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Hello Tourist

ellenparkerwrites

Welcome to my piece of shoreline. The fishing is good. Tourist snacks are appreciated. Eating chips? If you drop any I’ll clean up. Same for that last bite of sandwich.

My favorite activity? Well, it depends on many things. I enjoy flying. Following a boat — in hopes they toss a few edible bits off the stern — is great fun. Swimming is part of daily life, I can even work in a little fishing at the same time. Walk on land? Of course, webbed feet work just fine on rocks, sand, and grass. I’ll be social and participate in colony life. You may have heard us. When we gather by the hundreds humans complain of the noise. (As if they should talk. Have you heard some motorized vehicles?)

When you distill my wants and needs to the basics, I’m not that different from other birds or animals. I’m content if I have a meal, a mate, and a nest.

Early in the later-in-life romance, Morning Tryst, our hero launches into an informal lecture admiring gulls. Is it the topic or his voice that impresses the photographer most? Check out the book blurb at the link: https://amzn.to/35gH37S

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Payoff for Patience

ellenparkerwrites

All in good time.

Wait — don’t rush things.

Most likely, you’ve heard these or similar sayings all of your life. Patience is listed among the virtues, a trait we are urged to cultivate.

Sometimes it works. Recently, I was on vacation and one of our hotel rooms had a wonderful view of the Straits of Mackinac. The weather was clear our first evening and in our limited time before dark, we savored the view of water, gulls, ducks, and geese.

The next morning it was gloomy and rainy. We went about the business of the tour group without paying much attention to the view. The following morning was similar. And then…

on our third and final morning, this happened.

A good photographer is patient. They are also precise with choice of lens and light settings. In the later-in-life romance, Morning Tryst, you meet a freelance photographer working a contract with Missouri State Parks. She enjoys capturing sunrise — even better than sunset. Check out the book details at the link: https://amzn.to/35gH37S

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Recommended Reading

ellenparkerwrites

Have you ever wanted to write a novel? Or perhaps a shorter work of fiction?

If so…I hope you are a reader. The first step to be a good writer, is to read, read, read. Yes, you should read works in the same category (genre) as the one you want to write. But it is good to read a few others also.

Another recommended step before you put pen to paper (or fingers keyboard) is to do some research. Find some quality non-fiction about the area your story is set, the occupations of your characters, and other things which may (or may not) appear in your story.

The above photo are some of the books I consulted before and during the writing of my most recent romance, Fine Lines. As you may deduce from the titles, a police detective is one of my characters.

Oh — my book is fiction. Does it really need to have the facts and procedures accurate? Can’t I watch a few TV shows and movies?

Warning, fiction readers can tell the difference when you stray too far from reality. And some movies and TV programs are far from actual daily life. If you want the first readers to recommend your book to friends or want readers of your first book to purchase the second — get the major and basic facts straight. And be consistent — don’t change names or physical descriptions in the middle of your story.

OK. Class is over. Happy researching and writing.

Here’s a link to Fine Lines, the later-in-life romance which incorporates bits and pieces from the pictured books. https://bit.ly/49FtvjF

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Display Only

ellenparkerwrites

Some bells endure for generations, even centuries. Others have a much shorter life span.

Have you heard bells play music? Carillon or handbells are the most frequent. Bells have been used to call worshipers together for centuries. Prior to more modern methods — they also served as fire alarms and called people to public meetings — especially those not scheduled in advance.

One of the most notable bells in the United States is known as the Liberty Bell. In 1752 a bell was commissioned for Pennsylvania State House. It was cast in England. When it arrived in Philadelphia, they tested it before raising it into the steeple. It cracked. A local pair of men stepped forward and recast the bell — twice. (Evidently it did not sound good during the first test.)

The bell summoned delegates to their Continental Congress sessions and the public to various important meetings. After the Declaration of Independence, this and other bells, were moved away from the city and hidden to prevent the British from melting them during their occupation. The large, distinctive crack appeared in the early 1840’s, a few years before abolitionists started using the name “Liberty Bell.”

Lego Liberty Bell

This not the real Liberty Bell. It is constructed of an alloy 70% copper, 25% tin, and the balance lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver. This copy is made of Lego blocks and may be seen at the Philadelphia airport.

Liberty is often paired with Justice. As the United States grew, the justice system grew on the local, state, and federal levels. For a later-in-life romance featuring two members of the current system, check out Fine Lines. Here’s a link to the book: https://bit.ly/49FtvjF

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Final Feast

ellenparkerwrites

Modern travels often put a spotlight on food. Do you try a regional dish when away from home?

During United States and Canadian visits, I often go for something local. Seafood when near a coast is a favorite with me. A local brew to accompany. Perhaps a notable dessert.

The same is true with my limited overseas travel. In a London pub it was necessary for fish & chips. Another meal on that trip included steak & kidney pie. Cider on the side at another.

A local beer, with a familiar name, plus soup, became lunch in Slovakia. Spaghetti in Innsbruck. Spicy chicken at Salzburg. Wonderful potatoes in Vienna. (Yum. Yum.)

Final vacation feast in April 2018 was held at outside dining about a block from the hotel. Good food & drink. Superb people watching. Food memories tucked between tourist sites and general impressions of a not-so-foreign land.

Immigrants brought food and drink habits along with their physical possessions when they entered the United States. In the mid-19th century, walking down the street of fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois, scents familiar to Boston, Kentucky, and Hamburg drifted from open kitchen windows.

Check out New Dreams, a historical romance set in 1851 for a story of two immigrants adjusting to a new land. Here’s a link to the complete blurb: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Garden Assistant

ellenparkerwrites

When you have a large garden, it’s helpful to have more than one person doing the work.

When I was a girl, gardens were medium to large on the farms and in the villages. The work was done by the lady-of-the-house with assistance from children. Ocasionally, the man-of-the-house would assist. Often this took the form of preparing the ground, some of the planting, and selected harvesting.

The weeding, day-to-day harvest, and preserving of the produce fell to the women and children.

Over the centuries, the nobles and richer persons have hired gardeners. Often men, this was their full-time job. Preparing the ground, planting, weeding, trimming, and harvest. Kitchen gardens, herb gardens, and flower beds flourished under their care. On large estates, they often hired assistants, or found one in unexpected places.

This silent helper holds the gardener’s coat on a warm day.

New Dreams is a historical romance set in 1850’s Illinois. A portion of the immigrant Louisa’s job is to tend the garden at the bakery. As the chore girl, she has other tasks also — some of which are far removed from the baking she yearns to do. Check out the book blurb at the link: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Refreshing Sight

ellenparkerwrites

Europe does not lack for beautiful scenery. Mountains. Rivers. Forest. Shoreline.

Can you imagine living where you can see a mountain each day?

I’ve done it here in the USA. It was nice to look out the back door and see snow-capped mountain. Or, in that case, volcano. (We lived in Washington state at the time and the scene was Mt. Baker.)

No fear of this alpine feature exploding.

Immigrants from Europe did not relocate to the United States for lack of interesting geography. My ancestors, and thousands of other, came for opportunity.

Opportunity to own land.

Opportunity to worship a non-state religion.

Opportunity to practice a trade or profession.

Opportunity for education– in recent decades.

Economic times were difficult in Europe for the characters in the historical novel, New Dreams. Join them on their journey (an adventure in itself) and those first critical months in a new land. Here’s a link to the book blurb: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Is Bigger Better?

ellenparkerwrites

During my multiple decades, I’ve lived in a variety of houses and apartments. They ranged in age from built in the 1880’s to new. None of them would qualify as large. In fact, “tiny” would fit one of them.

When selecting and arranging furnishings, I’ve learned to consider size — of the room and the piece of furniture.

What about your home? For example, do you have steps to the backyard and desire a light fixture? I found this one of classic design on vacation one year.

Is it a little large for your space? You need to admit, it is proportional with the backyard. (A space close to our small Midwestern farm.) Perhaps abandoning the idea of bringing this home was a good idea. I rather doubt it’s for sale within my budget anyway.

In frontier America, the size of the cabin was sometimes dictated by the length of the available logs. As sawmills were built, buildings tended toward frame rather than log. But size remained modest for most people. Including the residents of fictional Elm Ridge, Illinois. With a mixture of log, frame, brick, and stone construction, the size and appearance often reflected the income and status of the owner. (Four-story brick hotel excluded.)

When reading the historical romance, New Dreams, think modest for the building size. The bakery is large enough to have a generous workroom — but the sales area and the storage room — with alcove for hired help to sleep — run rather small. Farmhouse kitchens with open dining sometimes occupied half of the house — and the only heating source. Enough space to live, but not much extra, take the messy part — and the laundry — outside.

While I enjoy reading about 19th century America, I’m glad to live in the 21st century. Here’s a link to the past: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Elegant Emblem

ellenparkerwrites

Relax and daydream of romantic love. Not interested? Turn your thoughts to fidelity, commitment, or loyalty.

What comes to mind?

Did you happen to think of a large, white bird that glides in the water and waddles on land? I’m thinking of the swan. Used for centuries to prompt thoughts of the positive traits listed above.

Across centuries and cultures, this waterfowl has come to symbolize similar traits. If you don’t care for the previous list, try grace, protection, or good omens.

The next time you see a swan glide across a park lake take a moment to dream a little. Perhaps you long for some of the loyalty, fidelity, or protection they represent.

Immigrants come with dreams. Safety. Opportunity. Reunite with loved ones. The fictional characters in the wholesome historical romance, New Dreams, are no different.

Dreams are slippery. You may begin a journey with one set, suffer through obstacles, and emerge with a different dream. Characters, like actual people, start a path, change course, and end up with something unexpected. Let’s hope the change is for the better.

Here’s a link to the book blurb. https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Grateful Hearts

ellenparkerwrites

Think back to the lockdown days of COVID-19.

Now multiply the uncertainty, fear, and deaths by a factor of twenty or more.

You now have an idea of the situation in the city of Vienna during the plague in 1679. When the worst was over, the survivors gave thanks. Leopold I ordered a monument built to reflect the people’s gratitude. Completed in 1693, today the column proudly stands as a reminder of the city’s hope and resilience to everyone who passes.

The Plague, or Black Death, did not sweep through the United States during early settlement. However, other diseases — smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and measles — moved through communities and claimed many victims.

In the wholesome romance, Stitching a Dream, several schoolchildren become ill during an outbreak of a common (at that time) disease. Set in 1851-52, treatment options were limited. With tropes of single mother and friends-to-lovers, this novel earns a closer look. Follow the link for the complete blurb. https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh