WINDOW TO THE SOUL

Linda Swift is our guest today. She has had over 100 poems published and won numerous awards for her work. She is a lifetime member and former president of the Kentucky State Poetry Society .

She maintains a Poetry Page on her website at http://www.lindaswift.net/  . Her collection of poems, HUMANLY SPEAKING, Conversations With God, will soon be released as a e-book and in print by Willow Moon Publishing. (posted by Celia Yeary)

WINDOW TO THE SOUL

Linda Swift

I'm honored to be included in this HEA Week of Poetry blog And it's fortunate that I am required to submit my comments before reading the Poetry Week's other contributors or I'd probably disqualify myself. For I do not consider myself a poet. I write poems and I think there is a difference. Let me share my definition of the categories of this genre and you'll see why.

Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost are two examples of poets; people who lived for their poetry which has proved timeless.  Some modern day poets will eventually be added to this list. Then there are those who write poems; people who have something to say from the heart that touches other hearts. Next are the verse writers. Think Hallmark greetings here.

My own definition is that poetry is a window to the soul. I write many types of fiction; novels, short stories, articles and plays. I am involved with each piece I create but I am more emotionally invested in each poem I write. Let me give you an example. I once read a 7,000 word "short" story to an audience of two hundred professional authors at an Indiana U. Writers' Conference and didn't have a single tremor. But when I read a simple poem to a writer's group meeting of less than a dozen, I tend to hyperventilate. Why? Because my poems expose my innermost being.

When something touches me deeply, making me either sad or glad, I sometimes "write it out" in a short story. But if the feeling is so deep that it's hard to find words to express it, then I resort to poems. So perhaps my poems are in a sense my therapy.

http://willowmoonpublishing.com/  

The Holy Scriptures are filled with

beautiful stories of strong characters

who are role models for all of us. But

what about the weaker characters in

these ancient books? Those who were

least favored, those with obvious flaws.

Let's take a closer look at some of

them—Esau, Tamar, Jonah, Rahab—

and try to understand their actions.

Perhaps there are lessons to be

learned from their mistakes. You may

see some of the Bible's imperfect

people from a different point of view.

Have you ever wondered why Cain's

offering was rejected? Or if Jezebel

was as wicked as she first appeared?

How do you feel about Job's suffering?

Do you agree that Martha's role was

less important than Mary's?

Join the author in these conversations

with God if humanly speaking, you

have a need to know.

HUMANLY SPEAKING, LORD

Humanly speaking, Lord, there are many things

about the Holy Bible that bewilder me.

I don't mean philosophical issues

such as where Adam's sons got their wives

the date of Christ's second coming

an explanation of the Trinity

or whether to include the Apocrypha.

Nor am I concerned with the decency code

though the Old Testament has risque language

by anyone's standards, such as the expression

"All them that pisseth against the wall."

And I'm certain every Board of Education

has long ago banned all other books

that give explicit details of drunken orgies

evil spirits and devil worship

and daughters who seduce their fathers.

My questions deal with simple things,

Lord, but I hope you'll hear me out.

Now, regarding the parables that Jesus taught,

why would a man risk ninety-nine sheep

to look for one he might not find?

And why would those who labored for an hour

be worth as much as those who worked all day?

(I believe in equal work for equal pay)

Was it right for five wise virgins to deny

the foolish ones a share of light?

And who does not sympathize with the servant

having little, afraid to take a chance with it?

(It proves once again those who have, get more)

Was it wrong of the man who would follow Jesus

to want to say goodbye to his family?

(Isn't consideration and commitment Christian?)

And how could the prodigal's brother feel otherwise

when he had labored long and hard

but never had a feast in his honor

much less a ring and shoes and handsome robe?

Then there are all those stories

of disciples, saints, and sinners

whose actions and reactions perplex me so.

I don't mean to be sacrilegious, Lord

but humanly speaking, I have a need to know.

by Linda Swift

LOVE, Stalker of the Heart - A Collection of Poems

Poetry is a great outlet for emotions you shouldn't keep pent up. In my line of work, I work with a lot of teens and college students. Can you say DRAMA?

Several years ago, I worked with a group of young ladies who could have been in line for the Drama Queen award. Oh, some of it was real, some for attention and some for the competitive edge - you know, my problem is worse than yours. All this made for some rocky evenings at work.

I've always been the one the kids came to for advice and help, The emotional toll at times was more than I wanted to carry around.

The situations that never failed to get to me are when the girl/guy likes a guy/girl and is afraid to doing anything about it. You may not know it to glance at them, but if you really look, you can see in their eyes that they have their own private drama going on.

So, one day, I was driving down the road, heading to work. This one poem came to me so quickly that when I arrived at work, I wrote it on a piece of scrap paper and stuck it in a visor. Over the next few months, it seemed like I was doing more poetry writing than story writing.

I realized one day when I ran into an old friend, that she used to be one of these 'wear your heart on the sleeve' girls. Every generation of teens have the same issues, same drama and there are always going to be that one or two who experiences unrequited love. Even my oldest son went through it. It's all timeless, so last year, I put 43 of these poems together in a book titled, LOVE, Stalker of the Heart. Others will come out, at some point, in a different collection.

Here are a couple of poems from this collection.


WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE

There you are
At the stop sign
Our eyes meet
I'm mesmerized by your smile
You wave; I wave
Moments pass, you turn

What's it going to take
To break the barrier
Are you really satisfied
Are these chance meetings
Always going to be all there is

What's it going to take
You have to feel it too
I can't be alone in wonder
Do I force the issue
And, chance losing what there is

What's it going to take


---

CONFUSION AMIDST

Why does it happen
I think of you often
Wherever I go there you are
I sleep and you're in my dreams

I don't understand why
Or what it's supposed to mean
Something has to give
Can't you help me make sense

My heart aches, it doesn't know
If it's supposed to turn away
Or, try to take what I can't have
What you don't want to give

I don't want to hurt you
Some how, a way must be found
To find a way we both can survive
Our souls were meant to be together

Sorting out right and wrong
Could cost us the magic
That could keep us suspended
Searching for what's right here



LOVE, Stalker of the Heart is available at Amazon.

Oh, and the young lady on the cover is from the collection of my fav phototographer - Lev Dolgachov

Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/

The Shadow of a Dog I Can't Forget - Mary Eastham

I didn't choose poetry, it chose me with its spare, elegant language that stuns your psyche like a stray bullet. I think of myself as a storyteller who sometimes uses the format of poetry to tell a story. Oprah Winfrey, who until recently read very little poetry, now sees it as one of 100 THINGS THAT ARE GETTING BETTER because it is the key to modern conversation. In her book poemcrazy, Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge says poem-making is freeing your life with words. She sees poetic moments everywhere - on a night walk in the hills near her home, in a high school auditorium where she and her neighbors gathered to avert a stray tornado, and feathering through her geek friend's car-repair manual. Her book teaches all of us to be more spiritual and powerful with our words.

I write in fragments which is perfect for poetry-making and I love to sing and dance, which helps to give my poetry that FIVE...SIX...SEVEN...EIGHT... poetic rhythm. I can actually hear the beats in my head, telling me how many words it will take to finish a stanza. But mostly, I love poetry's forgiveness clause. I can move words around. I can 'kill my darlings', those beautiful words that JUST DON'T WORK to move a poem along and I can take that one good line, yes, sometimes it is only that, and start an altogether different poem or story.

My goal in writing this post is to bring you a few quick poetry tweaks to make you love whatever story you're working on. It can be as simple as thinking about an image or 'hook' that you begin and end each chapter with, something that makes your readers want to continue to turn the page. I get ideas for my poems everywhere - from a paint store's color wheel, (the higher end paint makers like Ralph Lauren have the coolest names), from the Sunday VOWS section of the New York or LA Times, where each announcement reads like a hero's journey, complete with the obstacles each couple faced in their struggles to stay together in their dating to marriage saga. One fun poetry assignment I was given was to go out onto a busy street or into a backyard garden, close my eyes, then try to describe for someone everything I heard around me. Kate Braverman, a phenomenal poet, had us keep a fragment file. Nearly ten years later, I refer to my fragment file often when I'm 'stuck' in a poem or story. It never fails me. I put everything in my fragment file - snippets of conversation I overhear, unusual names (I LOVE names!), ideas for future stories, great lines from books I admire. When I reread those wonderful lines, I am always inspired. The longer you keep your file, you will see themes that interest you as a writer popping up. It's what led me to the writing of my first novel, Night Surfing. Kate also reminded us that unlike writing scripts for movies, where characters have to MOVE, we can go inside our character's heads on the page. 'Have your characters WISH for something,' she told us, 'and then make it excruciating for them to get whatever it is they want'.

I was told to 'shamelessly' promote, so I would encourage you to check out my website at: www.RP-Author.com/MKE

I have been a Judge for the past decade in a wonderful writing contest here in San Francisco called the Soul-Making Literary Competition (http://www.soulmakingcontest.us/ ) The contest accepts entries in 12 categories and includes an Awards Reading at the Koret Auditorium in the San Francisco Main Library where it is taped for viewing on Access San Francisco TV. I was a First Place winner in the short story and poetry categories for two years and was then asked to be a Judge. After Judging in several categories, I started the Humor Category because I needed a good laugh! Next year I will be the Judge of the Flash Fiction Category.

I've included some of my favorite poets here in case you want to follow up: Kate Braverman, (she's the Queen of Darkness but BRILLIANT in her word and phrase imaginings), Lyn Lifshin, who I refer to as the Susan Lucci of the Po-Biz, this woman must write in her sleep, she is THAT prolific. There is not a topic she hasn't tackled in her work. I actually like the ten poems to open your heart compilation by Roger Housden. It's a good mix of great poet's work. I would encourage you to look up the work of former Nobel Laureate Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. I love reading both the Spanish and English versions of his work. Neruda asks the important questions of life like: Whom can I ask what I came to make happen in this world? And now, hold your applause please, I would like to end with one of my favorite poems, A Hymn for Wish, my SUPERSTAR poem, always winning something when I send it out. I love it best and most because it was inspired by an image I saw of a dog clinging to life on a narrow porch railing during the Katrina floods. I raise Golden Retrievers, so I just had to write this poem:

A HYMN FOR WISH

A sunset that was all blood, the dog
missing in the flood.
Wish, the boy I didn't know I needed
my smuggler of tangled hearts
popped living color into this blind man's life
lying with me every night on the grass
as we waited for restless stars imagined
to fling themselves steady and fast against a midnight moon.
Wish let me steal the best life and make it mine.
I love him the way you love cake for breakfast.
Alaskans have countless words to describe snow
and none to describe time.
The mind of a blind man has different tones, it's not our ruin
how can you miss what you never had?
Wish understands the melody in my soul
the haunted echoes released in fairy-tale riffs, my hymn for Wish.
If I could I would write this dog a love song every day.
People ask me, 'Why are you crying?'
I tell them if love were enough, he'd still be here.
I tell them my boy is standing on the rail of the porch
ears cocked, the water rising, waiting for my whispered 'Hello'.
'Find him,' I beg the rescuers
trying to describe for them, as if I ever can,
the place where he last loved me.

ISBN: 978-0-9727721-7-4

Published by: Robertson Publishing (RP)
https://www.robertsonpublishing.com/web-pages/order_form_secure.html

http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dog-I-Cant-Forget/dp/0972772170/ref=pd_rhf_p_4/102-9834702-0924930

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780972772174&itm=1#pDetails

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Dog-I-Cant-Forget/dp/0972772170/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226612347&sr=8-1

Thanks so much for letting me Guest Host.

Mary Eastham
http://rp-author.com/MKE/

Villanelles and Quarterns

Napa, California

by: Stephanie Burkhart

Just recently, I learned several different forms of poetry. I thought I'd share a couple of my poems with you for poetry week.

A VILLANELLE

This is a French form of poetry called the Villanelle.

This is a 19 line poem with the following rhyming scheme: aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa

The 1st and 3rd lines are repeated in alternating order and appear together in the last two lines.




THE VINES
The grapes grew wild and free.
He walked through the spiny vines,
Knowing the sun and soil were key.

The sunlight pierced the broad canopy.
He laid out his plan along careful lines.
The grapes grew wild and free.

The wind came, rattling the tree.
With deliberate precision, he placed his signs.
Knowing the sun and soil were key.

Frost brought his land to it's knees.
He blew heat on the readying vines.
The grapes grew wild and free.

Clouds covered the insects and bees.
He watched and waited in the lines.
Knowing the sun and soil were key.

The rain drove away the frost until he could see.
Round bulbs of fruit proved a hopeful sign.
The grapes grew wild and free,
Knowing the sun and soil were the key.

A QUARTERN

Wright Island Lighthouse
This is a French form of poetry similar to the Kyrielle. It's called a Quartern.

There are 16 lines, 4 quatrains.

A refrain is in a different line each quatrain. In the 1st quatrain it is in line 1, in the 2nd quatrain, it is in line 2. in the 3rd quatrain, it is in line 3, in the 4th quatrain, it is in line 4.

There are 8 syllables per line.

It does not follow a set rhyme scheme.


The Romance of Wright Island Light

Bright white beams pierced the dark night.
A humble fisherman came bold,
wanting a reprieve from the cold.
She took him in from the sea's sight.

A fire blazed in a warm room.
Bright white beams pierced the dark night.
A summer's gale whipped up fright.
The bricks stood the time under the moon.

Crack! Hiss! Pop! Cold flesh to shiver.
Arms entwined, seeking warmth, feeling right.
Bright white beams pierced the dark night.
Passion flamed in blissful rivers.

He had to leave by the light of dawn.
Sweet promises he gave to return.
She closed the door, heart beating tight.
Bright white beams pierced the dark night.

Sticking to your story...

How much should you be willing to change a story to fit a publisher's preferences?

I wrote a story a while back and had a certain vision and plan for it. I was happy with it, felt if was perfect and said what I wanted it to say. I found a publisher I liked and respected, and who was willing to take my story on...in part as I had envisioned it.

Their requests were not unreasonable and they were polite in saying, change this if you still want it published here.

I decided a little change was not a huge deal. I guess the more time that passed after writing the story, the less attached I was to it's idea. So I changed a little, and still felt okay about it. Then there was more to change, and more and suddenly the story is not what I had written. Still a good story, but not what I had envisioned for it.

I don't feel like I changed too much, since I am happy with the way it is now. I just wonder if I gave in a little too easily on my original idea of the story.

How much should one change a story to fit a publisher's ideal?

Booksigning - Fun Outside the Box

For the last two years, I've come across e-authors discussing book signings.

Cant it be done? How?

Also thrown about was pros and cons, more cons than pros from those who've done them.

It's always disheartening to hear marketing options don't bring sales or don't work, or can't work for e-authors. Are we in this business to admit defeat? No. I'm sure you've heard the saying, 'Where there's will, there's a way'. Sometimes it takes brainstorming with others to find the way, but isn't the 'will' always there?

I'm no expert, but while most if not all of us have written several books before we actually learned how to write them are doing the same thing with marketing. Jumping in without the knowledge of what we're attempting. So, yes, failure comes or if luck is with you, you don't.

Marketing takes knowledge and a willingness to fail as long as you're determined to get back on that horse.

Yes - major guts, too. The mere thought of putting myself out there and stumbling terrifies the skin right off me. And for the record, I don't have much skin left. I've been scared a lot.

I think most of us are inherently shy and afraid of getting out from behind our computers and coming face-to-face with public.

It's amazing how I've managed to be in a people business for nearly thirty-four years. I never really thought about it until we moved back home and I was faced with people who knew the real me, the shy girl who became distraught at the mere request to stand before my peers and spew words. Everyone knows how intimidating and cruel school-age peers can be.

But then I realized when I'm at work I put on a persona much like an actor does when he's playing a character. I'm still me, but not the real me. The personality that remains behind the shield steps out and is able to chat, flirt and laugh with the customers. I recall one evening I was waiting on a older couple. He was primed and ready for a good time. So, he asked me what my name was. I pointed to my name tag and said, "Well, some days I go by what's on my name tag, but tonight, I feel like a Cindy." He laughed. Later, one of my co-workers came up to me and said my table was asking for their server, a girl names Cindy. I laughed went to tend his need.

You can be whoever you need to be to get the job done. The key is to have fun doing it. A work place without fun is not a place where I want to spend my time.

So, put on your fun cap and put all you've ever heard about book signings away.


Ok, with me so far. ;)

The first thing we must decide is "Yes, I'm doing. I'm taking the plunge."

That was easy, wasn't it?

Now get out that calendar or date book and thumb through three months from now - choose a date, one that's hopefully around a holiday of some kind, but keep in mind Monday-Fridays are usually not busy days for businesses where you'll want to consider. Got one? All right, now skip to the next month and choose another date. It's always best to have another in mind in case you can't have the first one.

So, now you've decided to do it and you have dates in mind. Now here's the biggy. Where are you going to set up your book signing event?

Bookstore, of course. Not necessarily. This is where I'm going to throw a wrench into traditional thinking. Ha - have you ever known me to be traditional?

The places for book signings are as endless as the roots of a hundred year old oak tree.

When it comes to the business end of planning, my mind works it. Executing - me usually gets in the way.

So, while me is in a time out, I've thought about many places where it's possible to do signings.

Summer Activities:

Flea Markets - we have a centralized location in the city that has indoor and outdoor sales. When we lived in Georgia, Smiley's Market was huge and a fun place to spend a few hours on a Saturday. You could find everything under the sun.

Community Sales - these are fairly common just about anywhere. Whether or not it's held in a centralized location such as a city park or if the whole town sets up tables in their driveways.

Festivals - it seems every small community has one throughout late spring.

Fundraisers - donate a portion or all of your profits to the cause.

These are all things I've come up with, but in my research of book signing how-to's, I came across Lulu University in one of my newsletter. It was fate I found it when I did, because the next two classes were about doing book signing and thinking outside the box. Can you see me smiling?

In these two classes, I heard about 'tying your book to a theme' -- while it's easier to tie non-fiction to these, it's so doable to fiction.

For instance, my first two books are set around a restaurant, so it's possible to do book signings at restaurants and coffee shops. My first three books are set in the same locale for the most part. Who doesn't like read stories set in a land they live in?

For historical authors, why not do Renaissance Fairs, Historical Societies as well as the above.

If your hero is a techno geek, hit up electronic stores.

If you write children's books -- Chuck E Cheese.

Horror, Mystery and the like -- what about Haunted Houses around Halloween?

Movie stores -- this is something I could also do with my books -- there are many wonderful movies with a restaurant setting. Pair your books with movies.

Card shops - especially around Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day -- people love special gifts, especially if they were acquired straight from the author and signed.

Let your mind fly and run with it.

Now, you have the will-to, the dates, places lined up. How do you get them to agree?

This is where the work begins. You need to realize one thing about book signings. It's not about sales. It's about what your presence will do for the venue and why should the reader be interested in your books.

Figure these two things out and you're on your way to success. Once you've secured the date, find out what they'll do, which usually isn't as much as you will do. Yeah, it figures. lol This is the time to find out if the bookstore will order books or not, chances are if they are POD, they won't order them. That's ok, you can order them via your publisher. I'd order no less than fifty. It's never wise to be caught without books.

Next:

Marketing the Event

Have some bag stuffers made up with your logo or a book cover with the event information - these can be placed at various businesses to be placed in the bags during checkout.

Posters with your book covers and event information to hang in the venues window and possibly other places.

Send notices out radio and newspaper - they should advertise your event for free.

Take advantage of freebie papers. Many are on stands inside of the door of businesses, or outside. While you may think no one reads these, they often have a larger readership than your daily paper.

Day of Event:

Always arrive at least forty-five minutes early to set-up and hand out 'event today' cards. Unless of course, it's a community event where you're surrounded by other vendors then you can forgo the 'event today' cards.

Go in with no less than twenty-five books, but have a stash in your car in case you sell-out. It's never good to be caught without books.

Have freebies on the table - a dish of wrapped candy, magnets, bookmarks, pamphlets about your books, etc. Even have give away bags with promo items from various authors in them. People love free stuff - give until it hurts.

Do have a email sign up sheet even if you don't have a newsletter as yet.

Also, if your rights are not tied up with your contract, have your book turned into audio or place it on a CD and have them out on the table.

Something I thought would be nice and for me though with a little expense, but I think quite worth it. Since I have candles made for each of my books, I could have them on display with their respective book and have some on hand to sell. Also, for my latest book, a man's fragrance was made available with the same scent as the candle. So, if you have anything like that - display it.

Last but not least - at the end of your signing -- never pack up your books and take them with you unless it's a community sale or similar. If it's a business, discuss leaving your books on consignment. Now, the standard rate for consignment is the venue gets 40% of the retail price.

I'd heard about consignments a couple of weeks ago from another author and thought, wow - books on consignment. I'd heard of jewelry and clothing. I have a friend who has jewelry in three local shops on consignment and she mentioned I should put my books there as well -- I honestly didn't think it was possible. See, you learn something every day.

One biggy before I leave the consignment bit - NEVER LEAVE UNSIGNED BOOKS -- sign and date them before you leave them with the venue. Signed books cannot be returned, if the venue had purchased them for the event.

What to do during event? This is important. I've seriously avoided author signings in bookstores because they look unapproachable. Don't sit at the table unless you do have people there and you're signing book after book. Get up, move around, talk to people. People are generally interested in how why you write and how did you become published. Be interesting, not boring. Don't look bored even if you are.

How's that? Have I got you all excited to get out and try it?

I have the excitement, the will, but me is in the way. So, a while back, I thought maybe I'd like to do it with another author. Chicken, oh yeah. I was thrilled to hear it recommended. It could be fun. And the other author doesn't have to be of the same genre. The two of you could have some interesting conversation that could draw people over -- talking about the differences of our genres, why you love the genre you write and so on. My dilemma has been finding local published fiction authors. I know some who live more than an hour away. Like your states, I'm sure, mine is full of published writers. However, the key is being local - the media loves the local author angle.

I have a press release I've been holding onto, basically because I want to have my ducks in a row. They say a these can lead to an interview and the type of release I want to put it isn't necessarily about me or my books, but to educate my locals on digital publishing. Then I saw the Lulu classes and thought, this is what I need to build my knowledge.

I really recommend everyone check out Lulu University. It's really simple to sit and listen to the classes. They are jam packed full of information. This years can be found on their blog.


What do you think? Have you tried any of these? Other venues? Share your experiences with us.


Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net

Next month, August 4th, right here at HEA, I think I'm going to share what I learn about web marketing our books. Hopefully there will be some new information for us all.

Contemporary Romance – Contemplating the Sub-genre

Exactly what is a contemporary romance? Why are we so drawn to them? And why do we expect a “happily ever after”?

Let’s explore the definition of a romance novel. The very helpful folks at Rainbow Publishing state it in easy to understand terms:

A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending."

Okay, that takes care of romance, but what makes it a contemporary? Again they had a good answer ready for me:

Contemporary romance, which is set after World War II, is often what people mean when they refer to a romance novel. The largest of the romance novel subgenres, contemporary romance novels are set in the time in which they were written and usually reflect the mores of that time. As contemporary romance novels have grown to contain more complex plotting and more realistic characters, the line between this subgenre and the genre of women's fiction has blurred. Most contemporary romance novels contain elements which date the books, and the majority of them eventually become irrelevant to more modern readers and go out of print. Those which survive the test of time, such as the works of Jane Austen are often reclassified as historical romances.

Information courtesy of: Rainbow Publishing
http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Genre%20Romance.htm

It is difficult for me to imagine the works of Jane Austen ever being considered contemporary romance. Does this mean in several years my novels will be reclassified as Historical romances, if they survive that long? My two young granddaughters will hopefully someday read my novels. Will they giggle at the old-fashioned terms and ideas while they wonder about the antiquated vehicles and communication devices? Will I have described the settings and the particulars of my place in time enough for them to envision what life was like for their grandmother?

In considering why I write contemporary romance, I wondered what it is about the stories that appeal to me and to readers. Why are we drawn to a modern story when we are living it?

The truth is most of us don’t live exciting or adventurous lives. We work, care for our families, eat, sleep, and vacation once or twice a year. We struggle to pay our bills, take care of our responsibilities, and get ahead in our little corner of society. Our lives are spent rushing from one appointment or obligation to another or in endless tasks we repeat over and over. Does anyone else hate doing the laundry and dirty dishes as much as I do? Not to say we don’t enjoy life; we do. But in most cases our lives have a sameness, an ordinary day-to-day rhythm and flow, a continual cycle we fall into whether from necessity or habit.

When we take the time to relax, many of us want to read about someone who has taken our life and done something extraordinary with it. We want to escape into entertaining situations and page-turning plots. I reach for a contemporary romance 90% of the time. A setting and a time period I can identify with are necessities. Then I require well-developed characters. Not just hero types, mind you, but people with flaws and weaknesses they can and do overcome to become a better person by the end of the story.

And what better way to evolve into a better person than by meeting, and struggling to be with, their true love? I like secondary characters similar to my friends and neighbors who are part of that life, keeping it down-to-earth and homey. I want to discover ordinary people, like us, dropped into extraordinary circumstances and how they deal with it while they grow as a person, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

Why do we expect a “happily ever after”? Or as the definition at the beginning said, we require an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending."

I believe the concept goes back to the centuries’ old battle between good and evil, the dominating human spirit that believes we can attain true happiness against all odds, and our striving toward that goal. We want situations to work out for the best, we insist the couple wins over all obstacles, and we have to believe it is possible for not only the characters in the book, but for us as well. For me personally, I always regret putting my effort, time, and money into a read with a parting of the ways at the end, or a so-so, maybe they will, maybe they won’t resolution. I want a definite description, a defining moment when I know it will be all right, a no doubt about it “happily ever after.”

I write what I know and enjoy which is primarily contemporary romance. I hope you will find my books prime examples of contemporary romance in many of its sub-genres.

Surviving With Love – nominated for LASR’s Best Book of 2009

An independent female tracker must join forces with an ex-military hostage rescuer to save two boys. Sparks fly from their first meeting. Then when they think the mission is over, fate steps in...

Looking Through The Mist

Psychic Jessica Wilder was a consultant for the FBI until she suffered burnout. She starts a new life for herself. Suddenly, the visions are back with a vengeance — children are being kidnapped. How can she not try to save the children? Detective Jonathan Lansing doesn't believe in psychics. Can the woman in front of him help? Or is she involved?

Following Destiny

Down on her luck, Andrea Duncan inherits a house and a very special ring from her grandmother. Suddenly she is hearing voices and discovers the ring opens a portal allowing her ancestors to speak to her. A friendly local Sheriff and a mutt named Heidi bring laughter and love into her life. But then she crosses paths with a serial killer. Must Andrea die in order to follow her destiny?

Seeking Shelter

Brigham Montgomery buys a rogue stallion and a world of trouble. Being the boss of a working ranch isn't easy either. Loss and fear sends Kat to South Dakota searching for the one friend she has left in the world - a special horse - a horse someone wants dead. A stable fire, gunshots, and two greedy men bring Brig and Kat together in a way neither would ever imagine.

Find these books by Rebecca J. Vickery at the following locations:
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/authorrebeccajvickery
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Rebecca%20J.%20Vickery
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Lulu http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=56149312

Contact Rebecca at booksbyrebecca@yahoo.com