The Book of Wow

I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago, for the sole purpose of eye-balling my new romance novel on this giant retailer’s shelves, when I stumbled across the book we’re going to talk about today.

I first plucked it off the shelf because of the title. Throw in the cover and the backjacket copy and, well, I was intrigued enough to buy the book.  I brought it home and set it on my nightstand with the hopes I’d get to it soon.

A few nights later I picked it up and read for about twenty minutes, the first few pages tipping me off to this author’s amazing ability of setting a scene…and characters…and story.

Wow.

The Book of Bright Ideas, by Sandra Kring, is a can’t-miss in my humble opinion. For a ton of reasons, this book spoke to me in a way few have in a very long time. In fact, I found myself folding over pages as I read simply because she said things in such a way I knew I’d want to refer back to them… 

Not as a writer, but as a person.

Here’s the bookjacket copy that sucked me in…

Wisconsin 1961. Evelyn “Button” Peters is nine when Winnalee Malone and her sister, Freeda, blow into town–and from the moment she sees them, Button knows this will be a summer unlike any other.

Much to her mother’s dismay, Button is fascinated by the malone sisters, especially Winnalee, a feisty scrap of a thing who carries around a shiny urn containing her mother’s ashes and a tome she calls “The Book of Bright Ideas.” It is here, Winnalee tells Button, that she recors everything she learns: her answers to the mysteries of life. But sometimes those mysteries conceal a truth better left buried. In this summer of dry heat and family upheaval, loyalties will be tested, unlikely alliances formed, and devastating secrets revealed. And when it’s over, no one–from Winnalee and her sister to Button and her family–will ever be the same.

That’s the back jacket copy.

To which I would add one word…

Wow.

There’s so much I want to say about this story, but can’t because I don’t want to ruin it for any of you who opt to go and get this (you should). But there are a few things I have to say…

Throughout the story, Winnalee and Button add things to their “Book of Bright Ideas.” Observations about life through the eyes of nine-year-olds–lessons that are both sweet and tender yet make you wince at times because they’re the kind of lessons you wish they didn’t have to learn.

Near the end of the story, Button learns a few more–though they aren’t ones that make their way into the special book. Nonetheless, they stood out to me (how could they not–the writing is spectacular)…

**”We looked around the room some more, not talking. I think Ma and Aunt Verdella felt like I did. Like a pumpkin after the insides have been scraped away. Ma and Aunt Verdella walked in front of me down the stairs, moving slow, just like me. I guess at that moment I learned that there’s nothing heavier to carry than emptiness.”

And then there was this which brings me to our topic…

**”It seems to me that after someone sweeps across your life like a red-hot flame, peeling back the shutters that sat over your heart and your mind and setting free your sweetest dreams or your worst nightmares, after things cool down you’ve got two choices.  You can either slip back into your old life, tucking those things you were too scared to look at back into hiding, or you can keep those parts of yourself out until you get so used to them that they don’t scare you anymore and they just become a part of who you are.”

Wow, huh?

So here’s my question for today–a tough one to pick as this book stirred up many for me:

Have you ever had someone enter your life who simply made it better? Someone who taught you things or shared special moments with you or changed you in some way…only to have them disappear?

~Elizabeth

What Do You See?

If you could remove all your limitations, what would your life look line in five years?  Give us a day-in-the-life look at this “revised you” and an overall view as well.

Happy Dreaming!

~Elizabeth

**A big thank you goes to blog reader Lynn for this “Dreamer Monday” suggestion! If you have a question to throw out for an upcoming Dreamer Monday, email me at:  ElizabethLCasey @aol.com.

Okay, Spill It…

It’s Friday and time for our weekly “Bits & Pieces” questions.  And since my curiosity is in overdrive at the moment, I shall skip any further chit chat and get straight down to business…  

1) Did you ever play a part in a school play? What was it?

2) What do you miss most about being a kid? What do you miss least?

3) If you were stuck in a jail cell for the next year of your life, what would you want to do/teach yourself to pass the time? And for those extra creative souls out there…amuse us with what you did to get in there.

4) If you could go back to high school and learn a different language, what would it be and why?

5) You’re about to get dumped off on an island for the next six  months. You must go alone. You can only take three things with you…what would you take?

Okay, bring ‘em on…

~Elizabeth

Striking a Balance

It’s Thursday and time for a look at the mail…

This question is from blog reader Chris C:

How do you know the right amount of ’story’ to create? i find many books way too long for the story being told, while others leave you begging for more either in backstory or depth of interactions.

This is a good question, Chris, and one I’m going to *try* to answer the best I can.

When you sit down with an idea for a novel, you have to know the story you’re going to tell. This doesn’t mean you know every nuance yet (some of us don’t…until we start writing), but you know the basic idea of what’s going to happen and why.

The key, then, is figuring out what needs to be said in order to convey that to the reader. Good writers don’t heap backstory in because it can take a reader out of the story they’re trying to tell. Good writers weave backstory (but only that which is important for the story being told–whether in plot or character development related to the plot) as they go along.

If you’ve ever watched the TV show, Lost, the way they do backstory (at least in the first two seasons) was awesome. You could see why the characters made the choices they made because of experiences in their life. The whole episode wasn’t non-stop backstory, rather it was woven in at parts that made sense.

The same should hold true for books.

When I’m writing–or reading my own work–I try to pay attention to how I feel. If I become bored with what I’m writing (or have written), it’s a pretty safe bet it’s not necessary.

It might be fun to give a character a funny quirk, but if it doesn’t play into the story or explain something about the character pivotal to the plot…it’s a waste of time. For the writer and the reader.

When I first started writing fiction, I wrote very lean. Too lean, in many ways. I suspect some of that was because of my journalism background–get to the facts, that’s all that matters. But as I continued to write, I found that I was able to strike a better balance and I hope that’s showing in my  newer work.

My rule of thumb is this. If it matters to the plot, use it. If it doesn’t, don’t.

Here’s an example from an earlier book of mine, Forecast of Evil (written under the name, Laura Bradford). I did a lot of research on what Mackinac Island is like in the winter. How’s it’s accessed, and when/ how they handle storms, etc. During the course of my research, I discovered that old Christmas trees are used on the lake to guide snow mobilers home during a white-out (blizzard). I thought that was a very cool piece of information. One I would have loved to have used…only it didn’t work with my plot. My characters needed to be stranded. Which meant the lake couldn’t have been frozen yet. Therefore the trees were a non-issue.

Does that answer your question, Chris? Anyone else have anything to add? Another question about this topic we can discuss today? Or a new question to add to the line-up for future Writing Thursdays?

Ask away.

~Elizabeth

If I Can Make It There, I Can Make It Anywhere…

If you’ll remember from last week, I was asked to give a talk during a President’s Circle event for the Multiple Sclerosis Assocation in New York City this past weekend.

Well, I did it. And can I just say–oh. my. gosh?!?!?!?!?

The event was held at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum on 42nd Street. The room it was held in was essentially a wall of glass overlooking Times Square (the New Years Even ball, the lights, the billboards, you name it). And then there was me, standing at a podium with this stuff behind me.

Talk about surreal.

I only spoke for about seven minutes, but I felt good about it–the telltale I’m-giving-a-speech-in-front-of-a-roomful-of-strangers dry mouth thing not too noticeable.

I shared with them a small handful of moments that stand out in my life. I talked about a moment of awe as a child, the moment my dream to be a writer was born, the day I saw my very first book cover, the day I got my Agatha nomination call, and, finally, the day the doc broke the news.

I shared with them the good that’s come from that not-so-great moment and I got to say “thanks” for this organization’s help at a time I needed it.

It was exciting. And memorable. And the backdrop???? That was a moment in and of itself.

So how about you? What’s a moment that stands out in your life as being tough-to-top?

~Elizabeth

The Ones We Can’t Forget

Thanks to a crazier-than-normal week, I haven’t finished reading the book I’d planned for today ( *hangs head in shame* ).  But I can tell you this…I’m enjoying it tremendously!!!

Soooo, we’re going to try something a little different while I race to finish it in time for next week, okay?  

1) Who was your favorite fictional character as a child and why?

2) Has there been a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it…simply because of its power? What was it and why?

3) Do you feel as if you’ve ever learned anything from a fictional piece? And if so, what?

4) If you could only recommend one book to a friend, what would it be?

Tough questions, I know. But if you’re a book lover as most of us are, they should be fun to answer!

~Elizabeth

P.S. If you’d be interested in leading a “Reading Tuesday” in the future, contact me at: ElizabethLCasey@aol.com for more details!

Play It Again, Sam

Here’s one to dream about for a moment…

If you could start over–knowing what you know now–what would you do differently?

~Elizabeth

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! My January winner is…

Well, I have to say, my first month of blogging on a daily basis went better than I expected! A huge Thank You goes out to all of you who have been giving me a shot the past few weeks.

And now that January is virtually done, it’s time to post my first monthly winner! At the end of every month, I put the names of all those people who have posted a comment on my blog that month into a hat for a random drawing. The more times you comment over the course of the month, the more chances you have to win.

Our January winner? Blog reader, Dru!!!  Dru, please contact me at: ElizabethLCasey@aol.com to claim your prize (a choice of…a) a signed copy of SEW DEADLY, b) a signed copy of KAYLA’S DADDY, c) a signed cover flap of the upcoming DEATH THREADS, or d) a signed copy of all three of my Jenkins & Burns Mysteries).

Congratulations, Dru!

~Elizabeth

That’s a Fact, Jack…

And it’s also a bit of a quiz, but I couldn’t resist the title.

For today’s Q & A type questions, I figured we’d look to the fridge…

And the cabinet…

And the car (the best place to hide a treat you don’t want the kids to find :)  )

Fact #1: Did you know that the shape of a pretzel was quite deliberate. When first made, the ropes of rolled dough were twisted upward to resemble hands on the chest in prayer? Pretty cool, huh? 

Fact #2: It’s no secret I am a Milk Dud fanatic. And, truth be told, that’s generally what my car stash consists of. But that’s not our fact. At least it’s not the main one. Do you know how Milk Duds got their name? Well, “milk” reflects the large amount of milk found in the product (so, see…they’re good for you :)  ). And the “duds” part came about during production. You see, the original idea was to have a perfectly round piece of candy. However, when the maker realized that was impossible, the word “duds” was used.

Fact #3: Did you know that on average, each person in the U.S. eats 23 pounds of pizza in a year?

Which leads me to the Q & A portion of today’s post… A Food Q & A.

1) What’s your all-time favorite Girl Scout cookie?

2) When you’re standing in front of the candy aisle in a store and you’re craving a treat, what do you generally grab for?

3) What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

4) What’s your go-to food for a pick-me-up?

5) If you could remove one particular food from the face of the earth, what would it be?

6) Any fun veggie stories from your childhood?

~Elizabeth

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Well, it’s Thursday again and time to go back to the mailbox.

This question is from blog reader, Nikki:

Do you miss writing about the characters in your Jenkins & Burns series? Is it hard to let them be if the publisher wants something else?

In order to answer this question, I need to give a little backstory for those who don’t know about this series. The Jenkins & Burns mystery series was the first series I’d ever written and it was for a small, independent publishing house. I wrote it under the name, Laura Bradford. There were three books in the series–Jury of One (an Agatha nominee), Forecast of Evil (my personal favorite), and Marked by Fate.

The series ended after three books because I chose not to write them anymore. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the characters–because I did. Rather, it was because I’d only planned three from the start.

Could I have written more? Absolutely. But I decided it was time to take a stab at one of the bigger publishing houses in the interest of furthering my dream.  And so I did…hitting the mark with my new Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series for Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin) under the name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey.

Do I miss Elise and Mitch from the Jenkins & Burns series? Sure. Sometimes. But to be honest with you, the characters I miss most are ones from a chick-lit style mystery series I crafted around the field of advertising. It was that manuscript that helped me secure an agent (two, actually…which resulted in a very tough choice) and made its way around the publishing world (gathering very  nice and encouraging rejections along the way). The book I’d been so sure about…the one that attracted two agents…went nowhere. 

Yet, to this day, I still LOVE those characters. Absolutely LOVE them.  And it was hard when I realized I wasn’t going to get to keep writing them. Not for that book, anyway.

But here’s the deal. As a writer, there are always characters in my head. Characters demanding their time on a page or in a book. I just need to use the right ones at the right time. And if, for some reason, one of them doesn’t work…I can still thank him/her for the fun they gave me and move on. Maybe they’ll work their way into something else one day. And maybe they won’t. Yet I can honestly say that each and every one of them has helped me grow as a writer. And for that, I’m grateful.

Any comments/observations/further questions? Fire away…

~Elizabeth