This past weekend I went to watch Book Club – The Next Chapter. It was a fun ride catching up with the four main characters again. For me, the best part was enjoying the three Italian cities they visited. It is many years since I was there, but the memories came flooding back. The essence of Italy still holds a special place in my soul. I visited Venice, Florence and Rome and hope to go back at some point. It was interesting that the book they were reading this time round was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist.
I finished an intriguing novel, The First Time Lauren Pailing Died by Alyson Rudd.
Review:This was an exceptional narrative, especially as its theme is a subject I love. Imagine you live more than one life in parallel? Most of us never knowing about the other life, oblivious to it. But Lauren does know and that is what makes this book so remarkable. It is captivating.
I have now begun reading a new book – The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley, only to find it is book three of a series. However, it is a separate story of one sister’s experiences, so I’m good.
Would you read one book of a series or not?
Literary Birthdays this week include:
May 19th is the birthday of Nora Ephron who was an American journalist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, and blogger. She is best known for her romantic comedies and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay): for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally…, and Sleepless in Seattle. These are exceptional movies, I think you will agree.
Another author sharing the same birthday is Jodi Picoult with an impressive 25 novels (and counting) to her name, including My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes and Sing Me Home.
I binge watched Queen Charlotte over the weekend – it was an enjoyable diversion from my current editing. I noticed echoes of one of my own romance novels in the series. Charlotte’s marriage was arranged and she had to come to terms with her place within the arrangement and forge her own life. It was not without it’s difficulties.
In my novel, The Twesome Loop, my character Gabriella is not so fortunate in the marriage her father arranges for her. It is merely to enable her father to further his status in society and is money driven. Her wants and needs are of no consequence and she is ‘given’ to an disgusting old man. The relationship is far from happy, but her fates change when an unexpected visitor appears.
This reincarnation romance can be purchased on all online sites in print or e-book form. If I may ask, please leave a review and let me know which couple you identified with the most.
Where did the initial idea for the Cat Lady series originate?
The initial idea for Cat Lady actually came during a 5 hour-drive. I was coming home from a romance convention and somehow the idea that I needed a romance book hit me. Most of the books I had at the time were Urban Fantasy or Children’s books. As I drove back, I play with the tropes that I enjoy the most in romance, like second chances. The problem I found out was, I was not very good at writing romance. Instead, I ended up with a dark comedy- contemporary fiction story full of shenanigans and amazing quirky characters.
Was it always going to be a series?
At the beginning, I was just excited about The Cat Lady Special. It wasn’t until I published the book that the idea of a series came to mind. I enjoy writing series, so this wasn’t a hard choice for me.
Did you base the character of Angela on anyone you know or were you inspired by a movie/book character?
Angela is not based on one specific person. She is more of a collection of anecdotes from my friends and my life. Her story is all about sacrifices- what are you willing to do for the people you love?
Why Cat Lady?
I think there is a very negative perception of what a Cat Lady looks like or even acts like. One thing I wanted to do was challenge that idea and twisted around. What if our dear Cat Lady turns to be an Arms Dealer? That concept just made me smile and open the series to so much possibility.
With guns being a divisive subject, how do you balance your gun’s dealer character with societal views?
This is one of things Angela also battles in the series. She doesn’t want guns ending in the wrong hands and killing innocent people. She also understands that selling guns is a very lucrative business, that even Walmart has maximized. As much as possible, she works hard at vetting her clients to maintain the knowledge of where her guns are going.
Will there be other books in the series, if so, how many?
At this time I’m planning for at least one more book. Not sure how many more will happen afterwards. Normally, I’m pretty sure how many books there will be in every series. For this one, I’m letting the characters lead me and see where they want to go.
How much research did you need for the narrative background?
While I’m an Army Veteran, I do not have a strong background on the different weapons available. In order to give Angela a believable back story, I have to do tons of researching on weapons, ammunition’s and even distribution types.
Did you fall into any research black holes?
At the beginning I used to. One tip one of my writer friends gave me was to do just-in-time research. Which means, stop to do the research for the specific scene that I’m working on. If not, I will get nothing done.
What surprised you about Angela and her lifestyle as you wrote the two books?
My biggest surprised with Angela was seeing how happy she was with the simple things in life. She was not interested in a mansion, trips, or fancy clothes. Her primary goal was to take care of the people she loves. As I get older, I’m always blown away by how true that is for many of us.
Where can readers find you?
The easiest place would be on my website at dcgomez-author.com. You can find links to my books and social media.
SUMMARY:
Illegal guns. Dangerous old-ladies. Now a dead body. Angela’s life is getting more complicated by the minute.
A boring life is not in Angela’s future, with her being a black market guns dealer. Tripping over a dead-body is now bringing a lot more attention from law enforcement than she cares to have.
If only she could get control of the Silver Hair Gang, and their quest to find the killer themselves. Angela is running out of time to secure her next arms deal, and save her family from an unknown killer.
D. C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, podcaster, motivational speaker, and coach. Born in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. D. C. studied film and television at New York University. After college she joined the US Army, and proudly served for four years.
D. C. has a Master’s Degree in Science Administration from the Central Michigan University, as well as a Master in Adult Education from Texas A&M- Texarkana University. She is a certified John Maxwell Team speaker and coach, and a certified meditation instructor from the Chopra Center.
One of D. C. passions is helping those around her overcome their self-limiting beliefs. She writes both non-fiction and fiction books, ranging from Urban Fantasy to Children’s Books. To learn more about her books and her passion, you can find her at www.dcgomez-author.com.
As spring arrives eventually in Alberta, we look to the signs of spring. Animals emerge from hibernation, green shoots are foraged and the green blush of new leaves makes the landscape so much more pleasant to look at.
As many of you know I wrote a children’s chapter book to educate, as well as inspire and generate fun. Ockleberries to the Rescue centers around two magical sprites helping their forest animal friends. Each chapter is the adventure of a different animal, or the sprites themselves. Easy to read independently or as a bedtime/vacation traveling story.
To accompany reading the book I created this word search to add to the fun. Feel free to use it.
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects thirteen chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.
– A series of murders in a New England colony – An untamed beast in pre-revolutionary France – A mysterious stranger who invades 18th-century Ireland – A traveling circus that takes more than the price of admission – A gathering of the Dark, telling tales on the longest night of the year, and more.
Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the BLACK CAT CHRONICLES comic book series and her short story collection, THEY HIDE: SHORT STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK will be out from Brigid’s Gate Press in 2023. You can find her at francescamaria.com and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 