The Impact of Emotional Scenes by Jannine Gallant

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who cry over books, movies, TV shows, commercials... You get the picture. I'm a sap for the sentimental. But nothing hits me quite as hard as my own writing. When my heroine is in pain, I cry with her. Oh, some of you do that, too? Wow, what a relief. LOL Of course, taking it a step further, I always hope that my readers can feel a little of the emotion I do.

This month we're posting scenes that we consider "The Most." I'm going to give you the most emotional scene I've ever written, the one that always makes me cry. It's from my western historical romance, Bittersweet.

Here's the blurb first to give you an idea of what the book's about.

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

Excerpt:

Tess Moran stood at the stove stirring gravy in a skillet when a wagon pulled up outside. At her feet Shadow barked once and trotted to the door, his tail wagging.

“Rory’s home!” Tess smiled in delight. Her husband had been gone only a few days, but it seemed like an eternity without him.

“You missed him, too, didn’t you, boy.” She wiped her hands on her apron and smoothed back stray wisps of hair before opening the kitchen door. Anticipation sent her spirits soaring.

The sun sank below the horizon, creating a colorful backdrop for the man climbing down from the wagon, casting him in shadow. It wasn’t until he walked toward her that Tess realized it was her brother-in-law and not her husband who had come home. As much as the two men resembled each other, she would never mistake Daniel’s measured steps for Rory’s swagger.

As he approached, she wondered where Rory was. Uneasiness settled in her chest. The Gallagher buggy rounded the corner of the driveway and pulled to a stop near the wagon. Her father stepped down first and helped her mother to alight.

A cold wind blew through the barnyard. Tess folded her arms protectively around her bulging abdomen. Dread ate at her, steeling the last of her excitement. When Daniel reached her, she saw the lines of strain on his face and the pain in his steady blue eyes. She stared at the blood stains on his coat and caught her breath. Fear slammed through her, and she swayed on her feet. Dear Lord, what had happened?

“Where’s Rory?” Her parents stood one on either side of her, offering their support, but she had eyes only for Daniel. “Tell me where he is!”

He caught her hands between his and cleared his throat. “Outlaws held up the train. They shot Rory.”

The weight of the world crashed down on her. Surely this was all a dream. God couldn’t be so cruel. “Is he hurt? Where is he? Take me to him, Daniel.” Her breath came out in hard gasps.

His grip on her hands tightened. “He didn’t make it, Tess. I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry.”

She backed up a step. At her feet, Shadow whined. “No.” She shook her head, setting her long braid in motion. She wouldn’t listen to him. Daniel was wrong. He had to be wrong. Her gaze flickered over the bloodstains on his coat and darted away. Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed it down.

“Rory is strong. He’ll be fine. He wouldn’t leave me. Rory would never leave me. Take me to him!” Her shouted words carried on the wind.

“Come sit down, Tess,” her mother urged, her voice breaking. “Think of the baby.”

“No!” she cried. Her father reached out a steadying hand, but she lurched away from his grasp. Rory couldn’t be dead. She needed him. Tess clutched her belly. We need him. “Rory is alive. He has to be. Please tell me he’s alive, Daniel.” She looked into her brother-in-law’s tear-filled eyes, and his pain hit her like a fist in the gut. Emptiness engulfed her, gripping her heart in a hollow fist.

“I can’t, Tess. I’d give anything to tell you he is, but I can’t.”

“No, no, no,” she whimpered. “No!”

Her father raised a callused palm and stroked the back of her head. “Tess, honey, come inside.”

Tess didn’t answer. She pulled away from his embrace. Sobs wracked her body as grief overwhelmed her. She couldn’t imagine life without her strong, loving husband. She didn’t want to wake up in the morning if he wasn’t at her side. Rory was everything to her. He was her life.

A sudden, sharp pain stabbed her middle. Gasping, she pressed her hands to her abdomen and doubled over. Daniel rushed forward and caught her before she folded to the ground. Fear ripped through her with the pain. It was too early. The baby couldn’t come now.

“Tess, what is it?” her mother asked, her voice high and frightened.

“The baby,” she moaned. “It’s the baby.”

“Oh no!” Nora’s hand flew to her mouth. “It’s too soon. Wesley, we have to do something. It’s too soon!”

“I’ll go for Doc Fredericks.” Her father ran to the buggy and whipped the horses into a gallop.

Daniel lifted Tess in his arms and carried her toward the house. Over his shoulder, she watched the last of the sun’s dying rays fade against the earth. Rory was gone. She couldn’t lose his child, too. It was all she had left of him, her only reason to live. A mockingbird sang out as the sound of her father’s buggy disappeared in the distance. When another pain wracked her body she screamed.

       “Rory! Rory! Rory!”

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into Tess and Daniel's world. I promise, the rest of the book is more cheerful! You can find Bittersweet and my other books on my website, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Awkward Moments

By Jannine Gallant

Did you know that March 18 is Awkward Moments Day? Neither did I, but when I checked out March’s list of funny observances and saw it there in black and white, I couldn’t resist. Who out there hasn’t had an awkward moment? I know I’ve had my share.

The awkward moment at a party when you pop a whole appetizer in your mouth just as someone asks you a question.

The awkward moment when you say, “Thank you, sir,” and later discover the helpful clerk in the hardware store was a woman.

The awkward moment when you’re introduced to someone and can’t remember their name two minutes later.

The awkward moment when you notice the man you’re talking to didn’t zip it up all the way, but you have no excuse for looking that low.

The awkward moment when you realize no one liked or commented on your last Facebook update.

If you didn’t cringe a little reading these, then you’re far more socially graceful than I am! It also occurred to me that awkward moments play well in fiction. What reader can’t relate when your poor heroine walks out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to her shoe? In my most recent book, Bittersweet, there is a scene involving my heroine cooling off in the creek in her chemise when near tragedy strikes. After the commotion is over, she discovers her wet chemise revealed a whole lot more than it covered, and she is unbearably mortified. Even women in 1880 had wardrobe malfunctions. LOL

Let’s hear about your awkward moments – real or fictional. Don’t turn my blog into another awkward moment…

For information on Bittersweet and my other books, check these sites.

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Mother Nature Stars in my Books!

By Jannine Gallant

Gardening and Nature is one of our topics this month. No one who has ever seen my yard would mistake me for a gardener. I’m lucky if I put one planter box of flowers out on the deck and remember to water it. My yard is green – because it’s full of thimbleberry bushes. Nature is my true love – beauty and simplicity wrapped into one lovely package that requires no effort on my part! LOL.

I grew up in the coastal woods of Northern California and have lived most of my adult life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I can’t imagine not being able to walk out my door and into the forest. Nothing is more beautiful than the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, the chirp of birds high overhead, the chatter of a squirrel taunting my dog. I love hiking until I’m out of breath, then sitting by a stream sparkling in the sunlight, breathing in the scent of pine needles… But I digress.

I can’t write cities with any authority. My characters live in small towns with nature all around. I have the occasional scene in a city, but for the most part I stick to what I know. My first book, Victim of Desire, takes place in Napa Valley, but my characters travel to a wilderness retreat in the High Sierra and to Lake Tahoe. One very tense scene takes place on the trail through the woods where I walk every day. It has now been dubbed “The Scary Trail” by a local friend. LOL

My Class of ’85 books all have rural settings. In Lonely Road to You my h&h journey cross country through Yellowstone and the Badlands on a road trip that involves camping, bears, and bison. After All These Years takes place in a ramshackle old cabin in the Adirondack Mountains, and Maybe This Time is set by the ocean in Northern California and on the course of the Lake Tahoe Marathon.

 My latest book, Bittersweet, is a historical set on a farm in Colorado. My grandparents lived on a farm when I was growing up, so I tried to channel those childhood memories of barns and fields and gardens when I wrote this story.

So, what are your favorite settings in books? Authors, do your characters find love in the woods or on city streets? Readers, tell us what locations fascinate you. They could wind up in my next book!

Check these sites for buy links and updates on new releases.

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How to Host a Successful Book Signing

by Jannine Gallant

I bet you thought I was going to give you all the answers. Ha! I wish. But I will give you the limited wisdom of my experience and ask for yours in return.

I just brought home a big box filled with 50 copies of my latest book, Bittersweet. My heart pitter-patted in my chest as I flipped through the pages and gazed at my beautiful cover. Then the churning awareness that I had to sell every last one of these little gems took hold. Gulp!

I'm not a novice at book signings, but I'm no pro, either. When my first book, Victim of Desire, released nearly two years ago, I naively ordered 100 copies figuring they'd sell themselves. Okay, you can all stop laughing now. I held 3 signings and learned from each one.

The first was in my small home town of Tahoe City. The paper ran a story for me for free. I rented a room for a modest cost where local artists display their work. I brought lots of appetizers, told all my friends, and was thrilled when they showed up at the appointed time and bought 28 books. A success - I think so. What I learned was that I felt awkward asking for money because I knew these people. The solution, my best friend in the whole world took over the financial transactions. I signed and talked. She collected payment. The atmosphere was convivial and fun! But only one person showed up that I didn't know. So word didn't exactly reach the masses that the hottest new author since J.K. Rowling was making a personal appearance.

My second signing was with a group of authors over two hours from my home. It was a lovely day in a vineyard with music and wine tasting. The other three ladies were chatty and interesting. The problem, no one approached our table. I think the people milling about were afraid they'd have to buy a book from every one of us. Definitely a dilemma. I sold 3 books, which didn't come close to covering the cost of my gas. I'd have to say this one wasn't a success.

My final book signing was in the town where I grew up. My mom, who still lives there, talked to the local librarian. (This is library lovers month, so I didn't totally ignore our topic choices! LOL) This wonderful woman made fliers, brought coffee and cookies, and arranged an article for the paper. She also asked me to plan a presentation. I wanted to pull my hair out just thinking about talking in front of people. On the big day, we arrived, set up, and waited for several of my mom's friends to trickle in. I survived the reading and discussion - even enjoyed it after I quit shaking. But I sold less than 10 books. Again, this signing was a friends only affair. I think we'd have to call this one a toss up as to rather or not it was a success.

So, as I think about arranging signings for my new book, I ask you what I can do differently? What has worked for you in the past? What should I avoid? Please share your experiences.

For more information on my books, please check out my website and blog or follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

The Meaning of Success and a Book Give-A-Way by Jannine Gallant

One of our topics this month is Expect Success. I started thinking about what that means, exactly, and whether or not I’m successful in my writing career. The first thing that popped into my mind was Success = Wealth. Hmmm… When it comes to book sales, let’s just say I’m not laughing all the way to the bank. So I’m going to skip hastily past point number 1 and on to point number 2 Success = Happiness. I can honestly say that writing makes me happy. Taking an idea and turning it into a story with a beginning, middle, and happily ever after end makes me glow with accomplishment. Editing until my work sounds smooth and professional gives me a thrill. Even the promotion, though at times a little frightening and time consuming, is rewarding. So, yes, writing makes me very happy. Point number 3 Success = A Favorable Outcome (I cheated and looked that one up in the dictionary!) Has the outcome to my writing been favorable? I’d have to say yes. Reviews of my work have been positive. Getting feedback from a reader who thought my book was wonderful does more than boost my ego. It justifies all the hours I spend writing. I’m making people happy, and to me that spells success!

I hope my latest book, Bittersweet, (released yesterday!) will make readers happy. I wrote this story years ago, put it through too many rewrites to count, and am happy to say it is now available through Whiskey Creek Press. Out of all the books I’ve written, this one holds a special place in my heart. There is just something about these characters that grabbed me and held on tight from the very beginning. They wouldn’t let me give up until their story was told. I hope you’ll feel the same way.

Blurb:

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

I’m pleased to give away a PDF copy of Bittersweet to one lucky commenter. Tell us what success means to you and leave your email address in the comments if you’d like to be entered into the drawing.

For more information on my other titles visit my Website, friend me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.

Wishing you all a successful day!

The Age Old Question – What should I make for dinner? By Jannine Gallant

How much time do you waste staring into your refrigerator, wondering what to make for dinner? My guess is (if you’re anything like me) you go to the same old standbys, tried and true recipes you’ve made a million times before. I know I’m guilty as charged. The problem is, eating the same old thing gets boring when you’ve already made it three four times that month.

Now, to our organization theme. A few years ago, I pulled out my recipe cards and my cookbooks. I went through them, making a list of recipes my family loves and where I could quickly find them. It gave me a fast reference guide. So instead of that old standby, I can run through the list, and say, “Hey, I haven’t made this chicken dish in a while.”

If you’re really organized and motivated, you can sit down with your master list on Monday, and plan dinners for the whole week. Wow, imagine not stopping at the store every day, standing by the meat counter thinking, What should I make tonight? Less trips to the store means more time for writing, reading, painting your toenails… It’ll also save you money because you won’t be tempted to buy that bag of pistachio nuts. (That’s one of my husband’s weaknesses when I’m foolish enough to send him to the store!)

To get you started with your list of awesome recipes, I’m including one of my favorites below. You can also find more of my recipes on my blog, Food For Thought.

Chicken Stroganoff

4 slices bacon

1 ¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips

1 medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

½ tsp. paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 can less sodium chicken broth

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. flour

4 cups hot, cooked egg noodles

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble. Leave some of the bacon drippings and sauté chicken. Add onion and garlic – cook until wilted. Add seasonings, broth and bacon to pan. Simmer 10 minutes. Combine sour cream and flour in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add to pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Serve over egg noodles. Yields 4 servings.

Visit my Website for info on my current and upcoming releases. Bittersweet will be available from Whiskey Creek Press in February!

A Little Organization Takes the Pain out of Editing By Jannine Gallant

I’m up to my eyebrows in edits. I got round one back on a full length suspense novel from one editor a week before Christmas and am expecting the same on a historical from a second editor any day now. Bittersweet is scheduled to release in February, which means editing the entire book in one month! Am I a little stressed—take a wild guess. LOL

In going through the track changes on the suspense novel, it occurred to me that a little organization would have made a lot of the edits unnecessary. How many writers don’t have a few bad habits? If you just yelled, “ME! ME!” I’m guessing you’re in rarified company. My editors (I’ve worked with three so far and am about to add a fourth) have pointed out plenty of my little foibles. On my earlier manuscripts, I used lots of dialogue tags. It was gently noted that this is BORING and that action tags are a whole lot more interesting than he/she said. So, being the overcompensater that I am, I set about writing a 90,000 word novel with only a half dozen he/she saids in the entire book. What did I do instead? In the one I’m currently editing, my characters “let out a shuddering sigh.” Okay, there’s a serial killer on the loose, so a few shuddering sighs are warranted. Probably not 58 of them! (I’m guessing at the number but it can’t be far off.)

Here’s where the organization comes in. When you use phrases to describe actions, make a list. Here are few of my favorites.

Shuddering sigh
Brows beetled
Bit her lip
Touched her arm
Blah, blah, blah

I won’t bore you with the rest. Before you hit the send button on your incredibly perfect manuscript, do a word search for your list of phrases and change them up when you discover you’ve used a few on 36 occasions.

My next piece of advice on the organizational front is to make a short character sketch every time you introduce a character. This doesn’t have to be done in advance if you’re a panster, but it will save you time in the long run. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hunted through a manuscript to see what color eyes I gave a minor character. When you add a new character, it’ll also help you avoid the same letter start. If you already have a Sue and a Sally on your list, you might not want to call the next female character Sarah. Just saying. I tend to get in first letter ruts.

So, in honor of Get Organized Month, I’m determined to spend the extra minute here and there to take a few pertinent notes when I’m writing. I KNOW it will save a lot of time and energy and headaches down the road.

For more information on my current and upcoming releases, check my website at http://www.janninegallant.com/.

The Bittersweet Days of Fall - & a Book Giveway!

By Glenys O'Connell

Ah, November. To me, this time of year is always bittersweet. Dramatic sunsets light up the skies like the last remnants of summer's fiery beauty.There is the beauty of the trees – in my area of Ontario, Canada, the forests are thick, the tree species varied. By now they've gone from forty shades of green to vivid reds, golds, russets and lime greens standing like exotic beauties against the sober deep greens of pines and cedars.

Bare rocks, stripped of their summer ornaments of moss and lichens, now appear ancient and regal, denizens of a historic world that was here before mankind, and will be here after we are all long gone.

Our tiny village pond is a stopping off place where migrating ducks enjoy a few days before taking off again on their southern journey. As I drive the country roads, the skies are filled with Canada geese, huge flocks soaring and dipping through the air to land in autumn dark fields to graze, preparing for their long journey to warmer climes.

The sight of the geese always leaves me melancholy.

Their excitement is palpable; they honk and preen, sometimes taking flight in synchronized dances as they ride the spirals of the air currents until, tiring of the game, they float back down to earth.

Their presence tugs at my heart strings. Do these beautiful creatures, in common with all their smaller feathered friends who flee our bitter winters, understand just how dangerous their journeys will be? In their joy of flight and movement, do they realize that the world is full of dangers? There are bitter winds, icy snowstorms, hunger, and death waiting, there are culls and hunters and accidental entanglements with the artifacts of human existence that litter their paths.

I want to stamp on my brakes, leap from the car across the frost-laced hedgerows and gather up these creatures of the air, hug them and keep them safe.

But not without self interest – for we know that when the geese leave, winter's snows will follow. If we could keep them home, could we thwart Old Man Winter's icy forward march?

Sometimes their act of leaving, their joy, seems like a betrayal to those of us left behind to deal with snow and ice and bitter winds.

Yet I know that, once the year turns, many of us will stop in our daily routines and keep silence, hoping to hear the first honking of the returning geese, and scan the skies squinting against the growing light in hopes of seeing the first v-shaped flocks coming home.

Because with their return, the old earth will halt her inexorable slide into cold and death, and warmth and light will return.

Safe journey, feathered friends!

To help keep a lucky reader warm this winter, I'm offering a free autographed print copy of my Canadian romantic suspense, Judgement By Fire! All you have to do is leave an interesting comment about how you survive winter, and I'll pick the one I like best and voila! The book will be in the mail!

 Glenys O'Connell will be hunkered down in her drafty century old farmhouse this winter, writing murder mysteries and romance stories to keep herself warm. She denies the rumors that sometimes she stands outside on the lane and yells "Traitors!" at flocks of departing geese. After all, that would be a crazy thing to do, yes? You can read excerpts of her work on her webpage here

A New Adventure

I’m thrilled to be a part of the revamped Roses of Prose! In the spirit of new beginnings, a little info about me. Probably more than you ever wanted to know! LOL

Jannine the Author
I write romantic suspense and contemporary romance with a bit of mystery thrown in. I can’t seem to write a story that doesn’t keep the reader guessing… My first novel, Victim of Desire, was published by The Wild Rose Press last spring. My current work in progress is a sequel starring the heroine’s sister, Grace.

I’ll admit it—I have a weakness for those submission calls tossed out by publishers. I can’t seem to resist, even if I’m hip deep in another story. When I saw the call for the Class of ’85 series about a 25 year high school reunion, I was hooked. I wrote Lonely Road to You, but could I stop there? Not a chance. I adored this series and the interaction with the other authors. After All These Years was my second offering, and Maybe This Time was my third. I really have to work on my powers of resistance! LOL

I’d just finished Maybe This Time when the call came for the new Honky Tonk Hearts series. I don’t write about cowboys, or do I? Apparently I do. I told you I’m a sucker for a submission call. Nothing But Trouble was an absolute blast to write. I don’t have a release date yet for this one. It’s currently in the editing stages, but I’ll keep you updated on its progress.

And finally, my first love. Historical romance. I double majored in history and creative writing, so you’d think I’d write historicals. I do—or did. I wrote three of them, long meandering sagas that gathered an impressive pile of rejections. I took a pair of pruning sheers to the final one and hacked away. The final result was a really wonderful story (if I do say so myself) set in rural Colorado in 1880. Bittersweet will be released by the Whiskey Creek Press in February of 2012.

Jannine when she isn’t glued to her computer!I live in gorgeous Lake Tahoe with my husband, two daughters, and dog, Ginger. When I’m not writing, I’m either hiking (or snowshoeing depending on the season) in the woods around our home with Ginger, chauffeuring my girls from one sporting event to another, trying to catch up on housework, or cooking. I do love to cook, and for those of you interested, I post recipes on my personal blog at http://janninegallant.blogspot.com/. I grew up in a small town, live in the mountains, and love being outdoors. You’ll find a big dose of small town life or outdoor adventure in all my books.

To all you readers out there, what are your favorite settings for a story?

Find buy links and blurbs for all my books on my website at www.janninegallant.com. Thanks for reading!

Jannine Gallant