Why would someone
write a book with a pancake theme? Well, pancakes are awesome. They are an
instant mood lifter. Really. Try eating them when your energy is on the
negative side of the spectrum and just watch the needle on your moodometer zip
to the uber-positive side—to the beaming-a-smile-from-ear-to-ear side. You
simply can’t be down with pancakes around.
Hey, that’d make
a great T-shirt.
And with pure
Vermont maple syrup? Yowzers! You’ve got yourself a lethal weapon right there,
folks. Add in fresh fruit—I suggest blueberries—and you’re playing with
nature’s goodness in a way that will start your day out on the right foot. Or
the left one. Your choice. Either way pancakes and real syrup are a power
combination that will lead you to a successful day.
You know, if you
don’t screw it up somehow. Pancakes and syrup can only do so much, people. The
rest is up to you.
The idea for my
new series, The Maple Leaf Series, just fell into place for me one day while spending
time in the woods of Vermont. I have a chunk of property up there that I visit
when I want to get away from the perils of suburbia. The first book in the
series, More Than Pancakes, grew from seeing men—rugged, mountain
men—trek across my land in the snow with sleds of equipment to work on the sap
lines that course through the woods. I watched them on one frigid winter day in
their knit hats, snow pants, fleece-lined jackets, and boots, and thought, “Now
that’s sexy. I have to write about them.” It helped that they were solid,
sturdy built men… with beards.
Sigh.
That one image,
plus my love of pancakes and an obsession with pure Vermont maple syrup, shifted
story elements around in my mind. The gears began to turn and an entire
storyline presented itself within moments. I ran for my writer’s notebook,
scribbled furiously for an hour, and knew who my hero and heroine were going to
be and what would draw them together. Of course, I also needed something to get
between them too. I always hate coming up with that part, because sometimes you
have to make really bad things happen. It’s comforting to know, however, that
in romance, love always prevails.
Rick Stannard is
a quiet maple syrup company owner who loves his woods and his solitude. Lily
Hinsdale is a hotel designer who craves city action. When Lily wants Rick’s
land for a new resort, the two of them will have to fight for what they want.
Maybe, just maybe, they’ll end up wanting the same thing.
And they’ll
definite eat pancakes.
I wish all my
stories just “fell into place” like Rick and Lily’s did. Sadly, that’s not the
case. Not even close. Sometimes it takes many hours (days, months…) of
daydreaming—or staring aimlessly into space—to come up with anything useable.
Often what I thought might be useable turns out to be total trash. Thank the
heavens for the “delete” and “backspace” keys on my laptop. They get used.
Extensively.
Writing is such a
puzzle sometimes. Making all the pieces fit, weaving storylines together,
establishing a connection between reader and characters, creating a unified
whole that satisfies and entertains or informs—these are the mountains writers
climb every day with every book. So when things fall into place in our
fictional worlds there is much celebration. High-fives and cheering ensue and
it’s on to the next idea.
An idea we hope
and pray falls into place.
Toodles,
Chris
Visit my website
at www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com.
Like me on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/christinedepetrilloauthor.
