One of the things I've always loved when writing, is inserting what you may have heard called Easter eggs, what I call hidden gems. These are little nods to special people or places in my life, quirks of mine or someone I know that I'm fond of or find amusing or absolutely cannot stand.  

In the manuscript I'm currently working on, for example, the main character has a special ring tone for her best friend. When the Star Wars theme goes off, she knows to answer the phone, and fast. That's a ring tone I use as well.

In Carousel Beach, Maya listens to Chris Botti as she works. Trumpet is one of my absolute favorite instruments and Mr. Botti is my not very secret crush (you'll find me at every performance close to home).

Emma, the main character in The Distance Home, picks up a stone and slips it in her pocket as a reminder of the stable and better times. There's a stone on my desk that I picked up years ago that's the inspiration for the one in the book. 

I've slipped names of friends into every book but never attach characteristics that would be familiar (you know, gotta protect the guilty :-) ).

And every book I write has one character named Alex as a nod to my favorite person in the whole world.  

For the final What's Making Me Happy post for 2020, I give you the amazing Monster Boba Latte. I have no idea what makes it so amazing and, honestly, I don't want to know because then I'd feel guilty and what's the point of that?! So, I'm just going to treat myself to one of these lovelies whenever I need a mood boost. 

Cheers to you 2020 and thanks for introducing me to the Monster. :-)

The beauty of social media is that you connect with writers across the country and the world. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that a favorite author was moving not far from where I lived! What started out as an online friendship has now become an in-real life friendship. Every time Erika Montgomery and I get together (which, admittedly, isn't nearly enough) our conversations bounce around to everything from writing, publishing, books we're reading, sushi, coffee, family, and wine (not necessarily in that order).

Over the last couple of years, Erika and I have commiserated over the progress (or lack of) manuscripts. She even got on zoom with me after I sent a text SOS earlier this year during a self-confidence fail over the book I was working on. 

And I'm so, SO excited that the story she'd been writing and rewriting will be releasing to the world on DATE. 

Even though we haven't been able to do an in-person chat this year, we've had our zoom calls and Erika very graciously agreed to this virtual coffee chat ... 

​If we were at a coffee shop, what would you order?
A medium regular coffee (is that even a thing, LOL?!) I am so old school. I might splurge on a pastry, though. Or one of those cookies that are the size of a salad plate!
 
At home, do you have one go-to mug or do you pick by mood or whatever is within reach?
Oh Orly, it’s like you know me or something😉! I am ridiculously ritualistic (You know, I’ve heard writers can be that way—have you heard that too?) about far too many things in my day but mugs are at the top of that list. No joke, I have a weekday writing mug, I have a weekend mug, I have an afternoon once-in-a-while mug. My writing mug is a Christmas mug that is so faded I think only I can discern the smiling snowman. I also have a beloved Dolly Parton mug from my sister that is my editing mug and if I know I’m going to rework the previous day’s pages, I’ll likely pour into that. Even when I travel (Travel? What’s that again?), if we’re staying at a rented house, I tend to pick A MUG from the collection and use it all week. 
 
Still glad you asked?
 
As a writer, I’m obsessed with writing process. I love hearing how others work their magic. What’s your process like? Do you have certain routines/rituals?
I am fortunate to teach creative writing to a great group of high school seniors and one of the things I am constantly talking about is process—and how incredibly unique and personal every writer’s process is—so YES, I love to unpack this subject too! That said, I think I’ve struggled to be at peace with my own writing process after so many years because the more I write, the longer the process seems to take for me—which, on some level seems inefficient (that word comes up a lot for me when I write/edit) but honestly, I’ve had to retrain my brain not to see it that way. I worked in carpentry and construction for a while and I think that experience really cemented in me this concept that you want to really refine your process, whatever it is, be it cutting a length of board or loading up a truck bed, and how can you do it in the least amount of steps and secure accurate results (measure twice, cut once) and this implication that if something takes longer, it isn’t as efficient as it could/should be. But after so many years of writing, I’ve come to realize that my writing takes longer because I’m more aware than ever of what I need to do to make it richer/more layered/textured/etc so in that way, the idea of efficiency is irrelevant. 
 
That said, however, deadlines are deadlines! So there has to be SOME measure of efficiency in there somewhere.

I’m ridiculously excited about the release of A SUMMER TO REMEMBER on May 11! What was the idea (coffee bean? ) that triggered this story? 
Thank you for saying that! A SUMMER TO REMEMBER went through SO many iterations—as you well know, Orly, manuscripts always do, right?—but because I worked on this one for so long—and went through many significant life changes in the midst of writing it—it’s almost impossible for me to remember what it looked like when I first got the idea to start writing.

I do remember, however, that there was always a sealed letter that needed to be delivered somewhere far away, and the desire to bring my love for Hollywood and cinema into a story. 
 
Let’s talk beach books (and not just because I’m sitting here freezing and dreaming about a vacation). This label always fascinates me because pretty much every list I’ve come across has a completely different make-up of books. To you, what is the perfect beach read (other than A SUMMER TO REMEMBER, obviously)?
Such a good question! I love beach books that have a character coming to the beach for a brief time—I think there’s an added level of escape and decadence built in to that set-up. I love scenes of food and drink and general merriment. A romance is also a must. And a fabulous house to anchor it all is the icing on the cake—preferably an old beach cottage, the more rustic the better.
 
Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on next?
It’s still fairly early in the manuscript but I CAN tell you it takes place on the coast—I know, you’re shocked, right?—and follows the summer adventures of some pretty fabulous women through two time periods.
 
Back to the coffee shop. Do you eavesdrop on folks at neighboring tables or tune everyone out?
I’m a hopeless eavesdropper. And it’s not always intentional, I swear. I consider myself a hyper-aware/observant person—I can’t NOT be hearing/watching action around me. I think that’s why I can’t write in coffee shops—I can’t tune things out! 
 
Finally, tell me something about yourself that will make the people at the next table scoot closer to hear better … or maybe scoot further away. 😉
Ha ha—too late!! I’m pretty sure my answer to the mug question has already done the latter! ​

Where to find Erika and pre-order a copy A SUMMER TO REMEMBER ... 

www.erikamontgomery.com

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Most writers will tell you they either like the initial writing phase or the revision stage. I've yet to come across someone who says they love all of it.

Me: I like the initial brainstorming part when the ideas are still fresh and anything is possible. This is the period when I protect the story like a newborn. I'll read novels with similar concepts or research books and noodle plot threads. I'll troll Pinterest for pictures of locations and objects (never people though but that's another post). I love the possibility of the story at this stage.  

In my ideal writer world, though, I'd then be able to fast forward to revisions. Don't get me wrong, I love the act of writing. It never ceases to amaze me that I have these stories inside me. There are few things as rewarding as finding those perfect words to bring to life something or someone that only existed in my mind. 

But revisions, ahhhhh ... that's where the magic happens. That's when details pop out that I hadn't thought about before or another plot thread reveals itself. With each subsequent pass, the story becomes more nuanced. 

Sure, there are times I can't stand the idea of doing ONE. MORE. PASS. That's when -- time permitting -- I'll step away from the manuscript for a few days. And always, ALWAYS when I come back, I find another surprise that excites me.

On days like today, when I'm deep in revision number I-lost-count-three-revisions-ago and all I want to do is give up and move on, I take a few minutes to re-read some of the edits I've already completed. It's like that stolen moment or look with a loved one, the kind that reminds you why you fell in love with them in the first place. 

Confession: I have slight envy for those with long-standing family traditions. I didn't always feel that way. Actually, for a long time I kinda liked the idea of doing things "differently." 

Maybe those feelings started changing already after my son was born or as I got older, but it's been this year that I've come to the realization that traditions are far more important than I gave them credit for. 2020, for many I suspect, has been the year of uncovering truths. Whether that's the realization that the packed schedules we lived with before aren't something we want to return to, or obligations we've made that now feel more like anchors than stepping stones, or relationships that are draining rather than nurturing.

I've made a few changes during the last few months. Not all were easy, but all were necessary.

But with the holidays here, I'm finding it harder this year to find joy. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that my family is healthy and that we're safe. But there is one thing that I never really looked at as a tradition that I won't have this year -- spending the holiday with my parents. This will be the first time we won't physically be together.

Not traveling this year is the right thing to do. We were lucky to have had an opportunity to safely see them at the beginning of November and both of those are keeping me going.

But without that one constant, I'm realizing how much I miss the idea of having traditions to ground me. So with that, I'm going to make a promise to myself to start a new one. It's never too late to start, is it? 

There are few things that excite me as much as seeing a new release from a friend. And having the honor of reading an ARC (advance reader copy) is like winning the lottery. I adored Tif's earlier releases and even had the pleasure of doing an in-person event with her in early March to launch Once Upon a Sunset. 

It was an absolute pleasure spending last weekend with Regina, Adelaide, and Sophie (and no, I didn't get anything else done but who cares when you're lost in a good book!).

From Goodreads:
Regina Castro, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, and Sophie Walden usedto be best friends. As Army wives at Fort East, they bonded during  heir book club and soon became inseparable. But when an unimaginable betrayal happened amongst the group, the friendship abruptly ended, and they haven’t spoken since.

That’s why, eight years later, Regina and Sophie are shocked when they get a call for help from Adelaide. Adelaide’s husband is stationed abroad, and without any friends or family near her new home of Alexandria, Virginia, she has no one to help take care of her young daughter when she has to undergo emergency surgery. For the sake of an innocent child, Regina and Sophie reluctantly put their differences aside to help an old friend.

As the three women reunite, they must overcome past hurts and see if there’s any future for their friendship. Featuring Tif Marcelo’s signature “enchanting prose” (Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) and the books that brought them together in the first place, In a Book Club Far Awayhonors the immense power of female friendship and how love can defy time, distance, and all old wounds.

Anyone who's decided to make writing a career will attest to the fact that this isn't the easiest of choices. It's amazing, don't get me wrong, but easy it isn't. Every time I start a new project or get another rejection or read a published book that makes me question my own  abilities, I give myself a moment to fantasize about becoming a llama groomer.

But then I push that dream aside and get back to business. Why? Because of the two Ps. 

Patience.
This is the hardest of the two for me. Anyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that patience is not in my vocabulary. I get an idea and I want the book done, NOW. I get seriously twitchy waiting for answers on submissions. 

But rushing leads to mistakes and regrets. I know this. I can't always do it and I can't say I'm mellowing with age, but I'm learning.

Best advice I received: When you think you're done, give it a day or a week before declaring it "finished." Fresh eyes, not a twitchy trigger finger, are your friends.

Perseverance. 
There are, of course, exceptions but most writers I know didn't hit it out of the park with their first book and continue to hit the bestseller lists with every book. There are plenty of writers who have multiple manuscripts stuffed in a desk drawer (virtual or not) waiting for an opportunity to shine or enough rejection letters to line a city-sized aviary .

I had four completed manuscripts before I signed with my first agent. I approached each manuscript and query experience as a learning opportunity and I never lost sight of my end goal: to have a published book that I can hold in my hand and see on a shelf in a bookstore.

No, I'm not one of those exceptions. But I'm also not giving up because I believe in the stories I have to tell.

I've talked before about yarn therapy being my brain therapy, my way of working through plot holes and calming busy brain. Then once in a while I come across a pattern that I become obsessed with and have to make the same thing in every yarn type and color I can get my hands on. The gnomes were last winters obsession. This year, I'm watching the bunnies multiply around my house. :-) 

I've long been a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books but Daisy Jones & The Six is in a world of its own. The audio book had been highly recommended and it was even more amazing than I'd anticipated. I can't tell you the number of times I'd get home from wherever I was driving, only to sit in the car to keep listening. 

This is one of the few audio books I suspect I'll be going back to.

From Goodreads:
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a fellow writer, comparing TBR (to be read) lists and I mentioned the box of books that had just arrived that day. When the conversation shifted to our current projects, my friend was flabbergasted that all of the new books were, in some way, connected to my new story idea. She doesn't read anything that's even remotely similar to what she's working on.

I, on the other hand, have always searched out similar women's fiction titles. Seeing how other writers treat certain topics triggers ideas on new directions to take with my story. Beautiful storytelling inspires me to dig deeper. Creativity motivates me to push harder. The way my brain works and my writing style will never be like someone else's, so "copying" is never a concern for me. I'm not reading those books to compare theirs to mine, I'm reading to launch my own ideas, to find that little nugget of beauty that will send me on an exciting detour. 

With that in mind, here's part of my WIP TBR. And no, I won't be giving any spoilers. Not yet at least. For now, this story is still like a new relationship, one I want to nurture and enjoy before introducing it to friends and family. :-)