Dear Friend,
On a recent visit to a famous warehouse store-you know the one-I tried a sample of a tres leches cake. It was bubbly, sweet, and so delicious that I immediately said, “I’m buying this!” And I did… and the scale showed the indulgence the next day. Oh, well!
And while life may be like a box of chocolates, and you never know which flavor you’re going to get. . . I like the idea of layers.
Cakes have layers with some more substantial elements surrounded and topped by the sweet frosting. There can be many flavors, but it’s your choice!
Why my fixation on cakes and layers? Well, I admit it’s because of that luscious tres leches cake. It made me consider the layers of the books I write. Thinking about the romances, you have the ingredients for the layers and the frosting.
There are the characters, which are complex in themselves, maybe like a carrot cake with raisins. Each little piece is different and they’re all held together by the plot. In the case of the carrot cake analogy, maybe some pieces of walnuts or pecans make it all a little uneven, but the flour, butter or oil, flavoring, eggs, and leavening make it a rich, moist dessert. The frosting using cream cheese adds a richer flavor. It all combines to make a delightful experience. Umm, maybe I’ll make a carrot cake this week!
For the book analogy, the twists and turns of the plot are like the uneven texture with the nuts and shredded carrot which provide surprises. Each character needs to stand on their own, with influences from the other “ingredients.”
I particularly enjoy providing the plot twists and surprises as each of the featured characters work their way toward a happy ending. In the instance of The Greatest Thing, I especially loved making several couples and individuals happy. Every happy ending for each set of couples is written to be unique and offer some surprises.
Since I’m getting closer and closer to having The Greatest Thing ready for you to read, I can’t wait to share it with you! I’ll let you know when very soon.
(When my editor finished reading my book, she said, “What a whirlwind! I felt like I had an insider’s peek into the characters’ lives.”)
Pretty soon, you’ll know so much more about Louisa and Will, Sophie and Joe, and several other memorable characters! Get ready!
And to finish the cake analogy, you’ll be able to taste (I have recipes in the back of the book) the flavor of happiness, joy, love, and challenges that The Greatest Thing offers.
Louisa has a “touch” of the paranormal where she sees things in the past or future. Would you like to see more of that in future books?
Please send your answer to: Shelley@ShelleySommers.com – or – answer in the Comments box below.
Enjoy your desserts and happy reading!
Shelley
