Lincoln Ladies Blog Tour: Suzy Duffy Guest Post

Lincoln Ladies

New England Trilogy, Book 3

by Suzy Duffy

Release Date: October 30 , 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Genre: FICTION/ Contemporary Women/ Romance/Contemporary

ISBN e-book:   978-1-61213-274-7

Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH

~~SUMMARY~~

Kate Kavanagh is happy raising her daughter and focusing on work, but when the girl moves to New York for a fantastic job and ends up moving in with her philandering father, things get complicated. Her best friend, Madeline Stein, has been a career girl all her life. As a single mom, her job defines her, so when she loses it, Maddy needs to find something or someone else to make her forties fun. Portia Kavanagh hits New York with a bang, but she’s so hungry for adventure she bites off more of the Big Apple than planned. Portia retreats to what she thinks is the sanctuary of her father’s home and soon discovers she’s not the only one in the family with an overactive appetite. Kate and Maddy find themselves leaving their lovely hometown of Lincoln, outside Boston, for the fertile and romantic hills of Tuscany. However, blue skies, rich wine, and charming Italians bring the women a whole new world that they have to maneuver with the grace and style of a Lincoln Lady. Portia’s high-octane life in Manhattan comes at a price, too. Out of the millions of men she could have, she chooses the only one she’s meant to avoid. Her quandary: Has she made a mistake of epic proportions or found the one in a million? This is a story of three fantastic women on a journey of self-discovery. With more ups and downs than a Florentine fairground, the ladies survive love, loss, and fresh pasta by laughing at life and using a doggie bag. There are lots of thrills and spills along the way, but in the end it’s all about friendship, attitude, and walking off that fabulous food. Come on an adventure and enjoy the ride with the lovely Lincoln Ladies.

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Guest Post

Learning to let go (and loving it)

I know we have to start letting go almost as soon as we’re born. Babies cry when they separate from their mothers. Toddlers hate leaving to start school. Life is full of change and I accept that; but moving from Ireland to America hit with me an experience I never thought I’d face and definitely wasn’t prepared for.  Truth be told, I’m still adjusting.

I got married and had my babies in Dublin.  There, the tradition is to go to a nearby school and then onto one of the excellent universities the city has to offer.  Students aged 18 -21, who live in Dublin continue to live at home!  Don’t get me wrong, they still manage to escape.  During the long summer months, it’s traditional for third level students to head to Australia, the USA, maybe the Far East.  I think they try to get as far away as possible but they always come back.  When they finish college, they usually get a job and then move out.  Here in the USA, things are very different.  Their babies – BABIES – leave home at eighteen and head to college.  Sometimes it’s only a three hour drive but they can go up to 5 thousand miles away.  When I first heard about this, I didn’t worry because I thought we’d be back in Ireland by now and my eldest would still be safely under my wing. We’re not and she’s gone. 

I’m going to suffer a double whammy because, like the American kids, she’s gone to college for term time but she chose Trinity College, back in Dublin so like the Irish kids she’s going to travel during vacation time with her Irish buddies.  So I’m slowly coming to terms with my new situation.  She. Is. Gone. She’s not really coming back. I may get a long W/E or two and Christmas.  They don’t do Thanksgiving in Ireland so we’ll do that without her.  It really is my worst nightmare and yes, I cried my heart out as reality hit me. 

It was about this time last year when I got the distinct feeling that she and I were moving toward a precipice together. It was inevitable, unavoidable and after that point, she’d go one way and I another.  I started to write about it.  That was the birth of Lincoln Ladies – Line 1 on page one… “Mom, are you ready? We seriously have to go.”

There was no way I could hold her back or change the situation.  All my Irish friends still have their kids living at home and all my US friends get to have their kids back for summer. I don’t. As last year moved on, I realized I was going to have to figure a way to get through this transition. We set up all sorts of cell phone apps to talk for free, text and send photos.  She’s not beside me but she’s still in my life.  I began to focus on the things I would do with the gap in my life her exit would create. I had to learn to let go and be at peace with it.

Here’s the irony.  She has four younger siblings and that gap has closed fairly swiftly.  I’m focusing on my other children and writing more than ever.  I’ve even joined the gym again.  (First visit tomorrow morning – waghhhh.) I’ll be honest and she knows this.  I think the idea of her going was a lot worse than her actually going. Do I love her being gone? No, but just like Kate Kavanagh in Lincoln Ladies, I’m using the time I would have spent with her in other fun ways.  I haven’t come as far as Kate but I’m working on it and I’m open to suggestions, friends - because I have another daughter leaving me in two years and going to have to go through all of this again…. I can feel a sequel coming on!

Here’s to letting go, ladies and right now I’ll settle for liking it.

Lots of love,

Suzy XXX

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~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~

Suzy Duffy is an international and #1 best-selling author. She writes laugh-out-loud, life-affirming stories about women from five to ninety-five. (Sometimes she writes about men, too, but only for comedic purposes, and pets—if they’re funny.) Her books have won numerous awards and critical acclaim. They’ve been published in Norwegian and German, and she gives 10% of her royalties to www.FOBH.org Her New England trilogy includes: Wellesley Wives – September 2012 Newton Neighbors – September 2013 Lincoln Ladies – September 2014 Praise for Duffy: “Five Star rating . . . An all-American heart-warming romantic comedy.” “Suzy Duffy . . . I had wondered who would be filling Maeve Binchy’s shoes . . . EXCELLENT . . . Highly Recommended.” “Duffy isn’t just a good writer, she’s a darn good storyteller, too—a rare combination.” Suzy is Irish and currently lives in Boston with her husband, five children, and one dog. She was recently a guest speaker at the Sydney Writers Festival in Australia. She loves connecting with readers, book clubs, and writer’s events.

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~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~

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Author Sibelle Stone

Today, author Sibelle Stone stops by and gives us a lesson on writing sex scenes. Pay attention, people. You never know when this could come in handy.

Romance authors face one of the most challenging obstacles a writer can face. We often include scenes in our books that show the consummation of a relationship. We write about sex. Sometimes graphically, sometimes with a great deal of innuendo. It depends on the author the type of book and the story.

But what we really do is describe something that you can pretty much bet most of our readers have done. And they probably consider themselves at least fairly good at it, if not an expert. So, how do you craft a love scene so that it’s fresh, new and interesting?

Who Are These People and Why Should I care?

·        Establish your characters first, put them together for a reason, (a good reason) and then let them have at it.

                          

·        Sex scenes should still be advancing the story. Consider why you have this scene at this point in the story.

·        Consider why you are putting this in? Is it because you think by a certain page the relationship should be consummated? Or, does this advance the relationship to the next level?

·        Is there chemistry between the characters? If they’ve been fighting for fifty pages and then suddenly fall into bed with each other, the reader is going to wonder why.

Slap and Tickle

·        Sexual Tension is fun, seduce the reader with a series of encounters and build anticipation for the love scene. We enjoy banter, because it builds a relationship with talking. Talking to each other when you are falling in love is a good thing. That’s how we learn if this person is truly a mate we want to commit to long-term.

·        Tease the reader. Set up situations that bring the couple together, and not always under stress. Even in an intense book, the characters need to stop and take a deep breath once in a while.

·        Focus on Emotion and making the reader care about the characters. Keep asking yourself – What is the character feeling? How do I show this?

·        Give hints  – nudity, bath scenes, lingerie.  Create sexy situations, and it doesn’t have to be a nude scene. One of the sexiest women ever, Elizabeth Taylor, did more with a slip than most women could with pasties and a garter belt.

Using Tools (From Your Writer’s Toolbox – What did you think I was talking about?)

·        Where?  Use your setting whenever possible. In Whistle Down the Wind, I sent my couple on a long sea cruise. Well, it probably wasn’t that romantic to travel by sea in the 17th century, with small, crowded ships, horrible food, (with insects in it), scurvy and the stench of many people crowded onto a small vessel. But, that’s not the part I wrote about. I created sensual scenes of playful lovemaking, and some seriously sexy stuff. Put your couple together in situations that invite opportunities to make love.

·        How? 

Avoid clichéd phrases and euphemisms (and “Oh God!” is one of those).

Don’t use Part A fits into Slot B because the reader knows where those parts go.

Medical terms are boring, but be historically correct. Find out what people called their parts and use the names. Do the research.

Know your audience and their expectations. A “hot” really is different from a “steamy”. “Red hot and steamy” - well - you get the idea.

It’s not a football game and we don’t need an announcer.

·        Sex is funny, use humor to provide comic relief. Imagine if aliens dropped in to see a human couple... coupling. They’d probably fall on the floor laughing.

·        You can leave some things to the imagination or be explicit – it’s up to you.

·        Vocabulary – use words that incite the imagination and are provocative

·        Dialogue enhances a love scene and can show emotion. Pillow talk is fun.

Whose Bed-Head Are We In?

·        Single or Multiple (POV)? It’s your choice but be consistent. Or you can alternate POV of hero and heroine. What does he really think of her?

·        What are we learning about this character?

·        Who has the most to lose? That’s often our POV character.

Expectations

·        Know the boundaries of the genre you are writing.

·        Know what the Editor/Publisher likes.

·        Be aware of what YOU are comfortable writing

Writing these scenes can be challenging but a good love scene can also emotionally engage your reader.

                                                   

Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.

Guest Post from author Alexandrea Weis

I'm so excited to have my very first guest post today. Alexandrea Weis is the author of Broken Wings, a book that I read, reviewed,  and loved last week. Today she's here to tell us all about her other life as a wildlife rehabber.....

Dedication for Broken Wings:  For all the wildlife I have rescued, rehabbed, fretted over, stayed up all night with, cried into their fur, and lost. Thank you to all of my wonderful wild babies. You have made my life complete.    

  One of the most fulfilling aspects of my life is working as a permitted and certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. When I am not writing, my days are taken up with caring for orphaned and injured wildlife brought to me by concerned individuals. Now, more than ever, the wildlife rehabbers are working to save animals injured from interactions with society, or dealing with orphaned wildlife during the height of the spring baby season. And yes, it can be dangerous, especially when dealing with rabies vector creatures such as raccoon, fox, and bats. So why do I volunteer to put myself in harms way? Quite simply, I love animals.

     My evolution from rescuing dogs and cats to wildlife happened about eleven years ago when a neighbor brought me an orphaned baby gray squirrel. Her name was Widget McFidget McFee and she taught me how to love wildlife. The challenges with raising any wildlife orphan are much greater than raising a domestic baby. Chewed furniture, scratches, bites, and the occasional nut being buried in your shoe, can all result from raising a baby squirrel. But when you hold that fuzzy ball of fur in your arms, watch it grow, and see that little personality flourish, there is no difference, at least to me, between a human child and a wild child.

       The day I set Widget free was a mixed blessing of tears and joy. My house seemed empty without her, but she gave me the confidence to raise more baby squirrels and return them to the wild. After her release, I started taking in more babies, and eventually received my wildlife rehabbers permit. Today I work with foxes, flying squirrels, fox squirrels, gray squirrels, raccoons, opossum, skunk, rabbit and the occasional otter. All of which would have never have been possible without Widget. And I was not abandoned completely by my first wild baby. Over the course of the next few years, Widget would bring her babies to me. She would bring every litter she had to my front door for a visit. Unfortunately, after hurricane Katrina, I never saw Widget again. But she is still with  me every day. With every orphaned baby I take in, or with every injured adult I help, I think of Widget and the wonderful gift she gave me. Never let it be said that you cannot learn anything from an animal. I was taught the greatest lesson there is from a squirrel. I opened my heart to a world that I never knew existed, and I have become a better human being because of it.    

Alexandrea and baby Rodney

Rodney all grown up, snuggled in his bed reading 

                                                                    

Thank you, Alexandrea, for posting today!