Authorpreneur Dashboard – Mara Purl
What the Heart Knows
Literature & Fiction
Can a young woman with a promising future in the big city find happiness in a small, coastal town? Book One of the Milford-Haven Novels, based on the author's own hit BBC Radio Drama, introduces the beautiful coastal town Milford-Haven and its several residents, including protagonist Miranda Jones. An ambitious young artist whose paintings are beginning to succeed in the competitive art world, she is also on an internal personal journey to establish her own sense of spirituality and purpose. Author Mara Purl is a former soap opera celebrity from Days of Our Lives, as well as a former journalist from the London Financial Times and the Associated Press. Through her novel series she has established a loyal following in the Women's Fiction genre. Short stories appear as prequels to each novel, extending the five-book series.
Book Bubbles from What the Heart Knows
When Otters Play
Literature & Fiction
Are sea otters as cute and clever as they seem? Miranda Jones is as captivated by their sweet faces as she is spellbound by their antics. She can hardly wait to interact with them on her kayaking expedition off California’s Central Coast. Yet nothing could be more surprising than the controversy they’ve caused in the sun-drenched Santa Barbara waters, nor more disturbing than the vehement hatred they seem to inspire among local fishermen. Are the otters really so adorable? Or is there more at stake . . . When Otters Play?
Book Bubbles from When Otters Play
Irritating Mrs. Lime Times 3
My irritating character "Mrs. Lime" surprised me by showing up again in this novella. No matter where protagonist wildlife-artist Miranda Jones goes, Mrs. Lime seems to follow. This time, as usual, she refuses to follow the recommendations of the experienced mariners around her, and do as she pleases, which puts humans and animals at risk. We know she has no manners, talks (or screams) too loudly, and wears an obnoxious color. Yet her devoted husband protects and cherishes her. In this story, we do find out more about this apparently unsympathetic character. And for sure, we have some more laughs at her expense!
Cross-Species Baby Love
Three years of research went into the writing of "When Otters Play," all of it fascinating. One great privilege was working with the director of the Sea Otter Rescue Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She took me "backstage" to observe not only the professional care given all the rescued otters, but also the tender regard for this fellow creature. Theirs is a practice of both head and heart, and I wanted to make sure to bring both into my story. In this excerpt, we see my fictional Director handling a rescued baby. They are so cute you just want to take one home! But preparing them for a healthy and safe next chapter of life is the real goal. I hope my readers enjoy this precious little one as much as I do!
When the Heart Listens
Literature & Fiction
Can the heart be telling us something we can't quite hear? Landscape artist Miranda Jones thought she was on track. Yet something feels off kilter. The subjects of her work all live in nature, yet she herself lives in the city. Her rep and her family emphasize money as the benchmark of success, yet her own goals have to do with the professional challenges of excellence, adventure, and authenticity. She plans a brief trip to join plein air artists in the Carrizo Plain to paint this year's extraordinary super bloom. Yet what she experiences is a journey that opens a chapter into a new life. At least it will, if she considers what might happen . . . when the heart listens. Winner of 6 awards: American Fiction. Global eBook. Pinnacle. Elite Choice. Book Excellence. USA Best Books.
Book Bubbles from When the Heart Listens
Can Sisters Share Deep Moments?
Sibling relationships can be complex. While many siblings find solace and support by virtue of their shared childhoods and parentage, some may also experience a rivalry that’s all the more irritating for its intimacy. This novella focuses on two sisters who are also roommates in the beautiful, exciting, expensive city of San Francisco. They’re living near where they grew up—across the Golden Gate Bridge in Belvedere—but a world away from the privilege and entitlement bubble in which they were reared by loving but sometimes overbearing parents. There’s been some friction lately. Miranda chafes at an essential disconnect: she’s a painter of wildlife and landscape . . . so why is she living in the city? She follows her intuition to take a drive south. To her astonishment, she finds a particular section of coastline that exactly matches a little watercolor she did from her imagination. She discovers Milford-Haven, which calls to her as her new home. In this scene, Miranda must both reconcile with her sister, and share the big news. It’s a moment fraught with tension that melts into tenderness. The scene might make you laugh, or cry, or both. Enjoy!
A new talent is born
Artist Miranda Jones is sharing a house with her sister in San Francisco. Their lovely three-story home—scouted by their mother and partially financed by their parents—includes a shared main floor. The floor above is financial planner Meredith’s, giving her two of the most enviable views in the country: one of each iconic Bay Area bridge. The lower floor, which is painter Miranda’s, at first seems unfairly limited. And yet because of it, she finds a new talent, one that will take her far. She develops an ability to see views that should be there, but for obstructing walls or buildings, and she begins to paint murals that are unique combination of tromp l’oeil and “inscapes.” Through the series, we see Miranda paint several almost magical murals. The talent to create them begins here.
Where the Heart Lives
Literature & Fiction
Is the heart a better navigator than the head? Artist Miranda Jones has followed her heart to a new home in the beautiful California coastal town of Milford-Haven, and now begins to map her emotional and professional life from a new perspective. An extensive Los Angeles research trip takes her from the Palos Verdes peninsula to the Mojave Desert, and from A Doobie Brothers Concert at the Hollywood Bowl to the Angeles Crest National Forest. Meanwhile her Milford-Haven friends have adventures of their own: Samantha Hugo plunges into a search for the son she gave up years earlier; restaurant owner Sally O'Mally suddenly encounters the highschool man she lost. Each woman wrestles with her own core issues while balancing demanding careers with the attentions of interesting men. Though the book stands alone, it is also Book 2 in the critically acclaimed, award-winning, Amazon best-selling series, a multi-generational Milford-Haven saga. Based on Purl's BBC Radio drama Milford-Haven U.S.A.
Book Bubbles from Where the Heart Lives
Mystery - the cold case begins
Each Prologue of the Milford-Haven Novels picks up the thread of the ongoing mystery. Deputy Delmar Johnson is part of SPU -- Special Problems Unit -- and has been assigned to the strange case of television journalist Christine Christian who, though missing, may just be on overseas assignment. With no body and no evidence of foul play, the case is indeed a "special problem." But Del has an intuitive connection to the case that makes it hard for him to categorize, contain, or dismiss. This storyline began in my radio drama "Milford-Haven USA", but took a much darker turn because the wonderful actress portraying Chris Christian passed on suddenly. I continued the storyline in the novels partly to honor her memory, but also because it's a way to process an event that actually happened in the ongoing life of Milford-Haven.
When Hummers Dream
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Can a hummingbird dream? Artist Miranda Jones thinks so. Sensing the tiny injured bird that wings its way into her world still lives, she paints the creature’s dream-garden and seems to reach into his very heart. She reached into her own heart to create a new life for herself in Milford-Haven.
Book Bubbles from When Hummers Dream
Nemesis "Mrs. Lime" Debuts
The setting and the tone of this story is idyllic and even a bit magical. Based in part on a real experience I had, I remember so clearly the beauty of that day as my friends and I enjoyed lunch in a spectacular garden overlooking the ocean. And then something bad happened . . . and it transformed into something transcendent, as you’ll see in this novelette. What didn’t happen in real life was the arrival of "Lime Woman" -- a bossy, intrusive pill of a woman who barged into my story, startling me as much as she startled my protagonist Miranda.. She seemed to arrive of her own accord and I had no choice but to let her walk all over my beautiful, peaceful story! But my author-self knew enough to trust that she actually belonged, even if I’d have loved to kick her out. Comic relief . . . dramatic tension . . . extreme contrast . . . she serves all those purposes. She had me laughing, then my editor laughed out loud, and soon my readers decided she was a “contrarian favorite”. See what you think of “Mrs. Lime.”
Dating the Wrong Person
We've all had experiences where hope tried hard to triumph over reality, right? In this case, a nice guy named Will was really hoping to share his love of Milford-Haven with a vivacious, attractive, smart woman. Trouble is, he begins to discover Randi is more interested in "being seen" in swanky locations than in taking in the natural beauty of the Central Coast, or in getting to know her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. Have I ever experienced dating the wrong guy? Ohhhh, yeah, I could share some stories. But I won't. Why? Because truth be told, I'm grateful to anyone I ever dated. Each experience gave me a chance to learn something, and made me a better writer!
The Hummer's Perspective
The narration in this story, while remaining in third-person, delves into the POV or Point Of View of the hummingbird, as though he were a character in the story -- which he is. Because I have a non-talking creature's stream of consciousness, the story is categorized as science-fiction/ fantasy. But I believe a hummingbird does possess intelligence and perspective. Can the intelligence of animals on our planet be categorized according to size? If so, a whale would be smartest (you might enjoy by story "When Whales Watch") and a tiny creature like a hummer might be least intelligent. Yet I believe "intelligence" resides in Mind, just as many of our programs now reside in a Cloud. If so, a hummer can download just as effectively as any other, and perhaps with a dash more of whimsy?
Finding Home
I believe that at the heart of every work of women's fiction is a journey toward "home"---whatever that looks like, or means, to each of us. My protagonist Miranda Jones has an experience that mirrors my own: glimpsing a place during her travels that she intuitively knows is where she belongs. When she moves to my fictional town Milford-Haven, everything starts to "click" for her, and fall into place. Since this prequel novella introduces the whole saga, this theme of finding her home is a key-element.
Foreshadowing Dream
Though most of my stories emerge while I'm awake, occasionally I get a "visitation" from a night-dream, or a waking-dream. It's as though I get information ahead of time that prepares me for what's about to happen. Since I find this to be a fascinating phenomenon---one that many other people have also experienced---I wanted to include it in this story.
When Whales Watch
Literature & Fiction
Can whales watch the humans who watch them? Artist Miranda Jones is convinced they can and do. She’s whale-watching off California’s Central Coast. In preparation for a painting commission. Yet even while her boat plies the coastal waters, the nearby whales are in danger and so is she, as an out-of-control speed boat races across the water. Amazon #1 bestseller. Winner of 2 awards.
Book Bubbles from When Whales Watch
Nemesis Mrs. Lime Times Two
The drama and tension in this story is so extreme that it needed some comic relief. And who better to fill that bill than "Mrs. Lime" who, once again, has appeared to harass protagonist wildlife-painter Miranda Jones? "Lime Woman" -- self-centered, self-involved, bossy, and ill at ease on these adventures her husbands insists they must undertake, is only human. And her favorite method of communication seems to be shrieking. But in this tale . . . she has good reason. I was surprised when she reappeared in this story, but now I'm sort of expecting her in the next novella.
Whale pregnancy
Every expectant mother has moments of intimate joy at the prospect of the new life she carries. It was a unique challenge -- and a distinct honor -- to understand and share with readers the heightened insight whales can share through their echo-location. Humans can come close to sharing this too, now that we have ultrasound technology. But this moment of the father scanning his unborn progeny, then transmitting that image to his mate, the mother, was a moment of magic, intimacy, and joy that gives readers an insight into this extraordinary species they couldn't otherwise have. The research I did was extensive, but began with my own experience on a Greenpeace voyage to save whales. I feel the whales spoke to me as I wrote this story.
Whale Watching
Whale watching can be one of the most thrilling adventures anyone can experience. In my story, the whale watchers expect to see gray whales during their annual migration along the California coast. To their great surprise, they see instead a pod of sperm whales, who normally stay in much deeper waters. These two species are quiet different. The grays are bottom feeders whose baleen sifts and allows them to gather krill. The sperm are toothed whales and skilled hunters. The males are also highly protective of their mates, and this aggressive behavior can be triggered if they perceive a threat. That's part of what makes this story so exciting!
Where an Angel's on a Rope
Literature & Fiction
Can an intuition save a man’s life? Astronomer and competent mountain climber Cornelius Smith depends upon his intelligence for both his career and his hobby. But in the Angeles Crest National Forest high above Los Angeles he's suddenly trapped by a heavy winter storm. Can a man with apparently no way back up, and no way down, find an unexpected means of his own rescue? How can he explain the persistent image of a tiny angel that seems to hover over him on the mountain? Winner of 6 awards. Globel eBook. Benjamin Franklin. LA Book Festival. San Francisco.
Book Bubbles from Where an Angel's on a Rope
Rescue by "Angel" Intuition
Cornelius Smith enjoys the Christmas traditions at his parents’ home in Milford-Haven, where he grew up. But Cornelius is also an independent man who feeds his soul by escaping into nature. A professional astronomer with a demanding schedule, he finds respite by hiking and climbing. Earlier in his career, he spent time in the Angeles Crest National Forest – also a favorite spot of mine – at the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Just before Christmas he drives up the long, winding highway that rises high above Los Angeles and plans to do a day-hike before returning to Milford-Haven to spend the holidays with his folks. Little could he have imagined how quickly a winter storm would overtake the mountain. Nor could he have foreseen the extreme danger in which he’d find himself—stuck on the mountainside with no safe way down. Until a strange intuition persistently goads him into reaching around the edge of his icy escarpment to find . . . a rope? This tale is based on a real experience I had with a fellow hiker. Though our day on the mountain happened in summer, it taught important lessons and inspired this novella, and its companion book, “When Angels Paint.” Read them both and see if you agree that an “angel intuition” can rescue us in most unexpected ways.
What the Soul Suspects
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Journalist Christine Christian awakens in the basement of an unfinished house, a nasty bump on her head. But as she tries to recall what happened, is it short-term memory loss, or something else that has her upside down? With no evidence of foul play, and no body, Deputy Delmar Johnson can't officially open a case. But on his own time, he begins to follow clues. When he has a conversation with the missing woman in a lucid dream, he fears for his own sanity, and fears more than ever that the missing woman has been slain, and that she may have met her demise in Milford-Haven.
Book Bubbles from What the Soul Suspects
Are Lighthouses Haunted?
Each book in the Milford-Haven series features a real lighthouse, so I visit and research lighthouses quite often. Sadly, almost every single one was built because of a maritime disaster, so it’s no surprise that many are considered to be haunted. In some cases, the tales of strange occurances, sounds, smells and sights are well documented. In this novella, journalist Christine Christian is drawn to visit four Central Coast California lighthouses. Researching them was fascinating, and in my book I did include some of the “tall tales” I heard. But I also wrote some dream-like experiences that fit with the specifics of the surroundings. I wonder whether you’ll be able to tell which are from my imagination? Will you have visions of your own, if you visit these iconic locations? And now, welcome to the Point Vicente Lighthouse in Los Angeles . . .
A Scarey Childhood Memory
When I was about seven years old, my parents built their dream home, never imagining they would soon be moving overseas. During construction of the house, I used to prowl around the framed rooms, trying to imagine what the finished structure would be. To this day, I love walking through unfinished houses, so I couldn't resist creating the Clarke House in the Milford-Haven series. In other books, we see the beauty of it. But in this one, I called upon one frightening memory. In front of the fireplace, the hearthstone was still missing, and I peered down into a black hole leading to the still-dirt basement. That's the memory that popped up when I wrote this chapter for Chris Christian..
The Setting Sets the Mood
California's Central Coast, where my Milford-Haven series is set, is beautiful in every season. But seasons in California are more subtle than in many other parts of the country, so the Prologue is rich in specific detail. The Prologue also takes the reader immediately into the strange paranormal world of this particular book, quite different from others in the series. It's almost Halloween, when strange things can happen . . . and do.
Whose Angel Key Ring
Literature & Fiction
Can a secret be kept for most of a young man’s lifetime? Joan Calvin must have thought so before she died years ago. Yet it was a secret she didn’t want kept from her son forever-just until he was ready to hear the truth. This Christmas, the time has come. It wasn’t that she placed it on a future calendar for her husband Joseph to find. Instead, she entrusted the timing of the disclosure to fate, and to the trustworthy butler whom she knew would never desert young Zackery. So now, all these years later, a key that’d gone missing has mysteriously appeared. What does it unlock? Is it just the heirloom clock hiding in plain site on the mantel? Or does the angel key ring unlock far more?
Book Bubbles from Whose Angel Key Ring
Angel Secret
It might seem as though people with wealth and privilege have relatively few problems. But this can be an illusion. In the case of Zackery Calvin, his apparently charmed life includes a secret that has been an unknown source for confusion, depression, and an inability to create a lasting relationship. This year, just in time for Christmas, he’s made a mess of things with two different women, alienating them both, and he now finds himself marooned in an ocean of opulent decorations and engulfing loneliness. Then something strange happens. A letter arrives, its intention to return a lost key ring. But Zack has no idea what the beautiful little key might unlock. Nor can he know how his life will change, once this secret it revealed. The trusted family majordomo does know the secret, entrusted to him years before. What he doesn’t know is if or when to reveal it. The appearance of the key ring seems to be the trigger. But is he correct? Will he help or hinder the path of the young man he’s known since earliest childhood? If there are secrets that come to light during your holidays, I hope they bring only blessings.
When Angels Paint
Literature & Fiction
Intuition, foreboding, and faith create unexpected connections as an artist in her studio feels guided to create an unexpected painting, whose subject is an adventurer caught in a storm on the side of a mountain. Winner of 5 awards. USA Best Books. Global eBook. Holiday Book Festival. San Francisco. CIPA Merit.
Book Bubbles from When Angels Paint
New Holiday Traditions
Each of us experiences some sort of evolution when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Miranda Jones still enjoys the Christmas traditions her parents started, and this year she’ll be joining them for a special trip to revisit favorite childhood traditions. But she also wants to create her own traditions in her new home, Milford-Haven. She invites over the small group of friends she’s made during her few months since moving to the Central Coast, honoring and including them by asking each to bring a favorite dish. Sally, a restaurant owner, brings her “Christmas eggs,” Kevin, a construction worker, brings sausages, Samantha, head of the Environmental Planning Commission, brings a beautiful fresh fruit salad, and Miranda makes her signature “Watercolor Pancakes” (the recipe at end of book). Sharing the preparation of the food is a prelude to sharing what really matters—the sense of connection, community, and mutual support. Each of these characters is on a journey to find a more evolved sense of home, and this cozy, cheerful interlude reassures and uplifts their spirits, while filling their bellies to capacity. Small celebrations like this have always been important to me, and they’re still among my favorite events to plan for my core group of friends. I hope you enjoy something similar during your holidays.
