A picture from Peru. Thanks to my daughter Cindy traveling there today (10/12/2016) and ready for the big climb.
My family and I love our world-wide travels. Different cultures, fabulous cuisines and making lasting friends intertwine with those trips abroad and will stay in our hearts forever. But saying good-bye isn't always easy.
When I lived in Europe, I met many women inching their way from poverty-stricken countries, across borders to find work. Leaving husbands and children behind and never knowing when they could meet again. Documents were generally not in order, so the risk of returning to their homeland was too great for most of them.
Nadia, from Ukraine, comes to mind. In the beginning she made the trip back and forth to her broken down, country-side home, by paying for a secure and safe ride along the way. She hid the money for her family in the hems of her clothes, and the payoff money for a peaceful travel in her tattered wallet. The bus took hours to arrive before she could once again hug her young daughter.
Years passed. Nadia's daughter is a young woman now, university age and still in Ukraine. Nadia continues to travel there and keeps her house cleaning job in a country that "let her stay."
My Women's Fiction story about Nadia and the other women is in the making. Names have been changed but you might be surprised to find out why Nadia (I kept her first name) stayed on in the country where she now resides.
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Behind every window there is a story.
When you pass someone on the street, or people watch from afar, do you ever wonder what their story might be? A furrowed brow might suggest stress, a broken heart, the loss of a loved one --- or just maybe "where did I park my car." Writers study expressions wherever they go. That's how we form our characters. When I see someone smiling or shedding tears, I try to imagine what their story might be and I take mental notes.  How many times have I watched a couple embrace in an airport, holding on for dear life, tears welling, and put together their story in my mind?
One day while waiting  outside of the airport for my ride, I noted the woman beside me sniffling, blowing her nose quite often. This went on for some time until I asked if I could help her in some way. She said "I missed my flight."
At this point I began to wonder why missing a flight could make her cry and this is what I came up with. The wedding of a loved one, a funeral, or maybe helping someone through an illness. And that's where my mental notes began.  

What do you think about books vs. tablets?  I love the smell and feel of a book.  Resting it on my chest, lulls me to sleep.  My Great Aunt published a series of ten books and now that they are over a hundred years old, their smell is ancient. My grandfather was a Math and Latin high school teacher. I have his books --- again over one hundred years old.  His handwritten notes are in those books and those scribbles tell me something about him. This is why I love books.
Now something I hadn't expected happened. The Promise Series is my baby. Both Broken Promises and A Promise of Revenge came out this year and they're now on Amazon and at B & N.  My lifelong dream was to become published but I never thought that my only choice would be digital. That's what my publisher said "only digital for now."  I want to hug and caress my books, so my hope is --- one day soon that dream will also come true.  Until then --- happy reading, whatever your choice might be.      

CKAlber: This could easily be a small chalet where I stayed...

CKAlber: This could easily be a small chalet where I stayed...: This could easily be a small chalet where I stayed near the town of Agnone, Italy.  Water carried from the running fountains below and pur...

This could easily be a small chalet where I stayed near the town of Agnone, Italy.  Water carried from the running fountains below and pure enough to cup your hands and drink.
I could finish Anne Algani's story, book #3 from The Promise Series, but surely by hand.  Or might I be surprised and WiFi is assailable?

#ThePromiseSeriesLink
Book #3 out in 2016 will be Anne Algani's story.  Her olive skin, statuesque height, and dark features make Anne's beauty undeniable, but secrets from the past dispute her identity and threaten her life. Who will come to her rescue?  The hero, the villain, or a man no one knows but everyone fears.

Secrets from the past dispute Anne Algani's identity and threaten her life.  Three men will enter Anne's story in book #3 of The Promise Series.  The hero, the villain, and a stranger no one knows but everyone fears.  Who will save her in the end?

Mexico this October, 2015
My last question was --- where does an author go to plot a story and how are characters personalities formed.
I prefer the solitude of a beach but I live with the Rocky Mountains in the background, so I choose to brainstorm during the night.  My best time to write is from 2 - 4 am.  I brew some espresso, add three shots to hot milk --- and I'm ready to type.  My mind is never blank.  It is always full of possible scenes and new characters, no matter where I am. Writers don't mind standing in line, waiting in airports, driving in traffic.  Our stories never stop until we write "The End."

How do writers get their ideas, form their characters. And --- where does a writer go to plot those ideas?  The sea, the mountains,stopped at a red light, a bedroom during the night?  

In book #3 of The Promise Series, Anne Algani is the heroine.  Her life has been threatened and her identity disputed.  Who will she turn to? The hero, the villain or a mystery man no one knows but everyone fears.

Halloween is over this year and so much candy has already been purchased and consumed.  The plan in this family is to turn one-third of the collected candy in to a local dentist, who will in turn send it to the troops.  Another thing is the amount of money spent of costumes.  My nine-year old granddaughter made her penguin costume and had so many compliments on it.  Until next year --- have a great Sunday.