On days like this, when the world outside is frozen and stiff; the chill of the air is so extreme it penetrates even centrally heated homes; and something as simple as walking the dog is frost-tinged hell—writing is a solace.

Dreamstime

Because I work full time, I only have an hour early in the morning, a few minutes stolen throughout the day and any time my tired brain can squeak out at night to find that solace. When I do, it takes my mind away. Granted, that doesn’t mean my thoughts are off vacationing on the deck of a cruise ship in the tropics—I am, after all, trying to paint my villains more black and my heroes more colorful. The joy of writing for me, is that, like reading a good book, the act of doing it completely grabs my attention and pulls me away from whatever is happening in real life. I want to go where my heroes and villains are for a while. There are no temperature degrees or inches of precipitation in our made-up worlds. We don’t feel with our nerve endings, we “feel” within our heads.

I was not made for this modern world. I am a horrible multi-tasker and cannot understand how my daughter can text on the phone, do homework on a computer, talk to whoever is in the room and listen to music or have the television on as background noise. The ability to do two things at once is a skill I will never have and rarely desire (I would like to be able to figure out how to change a radio station while I’m driving without having a near-accident!).

But this single-task gal is very much who I am and why I’m a writer and lover of fiction. When I focus, I do so with laser intensity. I do not stand outside the windows looking inside at my plot and characters, directing them where to go.  I leap into the story and live there. It’s why I cannot read Stephen King, one of the best story weavers around. His books draw me into a black hole.

I choose instead to pick where my mind will go, create my own illusions and direct my thoughts to places that are mine.

Winters like this one, when much of the nation has felt the fury of Mother Nature, are agony for office commuters, delivery people, mothers and fathers with school children, truck and bus drivers, frequent fliers, seniors with frail bones and many doctor’s appointments and anyone stuck outside for a portion of the day.

But for writers, they provide stolen hours from canceled events, a little glistening inspiration from the white sparkle, and a little extra quiet as the world is brought to a halt. For these reasons, I am always filled with joy when I see the snowflakes gather on the ground.

–Genilee Swope Parente

Photo: Dreamstime

There should be a special name for this week between Christmas and New Year’s. We’ve just spent a month in holiday high, feeling happy at odd moments, eating too much, trying to come up with ways to surprise or delight loved ones, decorating our homes and businesses. If it’s been a well-paced holiday, by the time Christmas arrives, we are ready to let it come, then watch it go. We’re tired from the faster pace. We’re ready to start a diet, get back into a regular routine, start back on an exercise regime.

Then comes this stretch between the big one (Christmas day) and the new one (midnight, New Year’s eve). The week goes slower than any other week of the year. We’re trying to work up enthusiasm for our jobs and career, but still feeling the pull of holiday mode. We have a lot of food still in the house that can’t be around when 2014 begins. Many of us have vacation hours at home that beckon to our guilt centers with whispers of “use this time to clean out the cupboards.” We aren’t quite ready to call the holiday over, and the deadline before resolutions take effect has not been reached.

I guess we could call it Bridge Week—the days that connect the good and bad of 2013 with the hope of 2014.

Happy Bridge Week readers.  Here are a couple of ways to celebrate:

Instead of emptying your fridge into your mouth, chuck the food completely. That free ham may have saved beaucoup bucks on your Christmas dinner this year, but remember, it’s not a waste to throw it away if it’s just going to contribute to your waist.

Give yourself an hour a day to do something you rarely find time to do throughout the year. That could be as simple as a bubble bath or as complicated as beginning or continuing your novel/short story/memoirs. Too often we trip through life, letting our hours get filled up on the need-to-do’s things instead of recognizing the want-to-dos.

Call that person you kept saying you needed to get back in touch with last year. That reconnection brings something good from your past into your future.

Keep the spirit of the holiday alive. What makes us think that just because December 25 has come and gone, we shouldn’t think about those less fortunate? Bridge Week could be the week where we stop thinking about presents to relatives and think instead about gifts to the causes that matter to us.

What do you suggest?

Genilee Swope Parente

A few years ago I made a commitment to myself that, no matter how hectic the season got, I would take the time to celebrate Christmas by “counting my blessings,” as the old song from the movie White Christmas goes. This is my gift to myself, and this year it’s in a pretty darn big box tied up with a pretty red ribbon.

• I’ll get the most recent out of the way: our second book, Wretched Fate, came out as an ebook Nov. 5 and finally showed up on Amazon over the weekend in print form. It’s not yet listed on Barnes & Noble, but it will be. Mom and I are busy planning a series of book signings and events early next year to get the book into the hands of local readers. However, I’ve been biting my nails waiting for it to be available to our readers who aren’t in the local area. The fact it’s available is a bow for my package.
• The Swope family, while we’ve not been all together at one time, has been lucky enough to see each other more than once this year. When you live in Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and the Washington, D.C. area, it’s a small miracle that we’ve been able to visit so much in one year. I’ve seen one sister five times this year and the other four times; I’ve seen a niece I haven’t seen in several years and a nephew I see only every couple of years. I even got to see two old friends this year, Kenny and Sara, who were a big part of my growing up days and are honorary family for me. I put an extra bow on my package for this particular blessing.
• Mom is still writing and dad is still walking. They are now 86 and 88 with the health problems that often come at those ages. Mom is legally blind and it’s hard for her to get around; dad suffers from memory loss, which is really hard on mom and the rest of us. But they will be in my living room laughing on Christmas Eve, and they made it to my brother’s wonderful Christmas concert this year. Another big bow for my package.
• My daughter is back home with us. She made the wise decision to stretch her college fund by going to the local community college; and adjusting to a returning child is bumpy when you’ve gotten used to not worrying on a daily basis. But I’m already enjoying her company; she’s one of my best gal pals.
• My husband is my husband. We jokingly came up with a new phrase this week: IRS (Irritable Ray Syndrome). He gets impatient. But he has the biggest heart in the world, and the fact he can joke about it says who he is. He made this upcoming 60^th birthday the best I’ve ever had by getting it over with in September. I had the best “surprise” birthday party ever, and I don’t know many wives as lucky as I am.

Before I get all sappy on my readers, I’ll “wrap” this blog entry up. I am blessed in many more ways, but I want to invite all of you who read my blog to write down and send out what you consider a blessing. I bet once you start a list, you’ll be like me: hard pressed to stop.

Genilee Swope Parente

Mom and I are excited to announce that our new baby, Wretched Fate, the second book in the Sam Osborne mystery/romance series, is about to make its debut as a print book. Just before I wrote this blog, I placed an order for author copies. This step is a thrill for two reasons:

First, to our many fans who have been clamoring for the printed copy, the fact I could order hard copies means Wretched Fate will appear on Amazon and Barnes and Noble any minute now. It’s already on Amazon’s site as an ebook. But to become a printed copy requires more formatting, a step that’s now complete. Our baby is waiting in the wings to make its physical appearance.

Second, I had to order twice as many author copies as I did for Twisted Fate, our first book. That’s because mom and I already have three book events in the next few weeks and would probably have more if not for the holiday. We’ll be signing copies at 2^nd and Charles Book Store, Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge, December 14; Victoria Park apartment community, Woodbridge, December 16; and Potomac Woods apartments, Woodbridge, December 17. We chose those three debut locations because of the support we received when we held signings for our first book Twist of Fate.

This second child is as much of a miracle as the first. Mom and I can’t believe how blessed we’ve been to have found a good publisher, then received so much support from our community and from our hometown. Spectacle Publishing Media Group, the publisher, has listed us as their No. 1 seller and we hope to keep that ranking for book two. We’re well into work on book three of the Fate series (Fate of the Violet Eyes), and will be publishing a book of holiday short stories sometime early next year. That’s a lot to have happen for any author in just a few years.

Our wish this holiday season is that our readers enjoy Wretched Fate as much as they loved Twist of Fate. And our request to those readers is … once you’ve read the book, give us a review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble so that others can find detective Sam Osborne, our hero, and the couples whose lives become intertwined in the books.  Or drop us a line and give us your thoughts personally at swopeparente@gmail.com.

–Genilee Swope Parente

Book two is out!.

To the many wonderful people who have been asking about Book Two, Wretched Fate, we just want you to know it’s now available as an ebook on amazon.com. Search for the title and Swope or Parente to narrow your search. Go here to order your copy!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Wretched%20Fate%20Swope

And please let people who haven’t read Book One, Twist of Fate, know that for a week, the book is on sale at amazon.com.

Go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Fate-Genilee-Swope-Parente-ebook/dp/B00AFRSZYG/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383866103&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Wretched+Fate+Swope

Soon to come: the printed version!

Thanks, everyone, for all the encouragement. Please help us spread the word.

Genilee Swope Parente and F. Sharon Swope

Hey, folks. Just want to send my friends and readers to the newsletter put out by Spectacle Publishing Media Group, the publisher for Twist of Fate and the VERY soon to be released Wretched Fate.

They’ve featured us this month.

http://www.spectaclepmg.com/2013/11/with-love-an-interview-with-genilee-and-sharon/

Here’s a preview:

With Love: An Interview with Genilee and Sharon

by Judy Spring

Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up to the authors ofTwist of Fate, F. Sharon Swope and Genilee Swope Parente.This mother-daughter writing duo has offered insight into their lives, collaborative process, and a bit about the upcoming sequel in their Sam Osborne Detective Series, Wretched Fate.

Sharon and her husband Robert live in Woodbridge, Virginia, while Genilee lives a little ways down the road in Dumfries with her husband Ray and daughter Christina. Although Sharon has had dogs most of her life, she currently doesn’t have any pets. Genilee’s household is shared with a mom cat and two kittens, and a dog that would like to make friends with the feline crew, but hasn’t yet succeeded. Music is a must in this family, and Genilee thanks her ma and pa for the introduction to swing music from the wonderful 40s, as well as a shared love of classical music. In addition to listening to acoustical folk music, country, and Irish music, Genilee offers an extended thanks to her daughter for sharing the popular genre, and also to her talented brother for a love of instrumental.

In down time, Sharon relaxes by playing games of any kind: card games, mahjong, and computer games are a mentionable few. Genilee, however, relaxes by “doing ANYthing but play games. Mom did not pass down the competitive gene. I read, write, and watch movies.”

Each of these ladies had a favorite quote to share. Sharon believes in fairness and hard work, citing two quotes that demonstrate these qualities to her: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and, “God helps those who help themselves.” Genilee shared the quote: “Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” She says that this quote has been overused in recent years, but she has a copy of it on her refrigerator. She applies this quote to her craft with these words, “Writing is about focusing on those moments.”

When asked what advice they would give to their younger selves, they offered a ponderable thought. Sharon shared this piece of heart, “Don’t wait so long to pursue your dreams.” This is a powerful observation by one who is respectably pursuing and achieving her dream. It’s no wonder her daughter Genilee offered the same words of wisdom following it with, “But never give up on them, as they can happen at any age.”

 

full preview is: http://www.spectaclepmg.com/2013/11/with-love-an-interview-with-genilee-and-sharon/