Today’s Groupon said something about cupcakes. I don’t know why, but as soon as I saw it pop up in my inbox I wanted to call my best friend. Because really, how great would it be to work out all of life’s challenges with your best friend over cupcakes? And that got me thinking about Allison and Emily. So without going on about cupcakes and making you hungry, take a gander at the next character introduction: Allison.

Allison is a sweet girl. Coy and almost meek.  On the surface she seems like the kind of girl that doesn’t really get it. She’s shy, impressionable and a little behind the times. But realizing that first impressions are not always correct, Emily’s opinion of Allison changes over time.

Allison comes from a tight knit family in the Midwest. She lives on campus, but takes an interest in the Greek system almost immediately. She’s petite, with small doll-like features and chin length blond curly hair. She befriends Emily the first day of school without judgment or agenda. And, as time passes, her warmth and caring nature shine through any preconceived notions Emily may have had.

To say that I based Allison on any one individual would be like saying I only like one brand of chocolate. How is that even possible? When I started writing Allison’s character I pictured her as an average college student. Then as time passed, she grew into an amazing woman and friend to Emily. And I must admit, I’ve met girls like Allison who later evolved into incredible women. And I’m fortunate to call those women my friends today.

Allison is Emily’s support system. It’s no secret that I’m aiming the book’s theme at young women. And I often think we devalue the importance of friendship and support, especially at that age.  Emily goes through a great deal during her journey through young adulthood, and the support of her friends is a large part of why she is able to carry on. Allison is the backbone of that support. Allison is friendship.

Below is an excerpt from Call Me Emily.

Allison and I met for coffee bright and early Monday morning. Our Bistro was bustling with college students. I got there before her and grabbed a table in the back. Although I had met a few people, I didn’t see anyone I knew. I tapped my fingernails on the table and sipped my coffee as I watched people walk by and waited for Allison. She arrived without Melinda and Heather, which was what I was hoping for. They were nice girls, but seemed very self-involve.

“So what have you been up to?” she asked, or shall I say accused. I called you a couple of times this weekend; what’s up?”

“Oh it’s been crazy with this new job,” I said and she nodded. “Oh, and I went out on a couple of dates.” I looked down at my feet and smiled.  “Other than that, I was around. I didn’t have a message from you.”

“What? Who?” Allison prodded. “Don’t tell me, that guy from the club?” she asked and I nodded.
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“So, What’s going on there?” she continued,  taking a sip of her coffee.

“Just a couple of dates, Allison. He’s fun.”

“Huh. And hot!” She made an attempt to wink at me. I thought it was cute. I shrugged my shoulders in agreement.  “So Spanish Girl, do you want to go shopping with me this afternoon?”

“Totally, but you can stop calling me Spanish Girl; Graham has.”

“Really, how did that come about? My guess is …well, never mind … you tell,” she said taking another sip of her coffee.

“You know, just spending time together.” Allison didn’t buy it, but I thought I’d try to sell it.

“So have you?”

“Allison!” I was surprised she was so forward. I guessed her association with Melinda and Heather was changing her a bit. Not quite the awkward and quiet Michigan girl anymore. “No, we haven’t. So far just a couple of amazing kisses.” I looked at the ceiling when I said “amazing” hoping she would get the point.

“That’s what I was thinking actually. That good huh?”

I sighed. “That good.” We both sipped our coffee at the same time. I had a hard time creating a seal with my lips due to the large smile I had plastered across them.

My brother, Tom

After spending a week in Tahoe with my eldest brother Tom, I’ve decided to re-post the first character introduction I wrote last year about Ethan, Emily’s brother. Tom’s reading Call Me Emily right now and had many comments about Ethan and Emily’s interactions. Those I’ll keep to myself, but his comments did inspire me to re-post the Ethan character introduction. Oh. I added a new scene from Call Me Emily at the end.

Week one of my introduction of characters starts with Ethan. Emily is one of three children. She has two brothers, Hunter who is twelve and Ethan, twenty. While Hunter makes brief appearances in all four books, Ethan is an integral part of her journey.

Emily and Ethan attend the same University, which isn’t without its challenges. While she cringes at the thought of bumping into him at a party, she’s often comforted by his loving gestures and protective nature. Ethan is warm, caring and above all present for her in a world full of new, harsh realities. But, those qualities are all melded together and wrapped up with chiding and teasing as well as typical sibling rivalry.

Now, I have drawn on pieces of my personal experience to concoct certain characters, but not all of them. Emily herself is a complete piece of fiction, formed strictly from my imagination. Other characters I give a small, fractional nod of truth. Ethan is the latter.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am surrounded by men. I live in a house with my husband and son, as well as my dog William. I have three brothers, and just as God started to feel sorry for me, he gifted me with a sister and another little brother. So while I don’t discount the girl power between my sister Bree and I, my eldest brothers are the ones that helped guide me into the woman I am today. Ethan is a blend of Tom, Josh and Robby. In Ethan, there exists Tom’s way of turning every compliment, sentiment and practical observation into an opportunity to tease Emily and keep her safely tucked under his older, wiser arm. Together with the influence of Tom, is Josh’s ability to turn any situation into a possible rescue attempt. While Emily may be perfectly able to take care of herself, Ethan isn’t about to risk it. Package that all up with Robby’s ability to live in a world created just for him. Where common practices of caring what other people think about him, simple escape him.

So I raise a glass, as well as an eyebrow, to my brothers who helped bring to life Ethan Parker.

Below is one of many scenes with Ethan in Call Me Emily.

“You’re an Econ major?” I asked Allison, fairly confident of the answer.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

I pointed at her book bag.

“Oh,” she said, blushing slightly. Although I never liked to see anyone embarrassed, I found the way her cheeks grew pink endearing.

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“So what about you? What’s your major?” she asked.

“Design. Interior Design, actually. They have a great program here. It’s taught by architects and designers working in the community. There are only about four full time instructors.” I may have over-explained but it was interesting to me.

“And your brother goes here too?”

“Yeah. Funny I know. It just worked out that way. At first I don’t think he was thrilled about me choosing his school.  Actually, I think he accused me of following him, but it’s a big school.”  Just then I felt my knees buckle.

“What the…?” I whirled around. Ethan had pressed the front of his knees into the back of mine, causing me to lose my balance. He did it all the time, and it always annoyed me. But he continued to think it was funny.

“Hey Em. Getting your books I take it,” he said unnecessarily.

“You scared me!” I shot him a look he knew well. I took a breath and slowly turned back to Allison keeping my eyes on my brother for as long as the turn would allow. “This is my brother Ethan.”

She gave Ethan a gleaming smile as he tilted his head confidently and extended his hand to shake hers. Oh boy, I thought. No hitting on my new friend.

“Nice to meet you Allison. You getting settled…?”

“Yes we are, Ethan.” I interrupted regretting my rudeness immediately. Especially when I looked over and noticed Allison opening her mouth to answer.  Flirting with my friends had been a problem in the past. And, frankly, Allison had only been my friend for about twenty minutes and I wasn’t about to let Ethan get in the way.

“Well, I guess I’ll catch you later, Sis.” He looked back and forth between Allison and me.  His shoulders slumped a little and I could see my abruptness hurt his feelings. I’d have to apologize for that later.

“See ya later,” I said as he looked sideways at me.

“It was nice meeting you,” Allison called after him.

My last blog posts have been about submitting queries. And that’s frankly, kind of a heavy topic. So while I am still in the thick of query-land, I thought I’d lighten it up. It’s been a while since I left you with an excerpt.

Do you remember the day you first saw the person that would one day turn your life upside down? This is the first time Emily and Graham lay eyes on one another. Leave a comment and tell me about the first time this happened to you.

The First Glimpse

“Hey, I think I’ll drop these books off before we go eat. You want to?”

“That’s a good idea,” I said, picking up my full book bag and an extra plastic store bag.  There were so many books, and although I had purchased mostly used copies, they were also expensive. “I’m parked in the south parking garage.”

“I’m in the opposite direction,” she said pointing. “Meet me back here in fifteen?”

“Perfect.”

We headed out with our bags. The campus had gotten busier while we were inside. Groups took tours with upperclassmen, students passed out flyers and, of course, individuals like me used campus maps to find their way around. The newbies could be spotted at fifty paces, and I was one of them.

A longer penis is bad for endurance Long penises are bad for endurance, as they can cause more harm than good. cialis without prescription generic viagra wholesale This sexual disorder completely destroys a man’s sexual pleasure but also cause erectile dysfunction. You can take it with you and use it to levitra price great effect. It sounds great, isn’t it? Well, don’t wait generico viagra on line http://appalachianmagazine.com/2014/10/09/titanic-made-with-west-virginia-timber/ anymore and join the hundreds and thousands of diets in the world, which is the main source of death for different youngsters. I paused while a group passed on either side of me. The crowd kicked up a breeze and I felt something irritating my eye. Bogged down by bags of books, I rubbed my eye with my forearm. No luck. I dropped the bags and rubbed with my fingers until I cleared the dust. I blinked to regain some sense of clear vision and watched a fuzzy pair of guys approach. I blinked again and realized one was staring straight at me. I didn’t know him. I hardly knew anyone. And certainly not someone that good looking. As they got closer he didn’t look away. I felt an embarrassed smile creep across my lips. He stopped in front of me.

“Do you need help?”

“Help?”

“I mean finding the student union…or?” He nodded toward the library.

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

“OK.” He turned toward his friend who didn’t appear to be at all interested in helping a stranger, and fell in stride next to him.

I leaned down and grasped the straps of my bags. I took two steps in the direction of the parking garage before I looked back. Caught! He turned to look at me at the same time. One last quick smile and I went on my way. There was something about him other than simply being nice. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. But I was intrigued for sure.

With the turn in weather and impending ski trips ahead of me this season, I find myself reflecting on a lovely little chapter in Call Me Emily. My weekends will most likely entail snowball fights with my seven year old with an added bonus of harder, stinging snowballs to my back and shoulders from my husband. Then there is the cheering I know I won’t be able to contain as I watch my son ski down the hill toward me.

Emily’s trip to the snow is a little different. In chapter 16, titled- A Weekend Away, Graham takes Emily to his parent’s cottage for a ski weekend. She’s never snow-skied before, but braves the trip anyway with high hopes of romance with Graham. But after they finish eating dinner in the cozy cottage kitchen, the conversation takes a hard left turn.

Chapter 16

A Weekend Away

It was fun cooking together. Since it wasn’t his or my apartment it felt like an “our” situation. We stood side by side, stirring pots and preparing the bread. We sipped wine, ate and talked casually about nothing in particular. It was simple but one of those times you know you’ll remember.

We ate, and as I popped the last bite of bread into my mouth, I had to admit I was full. “Should we go enjoy that fire of yours now?”

“Yes.” He looked down at the dishes.

“There’s not much … here.” I took our plates and washed them quickly, along with the empty pasta pots. Graham brought our glasses to the living room. I joined him in front of the fireplace. It was cozy and well, let’s face it, romantic. I walked to the fireplace to take a look at the family photographs.

“So these are your parents?” I picked up one of the frames. “This must be your sister.” I pointed to a beautiful blond girl in the photograph. The color drained out of Graham’s face. He looked down at his feet, almost shrinking. A posture I had never seen from him before.

“That’s …” He took the frame from my hands, looked at it briefly and turned it face down on the mantel. “That’s Nicole.” He said her name quietly.  I didn’t know what to think.
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“Nicole?” To say I was confused would have been an understatement.

“Remember I told you about the girl I dated last year?”

Who Nicole might be became clearer. “Yes, so that’s her? With your parents?” Suddenly I wore the same look on my face. I was sad and, well, more than slighted. His parents didn’t even know I existed, and here I was in another one of their houses with a photo of his previous girlfriend staring at me.

“But you said.” I was crushed. I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Look, I don’t tell them about my personal life anymore for a reason.”

“ ’Anymore?’ ”

“Nicole was in my life for a long time and… she’s friends with my family. Believe me.” He reached for my shoulders. I still couldn’t look at him. “She’s not in my life anymore. I learned the hard way.” I couldn’t look up and didn’t know what to think.

“Emily?” He touched my chin with his index finger, tipping my face to his. “I’m with you now, only you.” He paused for a few seconds, not waiting for me to speak but trying to find his next words. The skin between his eyebrows crinkled. The look on his face was pain. Now I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He brushed my jaw with his thumb gently. I barely felt it.  Time hung in the air between us.

When all of you lovely people read Call Me Emily, you will learn about the connection Emily has with her family and her home of Two Rivers.  Her home town calls to her in a spiritual way. Not quite like you would read in a C.S. Lewis novel, but it does call. And, for Emily, when she hears that call she seeks out the balance to her life that she so desperately wants to find.

I, personally, am lucky enough to have many members of my family nearby my town of Auburn California, where I have lived for the past nineteen years. While some of my family live too far away, others I am able to see and visit with more often. These family members graciously joined me, my son and my husband for Thanksgiving. And it was truly a day to give thanks. All of us are healthy, happy and moderately sober. (I joke.)

So while I don’t retreat to my home town and the arms of my mother for comfort like Emily, I do relish in the small things my family does that light up my day. Especially on a day when we can all be together, share a meal, many stories and give thanks.

Enough about me! I know you really want to know about Emily. In the scene that follows from Call Me Emily, Emily returns to her home town for Thanksgiving seeking a little clarity. But, does she find it?

***

We crossed the river and made the last hairpin turn before our house.  Mom’s car was in the driveway.  I was happy to be home. No I was elated to be home. I pulled the car behind hers and jumped out. She came to the front porch and like the Tasmanian Devil, my little brother ran under her arm and down the steps toward us. I stopped and put my arms out to give him a big hug. He ran right past me and tackled Ethan. Well how do you like that?

Mom made up for Hunter overlooking me. She wrapped her arm around me while Ethan followed us into the house carrying our bags.

“Having both of you gone has been…just…” She started to cry.

“Mom, don’t. We’re here now.” I pulled her closer and opened the door. It was much colder than I remembered. I wanted to stand by the fire immediately.
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“I know, I know. He’s looking out for you, isn’t he?”

“Yes, of course he is.”

Hunter held Ethan captive in his room, showing him all his new video games I presumed. I got the impression Mom and I had plenty to talk about. She had that look. You know, the one that said I wasn’t aloud to run off any time soon.  As we unpacked, we covered the first few weeks of school. Had I met any friends? What were my classes like? How was my job? And so on. I gave her overall kind of explanations.

“Have you met him yet?” she handed me the last of my things out of my bag.

“Who?” I asked knowing exactly what she meant but not wanting to encourage her.

“The guy,” she responded with a very curious smile. “The new guy.”

“Mom, there’s no guy.” I lied just a little. Although I was interested in Graham I couldn’t deny it was Christian I thought of as soon as we passed the welcome sign. I knew I’d probably think of him when I got home and those thoughts seemed to boil over the second I arrived. It didn’t help that everything here reminded me of him. Simply driving the roads brought back all kinds of memories I’d been trying to bury.  Add the quiet that hung in the air with only the occasional whip of a breeze through the trees and brief animal noises and the rich meadow that accompanied every breath I took, and I was officially thinking about everything that happened between us the summer before.

I’ve introduced all the characters in Call Me Emily. Stay with me because there are more, really fun characters to read about in Emily Calls It. But that’s a later blog post.

For now, I thought I’d leave you with an excerpt. In the first book, Call Me Emily, Ethan, Emily’s brother feels a little guilty he hasn’t helped his sister get acquainted with southern California. Out of obligation, he invites her to the movies. The following passage gives you insight into Emily and Ethan’s relationship. It also gives you a glimpse of what’s to come between Emily and Joel.

***

I only knocked once before he opened the door.

“Hey,” he said backing away so I could pass.

“Wow, you’ve really done wonders with this place,” I said sarcastically, easing the door shut. His apartment was a mess. Clothes everywhere, empty macaroni and cheese boxes on the counter, and don’t even get me started on the piles of papers on every surface. I always found his furniture taste, or lack thereof, interesting. I guess.  If you could assemble it with an Allen wrench, it was in his apartment. Down to his kitchen table, a glass-topped patio table with a hole in the middle for an umbrella.

I stayed in the entry, afraid to make my way into this obvious black hole of disarray.

Ethan returned from the other room, tennis shoes in hand. He slipped one on and looked at me. “What’s with the look?” he asked.

“Look?”

“Yeah, your nose is all scrunched up. Does it smell in here or something?” He looked around.

“No, but the fact that you have to ask that speaks volumes,” I said further wrinkling.

He grabbed his keys and nodded toward the front door. “Let’s jam. We’re meeting Joel.”

Huh. I was surprised. I don’t know why, but I thought it was just a brother and sister night.

“Wait a second. You have something in your hair,” he pulled out an almost-dry, pencil-eraser-sized drip of yellow paint. “Oh, great,” I said.

“Yeah, you missed a spot,” he laughed and messed up my hair with his hand.

Sure enough, when we parked Joel waiting out in front of the movie theater.
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“Hey Joel,” Ethan said as we approached. “I have these passes.” He tapped his front pocket. “Grab a spot in line with Emily and I’ll be right back.”

The line was forming fast as we joined it. I knew the movie was supposed to be good, but this seemed ridiculous. The line just kept going.

“What do you know about this movie,” I asked Joel.

“Nothin’ much. But it’s got that short guy from Top Gun in it.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean to Tom,” I said jabbing my elbow into his arm.

“Ouch! Fine,” he laughed.

I noticed an older couple in line behind us. Probably the age of my parents, but maybe older. Their smiles indicated they were listening to our conversation. She met my gaze.

“You two are so cute. You remind me of us when we were younger. How long have you been dating?” She swept her arm across her husband’s back.

Joel’s posture went rigid. “Oh, we’re, um friends.” I spit out.

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she said with the same mischievous smile. Before I had a chance to continue our conversation, Ethan came back and picked up mid sentence.

“Wow that’s a long line.” He looked at the trail of people behind us. “I’m glad we got here when we did.”

Joel moved beside me to give Ethan room, and we stepped forward in line.

“So what did I miss?” Ethan asked.

Joel and I looked around, both not looking at each other. “Nothing,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders.