Happy July from Julie Arduini! I hope despite the unpredictable nature of 2020, your summer has been a blessing so far.
Today I’m excited to introduce you to a romance author I really enjoy—LoRee Peery. We’re in a critique group together and I love how she challenges me to grow in my work. I recently critiqued her contemporary romance, Repurposed, and that really struck a chord for me. I think weight/image/eating disorders need to be tackled in romance, and Repurposed does just that.
Here’s a blurb:
Talia Ashby is a perfectionistic data analyst who, on occasion, sees her “fat” self when she looks in the mirror. As a svelte former obese girl, she reunites with her secret teen crush, now a pastor in the church she attends.
Cooper Valiant is dazzled upon meeting a high school friend he doesn’t immediately recognize due to her drastic weight loss. Since his sister had an eating disorder, he’d often felt empathy toward Talia as classmates teased and bullied her. In his pastorate position, he asks her to help girls in the youth group come to grips with body-image.
While working with the girls, Talia’s recollections of youthful hurts stir up past insecurities. She must reassess her spiritual journey, and what bothers her in the present.
I asked LoRee to share a little something with you today, and I love the questions she asks herself when she’s writing. Share what you’ve tried new lately in the comments and I’ll choose a winner to receive a Kindle version of Repurposed, USA winner. Thanks, LoRee for sharing!
Tried Anything New Lately?
I once jotted in a notebook: nothing ever stands still. You either grow or you die. The old adage that we’re never too old to learn something new applies if we don’t want to live a stagnant life.
For me, being productive is pretty much impossible without goals. My two new goals pertained to how I planned to begin a project in 2014 and what I aimed to accomplish by the end of November that year.
I had written “The End” on ten novel/novella manuscripts before I began brainstorming the eleventh with “what if?” all I had for my new project was a setting, on an acreage with a barn that intrigued me, and a vague idea. What if my heroine went back in time? What if she found herself on a historical ranch in the same spot? I brainstormed for three days by playing “what if?” over and over. I knew where I was going with each chapter. Accomplished. Whew.
Now, I was a proofreader-slash-editorial assistant for twenty years on the job. My old writing process, which I can’t see myself going back to, was writing, printing that day’s work, and editing that night during TV commercials.
At first, it was so tempting to end my daily writing session with a print-out. Instead, I stopped each day with a question, a scene note, or marked where to begin with such and such the following day.
It worked. I learned two new things about myself. First, I stepped out of my contemporary romance genre. And second, I can set down a whole first draft without editing along the way.
In some ways it’s hard to accept that was six years ago already. It may be unfortunate that I’ve had no inklings to return to a ranch at the turn of the 20th century. As far as the time travel goes, it took a while to get it contracted in the Christian fiction world. I was advised to either write it as a historical or set the barn on a farm rather than a ranch.
The (then) new process of completing a first draft kept me in the creative honeymoon stage of a new story. For a month, I looked at life through the eyes of my hero and heroine. I lived in a particular setting based on a place where I had been and experienced for real. I continued to have an excited I-love-what-I’m-doing perspective each time I married what I knew of country life with my imaginary historical ranch.
The editing stage made me laugh at myself. On one of my passes, I ran across the word sanity instead of sanitary, referring to an outhouse. (Which I used on my childhood farm until age ten.)
Another thing that happened during editing, is the spoiled rancher’s daughter nudged my subconscious for her story to be told. My editor had a change of heart and offered a contract, along with its sequel, in 2018. Coming in August is Phoebe’s story in Future of My Heart.
Time travel still whispers to me, so Hiding from Christmas was my 2019 Christmas Extravaganza novelette. And I have an idea for 2021 where the heroine goes back in time.
Enough about me. Each writer has a unique story because God ordains a one-of-a-kind journey for each of His children.
Have you tried anything new lately?
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LoRee’s newest release, Cowboy Just in Time, features a contemporary heroine with a twist. Check it out!
LoRee Peery/Twitter
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past. The last book in the series, ENGAGED: Surrendering the Future, is coming soon. She also shares her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She also blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband, two children, and chocolate stash. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com.
I do like time travel stories.
Yes, I started a dance class a few weeks ago, lol, we may not be the best coordinated bunch but a great time is had by all!
I learn something new almost every day, it seems!! Especially this time of year as I do my re-certifications with the insurance companies whose products I sell. Every year we have to do testing that we have to pass before we can sell for the next year. I learned a few new things that will be changing for next year. I find new recipes I want to try, and used one last night. I think I need to read LoRee’s books, cause this is the 2nd time I’ve run across her in the past few days!!!
I’m not completely sure how to enter the giveaway. I have tried both watercoloring and collaborating with other authors in the past year.
I find the premise for LoRee’s new series really interesting!
Good for you, Dianne! Everyone in my family is so graceful at dancing but me!
Trudy,
My mom worked for Prudential for many years so I remember her needing to know the latest as well. I think new recipes is a great way to try something new. I love LoRee’s work. I think you will, too!
You just entered, Lila! All you had to do was leave a comment about what new thing have you tried lately. Those are great things you’ve done!
Mary, I’m so glad you like them. Those I’ve read are as different as the authors who penned them.
Thanks so much, Julie.
Ah, the cyber world. Internet connection was out here in my little piece of country this morning, so I’m especially glad to be responding now.
Dianne, I love that! I could do the twist and all those crazy sixties moves, but I’m not very coordinated dancing cheek to cheek. Good for you!
Trudy, my hubby sold insurance for over 40 years. I’ll be lost when it’s up to me. I’m glad to know you’ve seen my name more than once.
Lila, watercolors reminds me of country school days. I always used too much water. I’ve been in anthologies and Kindle book sets, but never collaborated on a story with another author.
Thanks to all who have adventured with something new, and thanks, Julie, for your invitation to appear on Inspy Romance. I wish all readers a wonderful day and excitement over life itself.
Thanks for sharing, LoRee! I hope you met some new friends today here at Inspy Romance.
It’s a pleasure to be here, and I love meeting new friends.
Probably the biggest new thing for me is writing a novel. I’ve been at it since last December and am a little over half way on the writing and first round of scene planning pretty much done. So many interesting things to learn. I’ve even discovered that I already knew some of it. I just didn’t know how it applied. Somewhere, long ago, I came across the adage, “The one who grabs the bull by the horns gathers information 2 to 3 times faster than the one who doesn’t” (Pretty sure they were talking about real bulls, LOL).
Hi, Lincoln. Congratulations on tackling your first novel. You must be an avid reader, because some hidden aspect of writing comes from reading those millions of words over the years.
You made me laugh with the image of grabbing a bull. Since I’m a farm girl, I had a flash of a Holstein bull taking after my younger brother and Dad jumping the six-foot corral fence to rescue him. Then Dad bought an Angus bull, much more docile.
There’s nothing docile about writing a book. I’m sure you’ve learned that it isn’t an easy task.
Haven’t tried anything new lately.
Good for you, Lincoln! It is a hard, hard endeavor, but so worth it. I love the adage!
It’s not too late, Denise! But then again, as challenging as this year has been, it’s okay to stay steady, too.
I have not tried anything new, seems I don’t have energy for it lately. Honestly, for me (probably like a lot of people), 2020 has just been a year where it’s good enough to just to get through each day! That’s about all I can do, really.
I’m happy to hear about your writing process & how it has developed over the years! A writers life is always fascinating to me :-)
Denise, that’s okay. Just keep your eyes and heart open for the opportunity. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Trixi. I found it quite interesting that with a “forced” stay-at-home situation, my motivation to write was laughable. Then again, I was surprised by the need for a shoulder replacement and am still dealing with a broken shoulder bone that is not healing. Life always tosses us the unexpected.