Memories: Ours and Our Characters

Memories. Good ones. Bad ones. We tend to push aside the ones we don't want to remember, but they have a nasty habit of surfacing at times.

Good ones, sometimes embellished with our creative perception, pop up more often and make us happy. Savor the good ones; know the bad ones but don't let them taint your life.

Our characters have memories...it's called backstory. Every hero and heroine has things in their past, good and bad, that they deal with. Maybe it's a failed romance, bad business deal, death of a loved one...all things mimicking "real life" events that happen to everyone. The bad memories are a catalyst for better motivation for character change and growth.

In Gone to the Dogs, Katie has to deal with the memory of her boyfriend's betrayal. Determined to move on with her life, she remembers his actions, and uses her self-control to push herself forward and change her life.

In Street of Dreams, Eileen recalls how her police department still treats women as "unequal" partners in her detective division. She uses her instincts to prove her worth, and strives through the book to show her skill qualities.

I could go on with all of my other books, but you get the idea. And, the heroes have their share of bad memories to overcome. These are fiction; I've created memories for my heroes and heroines.

In my nonfiction book, Guilty Survivor - Memoirs of Tamerla Kendall, I had no part in creating memories. What I ghostwrote are Tamera's memories of her life living in a war zone. There are good memories for her; but the book focuses on her hardships, and how she managed to survive. Her courage and determination to life through a was she didn't want enabled her to become the motivated-to-succeed woman she is today.



http://www.mariannestephens.net
Photos: Flickr: ibookperson, BuhSnarf, and 'Playingwithbrushes' photostreams

Beauty: Around Us And In Our Books

Definition of beauty: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/beauty

1. The quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality.
2. One that is beautiful, especially a beautiful woman.
3. A quality or feature that is most effective, gratifying, or telling.

Beauty surrounds us in all forms; landscape, paintings, people. What may seem beautiful to one person may not have the same effect on someone else. 

As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". 

Beauty on the outside doesn't mean or guarantee a beautiful person or thing on the inside. 

Beauty fades; personality or  elements may not retain outward appearance, but inner beauty can remain. This includes people, places, things. 

What's more important? Outward beauty or beauty inside? I'd choose inner beauty.

In romance books, covers portray pleasing, sexy images of heroines/women. But do books always describe characters as beautiful? 

In "Gone to the Dogs", Katie talks about needing to lose weight; those extra pounds that always creep up when you're not looking. Mike's attracted to her; he likes her looks and spunky attitude. Would he call her beautiful? Maybe. Would others agree? Maybe not.


I didn't "write" Katie to be a beauty queen. I wanted her to be attractive, normal, and a tad low on self-esteem. Aren't we all like that? Can't we relate to Katie as if she were a friend, someone just like us?


In "Anything You Can Do" (ebook and coming in print this month!), Allison sparks Jeff's interest. Again, he's attracted to her good looks, but her challenge keeps him intrigued. Is she beautiful? Maybe to him, but not as a beauty queen. 

Again, I didn't "write" Allison to be anything but "the girl next door". An average, hard-working woman who entices and interests Jeff without being a size two model or celebrity. (Cover is for new print version)

When you read, do you envision the heroine as a beautiful woman? Does a Hollywood image of what beauty looks like plant itself in your head? 

Sex appeal comes in many features; eyes, lips, smile, etc. But overall beauty does not necessarily need be the image portrayed in a romance book. The more appealing, day-to-day heroine, attractive but flawed like the rest of us, captures our attention. 

Beauty is skin-deep...it's what's inside our heroines that keeps a romance book desirable and read.

Can you describe beauty? As a reader, do you want beautiful heroines? As a writer, are your heroines beautiful?

http://www.mariannestephens.net
http://www.aprilash.net
http://www.romancebooksrus.com

Photo: Flickr: Kevin H. photostream 

Roses and Valentine's Day

Did you receive roses for Valentine's Day? Red is the most popular color to give, but other colors are also given on this day.

Let's hear it for the roses...all sizes, shades and colors! The wonderful aroma, beautiful bouquets, bushes, etc., all around us.Do you know what the colors signify?

RED: Known as the Lover's Rose, shades can go from light to deep crimson. What better Valentine's gift than red roses? Maybe with chocolates to add a special "romance" meaning?

PINK: Expresses gentility, femininity, elegance, admiration. Deep pink: gratitude. Light pink: grace.

WHITE: Represents purity, innocence and celebrates weddings and young love.

 YELLOW: Evokes a sense of warmth and friendship. In Victorian times, it symbolized jealousy!

ORANGE: Symbolize desire, attraction, and passion...that can lead to a wild romance!

LAVENDER, LILAC, PURPLE: Displays enchantment, and imagination...and love at first sight.


 

TURQUOISE: Expresses well-being, calmness, fertility.

BLUE:  Embodies a sense the impossible and of mystery while hoping for an extraordinary chance for the beginning of something new.

GOLD: No better way to say "I Care", "Welcome Back", "Remember Me", my friend.





Whatever color is given is a wonderful expression of love...except black. No romance there. Just sorrow so let's hope none come your way. Although, I'm sure some paranormal romances will feature these black roses as the choice of shade for dark tales!

Credits: Teleflora, Proflowers, Morrison Gardens, Roses for Life.
Photos: Flickr: D. Sharon Pruitt, Joe Shalbotnik, The Gifted, Angela M. Michel, BONGURI, dorena-wm, KIUKO, naitokz, toastforbreakfast, and ghewqill's photostreams.

See a Photo and Tell Me Your Tale Contest!

Okay...it's the season to be jolly...and have fun!
Contest: Win a $15.00 Godiva Chocolates gift card!
Contest ends midnight EST 20 December.


How  to enter and win?



Check out this photo.  It says, "While shopping for your Christmas present..." and GUESS WHAT? YOU have to finish the tale in just a paragraph!

So instead of leaving a comment, leave a paragraph! Be sure to put your email address in the comment box with your paragraph.

Remember: Just one paragraph to write your amusing tale about this photo!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

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