Feeling the pain...

Oldest tree in Lake County - over 600 years old - Photo by Loree Huebner
Sadly, this amazing tree has died. Oh, the stories it could tell.

PAIN

: the physical feeling caused by disease, injury, or something that hurts the body

: mental or emotional suffering : sadness caused by some emotional or mental problem

: someone or something that causes trouble or makes you feel annoyed or angry

Merriam Webster

In life there is pain. It's a daily occurrence along with - love, hate, life, death, laughter, weeping, and so on.

In the stories that we write, our characters experience some sort of pain - that festering mental or physical wound that just doesn't seem to heal.

Pain is not always easy to put into words. It can be a real challenge if you haven't experienced a particular sort of suffering you may be incorporating into your story.  

The main character in one of my recent novels is a widow. She suffers the mental anguish of suddenly losing her husband. In reality, I am not a widow. I have not encountered this kind of a broken heart. So how do I convey this very personal grieving experience? How do I express the feelings and make it real - believable to the reader?

We draw from the same well...

In my life, I have experienced loss - the sudden loss of a parent, friend, and a sibling. I must dig deep to extract from my intimate bereavement. It's not always easy to do, but reliving a few chosen moments, I can experience the sadness of the loss, the regrets of things left unsaid, the loneliness of the empty place at the table, along with anger, anxiety, and despair. As I remember my loved ones, I feel the pain of my personal loss while I ramble in my character's head. I am able to feel her pain and sorrow, and express it as if it were me, myself, in her shoes. I believe this is one of the reasons writing is so exhausting.

Pain also has a physical side...

I recently had knee surgery. This was partial knee replacement surgery, and the second surgery on the same knee. The post- surgery has been much more painful than I had anticipated. It was the first time that I had to "manage" my pain.

As a writer, I found myself taking notes of the kind of physical pain I was experiencing - shooting pain, intense, deep bone pain, the dull nagging ache, the throbbing pain, and so on. I've experienced a whole range of physical pain that I will be able to call upon when needed. Oddly, I was able to channel my thoughts, using this idea of pain as experience or knowledge to help me through the worst of it. 

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you have ways of feeling the pain and writing about it?

Are you exhausted after writing a particularly sad or painful chapter?


Since my knee surgery, I'm catching up on my very large TBR pile. This week I'm reading Remember Love - the first book in The Women of Manatee Bay Series - by Jessica Nelson. She's a beautiful and talented writer.



Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree



  
A Time for Everything

1There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

~ Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Loree Huebner
Writing with one foot in the past...
On Twitter @LoreeHuebner
On Instagram @lunapickles

www.facebook.com/LoreeHuebnerAuthor 

THE SCANDINAVIAN SANTA INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAY!

MICHAEL AND VICTORIA LINDSTROM

What a great looking couple!

Hello everyone! Today is a very special day. I am pleased to introduce Victoria and Michael Lindstrom. I met Victoria through blogging, and we've become good friends. She and her husband Michael have collaborated on a beautifully written and illustrated children's book, The Scandinavian Santa.

This is the first storybook that I have purchased for my soon-to-be grandchild. I highly recommend it for children of all ages. Victoria's story is positively enchanting and visually enhanced by Michael's charming paintings.

This story particularly appealed to my husband, who has some Scandinavian heritage. He plans to order several more copies for the children on his side of the family. I'm not Scandinavian, but I enjoyed the book immensely! I'm giving a few copies away as Christmas presents.

I'm thrilled and honored that this is Victoria's first interview. 

Welcome Victoria and Michael Lindstrom! I am so glad you are both here today to talk about your debut children’s book, The Scandinavian Santa.

Vicki – how long have you been writing? Is this your first children’s book?

Thanks so much for inviting us to do this interview, Loree!

Yes, The Scandinavian Santa is my first published children’s book. I’ve also completed two middle grade novels that I’m hoping might be published someday.

My history as a writer started back in high school when my English teacher, Mrs. Emily Bean (don’t you just love that name?), mentioned that she really liked one of my poems. From that time on, I’ve been penning poems and scribbling sentences most of my life. I had two poems on spirituality published in a Christian anthology years ago. However, I earned my degree in Dental Hygiene, was married, and had three sons, so writing took a “back seat” in my life at that time. But then, eight years ago, I injured my wrist while root planning a periodontal patient’s teeth, and my career as a dental hygienist was over. I went back to my passion for writing. I took a few creative writing classes at our community college, joined a critique group, and have been writing most afternoons ever since. I now view the injury as a blessing, not a bad thing. I absolutely love spending my time as a writer.

What is the inspiration behind the story?

The inspiration for The Scandinavian Santa actually dropped into my mind in December of 2007 while I was feeling sorry for myself. For some reason, I began thinking of my great-grandfather Peter Swanson, who immigrated to the U.S. from Norway. Although I never had the opportunity to meet him, I have fond memories of listening to stories told to me by my mother about our Norwegian ancestor. In addition to that, I have a passion for spending time out in nature, and have a soft spot in my heart for all wild animals, so I think my imagination just spun an outline for this tale from all those elements. (I also really love the Christmas season!) Since I’m part Norwegian and Michael is part Swedish, I wanted to tell a tale that would represent all the Scandinavian countries. I researched Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark for several months, including geography, culture, Christmas traditions, and food. The polar bears are a nod to Norway; the ice skating party was inspired by my love of Hans Christian Andersen stories (Denmark); the beautiful forests of Finland inspired the look of the trees in the book; while the protagonist and the book’s color scheme were both inspired by Swedish culture in general.

How did it come about that you and Michael decided to collaborate on the project together?

After I completed the short story, it became clear to me that an illustrated book would really enhance my yuletide tale. My husband, Michael, is an artist and had just switched from water colors to oil paints. I was really loving the work he was turning out. (Since then, he has received representation into two fine art galleries.) When I asked him if he would be willing to do some paintings for my story, he was more than willing. (We consider the artwork in our book to be accompanying paintings, not true illustrations. But that’s a subject for another full blog post!)

Vicki & Michael – I must ask, as husband and wife, did the process of working together bring about any special challenges? Any discoveries?

When people ask us about the collaboration, we always say: “We’re still married!” However, it wasn’t really that bad. The main challenge stemmed from the fact that I always see my stories in an almost cinematic form while I’m writing – I had very specific ideas about all kinds of details. But, I’ll let Michael elaborate on that. As far as making any new discoveries, I would say that from my perspective, I learned a whole lot about oil painting, and art in general. I’m amazed and appreciative at the way the paintings seem to make my story come alive. I’m so proud of Michael.

First of all, I would also like to thank you, Loree, for hosting this Q & A.

Well, that is the million dollar question. As Victoria mentioned, she had very specific ideas on how she envisioned each scene/painting; it was my job to extract those thoughts from her mind – not an easy task. But we collaborated back and forth, until we were both happy with a finished piece. It took a lot of time.

Michael – where did you get the inspiration behind the beautiful paintings in the book?

Since I am a plein air painter (painting in open air – outside), it was a challenge to design each of the compositions. I am typically responding to what nature is presenting to me in a given moment…designing and drawing and composing what I see. So to paint a cabin or a figure out of my imagination was a great challenge. I found the inspiration to do that partly from our home (one of the interior scenes was inspired by our living room), but most of the inspiration came from discussing with Victoria what she wanted, and then ultimately, my own imagination.

Will there be another project in the future between you and Victoria?

There are a couple of stories that we have discussed. So I would say the chances are good that we will collaborate on future projects. One thing that excites me about working on another project, is that we learned so much from collaborating on The Scandinavian Santa, that I believe it will be easier moving forward.

Victoria & Michael, thank you so much for being here! We’ve really enjoyed learning more about the two of you, and The Scandinavian Santa.

 GIVEAWAY 

Now, the giveaway—the Lindstroms have generously offered to give away a signed copy of The Scandinavian Santa! To be entered in the drawing for this fabulous book, all you have to do is answer the Lindstroms question (at the end of the post) in the comment section on this blog. For those who have trouble commenting on Blogger, leave your answer on my Facebook Author Page, or on Victoria's Facebook Author and Poet Page ~ look for the Facebook posts regarding this interview and giveaway, and leave your comment there. Or leave a comment on Victoria's blog. The contest will end on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 8 pm Pacific Time. Victoria will draw a name at random, and we will announce the winner, right here, on Thursday, December 18th.

Take it away Victoria & Michael…

One of my favorite holiday memories from childhood was when my parents would load my siblings and me into the back of their station wagon and take us all over our community looking at Christmas lights displayed on all sorts of houses. We would then return home for hot cocoa and cookies – special family times.

Here’s our question for those of you who would like to participate in the giveaway:

What is your most cherished Christmas/holiday memory?

Thanks again, Loree, for hosting this author/artist interview. Merry Christmas!

Michael and Victoria

Places to find Victoria and Michael Lindstrom

and

The Scandinavian Santa

Links:

Victoria’s website: http://www.victorialindstrom.com/

Michael’s website: http://michaellindstromartist.com/

The book’s Website: http://thescandinaviansanta.deedspublishing.com/

Amazon: The Scandinavian Santa

Twitter: @AuthorLindstrom  @LindstromArtist

Victoria’s Facebook Author Page: Victoria Lindstrom Author & Poet

Lovely memory. Great question. I can remember driving around with the family to look at Christmas lights. Fun times.

One of my cherished Christmas/Holiday memories is the smell of my mother's nut roll baking in the oven. I always knew Christmas was close when my mother baked her wonderful nut roll. 

Thanks again for stopping by, Victoria and Michael! Merry Christmas!

Between you, me and the gatepost...

Loree

Loree Huebner
Writing with one foot in the past...
On Twitter @LoreeHuebner
On Instagram @lunapickles

www.facebook.com/LoreeHuebnerAuthor

Blog Hiatus

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to check in. 

I know my most recent posts have been sporadic in nature. Just to let you know, I haven't abandoned my blog. It's been a busy couple of months around here, and I needed to take a hiatus from my blogging. 

I'm mainly taking the break to work on a few writing projects that I plan to have completed before the summer rolls around. I work full time, which means my family time and writing time is limited and precious. It's all part of a writer's life. 

I sure hope spring shows up soon! In the meantime, I'm taking full advantage of the harsh winter we're experiencing. Here in the Great Lakes region, it's been so cold and snowy...cold and snowy, which means there is a lot of writing going on. I am so ready for some warm weather.

I do have something to ask of you. My agent, Mary Sue Seymour is facing a difficult health challenge. Please keep her in your prayers and send some good thoughts her way. Thank you!

See ya soon!

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree



Loree Huebner
Writing with one foot in the past...
On Twitter @LoreeHuebner
On Instagram @lunapickles

www.facebook.com/LoreeHuebnerAuthor

Heirlooms - a re-post

Due to my work & writing schedule, I've decided to re-post one of my old posts. It applies to my current WIP. Would love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!


Heirloom  (noun)

Merriam-Webster defines heirloom as:

piece of property that descends to the heir as an inseparable part of an inheritance of real property

something of special value handed on from one generation to another

a horticultural variety that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individuals

In my current WIP, my heroine must leave her home. Along with the necessities, the one thing that she takes with her is a precious family heirloom given to her by the man that she loves. The heirloom once belonged to his dear departed mother—so you know that it is special to him. That heirloom travels with her throughout her journey. It is a gentle reminder of him, and her love for him, even though she is uncertain of his love for her.

Short and simple this week:

Have you ever written an heirloom into your story? Did you give it some focus and importance?

Or

Do you like to read about a precious token given away in love? A special gift kept close to the heart?

Does a small detail like an heirloom bring flavor and substance to the story?

I would love to hear your views.

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree



Loree Huebner
Writing with one foot in the past...
On Twitter @LoreeHuebner
On Instagram @lunapickles

https://www.facebook.com/LoreeHuebnerAuthor

Write Away! It's National Novel Writing Month...

Happy Monday!

It's National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo.

Most of you writers out there know all about NaNo.

This year I am not "officially" registered, but I am participating with my own set goals for the month. I'm going to play along.

I have a half-finished novel that I would love to complete by December 1st.

I decided to set my goal at a 47,000 word count for the month of November. It's several thousand over what I really need. I figure to give myself some extra words and not set a definite limit. Over the weekend I managed 4 K even though we had company on Friday and Saturday. For me, Nanoing seems to really make me hunker down and get it done.

I do work a full time job so this is a real challenge. So far, I find myself writing before work while having my coffee, and after dinner until bedtime. Samwise, our newly adopted Australian Cattle Dog, seems to be content to lay at my feet. He is getting used to being a writer's dog.

Do you participate in NaNo? Why? Why not?

I'm unplugging for a week to see how it goes. Comments are turned off. Coffee is on constant brew.

If you are interested in learning more about NaNoWriMo, signing up, and connecting with other writers - you can go to: https//:www.nanowrimo.org  for more info.

Happy November! Write away!


Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree

Life and Writing...

Crabapple Tree in bloom - Photo by Loree Huebner

Life and Writing:

A lot of stuff is going on in my life right now, and having gone back to work full time, I've decided that I'm going to allow myself a flexible blogging schedule for the summer months until September. I'm still blogging, but with no set schedule. I have a lot on my plate this season, and it will just be easier to post - when I post. I will still be hanging around reading other blogs, and visiting on Facebook and Twitter.

Other things going on - I want to get my work-in-progress novel done, and get it ready to pitch at the ACFW Conference in September. I'm very excited about this novel. I finally found my real niche. It's the second novel I've written since October of last year.

This summer, I also will be attending several large Civil War reenactments. I won't be in the thick of the fight because of my knee, but am happy to wave my handkerchief and shed a few tears as my husband marches off to battle.

One last issue is that my mother-in-law is very ill. She has cancer - I hate that word. Anyway, she and I are pretty close. I love her very much. I would appreciate prayers for her. There will be no surgery or chemo at her choice. She is such a wonderful, brave soul.

Anyway, I will be around and still posting, here and there.

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree

Blooming Crabapple - Photo by Loree Huebner

Drawing on our own emotions…

One thing that I have learned on my writing journey is that I sometimes write by drawing on my own true emotions. I recently went through a season of pain – from physical, to loss, to rejection, heartbreak, to pain caused by persistent worry over a few life issues. This distressing winter would just never end!

The story I am currently writing seemed to benefit from all this pain that I was experiencing as a human—a human who also writes stories. My main character was going through some pretty hefty pain and sorrow—a pain I have not experienced in life. Both of us internalize our anguish, where it can fester. I found myself drawing from my own experiences and emotions while writing this story. I could feel her agony right down to the bone, as she could feel mine with each tap of the keyboard. We both benefited from my pain, but also from my faith. Clearly, the hand of God’s played a role, leading to a healing for both of us in “THE END”.

Do you draw on your own experiences or emotions when writing? Do you feel it tough to do? What about reading an emotional scene? Does it stick with you?

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree 

On April 29th, Author Amy Lillard with be back with us. She has her second book coming out, so look for that! Katie's Choice will be released on May 1st.

The Reason Behind Your Writing...

Hi everyone! This week I am so happy to welcome agency-mate, Sonya Weiss. I've gotten to know Sonya through our agency loop. She is funny, always encouraging, and just a delightful soul. I've invited her to do a guest post this week. So without anymore delay, please welcome, Sonya Weiss!

Hello everyone! Thanks Loree! I’ve always had a wacky sense of humor. Sometimes, my sense of humor can lead to some pretty embarrassing situations. Especially if you’re nearsighted.

I was at the grocery store and saw a friend of mine. She’d just sprayed a whiff of air freshener into the air. I came up behind her and did a fake coughing/gagging that was worthy of an Oscar. She turned around and I saw she was a stranger. Her lips puckered like she’d chewed on lemons since her birth. No matter how much I apologized, she wasn’t appeased.

My daughters thought the whole incident was hysterically funny.

That has absolutely nothing to do with what I want to share with you, but in case you needed a laugh, there it is.

What I want to share today involves the reason behind your writing. It’s so easy in this business to lose focus on why we’re actually writing. I started out writing for the sheer joy of telling a story.

Then I learned about ‘rules’. Oh. ‘K. I’m optimistic. I’ll learn the rules and keep on writing.

Then I learned about the money. Percentages. Rights to give up. Rights to keep.

Hmm…’K. Then, I needed to know about the business side. The creative side of my brain tried to rebel, but I roped it in and learned about the business side of writing. Queries. Synopsis. Editors. Agents.

Next, author platform, social media, street teams, beta readers and conferences charged forward ‘Learn about me! And me! And me!’

So I did over the years. Slowly, the focus of my writing changed and it was so subtle that I didn’t even notice it at first. But one day, there it was, staring me in the face.

The joy of writing was gone. It was now officially a job and…I was miserable.

I talked to an author who’d sold a manuscript to a well-known publishing company. She said she never expected to sell the novel and wrote it for herself-just to tell the story.

A light bulb went off and I realized I’d lost sight of the basic reason I felt called to write. Just to tell the story.

That’s the encouragement I want to leave with you today. When the struggles with your writing come (and they will!) remember to just tell the story.

Great advice, Sonya! It always begins and ends with the storytelling. Sometimes we get lost in all of the other stuff that comes with writing. Thanks for your wonderful post this week! It's been a real joy having you here, Sonya! 

Questions: Ever become overwhelmed social media? Ever lose sight of the writing goal? What keeps you and your writing grounded? Ever approach a friend, only to find out that it's a stranger who looked like your friend? haha...loved Sonya's story.

We would love to hear from you!

Sonya Weiss is a freelance writer and ghostwriter. She writes contemporary romance as well as young adult fiction. She loves God, chocolate and finding humor in all of life's situations. She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can find out more about her: at http://sonyaweiss.com or follow her on Twitter @SonyaWeiss.

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree

In upcoming weeks look for - an interview with Susan J. Reinhardt. Susan is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. Susan's debut novel will be coming out very soon. You can find her at:  http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com 

and

I will be giving away the Queen of the Quill Award and gift to - 2 very special bloggers.

BINGE AND ACCOMPLISH

BINGE ~ Wikipedia defines binge as : any behavior indulged to excess.

Well, that puts me on a writing binge this past week.

I plan to keep it up this week until I reach my goal.

I have my eye drops, caffeine, and chocolate at the ready.

I'm pushing myself to see what I am capable of doing. It's amazing to find out your limits and just what you can ACCOMPLISH ~ which is another great word that means to: achieve or complete successfully. I really like that word.

Are you on a writing or reading binge this week? Maybe a cleaning binge? Chocolate? Name your binge.

What are you accomplishing this week?

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree


On a side note ~ Whoa, didn't see that coming on Downton Abbey last night.




Loree Huebner
Writing with one foot in the past...
On Twitter @LoreeHuebner
https://www.facebook.com/LoreeHuebnerAuthor

Winners, cantaloupes, and knees...

UPDATE: December 17, 2012 - I'm still - sort of - on a blog break this week. I start my physical therapy on my knee. I'm very excited to get that underway. By the week's end, my two daughters, my son, a son in-law, a boyfriend, a gecko lizard, and two kitties are coming in for a lengthy holiday stay. The house will come alive again.

I am extremely distraught over the terrible tragedy that has struck Newtown, Connecticut this past week. Our thoughts and prayers continue for the families, and for the town touched by this calamity. We mourn with them...

I also want to give you a heads up : On Monday, December 31, I will have Author, Amy Lillard, as a guest, right here on my blog. Amy is one of my Seymour Agency sisters. She writes Amish Romance and is the author of, Saving Gideon. We will be jabbering about the New Year and her book. I think there will be a giveaway in there too, so stop by! You can find out more about Amy at amywritesromance.com .

I will return next week with my personal Christmas card to all of you. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Loree


UPDATE: December 10, 2012-I'm on a blog break this week. Be back soon. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Loree

Before I announce the winner of last week's giveaway, I wanted to let you know that I will be taking a blog break. Last Wednesday, I had knee surgery. It's been a rough go of it the last several days. My knee is extremely swollen - who knew a knee could swell to the size of a cantaloupe? - and it's pretty painful. Walking on crutches is not my style either. I do have a unique knee brace that fills with ice water to help keep the swelling down. This ice water brace has become my best friend, especially after I (attempt) do the post op exercises...Owwwieeee! 

Anyway...sweet Hubby is taking good care of me - cooking, cleaning, running errands, and getting anything I ask...like the yummy DQ hot fudge sundae with nuts and whipped cream he went out and got me last night - late last night. The man deserves a gold medal after getting me into the bath tub, AND getting me out again, AND holding me when I cry - it must be a side effect of the pain meds or the anesthesia because I've cried a lot. So yeah, I married a good man. I'm truly blessed. I just need some recoup time to myself before I start physical therapy.

I also want to say a quick thank you to my friends and family who sent me cards, food, emails, texts, and notes on face book...I love you. Thanks for your sweet thoughts and prayers. <sigh> There is a bright side to all of this - I'm getting a lot of movie watching in, and a ton of writing done. I've also found that I can pretty much run my world from my bed - got my lap top, smart phone, water bottle, land line, TV controllers, pain medication, crutches, Kleenex box, heating pad, large coffee cup, thesaurus, credit card, dictionary, Kindle, Bible, and lastly, my (Pepperidge Farm) Milanos, and Goldfish. 

I want to thank Jen Turano for stopping in last week. She is such a sweetheart! We had fun discussing names for a "gruff," self-made, grandfather type. Jen couldn't comment through Blogger so if you missed her last comment that I posted, here it is:

Thanks everyone for stopping by and leaving comments and names. I was really torn about which one to use - so put them all in a hat and pulled out....Archibald - so thank you to Victoria for that name - we'll see how Archibald develops - right now he's just a glimmer of a thought rattling around my mind. And, well, I also needed a name for a motley dog of undetermined parentage - so stuck my hand back in the bag and - Otis popped out. Thanks to Melissa for that name, and I hope you don't mind that instead of a grandfather figure, Otis is now a hound - and one that slobbers...a lot. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

All the best,

Jen


AND NOW, the winner, drawn at random is.....KAREN LANGE! Congrats Karen! I will be getting in touch with you for your address, so Jen can send you her debut novel, A Change of Fortune, and I can send you the Starbucks gift card. 

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree

   

Characters we know and love...

As I near the end to completing the writing of another novel, I find sadness creeping in—the people (oh, I mean the characters) that I have come to know and love will soon be replaced by a whole new spread sheet of characters.

The same feeling happens when I fall in love with a novel that I’m reading—you know the kind, where the characters stay with you for a while.

Writing or reading, we invest our time and emotion into the characters. We fall for them, and we feel for them. We find ourselves yelling out when danger is coming their way, or screaming with joy at a surprise reunion.

If you’re a writer, some days you spend more time with these characters than you do with your own family. I find it a bit sad when the time comes to part with them. Do you?  

Writers: Do you have memorable characters that stick with you like an old friend?

Readers: If there are characters you love, do you wish you could know more about them? Continue on where you left them?

Writers and Readers: Ever find yourself cheering, yelling, weeping, or fearing for the characters that you are writing or reading?  

I would love to hear what you have to say.

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree