Picnics--In Romances And In Life

When I write a series, I usually have a yearly cycle. One book takes place in the spring and/or summer. I always look for different ways for my hero and heroine to connect. But some traditional plot points usually work and I use them! One of those is a picnic. I employ picnics for many reasons. First, my hero and heroine are enjoying the outdoors and I can insert pretty descriptions. I don't always have room to do that because the emotion between my characters is my top priority. But with a picnic...I can describe the uniqueness of that particular setting, the kind of flowers that bloom, the shrubbery native to the area, trees that are popular in that part of the country. Now to the important part of the picnic—the feelings between the hero and heroine. If I show a family picnic, the reader can find out all about relationships between brothers and sisters and parents and friends. If it's a quiet picnic for two, anything can happen--from a tender kiss to a full-blown love scene in a secluded glen. The picnic sets up an automatically romantic setting. (BTW, ants and other creatures don't usually invade my picnics!)

In real life, too, picnics are important. Right now, I'm planning a Memorial Day picnic. In my part of the country, that weekend signifies the official end of winter because the weather is finally nice enough to be outdoors. We gather with family and friends and everyone brings their favorite dish. It's a sharing time with lots of laughter and conversations both group and individual and plenty of s'mores for the kids...and the adults seem to have fun with the marshmallows and chocolate, too. We light the fire pit on the patio and enjoy a camping out feeling. I remember these times when the snow is falling and we're separated from loved ones for whatever the reason. We take lots of pictures and when the gathering is over, we are looking forward to July 4th when we'll do it again.

Picnics will always be a part of some of my books because they bring out universal emotions and satisfy a need to be outdoors...with the folks we like and love most.

Continue >>>

Remember Pen Pals?

Pen Pals were the rage in the 60's and 70's. I bought and subscribed to teen magazines like Teen Screen and one from England called Rave. In those magazines, teenagers from all over the world would list their addresses and likes in hopes of having another teen write to them. Yes, it was a different world. But that's the way we communicated without the internet. I had a few pen pals in England since I wanted to know about everything Beatles related! London, Liverpool, and the countryside fascinated me. I corresponded with about ten pen pals throughout my college years. I had also listed my name and photo in one of the mags, myself. Several serviceman in Vietnam and I corresponded during those years. Penpals were about learning of other cultures, supporting those who served, and making friends. We wrote about our life and our dreams.

I guess that's why I took to Twitter and Facebook so easily. No, I don't empty my heart out the way I did in those letters. But I still find it gratifying to make friends all over the world! I like staying in touch with readers and writers. It's the same process of putting down my thoughts into words and connecting with another person. I understand why teens today text the way they do. With my pen pals, using stamps and wax sealer (a fad at the time), I had to wait for weeks for letters. Texting, posting and emailing can be instantaneous. So we're all learning to express ourselves using these tech devices...as I once did using a pen and paper. We talk about how the world has changed. And it has. Yet our desire to connect with each other might be even more important now than it was years ago.

Continue >>>