Finally, the talented Edwina Cowgill joins us! See her website and blog here! From Edwina: My husband, Dave, and I went on a “mini-vacation” over the Memorial Day weekend. We drove to Savannah, Georgia, which is about a four hour ride from where we live. Needless to say, the radio was on for the entire trip. Dave loves the ole’ time radio programs – those mysteries that are “acted” out over the microphones. Programs such as Dragnet and Sam Spade. Personally, I don’t care for the programs that much. I’m more of a visual person – I want to either read the story and visualize it in my...
Story Behind the Story: Heidi Chiavaroli
Here is the “Story behind the Story” from my fellow WWII-writer, Heidi Chiavaroli! Visit her blog here! From Heidi: At the age of nineteen, I remember grieving my great-great-grandmother’s death. She was 102, born in the year 1898. I was sad for the loss, of course, but sadder still to think I hadn’t taken advantage of the time I’d had with her. Asked her questions. What was it like to be a child in 1908? How did it feel to be married during the turbulent times of WWI? To watch a grandchild be born with a second World War raging overseas? She was history. Personal history that I...
Story behind the Story: Sandra Ardoin
This week, I’m featuring the “Story Behind the Story” of my three critique group partners. First up – going alphabetically – is the marvelous Sandy Ardoin! Visit her blog and website here. From Sandy: How does a novel take over twenty years to write? I admit to being slow, but that’s a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? Shortly after I first started writing twenty-three years ago, I gave myself an assignment to be read by my class. I wanted to “practice” writing mood and description, so I created a nineteenth century mysterious, slightly shady character who rides into town and checks into a hotel without revealing his name or...
Story behind the Story: Diana Symons
A few years ago, I had been laid off from work and wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I started a novel, which sadly, I didn’t finish. Then one day, like a bolt from the sky, I realized that I had forgotten my best friend’s birthday – not by days or weeks, but by months! She never said anything! I was horrified and racked my brain trying to think of what I could do to make it up to her. I was broke so I had to be creative about it. I decided to write her fairytale. Then I hand bound it with jewels on the cover. It...
Story Behind the Story: Caitlin Muir
Goodbye Mr. 7:45 was sparked by a game of “what if.” As a young and bored barista, I met many men at the coffee shop that I worked at. Some were good, some were horrible, and all of them had stories. Mr. 7:45 is based on a specific guy I had the hugest crush on but everything that happens in the story is purely fictional! Like Bailey, I was quite smitten with my own Mr. 7:45. Yes, there really are people that predictable in the world. He came in every day at exactly 7:45 in the morning. He would order his drink and then chat with me while I made...