I am about to publish my second novel, Silence, Please, a story of political corruption in a small California desert city, and how it affects the lives of the residents, three women in particular. I’ve worked on this book for over three and a half years and now feel as if I’ve earned another college degree. It’s fun writing novels, but it’s also very hard work.

As I decide on the type of book I want to write, I try to steer clear of imitating one of the hundreds of plots I’ve read over the years. When I started writing my first novel, My Doormat Days, a major concern was that I might be repeating storylines that have been used time and again. I almost let this fear put a stop to my writing. Thanks to my husband, that didn’t happen. He told me that if I write from the heart, my novel will truly be unique because no one else has lived my life or experienced my emotions. I continued with the novel and poured my heart into it. Today I feel that my novels are an extension of myself.

I’m always surprised whenever a book drives me to tears. When that happens (as it did with Take This Man by Brando Skyhorse, for example),  I know the author has succeeded in drawing me into his/her story. The author gave a piece of her/his heart in the creation of the book.

I hope that Silence, Please will gain an audience of readers because it has something important to say about the resilience of humans, and the importance of speaking out against the abuse of power, be it political or sexual. It also gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in public libraries, valuable institutions that are too often underappreciated. My goal is not to make big bucks off this book (though that would be a great bonus). My goal is to share this story so that readers might enjoy and relate in some way to the message it is conveying.

Without intending to, I read, back-to-back, two books with protagonists based on actual people. All the Stars in the Heavens, by Adriana Trigiani, is the fictionalized story of Loretta Young, who had a baby out of wedlock, fathered by Clark Gable. Shirley, by Susan Scarf Merrell, features the author Shirley Jackson as a main character.

I enjoyed both books but couldn’t help wondering about the accuracy of the character depictions. I wondered if Loretta Young was truly the hard-driven, ambitious actress portrayed, and if she was truly in love with Clark Gable as told in the book. As for Shirley, I speculated about the veracity of Shirley Jackson’s psychological weaknesses and her philandering husband. Of course these are novels, so the authors have license to create events, character behaviors, and so on. However, I couldn’t help thinking about the real people these characters are based on. As I read, I occasionally googled the names of some of the minor characters, also based on actual persons, to learn more about them. While googling, I came across articles that referred to Loretta Young’s claim, repeated to the media, after her death, by her daughter-in-law, that she had been date-raped by Clark Gable. That colored my reading of the novel. I could not put aside that information and immerse myself in the fictional depiction of Young and Gable as ardent lovers. It’s not the fault of the author. I think it’s a tricky thing to depict a character based on a real person, especially one who has died only recently. Some of their children and relatives are probably still alive. How does an author take liberties with the lives of these famous individuals while there are still people living who knew them personally? (Of course, an author could interview such individuals, but that does not appear to have been the case in either one of these books.)

I am seriously considering writing an historical novel. If I do undertake this challenging effort, I will avoid using any actual historical figures, unless they are long dead (e.g. George Washington) and only play minor roles in the story. I wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to bring to life someone who recently existed. This is not to denigrate Adriana Trigiani or Susan Scarf Merrell, who wrote good books with good characters. With her depiction of Shirley Jackson, Merrell especially sparked my interest in reading more about this intriguing author. Thanks to these two authors, Loretta Young and Shirley Jackson can continue to be remembered, or be introduced to readers who have never heard of them.

“Books fill my days. Not to mention my bedroom, my living room, my dining room and my closet.”

The above is a meme that Goodreads tweeted a few days ago. While I agree that books fill my days, my living space is not cluttered with reading material, other than the novel(s) I’m currently reading. I’ve never hoarded books, perhaps because as a librarian I had access to the titles I wanted to read. For a book lover, it’s a fortunate position to be in.

However, I do have a collection of books that is meaningful to me: volumes signed by the authors. I especially enjoy attending author readings and later standing in line to buy a copy of the book, meet the writer, and get an autograph.

Though I also have favorite books that I return to from time to time, I don’t own all of these. I did recently purchase a copy of Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros to read a second time. It’s a story I treasure, so I will keep it in my collection. I’m now in the habit of purchasing e-books and have quite a collection on my iPad. It’s an easy way to store favorite works but somehow lacks the intimacy of the actual book in hand. Regardless, books are like friends; I  choose carefully which ones I want to keep close.

Recently my husband and I moved one-hundred miles from the desert to the sea. We had lived in the desert for six years but ultimately found we are more suited to sea breezes than the blazing summer heat of Palm Springs. Though I won’t miss the heat, I will miss, probably more than anything else, the group of writers I connected with while living in the desert.

When I first began to write a novel, I didn’t attend classes to learn the craft. It was an impromptu effort brought about by the cabin fever I was suffering during one of those blazing hot summers. It wasn’t until a year later that a writer friend, who lives across the country, advised me to try a writers group. She explained that there is much to be gained from the exchange of ideas that occurs in such groups. I took her advice and joined a long-established large group of writers in the desert.

One of the sub-groups of the organization was comprised of about ten people who gathered twice a month to talk about writing, to share ideas, and to provide support. In the process, I learned a great deal about the craft. When I was finding it a challenge to differentiate between the characters in my second novel, other writers suggested that I give them physical characteristics that would help the reader recognize them–a beard, a unique speech pattern, poor posture, etc. Once I made the mistake of giving two of my characters first names that began with the same initial: Matt and Michael. A writer friend who read a draft suggested I give them names that start with different initials. That was a very astute suggestion. I have since noticed that I sometimes confuse characters in the books I read if they happen to have names that begin with the same initial. Another writer one time suggested that a helpful way to proofread one’s writing is to read material aloud. It is an excellent way to spot errors that might otherwise be overlooked. Moreover, it helps to assess the flow of sentences or the overuse of the same word.

After we settle into our new home, I will seek out a writers group to join. It is beneficial to have friends who write.

New Year’s resolutions can be hard to keep, but there was one goal I set for 2015: to read one book for each week of the year. I came close by reading 50. Don Quixote kept me from meeting this goal. It took me weeks to read Cervantes’s masterpiece, time which could have been spent reading 3 or 4 average-sized books. But I’m especially proud of reading Don Quixote, a book like no other.

Of the 50 books read in 2015, here are my top 5, in no particular order:

Take This Man by Brando Skyhorse: The autobiography of a Mexican-American writer who suffered a highly dysfunctional family life until he broke away and became his own man.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: A heartbreaking story of a young Chinese-American girl’s search for identity.

Make Your Home With Strangers by Jennine Capo-Crucet: A Cuban-American teen goes off to college in a northeastern American university where she quickly feels alienated from her fellow students and . . . from her family back in Miami.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters: A sensitively written story of forbidden love in early twentieth century America.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: Cervantes packs so many themes into this tale of class divisions, the wisdom of the seemingly common man, the search for truth and justice, keeping one’s dreams alive, and the realm of popular fiction. And, over four centuries after it was written, it still entertains, and it made me laugh out loud.

This list of favorites makes me realize that I have a preference for coming-of-age stories. I guess that’s not surprising since I wrote one. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

I don’t know why I’m surprised that poorly written books get published. Every time I finish a book that I considered a lousy read, I ask myself, How did that get published? That was my reaction to my most recent read, Francesca Segal’s The Innocents. It’s not a terrible book–it’s actually quite well written–but I found it as tedious as doing laundry or washing a car. I compared notes with other reviewers on Goodreads, and many shared my opinion. I realize that often it’s simply a matter of m.o.o. (matter of opinion). What one reader finds dull another might find moving or meaningful. Nevertheless, as an indie author, it’s frustrating to read something that I feel is inferior, yet it has been issued by a traditional publisher. But it’s the same situation with movies. A film needs financial backing from a studio or individual investors, so there has to be more than a few people who think the movie is a good idea, even though the end product might be lousy.

I make it a point to read my fellow indie authors, to support their efforts. Some of these reads I have found moving, meaningful, and even delightfully funny. But I have found that though an indie book is good, it might be poorly edited. This occurs too often. A poorly edited book can alienate the reader. Books issued by a traditional publisher are less inclined to contain errors, but occasionally I’ll come across one with gross mistakes. For example, The Bookseller, by Cynthia Swanson, has just been nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award. I liked the book but was appalled by the errors in the Spanish dialogue scattered throughout it. Of course most readers wouldn’t catch these errors, unless they read Spanish. Yet, though the book was obviously poorly edited, it is receiving a positive response.

Whether a book gets published traditionally is a subjective decision. But once a book has been accepted, the publisher should place an emphasis on issuing the best product. As an indie author, I know that my books are not perfect, but I have made a sincere effort to issue the best product I can. I have it edited and proofread numerous times.

I would love to have one of my books accepted by a traditional publishing house. I know that my work is good, as good as many of the traditionally published novels I’ve read. Being accepted by a publisher would have meaning for me and perhaps attract the wider readership that my books deserve. Many readers will not touch indie publications because of the rampant occurrences of poor editing. As indie authors, we need to make our product as free of errors as possible. It can make the difference between being read and enjoyed or being read and tossed aside.

It’s not often that I see a film version of a book and think it’s better than the original source. Just this week I finished watching the seventeen episode mini-series, The Time In Between, based on the book of the same name by Maria Duenas. I liked the series so much, even more than I enjoyed the book, which I read a couple of years ago. It’s set in Spain following its civil war and during the early days of World War II. Sira, the protagonist, is a young seamstress who is betrayed by her lover and finds herself penniless, pregnant, and alone in a foreign country. She pulls herself out of this pit of misery and becomes a successful dressmaker. She is later recruited to spy upon the Germans in Madrid, to learn their secrets, and pass this information on to the British. This is where the story becomes intriguing and suspenseful.

Like I said, I enjoyed the novel, but the mini-series is superb. The characters come to life, especially Sira, as played by the lovely Spanish actress Adriana Ugarte. Ugarte brings emotional depth to a character who seemed somewhat cold and remote as written for the book. The music, the scenery, and the costumes, serve to create a credible vision of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in the late 1930s and early 1940s. I loved it!