Meet Teresa Roman

The Write Way Café welcomes Teresa Roman, who explores tough topics of abuse, loss, and finding love in Second Chances.


When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book?
About 6 or 7 years ago. I’m a big daydreamer and I get all these stories in my head. One day I just decided it would be fun to write them all down.

What was your path to getting Second Chances written and published? What type of research did you do?
The stories in my contemporary romance books are always a combination of personal experiences and my imagination. Because I draw from personal experience, I usually don’t have a ton of research to do. For Second Chances most of my research consisted of talking to people who had been through the loss of a spouse.

Where did the idea for your story come from?
There are so many stories out there about someone losing a spouse, how painful it is, and their road to finding love again. I wanted to explore what happened when the marriage wasn’t happy, when the grieving widow didn’t necessarily lose the “love of her life.”

Why did you pick the setting you did?
The story is set in Sacramento, CA where I currently live. It’s a great city so that’s why I decided to use it as a setting for my book.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
They are a mix of my imagination and a mix of either myself or people I know. Choosing to write characters that reflects aspects of myself is very cathartic for me, but since the characters aren’t truly autobiographical I feel like I still retain some privacy.

Did you face any blocks while writing Second Chances, and if so, how did you handle them?
Second Chances was fairly easy to write because I had the story so fleshed out in my head.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing Second Chances and after?
I’d say the biggest surprise I encountered was in a handful of reviews. It is a story about emotional abuse among other things. I was surprised at how judgmental some people can be about this topic. To be honest that made me a little sad. I don’t necessarily think it’s fair to judge others when you’ve never been in their place.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about being a single parent, and then blending families?
I learned that there are a million emotions involved with losing a spouse, falling in love again, blending families, etc. Now when I watch people go through similar circumstances, my heart really aches for them.

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Transitions. Going from one scene to another is always a challenge for me. The other is endings. I have a habit of rushing them.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I mostly write on my couch, just because it’s more comfortable than sitting at a desk. I write when my kids are in school. When they’re around I get way too distracted.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
So many … I think my all-time favorite book series is the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. I also really love Harry Potter, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Book Thief, Me Before You. I could talk about my favorite books all day.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
That’s another hard one. There are so many good choices. I love Hermione, of course. I also really love Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones (the books, not the show).

What are you working on now?
A paranormal romance series called The Cursed Prince.

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre?  Which one and why?
If I had the confidence, I’d really like to try historical romance. I’m so scared of getting some detail wrong that I’m too anxious to give it a try.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
Really anything that has to do with books like a librarian or editor. I just really love books - reading them, writing them, and talking about them.

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When Vanessa’s tumultuous marriage ends with the unexpected death of her husband, she’s left battling a mix of emotions. Haunted by her husband’s final words, Vanessa must find the strength to keep it together for the sake of her two children. But being a widow and single mother isn’t easy.

As Vanessa starts to put the pieces of her life back together, she runs into an old high school friend. Alex convinces her to take a chance on love again, but the burden of her unresolved emotions and the challenges of blending two families take their toll, leaving Vanessa fearful that second chances aren’t for everyone.

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Teresa Roman writes contemporary and paranormal romance for adults and young adults. If it were possible to be born with a book in her hands, that’s how Teresa Roman would’ve entered this world. Her passion for reading is what inspired her to become a writer. She loves the way stories can take you to another time and place.

Born in Romania, Teresa has lived in the Midwest and on both coasts but currently calls Sacramento, California, her home. She lives there with her husband, three adorable children, three cats, and a dog. When she’s not at her day job or running around with her kids, you can find her in the kitchen baking something sinful, in front of the computer, writing, or with her head buried in another book.

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Tuesday Special: Lacewood

JESSICA JAMES

https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com

An abandoned house has secrets to tell in a love story that spans centuries.

Two people trying to escape their pasts find a connection through an old house—and fulfill a destiny through the secrets it shares. 

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is a timeless novel about love and loss, roots and belonging, and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

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EXCERPT
     Turning in a circle, Katie studied the room again. Faded wallpaper curled and peeled above the dusty wainscoting, but the walls themselves appeared sturdy. On the far side of the entryway, and dominating the wall, stood a mammoth fireplace with an ornately carved hearth. Her attention was immediately drawn to a painting of a woman in nineteenth century dress that hung prominently over the mantel.
     “Who is she?”
     The sheriff turned to the dusty, sun-bleached portrait in the heavy carved guilt frame. “One of the previous owners, they say.” He shrugged. “The family history kind of got lost with the house. Everyone around here calls her the Widow of Lacewood.”
     Katie stood spellbound. The woman was clothed completely in black, but the magnificence of the gown gave the impression of sophistication and class. Her chin was slightly elevated as if to project strength, yet there was more than a hint of sorrow and pain in her eyes.
     “She looks so sad.” Katie spoke without removing her gaze. “And so young. How could she be a widow?”
     The sheriff had already started to walk away, but he turned back and glanced at the painting. “Not sure, but they say she never remarried.”
     Katie’s heart suddenly struggled to beat. The anguish in the woman’s eyes kept her riveted. She could see the pain. Feel a heart ripped apart. Something was missing that could never be replaced. Katie had felt such loss before. In a way that’s why she was here.

Book Trailer for Lacewood

Video Book Review: Lacewood

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Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day. 
     She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards, including a Readers' Favorite International Book Award and a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
     To combat the sedentary career of writing, Jessica works as a part-time stagehand at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pa., the “grandest small town theater in the nation.”

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Christmas is a State of Being @lcrandallwriter

I’m not going to say it. Christmas is----days away. I’m not going to say it. I want you to just enjoy your day today, and not get all bunched up about an impending holiday and all the preparations that go into said holiday.

I’m thinking Christmas, when we really enjoy it the most, is a state of being. We tell ourselves we’re supposed to be filled with good cheer. Ho, Ho, Ho, and all that. We’re supposed to enjoy our gatherings with family and friends. We’re supposed to buy gifts and enjoy gift giving. Those things are not bad, they’re good. And yet, sometimes the season feels fake; it’s in our mind but not our heart. We have to muster up enough pleasure in traditions to care very much. Where is the joy in our hearts, the sense of peace on earth, the satisfaction of making others happy?

I say, it can become less than joyful when our state of being is something else. And sometimes our state is troubled or going through the motions, wishing we were genuinely peaceful.

Noël Hartely, the heroine in my newest release, Nutcracker Sweet, is facing Christmas in a state of grief and sorrow. Christmas everywhere is a blast of frigid air, because the first anniversary of her sister Regina’s death is upon her.

Christmas magic is not there either for the hero, Jonah Grant. As a firefighter, he should have saved Noël’s sister. Her death haunts him, now more than ever.

Here’s an excerpt from Nutcracker Sweet:

Ringing in Jonah’s ears drowned out all other sounds in the grocery story. He backed behind a shelf of pistachio nuts and pumpkin and chia seeds to gather his composure. He was the last person Noël would want to run into. No, there wouldn’t be any small talk between Reggie’s sister and the fireman responsible for Reggie’s death.

His pulse raced. Get a grip, man. If he could make his feet move, he would march out to the street and keep marching until he could disappear inside Cranberry Cove Fire Station Four.

But he stayed still, letting his body come back to life. This wasn’t the first time their paths had nearly crossed, but each time he had gone through the same whole-body shut down. He couldn’t ever escape what happened that night at Reggie’s house when her wood stove had caught fire.

It was a firefighter’s nightmare, his dad had said, himself a former firefighter. But the words hadn’t helped because the facts remained that he’d gone into the fire and a young woman died anyway.

He shook his head. No, he couldn’t go to the memory pit right now, not here. He peeked around the shelving unit and caught a glimpse of Noël as she headed toward the bread aisle. This was his chance. At six-foot-four, he felt like the green giant as he moved away from his hiding place. Briskly, his head down, he strode down the aisle toward his escape.

“Excuse me, could you help me get that box of crackers on the top shelf?”

The female voice sounded familiar and he looked up, ready to assist the woman. His heart stopped. Please floor, open up and swallow me now.

It was Noël Hartley, standing two feet away and asking for help. She blinked, twice, and swayed a tiny bit. It was a very quiet sound, but he heard her gasp.

“I’m sorry.” The words just fell out. “I mean, sure.” He couldn’t move.

She held his gaze, silently, for a full, frozen minute. “Hi, Jonah. Do you mind?” She pointed to a box of seven grain, sea salt crackers. “Please? I’m five-foot-six, but that’s a tall shelf.”

She had to justify asking for help? So she was nervous, and that made him sick. He grabbed the box and handed it to her, his arms were heavy logs. “Just one box?”

She slanted her head, and his pulse sped up. Cute was not a strong enough word to assign to her face. Cad.

“No, two would be better.”

He gave her another box and paused, their eyes meeting again. His mouth went dry. Words, where were his words? Nerves rattled in his head. “I came in to get something for dinner, but I don’t know…” He let the sentence drop and studied the shelves. The boxes blurred into a mass of indistinguishable colors.

She chuckled lightly, and it steadied his rambling thoughts. “Me too. I have to pick up things for a dinner, anyway.” She chewed on her lip, drawing his attention to them.

His heart ached for her. The apologies he had made to her and her family just after the fire were the last words he’d spoken about the tragedy with them. His words had been so inadequate that thinking of them now he felt his skin blanch. He lifted his gaze and found Noël searching his face.

“Jonah,” her expression got very somber, “I don’t hold any hard feelings for you. Don’t feel uncomfortable for what happened.” She dropped her gaze, but not before he saw her pain. Then she perked up. “It’s been almost a year. I’m fine. I hope you are too. Now, I need to finish my shopping. Good luck with finding your dinner.”

So we’re going to gloss over everything wrong. She was not fine, and that crunched his heart.

A death near the holidays is truly awful. But other things can be awful, too, and detract from what we want to feel. Family issues can be difficult, even at Christmas. Finances can create drudgery when all we want it to give our loved ones hearts their hearts’ desires.

No matter, I believe we can become that state of being that Christmas means to us, it may take a little centering, a little pausing, a little reflection but it’s there it in your heart.

To see how Noel and Jonah find it peace and meaning at Christmas, find Nutcracker Sweet on Amazon  http://a.co/cgykR3J . For visuals relating to the story, find my board on Pinterest.https://www.pinterest.com/lynncrandallwriter/nutcracker-sweet-a-short-story/ .