Bonus Material from the Nebraska Series Page 13

  Mary: Then he didn’t write those 1-star reviews. Those were written by a writer. Dave, is there a writer you know who might not like you?

  Dave: I don’t think so. I mean, there’s Ruth, and she wasn’t happy with the writer’s block I gave her. But she wouldn’t… Hey, where did Ruth go?

  Mary: Well, I guess we know who wrote those 1-star reviews. But don’t pay her any mind. I like what you wrote, and it was sweet of you to think of me while writing it.

  Dave: Yeah, I guess so. I just can’t believe she did that. I mean, after all I’ve done for her over the years. You think you know someone.

  Mary: Don’t worry about it. Just make sure you don’t give her a point of conflict in To Have and To Hold. That’ll show her.

  Dave: You’re right. *puts his around her shoulders* We are the perfect couple.

  Mary: Yes, we are.

  Photo credits:

  Dave: File ID: 3303849, © Yuri_arcurs | Dreamstime.com, purchased on 11/28/2011, picture no longer available

  Mary: ID 20159278 © Telnyawka | Dreamstime.com

  Poster I did for fun incorporates male image above plus these: coastline: ID 6827379 © Michael Shake | Dreamstime.com; Mary: ID 20159164 © Telnyawka | Dreamstime.com

  ***

  Interview with Mary and Her Mother (from To Have and To Hold)

  (Blog post made on 12/14/2011)

  Ruth: I’m a little over halfway into To Have and To Hold, and I wasn’t surprised when Dave told Mary’s mother he was tired of watching the way she’s been treating Mary. Dave has always stood up for Mary from the very beginning. However, I was surprised when I was writing today’s scene and Mary got into a fight with her mother. Yes, I know. Mary. The woman who doesn’t argue with anyone. So I brought her in here to talk about it. Mary, this is so unlike you. I thought you would argue with your mother toward the end of the book. What happened?

  Mary: I didn’t like the way she was accusing Dave of being rude to her. I know Dave, and he wouldn’t be rude to someone, not unless they said or did something to deserve it.

  Ruth: Well, that’s understandable. However, this is still unlike you. The Mary from Eye of the Beholder wouldn’t have done this, at least not like you did and not how soon you did it.

  Mary: I’m not the same person I was back then. I’ve done a lot of changing during the six years I’ve lived in Nebraska.

  Ruth: I suppose getting amnesia had something to do with your sudden boldness.

  Mary: Probably, but the way Dave’s treated me has allowed me to feel good about myself. That’s something I never had in Maine.

  Mary’s mother: Back in my day, I would never have been so insolent with my mother. We knew better than that. Honor thy father and mother. That’s what we believed, and it’s what I taught Mary, but then she runs off to the uncivilized part of the country and loses all sense of propriety. I tell you what that husband of hers has done. He’s plucked her from the garden of civilization and thrown her to the weeds.

  Mary: That is a stupid analogy.

  Mother: See what I mean? When she lived here, she would never have called me stupid.

  Mary: I didn’t call you stupid. I said the analogy was stupid.

  Mother: There is no difference.

  Mary: Whatever.

  Mother: As if I needed another example of your insolence, there’s another one. What kind of child says “Whatever” to her mother? Is that the way people talk out in Nebraska? I just knew bad things were going to happen when she decided to go there.

  Mary: You’ve never forgiven me for leaving Maine. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it?

  Mother: It is not.

  Mary: I don’t believe you. I keep hearing I didn’t save any of your letters. There’s got to be a good reason for it. What did you write?

  Mother: If you’d have kept them, you’d know. I suspect that husband of yours convinced you to throw out my letters because he has no respect for parents.

  Dave: Oh good grief. I’ve had enough of this. I am going to write the ending to this book right now.

  Mary left the kitchen. She didn’t need to put up with her mother anymore because her mother couldn’t manage to be nice to her, even though her mother had no trouble being nice to all of Mary’s brothers and sisters. Whatever the mother’s problem was, no one ever found out. The woman was miserable and spent her life making others miserable. Mary’s best decision was leaving Maine so she could get out of that toxic environment.

  Mary told Dave she wanted to go home. He agreed. They took the first train back to Nebraska and never looked back. They returned to their happy and normal life, free from domineering mothers who, in a sick and twisted way, didn’t want to see their children grown up and enjoy a happy life. Some people create happiness wherever they go and others create happiness whenever they go. Mary’s mother happened to fall into the latter category.

  Mother: *gasps*

  Dave: That’s right. I said it. And to conclude the book, go into detail about how I make mad passionate love to Mary and make her feel beautiful once more.

  Ruth: You mean, I get to write the sex scene since you failed to include it above?

  Dave: Of course. I want to be having sex, not writing about it.

  Mother: I can’t believe the filth I’m being subjected to. Sex needs to be out of books.

  Dave: If Solomon could write his sexual experiences down in the Song of Solomon, Ruth can write mine. So Ruth, it’s simple. Use my ending and write a sex scene. Then put “The End”, and you’re all done. Wham. To Have and To Hold gets published in February instead of March! See? I put you ahead of schedule. It’s a win-win.

  Ruth: I don’t think so, Dave. There’s more to the story than the ending you wrote. I have another 20,000 to 30,000 words to go.

  Dave: I don’t understand why it takes you so long to write a book. It’s really very simple. Take out all the filler words, and you can sum it all up in two pages.

  Ruth: That is called an outline, not a book.

  Dave: I don’t understand what the difference is.

  Ruth: A book should have a plot that is fleshed out and a subplot or two that works together for a satisfactory ending. There should be character development where characters change for the better (or reveal why a certain character is the antagonist), and at times, the antagonist in one book becomes the protagonist in another book so that you get the chance to explore the possibility of redemption. A story should also be emotionally engaging so that characters are memorable and–

  Dave: Wow. Like none of that makes sense to me so stop already. If I have trouble sleeping in the future, I’ll be sure to get you to explain the boring process to me.

  Mary: Just be glad you don’t have to write it all out. You can live it instead.

  Dave: You’re right. This means I can focus on you instead, sweetheart.

  Mother: Personally, I’ll be glad to see you go, Dave.

  Dave: Feeling’s mutual, monster-in-law.

  Ruth: Well, before we get into a full-blown fight, I’m going to end this interview. I don’t know if Mary’s mother will come around or not. Right now, it’s too early in the book to tell.

  ***

  Dave and Mary Have Hijacked the Word Count Goals

  (Includes an Interview with Dave, Rick, Sally, Heather, Mitch, Citlali, and Onawa)

  (Blog post made on 12/17/2011)

  Ruth: What do I mean by this? Well, I have a word count goal I try to meet every day. Currently, this is what it looks like

  To Have and To Hold = 1000 words

  Her Heart’s Desire = 500 words

  Mitch’s Win = 500 words

  Bound by Honor, Bound by Love = 200 – 300 words

  Just Good Friends = 100 words

  Ruth continues: Now, I’ll have everyone note that when I was working 1000 words a day on Shotgun Groom and Isaac’s Decision, I had no trouble stopping at 1000 words and moving on to the next work in progress. But now (as of Dec. 17 at 1:00 am), I am at 53,000 word
s into To Have and To Hold and have realized two things. One, this book will be closer to 80,000 instead of 70,000. Two, Dave and Mary will not let me write anything else. I’ll go to another story, and even though I know what’s going to happen next, I can’t write anything because Dave and Mary are bugging me to get back to their book. Selfish, right? I mean, there are other characters whose books need to be written. And speaking of selfish characters, Dave’s popped on by to talk to me.

  Dave: Why aren’t you working on To Have and To Hold?

  Ruth: Dude, I wrote 2000 words in that book today, and it’s one in the morning. I need to go to bed.

  Dave: Sleep is for wimps. You left me and Mary at the lighthouse, and as I recall, we were discussing some memories, hugging, and kissing. We were having a great time, and then you decide, “Oh, look. I hit 53,200 words. It’s time for bed.” You need to make it an even 54,000 before you sleep tonight.

  Rick: Oh for heaven’s sake! You’ve knocked my book back two months to get Ruth to write 1000 words a day on your book, and you have the nerve to make it so that yours is the only book that gets written?

  Dave: What book is yours again?

  Rick: Her Heart’s Desire.

  Dave: You know, I’m not too crazy about that title.

  Rick: It’s not your book, so the title doesn’t concern you. My point is that my book was supposed to be out in March, but now it won’t be out until May.

  Dave: You think that’s long? I had to wait for two years for my second book. Ruth couldn’t come up with a plot, so she kept making me wait.

  Rick: Give me a break. This is your second book. Second. I’m still trying to get my first one out, and I doubt there’ll be a sequel for me.

  Dave: *shrugs* I don’t know what to say. Everyone seems to love me. I’m like the people’s choice award for heroes in Ruth’s books.

  Sally: Sounds to me like you’re a better candidate for the people’s choice for the most-conceited-character-ever award.

  Dave: You shouldn’t be so upset. You show up in every single Nebraska series book.

  Sally: That’s not true. I wasn’t in A Bride for Tom or A Husband for Margaret. I’m sure there’ll be other books I won’t show up in as the series expands, so I need my own book. Otherwise, everyone will forget me like they forget about Richard.

  Rick: Richard?

  Sally: My older brother.

  Rick: Oh yeah. I briefly remember him from Eye of the Beholder.

  Heather: Rick and Sally, you aren’t the only ones who are inconvenienced. Ruth hasn’t touched my book, Mitch’s Win, in a while either. And what’s worse is that while she left you two on a walk, she left me and Mitch in bed. Do you know how difficult it is to wait for things to get finished once they begin?

  Rick: Well, at the rate things are going, I won’t even make it to the bedroom.

  Sally: Dave doesn’t care who he inconveniences. His only concern is that he gets as much story time as possible. If people understood how selfish he is, they wouldn’t be so eager to read Eye of the Beholder or To Have and To Hold. But he never shows his true colors in the books. He always comes off as this super sweet guy who’d make the perfect husband.

  Dave: Oh come on, guys. It’ll all balance out in the end. My book will be out in March, and then the rest of the year is yours.

  Rick: God willing, you won’t insist on a third book.

  Sally: Seriously. I think I’d have to poke my eyes out with a fork if you did that.

  Dave: A third book?

  Heather: Don’t give him any ideas. I need to get out of the bedroom, ideally before I die.

  Mitch: I don’t know. Would that be a bad way to go?

  Heather: There has to be more to our story than the wedding night.

  Mitch: *shrugs* Eh. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we remained as is for a month or three or more.

  Heather: A month or three or more? You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Sally: Just like a man. I’m telling you, Heather, men only have one thing on their minds.

  Rick: Hey, that’s not true. Work is a big part of our lives, too.

  Citlali: I wish Ruth had left me on a walk on a nice spring day or in a bed. You know where she left me? In the snow. It’s January in my book, Bound by Honor Bound by Love, and I’m outside in the freezing cold. I happen to be in North Dakota, where once it gets cold, it stays cold. Not like you guys in Nebraska that get warm days mixed in with the cold.

  Mitch: Well, I’m in Montana.

  Citlali: In a nice, warm bed with a woman. *rolls eyes* That’s nothing like risking frostbite because the author leaves you outside for weeks on end.

  Sally: What on earth are you doing out in the snow in January?

  Citlali: I’m walking in the snow to help pass the time until I can return to the tribe. Just my luck, huh? I’m away from the fire. And poor Onawa’s stuck in my family’s lodge, longing for the moment when I’ll be back. I can only imagine how miserable she must be.

  Onawa: *looking up from her laptop* What? Did someone say my name?

  Citlali: What are you doing?

  Onawa: Uh… You see, since Dave’s taken over all of Ruth’s writing time, I thought I’d find a comfortable couch and pass my time watching Netflix videos.

  Citlali: While I’m stuck out in the snow heartsick because I’m away from you?

  Onawa: Well….

  Dave: You are all blowing this whole thing out of proportion. It’s not about any of you.

  Sally: Oh?

  Dave: It’s about Mary. We’re stuck in Maine with her crazy family, and it turns out her weird sister is no better than her mother. The faster Ruth writes our story, the sooner we can be back home in Nebraska and away from those people.

  Rick: Give me a break. We all have some kind of conflict going on in our books. I’m trying to find the woman of my dreams.

  Sally: And I’m trying to show Rick that I’m that woman.

  Heather: And I need to adjust to being a wife and mother while dealing with my no-good brother.

  Mitch: I need to be sure I’m satisfying my wife in bed. I’m not sure I’m doing that great of a job on my wedding night.

  Citlali: What is wrong with you? You never come out and say something like that on a public blog. People are going think you’re inadequate as a man. I knew I was good my first time with Onawa because I’m good at everything I do. I was good, right Onawa?

  Onawa: What? Did someone mention my name again?

  Citlali: *grumbles* Never mind. I’d hate to interrupt her while she’s watching another movie. Why should she be inconvenienced just because I’m stuck out in the freezing cold waiting for the moment I can be with her again?

  Onawa: *watches movie*

  Sally: Well, now we all know the conflict in your book. You need to know your wife loves you. Maybe we should retitle your book “Bound by Computer, Not Sure About Love”.

  Rick: No. I think “Computer Bound” works better.

  Mitch: We can call my book “Mitch’s Bed”.