Ann Howes's Blog
July 2, 2020
Happy 4th.
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. There's just so much right about them. Their big green leaves, their long stems and colors, their texture, their ability to thrive in the shade and not be the one in the spotlight. I wish I could include a photo in this post of the one I'm seeing. It's so pink, so pretty, so vibrant and so gorgeous, it makes my heart happy in these ridiculously uncertain times. I implore you to take a moment to stop and enjoy what's around you. To smell the roses, watch the hummingbirds feed from the honeysuckle and the morning glory, the honey bees suckle from the dandelions while you meander the scenic route. Tomorrow is not promised, but you do have now. May your 4th be as spectacular as all the pretty little flowers around you, real or imagined and bring you as much joy as it does me.
Much love.
~Ann~
Much love.
~Ann~
February 13, 2019
How The Debt came to be
When I first started writing The Debt, it wasn’t meant to be a sequel to The Marker. It was going to a standalone and it was going to be written solely from my hero’s point of view. It was going to be about a man, who had everything he wanted, but not what he needed to grow as a human. And since I write romance, it was the love of that one woman.
It all started with a photo I’d seen it on Facebook and there was something about the intensity in the dude’s face (besides being stinking hot) that wouldn’t let me go. What secret pain was he was hiding behind those sunglasses?
The thing to keep in mind is about my writing process, is my characters tell me the story. I have tried to plot them out, but it never ends up being what I think it should be. Always what they want it to be. So I’ve learned after lots of chewed nails, pulled hair and too many deleted words to stop arguing with them, making them do what I want, and let them lead me on their wild, crazy journeys. It’s a longer process, but for me, far more authentic. As I got to know Zander, and he slowly revealed his past to me, it was much more tragic and complicated than I ever suspected. He was a broken man who couldn’t face who he was, or his past.
So what did he need to make him whole—Terra of course. But she needed to be someone from his world that he related to but at the same time blew his mind. Someone who would override his tendency to not allow himself to feel anything too deep and his ability to keep his distance from women. With her he couldn’t. When tragedy struck, in her grief he saw his own past and it forced him to open that dark chamber in his mind, allow his memories to surface–face his demons and really heal.
I love Terra and Zander so much, and I love them together and I hope you love them and their story as much as I do.
With that, I give you The Debt mybook.to/ZanderandTerra
~Hugs and kisses…Ann~
It all started with a photo I’d seen it on Facebook and there was something about the intensity in the dude’s face (besides being stinking hot) that wouldn’t let me go. What secret pain was he was hiding behind those sunglasses?
The thing to keep in mind is about my writing process, is my characters tell me the story. I have tried to plot them out, but it never ends up being what I think it should be. Always what they want it to be. So I’ve learned after lots of chewed nails, pulled hair and too many deleted words to stop arguing with them, making them do what I want, and let them lead me on their wild, crazy journeys. It’s a longer process, but for me, far more authentic. As I got to know Zander, and he slowly revealed his past to me, it was much more tragic and complicated than I ever suspected. He was a broken man who couldn’t face who he was, or his past.
So what did he need to make him whole—Terra of course. But she needed to be someone from his world that he related to but at the same time blew his mind. Someone who would override his tendency to not allow himself to feel anything too deep and his ability to keep his distance from women. With her he couldn’t. When tragedy struck, in her grief he saw his own past and it forced him to open that dark chamber in his mind, allow his memories to surface–face his demons and really heal.
I love Terra and Zander so much, and I love them together and I hope you love them and their story as much as I do.
With that, I give you The Debt mybook.to/ZanderandTerra
~Hugs and kisses…Ann~
March 30, 2018
The Fifth
I guess I might have been a desert-rat in a past life.
I love the heat. At the time of writing this blog I could’ve been inside a cool, air-conditioned room. Instead I sat outside with a big, silly grin on the patio of my little garden view Casita clacking away on my MacBook Air in 98 degrees at 8.24 in the evening. Drinking a glass of icy Chardonnay and watching the bats do acrobatic fly-by's. Granted, it's not something I'd do everyday, but I was in southern California on a working vacation in the little desert resort town of La Quinta, which means 'the fifth' in Spanish.
The town, nestled in a cove against the spectacular Santa Rosa Mountains, was named by the Spanish conquistador, Juan Bautista D’Anza in the 16th century. To those unfamiliar, he lead 240 people on an epic trail from New Spain (Mexico) approximately 1800 miles north to a settlement in the San Francisco Bay. La Quinta was the fifth base established along the way.
Also known as the jewel of the desert, it has an interesting history that involves not only Spanish conquistadors but movie stars, screen-writers and producers who considered it a retreat from the madness of Hollywood. Situated two hours by car east of Los Angeles, The La Quinta Resort where I wrote this blog, was the vision of Walter Morgan, the youngest son of a wealthy businessman from San Francisco. In 1926 he purchased 1400 acres of land and built adobe cottages (known as casitas) with the idea of attracting Hollywood’s elite. It worked. During the thirties stars such as Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo and Frank Capra, among others flocked to the resort. Capra, famous for writing Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and You Can’t Take It With You, called it his ‘Shangri-La' and returned frequently to write.
During the Second World War times were difficult and because of gas and tire rationing the guests stayed away. This resulted in the resort locking its doors and draining the pool. However after the war, the Hollywood elite returned in droves, no doubt aided by a boom in air travel and a convenient airstrip installed on the grounds. It has since grown and is still popular today, maintaining its distinct Spanish style and charm. Lets hope some of Mr. Capra's good luck continues to rub off on me.
Most exciting as an animal enthusiast, not all of residents are of the human kind. I came across a roadrunner literally road-running in Old Town La Quinta. I'd never seen a real live one and it was quite a treat. A larger variety of non-humans, the big horn sheep graze on exquisitely well-manicured golf courses and trespass on the locals often partaking in a drink from their swimming pools.
In the second book of The Bridge Series, The Debt (to be released in the summer of 2018) my heroine Terra Miller, a feisty lingerie sales-associate and lead singer of a cover band spends a little time in La Quinta while recovering from the the death of her mother. She's also hiding from ruthless members of the Russian mafia whose ties reach deep into the California State Government. What better excuse to come to the place where a little research is required. The more I learn about this gorgeous little palm treed gem of an oasis, the more I love.
If you're ever in the desert in SoCal, I highly recommend stopping by and enjoy a cocktail while watching natures magnificent display of the mountains turning pink as the sun sets behind them.
So, where is your favorite place to be when you’re not at home?
I love the heat. At the time of writing this blog I could’ve been inside a cool, air-conditioned room. Instead I sat outside with a big, silly grin on the patio of my little garden view Casita clacking away on my MacBook Air in 98 degrees at 8.24 in the evening. Drinking a glass of icy Chardonnay and watching the bats do acrobatic fly-by's. Granted, it's not something I'd do everyday, but I was in southern California on a working vacation in the little desert resort town of La Quinta, which means 'the fifth' in Spanish.
The town, nestled in a cove against the spectacular Santa Rosa Mountains, was named by the Spanish conquistador, Juan Bautista D’Anza in the 16th century. To those unfamiliar, he lead 240 people on an epic trail from New Spain (Mexico) approximately 1800 miles north to a settlement in the San Francisco Bay. La Quinta was the fifth base established along the way.
Also known as the jewel of the desert, it has an interesting history that involves not only Spanish conquistadors but movie stars, screen-writers and producers who considered it a retreat from the madness of Hollywood. Situated two hours by car east of Los Angeles, The La Quinta Resort where I wrote this blog, was the vision of Walter Morgan, the youngest son of a wealthy businessman from San Francisco. In 1926 he purchased 1400 acres of land and built adobe cottages (known as casitas) with the idea of attracting Hollywood’s elite. It worked. During the thirties stars such as Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo and Frank Capra, among others flocked to the resort. Capra, famous for writing Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and You Can’t Take It With You, called it his ‘Shangri-La' and returned frequently to write.
During the Second World War times were difficult and because of gas and tire rationing the guests stayed away. This resulted in the resort locking its doors and draining the pool. However after the war, the Hollywood elite returned in droves, no doubt aided by a boom in air travel and a convenient airstrip installed on the grounds. It has since grown and is still popular today, maintaining its distinct Spanish style and charm. Lets hope some of Mr. Capra's good luck continues to rub off on me.
Most exciting as an animal enthusiast, not all of residents are of the human kind. I came across a roadrunner literally road-running in Old Town La Quinta. I'd never seen a real live one and it was quite a treat. A larger variety of non-humans, the big horn sheep graze on exquisitely well-manicured golf courses and trespass on the locals often partaking in a drink from their swimming pools.
In the second book of The Bridge Series, The Debt (to be released in the summer of 2018) my heroine Terra Miller, a feisty lingerie sales-associate and lead singer of a cover band spends a little time in La Quinta while recovering from the the death of her mother. She's also hiding from ruthless members of the Russian mafia whose ties reach deep into the California State Government. What better excuse to come to the place where a little research is required. The more I learn about this gorgeous little palm treed gem of an oasis, the more I love.
If you're ever in the desert in SoCal, I highly recommend stopping by and enjoy a cocktail while watching natures magnificent display of the mountains turning pink as the sun sets behind them.
So, where is your favorite place to be when you’re not at home?
