Beach Trees--ARC Review

Blurb: From the time she was twelve, Julie Holt knew what a random tragedy can do to a family. At that tender age, her little sister disappeared-never to be found. It was a loss that slowly eroded the family bonds she once relied on. As an adult with a prestigious job in the arts, Julie meets a struggling artist who reminds her so much of her sister, she can't help feeling protective. It is a friendship that begins a long and painful process of healing for Julie, leading her to a house on the Gulf Coast, ravaged by hurricane Katrina, and to stories of family that take her deep into the past.

The Beach Trees, by Karen White

The Beach Trees is written with emotion, polished with amazing descriptive scenes, and takes the reader into a world of survival. Julie struggles with her guilt over her sister's disappearance, but continues her search while starting a new life as guardian of, Beau, a child belonging to her dead best friend, Monica. Julie packs up her life, straps little Beau into his car seat and moves to Monica's hometown of New Orleans.  The descriptive landscape of life after hurricane Katrina is so vivid, I could nearly smell the earthy smell of the town. The characters throughout the story are well developed. I love the way this story carries the reader onward, always rooting for Julie to discover her inner demons, and finally settle down.

The way the author delves into two different people's past-- Beau's newly discovered great-grandmother, Aimee Guidry and the main character Julie--the transitions are seamless.  Though the story goes from present day to the past several times, I was able to travel with the characters. This talented author tied all the lives together in imaginative ways. Secrets unfold throughout the story, but only enough to peak my interest and pull me deeper into the plot.  I was a bit sad at the last page. I found myself missing the characters when I closed the book.  I highly recommend The Beach Trees. If I could rate it with ten stars, I would.  
~*~Summer Wench

Sumshine Saturday~*~Through the Wringer

Impatient for the washer to finish, I lifted the lid.  I watched the clothes slowly come to a stop, and wished my life would come out of a spin cycle, if only for a day.

Does creative energy dissipate when life whips insanity into the mix? No, I can't say it does. Not for this writer anyway.

Writing about the day, be it a happy or hectic, puts things in perspective.  Stress seems to release its clutch on my insides and flows from my mind, spilling its agony, craziness or pure ecstasy onto my paper. Usually, while scribbling the events of the day in my journal, an idea sparks… then flames.

 Burning to create whatever my mind just conjured, I flip open my laptop and begin to type, forgetting about the spin cycle of life. That is what is so great about the life of a writer. Stress is a means to a wonderful novel, blog or short story.

When you feel like pulling your hair out (or someone elses) try starting a story instead. You'll feel better and create something to share. 

SumShine Saturday~I mean, really...

"Why would someone sit, hour after hour tapping on a keyboard?"

  "How could someone possibly forget to eat?"

  "You just poured pasta in the sink--without a strainer.  Where is your mind?"

 And my favorite: "I mean really, who does that?"

 These are just a few questions my family directs my way.  (Except for the pasta, I switch that up with cereal in the fridge or milk in the cabinet.) Of course, they ask with a smile and a shake of the head. They are supportive of my writing, though they do not understand for a minute why anyone would spend hours writing only to rewrite it again … and again.  My drive is relentless and my family can see I am happiest when I write, so I guess they are supportive because they love me. Besides, it gives them time to boil more pasta.

Many nights, I kiss my kids and hubby goodnight with the intention of editing "just one chapter" before I go to bed.  With a cast-off Pooh Bear blanket about my shoulder, I begin--then I end up telling myself, I can't simply stop in the middle of an idea, I must rewrite that sentence or the famous just one more chapter.  In what seems a couple of  hours, the lilac patterns on my living room curtains brighten. Only then do I realize I stayed up all night. On mornings like that, my daughter asks, "I mean really, who does that?"

When I actually do go to bed, there are times I wake in the middle of the night, ideas formulating for dialogue, conflict or a twist in plot.  My husband caught me scribbling once and asked me what I was doing at three in the morning. I told him I had a great idea and had to write it down. He grinned, gave me a kiss and said he just got an idea too.  I wonder if he knows I incorporated his hot idea in my novel.

I mean really, who does that?

~*Summer Wench

photo by graur razvan ionut

SumShine Saturday ~*~Shadows of the Sunrise

    

Cleaning my attic began as a chore, until I came across a box of memories.  Inside, I found my old journal, wedged between a tin of keychain mementos and a scrapbook. 

The single bulb illuminated the past while I sat among the cobwebs and boxes reading the perfectly slanted words. My penmanship seemed to contradict the life I was living at that time. I found myself feeling sorry for the young woman … as if someone else lived that part of my life. I packed the journal away, but the following words remained with me.

"Love shouldn't hurt like this. Life shouldn't be something I muddle through. It's abnormal to breathe a sigh of relief just because I wasn't harmed a day out of the week.  I refuse to stumble through the motions of existence any longer. I want to live. I want to stop watching sunrises with no color in my heart. I refuse to bear another day of darkness. Today, I will leave him. "

(I did. Moreover, years later a man who really loves me is by my side and in my heart.)

Why am I telling you this? Because, moments in our lives are rich with suggestions for a story. I don't believe in writers block. There is inspiration in everything. Be it a breeze carrying the smell of lavender, sparking the scent of a character's hair … or like today, when the past creeps into the future, creating an idea for my next book.  

        ~*~Summer Wench

picture supplied  by dreamstime.com

SumShine Saturday~~Too many cooks won't spoil the pudding

Is there such a thing as too many minds working toward a goal? After setting up this blog site with my wenches, I found the answer to be no. Each wench, strong willed and full of opinions, made an effort to consider each other's input to make it a site to be proud of. 

We need to take the same attitude with our writing.

Consider joining a writers group. There are plenty of online writing communities if crowded gatherings are not your cup of wench ale. Critiques from other writers are, for the most part, honest. They can identify things you missed.  Sometimes a writer is too close to their work to see the flaws. Did I make that sound simple? Well, its not. You must prepare yourself. The first step—develop skin thicker than the film on yesterday's pudding.

 No one wants to hear his or her writing is … well, not perfect. After reading a critique, don't respond right away. Take a breath, put it aside and look at it the next day.  Does the feedback you initially perceived as negative now seem helpful?  Be objective.  I told you it isn't easy. In order to improve, you must take a risk, let others read your work, and graciously accept feedback. Take the critiques seriously! I'm not suggesting simply taking their word at face value. You need to validate input with your own research. When you incorporate what you learn into your writing, compare it to your first draft. You will see how valuable considering others input is.

Now, where is that pudding?

SumShine Saturday~~Rejections

Rejection, refusal, denial, rebuff, denunciation, dismissal, elimination--All these words mean the same thing. In this case, it means the answer to your query letter is NO.

 Rejections are a painful part of a writer's journey.  It's like running a marathon and falling just short of the finish line.  You can see where you want to be, but must have endurance to get up and continue.  The road to publication is full of skinned knees. I wish I could offer an easy fix to the pain of a negative response in your mailbox.  Rejection is so … so brutal. I know that, but it gets easier. I promise.

 No one outside the writing world really understands the reasoning behind the drive of a writer. They cannot fathom why anyone would submit their body and mind to self-imposed, sleep deprived, solitary confinement in front of a computer writing for hours at a time. Therefore, refrain from telling anyone other than your fellow writers about your rejections. They can't empathize. Fellow writers can. After accepting their hugs, place a band-aid over your ever-thickening skin and move forward.

   

Every writer receives rejection letters. Like baby steps, the first one is the hardest, the next a little easier, and then you do not stumble anymore. You persevere, and head to the post office with a new pile of queries. You will never receive an acceptance letter if you don't.

Post every rejection by your desk. Someday, you will smile and say, "Those are the steps it took to get to publication."

 

      ~*Summer