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.

 

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