Welcome to the Creek by Julie A. Lindsey

Welcome to Honey Creek!

We’ve been anxiously awaiting this day for more than a year. It hardly seems real now that it has arrived. Today we celebrate the launch of our new imprint, Honey Creek books. I am more than honored to be the author launching this line (though I have to tell you it has more to do with timing than anything else – but I am smiling like a looney bird in my corner of Ohio all day anyway).

Honey Creek is special to me because Ohio gets such a bad rap. I hear it called a “flyer over state” a lot and I cringe every time. Ohio is an AMAZING place to visit and an ever more spectacular place to live. I was born and raised here and am raising three little Lindseys here now. I can’t imagine doing it anywhere else. This isn’t true because I’ve never been anywhere else. I’ve been lots of places. In fact my sweet husband is prepping for a trip to Switzerland as I type. The fact is no matter where we visit, we’re ready to call it an awesome memory and head home after a week or two.

When I saw the call for authors at Turquoise Morning Press to write about a small rural town in Ohio, I knew I was home. I called my husband to tell him even before I began writing my first Honey Creek story. My enthusiasm as always, overshadowed his reply. All I remember saying was “I mean, I AM Ohio! This is it!!” At some point we said good-bye and the rest as they say is history.

In Ohio, things move a little slower. People are a little nicer and the four seasons are a spectacle to behold. Who wouldn’t want to write about that? We have cities dotting our countryside where I can grab a Starbucks and stock up on Sephora anytime I want and still be home in time to watch the sunset. I sled ride in the back yard all winter and dance in the rain in the spring. My kids have freedom they couldn’t if we lived somewhere over populated with a crime rate to match. The Amish communities here are also a tender reminder that we could all stand to do with a little less and enjoy what we have a little more.

I think Honey Creek is like this. When I wrote Bloom, I had my town in mind. A place where everybody means well and privacy is a matter of perspective. I love that there’s a moral thermometer reminding the characters that what they do in private just might come out in the local hair salon tomorrow morning. It keeps them on their toes.  The good citizens of Honey Creek are watching. Mischief takes a little ingenuity, and forget about hiding an engagement or a pregnancy. This little town makes certain our characters will work a little harder and stumble a little more, but in the end, they’re part of a community who wants them to live and love and succeed.  As a writer, I’ve found my home.

I hope you’ll visit Honey Creek. It’s a beautiful place where anything can happen. Kick off your shoes, relax into that porch swing and cuddle up to a steamy mug of cider. Taking a trip to Honey Creek is as easy as Amazon : ) See you there!

Bloom by Julie Anne Lindsey

In a town filled with her past, she never expected to find her future…

Seven years ago Cynthia left Honey Creek with a broken heart. Three years ago Mitchell arrived with one.  Now Cynthia’s come home, and these two hardened hearts can’t stop arguing. If they’d only take a break long enough to find some common ground, they might be surprised to find love can grow anywhere.

If they’ll let it, love will find a way to Bloom.

*Bloom is book one in my new Seeds of Love series.  I’ll be planting those seeds all year.

About Julie:

I am a mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find me online, amped up on caffeine & wielding a book.

You can find my blogging about the writer life at Musings from the Slush Pile

Tweeting my crazy at @JulieALindsey

Reading to soothe my obsession on GoodReads

And other books by me on Amazon

Available now on Amazon!

Bloom by Julie Anne Lindsey has Almost Arrived!

The countdown is getting down to the last few hours before the first novella in the Honey Creek Books series makes it's splash on the book universe. I'm so excited for Julie, and I can hardly wait to see her book.

If you've been following our blog, you might remember this post about Bloom which tells a bit about the story of coming back home after many years away. It's the first in a series called Seeds of Love.

Julie is always online, and I mean always. It doesn't matter what time of day or night I get online, she seems to be there, ready with a funny comment or observation. Fans can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, her website, and oh, I don't know how many other places. You'll find all the links on our Meet the Authors page.

In case you haven't heard, there are several books and novellas coming in 2012 and 2013, all set in this lovely piece of heaven on earth called Honey Creek. If you haven't subscribed to our blog, you might want to do it right now, because we have much more in store for you that you won't want to miss. Check out this A-list of our exciting upcoming releases:

• Ice Princess by Jennifer Anderson in April 2012. It's a YA novella.
• Nursing Second Chances by Maggie Greene in May 2012. This is a sweet romance.
• Shades of the Future by Suzanne Lilly, available July 2012. What would you do if you had a pair of sunglasses that allowed you to see the future?
• Love Blossoms by Julie Anne Lindsey is the next book in the Seeds of Love series, coming in September, 2012.
• Prince Charming by Jennifer Anderson in September 2012. It's another YA novella, making September a bonus month for our readers.
• Two more novellas are scheduled for December 2012, one by Julie Anne Lindsey and another by Jennifer Anderson.
• Untellable by Suzanne Lilly is coming in February 2013, a novel of a young woman running from her past and finding her future in Honey Creek.

As you can see, we have plenty of new releases planned for you, starting with Bloom in just a few days. If you love series, you might love these books, all written about a small town in central Ohio by four different authors. I hope you enjoy the stories, and get as hooked on Honey Creek as we have.

Don't Mess with the Bus Driver

We live on a rural bus route in Ohio where the bus literally stops at everyone's driveway. It beeps. The driver waves. I know her husband's name is Charlie. She knows I drink copious amounts of coffee. It's a nice, warm relationship.

As long as we're ready and waiting.

Do. NOT. Mess with her schedule.

This lady has been driving the same route for decades. So, she knows she'll have my kids back on my driveway at 3:58pm. In return, I am to have them waiting for her at 8:32.

Not 8:31. She won't be there. And not 8:33 or all we'll see are her taillights. I swear I'm putting her in a Honey Creek book as soon as possible. On the days we're scrambling into our shoes and running onto the drive she reminds me of the crazy mailman on that old Chevy Chase movie Funny Farm.

Getting TO the school is hard on all of us. We're not really a "schedule" kind of family. My kids miss the bus more often than they ride it and their driver barely stops anymore before rolling out. If we aren't in the drive when she gets there, she knows we're most likely not gonna make it. It's been five months. We miss a lot. I mean, we're improving, but man, don't mess with the bus driver.

That lady is on a tight schedule!

I bet the driver in Honey Creek is like that too.

Eight-thirty-TWO!

High School Horror Stories

I recently had a conversation with someone about the worst date I'd ever been on. I immediately thought of two instances. I've decided to share one today.

My high school had what we called Turnabout. It was a Valentine's Day dance where girls were supposed to invite the boys. Senior year, I asked this guy from a couple of my classes and he said yes. I'd had a crush on him for a long time, so I was thrilled. My friends and I went shopping for dresses and I picked out a beautiful knee length red dress with tons of sparkles.

The day of the dance, I woke up sick. Looking back, I probably had the flu. Still, I was determined not to miss out. I dosed myself with drugs and went to the basketball game. He and I were both in band, so I spent most of the morning hanging out with him, then headed home to get ready. My best friend came over to help and with her assistance and a lot more drugs I managed to look pretty damn good.

Like any nice guy, he picked me up and allowed my mom to take a couple thousand pictures before we left to meet our friends for dinner. We'd been in his car for a full five minutes when he informed me that he'd asked another girl out in my class two days ago and she said yes.

Crushed doesn't even begin to describe it. Fortunately, the meds I was on kept me pretty happy for the next several hours. It wasn't until he and I were eating pie at a local diner after that I the situation really hit me. I immediately asked to be taken home. The minute I walked in the front door, I sat down in the entry way and cried for what felt like hours. The best part? The two of them made out in front of me every day for the rest of the school year.

My main character in Nursing Second Chances also had some bad luck dating in high school that haunts her into adulthood. Fortunately, mine was small compared to hers.

Okay, now it's your turn. Worst date you've ever been on?

My Style is Definitely Not Preppy

After Jen's post on Wednesday, she inspired me to write about style. Some people might say I have none. Whatever they say, I do have definite tastes in fashion.

While I love to look at people in preppy clothes, and I love the outfits on the covers of Ally Carter's books, I wouldn't want to wear those things. If I gave my husband a polo sweater and button down shirt to wear, he'd probably burn them in the fireplace. (When I wasn't looking of course.) Then I'd be searching through the closet asking, "Where's that polo shirt I bought you?" and I'm sure he'd say, "What? I can't hear you! I'm using a power tool!"

Which brings me to my style. I'm a jeans and tshirt kind of gal. Very relaxed and casual. When I'm working I wear dress slacks, a sweater or blouse, and scarves. I do like scarves. My husband is a jeans and tshirt kind of guy. Thankfully, that takes the pressure off me to wear fancy clothes. We dress like the couple in this picture. We even smile like them, too!

When I read Jen's post on Wednesday, I realized my main character has my style too. Mariah Davis likes to wear jeans with a nice blouse. She likes scarves and casual jackets. She loves boots. Her best friend Hayley Bayless is a bit more glitzy. She's the one who checks her gloss in the mirror, makes sure her hair is perfect, and always has a fresh manicure.She reads the latest fashion magazines and does her best to dress the part but still maintain a casual feeling with her clothes. For example, she would love to wear jeans with lots of bling, a casual sweater with a faux fur collar, and the expensive Dita shades Mariah found in my book, Shades of the Future.

The styles Mariah and Hayley wear reflect their lifestyles. They like to picnic and stroll or run at the lake, since Mariah does marathons, play Gauntlet, which requires good running shoes, have get togethers at friends' houses, and hang out at the White Cottage. Hayley likes to dress up a bit at the White Cottage, just in case some good looking guy (Carter or Kyle) happens to stop for a cup of coffee.

Do you have similar taste in style as your friends? What's the same or different about your tastes?

Image by Ambro at Freedigitalphotos.net

My Style by Jennifer Anderson

I confess.  I love preppy styles (do they even still call it that???)  I'm a sucker for a Polo shirt, plaid shorts and Sperrys.  This point is obvious by my newest shoe purchase. 

Maybe it stems from high school when I couldn't really afford all the preppy styles my friends wore or maybe I'll always be more conservative in my dress but give me a Ralph Lauren shirt over a Juicy any day.  Keds and penny loafers over neon tennis shoes.

Now, I might seem all flashy when I mention I own 4 pairs of red shoes (3 heels, 1 flat) but don't let that fool you. 

My closet often looks like I stepped from Tommy, Ralph or J.  Of course, I do own a pair of converse, which my husband hates!

And on a man, I love a blue three button polo and khakis.  Thankfully, I married a man who dresses that way! 

Why do I bring this up?  Because as I'm writing away on another YA HC, I can't help but mimic my love of preppy, traditional styles in my characters' clothes.  They live in country Ohio, I know, but that doesn't mean their wardrobe has to reflect all flannel and cowboy boots.  My girls like sweater twin sets and flats or white button ups and jeans.  Classic and comfortable.

What's your style?  And when you think about Honey Creek, how do you see the characters that create the drama we all can't wait to read about?

Real Life Influences

Ever wonder what inspired the scenes in a book? I often read and ask myself if the character in a story are based on a real person in the author's life or if any of the crazy things actually happened.

In my own writing, I often draw from real life experiences. While no particular event in NURSING SECOND CHANCES actually happened to me, I did draw on familiar places. My heroine returns to Honey Creek after living in Pittsburgh for a number of years. Since I currently live there, I tried to pull in some of experiences and feelings about the area.

Do you use real life to influence your writing? Ever wonder if something actually happened to an author?

Stroll Around Honey Creek Lake

Image by Janez Habjanic at Dreamstime

A while back I told you a little bit about the White Cottage Restaurant run by Bess Beale, and I tipped you off to some of the gossip. Today, let’s take a stroll around the lake, so you can see what the jewel of Honey Creek is all about.

Back in the 1970s Honey Creek was dammed up, and now we have a beautiful lake perfect for fishing, swimming, boating, and skiing. The locals make the most of this treasure.

All around the lake is a trail used by bikers and hikers. Eulalie Koffman, the cook at the White Cottage Restaurant, can be spotted riding her bike on the trail around the lake. She’s pretty spry for a woman of undetermined age.

You might see Mariah Davis, the young woman in my book Shades of the Future, jogging with whomever she can get to run with her. Sometimes it’s her boyfriend, Kevin Creamer. His dad owns Creamer’s Furniture Store, the best furniture store in Honey Creek. Yes, you guessed it. It’s the only furniture store in Honey Creek. Anyway, if Kevin isn't running with her, it might be her grandmother Nancy, another woman who wears her age well, or Mariah’s best friend Hayley.  Word around the restaurant has it that Hayley is crushing on Kyle Creamer, Kevin’s twin, but Kyle doesn’t even have Hayley on his radar. Poor Hayley.

As you walk, run, or bike around the lake, you’ll see plenty of squirrels, birds, raccoons, deer, and other wildlife. At the top of the dam, you’ll enjoy a beautiful vista of miles of cornfields. It’s a stunning sight you won't find anywhere but in Honey Creek, Ohio.

The lake is full of fish, hooking sportsmen from all around the state. The local IGA makes a fine dime from the money those fishermen spend on tackle and bait. Even in the winter, you’ll find the occasional person casting a line. It’s a major source of income for Honey Creek. In the summer, you can stay at the Honey Creek Lodge, or rent a cabin right on the lake. It’s a fine place to stay if you want to see the fireworks over the water on the Fourth of July.  Now wouldn’t that be the perfect backdrop for a first kiss? Maybe that’s even happened once or twice.

If you want to know more about Honey Creek, it’s people, it’s gossip, and when the next story is coming your way, just subscribe to our blog and we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest happenings. Oh, and we'll fill you in on the giveaways, contests, and book releases, too.

Posted by Suzanne Lilly

Celebrating Ice!

In the Midwest, we like to celebrate. Usually we celebrate our harvests. Around here my family attends strawberry festivals,watermelon festivals, apple festivals, pumpkin festivals...but this time of year, the harvest is frozen. What's a festival loving family to do? Don't worry. We don't let that stop us from a party. Nope. We ice up the outdoor water slides, grab a sled and call it an ice festival. Tobogganing, ice sculpting, snow creations, snow cones, you name it. There's always a reason to be happy. In fact, up in Twinsburg, OH when the ice melts and the harvest isn't ready, we have the nation's largest gathering of twins. True story. And no I don't have twins, but I go for the party. Also a true story. LOL.

So, here's my Midwestern list of how to embrace the cold and celebrate the annual process of earth moving away from the sun.

1. Cuddle

2. Build a fire! We love to build a fire in our wood stove and put a kettle on top with water and a cinnamon stick. Everything smells like hugs and kisses then.

3. Give the kids some spray bottles with a drop of food coloring in the water, then send em out to express their inner Picaso all over the snow laden yard. You can enjoy the quiet inside while they're gone. Bonus.

4. Take advantage of your stove! We avoid it all summer because it heats the house, but in the winter I can cook to my heat's content! Make cookies and cakes and pies and casseroles. Warms the house and fills your tummy Double score!

Finally...

5. Curl up with a good book and your favorite afghan. Learn to appreciate the days when you're snowed in because all too soon you'll be off an running errands with no rest in sight.

Lots of Hugs from me: Julie!

High School Reunions

Guess which one is me?

In my first Honey Creek book, my main character returns home to Honey Creek after being away for many years. She had a terrible high school experience and finds it hard to face the people who tortured her during her teens. I can't say I've ever had it as bad as my heroine, but I certainly can related.

A few weeks ago, I was back visiting my family for Christmas in my very own small town. I was never popular in high school, but feel like I've done pretty well for myself since I left. For some reason, I cannot leave the house unless I'm dressed up, hair done, makeup on, and feeling good. This is not normal for me. I can't jump up and down holding certificates and book covers to make people know that I think I'm doing well, so I figure perfect hair is the next safest bet.

All this is at the front of my mind because plans are in full swing for my high school reunion (no, I won't tell you which one) and I'm torn on going. I hated high school and I can't image I'm going to like many of those people better now that they are older. Did you go to your reunion? Was it worth it?

The Game of Gauntlet in Honey Creek

Image by Juri Bizgajmer at Dreamstime

In small town America, kids have to make their own entertainment. Honey Creek is no exception, with no shopping mall, skating rink, laser tag game room, or any of the other things big towns have. So what do the teenagers in Honey Creek do on a Saturday night that’s safe and fun and doesn’t involve alcohol? In the book Shades of the Future, they play Gauntlet. It’s very similar to a game the kids play in my own town, and maybe they play it in yours, too.

Gauntlet is always played late at night when most folks are already tucked in under a cozy afghan on the couch in front of their favorite television shows or books.

It’s hide and seek raised to the power of ten. In Gauntlet, kids race across town in the dark.  The kids start running in the dark from the Honey Creek School at the north end of town when the starter blows a whistle. Everyone takes different routes, keeping well hidden in the shadows and bushes along the sides of the roads. The goal is the cemetery at the south end of town. In between the schoolyard and the cemetery are the railroad tracks that run through Honey Creek. One person plays the pick-upper. The pick-upper drives a truck or van slowly through town, shining a flashlight beam into the dark, hoping to spot someone. When a runner gets spotted, he or she is pick-upped. The runner has to get in the truck or van and help spot other runners. The first runner to get to the cemetery is declared the winner.

As in any good game, there are a few hitches. Everyone brings empty soda cans with their names on them. The proof of making it to the cemetery is having their soda cans on the top of the front gate. It’s tricky to get to the cemetery because the runners have to time it just right to get across the railroad tracks. If they’re too slow, the night train comes through and can block them for several minutes.

Another hitch is that Candy Jacobs, the local police officer, knows the kids play Gauntlet, and she’s determined to put an end to the game. Never mind that she used to play it when she was in high school. Some people just take their jobs too seriously, in my opinion. If she sees a truck or van driving slow in town on Saturday night, she’ll pull it over as fast as she can turn on her siren. Believe me, that doesn't go over well with somebody innocently coming home from the movie show in Circleville.

So the runners must watch out for the spotters, the pick-upper, the train, Candy, and the occasional raccoon. Right now, Mariah Davis is the Queen of the Gauntlet. She’s a marathon runner, and she can put on the speed when she needs to. She hasn’t been beaten in ages. But from what I hear, all that’s about to change.  In Shades of the Future, something happens that affects the way Mariah feels about Gauntlet forever.

Want to know more about Honey Creek and its stories? Subscribe to our blog and never miss a post about the lake, the town, the stories, and the romance.

Posted by Suzanne Lilly

2012

I sat back yesterday and was like WOW.  Can you believe it's already 2012?  But let me take a moment to look back on 2011, because that's what you're supposed to do.  Right?

2011 brought into my life many, many wonderful things.  I discovered Honey Creek with the help from my friend Julie.  I wrote my first novella for HC and was offered a contract 8 weeks later.  I met the publisher and even hugged her.  (Yes, I really did!!)  I drove 5 hours to not only meet Julie but attend my first writing conference, where I met the publisher, which lead to the hugging of a complete stranger. 

Unfortunately, after returning from the conference, I found out my grandmother was dying and pasted 3 short weeks later.  I'm glad I was able to share my first contract experience with her and as I sat with her in the hospital, I created a short story for the Men In Uniform anthology.  I miss her everyday.

After her death, I went on to finish two more novellas in my YA HC series and was later offered a contract on those.  Honeycreekbooks.com launched in November and my first printed book, Men In Uniform was released.  December I did my first book signing along with a writer friend from high school, Sarah M. Anderson (no relation). 

My website launched in October and I printed my first set of book marks.  All in all, 2011 will stick out in my mind forever.

With 2012 here and ready to go, I'm anxious to dive in. 

My writing goals for the year are to finish 2 more novellas to round out my YA HC series.  I hope to hone my writing skills and take a class.  Currently, I'm working on a YA novel I hope to have ready for submission in a few months.  I'd also like to create a YA HC novel but ideas aren't flowing yet *crosses fingers*.  And finally, I'd like to blog more and have the task become part of my everyday writing goal.

Looking at my list, I think I've set attainable goals.  At least I hope!

What are your plans for the new year?  Any good writing courses you want to pass along???

Making Goals for the New Year

Celebrating the New Year always makes me feel old. It's been a long time since I went to a fancy party or did anything besides stay home and sit on the couch in my PJs. Don't get me wrong, I love both my living room and comfy clothes, but sometimes I wish I was wearing a ball gown and hanging out at some swanky event.

The one thing I like about January 1st is that it gives you a chance to start over. 2011 wasn't bad for me. Between my two pen names I sold 1 novel, 2 novellas, and 3 short stories. I have a few other that are written and are either being edited or are still out on submission. The truth is that I know I could do better. I've spent a lot of time doing non-productive things. I love hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, but they can quickly turn in to a time suck. I also spend a lot of time worrying about what other writers are doing. Neither of these things helps me write more.

Thus, my resolution for the new year is to work on time management. There will still be time for all my online fun, but I don't really need to stare at my feed as status updates go by. Instead, socialization should be a reward for finishing my goal of 2K per day.

Do you have resolution or goal for the new year? How do you plan to be sure you stick with it?