Pride 2023 - Books and Authors Day 11 - Happy Birthday Grant's Crossing!!

Hello and welcome to Day 11 of 30 Days of Pride - Books and Authors! 

For Pride Month 2023, I’m sharing some of the fabulous books and authors I’ve discovered featuring LGBTQ or LGBTQ-friendly characters or written by LGBTQ or LGBTQ-friendly authors. 

Hey friends - so I'm engaging in a bit of self-indulgence this weekend. Yesterday, I introduced you to two LGBTQ couples in my book, WAYWARD GUILT Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 1, and today... well - I'd like to celebrate Grant's Crossing's birthday! 

This may not be an LGBTQ-specific post, but trust me, I don't limit sharing great LGBTQ books and authors to June. I'll be back with another post featuring terrific stories and authors tomorrow for Day 12!

Grant's Crossing likes chocolate, too. 

Three years ago today, I was a month into reading romance novels - something I started while I was furloughed from work after the lockdown started. I'd read about six or so novels by this time, with the 5th and 6th being pretty awful. What did I do? I complained about it to my mom. Hey - I'm the kid. She's the mom. It's what we do. 

So how did Mom respond? "Write your own romance novel." 

Huh?

So this is what I came up with that night. I had no idea about a storyline or anything. Aside from a handful of romance novels, I'd been reading tons and tons of cozy mysteries, so I used that as a framework for brainstorming. Light stories that are fun, filled with likable characters, a small-town setting, female business owners, gotta have a detective in there somewhere... yep. Got it. 

Small town? Check. 

Quirky characters? Check. 

Good story? Check.

I'm not a visual artist (See? I'm self-aware), but this is what I came up with. 

So with all this in mind, happy ending, light, beach read, etc... I wrote my first scene. 

What was it, you ask? Heh heh heh.

In a nutshell, it was a scene on an overcast day where an ambulance with two paramedics pulled up to an abandoned industrial complex only to find a barely-old-enough-to-drive kid hanging out the side of an old car, apparently overdosing on opioids. From a 2nd story window inside the dilapidated factory, a young girl watched from above through dirty windows. After the ambulance drove away with her friend, she returned outside and ran home as the rain began to fall. 

Spoiler alert - the kid in the car makes it and will appear in a later book. 

The two paramedics? They became Derek Mitchell and Kiro Marinov (Pronounced like Hero with a K and Marine + off). Derek's the main character in Wayward Guilt. As for Kiro, you meet him in this book but get to know him better in subsequent books like Safe Now, Warm Drink on a Cold Day, and End of a New Life. 

This is my second attempt at creative writing, with the first being a total fluke - The Weaving Loom - a short story I wrote while serving in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria. My only question is why the heck did I not start writing earlier in my life? I absolutely love writing and bringing these characters to life. 

I hope you love these stories and characters, too! 

Take care, and happy reading!

- Heather 

As always, my reviews can be found on Goodreads and other retail sites. 

Pre-order your e-Copy of WAYWARD GUILT - Heroes of Grant's Crossing Book 1! (Print version will be available for pre-order in early July.)

AMAZON - KOBO - BARNES & NOBLE - APPLE

Find me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Follow me on Facebook

Update - Wayward Guilt - Coffee Tour #2

Day 2 of my neighborhood coffee shop tour brought me to the Grandview Grind, the closest coffee shop to where I live, though it's maybe a block or two closer to the next shop, so not too far. 

I'm making some great progress on my book. By the end of the day, I've uploaded 44 out of 46 chapters in Wayward Guilt. See? Progress! My draft has 46 chapters and an epilogue though Chapter 45 will be rather tough, I think. Sure, it's drafted, but well... it's just a tough one. And I usually cry whenever I work on it. Can't help myself! 

Before I stopped at the Grind, I took a walk down Grandview Avenue to stop by Pure Imagination Chocolaterie to treat myself to a 4-pack of delicious truffles for my birthday. I picked up 4 different flavors: Espresso, Vanilla Bean, Coconut, and Key Lime. The Espresso is already my favorite! 

Special thanks to the gentleman working behind the counter. He treated me to a little birthday present, too - two pieces of chocolate-covered coconut. They didn't last long. (TASTY!)

As always, my reviews can be found on Goodreads and other retail sites. 

Take care, and happy reading!

 - Heather 

Follow and friend me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Follow me on Facebook

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Update - Wayward Guilt - A Grant's Crossing Novel

2023 to-do list: FINISH MY BOOK!

I don't have to return to work until next Thursday, so I'm going to spend my next few days writing and cleaning up my book, Wayward Guilt, at various coffee shops in my neighborhood. 

Coffee shop #1 of my local writing tour. Boston Stoker in Grandview. Shout out to the awesome, correction: AMAZING, college students who shared their table with me today. They are our future! (I really hope they see this because they made my day!)

I have the first 21 chapters uploaded for my Alpha readers / Critique partners and am already getting some fabulous feedback. I hope to get the majority of what's left uploaded this week, so I can feel a sense of accomplishment. 

My true goal is to publish in September. Fingers crossed!

Wish me luck! 

As always, my reviews can be found on Goodreads and other retail sites. 

Take care, and happy reading!

 - Heather 

Follow and friend me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Follow me on Facebook

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

WiP Wednesday, er Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

What are you reading or writing this weekend?

Yeah - had a great idea for a novel and must have dropped water on it because like a bunch of gremlins, I now have 7 novels in the works. They're all in the same town and have overlapping characters, but goodness! The creativity - thank goodness - never ends! I have one Lit Fic, but the next 6 are all romance novels coming to life.

WiP Wednesday has come and gone, but here's a book update. And no - nowhere near publishing yet, but I'm making great strides.

Wayward Guilt - 113,191 words - Grant's Crossing Novel - Lit Fic - About 90-95% through the initial draft. Don't Call Me Sugar - Steve and Tara - Grant's Crossing Romance - Working on edits / revisions / cuts. So many cuts.

(Beta readers = Invaluable, wonderful, awesome people!) Okay to Fall - Logan and Nick - Grant's Crossing Romance - 2-3 chapters in. I may save this for NaNoWriMo 2022 End of a New Life - Callie and Derek - Grant's Crossing Romance - Outlining / drafting / this one's weird, but I love it! Warm Drink on a Cold Day - Kiro and Celeste - Grant's Crossing Romance - Outlining / Drafting Romance #5 - Emerson and Aimee - Grant's Crossing Romance - Outlining / Notes Romance #6 - Tim and Jenna - Grant's Crossing Romance - Outlining / Notes If only I could win the lottery and head off to a cabin in the woods somewhere. Of course, it would need to be catered, or at least have someone come in to do the dishes. I have needs.

Take care and happy reading, and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

 - Heather 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Follow me on Facebook

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Yes! Write!

Two years ago this June my mom challenged me to write my own book. (teaches me to complain about a couple of cheap romance novels - and no, they are not on my Goodreads shelves!)

I’m not yet published, but my first book - which is going through rewrites and revisions - I just started writing without any sort of plan at all. I had no idea what I was doing. Was it a mess? Oh yeah. Definitely, but there are a lot of great parts that I plan to use in the rewrite. My spinoffs? I have two that are nearing completion of my first draft and two more that are in the planning stages. 

My subsequent novels are a lot cleaner and much better planned. My vision for the stories is a lot better plus my writing is a lot smoother. Amazing what happens when you practice your craft.

I just turned 52 and I started writing in June 2020. June 11, 2020, to be exact.

My initial idea started when I literally sketched out a town square. Then, I created a list of all sorts of characters I thought would be fun. I started giving a handful names, histories, etc, and from that my first story developed. It’s a weird process, but it’s working for me for that is the basis of all my stories set in Grant's Crossing, Ohio, a small town conveniently founded during the Grant administration. And after nearly two years of writing, asking questions, learning, rewriting, asking more questions, learning more… I’ve found my groove

I’m hoping to have at least two books ready for publication by the end of 2022. I have no specific timeline beyond that but I've discovered I absolutely love writing!

Looking to write? This is my suggestion that may or may not work for you, but it's what I did. 

• Jot down some ideas as bullet points. Then keep adding bullet points. 
• Done with bullet points? Add some details. Bulk them up. When you can’t think of any more details with one, go to another. 
• Then, create your outline - move stuff around and see what works. 
• Go from there and start creating a story. 

You can do this. I’ve never dreamed of writing which is crazy considering how much I now love it. By all means - have at it and never worry about how you have to write or even how much. Just start writing and see where it goes. You can always revise and reorganize as you go along. There’s no right or wrong way. 

Good luck to you! 

Happy Reading! 

        - Heather

P.S. I love bullet points. Can you tell? HMB

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing 

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews

Grant’s Crossing Update - Overall for June

I’m making progress on Joey’s book. I’ve added close to 20,000 words since the beginning to June. 

I don’t actually have titles yet for the books I’m currently writing, so I’m naming each one by the main character whose story, or stories, I’m writing. Joey has been speaking to me lately. He has a good story to tell. 

CALLIE/DEREK     142K (It’s a mess = Editing / Rewriting / Dropping a lit match on it)

ABE     12,203K

JOEY     34,465K

KIRO/CELESTE     9,622K

Happy reading! 

 - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Review - The Man From Darke County

This book was awesome! 

Have you read The Man From Darke County by N. Sullivan? If you haven’t, pick it up today and read it this week. It’s a fun, super quirky, well-written detective novel that touches on a bit of the paranormal. And, it’s set right here in Ohio.

Last summer, I just wanted to read a few pages so I could reference this book in my own book that I’m writing and two hours later, I’d read the whole thing. I couldn’t put it down it was so much fun to read. 

The Man From Darke County was an enjoyable read that did not at all go a direction I expected it to go, which is probably why it was such fun. 

A detective, deemed crazy by his fellow policemen, is pulled off suspension to join in with a police detective from a neighboring county filled with a most unusual populace. 

Be warned: there’s a lot of snark in the dialogue which is part of what appealed to me. Anytime an author can fill a character’s dialogue with copious amounts of sarcasm, I’m a happy camper. 

If you like detective novels and are looking for something a little different, I highly recommend you read this book. 

As for me, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!

Find N. Sullivan online at Amazon - Patreon - Twitter 

If you’re unfamiliar with Patreon, as I was, it’s a digital subscription service that allows you to support your favorite indie authors with their audio stories, podcasts, behind the scenes footage, and all sorts of other fun content. You’re welcome to support at a variety of levels established by the various hosts. I encourage you to follow the link above and learn more. 

Read my original Goodreads review.

In the meantime, thanks and happy reading!

     - Heather 

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Review - Garrett Valor Series

These are so much better than the Harlequins I read in high school!

Julie Anne Lindsey is one of my absolute favorite authors and I'm currently in the point of pre-ordering every book she says is coming out because I know it's a guaranteed good story. I first came to know her as Bree Baker, her pseudonym for the Seaside Cafe cozy mystery series and yes - I'll probably post something about each series because that's how I roll. But, the stories are all fun, well-written, filled with fun, lovable, and quirky characters. As for the whodunnits? Well, they're not given away until she's ready to give them away. Just what I want in a cozy mystery. And yes, I have book #6, Partners in Lime (Barnes & Noble - Amazon) pre-ordered and know she's working on Book 7 which will, sadly, be the last book of the series. (Come on, Everly and Grady. Snap to it)

Because I know she's a good mystery writer, when I learned she also wrote Romantic Suspense novels for Harlequin Intrigue, I just had to read them and they did not disappoint.

Yeah. I'm hooked.I'm especially hooked on series of books that gives a full book to each member of the family. In the case of the Garrett Valor series, each Garrett brother is working on law enforcement, usually being brought into each others cases to offer up support. 

There are actually four books featuring the Garrett Brothers, so I recommend reading them in this sequence: 

1. Federal Agent Under Fire - Blake, an FBI agent, hunts down a serial killer, protecting Marissa Lane along the way. 

2. The Sheriff’s Secret - This follows West, the town Sheriff, as he tracks down someone stalking his former girlfriend. 

3. Shadow Point Deputy - In this book, Cole, a deputy working for his brother, West, follows the clues and protects a witness from a criminal that just might be a dirty cop. 

4. Marked by the Marshall - In the fourth book of the series, Ryder, the U.S. Marshall of the family, is in pursuit of a serial arsonist who is now targeting Ryder's ex-fiancée.

All the books are great reads with believable characters and the women who are in danger aren’t all the types who whine or constantly fail to follow basic instruction. No - they’re all smart, strong, have common sense, are independent thinkers and totally fall for the Garrett brother who’s assigned to protect them. Heck, if the Garrett brothers existed in real life, you'd fall for them, too.

I loved getting to know the whole family - even Uncle Henry, though I hear, as a paramedic, he's not going to get his own book. Life can be so unfair sometimes. He still gets to save the day in a couple of books.

The stories are fun - believable, suspenseful, action-packed and also quick reads because you can’t put them down! Sleep is overrated anyway.

Julie Anne Lindsey has two other Harlequin book series that follow families of law enforcement professionals (Heartland Heroes) or military veterans working security (Fortress Defense).

Julie Anne Lindsey's books can be found in stores and online wherever you buy your books. She has published under several pseudonyms. They are Julie Anne Lindsey - Bree Baker - Jacqueline Frost - Julie Chase - but all her books can be found on her official website.

Already available for pre-order is a new cozy mystery series set to debut this fall. Burden of Poof will be the first of at least eight Bonnie and Clyde mysteries that I can't wait to read.


Happy Reading!

        - Heather


Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Review - Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras

May 11, 2020 - that's when I read my first romance novel since I was in high school. If you're wondering how long that's been, I graduated from high school in 1987. 

So yeah. It had been a while. 

The book I read was by an author whose books I'd never read before named Priscilla Oliveras. I had heard of her only because I'm in the Between the Chapters Book Club, a Facebook group hosted by Kensington Books, a publishing house under the umbrella of Penguin Random House. So for fun, I decided to try the book. It was one of the May books of the month. I liked the cover. I'd seen it in a couple of Emails. Why not? 

Why not, indeed! Island Affair is a fake boyfriend/girlfriend romance that was a ton of fun and turned into the real thing for a happily ever after at the end of the book. Sara and Luis. Swoon. How could you not love it? It's a fantastic book - filled with a woman in Key West whose boyfriend basically stood her up on this trip and Luis, a dreamy Latinx firefighter paramedic whose family is big and accepting and more than happy to see their son find love. (This is Book 1 of why you should never go up against a Cuban mami. You won't win. Just smile, nod, and say Si, Señora! For book 2 of this lesson, read Anchored Hearts. No. Really.)

Thanks to this book, I've been hooked on reading romance novels nearly non-stop since last May11. No really. It's true. 

Her latest book, Anchored Hearts, book #2 of the Keys to Love series just came out and does not disappoint! 

There’s nothing better than returning to Key West to visit the Navarro and Miranda families. Oliveras’ earlier book, Island Affair was my visit visit to the Keys (in real life or fiction) and it’s also the book that piqued my interest in romance novels. Island Affair was the first romance novel I had read since high school and I graduated in ‘87. 

In Anchored Hearts, we return to spend time with Annamaria Navarro as she’s working hard as a paramedic / firefighter but also doing a fabulous job building her own business that centers on fitness and good nutrition. She’s making a name for herself in that industry and is making great progress at growing her business. 

Enter Alejandro Miranda, her first love who ran off to Europe after high school to pursue his dream of photography - breaking her heart in the process. Now, 10-12 years later, he re-enters her life after a serious accident that has him laid up at his parents’ home. It’s definitely a challenge since he doesn’t get along with his father who still harbours resentment towards his son for not joining the family business. 

Now, combine two broken hearts with their Cuban Mamis and there is sure to be a lot of fun and friction. 

Remind me never to say anything but yes, ma’am to any Cuban Mami who crosses my path. They sure are forces to be reckoned with - especially when they’re right! 

I love the rekindling of emotions between Annamaria and Ale that built throughout the story. Priscilla Oliveras’ writing style drew me in from the first page, as she has on all her other books I’ve made a point to read in the last several months. 

Following a constant theme of familia present in all her books, Anchored Hearts did not disappoint. I look forward to her next book. Definitely an author whose books I pick up on sight.

Priscilla Oliveras' other books include: 

* His Perfect Partner (Matched to Perfection #1)

* Her Perfect Affair (Matched to Perfection #2)

* Their Perfect Melody (Matched to Perfection #3) 

* Resort to Love (Paradise Key #2) 

* Holiday Home Run (which has a main character who played for the Chicago Cubs. Fictional main character, yes, but whenever my favorite baseball team makes an appearance, I like it that much more!)

Her books can be found most everywhere. Click here for a complete list. 

On social media, Priscilla Oliveras is always super friendly and is happy to welcome new romance readers into Romancelandia. I'm a romance novel convert thanks to her. Find her online here: Website - Twitter - Goodreads

Thanks and happy reading!

         - Heather

Find me online

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Book of the Month - May

Subscription boxes are all the craze these days, especially since so many of us haven't been going out in the last year, opting instead for a lot more delivery services than usual. Subscription boxes ranging from wine to coffee to makeup to pizza to cleaning supplies are becoming more and more popular. Not wanting to be left out, I happily jumped on this bandwagon!

Last month, I signed up for a monthly subscription box of books. It's aptly named the Book of the Month Club. 

It's super basic and I love it. Each month, I choose one of five books and it's mailed to me. Simple as that. I'm welcome to pass on a month, cancel, keep it going. Whatever I want. 

This month's box arrived today. 

The book I chose is a thriller by Laura Dave: The Last Thing He Told Me (Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon) 

As with every month, I also get the option of grabbing an extra 1-2 books leftover from previous months. I did that this time around and ended up receiving these two gems. 

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon)

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon (Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon) 

Yes, my new addiction to romance novels continues. I can't help it. I can't not read them. 

April's book was People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. (Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon). It's an early release, available for purchase starting May 11, 2021. I'm just now getting started on this book and am really enjoying it so far. 

Emily Henry is also the author of a bookI loved called Beach Read. (Goodreads - Barnes & Noble - Amazon). Beach Read is classified as a romance novel, yes, but I love how it follows two writers, each encountering writer's block for their own respective genres. Along the way they share with each other what typically inspires them to write. The romance is there, but takes a back burner to the friendship and mutual respect as writers that develop. It's a fantastic book! 

Have you signed up for any subscription boxes I our pandemic world? If so, I'd love to know what goodies you're having delivered to you every month!

Book of the Month is a fun club to join and while I'm barely into my second month, I can already tell I'm going to enjoy it. I look forward to sharing my reviews of these books in the coming weeks.

Take care and happy reading! 

             - Heather

Find me in your favorite places!

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Greetings!

HELLO! It's been since October since I last gave you an update on my book writing adventures here in Columbus, Ohio.

Well...it's been a tad crazy. Sure. That's the pat answer folks give when they've been too busy to care about things and totally forgot. "Oh man. Uh...it's been crazy." Translation: "Oh shit. Totally forgot, dude."

In all honesty, I haven't forgotten. 

Have I been busy? Yes. Absolutely. 

Some of that is for work. I'm still working my logistics job from a 6-foot, fold up banquet table set up in the living room of my 650-square foot apartment near the awesome neighborhood called Grandview. I really like my job and I absolutely love the people I work with. We're a tight-knit group and we all get along fabulously well which makes this whole job worth it. We're also fairly compensated for the jobs we do. Did I get that $3 million signing bonus? No. Maybe I need to work on my negotiating skills. Or maybe, it's because people don't buy tickets to see me do my job like they do for athletes. 

Note to self: Cancel plans for merchandising rollout. 

Some of it has been because I work and then I read. That's pretty much it. I've read 109 books so far this year. And no - I don't mean in the year since the lockdown went into effect. (Because we're officially past a year now) I mean 109 books since January 1, 2021. No really. It's true. Check out my Goodreads page. While you're there, friend me! I like friends!

I have a cat and sure, like all self-respecting cats, she judges me nonstop, but that's it. No kids, No husband. A pandemic which has kept me at home - and I'm totally good with that. My being careful means I haven't gotten sick. But in non-pandemic times, I usually spend a lot of time at cafes, inevitably running into people I know. I go to my knitting group. I get together with friends for dinners. I go to the movies a lot. All that stopped last year. All of it. My knitting friends zoom on occasion, so we still "see" each other, but that's it. I have no commute, except for the few seconds it takes me to walk out to my living room. So how do I spend my time? I read and I write. 

Which brings me to writing. I received my book back from my editor, who is awesome. And she's honest. Before June 11, 2020, I'd never attempted any sort of creative writing. One exception: The Weaving Loom, which I wrote as a fluke in response to another Peace Corps volunteer who described the region to which I'd be moving in story form. I answered in kind. That was it. So when the editor got back to me with a paper that, if written in red ink would have made it look like it was bleeding, I knew I had my work cut out for me. 

Good parts, bad parts, indifferent parts and yes - I needed to hear it all. Basically - I had three entirely different story lines going. She articulated about my project that which I could not. So since then... I've removed 2/3 of the book and started again. I've kept some, I've added a lot and now it's turning into a book where the main character is more obvious. And more fun to write. And also a book I can be proud of. I'm pretty excited. 

So since Thanksgiving, when I got it back and yes - I was thankful for her quick and honest turnaround - I've been working on it. Of course - I've had several weeks when I couldn't decide what I wanted to write. I think I seriously got back into it in February or March. 

Along with working on my Grant's Crossing Book 1, which teeters between contemporary fiction and romance, I've started 3 others. I'm currently working on a RomCom with two characters pulled from book 1. I have another romance and another contemporary fiction that are just in the note-taking stages. I'm not sure that when Mom challenged me to write a book she meant to create a monster. 

Anyway - that's it with what I've been doing. I hope to finish up book 1 by Memorial Day so I can start editing the heck out of it. Then, I'm really excited about my RomCom and hope to get it to the editing-ready stage by July 4th. We'll see where I go beyond that. No idea if I'll stick to those dates, but whether I finish or not, it'll help prompt me to work on them. I know myself. I need the push. 

With this blog, since I'm the type that likes to review a lot of the books I read, I plan to start sharing them in here along with links to where they'll be online. I hope you enjoy them. 

Until then, Happy reading! 

 - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Keyboards and Spin-offs

Things have been pretty quiet on the blog front since I’ve been doing so much writing of late. Plus - working a lot of hours for my day job! 

My book is coming along really well. I’m about 87,000 words in which is roughly 300 pages of writing. Crazy, right? I never though I could come up with a fictional story on my own - probably because I’ve never tried, but here I am. I love where it’s going and have been doing a lot of research on various subjects so that I may portray them more realistically and more honestly. Yes, the story is fiction, but the professions of my characters are not, so I want to be true to those who work them in real life. 

As a result of meeting with one professional this past week, I’m working on some corrections and rewrites. I’m learning a lot in the process of writing a book and am loving every step of the way so far. Now - whether or not I’ll love trying to market my book, that remains to be seen, but the writing portion - is fantastic!

My book started when my challenged me to write my own after having read a couple of bad romances. (Don’t ask me the author - I don’t even remember!) I’m really getting into this because I have ideas already for a sequel or two as well as a book set during early last century. Plus, my biggest and most amazing surprise, is a young adult spin-off book that I’m creating with my nephew. He helped me come up with some of the names in my book and then told my mom, his grandmother, that he wanted to help me write a book. (He’s in high school). 

Well - we both came over to my mom’s for dinner (She’s the best cook ever!) and while I was expecting him to want to talk about it for maybe 20-30 minutes, we ended up planning out characters and story lines for 3-4 hours. I’m so excited by this! 

Watch for more details, but I’m hoping to have my current draft done later this month or next and then work on the YA spin-off book during November for NaNoWriMo. We’ll see how it goes! 

In the meantime, I’ve been working at home since the lockdown, so I was amused when I looked at my keyboards. This is probably far funnier to me than the rest of you, but I thought it would be fun to share, anyway! 

It seems I always shift with my left hand and use the space bar with only my right hand. I tend to wear down the same letter keys as well.

    1st-my writing keyboard for my iPad.

    2nd-for my day job.

Apparently I wear down the same keys on each! Lol! 

Anyhoo - there’s my writing picture of the day. 

Be well and take care! 

Happy Reading! 

        - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing 

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews

Home

I wrote this while serving in the Peace Corps and after having moved around a lot as a kid growing up - and since then as an adult. 

HOME

Where is my home? What is my home? 

I look for it now, but can’t find it. 

Home is not a place, 

Nor something I see.

Home is a feeling.

It is abstract. Intangible.

Home is where my family is.

It is where my friends are.

It is where we all feel comfortable.

It is where I can see myself, 

Where I feel accepted. 

Home is here. 

Home is where I am.

Home is a state of mind.

Home is a state of being.

Welcome home. 

What is home to you? 

Thanks for reading! 

        - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing 

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews

The Weaving Loom

The Weaving Loom is my first ever short story that I wrote as a total fluke while serving in the Peace Corps. It was Site Announcement Day, or the day during training when we learned in which specific city, town, or village we'd be spending our next two years. My site? Smolyan, Bulgaria, deep in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains. Don't know where that is? Find a map of Bulgaria (About the size of Ohio). Then, find the city of Plovdiv, which is right in the center. After that, head straight down ALMOST to Greece. There, you will find Smolyan. It's beautiful!

A volunteer who'd already been in country for a year lived near my site, so I asked him what it was like in that region. His answer? A story about life in the Rhodopes. So... on a fluke, I responded in kind with a short story of my own. The result was The Weaving Loom. Here's an updated version I submitted to a short story contest for the Kenyon Review. Mine didn't get picked, but I wrote and polished it enough to submit to someone I didn't know. To me, that was a big step. 

I hope you like it! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. - Heather

The Weaving Loom

Present day Sofia, Bulgaria

Rumyana hated to see it happen, but neither knowing how to use it nor having enough space in her new but small apartment she couldn’t keep it. She fought back tears as the museum crew slowly disassembled it and carried it away piece by piece. 

Her thoughts wandered to her grandmother who had told her stories about how she and her sister would spin to the comforting, clicking sound of dyado working at his loom. 

A sudden loud click snapped her out of her daze. She slowly walked over and re-snapped the heddle lock into place before the last pieces were carried out. Hopefully they would have a place for this. If not, it would be destined to collect dust in a crate, neatly tucked away in a museum storage room in Sofia. 

Traditional weaving loom - Ethnographic Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria

60 years earlier Smilyan, Bulgaria

Selling the animals was simply not an option if they still wanted to put food on the table. At the time, there were no sewing or spinning machines. There were no electric shears, only a large loom, two spinning wheels and a pair of sheering scissors. 

Together the family worked all day and often by candlelight to produce the fabric required to both make their own clothes and to earn their valuable income. Their father and uncles would sheer sheep throughout the year to provide the wool necessary to spin. 

Marieta and her sister would spend the day at their spinning wheels. Their mother would knit the family socks and pullovers while their father would take the bulk of the yarn and weave it into what he boasted was the highest quality cloth in the region. 

Alexander was proud of his work. Without question, he put in many hours’ hard work for his family day in and day out. They all worked to survive. 

After his daughters, he was proudest of his weaving loom. It was a large framed loom that took up almost the entire room. Made by his grandfather, it was the family’s prized possession. 

A talented carpenter and craftsman, his grandfather made it as a wedding gift for his father. Likewise, when Alexander married, he and his bride then received the loom as a gift. Its equal had yet to be found. Alexander hoped to pass it down to his eldest daughter, Marieta, should she ever get around to marrying Vesko.

To weave his cloth, Alexander would have to climb into the loom, sit on the bench and not move again until he was finished weaving for the day. After warping it at the start of each week, he would work the weft from the right to the left. From the left to the right, his arms slowly imitating the movement of a butterfly whilst moving the shuttle back and forth. A loud click and he would shift the heddles to weave the next row. 

Back and forth. 

Click. Next row. 

Would he be ready to go for next week’s market day? Would he receive a fair price from Mr. Borisov this week? Would he have enough to buy flour, salt and butter for the family? These were the questions that weighed on his mind each week. 

Click. Next row.

She was young and beautiful. With long, dark hair flowing in the wind, fair skin and deep brown eyes, Marieta turned many a man’s head in her small village of Smilyan. However, her heart was already promised to Veselin, or Vesko, the son of the village schoolmaster. Though she wanted more than anything to accept Vesko’s proposal, she felt she had nothing to bring to a marriage. 

She came from a family of weavers and though they only produced 20 + meters of fabric a week to sell in the local markets, it was enough to make ends meet. 

Click. Father shifted the heddles for the next row. 

She and her sister would spend the days spinning and spinning. They would often hum melodies to the clicking sound of their father’s loom. They knew that someday it would be passed down to them and then passed down to their children. However, passing it down meant an end to a father’s means of survival. What’s more important? Her own happiness? Or her father’s means of income? 

Sure – he could build another loom, but… 

Click. Next row.

Distaff, Swift and Traditional spinning and weaving tools
Ethnographic Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria

One day while spinning and humming their favorite songs, Marieta and her sister heard a knock at the door. They looked up for a moment as their mother stood up to answer it. 

Marieta glanced out the window and saw Vesko standing at the door. “Tatko”, she said to her father. “It’s Veselin”. “Hmm”, he replied, without breaking his rhythm. 

Click. Next row. 

A moment later, their mother came in and told Alexander that Veselin wanted to speak to him.

“Hmm”, he replied while getting up from his work. 

Their mother went back to her knitting as Alexander disappeared into the kitchen. The fiber she was spinning loosened rather quickly causing Marieta to have to re-attach it to her wheel. Her sister stifled a giggle earning a stern look in return. 

About 5 minutes later, Marieta saw Vesko leaving the house. Shortly thereafter, Alexander returned to his loom. 

Click. Next row. 

Marieta looked up with a curious look on her face. Without missing a beat, he looked at her, paused, and said, “It is time.” and returned to his work. 

She could have sworn she saw a tear in his eye. 

Instead of commenting, she returned to her own work and hummed her favorite song.

Click. Next row.

Thanks for reading! 

        - Heather

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Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews