Authorpreneur Dashboard – Cindy Hiday
Iditarod Nights
Romance
Claire is about to take sixteen dogs on the biggest race of her life: 1,049 miles of Alaska's harshest terrain, extreme weather and sleep deprivation. Romance? Not going to happen. Yes, the musher from Nome is easy on the eyes, but he's an Alaskan man, and she will return to her home in Oregon after the race, to honor a promise. Besides, he has too many secrets, and secrets always come back to bite her. Dillon shouldn't be attracted to her. She embodies everything he left behind six years ago. Her questions stab at a trauma he thought buried so deep he would never have to face it again. But her dark amber eyes remind him of aged whiskey, and that's a problem. He looks to the upcoming race for solitude, his dogs for salvation, as he plays his strongest card – denial. Then the night screams.
Book Bubbles from Iditarod Nights
Decisions.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is about decisions, sometimes made spontaneously, while bucking the worst Mother Nature has to throw at you. Decisions that determine your safety and that of your dogs. In 2014, four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King was on track to win his fifth race when he and his team were caught in a brutal wind and ice storm less than 80 miles from the end. Concerned for his dogs and himself, he made the difficult decision to stop and wait for conditions to get better. They didn't. In a split second, he made the decision to accept help, which cost him the race. But he and his dogs survived. "You have to do everything right the whole way," King told the Alaska Dispatch News. "Sometimes it makes it a race for testing our talents, and our fortitude combined with what the environment is pitching at us."
GPS tracking.
In 2009, GPS (global positioning system) tracking devices became mandatory equipment on Iditarod mushers' sleds, providing real-time data on speed, location, temperature. Some feared the information would give mushers an unfair advantage in the race: the ability to study a particular competitor's rest/run cycles, for example. But mushers don't have access to the data satellited to officials and fans during the race. And even if the chance to sneak a peek at a monitor along the route presented itself, the mushers are too busy taking care of their dogs and equipment to bother. Outside of the obvious safety factor, GPS tracking gives a musher's family and friends peace of mind, knowing where their loved ones are along the trail at any given time. Unless the data being transmitted isn't good...
Ground blizzards.
Living in Oregon has definite advantages when it comes to weather. Yes, we get a lot of rain here in the northwestern corner of the state, but aside for an occasional flooded river, it's nothing a waterproof jacket and boots can't handle. We don't have ground blizzards. At least none that I'm aware of. So researching the ground blizzards that can hit the Alaskan bush fast and mean taught me a greater appreciation for what mushers and their dogs are sometimes up against. And respect for proper cold-weather attire. The dogs come equipped with their winter wear built in; and when a ground blizzard makes visibility next to impossible, their built-in sense of direction can save a musher's life.
Denial.
It's one of those things that can come back to bite you, pretending a thing doesn't exist until it forces you into a corner and there's no getting away. I think it's safe to say we've all been there, in one way or another. I felt the pressure of that corner when faced with a parent's care. Dillon continues to deny the importance of his trauma. He holds onto the belief that he can ignore it, even after it has stared him in the face on the trail into Unalakleet. Claire can only hope Dillon's denial doesn't destroy him.
Old Woman
Neither of my characters stop at Old Woman cabin on the Iditarod Trail, but it is a place of notoriety and couldn't go unmentioned in the story. Old Woman is the name of the cabin and the mountain whose shadow it sits beneath, where whistling winds sound like a woman humming and dogs may spook. Race organizers advise mushers to leave an offering, such as food, to keep the ghost of the old woman who died there from chasing them on the trail or bringing them bad luck. Is Old Woman friendly, or a trickster? It depends on who you ask. DeeDee Jonrowe calls her a time-suck, after losing nearly 24 hours when she intended to only "rest for a bit." Dave Monson, four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher's widower, scattered some of his wife's ashes at Old Woman because it was one of her favorite places on the trail.
Landscape descriptions.
Descriptions aren't my strong point, translating what I see in my head and making it real for the reader. The task seemed even more daunting when it came to the Alaskan bush. There are only so many ways to describe snow and ice, right? But I wanted this book to see the light of day, and hopefully entertain by giving readers the opportunity to experience Alaska without actually being there, so I gave it my best attempt. Everything along the Iditarod Trail is awe inspiring, especially the Yukon River when it's frozen over.
Hallucinations 2.
In a previous Author Insight, I mentioned the high rate of hallucinations on the Iditarod Trail, from the hilarious to the harrowing. The longer a musher is on the trail, the greater the need for sleep becomes, and the better the chances of seeing and hearing things that aren't there. Most common are mushers dodging non-existent tree limbs on open tundra. Here is my heroine Claire's experience.
Peace on Earth.
There's something about snow and Christmas that go together (unless you live in a place where it never snows!). It's two days before Christmas as I write this Author Insight, raining and 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, so the short excerpt I chose to share today is my attempt to compensate for our lack of snow and cold. My attempt to stir up some holiday spirit. The peaceful scene, of course, is the calm before the storm, as the saying goes. Seasons greetings!
Food.
Let your characters eat. I don't remember where I read it, but as I did, I congratulated myself on getting this piece of advice right. I love to eat, so it makes sense that my characters do too. Even while competing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, when the dogs and their nutrition take precedence, Claire and Dillon find time to feed themselves, and feed themselves well. In fact, I think this story has more face-feeding scenes than my previous two romances combined! This particular scene is one of my favorites. Enjoy!
Hallucinations.
The human brain is a notorious trickster when it doesn't get enough rest. Hallucinations abound during the Iditarod, from the hilarious to the harrowing. Dee Dee Jonrowe saw a grain silo on the Yukon River, Lance Mackey rode by a girl sitting alongside the trail. "She laughed at me, waved, and I went by her and she was gone," Mackey said. Martin Buser tells of seeing villages and freight trains where there are none. Most common are mushers dodging tree limbs on open, treeless tundra (or non-existent powerlines neck high across the trail, as my heroine, Claire, experiences). Dillon's hallucinations take on a dark side when images from a past trauma weave their way into his sleep-deprived mind.
My heroes.
There's a saying that goes something like this: Alaska, where men are men, and women run the Iditarod. I am in awe of the women who come back year after year and face the physically demanding challenges head on. DeeDee Jonrowe, a petite blonde, dressed in her trademark pink parka, has competed in the Iditarod for 33 years, a feat I find absolutely amazing and inspiring. And Aliy Zirkly's "Aliy Cam" allowed me the experience of standing at the back of a sled without leaving the comfort of my office chair. Susan Butcher, Libby Riddles...these ladies are my heroes!
Addictions.
A concern some of my beta readers had with setting a romance in the middle of a race through the Alaskan bush is that my hero and heroine would be apart too long. Physically, yes. But mentally? I could work with that. Two days into the race and Dillon's growing exhaustion makes it difficult for him to resist thoughts of Claire, comparing her to an addiction from his past that nearly destroyed him. All addictions are a double-edged sword; the hero's growing addiction to the heroine is no exception.
Race day.
I'm not a big sports fan, don't follow baseball of football, haven't been interested in basketball since Oregon's "Dream Team" Trailblazers in the '70s. But I will log into the Iditarod's official website on the first Saturday morning of March and watch live coverage of the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The excitement of the dogs and their handlers is infectious as each team of athletes passes under the starting banner and heads out of Anchorage, cheered on by well-wishers who are as addicted to the sport as I am. It's all about the dogs, the eager look in their eyes and the way their bodies tremble with a passion to run.
Family ties.
I grew up in a stable, loving home, my bond to my parents unwavering, even in death. Both of my main characters come from strong family ties, relationships that have been tested and, in some cases, ripped apart. Claire's ties pull her back to Oregon, while Dillon's bind him to Alaska. Neither person is talking about their deep-rooted convictions, yet their attraction to each other continues to grow.
Internal conflict.
This scene, I hope, shows the reader that Dillon's reasons for staying in Alaska run deeper than a love for the rugged country and his sled dogs. He's hiding an emotional trauma he doesn't talk about, a trauma Claire reminds him of. He looks to the upcoming race for solitude, his dogs for salvation, as he plays his strongest card – denial.
A life-changing experience.
Claire had it all planned out: compete in the Iditarod, then go home and resume her old life. A plan she is discovering won't be easy to carry through as she becomes more attached to Alaska, the dogs, and now Dillon, with each passing day. Against her best laid plans, she has already changed.
The romance.
With an eight-year-old bouncing around, a matchmaker friend with eyes and ears on high alert, and the duties of running a dog kennel and prepping for the race, opportunities to get my hero and heroine alone together, and maintain believability, were precious and few. Thanks to that eight-year-old, however, a poker game presented itself. Eventually the boy and his parents tottered off to bed, hot chocolate was involved, and...well, one thing led to another.
The ex-boyfriend.
In the beginning, I had a difficult time picturing the man who jilted Claire. Who would she have been attracted to prior to her Alaska adventure? He had to be good looking, but in a forgettable way. And what caused him to pack up and leave her? All the usual clichés seemed so...well, cliché. As it turned out, the "love your work more than me" was something both the hero and heroine shared in past relationships, but with a dark side to each. A cliché with a twist.
Dangers on the trail.
Driving a team of dogs isn't all wind-in-your-face excitement, especially in moose country. What a moose may lack in brains, it more than makes up for in size and stubbornness. When the snow is deep, they look for the path of least resistance, which may be a well-traveled sled trail. Claire dodges a moose encounter in this scene, but Dillon isn't as lucky later in the story. Twisted lines and tangled dogs are common, as well. Take one dog on a leash, who seems to find every obstacle within miles to get wrapped around, and multiply it by sixteen. Often tangles are more inconvenient and annoying than anything else, but the potential for injury is always there.
Sexual tension.
Sexual tension between two characters who go out of their way to deny it, the telling looks, the words unsaid, becomes a slow dance where they end up stepping on each other's toes. Or in Claire and Dillon's case, their snow boots. Writing outdoor scenes that maintained sexual tension through the layers of cold-weather gear they had to wear to survive meant I relied heavily on facial expressions. My critique readers noticed the number of times I referred to glacier blue eyes, whiskey amber eyes, and Claire's unrelenting habit of tucking her hair behind her ear. I slashed half or more out before declaring the manuscript ready for publication. Readers will still see these references in the story, but not nearly to the extreme they once were!
Dancing around the truth.
This is one of my favorite dialogues between Claire and Dillon. They dance around the truth and their unwanted attraction to each other like a couple doing the tango. How much can either of them say without revealing too much? That's the beauty and fun in fictional dialogue. Eventually, the characters say just the right things and the scene zings with tension. How many times in life have you carried on a conversation with someone you felt wasn't quite being honest with you, but you couldn't put your finger on why you felt that way?
Character description.
Finding the right balance of details when describing my characters is a challenge. I have an image in my head of what they look like as I write, but conveying that to the reader without creating cardboard cutouts? That's the tricky part. Say too much and I risk blowing the reader's preconceived image, too. Each reader brings their own background and tastes to the table. The heroes and heroines in my head will look different than the ones in my reader's head. That's the beauty of fiction.
The matchmaker friend.
Janey was fun to write. She has no shame when it comes to finding her friend, Claire, a love interest to keep her in Alaska after the race. Thankfully, I never had to deal with a matchmaking friend in real life, so deciding how Claire, who is also new to the experience, should react to Janey's tactics, became a matter of asking myself what I would do in the same situation. Though I write fiction, many of my own quirks and mannerisms find their way into my characters, both male and female!
Meeting the family.
I quickly realized that Claire and Dillon's story couldn't take place without the help of a home base and lots of dogs! I connected with the lifestyle and people devoted to raising these special athletes, but I connected even more with the athletes themselves. Each sled team consists of 16 dogs, which meant I had 32 personalities and physical characteristics to show on the page! Handsome and Bonnie are the leaders, but I have a special place in my heart for Ranger, the little masked trooper who comes to Claire's rescue when Mother Nature throws her worst at them.
Soft versus tough.
When I submitted this manuscript to a New York editor, she commented that my heroine was too strong. Not knowing any better, I revised Claire and made her into somebody I didn't know or even like very much! The editor rejected the revision, as well. That's when I resolved to write stories I enjoy reading, with heroines who don't let anybody walk on them, and heroes who love them for it.
A love for dogs.
The heroine, Claire Stanfield, was inspired by a newspaper article about a local woman, a Portland attorney, who put her law career on hold to train for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. While researching the annual event held in Alaska, I fell in love with sled dogs, their boundless enthusiasm and big hearts, right along with my character. My story is as much about the love between human and canine as it is about love between a man and a woman.
Her Phoenix Heart
Romance
Elizabeth Heart flees an abusive marriage and starts over with her own business, a house, and a German Shepherd named Bo Diddley. Then Tyler Stone rides into her life and has her longing for more. But it will take a special kind of man to heal Beth's emotional scars and set her phoenix heart free.
Book Bubbles from Her Phoenix Heart
Tattoos.
I wrote this story at a time when having a tattoo was still somewhat stigmatized, still saddled with stereotyped labels. In fact, the New York publisher I pitched it to told me a tattooist heroine wasn't feminine enough. I disagreed and eventually self-published the book. I chose this scene to share because it illustrates some of that stereotyping in action, along with showing the growing attraction the hero has for this intriguing woman.
Snow fun.
Like my heroine, Beth, I have a lot of fun memories of playing in the snow at Government Camp, located at the 4,000-foot level on the southernmost slopes of Mount Hood, in Oregon. Settlers traveling the Barlow Road (the last overland segment of the Oregon Trail) found several wagons that U.S. Cavalry troops were forced to abandon in 1849, thus giving Government Camp its name. Today this small Bavarian-style village is a popular year-round recreation destination. But the biggest reason I chose this particular scene to share has nothing to do with the location's history. I chose it because a beta reader said it was the best snowball fight scene she'd ever read.
The limo.
In researching Her Phoenix Heart, my hero owns and operates a limousine service. I'd never been in a limo before, so I found a local company in the phone book (back when people still used phone books!) that invited people to come in and look over their fleet. When I walked in the door and told them I was a writer doing research, one of their handsome chauffeurs let me sit inside a stretch Lincoln Town Car and answered all my questions.
Destination Stardust
Literature & Fiction
A boy with a gift, a woman desperate to reach Vegas, an insomniac at the wheel.
The year is 2007 and the Stardust Casino is scheduled for demolition. Grace's chance to see the icon from her past one last time fades, after the car she's driving breaks down outside Little Rock, Arkansas. But on their way to the Grand Canyon, Ray and his eleven-year-old son, Benny, stop to help, and before Grace has time to talk herself out of it, she accepts their offer to take her to Las Vegas. As Ray's classic Olds Cutlass eats up miles of highway, Grace can't shake the feeling the boy controls the journey and something greater than their physical selves is riding shotgun.
At a gas stop in Oklahoma, Benny knocks over a garbage can and discovers a bag full of money. It's not long before the man who hid the bag is on their tail, demanding its return. But despite Ray's efforts to comply, nobody anticipates the resourcefulness of a boy like Benny, launching father, son, and Grace "...on the trip of a lifetime, with unexpected, often hilarious, results." ~Patricia Day, 5-Star Readers' Favorite
"A great read for book clubs!"
"...refreshingly good medicine."
"...a powerful, empowering story for all ages."
Book Bubbles from Destination Stardust
A passion reignited.
I had been aware of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for several years, something to look down my nose at. Nobody can write a book worth reading in 30 days, I claimed. But after a four-year writing drought, I was desperate and gave it a shot. A story I wasn't aware I'd been holding back burst onto the page like a dam breaking loose. I'd never had so much fun writing before! That story became a wild road trip with a pirate, a runaway preacher's wife, and a man who's just trying to hold it all together. I rediscovered my passion for writing by changing genres. Of course the story was definitely not ready for publication at the end of the 30 days; it took another 10 years to polish and finally upload. But I was writing again, and enjoying it. I hope you do as well.
The offer.
Accepting offers from strangers, especially one that involves climbing into their car and traveling hundreds of miles to a place you haven't seen in over 50 years, isn't an easy thing to do. And it's already been a very uneasy day for Grace. She's never panicked in church before, then stolen her sister-in-law's car, only to abandon it along the Interstate. As offers go, this one is almost too good to be true.
The turd.
Okay, it's a memory with a bit of an ick factor, I'll admit, but when I wrote in my "Family inspiration" Book Bubble that most of Benny's mannerisms and catch phrases come straight from things my brother-in-law did, it was the truth. This scene from chapter ten really happened, as told to me by my father-in-law over lunch one day. I can still hear his deadpan delivery and see my mother-in-law's flustered embarrassment.
The hitchhikers.
A line from the Readers' Favorite 5-star review this book received reads: "You'll be taken on the trip of a lifetime, with unexpected, often hilarious results." This scene from chapter 15 is one of the funny moments I enjoyed writing. It seemed Ray, Benny, and Grace just couldn't get a break in their attempts to reach Las Vegas before the Stardust Casino was demolished, so what better time to poke a little visual fun at the relationship these three traveling companions had formed in the short time they'd been together than after Ray's car dies? Do you recognize the borrowed line from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome?
Courage.
Stories about people who discover they're stronger than they gave themselves credit for, who find themselves in a situation that nearly breaks them, yet they find something deep inside that keeps them going: those are the stories I enjoy reading and creating. If I can give a reader courage through one of my characters, like Benny, who has Down syndrome yet doesn't let that get in the way of saving his dad, then I feel all the research and sweat and angst has been worth it. And a story must have a satisfying ending! What's the point of following a character through hardship, only to see them fail? They may not end up with what they had been striving for, but they end up with something that makes them a better, happier person.
Self-made hero.
The first time I met my brother-in-law, who has Down syndrome, he was eleven years old. His creativeness, intelligence, and compassion left a deep impression on me. I didn't realize just how deep until I took the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge to write a 50,000-word rough draft of a novel in 30 days. An eleven-year-old character named Benny leaped onto the page, acting and talking like my brother-in-law. He loved the same movies I did and imagined himself the hero in his own story. I did extensive research on Down syndrome when it came time to revise the first draft, but most of Benny's mannerisms and catch phrases come straight from family inspiration.
Traditions.
Researching Destination Stardust was an education in cultures and sites outside of my everyday life. As my three travelers headed west, I learned about sweet potato tots, church suits, and cleansing ceremonies, to name just a few. Experiencing these things through my characters is half the fun of writing fiction. There's a commonly touted phrase, "Write what you know." I write for the discovery.
Prejudice.
I grew up in the ‘60s: an era defined by equal rights, civil rights, and Vietnam. People sporting tie-dyed t-shirts, bell bottoms, and peace signs, were making themselves heard through sit-ins, protests, and marches. It was a time of conflict for Black Americans who were being shipped off to fight for a country that stumbled to grant them basic freedoms. As Grace makes her way to Vegas with father and son, she remembers the part she played in this contentious moment in history.
Shakespeare.
I went to a progressive high school that did not require studying the classics. So it came as quite a surprise to discover Grace's papa enjoyed reading Shakespeare's work to her when she was a child. Which meant I had some catching up to do. Wow, the Bard could really string words together with elegance, couldn't he? As a lover of words, I have a greater appreciation of Shakespeare now than I ever would have had as a teenager. I put my newfound appreciation to the test in this scene between Grace and Mr. Tony, a.k.a. the Roman.
A pirate rescue.
Once Benny bought his pirate hat and sword, I really had no idea what he'd do with them. Maybe they'd be good for some visual fun, I thought. But Benny took his new role seriously, mixing genres and heroes in his over-active imagination. The pirate theme grew and took on a whole new persona in the story.
Church family.
This scene was a delight to research. What sorts of people made up Grace's church family? Their personalities, their children, their relationships, and their clothing. Oh my, the colorful church dresses and hats! But what happens when you have a secret past that your beloved church family is unaware of? A past you want to revisit before you forget it ever existed?
Let's go.
Hitting the road wasn't Ray's idea, but he grabbed onto it like a lifeline when his son, Benny, brought it up. How many times in our lives do we want to just drop everything and escape? Race toward a new horizon in hopes the change of scenery will make things right again? Ray and Benny get more than either of them bargain for once they rescue Grace, who's on a desperate mission of her own. But then isn't that how the best stories in life begin?
Desperate move.
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) had been on my radar for several years, something to poo poo as a ridiculous waste of time. Nobody can write a book worth reading in 30 days, I claimed. But, after a four-year writing drought, I was desperate and gave it a shot. A story I wasn't aware I'd been holding back burst onto the page like a dam breaking loose. I'd never had so much fun writing before! That story became a wild road trip with a pirate, a runaway preacher's wife, and a man who's just trying to hold it all together. I hope you find it worthy.
Hittng the road.
It only seemed appropriate that a story about hitting the road have a car that made a statement. The 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442, a muscle car, fit the bill. I spent a lot of time researching muscle cars but kept coming back to the Olds. Classy. Roomy. A gas hog, which made it easy to work in another given on a road trip: numerous bathroom breaks.
Desert dustup.
I had fun writing this scene between Ray and Johnny. Ray had a lot of pent up anger to get rid of, and Johnny made the perfect, deserving target. When they finally stop throwing each other around in the red Arizona dust and start talking, one of my beta readers said, "I didn't see that coming!" I couldn't have asked for a better review.
Pirates can't swim.
Anton Chekhov is famously quoted as saying that if there's a pistol hanging on the wall in the first act, it should be fired in the next act. In other words, everything that's introduced in a story should have a purpose. When I introduced a pirate in my story, it wasn't with the intention of putting the pirate's dad through an emotional wringer. But then a real-life experience from my past took over.
The Harley.
I started driving motorcycles (a Honda 50 step-through) when I was nine years old. As I grew, so did the motorcycles I drove. But none of them were Harleys, and none of them had a sidecar. So when Ray's '69 Olds dies along the highway and he finds himself the owner of a Harley Softtail with sidecar, I realized I had some research to do. One Saturday afternoon my husband's older brother pulled into the driveway on his Honda Gold Wing, and it had a sidecar. I climbed in and learned first-hand what it felt like to be ballast.
The beginning.
One of the many things that struck me as amazing when I met my brother-in-law for the first time was his ability to disappear into his room and re-emerge a short while later dressed as one of the characters he'd just watched on A-Team. His toy box was full of "props" that helped him transform into any character he chose. I don't know if he ever watched movies with his mother, but it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine he did, and to put that to use in my story.
Pirates.
Nearing the end of the second week of National Novel Writing Month, my story slowed to a crawl and I struggled to keep the required word count momentum. Then came a motivational email from Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. I no longer have the email, but it said, in essence, that if you were stuck, put a pirate in your story and keep going. That's what I did.
Bad man.
When I began writing this story, my preconceived ideas about who the villain would be were two-dimensional and, quite frankly, boring. But then this pathetic, desperate looking man drove on scene in his vintage Mustang and my stereotype character jumped track, making way for a guy I had a whole lot of fun developing on the page.
Methane.
Ray, Benny, and Grace's road trip has been anything but boring so far, but they haven't had a lot to laugh about. Then they drive through the Oklahoma panhandle, where pig farms abound. One of my critique pals is big on making sure I remember to include smells in my story. This scene is for her.
Entertainment legend.
What goes through a child's mind when he sees the impossible or un-explainable happen in a movie? And if that child has Down syndrome, does he see things differently? Perhaps with a broader imagination? That's what I chose to believe when constructing this scene where Benny explains his intentions once they reach the Grand Canyon.
Panic decision.
Benny isn't the only character making split-second decisions that take the story's plot in an unexpected direction. I struggled with justifying Ray's response to what he believes his son has done, fielded questions from my beta readers that had me think and rethink the validity of his decision. What it ultimately boiled down to is panic, pure and simple. When people panic, anything can happen.
Simon says.
In the movie Thelma and Louise, Thelma launches the two women into a world of trouble when she commits a desperate act. But that's not how Benny perceives it, and if it worked for Thelma, it will work for him. However things have a way of going sideways when Benny (and I hope the reader) least expect it.
Like in the movies.
Benny's favorite action movie character is the Terminator, played by Arnold Shwarzenegger. He envisions his dad as the strong, invincible hero to his John Connor, the boy who befriends the Terminator and saves the world. But it's the movie Thelma and Louise that launches their cross-country journey into a string of misadventures and a route unplanned. Avoiding Texas is just the beginning.
The gift.
Eleven-year-old Benny has an extraordinary gift. It isn't something he can use on demand, and it doesn't always make sense to him, but as Grace, the woman he and his dad rescue, soon discovers, he can be uncannily accurate.
The first rescue.
My research for this book involved traveling hundreds of virtual miles using Google Maps. It didn't take long for me to realize there isn't a lot to see from the Interstates. They're great for getting from point A to point B efficiently, but that's about it. Thankfully, Ray and his son don't stay on main thoroughfares for much of the story, but first they have a 'lady in distress' to rescue.
Full tilt.
The phrase "going full tilt" has several definitions. At the poker table it often refers to a player who lets his emotions over-ride common sense. Risky, aggressive, desperate decisions are made that usually don't end well. When Grace has a full-tilt panic attack during her husband's church service, a split-second, desperate decision is just the beginning of the emotional ride she finds herself on.
Meeting Grace.
I had no idea the challenges I set for myself when Grace appeared on the page for the first time. What did I know about being a black woman in 1960's America? What did I know about coming from a broken home? What did I know about being an Arkansas preacher's wife? But one thing I did know, and what made Grace my most personal character to date, was how it felt to lose a parent to dementia. The cherished moments that blossomed in the midst of caring for a stranger, the grief, the fear. I didn't need to research those reactions and emotions. This book is dedicated to Mom.
Family inspiration.
When I first met my brother-in-law, who has Down syndrome, he was eleven years old. His creativeness, intelligence, and compassion left a deep impression on me. I didn't realize just how deep until I took the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge to write a 50,000-word rough draft of a novel in 30 days. An eleven-year-old character named Benny leaped onto the page, acting, talking, and thinking (I imagined) like my brother-in-law. I did extensive research on Down syndrome when it came time to revise the first draft, but most of Benny's mannerisms and catch phrases come straight from family inspiration.
In hot water.
Ray just wants to sleep. Racked with guilt and plagued by insomnia, he sees a road trip as a way to put distance on the memories that haunt him and his son in their empty house. But his son's love of action movies soon thrusts them both into an action movie of their own. One Ray isn't at all sure he'll survive.
