Lila Johnson's Blog - Posts Tagged "friendships"
A New Year, A New Book
The New Year is off and running at full speed and so is THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND!
The second book in the series is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, this was a way to get my writing legs back on the ground after several personal issues sidelined my work. Once I found my way, I knew that my love for the written word would never die and that no one or thing would stop me again.
Second, I returned to France and England in 2014 and 2015 to do the research for this book. It had been many years since my first visit and I wanted to touch, taste and feel all the things that my characters would explore when they arrived in Paris and London. Although it was fun to be in my favorite cities, it was just as exhausting. I had to cram a lot of research into a very small amount of time; rising early in the morning while staying up until midnight in some cases.
I wrote a lot of the scenes during my visits and took copious amounts of notes and photographs. At times I felt as though I had returned to my part time job as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. All in all, it was so worth it for all the knowledge I gained along the way.
For Angela, Sissy and Nicki, this trip was an eye opener for them too. It was the first time the friends had traveled together overseas while revealing things about each person’s character that they were never aware of. Isn’t that how it goes in real life? The people we are closest to, that we think we know so much about does an about face and surprises us with an opinion, action or behavior that we never had a clue about?
I hope you enjoy THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND as much as I enjoyed writing it. Au revoir!
The second book in the series is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, this was a way to get my writing legs back on the ground after several personal issues sidelined my work. Once I found my way, I knew that my love for the written word would never die and that no one or thing would stop me again.
Second, I returned to France and England in 2014 and 2015 to do the research for this book. It had been many years since my first visit and I wanted to touch, taste and feel all the things that my characters would explore when they arrived in Paris and London. Although it was fun to be in my favorite cities, it was just as exhausting. I had to cram a lot of research into a very small amount of time; rising early in the morning while staying up until midnight in some cases.
I wrote a lot of the scenes during my visits and took copious amounts of notes and photographs. At times I felt as though I had returned to my part time job as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. All in all, it was so worth it for all the knowledge I gained along the way.
For Angela, Sissy and Nicki, this trip was an eye opener for them too. It was the first time the friends had traveled together overseas while revealing things about each person’s character that they were never aware of. Isn’t that how it goes in real life? The people we are closest to, that we think we know so much about does an about face and surprises us with an opinion, action or behavior that we never had a clue about?
I hope you enjoy THE FAT GIRLS CLUB PARIS BOUND as much as I enjoyed writing it. Au revoir!
14 Hours Later
THE FAT GIRLS CLUB
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When your mind and body has been on vacation, the last thing you want to do is return to the realities of life. The reality of work, family, home, bills and for some of us, relationships we would rather forget.
Angela’s soft snores distracted Sissy from her writing. She dropped her ink pen into the crease of the journal and looked up. Her eyes scanned the airplane cabin while taking in the activities of the other passengers who read, watched television or slept as her friend was doing. It had been a long and emotional day but a sense of restlessness kept her on edge. She put away the journal and looked up to find a rather handsome man staring in her direction. He gave a wink that startled her.
I know he’s not trying to flirt with me, she thought while giving him her sexiest smile. Sissy watched as he unfastened his seat belt and made his way in the semi-dark cabin to her row.
Leaning on the seat beside him he whispered, “Hello. My name’s Jonas. You caught my eye earlier and I was wondering if you’d join me. The seat next to me is empty as well as the next.”
“And how did you get lucky enough to have two empty seats?”
“I paid to have the whole row,” he said before straightening.
His smile was the finest thing she’d seen in a while. She drank in his 6’2” athletic frame dressed in a dark blue polo shirt tucked into indigo blue jeans held up with a dark brown belt. His body, devoid of any fat or flab, was taunt and muscular. His round, well-scrubbed, hairless face held a pair of luminous eyes that peered out from thick, black lashes and eye brows that caused her to suck in her breath and slowly release it. Her eyes landed on his slightly protruding upper lip that initiated sinful thoughts. His hair was cropped low and clean, while his skin was drenched in a russet tone that made Sissy’s toes curl in her shoes.
“Why not. It’s not as if you could kidnap me.”
“I would if I could,” his languid voice hummed. “So, is that a yes?”
She unfastened her seat belt, placing her hand in his as he helped her step over Angela’s legs. His cologne seduced her nostrils with the most enticing scent of spicy red saffron. For a brief moment she wanted to slide into his arms and stay there forever.
When they arrived at his row, he stepped aside, allowing her to move past his seat to take the next available one. He sat and re-positioned himself before fastening his belt.
Jonas turned and looked directly at her. “So, tell me about yourself.”
From then on, the flight didn’t seem so long as they talked and laughed the hours away.
That's the intro to the third book in the Fat Girls Club Series that will debut next month. After fourteen hours of revisions, I finally sent the manuscript to my editor. After a year of writing the story, with many edits prior to the final revision, it doesn't get any easier to present your work to your readers. As an author, we always hope and pray that the next book is just as good if not better than the last. The one thing we must remember is, when you love the thing you do, no matter what the job, the joy of it pushes fear aside.
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When your mind and body has been on vacation, the last thing you want to do is return to the realities of life. The reality of work, family, home, bills and for some of us, relationships we would rather forget.
Angela’s soft snores distracted Sissy from her writing. She dropped her ink pen into the crease of the journal and looked up. Her eyes scanned the airplane cabin while taking in the activities of the other passengers who read, watched television or slept as her friend was doing. It had been a long and emotional day but a sense of restlessness kept her on edge. She put away the journal and looked up to find a rather handsome man staring in her direction. He gave a wink that startled her.
I know he’s not trying to flirt with me, she thought while giving him her sexiest smile. Sissy watched as he unfastened his seat belt and made his way in the semi-dark cabin to her row.
Leaning on the seat beside him he whispered, “Hello. My name’s Jonas. You caught my eye earlier and I was wondering if you’d join me. The seat next to me is empty as well as the next.”
“And how did you get lucky enough to have two empty seats?”
“I paid to have the whole row,” he said before straightening.
His smile was the finest thing she’d seen in a while. She drank in his 6’2” athletic frame dressed in a dark blue polo shirt tucked into indigo blue jeans held up with a dark brown belt. His body, devoid of any fat or flab, was taunt and muscular. His round, well-scrubbed, hairless face held a pair of luminous eyes that peered out from thick, black lashes and eye brows that caused her to suck in her breath and slowly release it. Her eyes landed on his slightly protruding upper lip that initiated sinful thoughts. His hair was cropped low and clean, while his skin was drenched in a russet tone that made Sissy’s toes curl in her shoes.
“Why not. It’s not as if you could kidnap me.”
“I would if I could,” his languid voice hummed. “So, is that a yes?”
She unfastened her seat belt, placing her hand in his as he helped her step over Angela’s legs. His cologne seduced her nostrils with the most enticing scent of spicy red saffron. For a brief moment she wanted to slide into his arms and stay there forever.
When they arrived at his row, he stepped aside, allowing her to move past his seat to take the next available one. He sat and re-positioned himself before fastening his belt.
Jonas turned and looked directly at her. “So, tell me about yourself.”
From then on, the flight didn’t seem so long as they talked and laughed the hours away.
That's the intro to the third book in the Fat Girls Club Series that will debut next month. After fourteen hours of revisions, I finally sent the manuscript to my editor. After a year of writing the story, with many edits prior to the final revision, it doesn't get any easier to present your work to your readers. As an author, we always hope and pray that the next book is just as good if not better than the last. The one thing we must remember is, when you love the thing you do, no matter what the job, the joy of it pushes fear aside.
