Jennifer Gracen: The End

Earlier this week, I typed the two most wonderful, satisfying words a writer can write: THE END. I finished another book. But this one was a bittersweet accomplishment, because it’s the last book of the series I’ve been writing for a while. I started this series in 2013; that’s how long I’ve been living with the characters of the Harrison family.

I know the Harrisons as well as I know my real life friends—nope, scratch that. I know them even better. I know what makes them tick, what makes them flinch, what makes them burn. They’ve lived out the most important moments of their lives in my head for years now. I’ve loved writing their stories, and I’ll miss having them around.

Yes, I’m talking about my characters like they’re real people. To me, they are.

Which is why it’s so strange and bittersweet to now have to leave them behind.

The morning after I’d finished the series, I sat with a cup of coffee and stared out the window for a while, feeling oddly displaced. I realized it’s the same kind of feeling a reader experiences when they finish reading a series they’ve loved. Having to leave that world behind, knowing the story is over... it’s a sweet sense of loss, in the best possible way. Sometimes you can’t even start reading a new book for a few days, because your head is still in that world, with those characters, and you’re not ready to let it go just yet. Right? Well, that’s how I’ve felt for the past few days.

But today, I woke up ready to jump into a new world. To start a new series with new characters. Ready to stretch my writing wings and soar... just like when you leave your family behind to go out into the world. The Harrisons will always hold a special place in my heart, but I’m ready to start something fresh and new, and I’m excited to meet the next batch of new characters that will take up space in my head. 

Jennifer Gracen: Transitions

In both my writing life and my personal life, I find myself lately at yet another point of transition. I’ve had to push myself out of some of my comfort zones. And even though I know that I’ll be rewarded with growth and success of several kinds on the other side if I do it, my inner self hates doing it. That inner self alternates between whimpering, grumbling, procrastinating, throwing temper tantrums, and having full blown anxiety.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

Why do we let fear hold us back, even when we KNOW the outcome will be to our benefit?

In my writing life, it’s been trying a new angle of writing. Writing some scenes in a way I haven’t before. The character in question demanded it. I had to go to a place with him that I haven’t in prior books. And it’s scary, because writing is such a personal art. Even though it’s the character saying and doing these things, not me, there’s still that aspect of feeling like I’m putting myself out there for everyone to see, naked and vulnerable.

In my personal life, I’m job hunting. Long story short, after being a SAHM and also working from home doing freelance, it’s not enough anymore. I haven’t worked a typical office job in fifteen years. So, it’s more of the putting myself out there, feeling vulnerable, all of that... it’s damned uncomfortable, and it’s a process that can really get me down sometimes.

I recognize that in both pursuits, there’s a fear of failure. Not just failure, either, but failing in spectacular fashion, with images of going down in flames over the side of a cliff as I freefall into choppy, shark-ridden waters. That fear is what makes the inner voice do all those yucky things and makes me twist and whine and, and... And ultimately it doesn’t matter, because I have to do these things. Period, end of story.

We all do.

 

Yes, pushing out of comfort zones brings growth, strength, and goodness. We know this. But it’s really hard. Because we are hardest on ourselves, and change is scary.

So I figured I’d talk about it. Hearing that others endure these growing pains and whispering doubts, to know someone else is struggling with it too, maybe makes someone feel not so alone as they go through something similar. Maybe it’s you. So...

Okay. Strapping my sword and shield back on. I got this. You got this. See you on the other side, fellow warrior.

Jennifer Gracen: Good Advice for Writing and for Life

I subscribe to several blogs, and one is called brainpickings.org – it usually has great posts that appeal to me in several areas, be it writing, the arts in general, psychology, social issues, etc. Last week, I saw a post about Poet Jane Kenyon and Advice On Writing. This quote in particular really resonated with me:

"Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours."

It struck me that this isn’t just good advice for protecting your creative spirit and writing life, but good advice for living your life in general. Especially in these times, which seem more tumultuous than any we’ve seen in a generation or two. The world is in a state of transition, and like all transitions, some serious chaos is accompanying that. It can be downright disheartening and draining to just look at the news every day. It can be emotionally overwhelming, which sometimes leads to physical manifestations of those concerns and anxieties. I keep seeing people online talking about how important self-care is, now more than ever. Those people are absolutely right.

It’s a tough call these days between wanting to stay informed and wanting to stay sane. I’ve had to make good self-care a priority. For me, that’s meant taking a step back from social media/getting online/the news in general, because being bombarded by constant intensity, vitriol, and uncertainty was wearing me down, mind, body and soul. So that quote above? Let’s look at it a little closer.

Be a good steward of your gifts. Manage the keeping of your gifts wisely and with as much passion as if you were telling your best friend, lover, child—someone super important to you that you’d likely be nicer to than you often are to yourself—to take good care of those gifts, and do that. The world needs you and your gifts.

Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Easiest way to do this? Stay offline. Or at least get online less. Read books. Binge watch a TV series. Go to the movies. Sing songs you used to love. Dance while you’re cleaning your house. Do something every day to feed your head. It’s good for you. And right now, it may even save you.

Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. See above tip. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Be by yourself as often as you can. As a writer and a single mom, I’m actually by myself more than most people, and I do treasure that alone time. If it’s not easy for you to come by—and for most people, it really isn’t—you need to fight for some alone time. Make it a priority; schedule it into your day or evening somehow. Even if it’s only fifteen minutes, while your baby is napping or your kids are playing video games or your significant other is scrolling on his/her phone... find a way to have some time all to yourself each day. It is more re-centering than you might imagine. And it also helps you go back to your busy world of demands with a little less... edginess. Try it if you can.

Walk. Take the phone off the hook. My main form of exercise is walking. I love to take long walks outside. Breathing fresh air (no matter what season), a change of scene, reconnecting with nature... some of my best story ideas have come to me on walks, as well as some of my greatest personal epiphanies. Sometimes nothing comes to me at all, but it just feels so nourishing to take a walk and let my mind wander. And I don’t—I repeat, I DO NOT—answer my phone or look at it while walking. (Only exception: I look at it if it rings in case it’s one of my kids’ schools calling. If it’s not them, I don’t answer the call.) Do that for yourself a few times a week, if you can. If not, even once a week can make a difference. Reconnecting with the outside world in this way is so rejuvenating for your mind, body, and soul.

As for the Work regular hours thing... well, easier said than done for many. But coming at it as I think it was intended—as writing advice—yes, if you can get into a regular routine for when you write, making it as much of a priority as doing your laundry or cleaning your house or going for a run, your writing muscles will thank you for that. Humans respond to routines. Make that time every day to write, and before you know it... you’ll have written something.

Good advice for writing, and for life. Take care of yourself. It’s so very important, and we all forget that sometimes. 

Jennifer Gracen: Rebellions are built on hope

You might recognize that line by now. I saw Rogue One over its opening weekend, being the lifelong Star Wars fan that I am. And this already-sure-to-be-classic line stood out, especially with the political chaos going on in America. It’s been a rough year for all of us. That election beat the hell out of us as a nation. So yeah, that line really resonated with me.

And you know what? I’ll tell you a secret. It was hard to write after November 8th, with all that noise. It was hard to think about love stories—stories about light, romantic love, having faith in others—in the face of so much discord, vitriol, fear, and disappointment. For a few weeks, I was as down as many others were, and it affected my work. I didn’t much feel like writing (or doing much of anything, some days).

But recently, I saw that awesome movie, that inspiring line kept rolling through my mind over and over... and another thought bloomed and took hold: Know what else is built on hope? Love stories.

Romance novels are about many things, but you can’t have one without hope. At first, it’s the characters’ hope of finding something more in life, be it a new career, a second chance, a new home, or finding love. Then, once the hero and heroine have found each other and sparks ignite, they hope they’ll be able to make it work. And they hope that this connection is real, and mutual, and sustainable... and they hope that once they’ve started to head down that path, they won’t lose their way, or each other, or what they have together.

So if you think about it, yes, romance novels are all about love, but they’re also all about hope, aren’t they?

And that’s why writers need now, more than ever before, to keep writing them.

Love stories bring much needed hope and light into the dark places. People need assurances of happy endings now more than ever, and romance novels are one of the only things that can guarantee them that. Love stories bring people a much needed escape from reality for a little while, but they also empower readers as they make them feel better.

So yes, with that in mind, I’m happy to say I got back to writing. Because I’m going to do my tiny part to keep bringing hope to others, with words and love— both on the page, and in my life. Hope floats.

Jennifer Gracen

Jennifer Gracen: Christmas in New York

When my three friends and I geared up to write our novellas for the Christmas in New York anthology, we were all excited. None of us had ever written a Christmas story before, and it was also our first time writing for Tule Publishing. And there we were, writing about Christmas, winter, snow... in July. Yup, we wrote our holiday tales during the sweltering summer months. It was strange to get my mindset into cold, snowy days when I had the windows open, the heat and humidity floating into my room along with the sounds of crickets chirping.

But what it cemented for me was how much I really love winter. I had to conjure up all the things I love about it, since they weren’t around me, and it wasn’t hard. My friends who love warm weather—which is the majority of them!—think I’m crazy, but I do love winter. I hate sweating, so right there, winter wins. I love the cold, brisk air (when it’s not subzero polar vortex kind of temperatures, mind you). Winter air wakes me up and makes me feel alive. The air feels clearer, sharper, and pulls me into focus. I love burrowing into cozy clothes—soft fleeces and flannels, thick wools, heavier cottons. Layering in them, then wrapping an extra blanket around myself for ultra-coziness, preferably in front of a fireplace. I love enjoying hot cocoa or tea and comfort foods like soup and other warm, delicious things. Most of all, I love watching snow fall. It softly turns the landscape into a magical realm of pristine, sparkling whiteness. Beneath newly fallen snow, the world is transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful place.

And of course, I love the holidays! December has a vibrant energy all its own. I tried to describe it in my novella, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, but I don’t know if I did it justice. Think about it... how everyone you see seems to be revitalized, a little bouncier, a little brighter. The decorations everywhere, the lights and colors... the music! Songs that everyone has heard so many times they know all the words and still sing along. The holidays end the calendar year with a wonderfully festive feeling, the year’s grand finale. And for me, growing up on Long Island, there really is something unique about Christmastime in New York. I was thrilled to be able to write a story in that setting. Now that the holidays are here, I’m so enjoying all the things I mentioned, instead of only having to daydream about them. I hope you all are too.

Jennifer Gracen

www.jennifergracen.com

https://www.amazon.com/author/jennifergracen

Lilian Darcy: Great Holiday Reads

I’m writing this while most Americans are sitting down to their Thanksgiving dinner. We had ours last night. Yes, we live in Australia where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated, but my husband is American, so we do celebrate it in our family.

We had a big, golden, crispy-skinned turkey, and lots of baked vegetables – potatoes, pumpkin, parsnips, carrots, asparagus – and then for dessert there was pumpkin pie accompanied by a friend’s to-die-for home-made ice-cream.

We all sat around the table, and the kids are at an age now where they’ll do that. They’re happy to relax and chat instead of scooting off as soon as they’re done eating, the way they used to.

So I’m thinking about holidays. And I realize I don’t often use those big, festive holidays as themes in my books. I don’t think I’ve ever written a Christmas story. Which is weird because I do love all those big celebrations.

I do want to alert you to some great holiday reads that others have written, however.

Top of the list would have to be Jane Porter’s The Kidnapped Christmas Bride. Yes, it is every bit as fast-paced and sizzling and dramatic as it sounds, and yes, the cover matches the mood perfectly. As well as the drama, there is layer upon layer of real emotion, and celebration, and family, and change, and a love between two people that’s survived more than its share of challenge. You will read this one in a single sitting, while not even hearing your family talking to you.

A close second is Megan Crane’s Come Home For Christmas, Cowboy. The passion and emotion in Megan’s stories is so intense, you feel as if you’re living inside her characters and you don’t want to come back out again. It’s like jumping into a chalk pavement picture in Mary Poppins, only adult-themed. Dare and Christina belong together but they’ve lost their way, and it takes her strong stance and a big, warm family Christmas to help them find each other again. I loved this story.

My third recommendation is actually four stories, all centered around the theme of Christmas in New York. Four friends who’ve grown up almost like sisters, four stories of second chances and lost and found love. Each story is very different and can be read alone, yet together they create such a vivid picture of the diversity and magic of Christmas in one of the world’s best cities. It’s a magical series altogether. The individual stories are This Christmas by Jeannie Moon, All I Want For Christmas by Jennifer Gracen, A Light in the Window by Jolyse Barnett, and Goodness and Light by Patty Blount.

Finally, if you’re ready to skip past Christmas and on to Valentine’s Day and chocolate fantasies, my own women’s fiction novel The Sweetest Thing is free on most major ebook sites. I hope you’ll like it. 

Amazon

www.liliandarcy.com