Hello again, and thank you for your patience since I was last able to blog.  I’ve been traveling for Memorial Day because my husband’s family had two major celebrations near Lancaster, PA.  My parents live about an hour away from PA, so my husband, daughter, and I stayed at their house while they vacationed in Ocean City Maryland.

 The weekend was really very nice, with warm weather for our niece’s college graduation pig roast, an annual event for my husband’s side of the family.  And my other niece is getting married in late June, so there was a surprise bridal shower the following day.  Both parties were fun, with games, relaxation, roast pork, and family.  The best part of all was being with family.

As we left PA last Sunday, intending to get as close to Massachusetts as possible and not get caught in traffic jams, we took a new route.  Well, our intentions were good, but we ended up lost a time or two, drove through a terrible thunder storm that forced many cars to pull off to the side of the road (including us a total of 7 times before the storm was over) and our almost 4 year old got really hungry so we stopped for dinner.  We ended up calling it a night and staying at a hotel, which for our daughter was a grand time, and a wise decision. She had a blast, and we were able to rest for what became an uneventful trip home afterwards.

But what stood out to me as we packed the car for the five hour drive for home was my daughter’s joy as we celebrated her ‘almost’ birthday at a hotel.  It was a memory that will always stay with me, seeing her happy, safe, and knowing my husband felt the same way.  Vacations at the beach, family get togethers, celebrations, graduations, bridal showers, and the unexpected surprises are what make memories.

In a few weeks, my family will be flying back to Maryland and PA for a wedding, and I can’t wait!  What a wonderful opportunity to be with our loved ones and celebrate the love of two young people in grand fashion!  It is my hope and prayer that my niece and her husband-to-be will know the same happiness that my husband and I have found.

In the meantime, as summer beckons and travelers set out for the Cape, or the beach, or to the mountains, or even abroad, may they find timeless memories in the most unlikely of places and situations.  

Until next time, read often and write well!

Frances Stockton 

Thus far I’ve blogged alot about Hawaii, and yes, I’m about to do so again!  Since the vacation was amazing, it’s fresh in my mind, and the memories override the minor misfortune of having a bad cold and a cough that keeps me awake at night.  Fortunately, the cold meds are working, so while I’m doing some minor revisions on Seductive Persuasion, I thought I’d tell you all about the Banyan tree.

In Maui, and I assume other islands in Hawaii since we didn’t journey beyond Maui, there are Banyan trees, something that’s very common among the vegetation and foliage of the romote islands.  I hadn’t realized before going there that Hawaii is actually very isolated from other Pacific islands.  But if you look an a map, there are miles and miles and miles between the mainland (it took almost 5 hours of flight time from San Francisco) and even further to fly from Hawaii to say Fiji or New Zealand. I remember my parents going to Hawaii, Fiji and New Zealand when I was younger, and they commented on how long the flight was from Hawaii to their next destination.  Now, I can truly relate to exactly how isolated Hawaii is from the mainland and other islands.

Anyway, as to the Banyan tree, it was originally brought to Hawaii from early explorers. I believe it was Japan, but if I’m mistaken, my apologies.  The tree begins when seeds or seedlings are carried into the branches and leaves of another tree by birds, yes like the ‘birds and the bees’, and the seeds begin to grow on the leaves.  Gradually the roots work their way down to the ground, becoming stronger and stronger and thicker as they near the ground. When they touch ground, they take root and the Banyan tree ends up choking the tree underneath.  I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or bad, for I do feel sorry for the poor tree that played host to the Banyan for however many years it took for the roots to reach the ground. But after working so hard to find the ground, perhaps the Banyan tree deserves to have a life of its own?

I don’t know the answer, but I can tell you that I was fascinated by the Banyan tree for the rest of the trip. I found myself searching trees for hanging roots, discovering many dangling vines that were actually Banyan tree roots attempting to forage their way to the ground.  In Lahaina, a small town with tee shirt shops, art studios, restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and Ruths Cris to name a few, there was a courtyard with a huge Banyan tree that became the visual source for costumes in the amazingly spectacular Ulalena, a show that details the history and mythology of the Hawaiian Islands.  Sometime, I’ll blog about Ulalena, just suffice it to say that the Banyan tree costumes were incredible and a great representation of a tree that’s become a fixture in Hawaii, even though it was not native to the island itself.

Perhaps that’s the appeal of the Banyan tree?  I cannot say. But if you have the chance, I recommend doing some research on the history of the Banyan tree and discover something new. 

Until next time, may you write well, read often, and return ready and eager to learn more about Seductive Persuasion, my paranormal historical romance being released by Cerridwen Press. I certainly plan to tell you all more.  In my next post, I hope to introduce you to Aisley Stevenson, the heroine of Seductive Persuasion.

Frances Stockton

In my last post, I talked about the long, twisting, majestic, spectacular sights along the road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii.  Today, I’m stepping back in time by twenty years.

Why twenty years?  Well, twenty years ago, my local RWA chapter came into ‘being’.  Now, I’m told that the chapter existed in some form before that, but it was twenty years ago that my chapter became affiliated with RWA.  I cannot tell you how fantastic the chapter is. Its membership is filled with talented authors, published and unpublished alike, and I have learned a ton about writing, the business of writing and getting published. 

Now, as the president of my local chapter, I write a column for the newsletter.  While I was working on the column, I thought about where I was twenty years ago.  Twenty years ago, I was juggling college, career choices, a mediocre social life, work, and writing, but I’d no concept of RWA, much less a great local chapter. 

Originally, I wanted to be a cop, but I’d always had a fascination with history, animals and social sciences.  In college, I dabbled in sociology and paralegal studies.  But when I realized that the small college I attended was not the one for me, I came home, became involved in a local community theater, and got a job as a Veterinary Technician. I remained a Vet. Tech for 12 years, developing a true understanding and love of animals.  The theater I was involved in was small, but it was a blast, and I developed friendships there that remain to this day. I also went back to school and obtained a degree in History and Secondary Education and began to teach.  During that time, however, I was writing. I was writing a lot, but it wasn’t until I came to New England with my husband that I began to believe that I could be published.  It is with gratitude and appreciation to my chapter that I have reached the ‘first sale’ milestone in my life. 

That is why I wanted to take a moment to say Happy 20th Birthday to my local chapter. I urge anyone who wishes to write romance, regardless of genre, Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical, Category, or Romantic Comedy, to join RWA and a chapter in their area.  Because of my chapter, I’ve developed supportive friendships, attended numerous writing conferences, joined a fantastic critique group, and gained inspiration from outstanding authors in our area.

Likewise, I think it’s a great idea to discover other writing organizations. If you write mystery, find out about Mystery Writers of America. Fantasy and Science Fiction readers and authors frequently attend major conventions. Buy magazines that support fiction writing. If you write non-fiction, do the same. There are plenty of magazines, books on publishing, and ways of learning more about the craft and business of writing.

To those of you who write, may your imagination soar and your books fly off the shelves into the anxious hands of your readers. To those of you who read, may you soar into a world of fiction or learn something new and become inspired to read again.  But before you go, ask yourself where you were twenty years ago.  Can you recall your favorite book or movie back then? Were you in college, getting married, celebrating a milestone? Share if you’d like, reflect, look back, and maybe look back at your ‘keeper’ shelf of books, pick up that book you remember most from twenty years ago and read it again just for fun.

Respectfully,

Frances Stockton

Well, in this case, this is the first time I have ever really blogged.  I guess that means I’ve stepped firmly into the modern, computer driven era.  So now that I’ve started, allow me to take a moment to introduce myself. I’m Frances Stockton and I write paranormal historical romances featuring shapeshifters (were-panthers) and I am happy and proud to announce that Seductive Persuasion, will be a Cerridwen Press release. More on that momentarily. 

A little about me. I’ve been writing from a very young age, completing my first manuscript at age 13.  But I’ve always been a storyteller. Even in kindergarten I was constantly telling my family stories and inventing characters and friends.  Middle and high school were not the greatest experiences for me, and writing became my ‘world’. In my books, I could create heroes and heroines, end wars, poverty, racism, and sadness, keeping the bullies and the teasing at bay.  Of course, by the time I reached college my social life improved, but I wavered between career choices, as originally I wanted to be a cop but decided against it and centered on my love of history and animals.  Strangely, it was animals that became a priority over my degree, and for twelve years, I worked as a Veterinary Technician at a small vet clinic in Fallston, Maryland.  Because of those years, I developed a true love of creatures great and small.  Later, I finished my degree in History and Secondary Education and began to teach. Not long after, I met the love of my life and am now happily married with a beautiful daughter, a golden retriever, a cat, and now I am able to write because I love it.  I don’t write as a hobby anymore, I write because it’s in my blood, because I’ve joined RWA and the New England Chapter of RWA, gained support, attended conferences, and because I cannot imagine not writing.  All the years, all the twists and turns of being a student, a Veterinary Technician, a teacher, and even a wife and mother, have paved the way to publication with Cerridwen Press and I’m thrilled to be amongst so many talented authors.

Speaking of twists and turns, I thought I’d share an experience my husband and I had last week. With gratitude to my parents, we were able to take a week long vacation to Maui, Hawaii. I can’t tell you how much the time meant to us, and how wonderful it was to be so far away from home while knowing that our daughter was safe in my parents care. Maui was everything we’d dreamed it would be. Warm, but not too warm, breezy, smelled like sunshine, saltwater, tropical flowers, and, at times, warm banana bread…yum! 

Anyway, while in Maui we rented a car and took the anticipated ‘road to Hana’.  Now in Maui the road to Hana is a twisting, turning, climbing thirty mile stretch of road that takes you to…well…Hana.  Hana in itself is small, quaint, with lush vegetation and gardens and farms, but it wasn’t so much Hana that we went to see, it was the road we traveled that made the five hour trek so special.  Along this route we spotted mongoose, birds, tropical flowers, leaves and trees in every color of green you can imagine, bright, olive, dark, forest, lime, well, you get the picture. And the views along this road were nothing short of spectactular!  Crashing surf smashing into jagged lava rocks, towering rocks and landmarks (one of which is featured in the movie Jurasic Park), banana bread stands, coconut stands, black sand beaches, and one-lane bridges.  Taking the road was quite simply amazing, and made me realize that if we hadn’t tackled every one-lane bridge or rounded every hairpin turn or climbed the very steep slopes, we’d have missed the views, the surf, and the beauty of a true tropical paradise.  That’s a little bit like life, wouldn’t you say? 

Just as the road to Hana had its bumps and thrills, so does life, so does writing, and so as I tackle the first curve in the road to publication, which would be some necessary revisions, I believe that the end result will be just as thrilling as jutting rocks and crashing, blue waves.  In forthcoming posts, I will gladly share more information about Seductive Persuasion, including excerpts, character bios, and perhaps a post or two by my hero, heroine and a few secondary characters along the way, and of course, the release date!

For now, allow me to give you a glimpse of Seductive Persuasion. In 1453 England, 450 year old were-leopard Garrick Forrester, the Earl of Danford, has returned home from the 100 Years War to discover his mate living in the nearby village. To protect the stubborn, resistent, but lovely red-headed healer, Aisley Stevenson, from an unimaginable enemy, he must persuade her to become his countess and to trust her heart to a man who is far more than human.

Again, that was just a brief description, but I will certainly blog about it more. You may also visit the paranormal books section of my website for a brief synopsis of the story. I would also like to blog about history, romances of any genre, my favorite authors, your favorite authors, paranormal romances, and of course big cats, as my were-panthers, the Abcynians, feature leopards, lions, and yes, even the rare tigers are known to appear in the pages of my books. So I do hope you will return, check out the posts, add comments, and be assured that I’ll run contests with excellent prizes to encourage participation!  Check back throughout the next week or so for my first contest announcement. I sure hope you all participate!

I apologise if I rambled a bit, but now that I’ve written, I admit it’s been a great experience.  I’ve every intention of continuing this tradition and will be checking in daily for responses, comments, and adding new posts. 

Until next time,

Frances