The Face Behind the Story

As we enter the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to share a couple of pictures. Last year I released my Christmas novel The Christmas to Remember. It is based on stories from the life of my paternal grandfather from when he lived in Denmark.

His birth name was Nils Peder Jacobsen (I called him Jens Pederson in the book), and his mother was Jacobina. He was the oldest of several children, unlike my novel where he was the youngest. He did have one sister who was named Ove, but I do not know much about the real Ove. He also had some brothers and another sister named Mary.

When he was very young he had to go to work to help his family. Jacobina worked hard and had many jobs -- cleaning homes, taking in laundry, etc. -- until she became a seamstress which as a good job and helped to lighten her load. There was no father in the family which I'm sure made Neal feel as if he needed to help out.

His family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and when he was a 11 he left Denmark forever to come to America. His name was changed to Neal Jacobsen and he went to live with a couple named Hillyard who had a farm in northern Utah. He never saw Denmark or his mother again. It wasn't until he became a soldier in World War I that he added the name Hillyard to his.

This picture to the right is the photo taken of Neal when he arrived in America at Ellis Island. His recollections of coming to the United States, his train ride across the country to his new home in Utah, and his experiences learning to speak English and how to live on a farm are poignant and filled with spiritual lessons that continue to guide me.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to continue to write his story, it's so interesting to me. I think he was a very brave young boy, and a brave man. He never really had a childhood to my mind, at least not like the kind of childhood I had. He went to work when he was 8, and worked until his retirement. And even then he was always a body in motion. I don't remember him being a couch potato ever!

The photo on the left is of Neal's mother, Jacobina Jacobsen (Stina Pederson in my novel) and the woman I heard my grandfather refer to as "my little moder." In my mind she is a tiny, hard working, loving mother. Neal told the story of when he gave his mother the money from his first pay and how she cried to get it. Yet, as much as they needed every penny they got, she instructed him to make sure he paid his tithing and give thanks to the Lord for their blessings. As a child of 8 my grandfather told of how tall and imposing the bishop looked to him, yet he collected himself and paid his tithing. My mother has said that she learned of the law of tithing from him when she married my father. "Always pay the Lord first, and He will take care of you," he taught her.

He was not the only child Jacobina sent to America with members of the church. His younger sister Mary also came, though they were sent several months apart. Mary and her husband lived down the street from my grandparents, and we often would run down the lane to visit with her and have some of her wonderful cookies that she would have on hand when we would visit from California. As an adult, I think Neal and Mary lived so close because of their experience of being sent as small children away from their mother and family. I believe they needed to be near each other.

If you have read my book you may find these photos interesting to see. If not, you may want to pick up a copy and read more. Either way, Neal Jacobsen Hillyard is a man I deeply love and admire. Maybe his story will touch you as well.

Promotion Time!

I'm holding a special promotion for my book Lethal Prescription! It's so exciting to be able to offer this book for FREE from August 23 - August 27, 2012.

This book is the second in the Maeve and Kate Mysteries series. Here's a brief synopsis:

Best friends Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson are at it again! During a hospital stay Maeve meets Victoria Bennett, a young nurse who reveals her concern about something taking place in the hospital. When she turns up dead and it’s discovered her roommate is one of Kate’s clients, the pair set out to unearth what is going on in their small town of Elkhorn.

Nurses, doctors and patients in their hometown and the surrounding area are involved in a drug scam involving prescription drugs ... or are they? As the two women uncover clues they wind up with more questions then they have answers for. Why was Victoria killed, and who is threatening her roommate? A second murder, a threat on Maeve and Kate’s lives, and a frightening and intimidating street thug all add up to a mystery that have the friends racing to discover who’s behind it all before some else winds up dead!

Please pick up your copy, and when you've finished reading it, please post a review on Amazon. I'd appreciate it!

US http://goo.gl/c3kxl

and UK http://goo.gl/L23jH

Maeve Binchy (1940-2012)

We all have people in our lives who speak to us in one way or another, help us to reach for our goals and work to make our dreams come true. As a writer, there were two women who inspired me, and Maeve Binchy, who is one of them, died this past week. I am thinking of her and her work and how she has impacted me.

Ms. Binchy is an Irish writer. I was introduced to her back in the late 1980s when my best friend told me about her and gave me a copy of one of her books. “It make me think of us,” my friend told me. It was us. Binchy had so completely captured the feel, the reality of women and their friendships that I fell in love with her. She knows women, how they feel, how they relate, fight, support and love each other. My friend and I always kept each other up to date with her books. Once, when it was only available in the U.K. her husband bought us each a copy when he was there on business, and I remember thinking I was so lucky to have such a treasure!

Maeve Binchy wrote what she loved. She often said in interviews there were certain things she didn’t like to write about and so she didn’t. She wrote those things that she was familiar with, the people and lives she knew because she’d lived them herself. Full of humor, love and optimism, Maeve Binchy’s books make you feel as if these are not characters in books but real people. Men and women you might run into at the local cafe or store; who might be sitting next to you in church or the library. They’re real.

When I started writing my books I longed to tell women’s stories the same as she did. In my women’s fiction novel, In the Company of Women, I followed her example and wrote of a group of women, telling their stories by weaving them together and following their individual trails as well.

As a tribute to her, I named the main character in my cozy mystery series after her. And while the Maeve and Kate Mysteries are about solving crimes, at their heart they are about a friendship between two women that will survive anything.

There will be one more book from Maeve Binchy: A Week in Winter will come out this fall sometime. I cannot believe she is gone so soon, and there will be no more short stories on her website, no books to wait excitedly for. I will read again and revisit that marvelous country and people she loved to write about.

On her website where they posted news of her passing, they also posted this quote that I would like to share with you here. It’s pure Maeve Binchy ....

"The happiest moments of my life are connected with family and friends. There is a great comfort about being with people who knew you way back when. There is a mental shorthand, an easy-going feeling that life doesn't have to be explained or defined; we are all in more or less the same boat. To have a community around you in a changing and unstable world is invaluable and nothing can beat the feeling that there will always be people out for our good."

It feels like I've lost a friend. I will miss her.

The New Book is Coming!

My new Maeve and Kate Mystery is coming out May 21st, and here is a brief synopsis of their next adventure. If you are interested in catching up on their previous stories, you can find them on Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle apps.

Their first mystery is What Would Nancy Do? http://amzn.to/hyRpFN which was followed by  Emails: A Maeve and Kate Mini-Mystery http://amzn.to/pnofVT

This second novel is Lethal Prescription which is full of all the fun, excitement and suspense of their previous stories!

SYNOPSIS OF LETHAL PRESCRIPTION:

Best friends Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson are at it again! During a hospital stay Maeve meets Victoria Winters, a young nurse who reveals her concern about something taking place in the hospital. When she turns up dead and it’s discovered her roommate is one of Kate’s clients, the pair set out to unearth what is going on in their small town of Elkhorn.

Nurses, doctors and patients in their hometown and the surrounding area are involved in a drug scam involving prescription drugs ... or are they? As the two women uncover clues they wind up with more questions then they have answers for. Why was Victoria killed, and who is threatening her roommate? A second murder, a threat on Maeve and Kate’s life, and a frightening and intimidating street thug all add up to a mystery that has the friends racing to discover who’s behind it all before some else winds up dead!

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!

Just for Valentine's Day

Since February is the month of Valentine's Day, my romance novel Finding Normal will be available until the 15th for 99 cents on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/xSqyH8

Summary: Cassidy Maguire is a world famous actress and singer who longs for the normal life she knew as a child. Deciding to take a break from her hectic life in Hollywood, she moves to the small town of Aspen Grove, Colorado to try to find some peace and quiet. When she meets the town’s veterinarian Seth Walters sparks fly almost immediately. Seth likes his life as it is, but his heart is drawn to Cassidy. Can they make their relationship work? And as rich and famous as she is, will Cassidy be able to gain the love she seeks and find normal?

Happy Valentine's Day ..... and happy reading!

My Son, the Artist

I've published a new Christmas story, and Kevin did the cover for it! I'm so proud of him and his talents. I like the cover a lot. It's charming and whimsical, and I hope it won't be the last one he does for me. Here it is:

Here's a brief synopsis of the story:

Eight-year-old Alexander Billingsworth is having a very bad year. His best friend’s brother told him there was no Santa Claus. Now he sees the holiday as one big lie. That is, until his Grandpa gives him a very special gift that will answer his questions once and for all.

Grandpa's Gift sells for $.99 and is only available right now on Amazon http://amzn.to/rSieHI and on Smashwords http://bit.ly/roRa79 but will soon be available on Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, Kobo and other online e-book retailers.

I hope you take the time to check it out!

Release Day for My New Book!

I am happy and excited to announce the release of my newest novel, The Christmas to Remember!

The Christmas to Remember is a very personal book for me, as it is based on many of the personal experiences of my grandfather, Neal Jacobsen Hillyard. It is from his personal history that I have taken many of the events and people and based this fictional account of a young boy named Jens.

Here is a synopsis of the book:

In 1902 Aalborg, Denmark, life is hard for the Pederson family. Eight-year-old Jens has started working to help his mother and his older brothers and sister provide for their family. With angry adults around him, a bully at school out to get him, and his teacher assigning a dreaded essay, Jens has far too much to worry about.

But Christmas is fast approaching. With their meager earnings, the Pederson family begins preparations for the Christmas feast. Learning the true meaning of faith and hope as he helps with the plans, Jens has but one wish: to make this holiday the best one ever for his family. A Christmas to remember.

The gorgeous cover was designed by Rachael Sherwood, a professional photographer and a personal friend of mine. She has such a lovely eye for the beauty in the "ordinary" things of life showing how extraordinary they really are. She has created magic with her camera, not just for this cover but in her photographs of families, which are her specialty. I invite you to visit her website A Thousand Words at http://picturesareworth.blogspot.com/ to see what she can do!

Right now, The Christmas to Remember is available on Amazon (http://amzn.to/mRV0Ga) and at Smashwords (http://bit.ly/eRAVbp) and will soon be on sale at other e-book online retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo, Scrollmotion and Diesel.

I hope you'll take the time to check out this very special holiday story and add it to your personal collection. And if you do, please let me know what you think!

Release Day for New Book!

My latest novel, In the Company of Women, has been released and is now for sale on Amazon  http://amzn.to/hUG51v and Smashwords  http://bit.ly/fMjeLt . The cover was designed by Tara Kelley-Cruz (tara@thunderbaby.com).

When a group of women come together in a critical year in their lives, they learn that gratitude for what life does or doesn’t bring you, and friends both old and new can carry you through no matter what is thrown at you. Gillian faces a life threatening surgery; Nancy and her husband must deal with the hardest trial of their lives together; Joyce is forced to give up her most precious dream and take up a new and more powerful one; Emma discovers she has something that can change not only her life but her community’s; and Nancy’s daughter Jane is given a chance to share a long held secret and learns, along with the others, how forgiveness’ embrace can give you a new life. They are stories all women can relate to.

Ultimately they all discover that when things do not turn out the way you want they can turn out to be what you need. These women take life head on and know as long as they have each other it is possible to triumph over it all.

In the Company of Women explores the strength of friendship, the gift of gratitude, the power of forgiveness and how a group of women can change themselves and those around them.

Please feel free to go to one of the above mentioned websites and check it out.  Smashwords will allow you to download the first 20% of the book for a free preview.  And let me know what you think!

Book Cover

I'm showcasing the cover for my new book which will be published later this week. Designed by the very talented Tara-Kelley Cruz, this cover is exactly what I was hoping for. I'm so pleased with it, and hope she will work with me on future projects.

Tara is a graphic artist who is very talented. If you are an author looking for an artist to design a cover for your next project, feel free to contact her at tara@thunderbaby.com and let her know you got her name from me.

I Am a Professional!

Today is a red letter day for me!  I received my first check today from Amazon.com for sales from my first book What Would Nancy Do?  I guess that means that I am really a professional novelist now!  Woop Woop!

Part of me doesn't want to cash it.  I just want to sit and look at it.  I guess that would be silly.  But what can I say?  I feel silly with excitement.  I'm so thankful for Stan, AJ, Kevin and all my friends who have supported me and helped to get me here.  I wish it was enough to throw a party for you all!

Just wanted to share .......

I Did It!

Well, I did it!  I finished the novel I was writing for National Novel Writing Month!  I did it with three days to spare, and a few words over the requirement at 51,945.  What a sense of accomplishment!

This is a book that has been ratting around inside my heart for quite a long time.  Participating in NaNoWriMo forced me to sit down and let it out, and I have to admit I'm very pleased with the results.  Don't get me wrong, the book has a LOT of work left to do on it, but the story is one I'm quite happy with.  I plan on spending the next year working on it and hope to be able to publish it next fall.  Since it is set at Christmas time, I would like to have it out so people can enjoy it througout the holidays next year.

I blogged at the beginning of the month how this is a book that is based on some of the experiences my grandfather had when he was a child in Denmark in the early 1900s.  Using both his autobiography as well as doing extensive research on the internet, I was able to gain an appreciation and a deeper love for Grandpa.  He is someone I have always loved and respected, but this experience has given me an insight that goes beyond what I have had so far.

To support NaNoWriMo and their Young Writers Program, I will be offering THE CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER on the Smashwords website for a limited time.  It will sell for 99 cents, and all proceeds will go to the Young Writers Program.   If you choose to read it now, please remember that it is in a very rough draft stage.  I know it needs editing, so please don't send me tons of emails about what is wrong with the book.  I am making it available to help raise a little money for NaNoWriMo.  Just try to enjoy the story.

THE CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER will be available at http://www.smashwords.com/ from December 1st through January 5th.  I hope you take a look, support a worthy cause, and enjoy a fun story for Christmas.

The NaNoWriMo Experience

We're almost at the halfway mark for National Novel Writing Month.  I've been reading a healthy amount of criticism for the project, but as a writer I'm finding it not only challenging, but quite the learning experience. 

The thing is, it's not supposed to be this wonderful, complete, ready to publish novel when you get done.  Instead I believe the point of it all is to just get people writing, being creative and seeing what the possibilities are if you put your shoulder to the wheel.

My grandfather Neal Jacobsen, came to America from Denmark when he was 11.  His mother, who was very poor, had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the city of Aalborg in the early 1900s.  The church offered a program where they would take children and send them to America where they would live with families from the church.  It offered the children an opportunity for a better life, and Neal's mother chose to send Neal, along with his sisters Mary and Ove to America.

My grandpa was given to a family named Hillyard who lived halfway between Smithfield and Richmond in Cache Valley, Utah.

It is from his personal history that I am basing my novel.  It is not about him, but I have taken some of his experiences and given them to my main character.  It's a wonderful, and fun, experience for me to write this book.  I am looking forward to November 30th!

50,000 Words in Thirty Days!

Today is the start of National Novel Writing Month!  NaNoWriMo, as it is called, was set up to promote the written word.  It is not supposed to be a competition but to be a situation wherein you can challenge yourself to write.  In this case, a novel in 30 days!

Sounds exciting,doesn't it?  I've started, have a little over 800 words into my first attempt at NaNoWriMo.  I have about a dozen writing buddies over there.  We encourage, nag and support each other so that we can finish. 

Everyone who actually finishes their novel is considered a winner of NaNoWriMo.  I am confident and hopeful, and when I do finish at the end of the month I'll receive a logo that I can display on my blog.

I'll be posting here everyone once in awhile how it's going, and when it's completed, I will edit it and publish it on Smashwords.com where it'll be available to read if you're interested.

So, back to the WIP.  I'll probably be low profile during November.  See you around!

A Sweet Deal!

Here's a deal that's hard to pass up! My cozy mystery What Would Nancy Do? can be purchased from now until October 1, 2010 at a 40% savings!

Just go to Smashwords.com and enter the coupon code QA25V to receive the discount.

A Brief Synopsis:

Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson have been friends for over forty years. Having met in junior high the two quickly discovered a mutual love and admiration for the girl detective Nancy Drew. It was the cement that bound them and now, all these years later, they fondly remember the heroine.

A stay-at-home wife and mother Maeve volunteers at the library with their former high school teacher who helps them with research and advice. Kate, a therapist, runs court appointed anger management classes giving her access to the detective in charge. Together they use all their resources to delve into the woman's life and family to discover secrets, sibling rivalries and deeply rooted resentments that convince them the woman's death was not random act of violence.

More shootings around their small town convince them they are on the right track while they hurry to put the pieces together. As they deal with all of this, one of Kate's court enforced clients seems to be of the notion that she is the one standing in the way of his success, and continues to interfere in their investigation and frightens Maeve with his confrontations.

With their lives at stake, Maeve and Kate learn they can rely on each other in ways their friendship has never been tested before as they race to find the killer and turn him over to the police before he kills again.When a woman is killed in front of them and the detective assigned to the case dismisses it as a gang related murder, the two friends decide to tackle the case asking themselves "what would Nancy do?" as their guiding force.

Freebies!

My cozy mystery What Would Nancy Do? is currently available on smashwords.com in a wide variety of formats.  This is an ebook, and is not available in print format as of yet. 

However, you can preview the first twenty percent of the book for free to see what it's like.

You may also download a companion short story Emails: A Maeve and Kate Mini-Mystery.  This story features the characters from the novel and is a complete mystery on it's own.  Emails is available for free. 

Both of these can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/ or you can go directly to my author page there at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maureenmullis if you desire.

I hope you'll take the time to check them out!

Now Available!

My ebook, WHAT WOULD NANCY DO? is now available on smashwords.com!  I am so excited to be able to make this announcement which has been a long time in coming.  Within a few weeks you will also be able to find it on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and others.

WHAT WOULD NANCY DO? is the story of Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson who have been friends for over forty years. Having met in junior high the two quickly discovered a mutual love and admiration for the girl detective Nancy Drew. It was the cement that bound them and now, all these years later, they fondly remember the heroine.


When a woman is killed in front of them and the detective assigned to the case dismisses it as a gang related murder, the two friends decide to tackle the case asking themselves "what would Nancy do?" as their guiding force.

A stay-at-home wife and mother Maeve volunteers at the library with their former high school teacher who helps them with research and advice. Kate, a therapist, runs court appointed anger management classes giving her access to the detective in charge. Together they use all their resources to delve into the woman's life and family to discover secrets, sibling rivalries and deeply rooted resentments that convince them the woman's death was not random act of violence.

More shootings around their small town convince them they are on the right track while they hurry to put the pieces together. As they deal with all of this, one of Kate's court enforced clients seems to be of the notion that she is the one standing in the way of his success, and continues to interfere in their investigation and frightens Maeve with his confrontations.

With their lives at stake, Maeve and Kate learn they can rely on each other in ways their friendship has never been tested before as they race to find the killer and turn him over to the police before he kills again.

Something Old, Something New

I closed down my writing blog a little while ago.  I have restarted it under a new address.  This one is going to be a bit more professional and is tied to my professional facebook account.

Please feel free to visit me at http://www.maureenmullis.blogspot.com/.

I will also keep you posted here on my progress to get published.  See ya'll round the blog!

Check It Out and Let Me Know

I've just posted a new short story on my writing blog.  Please feel free to read it and let me know what you think!  Thanks.

A New Blog

Just to let you know, I have started a new blog to spotlight my writing.

It's called Plotting It Out and you can access it on the Blog List on this blog.

I hope you'll visit it, read the first short story I've posted there, and offer feedback and support as I work on becoming a published author.

Thanks!

Getting Pumped

I sent my latest novel off to an agent a while ago and finally heard back from her. While she decided not to take me on as a client (mostly because of the current economic situation) she wrote me a handwritten letter telling me what she thought of my book. It was all very positive and made me feel really good, and grateful that she took the time to write to me.

This weekend I got my new issue of Writer's Digest in which an agent wrote about rejections and said that one of the best rejections you can receive is a personal note from an agent. Among other things he said, "... a personalized rejection is actually a good thing. It means you've got the writing chops or some other compelling factor on your side that will likely lead you to becoming a published aughor. You've convinced a publishing professional to pay attention to you -- and that should be a tremendously energizing event."

It is. Then AJ asked me how many personalized notes I've received over this book. I've received several. So I'm going back in, doing some more revising and editing, and going to hit the query road again. Wish me luck! I'm pumped!