Grace-filled Tuesdays (Book Club "Meeting" #35): Austen, Writing Fiction, Etc.

I was looking through some old saved documents on my computer yesterday, and I came across something I'd forgotten I'd even written.  I believe it was the beginning of a presentation I was going to give to the Daughters of the American Revolution at a meeting in Dover, NH, in October of 2015, when I was going to be their guest speaker and receive that year's "Women in Arts Recognition Award (for Contributions in the Field of Literature)" from the local chapter of the DAR.  I was nervous about speaking in front of a crowd, and I thought maybe I should have a speech prepared and try to memorize it (but also have a printed version there in front of me to fall back on).

I never finished writing it; I remember now that I told my husband I had decided not to go in with anything prepared, because the few times I'd spoken to young readers at schools, they seemed to like the Q and A format best.  And when answering particular questions, having a sort of "conversation," I felt the most at ease.

So imagine my panicky feelings when the woman who introduced me began by saying, "Here to speak to us today..."  Oh, no.  I fought through my nerves, wishing after all that I'd brought a typed-up speech to present; but somehow I got through it.  Most of the listeners were older women, but there were a few young granddaughters of the Daughters there, who were delighted to have their books signed afterward and were just delightful in general.

Anyway, yesterday when I stumbled upon that partially written speech, I thought, "Hey, I see a blog post brewing!"  So I decided to tweak it a bit, and since this is Tuesday--and that's Book Club day--I thought I'd share it here at the blog.

Jane Austen is a 19th-Century novelist whom I greatly admire.

She once observed that "the best authors have often been the worst talkers."  And I'm not trying to imply that I count myself among the "best authors"--not by a long shot!--but I do believe that I express myself much better on paper than I do in person.  So forgive me if I stumble a bit up here.  I'm a little nervous talking to you all--I'd do better writing you letters!  [See how I was preparing them for having to listen to a sub-par speaker?  Classic me!]

Okay, let's get down to it, shall we?  How does one go about writing fiction?

In his biography Becoming Jane Austen, Jon Spence wrote this of the famous author: "Jane wrote her early pieces for the amusement of her family and friends, and she put in shared jokes, teasing jibes, and allusions to real events in their lives."

In my case, this did not happen as much with Erin's Ring as it did with my first novel, Finding Grace; but in Erin's Ring,  for instance, I just HAD to have a reference to dinosaurs, because all five of my sons were completely obsessed with them growing up.  But I wasn't sure I could use that term in 1870, when I wanted Michael Kennedy to use it while he's talking to Erin Finnegan at the Halloween dance, on pages 170-171.  So I looked it up and was thrilled to find out that in 1842, biologist Richard Owen had given that name to the pre-historic creatures whose bones he'd been studying in England.  So I could use it, and it would be historically accurate.  (And that reference  to dinosaurs--that was totally for my boys.  Like a secret shout-out.)

Also, because of those five sons whom I adore, I knew from the get-go that in Finding Grace, title character Grace Kelly had to have five older brothers (who are loosely modeled after my boys, of course).  In Erin's Ring, Molly McCormick has four brothers and a sister, but her mother is pregnant with a 7th child and in my head, I've decided it will be a boy.  Because I think any work of fiction I ever write will have to include a household with five brothers in it.  (Brothers who are handsome, intelligent, kind, faith-filled--and who treat their mother like a queen!) [Pause here for raucous laughter of the crowd!  Ha!]

In Becoming Jane Austen, Spence also wrote: "Austen is never autobiographical in the crude sense of recording what happened to her or to people she knew.  But a real situation was sometimes her starting point and developed in her imagination as something quite separate from the 'real.'"

That is definitely the way I went about writing my first novel, Finding Grace.  So much of the story is reminiscent of my own experiences growing up: the Catholic school I attended; the house where I lived in Plattsburgh, NY and the houses by the lake where my best friend and my boyfriend (now husband) lived; the kids who were my girlhood classmates and friends; but even people and places that were initially inspired by my real life took on a whole new life of their own through the writing process.  I recently read a book by a modern novelist whom I also admire, Elizabeth Berg [who writes popular, mainstream works of fiction that actually feature positive Catholic characters and families--huzzah to that!!], and she alluded to this very thing.  In an answer to an interview question at the end of The Art of Mending, she says, "The truth is, writing fiction is for me a magical and largely uncontrollable act: the characters create themselves, as does the story."  Before I wrote a novel, I would have said that that statement was just a load of artsy nonsense, because books don't write themselves; after, however, I knew for a fact that it was absolutely true--at least it was for me.  I thought I knew where both of my novels were going at the outset, but they changed course on me (and the characters did and said things I hadn't planned on them doing and saying) as the story progressed.

Austen called Pride and Prejudice "my own darling child," and it's true--when you're an author, your books are your "babies."  You become very attached to the characters you create, and then you sort of miss those people when you finish writing the book.  And you are like a worried mom when one of your precious babies goes out into the world alone, without you, and is now open to criticism and judgment.  There are some people who will not like your baby at all, and that makes an author feel unspeakably vulnerable.  I'll tell you what, I had stomach cramps for about two weeks at the end of the summer of 2012, when Finding Grace went to print.  During most of the close to five years I had worked on it, it was my happy little secret, shared only with my nearest and dearest; I kind of wanted to keep it close to me forever--the way a mom feels when she gives birth to a new baby and can hardly fathom that this child will one day grow up and leave her.  You would think that seeing a book make it to publication would be thrilling for an author, but it's actually pretty terrifying.

Anyway, I read once that a niece of Austen's who wanted to become an writer, too, asked her what advice she could give.  And the esteemed author told her, "Read, read, read!"  So--if any of you think that one day, you might like to be a writer, the best thing you can do now is to read as many works as you can, by people who are good at expressing themselves with the written word.  Reading good writing will help you to become a better writer yourself.

Reading this essay over again, I'm wondering if this was actually something I was working on in preparation for one of the school visits I did (the invitations came from two sweet relatives of mine who taught at the middle school level--a niece and a sister-in-law).  That ending part seems more like something I would say to young people who might be aspiring writers than to a group of DAR ladies.  Especially since I think the Daughters' focus was Erin's Ring, which was filled with historical information about the town of Dover.  If I'd been writing something to say to them, I think I would have focused specifically on the process of incorporating that fascinating local history into the novel.  Either way, it makes a pretty good book club blog post, don't you agree?

Well, I guess I should wrap up the meeting now.  I'm not even sure I should continue to host this online club, because it's not as if my humble little books have been read by too many people.  I have a rather large collection of copies of both novels in my office right now, because I stocked up on them for a holiday craft fair at our church last December and sold only a few copies.

There are lots more in boxes...

I would be happy to sell signed copies through the blog, for the same price as Amazon sells them--but without the shipping costs.  Email me if you're interested.  But please, dear readers, do not feel like this post has been one big commercial, trying to get you to buy something!  I just thought I'd offer that.

Okay, before I go, here's today's discussion question: do you prefer Jane Austen-style 19th-century fiction, or are you more interested in the offerings of modern-day novelists?

Thanks for stopping by.  Now get your nose back in a good book where it belongs!  (Sorry.  Bookworm humor.)

Playing Catch-Up!

I'm on the road a lot these days, and when I am, I find it hard to get into blogging mode.  So then I'm faced with the predicament I find myself in today: I've been away from the blog for so long that I have to play a little game of catch-up (not to be confused with ketchup).

I'm such a sucker for these vintage ads.

So before I get going, I'm going to tell you that one of my New Year's resolutions for 2016 is to be a whole lot better at keeping up here at String of Pearls.

My daughter-in-law Preciosa sent me the cutest text yesterday, saying that my "fans"--as she called them--were missing me.  She copied and pasted a text she'd gotten from one of her friends, and it said, "Mrs. Pearl hasn't updated her blog in a few days and I'm concerned.  What am I supposed to read at work?"  (I'm quite sure she meant on her break at work.)

Well, far be it from me to deny a hard-working gal a little workplace stress-reliever!  So let me tell you what I've been up to, other than avoiding cracking open my laptop and getting any writing done.

The last time I blogged was on January 6, and in the combox of that post, I got such positive responses (thanks, guys!) to my question about whether or not I should try to write a sequel to Erin's Ring.  So that's another one of my resolutions for 2016: to waste less time on mindless entertainments (HGTV "Fixer Upper" marathons are something I haven't been able to tear myself away from lately!) and more time on writing.  I've dusted and organized my little writing desk, which sits in a corner of our master bedroom.  A few years back, my husband's generous sisters convinced me to take this antique beauty from their childhood home when they were trying to weed through the excessive amount of furnishings and cut down on the clutter.  It is just the sweetest place to work; who wouldn't be inspired to write at a desk like this one?

Why, Jane Austen herself would be hard-pressed to have a better situation than I've got here!  And that poor woman had to write her manuscripts out in long-hand, crossing out mistakes as she went along.  I'm pretty sure I never would have written one novel, never mind two, if that's the way I had to do it.  When I look back at how difficult it was to write even a 3-5 page English paper in college, using White-out when possible and then having to totally re-type entire pages when I realized that I wanted to change the order of a few paragraphs...wow, it was brutal.  I think there's a very good reason that I never got around to writing a book until I was almost a grandmother.  I edit and re-write every page to death (I'm on about draft #20 by the time any chapter finally passes muster with me!), so I think God knew that there was no way I'd be ready to tackle such a huge undertaking until the computer age had arrived.  I didn't know how to copy and paste back when I was writing Finding Grace (some old dogs take an awful long time to learn new tricks), but Microsoft Word was still my lifesaver and best friend.

Speaking of college, that place where way back in the olden days, I spent four years of my youth: Erin's Ring made it into the "Book Notes" section (where alumni works are listed) of the Winter 2016 issue of Holy Cross Magazine.

Okay, so I've been away.  I've been hanging out in Atlanta with my husband, while he's been going through some work-related training.  We flew down there together shortly after New Year's, and then on the 6th, we took a side trip to Tampa to stay with one of my husband's sisters.  Her triplets were getting Confirmed on the Saturday the 9th, and we had been chosen as their sponsors (me for the two girls, and my husband for their brother).

While we were in FL, my sister-in-law arranged for me to speak about my books to two classes of junior high students at the triplets' Catholic elementary school on Friday morning.  Afterward, we drove across town to the Catholic school where she teaches, and I spoke to a large group of 5th-8th graders, as well as my sister-in-law's 5th grade class.

I'm always nervous before these types of events, but my sweet S-I-L assured me that I "knocked it out of the park" when I spoke at her school.  I won't go into the details now (this post is already getting rather long!), but there was one group with which I didn't exactly score a home run.  (Just to give you an idea of how it went down, one 8th grade boy made this comment during the presentation: "Awkward silence."  Which I did think was funny, by the way.)  Unfortunately, this was the triplets' class, and I had really hoped to make them proud of their aunt in front of their peers.  My husband, who was in the back of the room, having my back as always, said it wasn't nearly as bad as it might have seemed from where I was standing.  Up there in front of the class.  The last place I want to be, ever.  Gulp.

After Tampa, it was back to Atlanta for a night, and then for me, HOME.  Where after a green Christmas here in the Northeast, winter has finally hit--with a vengeance!  (My husband will join me tonight, after he finishes up his training.)

Anyhoo, I'll write more about those speaking engagements later.  I think this post has gone on long enough already. 

But I'll be back. Soon.  I promise.  (Okay, now back to work!)

Should I, or Shouldn't I?

Last May, I had the privilege of traveling to Chicago to visit my niece's Catholic school, to speak to her fourth grade class and that of the other fourth grade teacher on her team.  Extra chairs were brought into my niece's classroom to make it possible for both teachers' kids to be together for my presentation.  All of these bright young students had read Erin's Ring in class, and--as hard as it was and is for me to wrap my brain around this--they were extremely excited to meet me.

I started out with butterflies in my stomach.  My voice shook as I introduced myself.  My hand shook as I held up an old photo of my husband's Irish grandfather, one of the people to whom Erin's Ring is dedicated.  However,  I was quickly put at ease by the Q and A format.  The children had all brought written questions they'd prepared ahead of time--thoughtful, probing, beyond-their-years intelligent questions that truly blew me away.  I ended up thoroughly enjoying the experience.

One of the most frequent questions I got from those Windy City fourth-graders had to do with the subject of a sequel for Erin's Ring. (The consensus was that it was practically imperative that I write one!)  Most of those eager young readers were just dying to know what happened NEXT.  Did Theresa's folks mend their broken marriage?  Did Molly start dating class heartthrob John Hughes?  I told them that I wanted to tie up most of the loose ends (most importantly, the story behind the mysterious Claddagh ring) by the final chapter, but I also wanted to give the reader the opportunity to decide for themselves how everything turns out.  Not good enough, they informed me; they wanted more.

There is nothing more rewarding for an author than to talk to people who have 1) actually read their book, and 2) actually enjoyed it!  I'll tell you, if the Amazon shopping public at large felt half as enthusiastic about the merits of Erin's Ring as those kids did, I just might have a New York Times best-seller on my hands.  ;)

On Friday, I will be talking to some more Catholic school students about Erin's Ring.  One of my husband's sisters has arranged for me to visit her triplets' eighth grade class, as well as the school where she was recently hired to teach fifth grade English; so I have two speaking engagements in one day.  I am your stereotypical writer: shy, reserved, introverted, better on paper than in person; so please keep me in your prayers! 

But in the meantime, I thought I'd share something I'd started working on even before I met with those Chicago fourth-graders last May.  I don't know if I'm really going to take their advice and write a sequel, but I do have an idea for some further adventures for Molly and Theresa...

Here's a little teaser, still in the rough draft phase. ;)

Chapter One

Dover, New Hampshire—October 2000

           “Here we go again!” Theresa Grant said with an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes and smiling indulgently at her best friend, Molly McCormick.  “It’s Erin’s ring all over again."

          “Would that be so terrible if it was?” Molly retorted, without missing a beat.  “Hey, if not for that ring, we might have never even become friends at all!  Life is full of mysterious coincidences and seemingly random events that end up changing everything.  That ring is what led me to the library that Saturday; and there you were, with your nose buried in that book about the sinking of the Titanic, even though the report wasn’t due for months—and the rest, as they say, is history.”

           This was true.  Molly, the pretty newcomer to the 8^th grade class at Dover Catholic Elementary School that fall, had walked into the library one early October morning in 1998—on a mission to discover the owner of an old Irish Claddagh ring that she’d found poking up out of the dirt near Saint Mary’s Church, in a garden that was watched over by a large statue of the Blessed Mother.  It was engraved inside the golden band with the words “To Erin—Love, Michael,” an epithet which had filled Molly’s impressionable young mind with all sorts of heady romantic possibilities.  She had gone to the library that Saturday, hoping with every fiber of her being that she would uncover an epic, drama-filled, holding-hands-as-they-walked-off-into-the-sunset love story from the olden days, and she’d bumped into Theresa before she ever made it to the history stacks.
          That fateful day, Molly had thought that she was the one who was painfully in need of a friend, after having just moved away from the only home (and the only school) she’d ever known in the Chicago suburbs.  Everyone at her new school in Dover seemed to have friendships formed a century ago, while they were still in diapers.  She didn’t know at the time how desperately Theresa had needed a friend as well.
          Longtime Dover, New Hampshire resident Theresa Grant, who was once a popular and outgoing kid, had been retreating further and further into a self-protective shell, following the tragic death of her little brother a few years earlier and the subsequent break-up of her parents’ marriage.  It was interesting that it ended up being Molly, instead of Theresa’s dear old friend—and the class heartthrob—John Hughes (who was almost like a cousin to Theresa, even though they weren’t related by blood), who’d helped her to rejoin the land of the living.
          And it was Molly, along with the whole big, wonderful, God-centered McCormick family, who’d inspired Theresa to renew the Catholic Faith she’d lost, when all else seemed to be lost.  If she hadn’t gone to confession that day…if Father Dominic, a compassionate and holy young priest, hadn’t been there to reassure her that her complicated feelings about Luke’s death didn’t make her a monster, and that God’s love and mercy knew no bounds…
          Well, it didn’t bear thinking about.  And things were so much better now.
           Eventually, with the help of the head librarian and chief archivist, Mrs. Driscoll, and the library’s information-packed historical room that she allowed them to use for their research, the pair of intrepid amateur sleuths did unlock the mystery of the ring; and Erin and Michael’s incredible story—a tale of loyalty and love, hope and redemption, and most of all, faith—definitely didn’t disappoint.  How could it, when it included the miraculous conversion of a young Protestant who risked life and limb to save the Blessed Sacrament, charging into the flames on a mission of love?  And as if learning about this miracle—a Baptism by fire, literally—wasn’t enough, an enduring friendship between the girls was forged amidst the dusty, antiquated volumes that told the story of Dover’s 19^th-century Irish immigrants, who left the poverty of their beloved homeland behind hoping to find a better life in America, worked their fingers to the bone in the once-booming cotton mill called Cocheco, and ultimately were responsible for erecting the first Catholic church in the area.
           For the longest time afterward, Erin McQuinn and Michael Kennedy, and all the extraordinary details of the pair’s heart-wrenching love story, occupied more of the girls’ time than was probably healthy.  But those memories had finally begun to fade, as thoughts about meeting cute boys (and possibly experiencing real-life love!), and making the volleyball team, and going to high school dances, and all manner of normal teenage activities had moved in and pushed aside the fairy tale musings.
           Now here they were, two years later, both fifteen years old and sophomores at Aquinas (the Catholic high school located out on Dover Point Road—just past the big red barn at Tuttle’s Farm, as you were heading south, toward Portsmouth).  Molly and Theresa, the “Dynamic Duo,” as their classmates liked to call them, because you rarely saw one without the other.  Hearing that would set Molly off with mock anger, and before you knew it she was spouting one of her stinging soliloquies.  “But who gets to be Batman?  And who’s relegated to Robin, the lame sidekick?  And what kind of name is ‘Robin’ for a superhero, anyway?  Unless the bad guys are a gang of evil earthworms.”  (John often said that Molly McCormick, not his girlfriend but his great friend who also happened to be a girl, made him laugh more often than anyone else he knew.)  She might grouse about the fact that people said she and Theresa were practically joined at the hip; but deep down, Molly loved having a friend who was so close, she was almost like a sister.  For heaven’s sake, she was burdened with five brothers at home—who were good boys, she supposed, relatively speaking anyway, but still managed to try her patience on a daily basis (except for sweet and adorable, utterly edible, not-quite-two-year-old Jack, that is).  True, she did have one sister.  But Bridget was only four—hardly old enough to be a confidante.
          Today, Molly and Theresa were experiencing an extreme case of déjà vu: they’d been assigned a history project last week—a major term paper worth a big percentage of their second-quarter grade, and it was due right before Christmas break.  A similar junior high assignment had been the very reason Theresa had been at the library that day two years ago, when they set out on their quest to unravel the mystery of Erin’s ring.  But this time around, the students were specifically instructed to work in pairs (how perfect for these two experienced history researchers!); and furthermore, they had to give a presentation in front of the class, complete with poster boards and power points, and you name it.
          “Partners in crime again!  I mean, you’re going to be my partner, right?  Or is this friendship over?”  Molly smiled at Theresa, delighted by the prospect of spending countless engrossing hours poring over all those old documents housed behind glass doors, just as they had in the early days of their friendship.  Hours marveling at how different their lives were than those of girls who’d lived a century before them—and yet, strangely, how much alike.  Hours making each other laugh, and even, at times, making each other cry.  Something about that historical room and its contents seemed to stir up the deepest and most conflicting emotions!
          “Do I have a choice?” asked Theresa, as she and Molly left the cafeteria and jostled their way through the packed second-floor hallway, weaving toward their lockers to exchange books and head to their next classes.
           “Of course not."
           “I figured as much.”  Theresa smiled at Molly slyly, ready to reveal her bargaining chip.  “So I’ll be your partner, as long as I get to pick the topic for our project."
          “Wait a minute—I don’t get a say?”
          “I know that you like to rule the roost over at your house, bossing all the younger ones around.  But no, I don’t think you get a say here.  You’re not going to be the boss of me, Molly McCormick!  Because I have the perfect topic:

What's the topic, you ask?  What life-changing event in Catholic history is going to be the subject of this as-yet-unnamed sequel?   You're going to have to read it I'm going to have to write it to find out!

So...should I write it?  Or shouldn't I?

Visiting with the DAR, at the Dover Public Library

On Saturday morning, I had the rare privilege of being a guest speaker at a meeting of two local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (the Margery Sullivan Chapter, and their guests from the Mary Torr Chapter).  The event was held at the Dover Public Library--which I told these wonderful ladies was absolutely the perfect venue to talk about Erin's Ring, as it is essentially a supporting character in the story.  The library is where Molly and Theresa become friends, and where they meet up every weekend to delve into the historical archives in search of some clues that will help them solve the mystery of Erin's ring (that is, the old Irish Claddagh ring that Molly finds in the garden outside her parish church, with "To Erin--Love, Michael" engraved inside the band).

I also told them that the book opens on a Saturday morning in October...and here it was, a Saturday morning in October!  The stars appeared to have aligned, in other ways, too; but I'll tell you more about that in a minute.

My husband (who is and always will be my favorite human, my best friend, and my most loyal supporter) came with me and helped me set up my things in a large conference room upstairs, just across the hall from the library's Historical Room (another important side character in Erin's Ring!).  When we got there, some of the ladies were already bustling about, getting everything ready.

While they put out doughnuts, pastries, and coffee and set up their head table and podium in preparation for their meeting, I worked on my area--a display table and a book signing table.

When I was finished, I sat at my table, smiling on the outside while dying a little bit on the inside.  My husband, who was in the back of the room silently cheering me on, took this photo.

I call this photo "Smiling Bravely on the Outside, but Freaking Out on the Inside!"  Well, I guess freaking out is a tad dramatic; I was nervous, though, because I wasn't sure how this was going to go.  The only times I've spoken about my books to an audience (at my niece's Catholic grade school last May, and several times on Catholic radio), it has been done through Q and A.  But what if these sweet ladies thought I was just going to get up and give an actual speech?  I hadn't prepared anything from which to read.

The meeting got underway, following a pattern that any DAR member would recognize, I'm sure.  It included an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and something called "The American's Creed," which I'd never heard before.  I just have to share this with you, in case it's something you've never heard either.

The American's Creed

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

(Written  by William Tyler Page in 1917,

accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918)

In an age when so many Americans act ashamed of their great nation and its history, I found the DAR's love of country so very touching.  (Also, as the wife of a veteran, with sons who have served and are still serving, I was moved by the way the DAR respects and honors the US military.)

After all the opening ceremonies, I was on.  I stood up and started talking, and after a somewhat shaky start began to feel surprisingly at ease.  This was an exceedingly receptive and kind-hearted crowd, and after just going off-the-cuff for a bit, I asked if there were any questions--and that helped me to keep from going off on too many tangents.  (As shy as I am, I seem to be able to talk at length about my books--my babies!-- and the whole writing process...it has caused my husband to wonder, more than once, "Who is she, and what has she done with my wife?")

When I was finished talking, The Margery Sullivan Chapter of the DAR surprised me with a Women in the Arts Recognition award.  That was the last thing I was expecting when they contacted me many months ago about this speaking engagement.

One of the ladies told my husband that my name will go on

to the state level now; and if I win there, on to the national.

They also surprised me with a sweet gift, a pewter Christmas ornament.

A Teddy bear dad reading to his kids--adorable!

There was one woman in attendance who'd come from MA to be there, and I was tickled to learn that she was a descendent of Irish immigrants.  She had two elderly uncles who'd regaled her with stories of what it had been like to be a young Irishman in Dover, back in the days when the Irish were one of the most discriminated against groups in America.  I felt so fortunate to meet this woman, and she thought that it was interesting that Erin's Ring told what the immigrant experience was like from the women's point of view, when she'd only heard about the ways the men had struggled to overcome prejudice and hardship.  We were both so glad she'd made the trip to NH to be there that day.

Another interesting thing happened at the meeting.  (I told you the stars seemed to have aligned, right?)  To be accepted as a member of the DAR, a woman must apply and have official documents that prove her direct lineage to someone who fought in the Revolution or had some sort of supporting role in the conflict.  And one of the women there had been accepted because of a relative named John PEARL.  Isn't that a crazy coincidence?  But even if my husband could prove he was also a descendent of this man, I couldn't become a DAR member; you can't do it via marriage, you have to have a direct blood line.

I found this organization so fascinating and its members so admirable, and I will always be extremely grateful that they allowed me to come and spend some time with them.  And as a bonus, there were three young people there, a boy and two girls, grandchildren of the chapter's regent.  They were junior high students, just the right age to read Erin's Ring.  And they were so delightful!  One of the girls said something along the lines of, "I've never met an author before.  This is exciting for me."  And I told her, "Getting to meet someone who's reading my book is exciting for ME.  It's an honor." 

I'm feeling very blessed right now, on so many levels--especially, though, because I have the best "wing man" a shy public speaker could ever ask for.  Maybe my favorite part of the whole experience was watching my sweet husband interacting with the DAR women.

I've got only a smidgeon of Irish blood; my mom is part-Irish, with the maiden name Kelly, but I'm very much a mutt.  My husband's people, on the other hand, all come from the Emerald Isle.  But I certainly had the luck of the Irish when I married him, I'll tell you.

Thank you so much to the Margery Sullivan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for your warm welcome, your kindness and support, and your love of history--including the Dover history I wrote about in Erin's Ring.  (And I'm especially glad now that the book had some brief mentions of two Revolutionary War heroes in it: Gen. John Stark and Gen. Lafayette!)  I was truly honored to be your guest, and I won't soon forget my time with you.

(Now before I go, just a reminder: leave me a comment by Oct. 31, and you could win a free signed copy of Erin's Ring.)

Event Tomorrow at Dover Public Library

Tomorrow morning, I have a speaking engagement.  I'm going to be talking about Erin's Ring with two local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  [Pause to furrow brow and chew on a fingernail, while the two-note "Jaws" soundtrack music plays in my head.]

Where was I?  Oh yes, the speaking engagement tomorrow.

The venue for this event is the Dover Public Library, which is totally apropos, since this building is practically a supporting character in the book.  The library is where Molly and Theresa's friendship is cemented, as they spend Saturday mornings there together, combing through documents in the Historical Room upstairs in hopes of uncovering the origins of an old engraved Claddagh ring that Molly found in the garden outside of St. Mary's Church.

I just realized something: this gathering is not only taking place at the library, but on a Saturday morning, too.  The DAR and I (who will become fast friends, I hope) will be practically reenacting a scene from Erin's Ring!

I am bringing along some signed copies of the novel, for anyone who's interested in purchasing them.  I'm also planning to give away a "door prize" to one lucky winner.

I was going to include a Claddagh ring in the gift box; but since a ring is size-dependent, I decided upon a Claddagh pin instead.  The great thing about a brooch is that it's a one-size-fits-all piece of jewelry.

I may add a few more Irish-themed goodies to this box.  I really hope to make the event enjoyable for the attendees, some of whom may be young readers.  The gal who arranged the whole thing said they specifically wanted to have it on Saturday morning, rather than on a school night, so that young people would be able to attend as well.

When I was interviewed on the radio recently (on Ken Huck's "Meet the Author" show on Radio Maria), my daughter-in-law Preciosa marveled that it didn't make me nervous talking to someone without having any visual clues to let me know how it was going.  She is a social person, an extrovert to my introvert, and she said that for her, it would be so much easier to speak in front of a crowd.  Not for me, I told her; having no visual clues was actually the PERFECT scenario for me.  If I'd been talking face-to-face with Ken, I might have read too much into his expressions and imagined that my long-winded answers were boring him.  I'm a fast-talker anyway, but sitting across from him probably would have made me speed it up even more.  Chatting into the phone, to a disembodied voice, was actually the ideal set-up for me.  (Who would have guessed that I'd be comfortable talking on the radio?)

Thinking about tomorrow is giving me a case of the jitters, however, so I would appreciate your prayers!  Pray that I don't get all tongue-tied or go off on crazy tangents.  Pray that I can stay calm and collected, and that I can speak at a reasonably slow pace so that I'm not tripping over my words.  But most of all, pray that if it's God's will, this talk tomorrow will help to get Erin's Ring into the hands of even one young reader who might be inspired or edified by it.

Thanks, dear readers.  I'll be back Monday to let you know how it went.   [Pause to chew on a fingernail again..."Jaws" theme playing...AAAGGGHHH!]  No really, it'll be just fine.  It will!

(P.S.: Just a quick reminder about the giveaway.  Leave me a comment by Halloween, and you could win a signed copy of Erin's Ring.  No trick here, I promise; all treat!)

Grace-filled Tuesdays (Book Club "Meeting" #9)



It's book club day!  Welcome!

So, to start things off...I just visited the Barnes & Noble website and came across this 5-star reader review for Erin's Ring (written by a gal who goes by "Catholicmum"--love it!).  Apparently, it was posted 143 days ago, but I saw it for the first time this morning.  I thought since it's book club day, I'd share it here at the blog:

Laura Pearl writes a wonderful novel that will be enjoyed by both adults and teens alike.
She blends in the rich history of life in a New Hampshire town in 19th century America and then describes life for a 13-year-old Molly, a member of a large, Irish Catholic family.
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There's joy and sorrow interwoven in the pages, and of course, there's the mystery surrounding the Claddagh ring. Mrs. Pearl possesses a wonderful, heartwarming ability to tell a story, keeping the reader's attention. I look forward to additional novels from her.

Mrs. Pearl also describes the importance of faith and its role in people's lives. The beauty of the friendship between Molly and  Theresa highlights the importance of opening one's heart to others, particularly people who are undergoing trials.

Reviews like that completely warm my heart, I'll tell you. They remind me that it doesn't matter if my books sell a lot of copies or if they garner a lot of accolades; if they touch the heart of just one reader, that's enough.

When I started writing Finding Grace in 2007, I had a different sort of story in mind than you'd find in most modern mainstream novels.  I wanted to leave something behind for my grandchildren, something that would show them the beauty of their Catholic Faith and hopefully inspire them to swim against the tide and fight the good fight in an increasingly secular world.  I was going to run off copies for them; that was the extent of my ambition.  But my husband and one of my sons had bigger plans for that book, and they encouraged me to send the manuscript to Bezalel Books, where it was published in 2012.  And without Finding Grace,  there would be no Erin's Ring, because the first book led directly to the second.

Sometimes I'm completely amazed that I've had two books published. (I'm pinching myself--and OW!--I guess I'm awake.  So my wildest dreams have come true, and then some.)  But I know it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't meant to happen, if God didn't have some special plan in mind for those books.  I may not ever know what that plan is during this lifetime, but I believe there is one.

In the meantime, I have been given marching orders by Cheryl Dickow, the publisher at Bezalel; knowing my reticence when it comes to the marketing and promotion of my work, she has encouraged me to "be brave, be bold."  It's not about me, she reminds me; it's about using fiction as an evangelization tool.  It's about trying to spread the Word of God through the medium of an entertaining story. So...

Okay then, now I'm going to show you how brave and bold I am:  If you are a teacher or a parent of middle school, junior high, or high school students, and you think your school would be interested in using Erin's Ring in their religion, history, or reading curriculum, I might be able to work it out so that I could come for a classroom visit.  I did this for my niece's fourth-graders last May, and it was a wonderful experience.  I am able to travel more easily than your average Joe, due to the perks of my husband's job; and since becoming an empty-nesting grandmother, I have overcome a formerly crippling fear of flying.  My husband and I do a lot of traveling to see our kids and grandkids--but I just might be able to squeeze in a side trip to most locations in the Continental US.

Please notice the "Commas Save Lives" t-shirt in the background!

Just thought I'd throw that out there.  :)  :O

Okay, before I go, here's a book club question for you: what's your favorite genre of fiction (YA, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi, etc.)?  I love historical fiction and 19th-century literature--and actually, just about any genre but sci-fi or fantasy.

Until next time, happy reading!

Grace-filled Tuesday's (Book Club "Meeting" #6): Snail Mail from My Angels

It's book club time!  So here's the Grace-filled Tuesdays trademark meme, with a quote by St. Francis de Sales, the Patron Saint of Writers.

This meeting is going to be fun, because it's going to be driven by a group of polite, intelligent, funny, sweet, enthusiastic, deep-thinking young readers--readers who are, in fact, the very target audience for Erin's Ring, my second work of YA Catholic fiction.

Not too long ago, I blogged briefly about the wonderful experience I had visiting a group of 4th-graders from two classes at Queen of Angels (one of the classes was my niece's).  They had just finished reading Erin's Ring in school and were eager to talk to me about it--and truly, it was the best book club meeting I'll probably ever have.  (If you missed that post, you can read it here.)

Actually, I must confess that when I set out to write Erin's Ring, I envisioned it as a junior high-and-up-type of book; but after meeting with this group, I realized I was selling younger readers short--because those kids were certainly more than ready for this book.  They had prepared questions ahead of time, and they took turns being called upon...and I was definitely not prepared for the insightfulness and maturity their questions revealed.  They wanted to know everything:

Q: When did I know that I wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was about their age, actually!

Q: How did I come up with the inspiration for the book?
A: Like Molly, I love finding old things and wondering whom they might have belonged to.  I love the Irish and their history.  And Dover, NH's history has the most wonderful built-in true story involving Irish immigrants.  So there you go.

Q: What was my favorite part to write?
A: Probably the romantic parts, since I'm such a sucker for all that mushy stuff.

Q: How did I pick the names for the characters?
A: Some are inspired by people I know. For example, Theresa was named after my niece's--their teacher's--mother, and Seamus Finnegan was named after two beloved dogs in my life.  But some are just made up because I like them.

Q: Why did this particular character seem like the main character of the book, but then as the story progressed, it seemed like that other character became more important?
A: The story just evolved that way, and kind of surprised me as well.  But that's what seems to happen: you start out with one idea in your head, but as you move along, the characters take you in different directions.

Q: How did I come up with the title Erin's Ring?
A: The answer I gave to that last question was that I thought it had a nice ring to it--LOL!!  Get it?--but that it also has a dual meaning, since Erin is a character in the book but also a name for Ireland itself.

Those are just a few of the questions they asked; I wish I could remember them all.  They did ask if I knew any other authors, which I thought was an interesting question, and I told them that most of my contact with authors is strictly online.  I know very few writers in real life (IRL, as they say); I met a handful at a Catholic Writers Guild Conference in the summer of 2013--among them Ellen Gable, Erin McCole Cupp, and Michelle Buckman.  But most are people I "know" strictly from Facebook and/or email correspondence--included in these "friends" are Therese Heckenkamp, Nancy Carabio Belanger, Cheryl Dickow, and Amy M. Bennett.  (As a matter of fact, before I sat down to blog today, I brewed myself some pinon coffee and poured it into my Black Horse Campground mug--both gifts I received from Amy as a thank you for supporting her excellent work on the Black Horse Campground Mystery series.)

As if meeting the kids in person wasn't enough of a thrill for me, I was just tickled a few days ago, when I checked our mail box and found it positively jam-packed with letters.  Not junk mail, mind you; actual LETTERS.  Typed-up letters in hand-addressed envelopes, from my 4th grade buddies at Queen of Angels.

I could hardly wait to dive into that stack!

There were 16 letters in all, each one written by a team of two students.  They all expressed such gratitude for my visit--because in their innocence, these kids don't know that it is actually I who should be thanking them!  But here are some of their words of thanks:

Thank you for coming to our 4th grade class to talk about Erin's Ring...

Thank you so much for coming we really enjoyed your visit...

That is the best experience that we will ever have, again thank you so much we will remember that forever...

We are all so happy that you came we were looking [forward] to it for months...

The other day it was really fun having you come to our class.  We liked that you gave lots of detail in your answers.

We really enjoyed the visit and hope you continue to write amazing novels...

We loved the book and the experience of you coming was awesome!

Every author needs to have a cheering section like the fourth-graders at Queen of Angels, let me tell you. At one point in the presentation, when I was explaining how I got the opportunity to write Erin's Ring for Bezalel Books, I mentioned that I had written and published another novel first, a book targeted at slightly older readers than they; and right away one of the girls piped up with, "Finding Grace."  I was surprised, and said, "Oh, you know about that?" and my niece's colleague joked, "They know your Social Security Number!"

And every author needs such kind critics, too--critics whose comments sound like this:

We loved the book because it was very interesting.  The book taught us that you need Faith Friends and family to help you through tough times.  This was an amazing book and we really hope you make a sequel.

We really enjoyed reading the book thank you so much for writing it...

I am happy that both of the classes got to read Erin's Ring.  This book was outstanding and I will recommend it to other people...

Do you think you will write a sequel to Erin's Ring because we loved the first one...

It was creative and interesting at the same time...It was very romantic, and kind...

I enjoyed your book even though I like writing about horror, mystery, and murder...

We really enjoyed reading "Erin's Ring" and thought it was well written...

It was a sad but happy story...

This book was...suspenseful with a little bit of mystery.  I liked...how it swapped between the future and past.  Your book was amazing and I felt like I was right there with the characters...All around my final judging is five out of five stars...

We really hope you soon make another book for our age, we really loved Erin's Ring.  We are not pushing you to make a new book but we would like it if you did.

Umm...I guess I should start thinking about writing a sequel.  (?)

I was pleased that there wasn't just one character who was every reader's favorite, or even two; Molly, Theresa, Ann, Seamus, Erin, Michael, Luke, Finny, and John Hughes were all mentioned in the different letters as favorites--and that's almost everyone in the book.  I love how one of the kids said I felt like I was right there with the characters.  If readers can't relate to or care about your characters, it doesn't matter how great the plot of the story is; so I'm thrilled that these 4th-graders were able to connect with so many of the people who inhabit the world of Erin's Ring.

I was also quite touched by how much they enjoyed seeing pictures of Dover, and of the library's historical room that plays such a big role in the story.

We loved your presentation and all those pictures of Dover!...

We loved the pictures of the old library.  The historic room seems really cool...

I included a glossary of 19-century and Irish terms in the back of the book, and one student commented on that:

The glossary was very helpful for the words we didn't know.  For example we didn't know what chemise meant but then learned...

I have been told by several fellow authors I "know" that I should write a YA novel aimed at boys, because certainly so far the books I've written would probably appeal more to girls.  But I was surprised to find out that the young men at Queen of Angels who read Erin's Ring were absolutely fine with the mushy parts.  One of the letters said this:

The boys didn't mind the romance at all.  (Woo hoo!)

Several of the students talked about wanting to be writers themselves one day.  A couple of the girls told me they enjoy writing short synopsis blurbs for the backs of books, and they sent me some of their work, which I found to be filled with promise.  I think there might be an editing job in one little girl's future, too; she found an error in Erin's Ring that neither I nor the publisher (nor any of the beta readers who read the book when it was in manuscript form) ever caught.  She showed me where I'd written on page 167, "Erin reached over and patted her mother's hand, and her own eyes were wet.  'Mummy, please pray for my Erin...'"  As is, that sentence makes no sense, and it should read, "Cara reached over and patted her mother's hand..."  Good eye, my friend!

Also, my niece mentioned that the class put together a family tree diagram so that they could keep all the various characters from the different generations straight, which I think was a great idea.  In fact, I wish we'd added that to the book.  (Next time, I'll do that...if there is a next time!)

So in summary: These angels liked the romance.  They liked the history.  They liked the drama of the big fire, and the plot twists and turns they weren't expecting.  They connected with the characters.  They're itching for a sequel.

The day I visited them, they were excited to have me sign copies of their books and scraps of paper, once the Q & A was over.

I still can't wrap my brain around the idea that anyone would want my signature.  It was never a desire for fame or attention or money that motivated me to write.  It was not my goal to be "successful" in the way the world views success; my goal was to give glory to God, and to hopefully inspire even one young reader to grow closer to Him...

Well, those wonderful kids at Queen of Angels made me feel as if I've achieved my goal.

I don't know if, as that one student wrote, they'll remember my visit to their class forever.  But I know I will.