Friday Features
Welcomes
Coming Home To Love
By
Katie O’Boyle
Katie has provided a guest blog post today to share with our readers. She is asking the question:
Do your stories come from Real Life or from Imagination?
Although I do most of my writing in the quiet of my home office, many of my ideas flow from chance encounters in the course of a day. Just this morning, when I rushed into our fabulous local grocery store for a cup of coffee, I was greeted with a sight that slowed my steps and put a big smile on my face.
At the register stood a tall, slender young man, juggling his purchases as he tried to reach for his wallet. In one hand he held a sweet bouquet of yellow lilies, babies breath, and ferns; in the other, three individual red roses.
My imagination took off! Who were the flowers for? What was the occasion? …and what a great catch this earnest young man would be!
When people ask where I get my story ideas, that’s one example. Wouldn’t that scene make a great opening for a romance story or a chapter in a novel? For this writer, those moments of connection and inspiration in the course of an ordinary, busy day can spark a story or put zing to a scene that “just needs something.”
Another example: one morning in June, over a leisurely cup of coffee in a café, I jotted notes about the heroine of my next novel. A conversation behind me caught my attention, and I turned my head to see two women enjoying breakfast as they talked about some shared interest.
One of the women wore a long cotton skirt with a ruffle at the bottom, paired with an immaculate white T-shirt. Her cotton sandals had a striped, grosgrain ribbon that wrapped around her ankles. Out of nowhere, the voice of my heroine-to-be informed me, “That’s the outfit I’m wearing in my opening scene. Got it?”
Some of you may recognize that outfit from Scene Two of Coming Home To Love, as Gianessa throws together an outfit for work when she’s called in unexpectedly and her uniform is in the hamper.
Another day, I enjoyed a quiet dinner on the patio of an inn and had an internal conversation with the hero-to-be of the same book. My eyes strayed to the fountain in the center of the courtyard, which featured the statue of a beautiful maiden braiding her hair as she rose from the water. My character, Justin Cushman, broke into my thoughts and blustered, “She has no business braiding that glorious hair!”
Justin shares that opinion—silently, with the reader—in Scene Three of Coming Home To Love, when he and Gianessa meet for the first time. He later confesses it to Gianessa, and the words that follow show that their relationship has gone far beyond “just friends who cook together.”
There’s no question that my Lakeside Porches books are works of fiction. However, my everyday interactions with people, places, and things provide details—and sometimes inspiration—for my stories. Is that true for you, as well?
Featured is book two: Coming Home To Love by Katie O’Boyle
Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/ogxm2z8
Blurb:
With his health deteriorating and his spirit dying, Justin Cushman has come home to the Finger Lakes to assist his injured nephew Joel. Sick of accumulating wealth for its own sake, Justin knows that his life is meaningless without a loving relationship and a purpose for his billions. On a whim, he visits Joel’s spa, looking for a massage to relieve his pain. Gianessa Dupioni is a gifted masseuse who starts the boss’s irritable uncle on a journey of health and happiness. Too bad for Justin that Gianessa is devastated by personal losses and strictly focused on rebuilding her career. Justin may be a master strategist in the financial world, but can he persuade Gianessa to let love in?
Excerpt:
“You know,” Gianessa said, as she stroked his palm with her thumb, “I was prepared not to like you. Look how that turned out.”
He blustered. “Not like me?” He winked.
“The first time I saw you, you were badgering Grace.” She leaned forward, leading with her breasts. “That ticked me off.”
“And you wore your hair in that French braid, which ticked me off.”
She gathered her long, toffee tresses behind her shoulders. “You never said you didn’t like my braid.”
“I wanted from that first moment to get my hands in your hair. I plotted six ways to Sunday to get rid of the braid.”
“My braid is perfect for work. It feels elegant and simple, and it makes me feel put together and focused.”
He caressed her cheek and jaw and neck with eager fingers. “But you’re elegant and complex, and I prefer you undone.”
Author Bio and contact links:
Born in the upstate-New York village known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights, Katie O’Boyle loves the Finger Lakes in every season. She enjoys lunch with friends at lakeside inns, and she cherishes the lakeside porch as a place for intimate sharing, laughter, and inspiration. To the outside world, she is a tech-savvy college professor. In her soul, she is a passionate author of warm-hearted romance. She has just finished writing book four of the Lakeside Porches romance books and novellas.
Meet Katie O’Boyle:
on Facebook as “Katie O’Boyle Author”
on Twitter as “TompkinsFalls”
website: http://www.katieoboyle.com/
Reblogged this on drkatecollier and commented:
Posted today on C.D. Hurst’s Friday Features!
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I have enjoyed your Lakeside Porches series so much, Kate. You paint such a vivid picture of these beautiful Finger Lakes and the colorful people who live here. I know your books are filled with delicious food–which could be a BIG challenge for me, a constant dieter–but fortunately, the gluten-free meals you portray are always healthy. Thank goodness, and keep writing!
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Thanks, Ellen. Your cooking is delicious! 🙂
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Great post and so, so true! Everyone in my little world must have a backstory. It gets darn distracting at times. For example, yesterday, I should’ve been checking out my salad-to-go at Shoprite, instead, in my mind, I have to finish up the story about the woman with beer-chips-and-NutraSweet combo standing behind me. Better yet, how about the girl in the physical therapists office who complained about having to go to yet another wedding and thought she should have one to get some stuff, even though she didn’t even have a guy. What-if….
.
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LOL! Beer chips and NutraSweet? I think the wedding-without-a-groom idea is pretty clever, but I think a shower would be less expensive.
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Catherine and Donald, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. Thanks for hosting!
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We are glad you stopped by for a visit.
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Reblogged this on NEVA BROWN & BOOKS.
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Thanks for reblogging, Neva! I’m honored. 🙂
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Great post Katie!
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OMG we’re on at the same time! Thanks, I enjoyed writing the post and being part of C.D. Hurst’s blog!
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