Looking for Jamie Fraser

By Marilyn Baron

My daughter and I went on a TAUCK tour, labeled A Week in Scotland, this past summer. I was already in love with Jamie Fraser, hero of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Then I fell in love with Scotland. My daughter was interested in seeing the country. I was looking for Jamie Fraser. After talking with many of the women on the tour, from millennials to women of a certain age, it turns out we were all after the same thing. Jamie Fraser.

Did we really think we would find him? Yes, I think we did. When I suggested to my traveling companions that, maybe we would see Claire, they said, “Who cares?”

I came closest to a sighting three times.

Once, in Inverness, gateway to the Highlands, when I tried to go through the stones at the ancient burial site at Clava Cairns. I placed my hands on a center stone and hoped to be whisked away. But, alas, I had left my good jewelry at home and anyone who’s read Outlander knows you can’t travel through time without a jewel. What made me think I could do it? Maybe the visit to Glenturret Distillery the day before where we had lunch and a whisky tasting. 

Second, at Culloden House, a majestic Palladian mansion, where we tasted Highland hospitality with Afternoon Tea, a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly homemade scones served with whipped cream & jam, macaroons, Chocolate Tiffin, a selection of pastries,  Ham & Cheese Panier and a Provençale Tart. Originally a Jacobean Castle, where in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie requisitioned the building as his headquarters prior to the tragic battle of 1746 that divided families and clans. It is now a hotel. I asked the receptionist if she’d ever seen Diana Gabaldon and she said, yes, that the author stays in one of the 28 charming bedrooms when she’s in town and as a matter of fact, had just been there two weeks before we arrived. Missed her by that much!

And the author’s (and Jamie’s) presence was everywhere when we visited the Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre. Diana Gabaldon had an impressive display in the gift shop. I bought my daughter a copy of Outlander to try to get her hooked on the series. 

Third, a young French man, who was traveling with his mother and aunt on the tour, was so enthralled with Scottish tradition, he turned into a highlander, literally, complete with kilt and bagpipes. I have a picture of him with my daughter. He’s not Jamie, but he would do in a pinch.

Though I tried everything—I even ate haggis—alas, I never saw Jamie.

I have written historical fiction and I plan to set my next book in Scotland because of the natural beauty and allure of the place, probably on peaceful Loch Lomond, inspired by its breathtaking views from my window at Cameron House, where the sun never seemed to set.

My hat is off to any author, like Diana Gabaldon, who can create a character as memorable as Jamie. Such an author can build worlds in a trendsetting genre and make a fictional character come alive.

That’s my goal and I imagine the goal of many writers. So, we plod on, at our computers, doing our research, making our magic. And maybe one day, we will find Jamie, in one of our own characters or people will travel to distant lands in search of the character of our own creation.

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Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres, from humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel With Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal//Fantasy Romance and most recently was The Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the Romance Category for her novel, Stumble Stones. Her latest novel, The Alibi, a romantic suspense, is her 13^th novel with The Wild Rose Press (her 21^st work of fiction), and was released September 13, 2017. She’s published five humorous, paranormal short stories with TWB Press and self-published two books and a musical with her sister, Sharon Goldman. AmazonEncore republished her book Sixth Sense in September 2015. She serves on the Roswell Reads Steering Committee and was selected as a featured author in the 2015 and 2016 Atlanta Authors Series. She’s a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) and winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award. Marilyn graduated with a BS in Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. She worked in Public Relations for AT&T in Atlanta for 13 years before starting her own PR firm. To find out more about Marilyn’s books, please visit her Web site at www.marilynbaron.com. Social Media: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748 Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4722647.Marilyn_Baron and Amazon Author Page.                                  

Can a Vampire Virgin Write Paranormal?

By Marilyn Baron

When I started my writing career, writing paranormal never occurred to me, although I did craft five humorous paranormal short stories about angels and devils, love and death, and weddings and funerals. From there, I focused primarily on novel length fiction in a variety of genres from humorous coming-of-middle-age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and suspense. But along the way, paranormal and fantasy elements kept creeping into my work. There was Someday My Prints Will Come, featuring my heroine, Eva—a minor goddess of the Venus variety, descended from a distinguished line of matchmakers. And then I started A Psychic Crystal Mystery series, including Sixth Sense, Homecoming Homicides, Killer Cruise, and my latest novel, The Vampire Next Door.  

The series is about a family of psychics (mother, daughter, grandmother), but something strange happened in Book 3 of the series. My villain turned out to be a vampire. It didn’t start out that way. Gedeon Nagy was a regular dastardly villain, but when I was almost at the end of the book, I concluded, “This guy is a vampire,” and I went back, made adjustments and created an entire backstory for Gedeon. I didn’t intentionally make him a vampire. He just came, unbidden, into my consciousness. Like Jessica Rabbit, he was “just drawn that way.”

So now I add Paranormal/Fantasy to my list of genres. In the past, most authors were known for one particular genre. That’s what their readers expected and wanted so that’s what the authors delivered. If they wanted to veer off the beaten path, like Nora Roberts or Jayne Ann Krentz, two of my favorites, they used different pen names. But now authors feel free to write in whatever genre they want. They tend to experiment. But, in my case, I can’t stick to one genre and I find I can write paranormal, whether I started out to or not. 

I certainly never thought I’d write about vampires. I like reading about vampires and watching TV shows about vampires but as far as writing them, the thought never occurred to me. But, apparently, I began doing it and discovered how much fun it was. I haven’t decided if I want to continue with the Gedeon character, who is now reformed vampire Lancelot “Lance,” Lakeland, working in his father-in-law’s psychic detective agency in Atlanta and married to his beautiful daughter, Aurora Dawn, a gifted psychic.

Maybe I will or maybe I won’t, but in either case, I feel I have the flexibility to write another vampire story if I want. And you should too. Don’t be defined by one genre or another. Spread your wings. I don’t read only one genre, so why should I be limited to write in only one genre? And why should you?

I’d advise you to read as much as you can in a genre you’re thinking about writing. And next time you ask yourself, “Can I Write Paranormal?” I hope the answer will be, “Why Not?”

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Marilyn Baron writes humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction, historical romantic thrillers, suspense, and paranormal/fantasy. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, she’s a PAN member of RWA and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), winner of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award and writing awards in single title, suspense romance, paranormal/fantasy, and novel with strong romantic elements. The Vampire Next Door is Marilyn’s 12^th novel with The Wild Rose Press and her 20^th work of fiction. AmazonEncore re-released her book, Sixth Sense, the first in her psychic mystery series, on September 15, 2015. She’s also self-published two novels and a musical and published five humorous, paranormal short stories with TWB Press, an electronic publisher of science fiction, supernatural, horror, and thriller. She’s served three years on the Roswell Reads Steering Committee, sponsored by the City of Roswell, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and the Roswell Library, which promotes the value of reading and literacy through the shared community-wide experience of reading and discussing a common book. She was selected as an Atlanta Author in the 2016 Atlanta Author Series. She is a 2017 Nominee for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the Romance category for Stumble Stones: A Novel. A Miami, Florida, native, she graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (Public Relations sequence) and a minor in Creative Writing. Marilyn lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband, and they have two daughters. Her books include The Vampire Next Door from publisher, The Wild Rose Press, Inc. To find out more about Marilyn’s books, please visit her Web site at: www.marilynbaron.comre+next+door+marilyn++baron Her Social Media Links are: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads,  and Amazon Author Page.

Do I Write Like a Master Spy?

By Marilyn Baron

One of my favorite authors is Daniel Silva, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The English Spy, his 18^th novel and the 15^th book of his Gabriel Allon series. Apparently, I’m not the only Gabriel Allon fan. The Philadelphia Inquirer calls his continuing character, Gabriel Allon, “one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series.” 

I recently went to an author talk and book signing for The English Spy, and met Silva for the second time. Silva says he came up with his character when he was walking down the street in Georgetown with his wife, journalist Jamie Gangel, and she said, “We’re going to have dinner with David Bull, one of the world’s finest art restorers.” He asked Bull how he could turn an Israeli assassin into an Italian art restorer. Later, Silva went to Bull’s lab. Fascinated by the restoration work going on there, the more he learned about the craft of restoration, the more he realized he could apply that to the craft of assassination. He used that knowledge to structure Gabriel’s first novel and a character was born.

I was surprised to learn that Gabriel was supposed to appear in one book only, as a second-tier character, but it didn’t work out that way. “He took over that novel and the story became his,” says Silva, adding, “He talked me into writing the second book.” It turned out that in researching the professional provenance of that character, he saw another side to Gabriel. The concept of restoration—of situation, of historical wrongs and of people—plays a major role in all of Silva’s plots.

As an author, I was curious about Silva’s writing process. Like me, Silva tries to go to all the places he writes about to bring his settings to life. He credits proper technique and his character’s unique point of view with helping him convey emotion and setting. Silva is a creature of habit. Unlike me, he writes every day, seven days a week and finds days off and holidays “personally traumatic,” when he’s on a tight deadline. He turns the temperature down, writes in the same clothes every day—grey sweatpants, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a fleece jacket. He writes in pencil on yellow legal pads and then types the novel into the computer. In general, Silva doesn’t outline his books (and neither do I). He knows enough to get started and then he “brings the book to life.” His first draft is his outline. Sometimes he knows the plot twists and turns in advance. Sometimes he doesn’t.

When I asked him to reveal the most important advice he could give an author, he said, “When you’re working on your first manuscript, you have no expectations, so enjoy the writing experience.” The first time I met him, his advice was, “Finish the book.” I took that advice to heart. In 2015, I’ve released four books and a short story, including my latest book, Landlocked, from The Wild Rose Press.     

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Marilyn Baron is a corporate communications consultant in Atlanta. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), recipient of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award and winner or finalist in writing awards in single title, suspense romance, novel with strong romantic elements and paranormal romance. Marilyn writes in a variety of genres, including: Humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction (The Widows’ Gallery, Stones, Significant Others); a psychic suspense series (Sixth Sense, Homecoming Homicides and Killer Cruise); romantic suspense (her latest novel, Landlocked, is her 10th published by The Wild Rose Press); historical romantic thrillers (Under the Moon Gate and the prequel, Destiny: A Bermuda Love Story); and fantasy (Someday My Prints Will Come) for The Wild  Rose Press; and humorous paranormal short stories for TWB Press (A Choir of Angels, Follow an Angel, The Stand-In Bridegroom, Dead Mix and her latest, The Files Death Forgot). She also wrote two books with her sister Sharon (The Edger, Murder at the Outlet Mall) and a new musical about Alzheimer’s called Memory Lane. Marilyn is a member of the 2016 Roswell Reads Steering Committee and belongs to two book clubs. A native of Miami, Florida, Marilyn now lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband and they have two daughters and a new son-in-law. She graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism [Public Relations sequence] and a minor in Creative Writing. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, going to movies, eating Italian food, and traveling. She often sets her stories in places she’s visited, including Bermuda, Australia and Italy, where she spent six months studying Italian and Art History in Florence during her senior year in college. Visit her Website to find out more about Marilyn’s books and stories at www.marilynbaron.com. Her latest release, Landlocked, is a romantic suspense. Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748 Blog:  Marilyn blogs with Savvy Authors on the 22^nd of every month at http://savvyauthors.com/blog/?s=Marilyn+Baron Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4722647.Marilyn_Baron