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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Hello












Thanks for stopping by. It's been a long effort working on my current project, "Hostage to Her Heart". It was originally part of a bigger manuscript, “Cross Passage.” This is what happens when you spend many nights alone. You daydream a lot, and then type and type.




How I got my idea:
Sometime in the early part of 2000, I took a creative writing class at a local college. I also got around to buying my first home computer. The internet truly seemed fascinating and I looked up everything.




I came across something about the McCaughey Septuplets. I thought, "Wow! Seven babies! What a miracle!" That would be hard for any normal family to get over. What a challenge to raise that many children? I think many women would raise their eyebrows to even think about this happening to them. One baby is hard enough, but how about twins? triplets? Or more? How does one adjust their lives to that kind of circumstances? I wanted to create a story about it somehow.





A bigger part of me also wanted to write about a modern-day diva as I simply love music. I have all of my whole life. There were many times as a young girl when I would play-act in front of a long mirror, with a hair brush in hand, singing my heart out along to a song blasting from the radio. Doesn’t everyone dream about being a musical superstar? Who isn't amazed by the talents of such women as Karen Carpenter, Cher, Madonna, Celine, or Diana Ross? These days, talent like this really makes us pay attention, whenever we see them on television, movies, or hear them on the radio.



So I combined these ideas and came up with my leading lady, Tara Reece. Poor girl. She begins all alone in the world, without anyone to depend on but her best friend, Ross, who has always loved her. But she has never been in love with him. And she can’t give him up either. He has to stay in her life and he feels exactly the same way. They have always realized that desire is a lingering current between them. Yet it takes everything they have to keep such intense feelings under wraps. Thus begins a give and take friendship that hopefully will live long in the minds of readers for centuries.









What changed the focus?
One of the rules of writing, that I discovered while seeking information off the internet, was that you really should not use a lot of "backstory." First it detracts from the current situation. It can also lose the interest of the reader if you refer to the past once too often. So, I took out that manuscript (for the umpteenth time) and decided to change directions of where the story begins. I looked at the original manuscript and really sunk my teeth into it, determined to pull out everything to do with Tara's past and create its own story. Believe me- that took work and lots of long hours editing and re-writing. I wanted the overall story to remain consistent. I developed about 11 chapters and then embellished it further, adding more details. The outcome, “Hostage to Her Heart” places a lot more substance to Tara’s past and we see how she becomes the fascinating woman that she is in the 2nd book.

Eureka!
I'm very proud of what I have accomplished. "Hostage to Her Heart" is a real tribute to mommies and daddies everywhere, especially to the men who take on such circumstances of an already made family. It’s courageous and wonderful to read how Danny Cross, my leading man in H2HH, has a heart as big as the universe. Throughout the book, he is not afraid to show real tenderness and potrays a father like no other. A real inspiration.



I truly believe that any women who read this book will fall in love with Danny as I did writing about him. They will want him for their own. Now, only if he was real! I guess in the end, after reading, he will always be in your heart to keep.


As for his British ethnicity- well, I have always had a soft spot for hearing their accents on television or in movies. So I made him British and then brought all the characters to England, a place I have never been. The research about England was not easy. I'm a southern girl- from Texas to boot. I hope that my broad descriptions of Wiltshire County are very close to the real thing. I hope that I bring honor to the men and women of the Royal British Navy, as Danny is a British officer. I wanted him to be someone anyone could admire easily.


As for Tara...well, let's just say she has to struggle just to grow up. She makes all the wrong decisions and becomes terribly selfish. You don't really know which way to react to her when she allows others to influence her thinking in the wrong direction. By all means, she's pregnant, young, and living in a strange environment. She's not in love with Danny and turns to the wrong men for comfort and advice. After she becomes a mother, things suddenly open up for her. Through Danny’s eyes, she finally realizes what true love is all about. From there, she blossoms, as she finally grows up. And then we discover her true destiny.

Another of my favorite characters is Ross. He is a man conflicted by his feelings and decisions. He is a gorgeous man who is thrust into situations out of his element. He is greatly influenced by Danny's older brother to change into a suave "love and leave them" kind of guy. Success seems easy and he's a man on top of the world. Danny's sisters, one sexy and the other serene, toy with his affections throughout, but he never quite gets over Tara. So there in itself, is a major complication, considering she's married to Danny.





However, after many trials and error, his true down-to-earth instincts leads him to make the right choices again. He is like a diamond in the rough-polished up to shine like a star- after all the dirt has been dusted away.





These characters are my finest creations. Unfortunately, for the story to move forward, things must change. I hope this book does well enough to produce that sequel. Hmmm, really, as I think about it, "Hostage to Her Heart" is really a prequel. Yes?



Coming Soon!
All right. Now that you know how this all began, "Hostage to Her Heart" will soon be available, thanks to the courtesy of publication through Authorhouse. I will post a link once it's "live" and ready for purchase. I realize it is self-publication. I really did not wish to wait for the "Big Houses" to look over query letters. It would be eons before any one would take me on. There is truly a lot of competition out there! Everyone wants to be the next big thing. I simply wanted to get my story out there to enjoy. I hope that in the end, you will be touched at the heart by the flawed, loveable characters revealed in H2HH. Please come back to let me know what you thought of it. Good or bad, I look forward to all comments. And remember, if you like it, then spread the word to your friends! Or better yet, purchase them a copy. Even to anyone you know who will be a new mommy-to-be or a daddy-to-be. Surely, with this story, they will relate quite well.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Link to Authorhouse

My book is being published by Authorhouse and will be out this spring. Look for updates on when it's available and thanks very much for your support!

http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookStoreSearchResults.aspx?SearchType=smpl&SearchTerm=Chriss+Hill