by Iona Morrison | Sep 1, 2013
I sent off the last five chapters of my second book a few days ago to go through their first edit. I labored a while over the end of the book hoping to get it just right. I think the ending of a book is more difficult than the beginning, or the middle. The end of the story is like the Amen at the close of a prayer. A good ending will resonate long after the story is finished. It can leave the reader with a lasting impression even if all the threads aren’t neatly tied.
Personally, I am most satisfied, I must confess, when it’s a happy ending even if everything is not perfect. It lets me imagine it that way. I also like being able to fill in the blanks and consider the possibility of another story with the same characters I’ve come to love.
Carl Sagan said, “Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” At best I guess, I want to create a little magic that entertains you and to which you breathe a smile at its end.
by Iona Morrison | Aug 17, 2013
After a lengthy process of moving from a large house to a condo we are finally settled in. Tired, but happy to have it done. Along the way we had to downsize and let go of more than a few possessions. Not so easy until you get into the swing of it, and then it’s just freeing. We are still getting rid of more since we’ve got into the new place. I’m beginning to think moving, as hard as it is, may be a very good thing. It’s way too easy to get comfortable and never change your surroundings or try new things. Letting go of some of the old and making room for something new can be the beginning of a whole new way to live. So I’m moving on.
This has been a year of change for me. So many things happening in a short period of time. It has challenged, stretched and encouraged me to be and to do things I’ve only dreamed about. Here’s to moving on in life and the hope that as long as you continue to breathe you can grow, create and make some of your dreams come true. 🙂
by Iona Morrison | Aug 8, 2013
Amour, amore, love! In any language it is the subject of many novels, poems and songs. And, of course, murder mysteries when the relationship goes bad. It has always fascinated me what attracts one person to another. There are so many variables that go into two people meeting, falling in love, and finding happiness together. Whether they will remain in love is also the subject of many other books.
Needless to say we have been reading stories for years built around people falling in and out of love; during war and times of peace; in this world or in other worlds; in this era or those gone by; with the girl next door or even of the ghostly variety. From the sheer joy of it’s first stirrings or the utter despondency with it’s loss, love is there, always hanging near the edges of our minds. We hope for it, we search for it and long for it to last a life-time. It is the basis for all that is good and decent in the world. A life without love wouldn’t be life at all!
by Iona Morrison | Jul 21, 2013
Every town worth its salt has to have a coffee shop and a local hang out. In Blue Cove the place to be is Patterson’s or Java Joes. If it’s coffee you want, head for Java Joes. Molly, the friendly and slightly colorful, shop manager will be waiting to serve you your coffee with a small side of gossip. You’ll find Joes to your liking with it’s comfy overstuffed couches, leather chairs and modern art work. They also have some great salads, sandwiches and baked goods.
But it’s Patterson’s where the locals like to eat. A step inside takes you across the ocean to an Old English Pub complete with dark wood paneling. The main room has a long bar and a small stage for live music on the weekend. If it’s billiards or darts you want, they’re in the back room. The beer is cold and the food is good, even if the owner is a little grumpy. If you visit Blue Cove you’ll most likely visit these places. See you there!
by Iona Morrison | Jul 17, 2013
I’m a people person. You know the type. The chatty extrovert in the room who flits from person to person and subject to subject. So how did someone like me, write a novel, spending hours alone, and love it? The answer is, all the interesting people who I’ve met over the years.
I need to thank all of you, may I put this bluntly, for all the stories, human characteristics, the kind and sometimes downright mean people who have crowded their way into my mind and squatted there. They dared me to change them, rearrange them into fictional beings and to release them on paper.
I’m intrigued by the way a teenage girl flings her hair over her shoulder when a guy approaches her or the way someone’s eyes light up when they talk about something they love. Then there’s the person whose foot is always moving even while they’re sitting still. Darting eyes, looking over the top of glasses, or someone who swears they’ve seen a ghost, and I’m hooked. Yes hooked, like a fish on a line I’m reeled in to search out the reason behind their actions.
The world is full of color waiting to be discovered as an observer and not just a butterfly. So I learn to listen to it and to speak on paper.
