Dear Friend,
My headline might seem mysterious. What is the “greatest thing?” It’s now the title of Book 4 of the Louisa’s Vineyard Series. It took some time to come up with an appropriate title, but I didn’t want to be “on the nose” or boring with something like “True Love.”
As mentioned in my previous blog, “The Greatest Thing” was alluding to the popular song, “Nature Boy.” Written by Eden Ahnez, Nat King Cole performed it and initially made it popular. The song is a love ballad with the important line being, “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, and other singers also covered the song. It even inspired Paul McCartney. Learn more
For romance, learning to love and be loved is the key. Meeting, cute or not, comes first, but then when the characters realize they are in love, they need to trust each other enough for love to thrive and last.
In the real world, divorce statistics show 60-67% of second marriages end in divorce, compared to 40-50% of first marriages. This trend is even more pronounced for third marriages, where the divorce rate exceeds 70%. (U.S. Census Bureau and ModernFamilyLaw.com)
In the world of romance, happy-ever-after is the rule, with “happily for now” a secondary approach.
When I first started writing the Louisa’s Vineyard Series, I considered making Louisa and Will’s story the primary story for only book one, Louisa’s Passion. My intent was to make each successive book focus on a different couple. I’ve read many romances from authors like Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis, who make one location the unifying factor in their series. Each successive book then focuses on other couples.
I chose a different approach after speaking with several avid romance readers. They wanted to know what happened after Louisa’s Passion was over. After mulling it over for weeks, I decided Louisa and Will’s relationship should be the unifying factor for the series.
Since Sophie and Joe are close friends with Louisa and Will, their relationship is explored in the books. Other family members and friends are featured in the series.
For character development, I strive to make my characters believable, someone you might know. However, everyone is fictional.
One idea I’ve been toying with for a future novella is featuring Randy, Louisa’s brother, a few years ahead of the current timeline. Randy’s a talented baseball player, so the plot could include him in that capacity, as well as his first relationship. If you’ve been reading the books, Randy’s a fun character. He’s exuberant, cuts to the core of what matters, and honest. I’d love to hear from you if you like this concept for a book in the future.
I’d also like to center a book around John, Louisa’s dad, and Karin, his new wife. John is a character who likes to joke, and Karin is definitely a great match for him. They eloped in a previous book, so I’ll have them planning an anniversary party in their book with lots of hurdles to getting everyone together. And a major surprise. (Again, no spoilers!)
Meanwhile, I’m writing the last part of The Greatest Thing with Louisa and Will coping with challenges beyond what most newlyweds ever imagine. I’m not mentioning spoilers, because I want everyone to enjoy the book, fresh and new, with no preconceived notions.
In The Greatest Thing, I’ll include two recipes like I’ve featured in my other books. These are recipes that I’ve made myself and enjoy. My approach to recipes is to make them as versatile, appealing, and easy as possible. One recipe I’ll be including in The Greatest Thing is definitely a soup.
If you’d like to let me know what you think about my future concepts, I’d love to hear from you!
You’ll be the first to learn when The Greatest Thing is launching. Keep reading!
Thank you for being part of the Louisa’s Vineyard world!
Warmest wishes (and I’m in Arizona, where everything is especially warm this time of year!),
