What Inspired Me to Write My Book by James Ruvalcaba, The Light Through the Pouring Rain

Hello, I’m James Ruvalcaba, the author of The Light Through the Pouring Rain, and I’m here today to write about what inspired me to write my book. To give background to my book, I detail the trials and tribulations of enduring a cancer diagnosis. I go into detail about how my fiancée Anabel and I dealt with it and kept our eyes to the sky while using our faith in God to make it to the end. Unfortunately, my fiancée, Anabel didn’t make it and passed away, so now I tell our story on my own with hopes to carry on her legacy and be a testimony of God’s goodness. Today, I bring you my inspiration on why I decided to write my book.

In my final moments with my fiancée, I promised her that I would “continue to honor her legacy by telling our story together and would always speak her name at any given opportunity.” My inspiration to tell our story has so many layers to it, but my main reason is simply a promise.

I will never forget the last words I whispered to her while she was in a constant state of being conscious and unconscious. I will forever cherish our lasting moments together. The promise I made to her that day drives me to this day.

Promise by definition is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. I made a declaration to my fiancée two years ago, and two years later, I came through on that promise. So many times, I’ve experienced letdowns and broken promises, as I believe we all experience at one point or another, but I would be ashamed if I would break this promise. It drives me every single day to push forward with hopes to touch and inspire others in the world with not only getting through a cancer diagnosis but with perspectives and the constant sense of humor we used to get by day to day. I promise to anybody who is reading this blog, you will get through it, so please don’t get caught up in the would’ve, could’ve, and should’ve of the past, and please don’t get sidetracked by the anxieties of tomorrow. Just stay in the moment and take it one day at a time.

Connect with James:

Before he started writing romance stories, James worked with the special need’s population for 10 Years. He devoted his life giving back to the population. From school's to agencies and everything in between James has worked almost every job within the community. After that, during the pandemic James decided to start writing to pass the time, but to come through on his promise he made years earlier. He devoted his life to giving back, now he devotes his life to telling his stories.

Website: https://thelightthroughthepouringrain.com/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/JamesMruvalcaba

Check out his book on Amazon

What is Love by Julia Vellucci

When it comes to novels, those that are mainly full of smut are those readers tend to lean more towards or mistake for love.

In my ongoing fantasy romance Love Tetralogy, I attempt to undo one of the many reasons people enjoy reading romance novels.

Love and lust are two completely different things. Someone could argue and say that a healthy and loving relationship can be full of much physical intimacy. This is true but in a romance novel that should not be all that is focused on as love is all about two people helping each other grow for the better and reach their full potential, something words and an emotional connection has a massive role in.

In my opinion, a healthy and loving relationship is all about your souls meeting, being so freeing to one another that it often feels as if you are dancing in the rain together, joyful and free. Love must touch every part of you, so it's only natural for it to also have a physical element to it. That however is not the entire picture as pleasure or desiring someone because they are attractive does not lead to happiness and can often be toxic.

The journey is what we should be reading about as it proves to us that the greatest things are worth waiting for. The journey to find that indescribable feeling that can best be compared to a rose, a main symbol used in my series, as true love consists of a combination of beauty and pain. It is when one overtakes the other that some reevaluating must take place.

In this ongoing series of four, it is not your traditional love tropes that are discussed as originality needs to find its way back into romance novels. Each book touches on a different kind of love. Book one, "Girl by the Tracks" emphasizes loving the beauty and beast within, our flaws that make us beautiful and make us who we are. Book two, "Boy by the Plate" highlights loving the unexpected life throws our way to bring us exactly where we are destined to be, who we are destined to become and teach us all the required lessons. Book three, "Woman by the Penthouse" focuses on the love to hate relationship with ourselves, our internal conflicts and emotions, and staying true to ourselves despite how tough what is going on inside may be.

These books are all available on Amazon of all countries as a paperback and ebook as well as on Ukiyoto Publishing's site and other online book stores if interested in giving it a try.

This series is recommended for anyone who enjoys a wholesome love story full of magical elements, and although some character's roles alter in this series, the world and themes do not alter, hence why it must be read in order. I'd highly recommend it for teens as with social media and TV putting lust and passion before true love, teens need to truly understand that before you can love or commit yourself to anyone, you must love and respect yourself and then let the right person come in your life in which you can exceed your full potential with and love and respect just as much.

This is a huge idea this series exhibits and the fact that these books consist of words of a teen herself, it is possible to live by them, even in a society where commitment to a lifelong partner is slowly fading.

I would love to hear your thoughts on my Love Tetralogy and hope it speaks to you and teaches you as much as it did for me when I wrote it and through the characters that are all relatable in some way or another. I noticed pieces of myself in the characters, some I have yet to fully carry out in my own life. Yet again, fiction is meant for us to learn from those that aren't us but could be us for better or for worse.

About the Author

Julia Vellucci is a 17-year-old girl, born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, with five books published and a passion for the written craft. She is Italian by origin. She has never been good at visual art but her mom and younger sister both of whom she admires are definitely her creative endeavours as she was inspired by them to find a way to express her creative side, through writing. She discovered her love for creative writing over two years ago when she first began to bring fictional characters to life through the written craft thanks to a school book club she was part of and couldn't help but wanted to discover what made her characters unique and carry out their story until the very end. Julia's dream is to be able to inspire readers through her words as she believes words can project more than actions ever could.

Readers can visit her website at juliavellucci.weebly.com and find her on Instagram under the username juliavellucci_.

Q&A with Sara Ackerman, Radar Girls

What do you think drives authors to continue to find stories to tell set around WWII?

Perhaps it’s because there are still so many amazing untold stories out there? There are so many individuals with unique experiences during the war, all over the world, that the books could just keep coming. Also, I know for myself, while I’m researching for a novel, I often stumble upon something that makes me sit up and think, Wow, that would make a great story! And then I file it away for future consideration. This happened while I was researching for The Lieutenant’s Nurse, my second novel, and first heard about the Women’s Air Raid Defense. It’s how Radar Girls was born!

How are you hoping readers will relate to Radar Girls?

I hope that readers will see a little bit of Daisy Wilder in themselves. I think it’s human nature to put yourself in the shoes of the characters and wonder about how you would react in a crisis. Would you rise to the occasion?

In Radar Girls, we have one woman trying to make her way in the world. Daisy is special in her own way, but no different than you or I, really. And then in one day, everything changes. Through her lens, we experience what it was like firsthand to live in wartime Hawaii, a very dark and scary time. We go along for the ride as she overcomes obstacles, deeply connects with other WARDS, falls in love, and proves herself as an important member of a critical command center Pearl Harbor. We feel her hopes, dreams and fears. As a reader, when I feel the humanity of a story, it makes me care. And when I care, I want to keep turning the pages. I hope that as readers turn the pages of Radar Girls, they will feel empowered and inspired and proud.

What’s something that you connected with personally as you researched and wrote Radar Girls?

When I was reading about the real WARDs, the thing that stood out to me the most was how these women quickly became a sisterhood. And I know that many were still close and kept in touch until their dying days. I have a band of friends who I love like sisters, so this really resonated with me. I greatly admire how the WARDs held each other up and maintained such grace under pressure, as well as a great sense of humor throughout. It was so inspiring to me, and made me want to hug all of my friends.

Following Your Dreams at 92 by Fred Olds and Margo L. Dill

You are never too old to do anything. Really! Read that sentence again because it is important--if you are reading this post and you’re 25 or you’re 95 and you have a dream? You. Are. Not. Too. Old. If you want to play a musical instrument or become a travel blogger--if you want to make a TikTok video or you want to find a new job--you are not too old. 

Let me tell you about the amazing Fred Olds. He is a children’s writer and a mystery writer. He has not always been a writer--he’s retired from the Postal Service. But he has always been a storyteller, and when he retired, he decided to put those stories on the page. Then he had his first book published traditionally at the age of 91 by my publishing company, Editor-911 Books. 

Well, since he’s a writer, and since he can do anything, we will let him tell you his story. You will find it inspiring! 

FRED: Well, at 92, a lot of life’s water has flowed under my bridge; so with that in mind, a fair question might be, what to say and where to begin? And perhaps as good a place as any would be a bit of how and when many of my stories originated.

When our kids were little (they are 18 months apart) and bedtime came around, like most kids, there were the usual whining protests and “foot-dragging” excuses. Then once tucked under the covers, there was always a final plea of, “Dad, tell us a story.”

Now this old dad really hasn’t any special storytelling talents, just a treasure trove of depression era childhood experiences. Those, coupled with an active imagination and little or no conscience when it comes to the embellishment of my stories, created tales about ordinary pets--my dogs became superheroes like Lassie and Rex. To further convince you of my no-talent confession, I can honestly say that the kids were never awake to hear the story endings! 

I love examples. To me, an example (like a picture) is worth a thousand words of explanation. And the following is an example of how my favorite children’s story, “The Hobbling Hermit,” (currently a part of Read-Aloud Stories with Fred Vols. 1 and 2) originated.

One morning, while crossing the local McDonald’s parking lot for a “senior coffee,” I passed the restaurant’s dumpster and noticed a bearded, homeless man poking around in its contents. 

Now to me, writing children’s stories is all about imagination and what-ifs.

What if this homeless man was a hermit with a beard so long that he had to tuck it under his belt to keep from tripping on it? What if he eked out his living scavenging the city dump for little things he could sell, and what if he came upon a discarded purse with a sassy, little mouse napping inside and poked it? What would happen next? Now I had the beginnings of a story, and with some imagination and a bit of embellishment, I was on my way; you can see the possibilities were endless. And that’s about all there is to writing a story.

So I say to all you “wouldbe authors,” don’t put your dream off any longer, start now and “Go, write, win!”

____

As you can see, even in this blog post, Fred is humble and a true storyteller at heart. He told a story to explain how you can do anything. And you can--age, race, gender--none of it matters. What matters is believing in yourself and working hard to accomplish your goals. Like the old saying goes, “Age is just a number.”

Q&A with Diana Y. Paul, Things Unsaid

Introduce yourself.

I think I have had three of four lifetimes as an adult. First I was a Stanford professor teaching Buddhism. My second life was starting my own company in Silicon Valley to arrange partnerships between US and Japanese Korean and Chinese high-tech companies. After retirement, I truly could devote my energy and commitment to two of my passions: a) art-- creating mixed-media prints with Asian themes; and ) writing fiction with a subtle Buddhist influence. All four of those stages-- if you will-- are interrelated and intertwined. My debut novel, Things Unsaid, is a family saga. My second novel, Deeds Undone, is a mystery, and takes up where Things Unsaid left off. My third novel will be a rom-com.

Have you ever given up entirely on a story?

No. I'm a hoarder and don't like to throw things away. Everything can be useful. I will rewrite portions of a story I am not going to use and, after editing, submit as an article to a literary journal. So, short stories can be created from what I've cut out after changing the scenes or plot dramatically.

Do you write the story beginning to end, or do you skip around?

Beginning to end, no skipping around because that confuses me when I have a forward momentum I want to achieve. But every time I rewrite the end, I have to rewrite the beginning to bookend my story.

What genre do you write? Did you choose the genre, or did it choose you?

The genre chooses me since the story comes first in my head.

My first novel,Things Unsaid, is a family saga: a mixture of Catholic guilt and Buddhist karma in a tale of family obligation and duty.

My second novel--a work-in-progress tentatively titled Deeds Undone-- is a cozy mystery that continues some characters from my debut novel.

My third novel--A Perfect Match—will be a rom-com, a satire about online dating.

Who’s your favorite fictional hero or heroine?

I love Mrs. Bridge (from the book of the same name) as well as Offred (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Kya (Where the Crawdads Sing).

Have you had to do a lot of research for your books? How did you go about it?

Research has been critical for only my second novel--a mystery. I needed to know about interrogation techniques, police procedurals, and a light touch on forensic psychology. Have interviewed a former FBI agent/police officer and viewed documentaries on forensics and cold cases as well as reading books on the subject and on the internet.

How do you choose names for your characters?

The names begin as people I know or have symbolic connotations with the theme (for example, Jules Foster of Things Unsaid, who I facing caregiving issues) or actors so I can have a clear image of their physical appearance. Then I sometimes change the names. At least one character is named as a result of my first book launch and first book club reading. I sometimes have contests for reviewers and the winner's name is featured as a name of a character in my work-in-progress.

I always want to know what sparks a book? What question was haunting you that propelled you into this particular story?

Ultimately, any storyteller is going to write about what she knows in her heart. Everyone has to face their own mortality, and perhaps their parents first.

Why do you write?

I've been a storyteller ever since I was a little girl and a cartoonist in my early teens. All my friends and teachers said I should either write down the crazy stories I was telling or be an artist and visualize the strangeness.

What is your greatest writing challenge?

Not to overwrite or overthink. I believe there's a Zen rhythm to writing. I have to try to get into the head of the character at the same time I am understanding from the point of view of the reader–– I call that "double vision".

Tips for other authors?

1) Read--and read some more.

2) Write what first comes to mind, without your inner critic.

3) Learn to enjoy revising and editing, because of the surprises that lie beneath the surface.

You can check out her latest book, Things Unsaid on Amazon

About the Author

Diana Y. Paul, an award-winning novelist, was born in Akron, Ohio and  has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies and a B.A. in both psychology and philosophy.  Diana is a former Stanford professor in Buddhism with a focus on the role of women and intergenerational families.  

Things Unsaid is a multiple award-winning novel: USA Best Book Awards Finalist in two categories (Best New Fiction and Best Literary Fiction), Beverly Hills Book Awards Winner for Best New Adult Fiction, Readers Favorite Silver Award Winner for Best Drama, and a  Pushcart Nominee.  Her  second novel, Deeds Undone, a mystery, continues the narrative of Things Unsaid.  A Perfect Match will be her third.  When not writing, Diana  creates mixed media art.  Her art has been in museums and galleries in California, Hawaii, and Japan.  Visit her blog on movies and art at:  www.unhealedwound.com and her author website at: www.dianaypaul.com. Her  Amazon author page is:  amazon.com/author/dianaypaul  Or stop by on Facebook, Twitter:  @DianaPaul10 and/or  Instagram:  dianapaul10  and dianay.paulAuthor

Q&A with Krista Nerestant, The Hidden Gifts of Trauma

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

I remember trying to write my first book in 7th grade! But life got in the way, although I continued to be an avid reader into my adult life. The writing bug bit me once again when I came out of the spiritual closet in 2016. I was inspired then to share my story of resilience and overcoming multiple severe traumas with the public.

What do you think makes a good story?

When the writer invokes the narrative honoring their vision while others can also visualize and empathize with it as if they understand the story as they’ve experienced it themselves.

What inspired your story?

I was inspired by my need to practice what I preach as a facilitator at Self-ishlifestyle.com I am like a broken record in repeating the mantra of SELF-accountability, responsibility, and awareness. The need for championing trauma survivors who are living on survival mode and encouraging them to survive rather than just thrive. Indestructible: The Hidden Gifts of Trauma encourages and teaches individuals to use their personal power to live their best life in all levels--mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

It was the most therapeutic experience. I laughed, cried, angered, and certainly squirmed in re-living the past but it healed me and allowed me to gain an objective perspective to extract life healing lessons to share with the community.

What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?

Finishing it!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Lee Child, Nora Roberts, David Baldacci, Emily Griffin, Harlan Coben

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?

My hope and wish is for Indestructible to become a film so that it may help Asian representation in the entertainment industry just like Crazy Rich Asians. Jon Jon Briones would play my father definitely. I would love Gemma Chan to play me as an adult and Lana Condor as my child self. Awkafina as Toni, and I honestly don’t know for my mother and brothers.

What’s the best writing advice you have ever received?

Your first draft is your vomit draft, so vomit away and don’t let perfectionism get in the way of finishing your first draft.