey to say the least. Many of the aspects outside of writing (mainly marketing) are completely up to you. I’d imagine that would be very frustrating for some people but for myself, I find it all to be fun (for the most part). I try to treat the whole thing like a game and enjoy the process of learning.

As far as what I’ve learned from the process,  there are so many lessons that have been learned post-Drift that I could write a series of articles on them. If I could only give three important lessons, it would be these…

a. Build a platform: Don’t just wait until your book comes out. Connect with writers/readers, grow your twitter account, and do everything else you can to promote yourself as a writer. A bigger following and presence will help take care of the legwork from the get-go and help you start your novel’s debut off with a bang.

b. Be careful when stating your influences: This may sound silly but if you casually and constantly state an influence, you might get pigeonholed. I often told critics that Stephen King was my greatest influence as a way to break the ice. Unfortunately, this has led both Drift and me being compared to Stephen King. Which is frustrating at times because even though Stephen King is a huge influence, I also have a lot more influences.

c. Do another final draft after the editor hands it to you: This will save you the headache of going back and revising it. However, if people complain about (insert typo) or you feel the novel could use a little nip and tuck post-publication, there’s nothing wrong with going back to the drawing board and improving it.

4.    I see that you have a new novel coming out.  What can you tell us about this story?

The novel is Poem for the Wolves and it’s different than Drift in several ways. It’s a science-fiction novel set in a very close future (2023), the writing style is more external than internal, and it’s much bigger in length (both story and page length). However, there are some key elements that remain the same. The biggest similarity is the fact that I try to make it very much human and heartfelt, especially towards the end.

PftW is kind of about an alien invasion but not the kind of alien invasion you‘d expect. It’s much closer to something like Saving Private Ryan or The Oregon Trail and almost polar opposite of something like Battle: Los Angeles or Skyline. The plot is about a young twenty-something named HC Diego, the “world’s worst poet” (at least in his own words) and a bulls eye with his M1 Carbine, who journeys with an 8-year-old named Aimée Dumont from Buffalo, NY to Dulce, NM. The journey starts off simple but along the way they run into danger, battles, friends, and newfound lessons. There’s going to be action, adventure, and plenty of poetry as well.

5.    When did you decide you wanted to write?

Here’s the short version. I’ve always daydreamed about being some type of story teller. But I took the idea of writing seriously when I was twenty and began actually writing when I was about twenty-one. What set everything into motion was when I was a PA for The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I thought to myself, “Hey, I might enjoy being a writer.” And after trying different mediums, I eventually wound up loving prose writing.

6.    In your writing day, do you have special routines, rituals, or processes you experience?

There’s no special thing I do. Usually I start writing about an hour after I wake up and don’t allow myself to write an hour before I sleep (basically, I don’t allow myself to write when I’m too tired). For me it’s pretty sporadic but I do give myself a goal to write for x amount of minutes on each project by the end of the day.

7.    Tell us about your writing space.  Do you have a special room where you create?

For my second and later drafts, I write on a computer. It’s a desktop which is on a desk cluttered with papers (not having to do with the project), CDs, and a bunch of other random stuff.

If it’s the first draft, I write it long hand. Rather than writing in a “space,” I walk around the house while writing. This is probably because I’m one of those people who hate sitting down for far too long. Not to mention that walking around makes for great, simple exercise.

8.    That sounds like a great idea.  I should try that!  What are some of your favorite books and authors?

My favorite books are Christine (Stephen King), The Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison), Neuromancer (William Gibson), American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis), All the King’s Men (Robert Penn Warren), Bright Lights, Big City (Jay McInerney), Selected Short Stories of Philip K Dick (Philip K Dick), Class Reunion (Rona Jaffe), Dune (Frank Herbert), and I am Legend (Richard Matheson).

My favorite authors are Stephen King, Bret Easton Ellis, Philip K Dick, Neil Gaiman, Mickey Spillane, William Gibson, Elmore Leonard, Jay McInerney, Ira Levin, and Robert E. Howard

Movies, video games, and comic books have also influenced me a great deal.

9.    Of all the books you’ve read over the years, are there any special quotes that have stayed with you?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

Yes, I know that some people might consider this to be the most overused quote. But I think it’s one of the best quotes of all time. It can capture so many moments and eras. Not to mention that it’s still popular even though it’s over one hundred fifty years old, which proves how powerful it is.

10.   I like that one, too.  I notice that you also review books on several sites.  What are your favorite genres to review?

I’m pretty much open to any genre. I don’t have any specific tastes and I don’t understand people who only read one or two types of books. With that being said, my favorite genres are John Hughes styled films, heroic bloodshed, and horror. What I ultimately look for in a book, though, are memorable characters and interesting relationships.

11.    What can you share about where you live?

I live in the north-west side of the San Fernando Valley (California), close to Calabasas. The Valley is an odd mixture of people from the lower middle-class to the rich. It would be almost impossible to describe the social aspect of it, since it’s not one of those “Anytown, USA” communities.  I guess the closest thing to describe The Valley would be Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero and many Judd Apatow films (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, Knocked Up, etc.). The Valley also has a lot of people from the movie industry. I thought about writing a book that takes place in The Valley and deals with the movie industry (since my family is a part of it). And perhaps one day I will…

12.    We love pets.  Do you have any?

I have two dogs. One is a two-year-old mix of Cocker Spaniel, Poodle, and Shih-Tzu and the other is a fifteen-year-old mix of Cocker Spaniel and Wheaten Terrier.

Thanks for joining us today, Andrew, and we all wish you success in your creative endeavors.

Andrew’s Website:  http://andrewcyrushudson.com/

Everybody Needs a Grandma by Lissa Brown

     When I was growing up in a crowded working class neighborhood in New Jerseythe people on my block all knew each other. Those were the days before city people started to prize anonymity. Our houses were so close together that there was precious little we didn’t know about each other. If two people had an argument, we all heard it, especially if it occurred during the warmer months when windows were open. Privacy didn’t exist for us. The upside of that was that it was easy to form relationships outside our immediate families.

     I was a gregarious kid who liked being around old people. As I reminisce about my old neighborhood, I find it’s the old people on the block I remember most clearly.

     My father’s mother was alive when I was young, but we didn’t see her much. She lived in another part of the city. My mother’s step mother was a colorful character who’d been a labor organizer and read and spoke seven languages. She had red hair, bright red circles of rouge on each cheek, and a cigarette dangling from her bright red lips. Not the stereotypical grandmother, but I was captivated by her. With hindsight, I suspect my mother put her largely off limits to preserve my innocence.

Where were those grandmothers like the one in the Dick and Jane books? Mine sure didn’t look like her, and neither of them baked cookies that I knew of. So naturally, I gravitated to the old ladies on my block who fit the picture.

One of my favorite adopted grandmothers was Mrs. Schechter. She lived alone at the other end of my street and often waited on her porch for us kids to pass by on our way home from school. I don’t think I ever saw her standing, yet I knew she was a tall woman from the way she sat in her chair. She was blind, but she always had homemade cookies in a dish on a wicker table next to her chair. She’d call me onto the porch and ask me to thread a needle for her. I did it gladly, not out of any altruism, but because I knew the payment was on that pink glass plate. In between stuffing my mouth with cookies, I’d tell her about my day in school.

I confided in Mrs. Schechter things I didn’t tell my own mother. She was the one I told that cute little David Brown (no relation) ran up and kissed me on the playground, and she laughed when I reported that I’d rewarded him with a punch in the face. She never judged me; she just listened and smiled, and told me what a nice girl I was. Sometimes she’d ask me to stand in front of her so she could feel my face. She said it felt pretty, and her fingers told her I looked like Elizabeth Taylor. I felt special when I was with her.

Mrs. Boudish wore house dresses covered by a cobbler apron and stockings rolled to just below her knees. Her legs had bulging blue veins in them, maybe the result of the tourniquet-like garters that held up her stockings. She had bushy brown hair that stuck out in all directions and she walked with a funny rocking gait that was recognizable from a block away. She always seemed to be going or coming from somewhere and carried a large canvas bag filled with odds and ends. If I saw her on a city street today I’d assume she was a bag lady, but she lived in a house on the middle of the block with her husband.

She had grandchildren who lived somewhere else, and they came to visit her often enough to be known to all the regulars on our block. Whenever her twin grandsons visited she invited the neighborhood kids in for milk and cookies. Sometimes we had ice cream, too. I had my first sundae in her house. She seemed to come alive when she had a house full of noisy kids. She took a special liking to me, and the day after Charles and William left she’d walk down the alley next to her house and look up and down the street until she spotted me. “Lissa-la,” she’d call. All the kids had an extra syllable tacked onto their names in our neighborhood. It’s an endearment that comes from Yiddish.

Whatever I was doing could wait when Mrs. Boudish called. I’d dash over to her and she’d run her fingers through my curls. “Guess what I have for you,” she’d say. “I have to fatten you up. You look like a stick. Come.” I’d follow her into the kitchen and feast on cookies, cake and whatever else her grandsons hadn’t eaten.

I was trained to call adults by their last names unless instructed otherwise. Mrs. Boudish asked me to call her Bubbe and after a few reminders, I did. My mother was always puzzled about that and couldn’t understand what drew me to Mrs. Boudish and the other old ladies.

Not all of my adopted grandmothers baked cookies. Mrs. Codner was the grandmother of one of my playmates and she seemed too old to make cookies or anything else. A couple of times a week after school I’d stop by Sherry’s house while she put on her play clothes. I’d already changed, but my friend was a slow poke.

“So, girls,” Mrs. Codner would ask, “what did you learn today?” We couldn’t go out to play until we’d provided a satisfactory answer. I’d rattle off some times tables or other rote lesson from school and she’d pat us both on the head and tell us how smart we were. Even if we weren’t smart, she made us believe we were.

I’m now likely older than those adopted grandmothers I recall from childhood, and the lessons I took from them live on. They made me feel important, loved and gave me the confidence I could do anything I set my mind to.

 

Lissa Brown is the author of Family Secrets: Three Generations, a novel about the special relationship between a girl and her grandmother and the effects it had on three generations of women. www.lissabrownwrites.com