February is the month of Valentine’s Day. Throughout my life
I have vacillated between loving the idea of the day and wanting to shove my head
under a pillow. After all, love isn’t something you can conjure up with a
finger-snap. Oh…unless you write romance.
This month’s theme is “what touches my heart.” I do love
writing romance, but what touches my heart in a very special way are my three grandsons.
So what better way to honor my loves then to combine the two.
Grandson's New Puppy, Hugging and Napping
Huh? My grandsons are 9, 10, and 12, so they aren’t hero
material…yet. Now this is a personal opinion, but I am sure anyone who meets my
grandsons will agree that they are handsome, of superior intelligence, and above
average athletic ability, not to mention sweet and thoughtful and never
naughty. Yes, there goes my vivid
imagination again. But really, they are wonderful young men. So that leads me
to how I combine a love of grandsons with my love of writing romance?
I have a penchant for writing second chance romances. And
many times, either the hero or heroine has a child that factors into how that
romance plays out. My grandsons are inspiration for those characters.
In my Valentine-themed book Moonlighting, the hero’s
daughter, Bunnie, plays a starring role. A precocious ten-year old, she knows
the moment she spots the heroine, that Mary Beth is THE ONE for her dad. Just like my grandsons, Bunnie is innocent,
but wise-beyond her years. Building her character included adding in pieces of
experiences with my grandsons—the way they see the world and go about exploring
with exuberance and eyes open to new adventures.
Moonlighting - Happy Valentine's Day
Although my grandsons are not yet teens, I swear they know a
lot more than I did when I was a teen. They know a lot more than I do now! Maybe
it has to do with technology and a greater access to the world. Or maybe it is
only because I think they are much smarter than I am, even at my advanced,
ahem, I mean mature age.
My book Come Dance With Me, doesn’t have
young children, but does center around a group of teens who have formed an
after-school jazz group—the setting for the meeting between my outgoing jazz
pianist and the buttoned up, efficient English teacher assigned to proctor the
group. Helping the group of teens throws the hero and heroine together. But it
is through the eyes of and activities with the teens that the two find true
love. As I watch my grandsons grow, I can see the passion they have for
exploring and learning and beginning to understand what touches their own
hearts—all traits I tried to show through the teens in the story.My new release in April 2019, The Prince’s Son, features a sweet boy who has lost his mother. In the heroine, a cowgirl, teacher, and his temporary nanny, he finds a woman he can love as a mother. Jaime’s wide-eyed wonder at the world, along with his fears, mimic traits I see in my grandsons.
The Prince's Son
Currently I am editing a book with a young boy, and writing
another book with a child. Both are younger than my grandsons, but the mannerisms
of my dear grandsons always seem to find a way into my young characters.
Even the photo I use on my website represents my grandsons.
What you don’t know is that the scenic ocean and lighthouse scene is a cropped
photo. What doesn’t show is the bottom half, with a big slate-gray rock upon
which are perched three boys, back-to, but looking over their shoulders with
huge grins at the camera. The cousins enjoying vacation together on the rocky
coast of Maine. When I look at that photo, even in its cropped state, my heart
sings.
Maine Lighthouse
I realize as I write scenes with children in them, that I do
channel my grandsons—their physical expressions and movements, as well as their
sense of exploration, wonder, and everyday adventure in their play and school
work.
So, to say my grandsons touch my heart, is indeed an
understatement. They are a part of me in every way. Whether consciously or
unconsciously, they are in my thoughts and drive the actions I take to be a
better person, and behind my actions to treat this earth, my friends, and
perfect strangers with respect and love, so the three boys will have a legacy
they can be proud of.
My grandsons ARE my heart.
What touches YOUR heart?
Delsora
Lowe writes small town sweet romances and contemporary westerns from the
mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine ~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the
home fires burning ~
Lowe’s family visits to Colorado are the inspiration
for an upcoming contemporary western series, Cowboys of Mineral Springs, to be released in 2019 and 2020. And
her daughter’s wedding and her son’s home, both on the coast of Maine, provided
plentiful ideas for the Starlight
Grille series (released in 2017 and 2018).
Author FB Page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthorAuthor Website:
www.delsoralowe.comAmazon Author Page:
http://amzn.to/2nRx1Bs
Books2Read Author Page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/DelsoraAuthor Newsletter signup (only sent out when there is news): http://www.delsoralowe.com/contact.html Author Blog: http://www.delsoralowe.com/blog
Books2Read Author Page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/DelsoraAuthor Newsletter signup (only sent out when there is news): http://www.delsoralowe.com/contact.html Author Blog: http://www.delsoralowe.com/blog
26 comments:
I don't have grandchildren, but I know about kids touching your heart. Now that my kids are out of the house, most of the time, I am in awe of them and love them so fiercely.
I also understand how Maine landscapes can touch your heart.
Can't wait to read your new release.
Michelle
Thanks Michelle - yes, my kids touch my heart too - for sure - watching them grow and seeing how incredible they are as adults. You do have incredible kids :-) This new release is inspired by my daughter's tales of living in CO.
And you write those child characters incredibly well, Deb. Loved hearing your about your inspiration :)
I love how your grandsons inspire your writing! I do the same with my girls as often as possible. Best of luck with your books!
Great post. I LOVE all the pictures.
Great post. I love to hear about what inspires writers. I love that pic of your grandson and his pup. Super cute!
How wonderful that your grandsons can inspire aspects of your writing. I hope they appreciate all that.
So great to hear how your three boys inspire you, Delsora! They sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing.
Welcome Delsora. You've been our guest before but now have a regular Genre-ista spot on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. I"m also "mature" so I have grands and great-grands. Grands will be 29 and 23 this year. Great grands 2 and 4. While children are not in Every story I write, they are in most of them or, as in "Elizabeth" implied as her strong desire for a family and children of her own is a theme.
Janet - thanks so much for your kind comments. Reading over edits and I can visualize my grandson's face when I read certain lines. They are great inspiration.
Jennifer - I know - isn't it fun to have our young role models to draw on for the things they say, their mannerisms, etc.? Love it!
Ruth - Thanks, those photos are hard to resist. At least for me :-)
Jordan - Thanks for stopping by. Isn't that photo the best? That dog is so adorable and the two of them will snuggle and sleep together. I have so many cute photos of them together. And having a pet to take care of has been great for my grandson. He's so good with the dog.
Susan - it is great that I have them to draw on for inspiration. I know they know I love and appreciate them :-)
Elizabeth - so glad you could stop by. It's amazing the different people and experiences that end up in my stories in some form or another :-) I'll go back to edit and think - oh, that happened in high school or when the kids were small. Until I reread, I don't realize I am adding these features into the story. The mind is a strange thing!
Judith - kids, as book characters, do add depth - and certainly the want to have children and a relationship are the backbone of many of our stories.
I love stories with children in them! Their innocence always warms my heart as they often see what the adults don't. With three grandsons of my own, I know exactly how they make your heart sing!
Why am I not surprised that you write about kids, Deb?
Your love for your grandsons really comes through. I'll bet that un-cropped photo is special.
The innocence of children touches my heart. I'll never forget walking down Fifth Avenue just outside Rockefeller Center at Christmas. A little child was hugging one of those Salvation Army sidewalk Santas. There wasn't an adult on either side of the street that didn't stop and watch and smile. Thanks for the post and pictures. Your grandson being cuddled by his puppy warmed me from my head to my toes.
Nina - every child is so special, but when they are our won grandchildren, there are no words, for sure. I do love putting children in books. You are right - they see the world through a special lenses. And every time I spend with my boys, they show me the world that, as an adult, I sometimes forget to look closely at.
Thanks, Sue - I've had that photo on my computer forever. But this Christmas my daughter, who took the photo a few summers ago, sent it to me in a frame, so I look at it everyday.
Oh, Anna - what a sweet, sweet story. I hope it ends up in one of your stories someday :-) Sometimes I wish children didn't have to grow up and lese that wonderful sense of love and wonderment. But luckily they are around to remind us :-)
So true, Deb. I guess that's why we've got to fight for children everywhere to have a real childhood.
Absolutely, Anna!
Loved your post , Deb! I read "Come Dance with Me". It was a wonderful story and your portrayal of the teens in the after school Jazz band was perfect.
I've always enjoyed your writing. All the best for many sales!!!
Thanks so much, Diana. I really appreciate your comments. Having worked in a small high school with a jazz band (and my son, who attended same school before I worked there, participated in the steel drum band), it was fun to channel characteristics of both the students and the teachers into my purely fictional characters.
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