Bell Bridge Books

BEGINNINGS

I love to watch movies about how famous people got their start, especially singers.  The other night I saw a TV rerun of WALK THE LINE, the biopic about Johnny Cash. There’s something fascinating about how he barged into Sam Philips’ recording studio in Memphis and talked the man into giving him an audition.  Cash and his two buddies do a gospel song for Philips and he’s obviously not very interested. When they finish, Philips says, “I can’t sell gospel music. Got anything else?” That’s the big turning point.  Philips didn’t say Cash couldn’t sing.  He wanted to hear something different. Now, I’m on the edge of my seat.  What did Johnny Cash do next? He sang a little song he wrote himself, FOLSOM PRISON BLUES.  And that sealed the deal.  By the way, Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash and really sang the songs himself.  Amazing.

My interest in big breaks that launch careers isn’t limited to singers. It also extends to writers (big surprise).  The story about how Stephen King sold his first book sounds as though it was scripted for dramatic effect.  As many of you may know, his first novel was Carrie, a tale of a bullied young girl with telekinetic powers who takes revenge on her tormenters.  Initially, he wrote three pages of what was intended to be a short story, then believing it was no good, tossed the pages away. His wife later took them out of the trash, read them, and encouraged him to develop the story into a novel.  After thirty publishers rejected the book, Doubleday picked it up for a modest advance. The hardcover sold only 13,000 copies, but the paperback rights went for $400,000, half to King, half to Doubleday.  The sale of this book rescued King and his wife from a barely solvent existence.  For more details on all this, see http://mentalfloss.com/article/53235/how-stephen-kings-wife-saved-carrie-and-launched-his-career

I also like to hear stories about how people met their spouses. Here’s mine. I first saw my future wife when my family traveled from our home in Toledo, Ohio, to Jacksonville, Florida, for my uncle’s wedding.  At the home of the bride to be, I was introduced to her incredibly gorgeous younger sister, Lois.  This dazzling girl was dressed in a sparkling white blouse and white shorts.  On the floor was a toddler eating some kind of soft candy that he had smeared all over his fingers and face.  Suddenly noticing that his mother had left the room, the toddler began to cry.  Thinking only about the welfare of the little boy, Lois picked the child up in her arms to comfort him. This of course soon led to the toddler smearing candy all over Lois’s white blouse. And Lois didn’t mind at all! I knew then that this girl was also beautiful on the inside.

For several years we communicated with each other by letter and phone calls (this was long before the invention of texting and Skype).  Then, for a variety of reasons, (rigors of college mostly) I stopped writing. One day I received a card from Lois.  On the front it said, I’D LIKE TO GET ON YOUR GOOD SIDE.  Inside, it read, IF YOU HAVE ONE.

Over fifty years later, I still admire her for choosing that card.  She humbled herself by letting me know she was still interested, but also, at the same time, managed to stick it to me.

In thinking about how people meet, I’m reminded of Carl and Beth, the two lead characters in my medical thriller, THE BLOOD BETRAYAL. (Yes, we’ve now come to the commercial portion of our program) Anyway, I’m willing to bet that no two people ever met in a more unusual manner than those two.

I can imagine Carl relating the story to one of his grandkids.

“Tell me how you and Grandma met,” the boy says to Carl.  Carl smiles, thinks back, and shakes his head.  “Well, I was driving away from this little town where I’d just upset the local doctor so bad that I was sure he wanted to kill me. Then the craziest thing happened.”

“What?” the boy asks.

Carl reaches for a book and hands it to his grandson.  “It’s all in here, my boy.  And better understood if you read about it yourself.”

I’d tell you more, but I agree with Carl that you should read the book for yourself and not depend on someone like me to interpret it for you. (Although if you were going to rely on a guide through it, I’d probably be a good choice.)

-Don Donaldson

THE BLOOD BETRAYAL is on sale for just $1.99! Grab it today!

Around Christmastime that year, Josh and I were talking about trips and places we’ve been and he started talking about how much he loves Universal Studios, how many times he’d been, how he hadn’t been since they opened up the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and how he’s been dying to go for that reason. And I told him how I had been once on a trip in high school, but I didn’t really get to enjoy it. I also told him how I barely remembered anything about it. So Josh insisted that we take a vacation, but then he told me he wouldn’t take me until I watched all the Harry Potter movies since I had never seen any of them or read the books. We then watched all eight movies in a two week period. We saved our money and bought a trip and in April 2016, we went to Orlando. I had never been on a plane before and I thought it was really cute that Josh wanted to be the one to take me on my first airplane experience.

            We arrived on Friday and Saturday was our first day at the park. Saturday night after dinner we took a walk on the City Walk and Josh started peppering me with questions. Wondering if I’d had fun, what my favorite section of the park was (It was Harry Potter World, BY FAR, by the way), and what my favorite ride was. I didn’t think anything of it, so I answered his questions and asked him the same things. Well the next morning we got up and went back to the park again for our second day. The only part of the park that’s open the first hour of the day is the Harry Potter rides. So we headed there, rode those, and afterwards we just walked around checking out all the stores and stuff. Josh asked me if I wanted to take a picture together. I should have known something was up right then because he never wants to take pictures. Because of that fact, I was excited and said yes! So we found a costumed park employee and asked him to take a picture of us. He was super nice and agreed. He took several shots of us, even getting all artsy trying to make sure he was getting some good ones. Then suddenly as the employee went to hand me my phone back, Josh intervened and said to him “Actually, could you take one more picture?” and got down on his knee! I was so surprised. My face turned red and all I could say was “Nuh uh.” There were people walking around all around us and a lot of them stopped to watch and were already clapping for us. He asked me to marry him and there was so much going on, I swear he whispered it because I could barely hear him. Luckily I couldn’t take my eyes off him, so I know what he said by reading his lips. Of course I said yes! Our “photographer” took photos of the whole thing on my phone, and I was really glad he did because those are some of the sweetest pictures that I have. Not to mention, it was one of my requirements of being proposed to. I always told Josh that if he wanted to propose to me, he had better plan a secret photographer to capture it. After our celebration, filled with lots of hugs and kisses, we finally came back to reality. Josh told me to be sure to call my dad and tell him that he did it. I asked him what he meant and he explained that before our trip, he’d asked my dad’s permission to propose. After my father agreed, he told Josh to tell me to call him to tell him as soon as it happened. I’m very much a Daddy’s girl, so that was another one of my requirements to being proposed to. That was actually the first one on the list. It makes me feel so relieved that my dad loves Josh as much as I do and I just felt so incredibly blessed that the perfect guy had just given me the perfect proposal.

I guess some people really do get a second chance at love. And if you do get a second chance, don’t waste it! Josh and I are getting married June 10, 2017, and we couldn’t be more grateful that we get a second chance at happily ever after.

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Fast forward all the way to 2014. Josh and his previous girlfriend had broken up that March and I had been dumped in August of the year before. One day that May, I posted a picture on Facebook of my friend and I that I had taken at church that same morning. Little did I know that that picture was going to cause Josh to send me a private message. Apparently, in that photo, the way I had my hair pulled to one side and my friend blocking the side my hair was pulled to, it appeared that I had cut all of my hair off. Some people had already commented on the photo bringing it to my attention when Josh said something about it. His message said that he had noticed the picture I had posted and had to look twice because he thought I cut all my hair off. When the other people had told me I found it annoying, but when he said it I laughed. From that message, we continued talking and eventually one of us suggested texting instead of communicating via Facebook. We continued texting every day until one day Josh asked me to hang out. And we attempted to hang out several times, but things kept coming up where one of us couldn’t meet. I think Josh even got a flat tire halfway to see me once. But one night we were both finally free. I went over to Josh’s house, and I have to admit, when he answered the door, it was a tiny bit awkward since it had been so long since we had seen each other last and I was nervous. But I went in and we just talked with the TV playing something in the background. We sat there all night and talked. It didn’t take long for my nerves to go away. Nothing was off limits, we talked about everything. I went home sometime in the wee hours of the morning but we continued texting every day whenever we could, and hanging out more and more.

On June 10, 2014, Josh and I were hanging out at my place watching TV and he said to me “If you wanted to tell people I’m your boyfriend, that would be okay with me.” I laughed and immediately said to him “No way! You have to officially ask me.” So he cheesily said “Will you be my girlfriend?” or something like that. I, of course, said yes. We were dating for about a year when Josh suggested I move in with him and his roommate. I was nervous at first because what if we didn’t work out? And I didn’t know what my parents would think about it. But I talked to them about it and I moved in, in July of 2015. And later that month Josh surprised me by texting me at work one day asking me if I wanted a kitten. I thought he was joking. I had wanted a cat for so long. Before I moved in and after, we would be watching TV and someone would get a kitten and I would be like “Awww babe!” and he would say “No!”. The first thing I said to his was “Are you for real?” because I didn’t think he would get me a cat. The next text that came through was a picture of a litter of kittens that needed homes and Josh told me how a co-worker was trying to find them homes and if I wanted one, we needed to tell him right away. I picked out the one I wanted from the picture and the next day Josh picked up and brought home our precious fur child. I came home from work and he and our roommate had already named her.

READ THE FINAL CHAPTER IN OUR SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE SERIAL TOMORROW!

That July, Josh went to Oklahoma on family vacation and called me, as young people did back then before texting was a thing, on a Sunday night. We talked for a little while then, out of nowhere, Josh broke things off. I just sat on the phone and cried for what seemed like a really long time. For me, it was a total shock. After a while of sitting on the phone while I cried, he told me he couldn’t just sit there and listen to me cry on the other end so he said he should go and hung up. I was a mess that whole week. That Friday night, five days after the breakup, my best friend and I went to the movies to see a movie Josh and I had been planning on going to see for a while. When the movie ended and the lights came back on, everyone started getting up and we stood up to exit and looked around the theater and who did we see several rows behind us? Josh. With a girl. A girl that I knew for a fact was a pretty good friend of his who he talked to fairly often. I was hysterical. He had moved on that fast. Of course when I got home I had to get on MySpace to see what I could find out. They were dating. We had only been broken up a few days! Of course I assumed since he had a girlfriend so soon after we broke up that he had been cheating on me with her. Even if they were just talking behind my back and not even spending any one-on-one time together yet.

First day of junior year, I went to English class and there was Josh. I was so mad. I didn’t want to see him every other day for the rest of the school year. Luckily our teacher seated us in alphabetical order so I got to sit far away from him. I pretty much avoided Josh our entire junior year. However, during my junior year I started dating someone else and I started slowly getting over Josh. Eventually I got over the whole thing but we really didn’t communicate much because he was still dating that girl.

Fast forward to senior year, Josh and I have economics class together. By that point I had long forgiven him for what happened between us and had put it all in the past. I still made it a point, though, to joke with him about it here and there mentioning how he broke my heart. We enjoyed having that class together and we talked all the time. I looked forward to going to that class because of him. I remember a few specific conversations we had in that class that I will never forget. He always knew how to make me feel better about myself. We became pretty good friends again by the end of senior year, and eventually graduated in the class of 2010.

I don’t know if it was because we ran in different crowds or because I had a boyfriend, but we didn’t keep in touch after graduation. But we did seem to run into each other fairly often it seemed. It didn’t matter if either of us was dating someone or not, every time we ran into each other, we always stopped to talk to one another. I remember a few times when we ran into each other he would have his girlfriend with him or I would have my boyfriend with me, and we saw each other and had to stop and catch up. And we always hugged before we went our separate ways. I remember one time a few years after we broke up he called me on my birthday just to wish me a happy birthday. It made me feel special that he still had my number and that he remembered my birthday. Of course I always remembered his too. There was just something between us I can’t explain that was always there.

Read more tomorrow in SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE: THE REKINDLING!

Josh and I first met in eighth grade, in algebra class. Our desks were right next to each other. Josh was nice but quiet. I wouldn’t say we were close friends but we were friends who talked occasionally in class. Fast forward to high school, I don’t really remember ever seeing Josh during freshman year but, during sophomore year, Josh and I were in Algebra 2 together. Again, we sat right next to each other. That class was horrible, but we made the best of it. In February of that same year, I had to have back surgery and I was out of school for a month. My last day of school before I was out for surgery, My best friend at the time and I were waiting in the car pick-up line for her sister to pick us up. Josh was there waiting too. I don’t remember whose ride got there first but, before we parted, he came up to me, wished me luck on everything, and gave me a hug. Having never really been hugged by a boy before, I felt rather special.

Even though I was not able to go to school during my recovery time, I felt well enough to attend church as I always had. Well, somewhere around the same time that I was having surgery, a mutual friend of ours had invited Josh to come to our church. So on my first night back to church, Josh was there. At the time it was still a little difficult for me to get up and down out of chairs and such, so Josh would offer his hand to help me. I thought he was so sweet. From then on, we became even better friends and he continued to come to church. In April, Josh asked me to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Apparently we were walking side-by-side when he asked me and he tripped over a bush, but I have no recollection of that part at all. I said yes. We “dated” for the next few months. You know how it is when you’re fifteen and can’t drive on your own yet, so I would hardly call it dating, but we had fun together. I loved being around Josh’s family and my parents liked Josh as well. I thought everything was going great with us….

Tune in tomorrow to find where the ellipses lead!

Meet My Hero

by Donnell Ann Bell

Since I write romantic suspense, one of the requirements is that I include a hero. He’s tall and buff and smart and the type that readers will either swoon or fan themselves. But today I’d like to tell you about a real life hero who does neither of that when you look at her.  You see, she’s well into her 80s, and I see her at times when I’m driving home or on my way to the store. She loves to walk, and while she’s out walking, she carries a bag and picks up the trash she passes along the way.

She’s not saving lives or putting out fires, but she is making our neighborhood better. What’s more she’s been a great influence on me.  What a great idea, I thought, so while I’m out walking Charley, and just happen to have a bag, I pick up trash.

Maybe I’ll run into this lady one day on one of my walks and thank her for being an unsung hero and a positive influence.

In Buried Agendas, a book that is on $1.99 special through August 31 on all digital forums from Bell Bridge Books, my heroine is concerned about the environment as well and goes undercover. So, in effect, she’s a lot like my elderly neighbor.  I hope you’ll check it out!  http://donnellannbell.com/books/buried-agendas/

Since Suicide Squad is coming out today, we thought it would be fun to post about our favorite anti-heroes!

http://bit.ly/2aOKVxx

For those of you who don’t know, an anti-hero is “a main character in a book, play, movie, etc., who does not have the usual good qualities that are expected in a hero.” Instead, they have what are considered “undesirable” qualities such as: dishonesty, aggressiveness, moodiness, and a belief that “the end justifies the means.”

We found a comprehensive list on Wikipedia that includes various types of media portrayals, including literature, movies, and television. We have narrowed down the list to some of the staff favorites; however, this link will take you to the complete list: https://en.wikipediaorg/wiki/List_of_fictional_antiheroes

Some literary examples include:
Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Stephen Dedalus, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce
Roland Deschain, The Dark Tower, Stephen King
Amy Elliott Dunne, Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Tyler Durden and the Narrator, Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
Huckleberry Finn, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Artemis Fowl III, Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer
Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Prince Hamlet, Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Lucifer/Satan, Paradise Lost, John Milton
Macbeth, Macbeth, William Shakespeare
Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Othello, Othello, William Shakespeare
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Tom Stoppard
Severus Snape, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling
Alex, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
Erik, the Phantom, The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux

Movie examples:
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton
Rick Blaine, Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart
Rooster Cogburn, True Grit, Jeff Bridges
Michael Corleone, The Godfather, Al Pacino
Django, Django Unchained, Jamie Foxx Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr.
John McClane, Die Hard, Bruce Willis
Randle McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jack Nicholson
Tony Montana, Scarface, Al Pacino
Snake Plissken, Escape from New York, Kurt Russell
Riddick, The Chronicles of Riddick, Vin Diesel
Max Rockatansky, Mad Max, Tom Hardy
Shrek, Shrek, Mike Myers
Han Solo, Star Wars, Harrison Ford
Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp

Television examples:
Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, David Boreanaz
Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl, Ed Westwick
Michael Scott , The Office, Steve Carell
Arthur Dent, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Simon Jones
Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus
Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch
Gregory House, House, Hugh Laurie
Annalise Keating, How to Get Away with Murder, Viola Davis
Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage
Ragnar Lodbrok, Vikings, Ernest Borgnine
Dexter Morgan, Dexter, Michael C. Hall
Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul
Olivia Pope, Scandal, Kerry Washington
Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly, Nathan Fillion
Tony Soprano, The Sopranos, James Gandolfini
Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy, Charlie Hunnam
Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Supernatural, Jensen Ackles & Jared Padalecki

Our staff wanted to join in on the fun so here is some of the staff’s favorite anti-heroes:

From Jeanna,
The anti-hero I picked is called The Return – a member of the enslaved race (the race is called The Spackle). He’s an anti-hero because he’s fighting the main characters out of revenge for his partner who was killed by humans. His motives make complete sense and you can sympathize with him entirely, but he’s often fighting the characters who are trying to take down a would-be dictator which isn’t particularly helpful for the main characters, Todd and Viola.

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
http://tinyurl.com/je89x6r

From Kendal, 

(Jericho Barrons in the graphic novel, Fever Moon)

One of my favorite anti-heroes is Jericho Barrons from The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. Although we still don’t know exactly what he is, we do know he and others are called The Nine and they are part human, part beast, part who knows. He has goals and he doesn’t care who gets in his way. He will destroy anything that threatens his mission or his people. He’s very secretive and unethical, but if he cares for someone or something, nothing is going to harm them. He will go to Hell and back to protect those he loves, who can be counted with both hands. Sometimes he uses the beast to get what he wants, but most of the time he is intimidating enough as a human. Even though he seems like a monster, he has very good reasons for doing what he does, and readers sympathize with him. We all understand what it’s like to feel powerless in certain situations. If you learned you can change something or fix a mistake that haunts you, wouldn’t you do whatever it takes to do it?

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
http://amzn.to/2aUFf6l

From Niki,
Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite anti-hero. I first read this novel in high school and I’ve basically read it every other year since. Sometimes I feel a strong empathy with characters and Edmond Dantes is one of those characters. He is your typical anti-hero, doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. Which, in this case, his goal is to enact revenge over those who betrayed him. If you haven’t read it (which you absolutely should), the premise is that Edmond Dantes – a recently promoted sailor – has been falsely accused and imprisoned on counts of being a Napoleonic conspirator. He spends thirteen years in the island prison of Chateau d’If (Don’t let the word “island” fool you, this prison is no joke). Edmond does manage to escape with the help of an elderly, Italian priest who leaves Edmond a fortune – a fortune which Edmond uses to become The Count of Monte Cristo in order to reward the people who were loyal to him when he was imprisoned and to punish those who put him there in the first place. Although Edmond starts off as a traditional type of hero, after he breaks out of prison, he is a changed man. Innocent people end up dying/suffering in order for him to succeed with his plans. It is up to the reader to decide if the end is worth the means. And as if all of that isn’t enough to get you to cozy up to this character, the majority of the book takes place in 19th Century Paris, France. (Along with other marvelous cities such as Marseilles, Rome, and – of course – Monte Cristo).

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
http://amzn.to/2asn9EP

We want to know what you’re favorite anti-heroes are! Post your choices on our Facebook page!

Summertime, and the reading is easy!

I vacation every summer in a beautiful beach town on the New Jersey shore, not too far from where my husband grew up. I start each day with a leisurely jog up and down the town’s boardwalk bordering the beach, which offers the best views of the sun rising up out of the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is always empty then—except for an occasional gathering of sea gulls—and the breezes lift off the water and keep me and the few other early joggers from getting too hot. It is the most peaceful time of day. While my sneakered feet stay on the boardwalk, my mind wanders in all directions. I get some of my best writing ideas during these tranquil morning jogs.

After I return to the inn where my husband and I stay, I wash up, change into a swimsuit and coverup, and grab some breakfast, after which we head back down to the beach, armed with chairs, an umbrella, and books, books, books! My husband loves biographies, narrative history, and thrillers, many of which he buys in hardcover (which makes our beach tote bag weigh a ton.) I prefer women’s fiction, romances, and mysteries—the same genres I write—and I read them on my Kindle. Of course, this means I can bring hundreds of books down to the beach with me, all stored on my lightweight reading device.

Much as I love my morning jogs (and my evening ice-cream pig-outs; our inn is a short walk from a fabulous ice-cream parlor), my favorite part of vacation is sitting on the beach and reading. I slide my chair into the umbrella’s shade, dig my toes into the sand, and gorge on books. My definition of bliss!

If you’re like me, and looking for some delicious new books to read while you’re on vacation, I hope you’ll give The April Tree a try, especially while it’s specially priced at only $1.99. Much as I love all the books I’ve written (one hundred so far!), The April Tree is the book closest to my heart. It contains drama, romance, sorrow, and laughter. It’s about life and loss, fate and faith. And it’s about the enduring bonds of friendship.

Some of you may be beach readers like me. Some may be hammock readers. Some of you may be hopping on planes and traveling long distances this summer—but hey, you’ll need a good book or two to keep you company on the flight. So stock up on your summertime reading—and take advantage of any discounts you can find. I hope you’ll include The April Tree on your summer reading list.

Judith Arnold

THE APRIL TREE is on sale for just 1.99! Grab it today!

Power of Perseverance

By Shereen Vedam

“Death is Peaceful, Life is Harder”

― Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

Right after I read the above quote, a friend mentioned a line from an old TV show called St. Elsewhere: “Death ends a life, it doesn’t end a relationship.”

Both quotes are so very true. When someone dies, the love of those left behind does not die with their loved one, it lingers on. As for the one who died, he or she can be drawn to the vibrancy of life they were left behind, especially if the one who they once cared for, is still grieving their passing.

Deep love perseveres.

Breaking the lure of life isn’t easy. In my Regency romance, A Beastly Scandal, the heroine discovers this when a widow asks her to cleanse her home, Clearview Manor, of a persistent ghost. The first thing the ghost does when Belle arrives is try to kill her. She perseveres. Because the last time she tried to help this man, it was when he was still alive, and she failed. This time, she will not abandon him. Not if he refuses to accept her help, not even if his son throws her out of his home.

Perseverance has the power to overcome obstacles, shrug off discouragement and surmount fear. When life seems hard – and believe me, it will get hard because that is the nature of life – remember to believe in yourself, and to not give up. If you can do that, you will get through this day, the next, and the one after that. In the end, you will triumph, because the power of perseverance is magical. Like love. Dead or alive.

EXCERPT from A Beastly Scandal:

 “That is a desolate looking house, is it not?” Winfield said. “I would have it torn down and rebuilt in a more flattering style, but Terrance seems fond of this monstrosity. So what brings you so far north, my lady?”

She faced the gentleman. “I have come for a visit with Lady Terrance. She is my grandfather’s friend.”

“I had heard the countess still wore dark colors.”

Before she could respond, a loud crack sounded. She sensed danger stab from above. With a shouted warning, she pulled Mr. Winfield out of harm’s way just as an icicle crashed and shattered where they had stood. She protected her face as splinters flew in all directions.

Mendal screamed. The owl fluttered its one good wing and screeched. The dog barked ferociously.

Mr. MacBride spoke first, his voice quivering and eyes wide with terror. “It is an omen, ah tell ye.”

“He is right,” Mendal said, sounding unusually timorous as she crossed herself. “We should leave. Bad luck comes from going where we are not wanted.”

The front doors opened then, and a footman descended. Immediately, the dog raced up the stairs and inside.

“Dog!” Belle called out in alarm. The animal might wreck the place. This was not how she had hoped to introduce herself to the countess.

An older woman, dressed in black, moved to the open doorway. Belle recognized her from a drawing her grandfather had shown her. This was Lady Terrance. She gave off waves of fear as she looked toward the roofline.

Belle’s worries drowned beneath the lady’s emotional assault, leaving her head pounding with a headache. Through that onslaught, Belle’s purpose became crystal clear. This is why she had come here. Lady Terrance needed her.

A BEASTLY SCANDAL is only $1.99 through the 15th! Grab it today!

Look Away, Away

by Kimberly Brock

I think writers of any ilk can benefit from a healthy appreciation of setting, but regional – particularly southern writers – are haunted by our connection to, love of, loss of, and clawing crawling, desperate journey back to – the land. Oh, I wish I was in Dixie…away, away. Every song is a lullaby of going home. We close our eyes and dream of the old house in the valley. We contemplate a city skyline, thinking only of the ancient ridges that surrounded freshly turned lowlands where we walked a row as a child. That old scene where Scarlet O’Hara’s father warns her that land is the only thing that matters? We took that old man seriously and so, when we write our stories, do our characters. Their whole world, how our characters view their circumstances, why they struggle, why they rejoice – it’s all reflected in the setting. Pick up any piece of southern fiction and you will understand what Lee Smith meant when she said of regional literature, “There is an intimate identification with landscape. Setting is so important that it often defines the lives and possibilities of its characters…Place is the central defining factor of southern writing. There’s just simply more there, there.”

In writing THE RIVER WITCH, I knew Roslyn’s story would end up on the island – I knew she would go into a kind of exile. I imagined Roslyn’s need for isolation, and her need for great beauty, which led me to the Georgia Coast. I wanted it to be a place that would keep her off balance so she’d have to struggle to understand it and meet its demands. I needed a place that Roslyn believed was a complete departure. My character’s story is also the story of this environment and if you look at one, you will inevitably discover something about the other.

I’d written a good part of the first draft before Roslyn’s past and her childhood memories of Glenmary, Tennessee, began to surface. There, I found a people rooted for centuries in hard ground. Ancient mountains that would not be moved. Do you see these places? Then you see the people who inhabit them. I came to understand these were the characteristics at the core of Roslyn, this place defined all the ways she was at odds with herself, and as with everything else in the novel, these seemingly contradictory environments and cultures of Appalachia and Coastal Georgia would serve as mirrors for one another – just as the characters tend to hold up mirrors to one another. Some of this was written intentionally, but a great deal of it evolved with the story.

I’d always been fascinated by the idea that the Sea Islands shift and change, the idea of the alligators roaring season, the romance of the great live oaks, and then there was the element of superstition that lent itself to Roslyn’s haunting. The island was like going back to the mire from which we all emerge. I chose the island setting so she could fight her way back from her loss, physically and psychologically. That’s what Roslyn’s character ultimately faced – what each of us, ANY character ANY place, faces – a transformation that leads to resolution. She had to learn to shift and change to survive, just like the land beneath her feet. Her connection to place informs the reader of Roslyn’s internal journey through metaphor, but it also grounds the reader firmly in a compelling reality, one that every reader will envision for themselves. We are called to whatever away, away means home. To me, the true power of setting is that it gets to the heart of our human search for belonging.

Barbara Kingsolver said it best when she spoke of setting. “I have places from which I tell my stories. So do you, I expect. We sign the song of our home because we are animals…Among the greatest of all gifts is to know our place.”

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