I am not a science fiction fan, for the most part. I have read some sci-fi books because I was told to do so or I became intrigued with others’ recommendations.
When my daughters were teenagers, they often quoted lines from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. They thought it was a wonderful book. So, I read it. It contained a lot of humor and I enjoyed it but it wasn’t romance, my preferred genre.
My sister told me to read The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, so I did. The profound truth in it about humans’ tendency to destroy was all too real. It didn’t have a happy ending.
Romance books have not only a happy ending but lots of emotion. To me, they are very satisfying reads. Nevertheless, the imaginations of science fiction writers are notable because the magical inventions they dreamed up in their stories led to a host of technological inventions. There are several online lists of the books and authors responsible for the original ideas.
You can see one list here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_existing_technologies_predicted_in_science_fiction
Many ideas came from one television series, StarTrek. I was a devoted fan of the original TV show. I had a crush of Captain Kirk. Using a cell phone makes me feel like one of the characters in that series. You can see a list of other gadgets that resemble those on StarTrek here: https://www.sideshow.com/blog/trek-tech-10-star-trek-gadgets-that-have-beamed-into-reality/
Evidently, there are a few books considered romances that have some new technologies in them, but I’m not really interested in science fiction romances. Though I wouldn’t mind haven’t a robot clean my house.
I believe it is amazing enough that two people can find inspiration in each other and commit to a lifetime together. That is not an easy task judging from the many divorces that occur. So, while the sci-fi writers can imagine a world full of amazing gadgets, I’d like to stick to a world of love and peace.
Is that too much to ask?
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| Harbor Seals at Sandy Hook, NJ |
In February, during the JeRoWriMo challenge, I edited and revised OUTSIDE BLESSINGS, a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. The book was originally published by New Concepts Publishing but the rights were returned to me.
The book centers around the Irish and Scottish legend of the selkies, who are seals with the ability to shift into human form. The legend claims that some of the fallen angels fell on land and became fairies, but those who fell into the sea became selkies.
I believe selkies could live in New Jersey, too. After all, harbor seals spend their winters here every year.
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| The old Lifesaving Building at Sandy Hook, NJ |
Yesterday it rained quite a bit. We went on a jaunt to Bo’s Attic, which is a delightful secondhand shop. Hubby bought his favorite Pilsner beer glasses, the old-fashioned kind which evidently nobody makes anymore. When we returned home, hubby saw an earthworm drowning in the rain on the driveway. He wanted to save the poor creature, but he used a thin stick to attempt to pick it up. The worm writhed in several desperate moves to get away from the stick. I told hubby he should use his fingers. He said the worm would bite him. I told him worms don’t bite. I picked up the worm and placed it in the dirt under the pine tree.
Afterward, I reminded him that he has picked up a few snakes in the past and one did bite him. Fortunately, it wasn’t a venomous snake, so he was lucky. Well, he said the worm was germy. 😆
I told him how I used to bring earthworms into my classroom for a science lessons. I had the kiddies figure out which part of the worm was the head. We checked the worms’ reaction to light and to cold. It was a great lesson, but I dropped the lesson after a while because some parents freaked out seeing their children touch worms.
Today hubby found another earthworm on the driveway. He picked it up with his fingers and put it under the pine tree. Then he went inside the house and washed his hands. 😁
Some worms were saved by us. While it is possible they could become a meal for a robin, if they live they could help the soil in our yard. Worms are important creatures. 🪱 And they don’t bite.
Hubby surprised me when he showed me this old 3 x 5 card he had saved from a long time ago. I hadn’t seen it until now. Hubby reminded me that it will soon be the anniversary of our first date, which occurred fifty years ago in May. In August, we will be married forty-nine years. But we dated for a while first.
I noticed hubby for the first time at a party given by Fred, one of the members of our singles group. For those of you who are young, the way we met other single people before the Internet was through a singles club. We actually met others in person, face-to-face.
Fred was a wonderful guy who gave a lavish party once a year. I went to that party with another man who later turned out to be Mr. Wrong. At the party, my friend Emily spotted hubby. Hubby was hard to miss because he was dressed in a leisure suit, which was the height of fashion for men at the time. Emily asked him for his phone number.
Then Emily decided to host a small dinner party at her apartment and invited hubby to it. She also invited me. I had already broken up with Mr. Wrong but she asked another friendly guy we both knew to the dinner. She thought he would be a good match for me. He wasn’t but he was pleasant and eventually married another friend of ours.
That dinner was on May 10th. After the dinner, I walked out to my car and hubby escorted me through the parking lot. He asked me for my phone number and I gave it to him, writing it on the small 3 x 5 card you can see above. (By the way, that is not my phone number now.) A few days later, he called me. I agreed to a date on May 17th. He picked me up and we went to the Red Bank marina where he had his 16 foot motorboat. It went slowly up the river, which was fine with me. It was a leisurely romantic cruise but I didn’t know the engine wasn’t working properly. Afterwards, he took me to Danny’s for pizza. He held my hand as we walked. He didn’t let it go. I think that was a clue that he liked me a lot. 😊
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It has been brought to my attention that some people think I know nothing about relationships because I am a romance writer.
My guest today is Carol James. She was raised as an Air Force brat, the longest she ever lived in one place was a year and a half. Maybe that’s why when she and her husband bought their first home forty-three years ago, they stayed.
Wife, mother, grandmother, and dog-mama to Zoe, Carol loves writing stories of redemptive romance. When asked the difference between redemptive romance and standard romance, she replied, “A standard romance has two main characters––a hero and a heroine. A redemptive romance adds a third. God.”
Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X
Follow Zoe and her friends on Facebook or Instagram at: 3DogsandtheirAuthors
Aurora Prentiss never stopped loving Caleb, but has always felt a filial respect to her father that makes her bend to his will. When Caleb returns, Rory thinks this may be her chance to make things right with him. The only problem? She's engaged to a man chosen by her father.
Will Caleb be able to forgive the woman who broke his heart years ago? And if he does, will Rory be willing to risk her relationship with her father, cancel the wedding to the fiancé she doesn't love, and finally make a life with the only man she’s always loved?
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EXCERPT:
Aurora Prentiss stared at the image on her laptop’s screen. Only one word came to mind. Ugly. No…two words. Unbelievably ugly. Her stomach churned. Never in a million years would she have chosen this design. The gold, silver, and pearl embossed lilies, hearts, and doves made the invitation look like something better suited to a funeral or a Las Vegas wedding rather than one at First Redeemer Presbyterian in Dallas.
She leaned her head in her hands and closed her eyes. Burton was right. Letting his mom choose their wedding invitation was a small concession, if it made her happy. Plus, after the ceremony was over, who would remember a piece of paper they’d received weeks earlier? Aurora could live with this…as long as his parents didn’t frame one and expect she and Burton to hang it in their new house. It was so ugly.
The alarm on her phone sounded. Time to gather her stuff and head to work.
***
Caleb Daniels didn’t even open the menu. He hadn’t had Tex-Mex in over a year, and he knew exactly what he wanted. Cheese and onion enchiladas…topped with tons of chili. None of that red sauce stuff.
He turned as the bell above the restaurant door sounded. Jason waved. When he reached the table, Caleb stood and pulled his friend into a hug.
Jason grinned. “Great to see you, man. Almost didn’t recognize you with the beard. Plus you’re skinny. Been on a diet?”
“Yeah. The missionary diet.” They slid into the booth. “But I’m getting ready to change that.” He raised his hand and motioned to the server.
They ordered, and then Jason leaned back in his chair. “Glad you called me. I can always find room for a fraternity brother. Especially one who’s a hard worker, and who just happens to have an MBA. We’ll take you on as contract labor until you figure out if this is going to be a good fit. I’d love for it to be permanent, though, to have you hop on the bus.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.” Caleb dunked a tortilla chip into the salsa and shoved it in his mouth. He’d missed this.
“Nobody’s keeping score. Besides…you’re the only reason I passed that final in Econ. Staying up all night helping me cram.”
***
Stuffed with enchiladas, Caleb’s stomach approached the bursting stage. But the Tex-Mex was worth the pain. He followed Jason down the hall toward the last office on the right.
Jason stopped and leaned toward him. “So…you’ll be sharing an office with Rory. Her strength lies in carrying out—meticulously, I might add—any ideas given to her. If you provide her with the germ of a thought, she’ll race ahead and take the gold.”
The two stepped through the door. A huge flower arrangement provided the backdrop as a beautiful brunette stood and smiled.
“Cale, this is Rory Prentiss. And Rory this is—”
Caleb’s gaze locked onto the chocolate eyes of his office mate. His heart plummeted. “Been a long time, Aurora.”
Purchase Links:
Google Books: Always&OnlyGoogle
Website: https://www.carol-james.com
Book Video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ofo79e9Vcs
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My Review of ALWAYS AND ONLY:
Aurora Prentiss is having pre-wedding jitters. She will soon be married to Burton, a man her father hand-picked for her. However, her future mother-in-law is choosing the wedding invitations, the flowers, and even the furnishing for her house. Burton is a wealthy businessman and Aurora loves him but when her former high school sweetheart turns up working at her office, newly divorced, Aurora begins to seriously question everyone else’s plans for her life. She knows that once she’s married, her father will be happy and her fiancé and his family will be happy. But what about her?
Her long ago love, Caleb, is a perfect gentleman even when they must travel out of town together to a sales conference. Aurora broke his heart in high school, and now his wife has betrayed him, though he admits some of the problems with his wife were his fault. Then Aurora’s father offers him a job, which involves going to another country.
There’s so much going on in this story! I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen next. Faith and trust in God are woven in gently as Aurora and Caleb question God’s will. I loved this story.
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However, my mother was more of a storyteller than Dad. In fact, everyone in her family could spin ordinary events into something far more interesting with outrageous embellishments. Their delivery had me hanging on every word.
The photo above shows my maternal grandparents and their bridal party. My grandparents are in the center of this photo. I am not sure about the other people in the picture. I assume most of them are my grandmother's siblings but I can't pick out who is who. Though I'm guessing that's Aunt Honey on the right.
Grandma was the oldest child in her family and had many younger siblings. Grandma came to this country at the age of three, in 1903, with her parents.
My grandparents had seven children of their own, two daughters and five brothers. My mom was the second oldest--and had an anecdote for everything. My grandma could spin a fine yarn, too. In fact, ALL of grandma's seven children had a knack for making any incident seem like a grand adventure.
I spent a lot of time listening to all of them--and enjoying their tales. So, when it comes to influence in wrting, I give them quite a bit of credit.
Last week, my oldest daughter sent an article to me about children’s imaginary friends. She thought I still had imaginary friends. The truth is that I don’t have imaginary friends. I have a lifetime of stories handed to me by all my entertaining relatives. I’m just writing them down with several embellishments to make them more fascinating, of course.
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This photo was taken in 1956, my mother made a note of that on the back of the photo. Our family had not been living in Cliffwood Beach for long at that point. The house still had simple plywood siding. That's me on the left, my brother, my sister, and my mother whose hair is still red. 😊 Treasure Lake is below us and beyond the lake is Raritan Bay. On a clean day, it was easy to see NYC directly across the bay. Growing up in Cliffwood Beach was delightful. A book trailer for Love's Gift. Available today! Get it for $3 at the publisher's website: https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_38_54_57&products_id=1678
This is an inspirational historical romance set in 1903. Here are some of the places you can find it:
Don't miss out on this one.
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Since I was very young in this photo, I do not remember riding in this stroller, but I look happy, probably because I'm in the front seat. 😁 My brother is behind me looking a bit bewildered. My brother and I were born one year and ten days apart. So, for most of my young life I had a companion, when our younger sisters were born many years later, we always referred to them as "the kids" as if we were infinitely wiser and more knowledgeable.
I had a happy childhood. Unfortunately, I remember the sad and scary parts much more vividly than the ordinary, everyday joys, which is why I am truly grateful I have the old photographs. No photographs exist of the sad and scary parts of my life, though they are embedded in my memory. Looking at the images of happy times helps to remind me of the many blessings I enjoyed over my lifetime. I survived the unhappy events.
Some folks say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I believe what doesn't kill you enables you to be more compassionate and empathetic. However, I am firmly convinced there is a caveat for learning to be compassionate and empathetic since some folks go through hard times and become meaner and filled with hate. But my parents were wonderful role models, and despite the troubles they had, they always helped others. They always believed in equality and the dignity of all people.
Life isn't always easy. But there are always some good parts. My advice is to take pictures of the happy times and even the ordinary events. Print the pictures, or make them into books. Save the memories to remind yourself that sometimes life is wonderful.
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This is so awesome! It doesn't take long to watch and it will give you an idea of what the book is about--just like a movie trailer. The book has many positive reviews. So enjoy this mini movie.
You can find the book at:
Evie set the tray on a small table and poured the tea. After handing one mug to Bryce, she settled into the swing beside him.
He rocked gently back and forth. "I’ll go slow so we won’t spill the tea," he reassured her.
She closed her eyes, welcoming the warmth of the mug in her hands. The swing swayed rhythmically with the slight tap of Bryce’s feet. She sipped her tea, listened to the night sounds of the quiet street and tingled in awareness of the man beside her.
"I’ll toss out some ideas." The rumble of his deep bass vibrated through her body.
She assumed she would hear one of Bryce’s lectures. He harangued her on a regular basis during that last year of high school. A pang of regret pierced her. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t turn her from her wild ways.
"Does the Lord test people?" he asked. "And if He does, am I getting an F?"
Feeling uncertain and inadequate when it came to issues of faith, Evie wished Jessica hadn’t gone to sleep. "Life isn’t like school."
"All right, let’s say it’s based on the point system and I’m getting close to the maximum number."
"No. The Lord doesn’t hand out parking and speeding tickets. He doesn’t take away your license."
"He puts you in everlasting pain."
Evie winced. She’d questioned Jessica on almost that identical point. At least she knew the response to that one. "He loves you. He made you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. He’ll forgive you. He’ll never abandon you."
"What if you lose your faith in Him?"
"Because of your father?"
"Not just my father." He put his feet down and stopped the swing. He lowered his head. "There’s more to it."
She waited, but in the tense silence he didn’t seem to want to lay his soul bare. That might be a good thing because she didn’t know how she would handle it. Perhaps the tension of his job weighed on him.
"Everyone doubts," she said after a few moments. "You must simply go on trusting the Lord and praying."
"That doesn’t work." A touch of sorrow welled in his deep brown eyes as he leaned back, sliding one hand along the top edge of the swing. Warmth radiated off his skin, just inches from hers. "I thought, since I was a Christian, the Lord would make things easier for me. He hasn’t."
"Sometimes the Lord has other plans. Better plans," Evie stumbled through an explanation.
"I haven’t read the Bible in a long time, but last night I went through the Beatitudes. It didn’t help. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’...I thought that’s what I was...but I’m not...not by any stretch of the imagination."
"You’re trying to be a peacemaker. That’s what counts." Evie’s throat ached. In doing his job, he’d put her in jail. She swallowed hard, but though her eyes grew misty, she must be brave. "The whole point of the Beatitudes is that the Lord promises a great reward in heaven, even if we have a tough time here on earth." Evie wished Bryce took his problem to Pastor Strauss. The pastor knew so much more about being a Christian than she ever would. "The Lord never promised that everything would be easy, but He did promise to be with us, each one of us, all the time."
"The Lord does not send replies," Bryce muttered.
"He does, but you have to listen."
"I’ve dealt with people who claim to hear the Lord. They are always mentally unstable."
Evie’s courage failed her.
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You can find THE KEEPER'S SECRET at all the major ebook distributors.
