Jo Cook's Blog
March 18, 2022
My 2nd fav thing about writing fiction
(copied from my FB author page)
My fav thing about writing fiction (so far 😊) is those moments when my writing angel decides to pour complete scenes into my head, so it feels like I'm watching the story rather than creating it myself.
But my 2nd fav thing is figuring out the puzzle of the plot. What makes the plot interesting? What are the crises that will cause a turning point in the story? What hints can I drop in early chapters that will become important in later chapters?
I've got a WIP (work in progress=book I'm working on) right now that happens at the same time as the events in The Guarded Heart, but I'm (obviously) writing it after I wrote TGH so I have to be sure the chronology of events, etc., matches up. To tie the two books together, I needed an "inciting incident" that will happen at the end of both books (so I'll write a new epilogue for TGH) that will bring the stories full circle AND lead into the next story in the series.
I've been puzzling over exactly how to do that for a few months now, and today I finally figured it out! I don't want to give anything away (especially since I'm still a new enough author that I tend to change things drastically in the storyline during later edits!), but right now I'm planning to create a threat that will directly link back to a terrifying attack on Princess Aurora that happened in Book 3: Storms Arise. This threat will also have serious implications for the "happily ever after" ending of Greene's love story, which seemed to be a given in Book 4: Return of the Sun.
So exciting to be able to create my own world! 😁
My fav thing about writing fiction (so far 😊) is those moments when my writing angel decides to pour complete scenes into my head, so it feels like I'm watching the story rather than creating it myself.
But my 2nd fav thing is figuring out the puzzle of the plot. What makes the plot interesting? What are the crises that will cause a turning point in the story? What hints can I drop in early chapters that will become important in later chapters?
I've got a WIP (work in progress=book I'm working on) right now that happens at the same time as the events in The Guarded Heart, but I'm (obviously) writing it after I wrote TGH so I have to be sure the chronology of events, etc., matches up. To tie the two books together, I needed an "inciting incident" that will happen at the end of both books (so I'll write a new epilogue for TGH) that will bring the stories full circle AND lead into the next story in the series.
I've been puzzling over exactly how to do that for a few months now, and today I finally figured it out! I don't want to give anything away (especially since I'm still a new enough author that I tend to change things drastically in the storyline during later edits!), but right now I'm planning to create a threat that will directly link back to a terrifying attack on Princess Aurora that happened in Book 3: Storms Arise. This threat will also have serious implications for the "happily ever after" ending of Greene's love story, which seemed to be a given in Book 4: Return of the Sun.
So exciting to be able to create my own world! 😁
February 14, 2022
Book recommendation: Persuasion by Jane Austen
(Copied from my Facebook page, where I've been making romantic book recommendations in advance of Valentine's Day)
My favorite romance novel is Persuasion by Jane Austen. If you've seen the movie The Lake House, you'll remember it as being Dr. Kate's favorite book, too, which Alex hides in a building for her to find years later. I don't think Kate's synopsis of the book does it justice, though. It's not just about waiting... it's about maturing so you can listen to your own voice rather than being swayed by what you think are the more reasonable voices of the people who love you.
Anne Elliott is a sad spinster, whose heart was broken when she was persuaded by a close family friend not to marry the man she loved as a young woman. Anne has never forgotten him, and her sadness has drained the life from her. (If you've read my book The Guarded Heart, you'll recognize Princess Aurora in that description, too.)
The man she loves returns after making a great career in the Navy for himself, and finds her sadly changed, to the point that he almost doesn't recognize her. Disappointed, and still smarting from her willingness to give him up all those years ago, he sets about finding a new romantic interest.
I love Anne Elliott so much. She has a very quiet personality, the total opposite of me, but we're privy to her thoughts and I soon realized that she actually has a lot of internal strength. Loving her family, she puts up with their caprices even though they hurt her often. Still loving Frederick, she doesn't try to interfere when she realizes he's no longer attracted to her. She wants him to be happy, and keeps her wounded heart to herself rather than making anyone suffer because of it.
Fortunately, Frederick deserves Anne's loyalty, because he's the rare man who can see below the surface. He soon realizes the Anne he loved is still there, only matured now into a woman who will follow him no matter what.
It's a heart-wrenching novel, and you'll be pulling hard for Anne all the way through it. She deserves a happy ending if anyone does, and Jane Austen doesn't disappoint in this, her last fully completed manuscript.
My favorite romance novel is Persuasion by Jane Austen. If you've seen the movie The Lake House, you'll remember it as being Dr. Kate's favorite book, too, which Alex hides in a building for her to find years later. I don't think Kate's synopsis of the book does it justice, though. It's not just about waiting... it's about maturing so you can listen to your own voice rather than being swayed by what you think are the more reasonable voices of the people who love you.
Anne Elliott is a sad spinster, whose heart was broken when she was persuaded by a close family friend not to marry the man she loved as a young woman. Anne has never forgotten him, and her sadness has drained the life from her. (If you've read my book The Guarded Heart, you'll recognize Princess Aurora in that description, too.)
The man she loves returns after making a great career in the Navy for himself, and finds her sadly changed, to the point that he almost doesn't recognize her. Disappointed, and still smarting from her willingness to give him up all those years ago, he sets about finding a new romantic interest.
I love Anne Elliott so much. She has a very quiet personality, the total opposite of me, but we're privy to her thoughts and I soon realized that she actually has a lot of internal strength. Loving her family, she puts up with their caprices even though they hurt her often. Still loving Frederick, she doesn't try to interfere when she realizes he's no longer attracted to her. She wants him to be happy, and keeps her wounded heart to herself rather than making anyone suffer because of it.
Fortunately, Frederick deserves Anne's loyalty, because he's the rare man who can see below the surface. He soon realizes the Anne he loved is still there, only matured now into a woman who will follow him no matter what.
It's a heart-wrenching novel, and you'll be pulling hard for Anne all the way through it. She deserves a happy ending if anyone does, and Jane Austen doesn't disappoint in this, her last fully completed manuscript.
February 13, 2022
Book recommendation: The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton
(Copied from my Facebook page, where I've been recommending my favorite romance books in honor of Valentine's Day)
Today's book is in honor of those people who, like me, haven't found the path of love to be easy. It's a story about a little girl born out of love, who ends up on a dock in Australia at age three, having disembarked alone from an English ship. Who is she? Where did she come from? The mystery slowly unravels, with twists and turns I never saw coming, and a powerful ending that leaves you heartbreakingly aware of how love can destroy lives.
This is easily one of my favorite books, because it encompasses so many of my favorite genres and is written by a master storyteller. Kate Morton's stories are well-crafted, touching, and linger in your mind for a very long time. They usually span at least 50 years, with the point of view jumping from the present to the past throughout the book, unveiling the mystery (genre #1) that lies at the heart of the story. Her books also usually involve some kind of romance (genre #2), sometimes a tragic romance. The Forgotten Garden is notable because it has both a tragic romance and a happy ending, so you get pathos and satisfaction in one book!
The other thing that makes The Forgotten Garden unique is that it has fairytales (genre #3)! The little girl on the dock in Australia has nothing but a small suitcase with her, and inside is a rare book of fairytales that will finally unravel the mystery of her origin. The fairytales are told in the best Brothers Grimm fashion, and are actually one of the things that inspired me to try writing again. I originally planned for The Guarded Heart to be called "Fairytale" (that's what the early drafts are named) and to be similar to a story in The Forgotten Garden called "The Egg." Please read this book and let me know when you're done, so we can recount our favorite parts to each other! 🥰
Today's book is in honor of those people who, like me, haven't found the path of love to be easy. It's a story about a little girl born out of love, who ends up on a dock in Australia at age three, having disembarked alone from an English ship. Who is she? Where did she come from? The mystery slowly unravels, with twists and turns I never saw coming, and a powerful ending that leaves you heartbreakingly aware of how love can destroy lives.
This is easily one of my favorite books, because it encompasses so many of my favorite genres and is written by a master storyteller. Kate Morton's stories are well-crafted, touching, and linger in your mind for a very long time. They usually span at least 50 years, with the point of view jumping from the present to the past throughout the book, unveiling the mystery (genre #1) that lies at the heart of the story. Her books also usually involve some kind of romance (genre #2), sometimes a tragic romance. The Forgotten Garden is notable because it has both a tragic romance and a happy ending, so you get pathos and satisfaction in one book!
The other thing that makes The Forgotten Garden unique is that it has fairytales (genre #3)! The little girl on the dock in Australia has nothing but a small suitcase with her, and inside is a rare book of fairytales that will finally unravel the mystery of her origin. The fairytales are told in the best Brothers Grimm fashion, and are actually one of the things that inspired me to try writing again. I originally planned for The Guarded Heart to be called "Fairytale" (that's what the early drafts are named) and to be similar to a story in The Forgotten Garden called "The Egg." Please read this book and let me know when you're done, so we can recount our favorite parts to each other! 🥰
November 26, 2021
Thoughts on "Storms Arise"
Storms Arise by Jo CookAuthor's note:
Storms Arise is the most challenging book of The Guarded Heart tetralogy. There are some bad things that happen in the book, but before we get to the bad stuff, there are some bright spots along the way, some scenes that I loved writing.
One of the joys of writing is being able to mold the world into your vision of it, being able to right wrongs that we see every day. I know a lot of authors prefer to write stories that are more realistic, stories where justice doesn't prevail. I prefer stories where the good guys ultimately win, and someone is there to help them when they really need it.
Introducing the character of Madeline, a shy woman with a huge talent, gave me a chance to show how kind Princess Aurora truly is. Aurora sees Madeline's skill and her heart hurts that no one in Madeline's village truly appreciates her.
The scenes in Fairham Village, Greene's home village, gave me the chance to express another world vision of mine. I have a master's degree in conflict management, and if I were ever elected Miss America, my path to world peace would be for everyone to take conflict management classes. In Fairham Village, Aurora and her Guards meet people who have zero control over their emotions, especially anger, which leads to a terrible incident affecting the Princess directly. The scenes that follow are based directly on my master's classes in conflict management. Those are the skills that we learned in class, and my hope is that everyone who reads Storms Arise might use some of those skills in their own lives.
You can find Storms Arise and the other books in The Guarded Heart tetralogy on my website, https://authorjocook.com/books-by-jo-...
View all my reviews
November 17, 2021
Dawn Breaks author's note
Dawn Breaks by Jo CookAuthor's note:
I was really excited while writing Dawn Breaks, because it's the first book in the series when Martin and Aurora get to interact as the people who love each other, rather than the people who have been hiding their love. One danger that authors face is that we can become enthralled with our own writing LOL and that definitely happened with me in the scenes with Martin and Aurora on the Waterfall Trail. The Guarded Heart was the first book I had written that really touched my heart, and I was so in love with Martin and Aurora's love story. ALL my mirror neurons were firing while writing those scenes, and after I wrote them I would read them over and over and OVER and cry! I hope that some of those scenes will touch other readers, too. I would love to hear about it, if so, so please reach out!
You can contact me and find all my books on my website, https://authorjocook.com/
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