Today I’m feeling very much like the mother of a stubborn teenage daughter. No, my girls aren’t teens yet and Anne isn’t really my daughter, or for that matter, a teenager. She’s my newest protagonist. I’ve worked with quite a few protagonists and not one of them has given me the trouble that Anne has.

The last couple days I’ve been so frustrated with her. Every time I start to put her story into my computer it doesn’t ring true. Yesterday I sat her aside and worked on scenes from another character’s point of view. I’m pleased to report that Svenson is much kinder to me. My fingers often have trouble keeping up with the flow of his story.

So I hopped into the shower this morning (a perfect place to holler at your characters where no one thinks you’re crazy) and started pondering what I should do with Anne. How could I make her comply with my will? Then the memories hit. I remember behaving much like Anne when I was a teenager. My reasoning was that I KNEW (as all teenage girls know) that my mother just didn’t understand me. Hm. Could it be possible that I need to get to know Anne? Maybe she isn’t who I’ve been making her out to be.

The twist is that I’ve never spent so much time in the development of a character before I put her on the page as I have with Anne. I took personality tests from her point of view. I studied the characteristics of her personality. I…Well it doesn’t really matter does it? Anne isn’t the girl I thought she was. So today I go back to the page. The first thing I’ll do is delete Anne’s scenes. When her pages are again blank, I’ll write her story. From HER point of view.

Image: Robert Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The group at My Book Therapy really know how to have fun. They hosted a pizza party on the roof of the hotel Friday night. The view was amazing. I hope you can get a sense of it from the photo below. That’s the St. Louis Arch peeking over the wall.

 We enjoyed fun drinks and some of the yummiest pizza, then the program began. Rachel Hauk, Susan May Warren, James Rubart, and Karen Ball entertained us with their own version of “Who’s Line is it Anyway?”

Heidi Main, Sheila Covey, and Kimberly Buckner

Me and Kimberly

The evening finished with sparkly microphones and 80s music. What more could you ask for?

Yes, it is true. I’ve stepped closer to the tech world. You can now follow me on Twitter.  @ChristinaSuzann

You may be wondering if this is an opportunity to know what I eat for lunch or a chance to become privy to earth shattering news from the publishing world. Well, we’ll just have to find that out together. What are you waiting for? Follow me!

From the back cover:

Luellen O’Connell is stunned when her husband of just one month tells her he is leaving – and his reason devastates her. Deeply wounded by his betrayal, Luellen decides to follow her dream to become a teacher, a desire she had set aside when she married. But can she truly hide her past? Or will it destroy her ambitions forever?

The Dawn of a Dream confirmed Ann Shorey as one of my favorite historical writers. From the first page, I was hooked into a story that stayed strong through the entire book. Luellen faces a new set of struggles at every turn, and I was never sure which way she’d go. In fact, even the ending caught me by surprise. I love that!

The setting was unique, making this historical really stand out. Romantic and inspirational themes flowed through the story in a natural way. Be prepared to read this one quickly. It’s hard to put down.

This is the third book in the At Home in Beldon Grove series, though any of the books could be read as a standalone. I recommend all three, but I have to say, The Dawn of a Dream was my favorite. Ann’s next series releases later this year, and I will first in line to get my copy.

Click here to purchase.