Junebug

AKA The June 2024 Newsletter

I saw my first June bug in the middle of May.

“What are you doing here?” I asked it. “You’re early.”

Know what it said? Nothing. Bugs don’t talk.

But, being the writer I am, I could imagine her (it was definitely a she) talking. A very high-pitched voice, this bug had, and after a while it got on my nerves. I mean, she was whining about the weather, going on and on about how it was hot one day and cold the next. Yeah? Your point? I thought—but didn’t say. No, instead of trying to convince that crabby June bug to be something she’s not (content with her bug life), I walked away. And, since June bugs are nonaggressive, she let me go.

I think of that little June bug sometimes when I’m writing because, usually, my books begin with characters. I start with one-way conversations that either develop into friendships or with me walking away. I’m too old to keep up a relationship that’s annoying, a downer, or negative in any way. (By the way, you’re too old for that too. I don’t care what your age is.)

You know I’ve written three books, right? One was a six-inch-by-six-inch gift book filled with mini observations about life that I illustrated with simple watercolor and ink characters. That book grew out of a bleak period when I couldn’t seem to write anything of substance. Those pithy poems pulled me out of a slump and bubbled along for over sixteen years. I self-published that book. In the end I got tired of promoting it and running the little art business I had created, so I donated my remaining stock to several hospitals with the caveat they give them to women struggling with breast cancer. At that time my mom, grandmother, cousin, and dear friend had fought breast cancer. Three out of four beat it. Sadly, my sweet cousin died. The book had a happy, pink cover and was full of hope (at least I saw it that way…a few readers did, too). I liked the thought of giving a sparkly lift to someone like my cousin. So, though I didn’t sell every copy, I considered that book a success.

The other book was a middle-grade biography about Nathan Stubblefield. Motes Publishing, a small press, hired me to write it for the Kentucky Hero series they were publishing. It’s not in print anymore. And actually, I’m a little glad. It wasn’t my best work. It got three whole reviews on Amazon. A one-star, a three-star, and a five-star. And the five-star wasn’t even written by a relative! But I did have somebody contact me recently who wanted a copy of it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have one to share. He continues to scour the universe in search; so, if you have one it could be worth something. Voila: One fan = Success. And, no, I don’t think my standards for success are too low.

I did not know what I was doing with either of these books. So, when I decided to try my hand at fiction for adults, why should that change?

Well, it turns out, I’m not made of money. I didn’t want to self-publish again. I wanted to go the traditional route and to go the traditional route, I had to make the book good enough for somebody else to want to pay to have it printed and distributed. I had to figure out how to write a novel that would sell to more than three people and my parents. Thank you very much, Regal House Publishing, for making that dream come true. Is Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace successful? Yes.

So, back to the June bug. (I know you were wondering how I was going to tie all this together, and here it comes…)

Character. Voice. Likeability. These three components are non-negotiables for books I like. And in books I write.

Book 1: I loved the voice of my flutterbies. Light, frothy, worth a chuckle or, at the very least, a smile.

Book 2: I didn’t connect with the voice of Nathan Stubblefield as much as I should have. I could have used a good editor and, unfortunately, mine quit before the book was published. (NOT because of my book, to be perfectly clear. I never did hear what the problem was.)

Book 3: Back in love again…this time with the voice of Mrs. Minerva Place. I was warned she might be unlikeable, but I adored her and still do. Prickly, lonely, hopeful, afraid, and funny. A fine voice.

I had two false starts with Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, both because of character. The first time I had too many voices. Characters were coming out the wazoo (wherever that is). I didn’t know who to listen to. Everybody was talking at once. In my second attempt I assigned protagonist status to Emma Skillian, who makes an appearance (or two) in Minerva’s world. But Emma, alas, was so, so sad. I couldn’t see spending a year with her, and I figured I would need at least a year to write the book. As it turned out, it took longer than a year, so I’m really glad I didn’t choose Emma. I would have been right back in Bleaksville. Been there. Done that.

So, now? Oh, my gosh! I absolutely L-O-V-E the voice in the current manuscript I’m working on. She’s funny, clumsy, romantic, smart, ambitious, and simultaneously confident and insecure. I can’t wait for you to meet her.

Have you ever considered the importance of voice in what you read? Tell me what books you’ve read that vibrate with voice. What characters have you fallen in love with in your reading life?

P.S. Here’s what I’ve been reading with links in the titles to my reviews…Two of them earned a 5-Star rating from me! Can you guess which??

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, pub date Mar 26 2024

Tiananmen Square by Lai Wen, pub date Jun 04 2024

The Memo by Rachel Dodes; Lauren Mechling, pub date Jun 18 2024

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams, pub date Jun 25 2024

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, pub date Dec 5, 2023