How Does a Book Heroine Celebrate December?

 Greetings Friends,

Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or a different celebration, Pen Dames thought it would be fun to imagine how the heroines in our stories might celebrate the holiday. These women are from different time periods and occupations. So join us on this imaginary journey.

                                                 

                                                

                          Mind Your Goddess 

                                       by 

                      Flossie Benton Rogers

        Tickle your fantasy with a little Yuletide fun!

The life work of Epona, goddess of fruitfulness, involves seeing her people flourish and helping humans from the nearby earth dimension. The inhabitants of Epona's realm celebrate a midwinter holiday called Yuletide. Festivities surround Winter Solstice and the rebirth of the sun after the longest night of the year. There is feasting, singing, dancing, and gift giving. Special guests are always welcome, and the sun god Apollo has been known to play his lyre after a seven-course Yuletide meal. He says Epona's blackberry wine surpasses that served on Olympus. Epona's most honored guest is her lover Eshigel, the dark guardian of the between. She adores frisking him away from the dim corridors of his domain and cuddling up with him by a crackling midwinter fire in her Rose Cottage. 

             https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Your-Goddess-Wytchfae-Book-ebook/dp/B076XX9TPJ

                                                                          

                                                                                          Echoes of the Moon

                                                                                by Jennifer Taylor

         Jolly Ole England, Christmas Day

                   King's Harbour, 1737

It was a Happy Christmas indeed, thanks to gracious Lena, owner of the Siren Inn. After church, the town fair danced their way to the party, awed by the greenery that graced the walls and tables groaning with the bounty of the town's excellent cooks. Identical twins Bethan and Elunid were breathtakingly beautiful in white gowns embroidered with holly and ivy by the talented and troubled Elunid.

Henry, our town night soil man stood against the bar, eyes only on Bethan. He and son George so looked like the perfect gentlemen that no one would ever know their occupation.

The day was complete when the dashing Reginald and the Wandering wastrels sallied in, singing. we enjoyed hours of revelry: eating, drinking, gambling, and hilarity.

Best of all we witnessed Henry and Bethan passionately kissing under the mistletoe.

https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Moon-Jennifer- Taylor/dp/1509217606

                                                                       

                                                              Siren Descending

                                                 by Katherine Eddinger Smits

                                                              Bah Humbug!

Athenia is a Sea Witch apprenticed to Thorne, a swamp mage from the bayous and backwaters in Florida. Before, she didn't celebrate holidays. Now, with Thorne, she endures human ways. Though he forgave her for stealing his powers and abandoning him to die, he hasn't forgotten. And the other mages treat her with contempt. As Christmas approaches, Thorne drags her into the human world. Their customs mystify her. Why do they worship a fat man in a red suit? Although the mages aren't obsessed with old guy, they're incomprehensible too. They have immense power to conjure lavish meals and beautiful clothes, but they eat simply and wear shorts and t-shirts. Makeup? The women strive to be plain-ass boring. They look down on her for her fondness of luxe, and hate her for what she did to Thorne, but she can't stand them either. This Christmas complication is a bitch.

https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Descending-Sirens-Book-2-ebook/dp/B082CMLGTF

The Bone Yard by Loretta C. Rogers

A Christmas Dinner Flub-a-Roo!  

Dr. Tullah Holliday is a veterinarian, and amateur sleuth. She uses her empathic abilities to help solve

crimes. While she is a great doctor, she didn't inherit her grandmother's cooking gene. This year was Tullah's turn to host Christmas dinner. While whipping the potatoes with her new electric hand mixer, the power kicked off. Her father rushed to the basement to flip the switch in the breaker box. When he returned upstairs, Tulllah was propped against the kitchen counter holding the mixer like a pistol and shooting mashed potato bullets all over the kitchen with globs decorating her grandmother's face and hair. Tullah was relieved when the guests didn't complain about the dry turkey and gloppy gravy.

https://www.amazon.com/Boneyard-Doc-Holliday-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B09QXQNLYW

                                

 

Now that you've seen how our book heroines might celebrate the holidays, we'd love to hear how you and your family celebrate or perhaps share some of the flub-a-Roos you've experienced during this joyous season by posting in the comments section below.

From Pen Dames to you, we wish you Happy Reading, Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, and a New year filled with Blessings!

What's an Email? The Art of Letter Writing

Some of us are old enough to remember when the only mail that existed was snail mail. But there was an art to letter writing. Let's bring it back!

Remember penmanship? Learning cursive (what's that, you say?) started around 3rd or 4th grade, if I remember correctly. You were in big trouble if you didn't take it seriously. All the women in my family are right-handed. All the men are left-handed. They did not have an easy time of it. Being lefthanded was frowned upon. Out of my three brothers, only one has readable handwriting. I can't say much for myself these days. My beautiful right-slanted handwriting has devolved into a caveman scrawl that only I can read, because of all the book notes I've taken over the years in my writing cave. Notebooks full. Now, if I wrote a letter without the use of my computer, it would likely be illegible, just like my brothers.

Enough about messy handwriting. Getting a letter in the mail was such a treat. Especially love letters. Keep in mind, folks: prior to the 80's, there were no cell phones, no computers. There was only mail or a landline. Talking on the phone long distance was expensive. Stamps were cheap.

If you wanted to impress a lady (or me), you had to be able to write a good letter: legible, interesting, romantic, but not too gushy. I was a minister's daughter, and would invariably meet boys that lived out of town. If a guy couldn't write a decent letter, I wouldn't have anything to do with him.  It was okay to quote a few lines from a song, but overdoing it showed a lack of originality. It's no wonder I'm a writer. A guy's ability to pen a good note was way more important to me than his muscle-flexing ability. I went for the intellectual guys.   It's kind of like that line from "Seven Days," by Sting.

"IQ is no issue here. We won't be playing Scrabble for her hand, I fear."  This is a song about a guy who has 7 days to win a woman's heart, and he's competing with a musclebound man for her affection. 

How many relationships were formed and deepened because of letter writing? Is emailing and texting the same? There were no emojis, only cartoons or drawing that you could show off if you were artistically inclined. There was something so exciting about waiting for a letter, the tactile pleasure of opening it, hiding away in your room so that you could eat up every word, stowing it away where no one could find it. And then you wrote back, thinking carefully about how you would answer their questions. A smart guy would ask you questions to show he was really interested in your answer. 

In my 2nd book, Heartbeat of the Moon, Ian, my 18th Century hero, had to go on a long journey. Maggie receives his letter and keeps it close to her, even when she's sleeping. 

"The urgency of singing you, possessing you with the words of my soul, grows with each step of the journey. Then, my heart plummets. I can never do you justice, for you are ever-changing like the moon. Oh, Maggie, look down upon me with your cool regard, rise above me with your passion, lie beside me so I might truly know you."

Smart man. Letters have power and the ability to keep a relationship alive despite the distance. Wouldn't it be fun to bring them back? You don't have to write a love letter. Write to a sibling, a child, maybe a friend you haven't kept in touch with. You could write a little note to your significant other. There's no need to be an author to pen something meaningful. You just have to mean it. Something like, "Feelings strong. Words difficult." Four words. 

I would love to hear from you letter writers out there. Do you have memories about writing letters? Did you take great pride in your penmanship? Ever get a Dear John (or Dear Joan) letter? 

I feel suddenly inspired to purchase some fancy paper and a special pen. They don't call us Pen Dames for nothing.

Inspiration and Unlikely Heroes

 

Nothing scares some writers like a blank page. For others, the words flow easily and they look up, bleary-eyed, hours later. "Why, where did the time go? I worked-no-played through lunch."

 I am not one of those authors, and I never miss lunch. After publishing three historical romance novels, I've learned a few things about facing that Great White Space. 

1.  Do not expect perfection. If you sit there waiting for the perfect word to slide into your mind like an Olympic ski champion at the finish line, it will likely not happen, and years later, your loved ones will find you covered in spider webs and muttering words like, "shards, Slinkees, despair."  Put something on the page, whether you're starting a novel or just a new chapter. Write now, delete later. Let the words add up. 

The thing is, sometimes those rough drafts (and they're called "rough" for a reason) contain little pieces of treasure, because they come from your subconscious mind. Be kind to yourself. You'll have plenty of time to become the Commander of Words later. 

2. Get away from the computer. Sit in a comfy chair and sit with your legal pad or notebook. Let's say you're starting a new romance. Sometimes changing locations takes the pressure off. 

Start with a character. Who would you like to materialize in front of you that very moment?  What would they say to you? Despite the fact that you're wearing your old pregnancy pants and haven't shaved your legs since 1982, what would you like your hero to say to you? What would take for him to make you glow all over?  Daydreaming is essential.  Delve into your hero's personality, and think about what would make you swoon and what would make you gnash your teeth.  Got some ideas in your notebook? Type them up. Do not delete.

3. Trying to decide on your hero's occupation? Set the timer and give yourself a certain amount of time to research. Why a timer? It's easy to go down the research rabbit hole and it's also a well-known avoidance technique. In my experience, I sometimes get ideas for a plot, or a character, when I'm researching. For instance, in #3 of my Rhythm of the Moon series, Echoes of the Moon, the hero, Henry, is a night soil man. With his young son George helping him, he spends his nights emptying the townspeople's cesspits. I strongly believe that everyone deserves a chance at love, no matter their imperfections or their occupations. Think of the television series, "Dirty Jobs."

Back to research. I got the idea for Henry's occupation when I saw an authentic 18th C. calling card (basically a business card) for a night soil man. It was pretty fancy. I like a challenge, and so my hero was created. There's more to Henry than meets the eye. My heroine, Bethan, despite her distaste for his occupation, finds herself attracted and intrigued by him. Burdened with the care of her mentally ill identical twin, Bethan never thought love possible. Here's a passage where Bethan is watching their early morning progress up the street:

    Henry grunted as they lifted the yoke onto their shoulders, the barrel at the end. "Remember what the old bard said?"

    "I don't know. He said a lot of things."

    "Oh, it is excellent to have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant."

    Bethan forgot the stench upon recognizing the words of William Shakespeare. Measure for Measure? How did a night soil man come to quote the immortal words of the bard? Most puzzling, and likely the reason she couldn't get Henry out of her mind.

    They soon returned to the wagon, and Henry watched George, a small smile on his face. 

    George scratched the horse behind his ears. "Good girl. I shall never hurt you."

    They made their way up the street, and the closer they got, the more repulsive the odor became. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief but couldn't take her eyes away from his broad shoulders and wide back, looking strong enough to carry any burden. Even hers He waved at her and strode up the street. 

    He walks like royalty, not as if he has the most disgusting job in town. She lowered the cloth as curiosity got the better of her. 

    He stopped a good twenty paces from her, took off his work gloves, and bowed. "I shan't get too close, Mistress Bethan. Good morrow." He had eyes the color of Lena's best summer ale. "You're up early."

    She nodded. "It's peaceful this time of day, when the town is still asleep."

    "Except for us." He grinned. He wore no hat, and his black hair curled around his face. "I enjoy my work for the same reason."

    "You enjoy your own work?"

    He nodded, his eyes darkening from summer ale to stout. "Why should I not, despite the nature of it? It's honest and important work." He turned toward his son. "And a good trade for young George to learn."

    What a snob she was. "I didn't mean to insult."

    He stepped forward, and she stepped back, rapping her elbow on the door frame. "Ouch!"

    He rushed toward her. "Are you all right?"

    His fingers on her arm were warm and reassuring as she closed her eyes and waited for the stars to disappear from her vision. Then she came to her senses and recoiled from him. 

    He backed away. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your reverie, Mistress Bethan." Formal, cold.

    Emptiness echoed in the pit of her stomach; she had offended him. Why should she care? Nevertheless, she watched him retreat down the hill toward his son. Such a mystery.

The creative process is fascinating. We all have our own ways of creating our art, whether it be painting, sewing, decorating, gardening, or cooking. What do you do when inspiration has disappeared? I'd love to hear from you. 

Five Fabulous Books for $.99 Cents. Sale Ends January 29th

                            Nook or Kindle--Download to your favorite reading device

A Heart Made for Love: https://amzn.to/397PLDt    

 https://bit.ly/3bMHeJ3 Barnes & Noble

Echoes of the Moon: https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Moon-Jennifer-Taylor/dp/1509217606

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../echoes.../1127176715...

Siren Descending: https://www.amazon.com/Siren-Descending-Sirens-Book-2-ebook/dp/B082CMLGTF

Lord of Fire: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Fire-Wytchfae-Book-5-ebook/dp/B07DTHHG5H

Taming the Lyon: https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Lyon-Loretta-C-Rogers-ebook/dp/B073XZMY8M 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-lyon-loretta-c-rogers/1126834877?ean=2940158876738

Jennifer Taylor: A Woman of Many Talents

 

Jennifer Taylor is another fabulous Pen Dame. She is also an author with many talents. She sings, dances, and has a green thumb. She is also mom to a ginormous Great Dane named Bridget.

1.      Jennifer, tell us a little about your musical talent. Did you aspire to be a singer and a dancer?

 Hello, Loretta! Thanks for interviewing me today. That’s a great question. Music is in my bones-my mother was a singer and dancer, and my two brothers are both musicians. I grew up listening to music, my mom’s Goldfinger album, my sister’s Beach Boy albums. I spent hours in front of the mirror singing to my favorite tunes. I wanted-and still want to be--one of Elton John’s backup dancers. In elementary school, I started singing and dancing with a good friend who helped me come out of my shell. In college, I performed at Boblo Island Amusement Park, which was in the middle of the Detroit River. Singing is still a joy to me, and I sing to Bridget a lot with mixed results; sometimes she seems concerned that I may be having a fit of some sort.

2.      What are your favorite things to grow and do you have any special gardening secrets you’d like to share?

I love to grow cucumbers, and when I have a great yield it’s so satisfying. Sometimes gardening is sheer drama. One year I plant Pickle Barrel Hybrids and get a huge yield. Joy! The next year I am bereft of cucumbers. Despair! I am on a mission to grow some good tomatoes this winter. Lazy Housewife Beans (so lazy last year they didn’t sprout), cilantro, hot peppers and arugula for my husband. When you garden in Florida, you always have to deal with pests and mildew. My personal nemesis is the pickleworm. Gardening is relaxing to me and teaches me patience.

 

3. When did your writing journey begin and what drew you to writing?

It all started with music lyrics. I love how they fit together like a puzzle, and how they tell a story in four minutes or less. My childhood friend Diane and I memorized the entire lyrics to the 70’s version of Lost Horizon, and pretty much every song on the radio. I read constantly. It was an escape, an adventure, and introduced me to what good writing is. Wuthering Heights was the first historical romance I read. I thought how cool it would be to create a world of my own making. When my children were young, I tried my hand at children’s books and little plays I helped put on at school. It was a great learning experience.

3.      What are your writing must-haves (e.g. coffee, TV, music, popcorn, post-it notes, etc.)?

Lots of coffee, a content and sleeping Bridget, big strips of butcher paper to work out my plot, and very low instrumental music. If I’m close to a deadline, a Kinder Bueno candy bar saves the day. I have two six-foot folding tables for a desk, so I can spread things out. If my desk is neat, I must not be writing!

4.      What would you consider a perfect writing day for you?

A cottage or cabin on the wild Irish coast. My desk is right where I can see the storm raging. There’s a chill in the air, but a fireplace is roaring. That would do nicely.

5.      I am a travel-lover. What is the most favorite place you have traveled and why?

Ooh, that’s a tricky one. Edinburgh is one of my favorite places, with the castle ominously perched on a rocky cliff. If you walk the streets at night in Rye, England, you could be in the 15^th Century. Rye inspired the setting of my fictional town of King’s Harbour in my Rhythm of the Moon historical romance series. I also loved Nuremburg, Germany, the ancient city walls, the old churches, and the smell of beechwood in the air from the restaurants, the bratwurst, sauerkraut, amazing baked goods.  Food and travel definitely go together for me.

6.      If your books were to be made into a television series, who would you want to play the part of your hero, heroine and main secondary character, and why?

Benedict Cumberbatch would be great as my singer/apothecary hero, Ian. Especially since I found out he can sing. Jessica Brown Findley, who played Lady Edith in Downton Abbey, would work well for my heroine Maggie. Eva Green from the Penny Dreadful series would be amazing as the identical twins Elunid and Bethan.

7.      Besides writing, you also edit for a publishing company. What advice would you give newbie authors?

Read a lot, especially in the genre that you would like to write in. Keep a daily journal that will serve as a place to stash your ideas, your emotions through your writing journey. Don’t try to be perfect, and don’t compare yourself to others. Get those words on page every day, even if all you have is fifteen minutes. Turn off your inner editor for that first draft. Your story will likely go through many stages before it’s complete. And don’t give up.

Also, research the market, find out what publishing companies are looking for. Learn about the business end. And this is a big one: if an editor rejects your partial or your full manuscript but takes the time out of a busy schedule to email you with suggestions about your story, swallow your disappointment, give your manuscript a few days to rest, and then really consider what they have to say. Consider a rejection to be one step closer to publication.

Soak up craft books like Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel. Before you send your work to an editor, make sure it’s as free of grammatical and punctuation errors as possible. It’s all part of being a professional. And last of all, don’t get discouraged-enjoy the journey of writing your book. (Great advice, Jennifer.)

8.      Do you have any new writing projects on the horizon that you’d like to share with us?

Yes, it’s quite a change from writing historicals set in the 18^th Century. I’m continuing my Rhythm of the Moon series, but I’m currently working on a Redneck romance. It’s set in a fictional town in rural Florida

10. If you do have a new writing project, what was your inspiration for the book?

It all started with a picture of a man and his possum, and a postcard of a hot guy on a beach. I’ve lived in rural Florida for over thirty years, and I’ve been taking notes on this book since 2013. I’ve collected a ton of one-liners. It’s very fun to write.  . (This sounds intriguing. Being a Native Floridian, I’m looking forward to reading about what shenanigans you come up with.)

Thanks for having me on today, Loretta.

I’m sure readers will enjoy learning about your wit and sense of humor, Jennifer. You’ve really entertained us.

Okay viewers, it’s your turn. What question would you like to ask Jennifer? (Remember, no political, religious, or immoral questions. Keep it fun.)

 

Embarrassment, Anyone?

                                                       

From the beginning of my Rhythm of the Moon series, my hero, energetic and mischievous Ian Pierce, likes to get a rise out of the heroine, hard-working, practical Maggie. He lives to make her laugh and give her a break from her worldly cares. He sings, he jokes, and he is completely without inhibitions. He is an unusual hero in that he also uses humor and music to deflect tense situations. In the second book in the series, Heartbeat of the Moon, he impulsively purchases a painted gypsy wagon:

“The entire wagon was painted a bright yellow, bordered all round with red and blue flowers. In the center posed a shepherdess with a lamp in her arms, her bosom pouring out of her bodice like clotted cream.”

Mind you, it’s the 18^th Century. To make matters worse:

     “They walked through the crowd to the other side, and her jaw dropped open. In the center stood a ram with fierce eyes and horns, and gigantic stones hanging below his belly. His face seemed almost human, a lecherous grin upon his face.”

Maggie is beyond embarrassed. But from Ian’s view, this could be her midwife wagon, making her work easier. Plus, he dreamt of the two of them traveling the countryside, enjoying the scenery and each other. This goes on deaf ears. It will take Maggie a long time to get over her embarrassment.

Have you ever been embarrassed? I’ll go first: In the summer of 1980, I sang and danced at Boblo Island Amusement Park. Some of you might be familiar with this place-it doesn’t exist now. It’s a little island in the middle of the Detroit River. We took a ferry boat from Canada every morning.

There were six numbers in a half-hour show, and six costume changes. We had our costumes all lined up in a row. We had maybe thirty seconds to change costumes. Sometimes things go wrong. This was one of those times.

Remember the popularity of bodysuits and wraparound skirts? Think disco.

 We were grooving on the dance floor to a disco version of “I’ve Got Rhythm,” only it was “Boblo Rhythm.” (Erm) The theatre was packed. Suddenly, I felt a draft. I had lost my skirt. It was bunched up around my feet. Heat washed over me as the crowd enthusiastically roared. But there was only one thing to do. I smiled and kicked my skirt out of the way. The show must go on. You can bet I made sure my wraparound was tied securely next time.

That was probably my most public embarrassment. I have shared it with you. How about you? It’s your turn now. We definitely need a laugh in these times.

I can’t wait to hear from you.

 

Waxing Lachrymose:Why I Write Historicals

                                     

Poor Bridget. The world is a sad, sad place. If you look very closely, you can see one tear at the corner of her eye.  Every fiber of her being is Waxing Lachrymose. This is a term I first heard years and years ago when I read Wuthering Heights for the first time. And these odd phrases are part of the reason I write Historical Romance set in the 18th Century. I'm so lucky that this phrase originated around 1727 so I can use it.

Bridget is milking her sorrow for all it’s worth because I can't play. Someone who is Waxing Lachrymose is given to shedding tears. Even just saying it to myself with great emotion is so satisfying. 

I'm imagining different scenarios for you to use this great phrase:

You Wax Lachrymose after the boss dumps a pile of work on you.

After a disastrous football game, your son tells his teammates: “Don’t Wax Lachrymose, fellas, we’ll do better next week.”

When your air conditioner technician shows up late and it's 95 degrees outside: “Dang it! I’m going to Wax Lachrymose all over you.”

You get the idea. Imagine how much more intelligent we’d sound if we used this phrase. Instead of road rage, how about if we just roll down the window and yell, “Waxing Lachrymose at you, Sir!”

Here's another great word: Gimlet Eye. Bridget is a pro at this one.   If you give someone the Gimlet Eye, you're watching them intently, intensely, and may I add accusingly to that? In my Rhythm of the Moon series, Maggie gives Ian the gimlet eye, because he often perplexes her. But that's part of his charm. 

When your teenager stares at you as you fumble your way through a talk about sex, she is giving you the Gimlet Eye.  When she tells you she already knows all about that, you would likely give her the Gimlet Eye.

You know what else is cool? The first recorded use of this phrase is...wait for it...once again the 18th Century, but the word gimlet to describe a sharp tool originated in the 13th Century. 

I challenge you to use these phrases today in your daily life. Leave me a comment and let me know how it went. Spread the word. How would you use this word? Leave a comment. And feel free to share your favorite phrase-any century is welcome.

My Heroes: Flawed but Heroic, by Jennifer Taylor

Greetings! Welcome to another Pen Dame Blog

I write a Historical Romance series called Rhythm of the Moon. It’s set in an 18^th Century port town teaming with history and activity: pirates, smugglers, ne’er-do-wells, a rowdy, but welcoming ancient inn, and seekers of love and evil. Adventure is always rolling in, like the waves crashing against the dock of King’s Harbour. My mission is to give voice to heroes (and heroines) who may be flawed but gifted in their own way.

In the first book, Mercy of the Moon, midwife Maggie Wilson must face the harrowing challenge of reviving her beloved sister, who has suffered and survived the most horrifying ordeal imaginable. She is mysteriously altered. Coming to Maggie’s aid is the newly arrived Ian Pierce, home from his world travels to take over the family apothecary shop after his brother’s death.

Ian has returned from overseas, where he has been in search of a cure for his affliction, now called bipolar disorder. It is both his strength and his weakness. He pays his way around the world playing music and entertainment. He has boundless energy and brilliant good humor in his good days and suffers from debilitating melancholy in the worst of times. He experiences the beauty of boundless energy and the black hole of despair.

How can someone like Ian be a hero? From the first sight of her, he is determined to treasure and care for her. The power of his music mesmerizes and opens Maggie up to emotions she never dared hope to feel. He makes this hard-working and selfless woman the townspeople call “the workhorse” feel treasured for the first time in her life. He makes her laugh with his uninhibited joy and energy. He uses humor and music to deflect conflict and make the town a safer place. And when Maggie needs him most, he gives his all to protect her.

As they work together to fight superstition and evil, their attraction grows.

Mercy of the Moon is the first in the series about challenged and deserving heroes and heroines.

 https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Moon-Rhythm-Jennifer-Taylor-ebook/dp/B00O0EPZCA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mercy+of+the+moon+jennifer+taylor&qid=1591810947&sr=8-1