A Pandemic Book Baby

Rachel Fordham

Where the Road Bends is my pandemic book baby! My husband, who is a dentist, had his office closed to all patients except the rare emergency, my children were home from school, and nothing felt normal. It was under these circumstances that I began writing the story of two lost souls who find each other in a most unusual way, during very trying times.

Looking back, I wonder how much the pandemic, without me knowing it, trickled into this story. My characters deal with their own uncertainty and questions about their futures. They have fears and yet, try to find their footing. Writing fiction is an interesting thing, it’s made up, and yet, it is full of pieces of reality. Our family was also looking for our footing, trying to be optimistic despite our worries and praying for outcomes we could not see.

The initial idea for this change of fortunes story came from a couple places. The first is my love for Les Misérables. I love how one act of generosity changes the main characters trajectory. He is able to make a new life for himself (though still haunted by the past). The author wheels began turning, could I take a main character and suddenly change his course overnight? How would I do that?

I love how one question leads to others, until there is suddenly a story mapped out (usually a much different one than expected!). My first thought was for Quincy (my leading man) to find a fortune, but how? Then I discovered that people used to sew their money into clothing when they traveled by stage or train in hopes it wouldn’t be stollen if bandits came along. What if money was left, sewed inside of clothing and then someone else became the owner of that clothing?

I think the “what if” question is the key to good brainstorming! I kept asking what if over and over. In the end, Where the Road Bends does not very closely resemble Les Misérables and it does not include money sewed into clothing, but there is a change of fortune. My former boxer, who had no true course in life finds himself on a new path and it all happened because of an injury that nearly took his life. The sequence of questions led me to a story that fit perfectly in its Iowa setting where Norah (my leading lady) is facing the prospect of a marriage of convenience to save her farm.

Days before her wedding, she discovers an injured Quincy whom she nurses back to health and in the process discovers a friend (something she has not had in a very long time). But Quincy is penniless and without a marriage, Norah will be homeless…

I loved walking with these characters as they face some very difficult times. It was therapeutic for me to nudge them along as I was also trudging along, my characters and myself believing that happy endings do come in their own time. It was also comforting stepping back into Iowa (the setting of some of my previously published books), it was like visiting old friends (in fact a couple old friends make very brief appearances in this book).

When I look back on the writing of my novels, I often think of what was happening in my own life during the writing of them. The novels, for me, are a time capsule full of memories of the life that was happening around me as I wrote. My debut was written during one of my son’s medical crisis’s. It released the same month we said goodbye to our beautiful and loved foster daughter. That book will always remind me of the heartache and the joy of loving others. This book, Where the Road Bends, will forever remind me to keep taking steps forward even when I am unsure what lies ahead.

Rachel Fordham is the author of The Hope of Azure Springs, Yours Truly, Thomas, and A Life Once Dreamed. Fans expect stories with heart and she delivers, diving deep into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves connecting with people, traveling to new places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters. She is a busy mom, raising both biological and foster children (a cause she
feels passionate about). She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

www.RachelFordham.com

The Time Before and the Time Now

Rachel Fordham

I almost hate to use the word pandemic in this post, but it’s unavoidable. Don’t run off though! As much as we are sick of hearing about pandemics, masks and social distancing, it is still good to sit back and reflect, and consider what’s changed and how to move forward. Today I am narrowing in (I almost wrote zooming in, but that felt triggering too) on the pandemic and my writing.

I was halfway through writing my debut when my son was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy. I was a changed person when I finished that novel. I was aware of fear and loss in ways I hadn’t been before his diagnosis. I was also more keenly conscious of how others could lift me up, of my faith and of my love for my family. Other life events since then have confirmed to me that major events leave permanent marks on us (both good and bad) and as an author, they also affect writing.

The pandemic is not as personal as my foster care journey or raising a medically fragile child, it’s something we’ve endured as a group. It’s a shared experience, one that we are likely sick of, but also one that we will always be able to relate to each other about. On a personal level, the pandemic has not only changed the practical nature of writing for me (with my kids home, I have had to learn to write in smaller doses, versus my preferred big chunks of time), but it has also affected the stories I write.

During the pandemic I have become more aware of other’s loneliness, more conscious of our ability to reach out in creative ways, more mindful of how small gestures can brighten days and increasingly in awe of the importance of family and faith. Whenever I grow as an individual, those newly learned skills or lessons tend to sneak their way into my writing (usually without even knowing it). In a way, readers will get to know me, through my fictional characters and their journeys.

I hope that with each novel I write I dig a little deeper into the human heart and experience, while still sending readers on a romantic adventure that leaves them with a happy sigh and all the feels. During this pandemic the need to be entertained, swept away and encouraged by stories has been emphasized. We need each other! I’m sure we knew that before, but we know it in a whole new way now. It’s my hope that my latest release A Lady in Attendance, will remind readers of their importance, of forgiveness and of the healing power of love. Hazel is lonely, not because of a pandemic, but because she doesn’t know where she belongs in the world. Friendship changes everything in her story, in much the same way that connection and friendship can change so much for us.

That was a very long way of saying that the pandemic has affected my life and writing, my reading and family, and my heart.

Rachel Fordham is the author of The Hope of Azure Springs, Yours Truly, Thomas, and A Life Once Dreamed. Fans expect stories with heart, and she delivers, diving deep into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves
connecting with people, traveling to new places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters. She is a busy
mom, raising both biological and foster children (a cause she feels passionate about). She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

https://rachelfordham.com/

Don’t Underestimate a Good Epistle

By Rachel Fordham, author of Yours Truly, Thomas

My upcoming release Yours Truly, Thomas allowed me to explore a new type of writing and I have to admit I loved it. Letters are exchanged periodically throughout this story and I want to share some things I learned and came to appreciate about utilizing this form of storytelling.

Letters allow the writer to switch from third person point of view to first. A character that sits down and writes a letter changes the narrative and can add variety for the reader. The experience can go from somewhat distant- watching the action- to being right there in the characters head. It can get so deep as them penning exactly how something made them feel. The anguish or joy they are feeling can come across in a personal and profound way.

Letters allow us to move time along quickly. There are times when we as the author need to hit some important events but don’t want to bog the story down by writing about the mundane daily happenings of our characters. By utilizing letter writing we can skip ahead in time in natural ways.

Letters can be swoon worthy in a way that’s unique for the reader. Done right it can almost feel as though the words were just for them. Love letters have been around as long there’s been the written word including them in our writing can make not only your characters heart flutter but your readers as well!

Letters can naturally weave in backstory in a fresh way. A character writing to his mother or friend might include something about their shared past. By using the letter format it’s possible to quickly show not only what happened but how it made them feel since the letter would be written in a first person deep and sometimes vulnerable point of view.

Letters can be a unique way of throwing two people together or tearing them apart. A lost letter, a letter falling in the wrong hands, an old letter full of troublesome information etc. There are countless ways to include the use of letters to add variety to a story or to propel it in whatever direction you need it to go.

I recognize that epistles do not fit in every story. Forcing a character to write a love letter when he doesn’t read or write or have access to paper is absurd. But if you have a character that does have paper handy and you feel something is missing in your writing don’t be afraid to explore the possibility of them writing to someone. After all, who doesn’t love getting mail?

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Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She’d pull a book from the shelf, but they’d insist she make one up. Finally she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing, and she hasn’t stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. Her Social Media: https://rachelfordham.com/  https://www.facebook.com/RachelFordhamFans/   https://rachelfordham.com/#

How to Write a Good “Bad Guy”

By Rachel Fordham, author of The Hope of Azure Springs

In real life I like good guys. I prefer to surround myself with people I don’t have to worry about my safety when I’m around (I’m just not that brave). But when writing. . . well, that’s another story! Villains come in all shapes and sizes and when we write them we get to put ourselves in shoes we’ve never walked in and really test our creative power. While writing The Hope of Azure Springs (which happens to be historical romance) I learned a lot from writing a man that I’d never want to have a run in with.

Three things to keep in mind when writing a villain-

1.       If possible give them a back story that makes them human. For example, readers of my debut will come to learn that my main character and the villain have quite a bit in common. He had enough backstory revealed that for a moment we feel bad for him. If all we see is bad, bad, bad our bad guys won’t seem as real. Readers will roll their eyes and groan. No one is all bad. Everyone has a story. Don’t be afraid of showing your characters. You might feel like you are doing it wrong by showing a wound, or a tender side but in reality, you are taking the time to give depth.

2.       Bad guys do bad things. I know I just said to not be afraid to show your villains good side but come on they are bad so show their vile side too. I keep my books clean but even with that stipulation it’s always my goal to make my reader cringe when the villain steps on stage. Don’t be afraid to write him doing something you’d never do. Use discretion of course but don’t be afraid to let your bad guy do evil things (if it fits with your story line of course).

3.       Every story had different plot points but if you are taking the time to create a villain with a back story and who does evil things then you need to make sure the effects of those deeds are led up to and felt throughout the story. Foreshadow coming evil. Sprinkle in clues. Once anything major happens take the time to develop or mourn what’s happened. Weave your villain and his influence throughout the story. Doing this adds to the authentic feel of your writing and helps you avoid hearing that your readers felt it was unrealistic.

The great thing about a good villain even in historical romance like I write is that the opposite of evil is goodness. Done well a villain can make the joyful, beautiful parts of the story all the stronger. And as much as I love a good villain− I love a happy ending even more.

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Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She’d pull a book from the shelf, but they’d insist she make one up. Finally she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing, and she hasn’t stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. Her Social Media: https://rachelfordham.com/   https://www.facebook.com/RachelFordhamFans/

https://rachelfordham.com/#