~ Snip, snip ~

Ouch. 

It hurts like hell to have spent hours, days pouring over two beautiful scenes...only to realize they're not central to the story. So they have to go.

Can't I keep 'em Mom, please? Can I? Can I?

Do they move the story along? Are they necessary to the plot?
Well, no...but they're so pretty. And ... and ...

Snip. Snip. 

Oh my little heart.

#lovehurts #lifeofawriter

~ See you next year ~

My son asked: "What's ORACON? Is it anything like ComicCon?

I said "Sure it is, we dress up like our favorite authors."

But wouldn't that be fun?

Costumes or no costumes, the annual Ozarks Romance Authors Conference in Springfield MO
 is not to be missed. It's so much more than romance, every genre can be found among the attendees.

Whether you'e a newbie with stars in your eyes or a seasoned pro there is always something to be learned by sharing time with fellow authors. 

Not to mention the guest speakers who share their expertise from various arms
of the writing and publishing world.

The creativity floating about the room is electric.

Just plug in.

Indie Authors are some of the most generous people I've ever met .

Where ever you go someone is willing to share some exciting bit of news they've stumbled across that just might make your journey a little easier.

And you happily pay it forward.

Snippets of conversation are peppered with

"Have you heard of this?'

or 

"Have your tried this website. It's full of information."

And it's a good thing because in the world of Indie publishing, what worked last year may not be the smartest choice this year.
 You've got to keep your ear to the ground and be ready
to hop on the next bandwagon or be left behind.

So suck it up Buttercup, 'cuz
"There's no crying in Indie Publishing"

I always leave the conference feeling like the energizer bunny.

Overflowing with ideas and a tote bag full of goodies

I head off into the world of writing

with a little more knowledge tucked under my hat.

Thanks to all the hard-working people who made
this conference a sweet success.

See you next year.
After all the only thing a writer likes better than writing,

is talking about writing. 

~ A Place of One's Own ~

I've been busy putting together the writing space in my new digs. 

A task both fun and bittersweet.

You see the room wasn't supposed to look like this. I had another design direction in mind entirely when my life took a 180 degree turn.  

But...that's life. 

For in those moments we are reminded that we're not in charge.  

Now newly widowed I decorate this space with no one else in mind.

 Just me.

That's a phrase I'm still getting used to.  

I've been saying it with a little more conviction lately.

Yes. It's just me.

And that's OK.

 I must say I'm thrilled with how the room turned out.

(claps hands excitedly)

I love decorating almost as much as I love writing.

My first purchase was this massive desk so I can spread out all my notebooks. 

It's a serious desk.

Meant for serious business. 

 The kind of desk where Ernest Hemingway might have written 'The Old Man and the Sea' 

I'm hoping it's solid good looks translate to some seriously good writing.

Once I had the desk, the new vision for the room danced into view.

I chose this serene color palette of soft grays and creams, 
wanting the kind of space that just wrapped itself around me.

A little task lighting, with a sweet reminder that someone is watching over me.

Since this space must double as a guest room when I'm not churning out best sellers, 
(cough cough)
 I chose this comfy Hide-a bed. So the room remains streamlined and still functions like an office. 

I think my favorite find was this little gem on Etsy; a map of ancient Rome. 

I had it framed in six pieces and hung like a giant grid. 

I love, love, love it. It came from a guy in Slovenia. Isn't shopping on the internet GRAND?

(Sorry, I couldn't seem to get a picture without the light fixture showing up.)

A large window looks out onto my street with plenty of  mature trees

 and green to soothe the eye. 

You are aware that writers spend an inordinate amount of time 

staring out the window aren't you?

No we're not daydreaming or wasting time.That staring out the window thing? That's work.

That's plotting the next move, running over a scene in our minds. 

Those quiet 'lost in thought' moments are integral to writing.  

Then of course, there's stuff...

I love how this bulletin board turned out. I have my 'fortune'
from a dependable Fortune Cookie tacked in the corner already.

P.S. I'm well aware that Lizzie thinks she's a Kardashian  and must wriggle herself into every photo possible.

Look closely, and you'll see 'you know who's nose!' I was going to edit it out, 
but hey...she works so hard for it. 

 So I'm done with the finishing touches on this charming space,

this soothing cocoon, this writer's dream.
I guess the only thing left to do is:

By the way; was that Ernest Hemingway
I just saw walk by with a sandwich? Wait a minute, Bub. That's my DESK.

~ Take Me To The River ~

There's nothing like stepping out of my daily routine to help me see the world with new eyes.

This past weekend, I went on a girl's road trip to St. Charles.

Three women...a few bags...

In my mind it went something like this:

In reality it looked more like this.

 Shopping, laughing, sharing as only we women can do 

was the perfect antidote for what ails me.

St. Charles, Missouri was our destination.
St. Charles was settled primarily by French-speaking colonists from Canada
in its early days and was considered the last 'civilized' stop by the
Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804.

A title this little gem of a city embraced and still wears proudly today as she was dressed up in her
finest summer hat for this street fair.

Her charms did not go unnoticed as we strolled the 

cobblestone streets along this historic river-front town.
Hello, you had me at cobblestone.

After an early morning storm cleared the air,
the rest of the day was perfectly set for shopping

There was nothing little about the annual 'Festival of the Little Hills'
The sellers tents seemed to stretch on for miles.
We couldn't have seen more than 1/3 of the vendors before we gave out.

A little retail therapy goes a long way. 

Then it was time for a lengthy stop at the famous Lewis and Clark's for lunch. 

Reflecting on the historic nature of my surroundings got my creativity bubbling.

I could almost feel the centuries of stories in the brick walls.
Stories and lives that had been carried along with the current of the old
Missouri River just steps away.  

I'm always attuned to my surroundings,
 taking in the sights, sounds, smells, the feel of a place and its people.

Filing away information for a future story or character, 

even when I'm unaware that's what I'm doing in the moment.

Writing even when I'm not writing.

~ At The Water's Edge ~

Writing 

has always been my salvation. 

I believe never more so than now.

I had just begun to lay down the words

for my third novel. 

Fingers itching to tell the story.

But those all-important pages were cast off

without a second glance when

Cancer,
a cunning thief,

  came and stole my husband right out from under my nose.

I no longer recognized my life.

All energy was channeled into simply surviving.

Then, during the dark night of the soul...

words began to wrap around me like my grandmother's quilt. 

I let my feelings run down through my fingertips 

and drip onto the pages of my journal.

And began to heal.

I'm breathing easier now. 

Finding my way back. 

My darling protagonist, Savannah, 
has agreed to take me by the hand and lead the way.

 And I'll let her. 

I've been tossed a life line,

 and I will grab it and hold on for dear life. 

For dear life.

Life is ...dear. 

Am I back in the game?

Hardly.

But...

I have my toes in the water !

Meet Tierney James

Come over here and let me introduce you to this lovely author. 

Tierney James, is the real deal. A class act and gorgeous, to boot. I should hate her , but I don't.

Do yourself a favor and get to know her through this short interview and then through her writing. 

You can thank me later !

Author Tierney James

Garrett Horton is a hard rock miner with an attitude. Why should the reader like him?

This hard rock miner is a redneck good ole boy with brains, looks and courage. He doesn’t give up on his men or the love of his life that abandoned him just days before their wedding. Determined to understand why Fawn left him, Garrett uncovers a conspiracy created by her father.

Fawn’s father is the owner of the lead mines. She’s determined to shut out the past after returning home. The biggest obstacle to her happiness turns out to be her stubbornness and a heart as hard as the rock brought out of the mines. 

Why would a rich girl even consider staying in such a small town with no opportunities?

I spent 25 years of my life in a hard rock mining town. There’s something very culturally rich and satisfying about living with people who don’t take life for granted. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the richest or poorest, a miner or a logger, there is a common goal of surviving. Everyone is connected through work, school and mining. The entire community becomes a family. When I left the mining industry I grieved for my family. The history I created there became a part of the fabric of who I am. Now, fourteen years later, I still consider it part of my life. Fawn came back because there are things money just can’t buy.

Living in a mining community must have its challenges. What was that like?

When I gave birth to two children my husband had to drive me 60 miles to a hospital. Both times it snowed. I drove 40 miles to get groceries for a month at a time. Our local store could supply small items, but sometimes it wasn’t enough. The movie theater was over an hour away. Kids played outside until dark. Friday nights the town went to the high school basketball game. Swimming in creeks or floating down the Black River. Picnics and baseball games made life pretty awesome.

Living in a mining community sounds like serious stuff. Can you tell readers something funny that happened to you there?

There were a couple of old guys who lived up the hill from me. They would drive down to buy hay from me and put it in their car. After teaching my Great Dane to jump up and remove my hat, she decided to do the same with my two neighbors. They never came back. I still laugh when I remember the look of panic on their faces when my dog jumped over the fence to greet them.

When you picture your characters who played the parts?

This is something I like to think about before I start writing. I thought about Mark Wahlberg being Garrett Horton and Jeff Bridges as Big Jim Turnbough. 
I created a pinterest board to see some of the mines and scenery. You can see them on this link.

https://www.pinterest.com/ptierneyjames/the-rescued-heart/

This is a romantic suspense with twists and turns. Is this the kind of books you usually write?

I do like to surprise the reader. My novels usually are more geo-political thrillers. I’m currently working on my first urban fantasy. I’ve also written two children’s books. The Rescued Heart is the first romantic suspense. There are a lot of stories stomping around in my head.

What is one thing about yourself that might surprise readers?

There have been several careers I’ve always wanted to do. Being an astronaut was always a dream as well as becoming a war correspondent. I was able to go to Space Camp for Educators and become a Solar System Ambassador for NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab. The correspondent thing never happened, but becoming a writer is a pretty good place to be.

You can find And Follow Tierney here

http://www.facebook.com/TierneyJamesAction

http://www.ptierneyjames.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/TierneyJames1

Other Books by Tierney James

   

          Amazon                              Amazon                                    Amazon

Coming Soon