Liner Notes for Home and Far Away

-

A camellia to honor Jen! Photo courtesy of my husband.

People enter our lives for a reason, a season, forever. Sometimes those distinctions bleed into one another, so I can't rightly say how Jen S. fits; more than a reason, not quite a season? Yet one solid purpose was to proffer Liner Notes as a title for the author's page at the conclusion of my novels.

For the last few days, I've been reading the final quarter of Home and Far Away, which is definitely my favourite story emerging from, well, not merely my creativity, but as a gift from God. To whom I credit all my fictional and life efforts, but especially the writing. My almost twenty-year literary path has been one of fun, exploration, tears, and self-examination, among other treats. This morning, as I completed the novel, I then read the Liner Notes. If you aren't into music, or merely stream all your songs, Liner Notes hearkens to the day of vinyl, where the artist or recording company spilled a little or a lot about said recording on the back of the album cover. Jen S. and I bonded over music, and she also deserves major props for introducing various pieces of rock and pop into my life that at times make it into a story's playlist. Thank you Jen, from the bottom of my heart!

But back to Liner Notes; I read those notes, grateful that Past Me had been so astute with her observations of this novel in particular. When writing a series, it's vital to laud each installment appropriately, and I chuckled inwardly, noting not only Past Me's acumen, but the basis for today's blog post. Because Home and Far Away: The Enran Chronicles Book Four has a VERY HAPPY ENDING, and two days out from Christmas, aren't happy endings what we all deserve?

Below are those Liner Notes, which don't act as spoilers; more they are confirming what matters in this life; joy, peace, love. Healing. Mercy. A happy ending. If this entices you to read the book, AWESOME! More important is I hope it sets into your heart the wonder and miracle of our existences, and how beloved we are.

And an early Happy Christmas to all!

 


Liner Notes

 

This series was born of a cathartic attempt to process grief after the loss of one deeply beloved within my family. Yet sometimes healing takes on an existence of its own, and who am I to deny a marvelous group of characters their moments in the virtual sun.

Back in my element with melodrama, Home and Far Away has become my latest favorite story. Sooz is definitely a cherished character, as well as Chella, but Richard and Gilly emerged before The Enran Chronicles was a gleam in my eye. The first chapter of this novel was written eighteen months before the rest of the manuscript emerged, as though it was waiting for me to catch up to it. And when I did, whoa! Neither Sooz or I knew what would happen once Earth came into view.

Yet this isn’t merely a love story. Or an aliens landing on our planet saga. Or a step back into history. It’s an allegory for current times, it’s a way out of darkness into light and joy. It’s mercy, as Chella forgives Noth, Dardram finds a soulmate, and Richard and Gilly receive peace. Sooz finds that balm in the most unexpected hamlet along U.S. Route 101, where a family and clients desperate for a caring physician await. At the end, Sooz becomes Suze, dropping Noth, adding Lund. And I can’t wait to tell the next part of this collective’s tale!

Thanks for accompanying me on this expedition and feel free to share your thoughts; drop me a line at annascottgraham at gmail dot com. For more tidbits about the writing, visit my blog In A Bookish Mood.

Popular posts from this blog

Blogging or Bluesky

-
Image
  A hunk from my Lavender EPP quilt, currently in progress. Around the first of March, I took an early Lenten sabbatical from Bluesky Social. My account with that form of social media is only from last November, after the election. I didn't abandon a Twitter handle for it, as that type of social media had never been my preferred method of outreach. As you can imagine, I like a LONG manner in which to share my thoughts, smiley face inserted HERE. Yet I was happy to create the account, and enjoyed the camaraderie I met. Giving up Bluesky was in part a Lenten sacrifice, as well as a need to distance myself from the weight of what was happening in America. I fully expected to rejoin the banter once Easter was over. That plan has been discarded, as I will continue my absence from Skeets and a three hundred character limit for posts. That was certainly a hindrance, as often I have far more on my mind, LOL. But what I found most interesting was how I didn't miss that level of social m...
Read more

Straight to the Heart

-
Image
It's always a PLEASURE to announce a new release! Straight to the Heart: The Hawk Book Three continues the saga of Eric and Lynne Snyder, as well as their best friends Sam and Renee Ahern. Add Stanford Taylor, Laurie Abrams and newcomer Marek Jaworski to the mix and this women's fiction/magical realism/historical fiction drama proffers joy, intrigue, and heartbreak all in a tightly knit 90K. And best of all, it's FREE! (Unless you get it on Amazon; then it's ninety-nine cents.) Set in spring of 1962, Lynne and Eric are about to realize their biggest dream, as parenthood knocks on their door. This thrill isn't theirs alone; Renee and Sam share in their exuberance, until Sam's sister Frannie makes a startling announcement. Meanwhile, Seth's continuing status in Minnesota stirs concern in his cousin Laurie, who doesn't believe Seth is being fully honest. As Eric and Lynne draw closer to their new pastor Marek Jaworski, truths surface about that man's p...
Read more

The Rescue of Owl Chicken Part Two

-
Image
Hmm, I guess this is how life is now; dark, cramped, alone. Yes, imagine you are Owl Chicken; one moment you're trying to get comfortable for sleep, then next you're shoved aside, falling down a sharp drop into darkness. Utter darkness. Solitary darkness, although you can hear peeps and tiny clucks above you. The rest of the flock is above you, but now your world is altered. Is that how those abducted by ICE feel in detention centers? Snatched from their lives, they languish in facilities where their humanity is devalued by deplorable living conditions. Or how trans veterans are being forced into retirement and denied full benefits after loyally serving this nation. Any number of situations can be listed, people being maltreated for a variety of reasons that the current administration have imposed due to cruelty, bias, and worse. The current American administration is displaying distinct hatred to segments of this nation without remorse or apology, despite what God made know th...
Read more