What If You Could Find the Love of Your Life Once Again?

"Waterlilies" pastel ©Mary Montague Sikes

There she is standing in a lovely field of flowers, near a pond of waterlilies. Strangely, it all seems familiar to her. The sounds of birds chirping in the trees. Red blossoms blowing in a gentle breeze.

Kathryn takes a deep breath. The sweet scent surrounds her. She closes her eyes, and images drift through her mind like long lost children dancing from the past.

Her lips quiver. She is here on the tropical island of Jamaica with a special job assignment. Her thoughts confuse and disturb her. They are whimsical and so unlike the usual thoughts of the strong businesswoman she has become since moving to New York City.

But from the moment she met Flynt Kincaid, quite by accident, things have changed for her. And he keeps showing up, unexpectedly, to add to the utter confusion she feels.

Now, Kathryn opens her eyes and studies the field of blossoms she has discovered not far from the resort where she is working. She turns and stares at the waterlilies that appear so out of place here.

Real or unreal? She is not quite sure.

Love lost. The thought drifts into her mind. How can that be?

What if things are not always as they seem?

To learn more about Kathryn Calder and the experiences that threaten to change the course of her life, please read Hearts Across Forever. It's a story you won't soon forget.

"L" is for Love - A to Z Challenge

"Love Song" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Of course, "L" is for Love, if you write romance novels. The word love means a lot to the heroine of my novel, Evening of the Dragonfly. Farrah Ferand is falling in love with the hero of the story, Dirk Lawrence. She is growing to love the high school art students she teaches. And throughout the entire book, Farrah's love for her mother shows through.

Although tainted by the terrible tragedy that overcame her mother in the end, Farrah has lovely memories as well. She recalls days as a small child when she danced with her mother and sister among the flowers that grew in the fields of their Mississippi farm. As she works on this painting for her one-person art exhibition, she indicates those flowers and fields in a poetic love song.

"Love Song" is 20" x 16" watercolor on canvas. It is painting number 10 for Farrah's art show.

Book readers, I would love to know what you think. Is Evening of the Dragonfly a romance? I'm not sure.

Making an Artist the Heroine of a Novel

"Write what you know," they told me.

"In My Studio"

I did. I wrote about an artist.

"That will never do," they said. "Artists as heroines will never sell."

Those statements came years ago when I first started writing novels. I believed the editors of some of New York's most established publishing companies who wrote those words on my manuscripts.

I believed them and didn't break the rules. Other writers broke the rules and became well-known. Now I wish I had paid no attention to the rules. I should have remembered that "rules are made to be broken." (Wonder who said that?)

My latest book, Evening of the Dragonfly, features Farrah Ferand, an artist and a teacher with a few psychological issues, including repressed memories. It is a romance with growth, love, an artist studio, and art galleries.

I believe they were wrong. I believe my book with an artist heroine will sell. I wrote about what I love and what I know. You can't always follow the rules. Besides, maybe things have changed in the world of publishing.

What about you? Do you write about heroes and heroines doing the things you like most? Or do you follow the rules?

Completing A New Book Manuscript Brings Excitement

Completing a new book always brings excitement to me. My newest project, Daddy's Christmas Angel, has been a story of my heart for several years. I always call it my "Sleepless in Seattle" book because it's the story of a child's dream of having a mother of her own.

Kathleen's mother died in a tragic car accident when she was only a year old. Her father blamed himself for the tragedy and has spent the last six years trying to make up for the loss he brought to his child. He never wants either of them to be hurt again. That means staying away from any relationship that might make him vulnerable. Although David has a trustworthy older housekeeper who has cared for Kathleen since she was a baby, he does not realize how very much his young daughter wants and needs a mother.

When she inherits a rambling old house and land on the outskirts of a small town in Virginia, Angie picks up her life and moves from city life in St. Louis. She takes a job as a teacher, and Kathleen is one of her second-graders. The little girl takes a special liking to Angie and connives to connect them.

A few years ago, I sign a contract with a publishing company for this story as an e-book. Then, I decided the timing was not right for e-books, and I wanted to wait until it could come out in print form. So I asked to be released from the contract.

"Angel in the Trees" copyright MMSikes

The story has waited until this year. Several weeks ago, I pulled it back up on my computer and started revising it into a 75,000-word manuscript. It is not a "Passenger to Paradise" book because there is no exotic destination. It isn't a mystery, and there are no paranormal elements in it. It isn't a western novel. It's a love story. Remember the movie, "Love Story"? It is a little of that sort of story mixed with "Sleepless in Seattle" but with a happy ending.

It's exciting!


--Mary Montague Sikes