Everything is coming up...DAISIES!

Spring is a fantastic time of year. After the terrible winter we had in Boston, I'm welcoming this warm weather with open arms. I'm sure many around the northeastern US are as well. There's something about seeing all of the flowers come up and feeling the sun on your face that brightens the mood. Well, at least it brightens my mood. :)

There's another thing that happens in spring: spring cleaning. For the past few weeks, I've been going around the house and cleaning like a madwoman. This is especially true in the third bedroom, which we are making over into my home office. All of the kids' toys are out and so far I have a desk and a chair. Yay! The rest of the room looks a little bare, though. There are still some nursery curtains on the window, too. (Hmm, must do something about that.) Change is sometimes quick, like flowers suddenly appearing in spring, or slow, like buying furniture for a new room. As much as I want all of my furniture now, I know that it's best for our budget if I wait and do it piece by piece.

Flowers and office space aren't the only things changing. I'm also giving all of the covers in my Ecstasy Spa series a face lift. The series was in desperate need of something more. . .updated and it took me almost a full year to save up the money to get them all done. I think they look great, don't you?

 



 

 

 


Pretty, eh? It was a race to the finish, but I'm happy to report that they're all done and ready for the release of Ecstasy Spa, Volume III, coming out the end of May (cover arriving soon). What better way to celebrate spring than with a brand new release?

So tell me, what changes are you going through this spring? Do believe in spring cleaning? Have you started yet?

Read more about the Ecstasy Spa series here.

Visit my Ecstasy Spa Pinterest board here to see the old. . .er. . .vintage covers. :)

~~Biography~~

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

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April Is About Storms, Daisies & Diamonds

As a storm lover, I have many fond childhood memories of hurricanes that passed close by, but not quite close enough to hit us. The very air was charged with suspense as a storm would approach. I can still see my father at his desk, charting and tracking an oncoming seasonal monster. Then the bluster and blow would consume us as we were inundated by gale force winds and pelting rain. Refreshing cool air always followed after it passed. The storms of my memories were much less threatening than the intensity of those we are faced with nowadays.

When I looked at the theme for April ~ Storms, Diamonds, Daisies ~ something occurred to the writer in me: the importance of quirky character names.

A picture can be worth a thousand words, and I believe a creative name can go a far way toward giving the reader clues about the heroine, hero or villain.

What sort of character do you envision with the name Stormy?

I see an old man living on a houseboat that is docked in a marina. His face is weathered, his teeth few, his features fierce. Sharp eyebrows and pale eyes give him a perpetual ‘stormy’ look. A salt and pepper shock of wild hair shoots out at strange angles. Maybe he smokes a pipe and wears suspenders. His gnarled hands have fixed many a torn net. His only companion is an equally unkempt and unfriendly looking dog.

Stormy might also be the name of a mysterious Native American woman who moved to a city from a rural location. She has the uncanny ability to magnetize scary thunderstorms into existence and can even initiate rain showers. She speaks very little, has a stormy, tempestuous nature, and tends to destroy anything positive that is about to happen for her. She is only kind to a six-year old mute boy. They seem able to communicate perfectly. 

Daisy, on the other hand, shows herself to my muse as a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl with an innocent and pleasing personality. She is an open book with a simplistic approach to loving and living, and trusts others. She cries easily and laughs a lot. Her sweet, sunny disposition makes her a prime target for the vampires that prey on innocent young people.

Or, is Daisy a tan and beige dairy cow? The pretty cow stands beneath the shade tree in the pasture, wearing a brass cowbell. She has a pretty face, and is pleasing to the eye, with a dreamy expression in her milk chocolate eyes as she chews her cud.

Diamond is a stripper at a dance club. She guards her private life intensely, and her glare withers anyone who asks a personal question. Her mysterious past and temperamental attitude cause everyone to keep their distance, and that’s just how she wants it. She is a tough-as-nails gal who can withstand earthquakes and betrayal, and bounce back from any disaster. 

Would it have the same impact in your mind’s eye if Stormy the old sailor was named Jim?

Does the Native American woman named Stormy sound like a Sheila?

And Daisy, sweet Daisy—could she be a Mary?

There are many bovine names that suit cows, of course, but Daisy suits her.

Diamond the stripper could be called Stormy, and it would work, too. But can you see her as a Betty or Harriet?

This is just a reminder to us all to go deeper when choosing character names. It can so greatly enrich our novels.

Do you have fond memories of a memorable character name that has stuck with you over time? If so, please share.

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.

You can visit Gemma’s website http://www.gemmajuliana.com to email her, see her stories, buy books on all platforms, check for blog hops, and other fun stuff!

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