Blog Archives
Time to Tell Her Story
Beyond the Sky, written in two parts, follows a young woman through her college years and her involvement in the civil rights, and traces her ancestry from immigration from Ireland to the mountains of Hidden Valley. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When Tillie first showed up in Hidden Valley in my debut novel, New Tomorrows, I knew she would be the one whose mysterious background would take her away from the valley to be involved in the activism of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. My intent as a writer is to create engaging stories that readers can not only enjoy but also be drawn in to explore real, contemporary issues with characters they can relate to. I identified the racial tension our country has faced and dealt with, in one form or another, throughout our history, as one of several important issues I wanted to help my readers explore. I myself enjoy stories that have a touch of romance, but not in the traditional way romance is presented in many books in that genre. I see romance as just one aspect of human connections, and I wanted my stories to be about connections, especially in families and communities.
When I first imagined Tillie, we were witnessing legislative and societal changes influenced by my generation begin to erode or disappear. As a writer, I feel a responsibility to speak about the past to shine light on the present. It was time to tell her story.
I was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement myself in the 1960s. I decided to bring Tillie to the same University I attended, letting her arrive as a freshman the year I was a senior. Her story is not at all biographical, but I was able to write about a time period and events that I personally experienced. While the events are real, both those that are part of our well-known (and some not so well-known) history or the local events in Pittsburg, the characters all spring from my imagination.
What is it that interests you most about historical fiction?
Let me first share my perspective on fiction vs. non-fiction. I like to define fiction as learning through imagination, whereas non-fiction is learning through facts. Reading fiction gives us an opportunity to spend time in a life quite different from our own. I believe folks can often learn more history through fact driven, engaging fiction than they might from a history book. When that happens to us, we often come away with a new understanding or a wider perspective of what life is like living in another person’s skin, both figuratively and realistically. My hope with all my books is that readers might gain increased awareness, understanding, and empathy for the marginalized in our society who struggle daily for justice, inclusion, and dignity.
I have always been a bit of a history buff; my college degree is in Creative Writing, but my minor was history. If I am going to write about human connections, part of who we are is defined by where we can from – the ancestors of yesterday who built the foundation for who we are today. That was especially true for Tillie. Her story was not complete without the stories of the strong woman who came before her and the choices they made, along with the men who loved them.
How did you go about finding your characters’ voices while planning your writing?
First, let me say a word about my writing process. Some folks divide writers into two groups – the plotters, or the seat-of-the-pants writers. I’m a combination of both, but my plotting is very sketchy with only major plot turns in my mind. It’s no more a brief list, rather than a plot outline. My writing is very character driven and sometimes even those major plot turns change as I become more immersed in the life of a character. As I wrote and got to know my characters on a deep personal level, they often sent me off on an unexpected side trip. One such side trip was quite literal when Percy told me to take him back to Quebec because he had to talk to his grandmother and get the pearl ring she had promised him. I didn’t even realize the ring had a pearl instead of a diamond until Percy first heard Taynay’s song about the moon.
One of the greatest joys of writing Tillie’s story was getting to know the six generations of mountain women who came before her. I imagined these women, along with their families, making choices that were often difficult. Choices that went beyond the traditional thinking of their time period. Each one was different, so they spoke and acted in their own unique way.
My original intent was to reference their journals with quotes as Tillie was reading and learning more about her generations of grandmothers. As their situations and choices came to light, and as their words began to paint a picture of the challenges of her time period, I realized I could not merely include snippets of their lives. These women deserved to have their whole stories told, thus I created the entire second half of the book to include their entire first-person narratives.
Where will the next book in the Hidden Valley series take readers? When will it be available?
The next book is already in progress, but I have as usual, been doing a bit of research into its topic and only have a few opening chapters written. The title is One More New Chance: A Vet Tech Romantic Suspense. The male protagonist is Brink, but I won’t reveal the name of the female protagonist because it would be a spoiler. I will drop a brief hint that she is a character readers have met in a prior book, however briefly. Brink is struggling with two issues – his dedication to tracking down the criminal rings that are staging the dog fights in various remote hollers in the valley and his own personal identity conflict due to bullying he has experienced as a result of his bi-racial background. It will be out in 2026, but I do not have a firm date right now. In truth, it has briefly been placed on the back burner while I’ve been doing some minor revisions and reformatting of my first book in the series, New Tomorrows. That slightly revised book will be live soon, to coordinate with October being National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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The passion of activism flourished on college campuses in the tumultuous sixties, and Tillie embraced it as a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. Descended from Irish immigrants known in their Appalachian community as Granny Women – the healers – her compassionate nature drew her into the Civil Rights Movement. She could never have predicted how dramatically her life would change. When family journals reveal shocking news about her history and lineage, she’s forced to re-define her path to the future.
Which road will she choose?
After navigating new horizons, she may have to look for answers that lie Beyond the Sky.
Join readers on a thought-provoking journey through the divisions of the Civil War into the ardor of an era when our country’s youth led the way to a better national consciousness.
Authenticity and Spirituality
Grand Illusion follows a gifted Balinese fabric artist who meets a wealthy heir from the Emirates, who introduces her to a world of opulence and power, far from her roots and heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The setup began at the ending of Moroccan Sunset. Zayn Al Farooq was introduced as the youngest of Elena’s older brothers. We saw that he was into the privileges his family’s wealth provided. Yet he was fascinated by Mara’s ethereal beauty and creative talent.
When I began Mara’s book, I felt like I knew her character by now and could envision her unease in falling into Zayn’s lifestyle. Her cultural beginning was always about authenticity and spirituality. The cultural and religious barriers soon followed, making Zayn and Mara’s romantic connection next to impossible.
The entrance of Wayan, with a similar background, brought home the importance of her roots.
It seemed like you took your time in building the characters and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?
To allow Grand Illusion to be read as a standalone, I had to walk a balance between readers who knew the characters intimately and those who were first being introduced. That required just enough backstory for new readers to catch up.
Basically, I had to focus on speeding up the less important moments between the characters, yet slowing down the primary moments. A good example is with Annie and Mara on the sailing yacht. Throughout the series, readers learned how much Annie loved that moment when the sail is hoisted. I have written it multiple times, so it was easy for me to speed through it. However, in this case, my editor, who had not read the other books, told me to write it like it was the first time, but now seeing it through Mara’s eyes. It completely changed the scene.
Now that you have finished your Annie’s Journey series, have you discovered anything about yourself while researching and writing these women’s stories?
I have a wide circle of friends, many of whom have faced serious stumbling blocks in their lives. The same applies to me. Personally, I believe in the ‘angels among us’ theory. In my writing, there is always someone who comes along to impart wisdom or insight. It can come from typical sources like a relative or close friend. But sometimes it is from a stranger, like the little old woman in the Bali market who cryptically told Annie, “The time to be happy is now.” Or it could be a stone like the one Annie gave to Sarah before her first art exhibition, or the blue diamond ring that Ramone gave Annie.
I finish each of these books with a sense of hope and anticipation about the future. Hopefully, readers experience that as well.
What is the next book you are working on, and when can fans expect it to be released?
Grand Illusion is being referred to as the 5th and final book in the Annie’s Journey series. Currently, I am taking 2 months as an author-in-residence in Blueridge, GA, to find inspiration for a new series. Although there is much to draw from here, I have to admit there are two characters from the series who keep whispering in my ear that their story hasn’t been told. Would it be so horrible if there were a sixth book???
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The 5th and final book in the ANNIE’S JOURNEY series, Grand Illusion: Lesson of a Balinese Lotus, finds young Balinese fabric designer, Mara, at the pinnacle of the fashion world! Her success is bolstered by the charming and enigmatic Zayn, an Arab financier whose influence opens doors to a world of opulence and power. Yet, behind the glittering façade, Mara’s identity is lost in a labyrinth of illusions.
One fateful night, Mara meets Wayan, a fellow Balinese soul and costume designer to the legendary opera diva, Antonella Rossi. Both Wayan and Antonella are entangled in their own webs of deception, struggling to maintain authenticity amidst the pressures of fame and fortune.
As Mara and Wayan’s paths intertwine, the echoes of their homeland call them back to Bali, where the roots of their heritage await to ground them once more. But even if the wisdom and symbolism of their ancestors offer clarity, can they find the courage to redefine their paths?
The Story Comes First
Switched at Death follows a local baker and cat daycare owner who becomes involved in the investigation surrounding the town’s beloved mayor, who collapsed and died at the town’s tree lighting ceremony. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Since Switched at Death is the second book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series, I needed to tap a character from the first book (A Whale of a Murder) as the next victim. Who better to kill off than the beloved long-time mayor of charming Chatham Crossing? His death during the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting creates instant chaos and a falling-out between his wife and Venus Bixby, who are best friends and business partners. Can their relationship and joy in the town be restored by Christmas?
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
Actually … Venus Bixby made her literary debut as a minor character in What’s Not Lost, the last book in my romantic comedy trilogy. I loved her so much, I decided to give her own cozy mystery series. Even though her niece, Lexi Moore, had a major role in that romcom, I didn’t bring her into the cozy series until Switched at Death, which takes place a good ten years earlier than What’s Not Lost. So, I faced a dilemma. How do I roll back the ages of two characters and move them into a totally different storyline? Venus was kind of easy, as she’s a mature sleuth, kind of set in her ways. But in Switched at Death, Lexi is a teenager. As the youngest character in the mystery, Lexi brought not only a fresh perspective to the story, but also contemporary cultural references and dialogue only fit for a teen. I loved the challenge, but having a pre-teen granddaughter certainly helped!
How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?
Story comes first. If there’s no story, there can be no plot twists. The story needs characters that drive the plot, and a cozy mystery especially needs a world readers will want to settle into and come back to in future books. For me, I might have a major plot twist in mind when I start writing, but I try to keep an open mind for whatever path the characters take me. I tend to ask them “What if …” Their answers almost always surprise me and add more colorful twists than had I plotted them out initially. In fact, half way through writing the manuscript of Switched at Death, I switched the villain. In doing so, I needed to do some minor edits on the earlier pages, but the twist made for a much more delightful crime.
What is the next book that you’re working on and when can your fans expect it out?
The next installment of the Venus Bixby Mystery series is definitely a work-in-progress. If all goes well, it’ll follow in the footsteps of the first two books and publish in the month of April next year.
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Thanksgiving weekend always marks the start of Christmas festivities in Chatham Crossing. But, this year, when the annual tree lighting ends in flames, this charming and usually joyful town finds little to celebrate.
After the town’s long-time, beloved mayor, collapses and dies at the scene of the tree lighting, nearly a week passes before details as to what actually caused his heart attack begin to emerge.
Preoccupied with the recent opening of her kitty daycare service, Venus Bixby thinks twice before getting involved in the investigation. But once her popular cookie bakery is linked to the mayor’s death, she has no choice.
As clues begin to surface, Venus grapples with the possibility that someone she cares about may be responsible for the mayor’s death.
Will Venus’s clever sleuthing be enough to save Christmas for this charming seaside town?
Includes cookie recipes and a playlist!
In the second installment of this cozy mystery with a romantic twist, Valerie Taylor brings back scrappy sleuth Venus Bixby and her mischief-maker twin sister. Switched at Death is as strikingly entertaining as A Whale of a Murder, with a holiday theme to enjoy all year long. Order Switched at Death today!
Switched at Death: A Venus Bixby Mystery
This book is like if Murder, She Wrote had a baby with Gilmore Girls and then let a cat run the town council. It’s a cozy mystery set in this quirky New England town called Chatham Crossing, where everyone knows everyone… or thinks they do. The story kicks off with the sudden death of the mayor—right at the town’s holiday tree lighting, no less—and from there, Venus Bixby gets tangled up in a web of secrets, politics, and small-town pettiness. Oh, and there’s definitely murder afoot.
I’m a sucker for cats and chaos, so when Venus opens her kitty daycare and adoption center (adorably named Cats & Their Cradle), I was in. The whole scene of her prepping for the grand opening while juggling relationships, rivalries, and her very active imagination had me both rooting for her and laughing. And her cats, Sonny and Cher, are icons.
The writing is super fun—Valerie Taylor has this cheeky, breezy style that makes even the gossip feel juicy instead of mean. Venus’s “friendship” with Carole (the mayor’s wife and her cookie shop partner) is messy. Like, Real Housewives messy. Carole throwing that dinner party where she low-key hijacks the night just to boost her own political ambitions was cringe. I wanted to fling a cookie at her. Poor Venus thinks the dinner’s to celebrate her new business, and instead she ends up sidelined while Carole plays power games and drops some seriously shady digs about the Sabinas.
But what really grabbed me were the emotional undercurrents. Venus misses her late husband, she’s trying to figure out what love looks like with Budd (her delightfully flirty and surprisingly deep boyfriend), and she’s constantly trying to prove herself in a town that still clings to its old boys’ club.
Switched at Death totally worked for me. It’s a little sassy, a little sentimental, and full of sneaky surprises. If you love small-town drama, strong female leads, and cats, this one’s for you. Highly recommend for cat moms, cozy mystery fans, and anyone who enjoys watching people stir the pot.
Pages: 293 | ASIN : B0DYVVGFL7
Inspiring Women
Lunch Tales: Suellen follows a lawyer recovering from a toxic relationship whose attempt to begin again with the ideal man is thwarted by a health crisis. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Lunch Tales: Suellen is personal for me as I went through a similar medical crisis at the same age and know firsthand all the feelings and emotions she had to go through. I have met so many extraordinary and resilient women in my lifetime—inspiring women who have had to overcome hardship and health challenges. This book is for all of them.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
The law office scene is drawn from my own personal experience in working at a major New Jersey law firm for several years where I met a lot of colorful characters and made lifelong friends.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
In writing and developing my characters, I wanted them to be as truthful as they could be in dealing with the seriousness of the challenges they faced, emotionally, realistically, and morally. The guidelines for realistic fiction are simple. Be totally honest and reliable in the telling, no matter how difficult or heart-wrenching. When it comes to authenticity, readers are quite intuitive.
Can we look forward to more books in the Lunch Tales series? Where will it take readers?
More books in the Lunch Tales series are forthcoming. Lunch Tales: Teagan is slated to publish in January of 2026. Teagan is Suellen’s best friend and her story is uniquely compelling. They are major characters in each other’s story, and the same supporting characters are in both novels. Originally, when I drafted Lunch Tales, it was from four women’s points of view in one novel. After I read it through, I decided to give each of these women more space for the reader to get to know them better and gave them their own standalone novel in the Lunch Tales series. Once I did that, they evolved in ways I never imagined at the start.
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Suellen Atkins’ trust fund has given her everything except love. As the youngest attorney in a major law firm, her life is filled with reckless spending and meaningless flings. But when she dumps her latest wild guy, he doesn’t leave quietly.
Unable to shake the feeling she’s being watched, Suellen runs into an old classmate at a colleague’s farewell. Adam Isaacson is one of the good guys — and that might be more scary than her stalker ex. With the echoes of her parents’ tumultuous marriage still ringing in her ears, Suellen can’t imagine anything this promising.
When a shock medical diagnosis complicates things, her proclivity for self-sabotage goes into overdrive. As life turns upside down, her lunch friends at the law firm become a lifeline in the storm. But even they, with all their good intentions and well-meaning advice, can’t save Suellen from herself. Nor can the man who’s fallen in love with her. Only she can do that.
Lunch Tales: Suellen
Lucille Guarino’s Lunch Tales: Suellen is a captivating addition to her series about four women working together in a bustling law firm. Each day, these women gather in the cafeteria to share their lives over lunch, creating a tapestry of stories that are as engaging as they are relatable. This installment centers on Suellen, a lawyer whose journey explores love, family, and resilience. Suellen’s story unfolds with her trapped in a toxic relationship, a struggle she eventually overcomes. Her courage leads her to Adam, a man who seems to embody the qualities she has been searching for. However, her path to happiness takes an unforeseen turn when a health crisis forces her to break things off with Adam, driven by a desire not to burden him. Once recovered, Suellen embarks on a journey to rebuild her life, but moving on from Adam proves to be far more difficult than anticipated.
Guarino masterfully weaves the narratives of all four women into this novel, offering glimpses into their lives while keeping Suellen’s story at the forefront. The interplay of these interconnected lives adds depth to the plot and invites readers to explore the rest of the series. The characters are vibrant and relatable, grounding the story in realism. There’s an authenticity in how the events unfold—no overly dramatic twists, just scenarios that feel true to life. The romance in this book strikes a perfect balance. It’s heartfelt, engaging, and written with sophistication. The ups and downs of Suellen’s journey, combined with moments of unexpected plot development, keep readers intrigued. The story wraps up with the kind of satisfying conclusion that leaves you smiling.
For anyone who loves a feel-good romance that mirrors real-life complexities, Lunch Tales: Suellen is a must-read. It’s a book that not only entertains but also connects with its audience on a deeply personal level. Lucille Guarino’s skillful storytelling hooked me from the start, and I can’t wait to delve into the rest of the series to uncover the lives of the other remarkable women in this group. This is a heartwarming, well-crafted story that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Pages: 297 | ASIN : B0DJDK14X6
Sisters
The Pact follows two sisters and double tennis partners and champion athletes who have their relationship tested when one sister gets engaged. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
All of my novels are essentially about women and their relationships with others: family, friends, lovers, colleagues etc.
With The Pact, I specifically wanted to write about sisters. I’ve been fascinated by siblings, and my place in my own family since I was old enough to realize I had an older sister and a younger brother. I asked my parents a lot of questions. Why am I blonde? Why is my sister taller? Lots of questions my parents didn’t have answers for.
At school in biology, we studied genes, familial traits, and nature versus nurture. I was fascinated, and still am today. Why does my sister behave the way she does? Why do I? Is it because of our upbringing, or was she just born with an aversion to cheese?
I wanted to know the answers.
I chose tennis as the sisters’ job – professional double partners and champions. As partners, Annie and Samantha work together as a united team, but when their personal relationship falls apart and they embark on singles careers, the dynamic changes and they become competitive rivals.
Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?
Yes, definitely. Because I have a sister, I’ve always been keen to explore the sibling dynamic, especially looking at oldest and youngest personality characteristics, differences, and why they behave the way they do.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I mentioned, tennis is the vehicle used to amplify the usual sibling issues and also explore the sisters’ professional partnership and personal relationship –similarities, differences, motivation, competition, abandonment, and grief.
For example, how do the sisters respond to the stress of constantly being under the media spotlight? What happens when, at the pinnacle of fame, their relationship falls apart? With dreams shattered and egos destroyed, how do they cope?
It also deals with poignant themes, including the disappearance of the sisters’ mother when Samantha was 13 years old, and Annie was 11; and how they each handled her absence differently.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book, Christmas Actually, will be released worldwide October 2, 2024.
Every picture tells a story, but it’s not always the one we expect, or remember, in this festive drama about family and forgiveness. Christmas Actually is a snapshot of modern family life; addressing Instagram to motherhood, and everything in between.
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Samantha and Annie Callahan are successful doubles champions–the toast of the Olympics, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadow. But their partnership spirals out of control when Annie’s new boyfriend announces their engagement at the Australian Open.
Amidst rising anger and betrayal, Samantha does the unthinkable after a devastating Wimbledon loss.
The sisters must confront the past to take control of the present. But can Samantha and Annie both win?
Moving Forward
The Space Between Dreaming follows two women struggling to have a family of their own who meet at an art gallery and form an unlikely friendship. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I had always wanted to write a story that featured strong friendships that was perhaps a bit unexpected. I decided to do this through friendships that spanned different generations and different circumstances as a way to show the strength we gain from women who are in our corner. Since I’m also an artist, I took a lot of inspiration from my own experience in showing in galleries and working at art fairs.
Grace and Jane are both relatable characters that readers are drawn to and want to help. Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your characters’ lives?
I used my real-life great-grandmother’s name for one of the characters, although the personality of the character is totally different. The character of Jane loves the Milwaukee Art Museum and has since she was a kid, which is something I took directly from my own life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
My love of art and the power of expressing emotions through painting is something I wanted to convey. I wanted readers to feel how valuable the practice and appreciation of artistic endeavor can be in healing, decision-making, and everyday life. Also the theme of moving forward despite difficult circumstances was an important one to include. I wanted this to be an inspiring, hopeful book for someone to pick up.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I just released an art book called Poetry and Paint. It features my original paintings and poetry. I’m also working on another novel, but I don’t have a date for its release yet.
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Grace and Jane both crave family but for much different reasons. Grace longs for the child she was never able to conceive and Jane for the new family she will have once she marries her boyfriend. They meet and become unlikely friends when Grace’s husband paints his masterpiece and Jane’s gallery represents him.
As they ponder their future, Jane’s meddling 80-year-old landlady helps them see the beauty in letting go of expectations. Grace and Jane each see something different in the painting, and it causes them to look beyond their stubborn dreams to a fresh reality that could hold the key to their happiness.
LITERARY TITAN 