I’m humbled and honored to announce NOLA is now available in paperback through Amazon.
NOLA by Molly Jo Realy. Click on image to order.
Soon available for ebook readers.
With a cup full of awe and a head full of stories, Happy Reading. ~Molly Jo
Frankly, My Dear . . . Savor the Journey!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Bohemian Hurricane
Molly Jo is better known as the Bohemian Hurricane. She is the author/curator of The Unemployment Cookbook and several eBooks available on Amazon. Her debut novel, NOLA, is a romantic mystery novel set in New Orleans, and the first in her City Series.
Are You Ready to Visit NOLA? (Or, How I’m Celebrating the Best Decisions I’ve Ever Made in My Life)
This is typically the pre-post point wherein I give you an update on NOLA. You know, something witty, adorably personal, maybe with a touch of Bohemian humor.
Well, I hate to disappoint y’all, but there will be no pre-post update.
Awww, don’t cry! It’s okay. No, really. It is.
Wanna know why?
Well, I’ll tell ya:
NOLA IS FINISHED AND WILL BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK!
How do you like them beignets?
NOLA, by Molly Jo Realy
Isn’t she pretty? I’m so in love with the cover. Like, crazyinlove with it.
Ah, but first. The celebrations.
It was exactly one year ago today I woke up, and I just knew. I knew in the way no one questions the blue sky, or green grass. I knew I had to move to South Carolina.
What started as a five-year plan so became a one-year plan. Then maybe a six-month plan. Then God smiled and said, “Fasten your seat belt, honey. You’re on a race track and there are no stop signs.” Four months later, I unlocked the door to my new home.
That’s Celebration No. 1.
Celebration No. 2, of course, is finishing NOLA.
Like, really finishing it. Not just typing “The End” and going back to fix what wasn’t broken. But hiring the book designer, stop micromanaging the character dialogue, and just letting it simmer. Let a tea kettle on the stove on a hot summer day.
Which, come to think of it, is kinda what today is.
And you know what? That tea kettle is singing for attention. Yup. That’s right. I pulled that baby right off the burner, poured it over some leaves, let it cool, and now we have a nice brewed book ready to be drunk in with all the love a sweet summer tea can offer.
NOLA will be available through Amazon starting Wednesday, June 26.
That is Celebration No. 3.
And a very significant anniversary. It was seven years ago to the date that I started NOLA. What began as an idea for the name of a free-spirited character evolved into a short story until it became apparent a novel was born.
NOLA Research
And now here we are. I’m becoming Josie. I’m living in the South. And my book is a real thing. I just don’t know what to do with all this goodness except drink it in, toss my hair back, and smile.
Yup. It’s time to party.
Oh, did I mention I’m having a Launch Party on Facebook? You can join now if you like: NOLA Facebook Live Launch Party. There will be posts, polls, and lots of fun stuff for the next few days. The Live Event will be Wednesday, June 26 at 9pm EDT. Did I also mention gifts and prizes? I didn’t? Must’ve slipped my mind …
Well, much as I’d love to stay and chat, it’s super late on Thursday night and I need to make sure this gets posted. I also have some beignets to order.
Leave a comment: What are you celebrating this summer?
With a cup full of chicory and heart full of love, Happy Writing. ~Molly Jo
Frankly, My Dear . . . Savor the Journey!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Bohemian Hurricane
Molly Jo is better known as the Bohemian Hurricane. She is the author/curator of The Unemployment Cookbook and several eBooks available on Amazon. Her work-in-progress, NOLA, is a romantic mystery novel set in New Orleans, and the first in her City Series. [Note to Self: Time to change the bio info. #shazam!]
Nine Things XANADU Taught Me About Creative Endurance
(or, A Writer’s Review of a 38-Year-Old Movie a Lot of People Don’t Care About Anymore But Should)
~#~
I really don’t know how the topic started. At a marketing conference recently, my new friend Jenn from Mixtus Media mentioned Xanadu. “Do you remember that movie?”
“Remember it?” I gasped. And then explained how just the day before I was rocking out in the elevator to the song “Whenever You’re Away From Me”. I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s a #truestory. [And here’s where I’m betting Beckie’s a little glad she wasn’t on this trip with me. That’s okay, Beckie. You know I still love you!]
Fast-forward to after the conference and some well-discussed Facebook posts and YouTube videos, and now the movie is in my Prime rental library for another two hours.
Shameless Admission:
I’ve already watched it three times.
And, yes.
Yes, I have sung each song out loud, each time.
Loudly.
Because I still know the soundtrack to XANADU by heart.
XANADU got me thinking about my creativity. I know, that’s a really weird thing to write. Because y’all know I’m inspired by sweet tea and Hemingway and O’Connor and peacocks and Van Morrison and frogs and zebras. None of which are in this 1980 roller skating fantasy world (unless you count the disco outfits. But I’d really rather not.).
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Nine Things XANADU Taught Me About Creative Endurance
Anyway . . . Besides reclaiming my youth and the let-it-loose elevator vocals, here are nine things XANADU taught me about being creative. I invite you to join the discussion.
Taking care of business does not mean you’re a creative failure. The movie opens with Sonny Malone (Michael Beck) returning to his job as a studio painter: he enlarges album covers for display in store fronts. He had walked away from this job to pursue his dream of becoming a “real” artist, but it didn’t work out. Once the pressure was on, the creativity was off. But Sonny was always a “real” artist. It was doing it full-time that shook his boots. So he went back to what he knew. Not as a failure (although for a time he thought so). His day job was a safe place where he could continue to hone his skills and bounce creative ideas off his team. (Note: I don’t recommend talking smack to your boss unless you have that sort of banter relationship. Definitely don’t encourage him to fire you unless you’re ready to walk.)
Support comes from many sources. There’s a phrase in the industry: Street Team. These are the people, personal and professional, who believe in you and want to help you succeed. They read your books, leave reviews, attend author events, give encouragement. Think of it as a positive posse. (I call y’all my Swarm, and you can join on Facebook by clicking here: NOLA Swarm.) In XANADU, Sonny’s Swarm starts when he meets Danny McGuire, the clarinet-playing old-timer (Gene Kelly), and then Kira (Olivia Newton-John), one of Zues’s nine daughters, or muses. Each contributes something different to Sonny’s life, but both believe in him even when he doesn’t believe in himself. They swarm to his side, along with his other friends and former coworkers.
Practice makes perfect. Sonny’s dream is to be a renowned artist. So whatever he’s doing, he practices. At work, he gets into trouble by spending too much attention to detail. He takes odd jobs where he can get them. He’s painted walls, vans, canvases. He never stops painting. So even if it’s not how he wants to do it, at least he is doing what he wants. And he keeps at it. He keeps getting better. And, even though he wants us to think he’s given up, he never really does.
Changing directions is not the same as stopping. His budding friendship with Danny and encouragement from Kira influence Sonny to co-own a night-club/disco/roller-skate hall with Danny. Through a lot of hard work, they find the perfect place: an abandoned building Kira likes to find her solace in. Sonny gets to transition his creativity to design the aesthetics of the club. But he doesn’t let it get in the way of his passion for painting.
Don’t discount what you don’t understand. Kira took human form when she and her eight muse-sisters released themselves from a city mural. She knew her mission, and she filled it with great joy: She skated (yes, skated. Hey, the movie was made in 1980, okay?) up to Sonny, gently kissed him, and vanished. Later in the movie, she admits to Sonny she’s not had human feelings before, and this love-thing is messy and painful. Sonny doesn’t believe her, of course. And when she returns to Zeus, it takes a pep talk from Danny for Sonny to go in search of her. He knows he needs her, even if he doesn’t understand where she came from. He finds a way to find her.
Don’t limit yourself to what others say. Sonny’s boss told him to stop being creative. Just do what was expected of him. But Sonny couldn’t do that. He couldn’t color inside the lines all day, every day. Kira awakened that creativity in him again, and he again found the passion to create more than album covers. When Kira left, it would be impossible by earthly standards for him to reach her. But he stopped listening to the laws of nature, and listened instead to his inner self. He always knew he could succeed. And now that he was aware again, he also knew he needed Kira. And he did whatever it took to find her.
Go to the source. But the rules of the gods held Kira with Zeus, and he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, let her go back to earth. I mean, sure, it’s pretty impressive that Sonny didn’t smash into bits when he skated full-force toward the mural of Kira and her sisters. But love doesn’t conquer everything. Sonny plead his case, but had to leave without Kira. Everyone’s hearts were breaking. The point is, Sonny didn’t stop until there was nowhere else to go.
Not seeing is still believing. Sonny was without Kira. He was without his muse, his love. He could still be a creative. He just didn’t want to. What Sonny didn’t know, was that Zeus and his wife, Hera, were having a conversation of their own. They saw the good in Sonny, and how Kira made him better. They saw how being without Sonny made Kira sad. She was no longer capable of being an inspiring muse. And, remembering from long ago (or was it just a few minutes?), what true love is, they gave Kira back to Sonny. Only he just didn’t know it yet.
Change with the times. Okay, can we break for a minute and just talk about the fashion in this movie? And the weird, NuWave neon-clad characters? How did anyone think Gene Kelly in a bright Zoot Suit was an awesome idea, if even for just a moment? My point is, peeps, the visuals would not be the same if the movie was made today. But the message is. Sonny’s dream was to be a painter. Throughout the movie, he achieved that, in different stages. Danny’s dream was to feel needed. He thought he’d missed out on love. But being needed and being loved isn’t only romantic. And Kira? She just wanted to inspire people. In the end, she did so much more than that. And she did it so well, she was given the freedom to stay.
What do you think?
I’d love to hear from you: Leave a comment below and tell me what movies still inspire your creativity.
With a wild soundtrack and some serious no-one-is-looking dance moves,
Happy Creating.
~Molly Jo
Frankly, My Dear . . . Savor the Journey!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Bohemian Hurricane
Molly Jo is a Southern Belle and known to her friends as the Bohemian Hurricane. She is the author/curator of The Unemployment Cookbook and several eBooks available on Amazon. Her work-in-progress, NOLA, is a full-length location mystery novel set in New Orleans, and the first in her City Series.
It’s the question we all get. At meetings, conferences, gas stations. Any time we are introduced as a writer. And our books are just as individual as we are.
Sure, there’s some common ground: We all breathe some form of air. We’re all (mostly) human. And I think~I mean I’m not willing to put money on it~but I’m pretty sure 90% of us are made up of coffee and ink in the veins. If I’m wrong, don’t tell me.
Let’s be real. Mommas don’t love all their children the same. We may love them the same amount, but we love them each individually, uniquely. The same for our projects, yes? Each one is special for its own special reasons. And when our stories have their own quirks, well, it can be hard to describe to someone who’s not a part of the family. But then imagine that your child is so extraordinary that no common description will do. “She is tall, lovely, blonde with brown eyes.” Uhm. Yeah. So are a billion other people in the world. Let’s narrow it down some. Okay. “She doesn’t like coffee.” Wait. Did I really give birth to her? “She’s a cat lover.” “Likes to travel.” “Generous spirit.” “Was born in California.” See? Once you start giving more detail, the drill-down shows you the uniqueness. Or I could just cut to the chase. “She’s a go-getter with wanderlust.” Interested? Yup. So’s her husband.
So imagine how hard it is to tell someone the uniqueness of your novel in a way that captures their attention, and respects the elevator-pitch rule.
The “elevator pitch” is a very short synopsis of your story. You have approximately twenty seconds to tell someone (usually an agent or publisher) your idea and get them interested before the elevator doors slide open and they exit.
NOLA is a location mystery set in New Orleans, about a disenchanted woman who runs away from her terrible life in California and falls in love with a man who may or may not have killed his first wife.
Bam. There it is.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Created a Location Mystery Sub-Genre
The two questions I usually get are, “What’s a location mystery?” and “How do you research?”
I’m so glad y’all asked.
Sit on back and I’ll tell you.
A location mystery is a story where the setting is so integral to the plot, it’s a character in itself. You simply cannot tell the story in any other location. It will not work.
NOLA is full of culture, climate, music, food, mythology, weather, local customs, and dialect. Now, y’all know I won’t be writing “y’all” when I work on CENTRAL. No, ma’am. That one will be full of fuggedaboutits and youztalkingtome kind of lingo. NOLA has beignets and chicory coffee. CENTRAL will have Brooklyn-style pizza.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time I Created a Location Mystery Sub-Genre
Researching NOLA has been incredible fun. Making sure to keep it as a location mystery is even funner. [NOTE TO SELF: Dig out your T-shirt that reads, “FUNNER: gooder than just fun.”] [SECOND NOTE TO SELF: do the laundry.]
Locations are what ground your story. It’s where the action is. If you don’t know where your story takes place, neither will your reader.
There are five things I recommend for researching any location you’re writing about:
Google Earth. This great app allows you to see real images both from a bird’s-eye perspective and eye- (or street-) level. You can “pin” distances, plot out routes and maps, and get a true visual of what the setting of any real place looks like. I was able to take Josie on a street car ride, a city bus, and a walk all through Google Earth.
Tourism boards. Contact your location’s tourism department through Twitter. Visit New Orleans has been instrumentally helpful with their quick responses to my questions. Where could Toni take Josie for lunch? How far away are the bayous? Is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar really 200 years old? I asked, they answered. Often with links to more detailed information.
Television and movies. I did a Roku search for “New Orleans” and found a plethora of programs to watch. Some gave me insight into character behaviors. Others showed the Crescent City documentary-style. Still others focused on food, fashion, crime, environment, weather.
Music. Google or YouTube music and videos. Create a Pandora or other streaming station. Find out which bands came out of your location, and listen to them. Listen to a variety. I’ve always enjoyed Harry Connick, Jr. and Otis Redding. But my taste for Jazz has grown exponentially since starting NOLA. Zydeco music is a unique sound. And let’s not forget Honeyvibe from Baton Rouge. Now there’s some uplifting soul music, there.
Other books and media. Read books in your genre, in your location. Read biographies. Documentaries. Novels. Travel magazines. Search the internet for articles. Get as much information as you can.
As you collect research, take notes. Take lots and lots of notes. Make notes on your notes. Maybe you don’t want to use this information now, but you can reference or change it later.
If you’re world-building for a fantasy novel, well, that’s a whole ‘nother post. Come find me next week and we’ll see what we can dream up.
In the meantime, grab yourself a sweet tea and an atlas and have at it.
Now I want to hear from you: What tips do you have for researching your novel locations?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : That One Time a Fox Joined the Team and Tied Everything Together
It’s not that I haven’t been doing anything. I just haven’t been doing anything on the blog. At least, not as much as I used to. You see, I’ve been working behind the scenes lately, editing NOLA, working some freelance projects, crafting my upcoming newsletter. (Now, everyone, nod your heads in sympathetic busyness understanding. Thank you.)
Lemmetellya, it’s a bit of a challenge. I wanna get it just.right for y’all, and well, for me. People say “write for yourself” and while that’s a good way to remain happy, it ain’t always gonna bring in the readers. So I am happily crafting my message for you, my beloved Swarm.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : An Object in Motion . . .
And as promised, since it’s a new month, there’s a new Media Menagerie over at New Inklings Press. Did you miss the big reveal on Instagram? It was a live video, my Nippers’s first actually. And of course he (okay, I) forgot to save it for posterity. So while I introduced you to the current members of our #MediaMenagerie, Nippers also asked what our May member should be. And the next day he whispered his answer in my ear.
Ladies, gentlemen, Southern Belles and Yankee Gents, I give you May’s Media Menagerie Member, Gypsy Skylark Walton.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Say Hello to Gypsy Skylark Walton
Gypsy is a fox. Foxes are crafty. They’re quick. They’re stealth-like (hmm, maybe like a ninja?). They’re beautiful. Foxes are smart, too. Problem solvers. What, think I’m wrong? Read Aesop’s Fables. People call them sly and crazy. (the foxes, not the fables).
Now, how did Gypsy get his name? Well, first, from the beautiful Johnny Mercer song, Skylark. Y’all know This Girl’s favorite inspirational movie is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. And my favorite song from the soundtrack is Skylark. There’s a line in the chorus, “sad as a gypsy,” and it just gets me every time. It’s such a beautiful visual.
“Gypsy” can mean so many things. Romanian descent. Fortune tellers. But for me, it’s the wanderer, the free spirit, that my Bohemian self relates to. It’s like that old toy, Spirograph. You set your pen in a stencil and draw as it bumps you along the edges. A few ink color and shape changes, and in the end, your wandering pen has created something uniquely beautiful. You can’t have that without the wandering. As a creative soul, there’s nothing more effusing than to be able to just be who I am. Gypsies get that. It could also be that I’m currently addicted to Hallmark Channel’s The Good Witch series. Who doesn’t love a little good magic now and then?
And Walton? Well, that’s two-fold. John-Boy Walton was a writer. Sure, he was a fictional TV character in the 70’s and early 80’s. But still. What self-respecting aspiring writer girl back then didn’t have a crush on him? It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my fancy for the man was due in great part to his wordsmithing. Let’s not forget that greatest of all goodbyes, “Good night, John-Boy!” I say it often, mostly when signing off social media for the night. Which has led to others calling me Mary-Ellen. (Yah, I’m talking about you, Del and Caleb!). Which now brings me to Caleb. Affectionately known to me and my peeps as JB. Because his last name is Walton. And he’s from the South. And he grew up watching The Waltons and we still talk about our favorite episodes. Oh, and of course, JB (my “little big brother”, not the TV guy) is a writer. So there’s that.
Oh, but wait! There’s more. In chatting with JB recently (again, my JB, not the TV guy) [but if you’re out there, Richard Thomas, and feel like saying “hi,” I wouldn’t mind having you over for coffee!] and sharing Gypsy’s adoption, I realize his initial’s are GSW. Which, in NCIS world, stands for gun shot wound. Okay, not the Southern romantic history y’all were hoping for. But it’s NCIS. Which is another commonality I have with JB (and, well, about 13 billion other humans). And NCIS had the arc about Le Granouille (“The Frog”) which inspired my daughter and I to adopt the shaggy little frog now known as Nippers. And NCIS has a spin-off I may have mentioned once or twice. NCIS: New Orleans. Which is the location for my first City Series novel. Yup. We’ve come full circle.
I now own a stuffed fox named Gypsy because I wanted to be a writer with a frog. I know . . . It’s hard to be in my head sometimes. That’s okay. I know my thoughts. You just have to enjoy the outcome.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Say Hello to Gypsy Skylark Walton
Now I want to hear from you: How do you express your creative soul?
With a compass and a spirograph,
Happy wanderings.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Oh, PS: If you haven’t yet taken my survey, and/or want to be added to my email lists for this blog, and/or Firsts in Fiction Newsletter, and/or Molly Jo Realy: Author, Etc. . . . just click on this photo to sign up. BONUS: You’ll get to tell me how you like your coffee. Thanks! (And super-shout out to my über professional graphic artist brother who worked with me to create this awesome visual.)
