Readers, please join me welcoming Author Jodi Thomas who will be guest blogging here today!
This spring marks my fifth mainstream women’s fiction novel and I’m still not sure I know what that category means. I only know that when I step out of this historical fiction world, I write the kind of story I’d want to read. Part of me wishes I’d spent my youth wondering around the world from adventure to adventure, but most of my traveling was done in books. What I grew up loving and knowing was the world of a small town where people all know one another and sometimes get involved in each other’s lives.
MY new novel REWRITING MONDAY is about a woman who has always ran on the fast track. She’s an A-type personality who never slows down and never commits. Because of a mistake she makes, she’s forced to disappear and she decides Bailee, Texas is about as close to No Where as she’ll ever get. With a background as a reporter she takes a job with the small town newspaper. The paper is so bad that Monday morning is always dedicated to rewrites. The editor stepped into his job out of duty and doesn’t discover how dearly he loves the paper until it comes under fire.
When I started working on stories set in today’s Texas, people asked me why. I’ve written Historical Romance for almost twenty years. I’m in the RWA Hall of Fame. I’ve won three RITA’s for Best Historical of the Year and been awarded the National Readers Choice Award. But, I had an idea for a story about an oil rig explosion and it wouldn’t fit in the world of historical romance. When I began writing WIDOWS OF WICHITA COUNTY I had no idea if I’d ever sell it. Once finished, it went up for bids and everyone was interested. Next came a story from the same town about the oldest house in Clifton Creek called, THE SECRETS OF ROSA LEE.
A few years later, I was in Austin doing research on a historical I was working on and I got an idea for a book about the homeless. Last year with TWISTED CREEK, I think I finally got comfortable in writing books set in today’s world. I still love historical romance, but like loving a second child, I also love writing stories set in the mainstream world.
Someone asked me once, Where do your stories come from? I could only answer, Where did yours go? I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse to have stories playing in my head. I can’t sleep. I daydream my way through wedding, funerals, and lectures. I have trouble understanding people who say they are bored.
I guess, all in all, I’d have to say, I do lots of traveling these days and most is still in my mind.
MY new novel REWRITING MONDAY is about a woman who has always ran on the fast track. She’s an A-type personality who never slows down and never commits. Because of a mistake she makes, she’s forced to disappear and she decides Bailee, Texas is about as close to No Where as she’ll ever get. With a background as a reporter she takes a job with the small town newspaper. The paper is so bad that Monday morning is always dedicated to rewrites. The editor stepped into his job out of duty and doesn’t discover how dearly he loves the paper until it comes under fire.
When I started working on stories set in today’s Texas, people asked me why. I’ve written Historical Romance for almost twenty years. I’m in the RWA Hall of Fame. I’ve won three RITA’s for Best Historical of the Year and been awarded the National Readers Choice Award. But, I had an idea for a story about an oil rig explosion and it wouldn’t fit in the world of historical romance. When I began writing WIDOWS OF WICHITA COUNTY I had no idea if I’d ever sell it. Once finished, it went up for bids and everyone was interested. Next came a story from the same town about the oldest house in Clifton Creek called, THE SECRETS OF ROSA LEE.
A few years later, I was in Austin doing research on a historical I was working on and I got an idea for a book about the homeless. Last year with TWISTED CREEK, I think I finally got comfortable in writing books set in today’s world. I still love historical romance, but like loving a second child, I also love writing stories set in the mainstream world.
Someone asked me once, Where do your stories come from? I could only answer, Where did yours go? I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse to have stories playing in my head. I can’t sleep. I daydream my way through wedding, funerals, and lectures. I have trouble understanding people who say they are bored.
I guess, all in all, I’d have to say, I do lots of traveling these days and most is still in my mind.
Thank you for that entertaining post, dear Author! Readers, your thoughts / comments are most welcome.
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Looking forward to reading Jodi's newest. I am a long time fan of her historicals and her newest looks very interesting. I like the cover too.
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