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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Author Julie Anne Lindsey on Falling in Love & writing the 'first' book


I'm excited to welcome Julie Anne Lindsey, a multi-genre author to my blog. With five releases slated for 2013, I don't know how she finds the time to sleep let alone guest on a blog! 


Thank you Julie for sharing your experience writing a story you love, with characters you want to keep close and how difficult it can be to let go. 


Following the author's post is a blurb and excerpt of Written on Her Heart, her sweet romance release. *Please leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of her release. Thank you for visiting!

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Falling in Love with the Heart

I’ve spent tons of time wondering what love would look like with the lights out. Literally. No euphemisms. What if we somehow met our true love without seeing them? Forget love at first sight. What happens when two souls happen upon one another and simply know / recognize their counterpart? The idea has lingered in my heart and mind for years. After watching Meg Ryan fall in love with Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail, I wanted to see more. Why weren’t there more stories like theirs out there for my reading pleasure? I couldn’t get enough.
Eventually, I lost patience. I had to experience that story again, no matter what it took. So, I wrote it. I’ve heard plenty of authors advise, “Write the story you want to read.” Well, my head’s a little thick, so it took me a while, but eventually my flickering light bulb of a brain finally caught up. 
I would write the story! Huzzah!
The trouble with writing the story of your heart is all the pressure. I wrote, revised, rewrote and culled this story until my brain bled. To this day I’m mildly dissatisfied with one scene because I couldn’t make it grand enough to suit me no matter how many times I tried. I love these characters so thoroughly, especially Mavis and Dr. Kennedy, that I wanted to knock my own socks off. I itched to call them many times for a better look at what they thought of how the story was going. Since I couldn’t, I stressed over each and every word and scene until I had to accept the manuscript as complete and let them go. 
In the end, I discovered writing the book of your heart is as traumatic as reading it. You don’t want it to end. You dread the days ahead because it’s over and won’t ever happen again. Even if you reread it or write another, it won’t be this one. It won’t be the first. *deep sigh* 
That’s a peek into my heart, I suppose. I hope if you’re in the mood for a sweet romantic read, you’ll consider a stop in Honey Creek. The sun’s warm. The sweet tea’s cold and romance abounds. Visiting Honey Creek is as easy as a click on Amazon. 
*****

Written on Her Heart, a Honey Creek sweet romance

Emma’s falling in love with a man she’s never met, or has she?  
Emma has her reasons not to fall in love, but fate has other plans. When she finds a journal near Honey Creek lake, she sneaks a peek at the words of a stranger, but finds the heart of a hero instead. Soon she’s savoring every word, opening her heart to the man inside and her mind to possibilities she gave up long ago.
 Across town, Nicholas is devastated at the loss of his grandfather’s journal, one he’s written in since he left for Iraq a decade ago. The thought of a stranger mocking his words, or worse, someone from Honey Creek knowing his most intimate trials…. If his journal falls into the wrong hands, humiliation is sure to follow.
But what if it fell into the right ones?

Excerpt from Written on Her Heart

When Mom pulled the door open, she nearly leapt into my arms. Tears already streamed from her eyes. It’d been two years since I’d been home, but not even secrets formed halfway around the world were safe from our small town. The moment I pulled my rental onto Route 22, I became fair game for gossip and ghost spotting. When a train lumbered along the only set of tracks and held me up for nearly five minutes, I watched a dozen bystanders take notice. First of the car they didn’t know, and then they dipped their heads for a look at the driver. The lady in front of me yanked her mirror to the side to check her face, and her chin dropped when our eyes met. By the time I lifted Mama into my arms, she’d received no less than four phone calls announcing my arrival. So much for surprises. 

She looked smaller and more fragile than I remembered. Maybe after two years in a battle zone everything did. Her thin palms gripped my cheeks tight, and she kept saying, “Welcome home,” until my eyes filled to match hers. Tears streamed over the skin on her cheeks, and I never wanted to leave. The most important thing I could protect was right there in my hands. 

Emma sniffled and wiped tears as she finished the passage for the third time. Her tears dropped onto the ink. She flung her body backward onto her bed and exhaled. The imagery astounded her. She knew firsthand how it was to arrive home. Every car in town must be inventoried somewhere. She shook her head, picturing the train. How awful to be held back by something as mundane as a train when you’re coming home from war to see your mother. 

A gush of air filled her lungs, and she bolted upright. 

“Oh my Lord in Heaven, he’s from Honey Creek!” She looked around for someone to dance with. Grabbing the journal in one hand, she skimmed the words again though she’d practically memorized them already. Route 22. One set of tracks. His journal sat under her willow. “Wheeeee!” She scooped a pillow off her bed and spun until the floor tilted. 
He was from Honey Creek.

About Julie Anne Lindsey
I am a mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find me online, amped up on caffeine & wielding a book. I write sweet romance for Honey Creek Books. I’m anticipating five release in 2013, including two YA titles and my debut cozy mystery from Carina Press. I can’t wait to see what’s next. 
Find Julie online:

6 comments:

  1. Welcome Julie! I read the blurb for your story and wanted to know immediately how the journal pulls these two characters together. I love the journal idea.

    You have several books releasing, I'd love to know a bit about your work process...

    Thanks
    Jenna

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  2. Hi Julie!

    Fabulous premise for a story and I just loved the excerpt. Wishing you much success and sales!

    Rachel x

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  3. Hi Jenna! Thank you SO much for inviting me over today. This story is dear to me for so many reasons. I hope it makes someone else smile too. My WIP? Sadly I'm eyebrows deep in edits LOL BUT! I have a super secret project I'm working on now. I even enlisted the help of a bestie at the FBI for help :) Can't wait to get back to it soon!

    Thanks Rachel! How awesome you stopped by!!!!

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  4. Sounds exciting...I can't wait to hear what your secret project is.

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  5. I'm a writer who knows exactly how you feel about the ending of the first book, how we love our characters and can't say goodbye! Your book sounds wonderful and I want to read it! Best of luck with more projects :))

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  6. Thank you Tracy! It's good to know I'm not alone in editing to death and still feeling like screaming "I want it to SING!" LOL I may be late to an OCD diagnosis.....I'm just saying :)

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