Looking Back

Every year at this time, Facebook does a year in review, showing a slideshow of various photos, status updates and friends from the past year. Like many people who have commented about this feature, this is one year that I’m really not up for reviewing.

We have a president who thinks women and minorities are less than human and would like us to relive the 1950s. We have a Congress with admissions requirements that are more lax than shopping malls. Powerful men who have abused women are pouring out of the woodwork (I’m telling you now, if anyone accuses Tom Hanks, I’m done), and not a single one knows how to apologize—you’d think with all the Hollywood elite accused, one of them would hire a screenwriter to give them a decent apology script that everyone else could plagiarize. And it seems as if the entire world is either falling apart or against us or both.

But, upon further reflection, this year had some incredible moments. Resistance is growing strong. Regardless of political affiliation, people are standing up for what’s right. Decency and courage are peeking through the cracks. Women are demonstrating hidden strength and destroying those who would do us harm. The silent are finding a voice.

I’ve had meaningful conversations with people that, up until that time, I hadn’t discussed anything other than superficial topics. I’ve learned the true meaning of friendship. I’ve watched people I love overcome things and succeed at things that I never thought I’d see.

Those moments are enough to carry me through and to give me hope for the future. And when those moments aren’t enough, I escape into my work, where the women are strong and don’t need rescuing; the men aren’t assholes; and happily-ever-after provides the light at the end of the tunnel (hmm, maybe I DO write about my real life...).

So 2017, while going into the history books for all the wrong reasons, does have some good things that I want to remember—book sales, new friends, fun memories.

But I think I’ll pass on Facebook’s end-of-year feature. Maybe next year.

Welcome to Leslie Scott

Leslie is a first-time author, so please check her out!

Jennifer has so kindly offered to host me today on her blog and give me some ideas as to what to talk about. Since, well, this is my very first release and I’m still learning the ropes of blogging and the like. As with most writers, I’d much rather talk about my characters and stories than myself. After all, their lives are far more interesting than ours are, that’s why we read.

My dream has always been to write for a living, to tell stories and have people read them. A few years ago, I decided to stop dreaming about it and actually do it. Helped in part by the fact that my Beta read (and dear friend) told me she wasn’t going to read anything else until I finished one.

One night, while sitting in bed with my husband watching yet another car related show while he talked about the big race at the drag strip that weekend, it hit me. I can combine both our worlds, make it entertaining and sexy. My novel, The Finish Line was born in that moment.

A few interesting tidbits about The Finish Line:

Street racing, since the birth of movies like The Fast and the Furious and shows like Street Outlaws has been given a lot of attention in the past decade. But, it’s not something new. Since the birth of the muscle car, drivers have been testing their mettle on dark streets in the middle of the night.

For me, I thought maybe it was time they try their hands at love.

Jordan, my hero was someone I wanted to be larger than life. The big fish in a little pond, town hero, the sort of guy that everyone wanted to know. So, as I was writing him, he became something special to me. I changed his name then, since I knew he was going to be my first published hero. As a kid, my two first crushes were Jordan Knight from NKOTB and Christian Slater. Thus, Jordan Slater.

Raelynn is the anti me. In truth, I’m much more like her snarky little sister. So, writing her was an adventure in, learning to let go and allow the character to create themselves. There were times writing this, when I really felt like I was being unusually cruel to her. That built a respect, each time the story knocks her down, she just gets stronger. I realized that while she isn’t much like me, she’s someone I could aspire to be like.

Their love story isn’t an easy one, though it was possibly the most fulfilling thing I’ve done aside from having my son. The day I signed my contract, I celebrated for about two minutes before realizing that meant I had to get started on the second novel. Which, reminds me now, that I need to wrap this up and finish up book three.

Thanks so much for spending time with me today. Happy reading!

Blurb:

Another night at the races is more than burnt rubber with a hit of nitrous. For one young woman, it's navigating trauma, love, and loss in the stifling Texas heat under the watchful gaze of her brother’s best friend and reigning King of the Streets, Jordan Slater. Home in Arkadia again, Raelynn Casey starts to heal from a terrible incident at college. She finds love in Jordan, a member of her brother’s circle of racing buddies. When another in the racing circle, the guy who took her to her high school prom, exposes his feelings for Raelynn, tragedy erupts like a tank of race fuel. Guilt, remorse, and pain must be overcome before Raelynn and Jordan can race to The Finish Line.

The Finish Line, Paperback http://bit.ly/2isnD4u

The Finish Line, Nook http://bit.ly/2A88mjH

The Finish Line, Kindle http://amzn.to/2A875ZX

Author Bio:

Leslie Scott thrives in the middle of chaos. Not because she home schools her son and rides herd over the family's zoo of indoor pets or listens to her soul mate wax poetically about all things car and related. Oh, no. That's nothing. The real chaos is the characters in her mind, elbowing and tripping each other to get to the front of the line so they can be the next romantic couple in one of her stories. Her family is her passion. Writing romance is her dream.

Links:

Readers can find me on my website: lesliescottromance.com, on Twitter @leslieSwrites, and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites. I’m really active on twitter/facebook and would love to hear from readers!

Happy Chanukah!

Tomorrow night is the start of Chanukah and this year is going to be a very different type of celebration.

To start with, the Princess will still be in school for most of it, so we won’t get to celebrate with her until the last two nights of the holiday. I picked out and wrapped her presents, as well as included an electric menorah for her to light in her room. I mailed her the ones she can open at school. And we hope she’ll be able to call or FaceTime us while she does it, even though she’s in the middle of finals. But it won’t be the same.

Chanukah’s not a big holiday, and even though it falls around Christmas usually, it’s NOT a Jewish version of Christmas. But it is a holiday and I like to gather my family around during that time. Short of a very select few things that absolutely can’t be skipped, everyone is expected to be at home, together, while we light the candles. That often means they leave afterwards, but for that half hour each evening, we are together.

It also means most of the traditions will fall on Banana Girl—putting up the window clings, lighting the electric window menorah (which I have never liked), and making gelt. The presents have been sitting out, wrapped, since I started purchasing them—I was very organized this year, which even surprised me—and there’s only been some of the interest level in them, probably because we’re missing a child. Although Banana Girl did show concern when she counted and didn’t see enough presents for the entire holiday (that’s because some of the orders haven’t come in yet, despite my best intentions).

We’ll be FaceTiming the grandparents in for the first time, and I’ll be introducing a whole additional group to the joys of fried Oreos. This year, the family Chanukah party is at my house. I still haven’t quite perfected the food pairings that go with fried Oreos, but I suspect no one will care. And I think even my husband got a little carried away with the amount of Oreos needed this season.

So, like everything else in this year of change, things will be different. And while I hate change, I have to admit that it’s been fun trying to figure out new traditions and balancing the old ones.

To all those who celebrate, wishing you a very Happy Chanukah!