Month of Love: Heartbeat of the Moon

For February, the Pen Dames are each taking a week to highlight one of our books. Of course, the theme this month is Love.

Heartbeat of the Moon is Book #2 in my Rhythm of the Moon series. It's a historical romance that features a midwife and a musician and apothecary who suffers from bipolar disorder. 

What does love mean to me? Love is about accepting each other's flaws and weaknesses. My stories reflect that even those of us who aren't "perfect" deserve a chance at love. We all have our struggles; we all make mistakes. Love is forgiving. And sometimes love requires strength and mercy. The following excerpt reflects my two main characters, Maggie and Ian, as they work toward understanding each other's complexities. After a long trip, Ian had returned with a precious book by the great Greek doctor and philosopher Galen. He is very excited.

     She could not help but be wrapped up in his enthusiasm. "How interesting. I will look forward to reading it, when I am not so busy."

     He cocked his head. "I will read it to you later."

     She scowled. "Read it to me? Am I a child of five? You know I can read, well or better than you." The old woman who had schooled her in midwifery had also taught her to read. "Do you think I am not intelligent enough to understand it?"

     He grinned, tapping his fingers on the counter.

     Aggravation prickled her skin like stinging nettles.

     His eyes followed the blush burning from her cheeks to her bosom. He stepped back in mock alarm, and she gave in to her rage. Insufferable man!

     "Do you think you are far smarter than I? Do you think because you have traveled to the ends of the earth, seeing more in one trip than I have seen in my life, you can lord it over me?"

     His lips quivered. God help him if he smiled. He reached out his hand, and she backed away.

     "I will not be patronized like a child. Read it to me?"

     He grasped her hands and brought them to his lips, despite her struggle. "Maggie."

     Did he think her nothing but a lowly midwife from London's slums? What kind of rare women did he meet, traveling so far away from her, for him to think of her in such a way?

     "Maggie."

     His voice caressed her inside with long, slow strokes. His lips lingered enticingly near, firm, long, and tilting at the corners. He had a small nick on his chin from shaving. 

     "What?" God curse her, she squeaked.

     "It is written in Greek."

                                                                      ****

Love endures, through setbacks and misunderstandings, and requires humor, kindness, and self-love to survive. 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. 

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.