Diane, you are a master at capturing passionate and very believable characters…you create unique and surprising situations and I always feel compassion for their plight. Altho it might seem like a challenge for you to make us believe, this reader in particular never has a problem connecting with characters who become friends to me…and I sympathize with them because of how you handled the story line. As you write your next novel I know without a doubt it will be thoughtful, and I can’t wait to join them on their journey!
Our city broke a record this a.m. with -20 degrees below and windchill -40 below…139 schools are closed in our state today. Stay warm everyone.
Margo, how do you stand such cold weather? It is supposed to be in the 30’s here today and I am dreading going out in that temperature. I am such a wimp!!
Ann, I grew up in this type of weather…when I was a little girl our winters were full of snow blizzards and -30 below temperatures all the time…then, for several years we went thru a warming trend where we would still have snow, but seldom blizzards and our temps thru the winter would be anywhere from 10 degrees to 30 degrees…the last few years we have gone back to the times when I was little…severe below temps and snow blizzards. We all dress accordingly with layers of clothes and turtlenecks…we wear parkas with hoods and cover all our skin to avoid frostbite which can happen instantly.
Margo it’s only -12 here but up north where my mom lives it was -55 last night with windchill but is up to -16 now. I don’t know if they called off school, but we got a blizzard Monday (I almost died trying to get Gunnar from daycare) and the eastern half of the state had no school and then late starts on Tuesday. Which side of IA do you live? I live 50 miles from Sioux City and 2 min from Nebraska lol. Ann you get used to the temps eventually, I wear a hoodie all winter, yesterday it was -4 and I was wearing one.
I agree also about the way Diane captures passionate and believable characters. I liked Cee Cee and I read it like reading someones life story. I am excited for the new books. I finally was able to finish Before the Storm, it was great and really threw me for a loop at the end. Excellent!!! I started reading Luanne Rice’s Summers Child since all you were talking so much about it. I also got Mary Alice Monroe’s Sweetgrass since you guys were talking about that one too.
Well Gunnar and I are going to hang out today, stay warm everyone!
Krysia, I live in the middle of IA and am abt 4 hours from Sioux City…we’ve had constant snow all week with 1 nite blizzard like conditions. With temps and windchills like this we worry about our cars starting and of course frostbite. Take care of yourself and your litle one, Gunner.
Brrr! You guys are making me cold. I’m freezing here in NC with our 30 something temps. Such a wimp.
I have to set my fiction reading aside for a while as I start doing research for the WIP. I love the research, but I’m going to miss the fiction.
Tonight is my neighborhood bookclub meeting. Love that club! We read DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY. Have any of you read it? Very interesting.
I always say that if I wanted to read a novel containing unrealistic improbable events, I would read sci-fi or horror. Lol
Diane, I think you did a great job of making CeeCee believable. A lesser author could not have made the story so believable. I will admit that I was a little skeptical initially but it totally worked! I loved CeeCee as a character.
I think it also takes skill to make an unlikable character believable, and you certainly accomplished that in the novel.
Diane,
As far as Cee Cee is concerned, all 12 women in my book club loved her, saw her as a victim and cheered for a happy ending. Only one woman out of 12 of us said, “I think I would have questioned it more before I agreed to do it”. I thought she was speaking from a woman with 68 years of experience and not a girl of 16. I find all your characters believable, compassionate and three dimensional. You also said that your only regret was that you might have told us too much in the first chapter. I don’t see that at all. Because of what you shared with us, it made me want to find out more.
I hate to do this to you guys but it is 68 degrees here with a wind chill of 67. I am trying to decide if I should have a cup of tea or hot chocolate to take the chill out of my hands. As a former “northerner” I really do sympathize with you all.
Diane, I’ve not read DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY…I know you love your book group and I hope you’ll be able to still keep up with their monthly book picks, (altho I know your research is your passion right now).
Ronnie…68 degrees is definitely a heat wave! Send some our way if you can!!!! (-O:
We are closed-school today. However, I went to the school to get some things…I have to grade finals…we will finish them on Tuesday and delay the semester. I finished the latest Grisham this A.M. I think I read it over the summer…sounded familiar, but I liked the theme…buying politicians…judges…etc…
Am reading some light fiction…so so so cold. It is not as cold as where Margo is but below 0…The reason I live here-only 5 l/2 hours from my grandchildren and daughter versus the l4 when I was in South Carolina…it is even colder where she is…
My son enjoys the sunny south-as far as he could get…I’ll do that one day.
Diane-I loved the book…just reread it…I so believed in the characters…Cee Cee…can’t wait for the next one…
I just pre-ordered “Secrets She Left Behind” from Amazon. Hadn’t seen if offered before. Looking forward to June 5th – the delivery estimate. Can hardly wait!
Diane, you are a master at capturing passionate and very believable characters…you create unique and surprising situations and I always feel compassion for their plight. Altho it might seem like a challenge for you to make us believe, this reader in particular never has a problem connecting with characters who become friends to me…and I sympathize with them because of how you handled the story line. As you write your next novel I know without a doubt it will be thoughtful, and I can’t wait to join them on their journey!
Our city broke a record this a.m. with -20 degrees below and windchill -40 below…139 schools are closed in our state today. Stay warm everyone.
Correction…193 school closings so far…
Margo, how do you stand such cold weather? It is supposed to be in the 30’s here today and I am dreading going out in that temperature. I am such a wimp!!
Ann, I grew up in this type of weather…when I was a little girl our winters were full of snow blizzards and -30 below temperatures all the time…then, for several years we went thru a warming trend where we would still have snow, but seldom blizzards and our temps thru the winter would be anywhere from 10 degrees to 30 degrees…the last few years we have gone back to the times when I was little…severe below temps and snow blizzards. We all dress accordingly with layers of clothes and turtlenecks…we wear parkas with hoods and cover all our skin to avoid frostbite which can happen instantly.
Margo it’s only -12 here but up north where my mom lives it was -55 last night with windchill but is up to -16 now. I don’t know if they called off school, but we got a blizzard Monday (I almost died trying to get Gunnar from daycare) and the eastern half of the state had no school and then late starts on Tuesday. Which side of IA do you live? I live 50 miles from Sioux City and 2 min from Nebraska lol. Ann you get used to the temps eventually, I wear a hoodie all winter, yesterday it was -4 and I was wearing one.
I agree also about the way Diane captures passionate and believable characters. I liked Cee Cee and I read it like reading someones life story. I am excited for the new books. I finally was able to finish Before the Storm, it was great and really threw me for a loop at the end. Excellent!!! I started reading Luanne Rice’s Summers Child since all you were talking so much about it. I also got Mary Alice Monroe’s Sweetgrass since you guys were talking about that one too.
Well Gunnar and I are going to hang out today, stay warm everyone!
Krysia, I live in the middle of IA and am abt 4 hours from Sioux City…we’ve had constant snow all week with 1 nite blizzard like conditions. With temps and windchills like this we worry about our cars starting and of course frostbite. Take care of yourself and your litle one, Gunner.
Brrr! You guys are making me cold. I’m freezing here in NC with our 30 something temps. Such a wimp.
I have to set my fiction reading aside for a while as I start doing research for the WIP. I love the research, but I’m going to miss the fiction.
Tonight is my neighborhood bookclub meeting. Love that club! We read DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY. Have any of you read it? Very interesting.
I always say that if I wanted to read a novel containing unrealistic improbable events, I would read sci-fi or horror. Lol
Diane, I think you did a great job of making CeeCee believable. A lesser author could not have made the story so believable. I will admit that I was a little skeptical initially but it totally worked! I loved CeeCee as a character.
I think it also takes skill to make an unlikable character believable, and you certainly accomplished that in the novel.
By the way, it’s 6 degrees here…brrrrr.
Diane,
As far as Cee Cee is concerned, all 12 women in my book club loved her, saw her as a victim and cheered for a happy ending. Only one woman out of 12 of us said, “I think I would have questioned it more before I agreed to do it”. I thought she was speaking from a woman with 68 years of experience and not a girl of 16. I find all your characters believable, compassionate and three dimensional. You also said that your only regret was that you might have told us too much in the first chapter. I don’t see that at all. Because of what you shared with us, it made me want to find out more.
I hate to do this to you guys but it is 68 degrees here with a wind chill of 67. I am trying to decide if I should have a cup of tea or hot chocolate to take the chill out of my hands. As a former “northerner” I really do sympathize with you all.
Diane, I’ve not read DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY…I know you love your book group and I hope you’ll be able to still keep up with their monthly book picks, (altho I know your research is your passion right now).
Ronnie…68 degrees is definitely a heat wave! Send some our way if you can!!!! (-O:
We are closed-school today. However, I went to the school to get some things…I have to grade finals…we will finish them on Tuesday and delay the semester. I finished the latest Grisham this A.M. I think I read it over the summer…sounded familiar, but I liked the theme…buying politicians…judges…etc…
Am reading some light fiction…so so so cold. It is not as cold as where Margo is but below 0…The reason I live here-only 5 l/2 hours from my grandchildren and daughter versus the l4 when I was in South Carolina…it is even colder where she is…
My son enjoys the sunny south-as far as he could get…I’ll do that one day.
Diane-I loved the book…just reread it…I so believed in the characters…Cee Cee…can’t wait for the next one…
I just pre-ordered “Secrets She Left Behind” from Amazon. Hadn’t seen if offered before. Looking forward to June 5th – the delivery estimate. Can hardly wait!