Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Living vicariously through my characters

Hello, Stiletto Gang, and thanks to my buddy, Joelle Charbonneau, for inviting me to chat with you today. I hate to get off to a bad start, but frankly, I have a bone to pick with all of you who wear stilettos—and now I see you’ve formed a gang?!!!

 You see, I’m an unwillingly reformed shoe-aholic. I didn’t even get to go through the twelve-step program. Pretty high-heeled shoes to me were an addiction. I’d buy so many pairs I’d hide them in the trunk of my car. That worked until my husband came in, arms full, and said, where do you want these?

He knew. He always knew… Let’s call him my enabler.
 

Nothing could cure me. Well, until, I developed the gasp—bunion—and putting on pretty stilettos felt like I was wearing nails on the sides of my feet. Over the years, the heels got lower and lower, while the bunion got wider and wider. Just had surgery to correct it, and I’ve been off weight-bearing, going on six weeks. Slowly, I’m making my way back up to tennis shoes.

I should despise stilettos, right? Wrong. Seriously, it’s my addiction. One of the women in my local chapter wears such beautiful pumps. Sparkly and shimmering those shoes of hers make me want to rush out and buy some to add to the boring, sensible ones in my closet. Alas, anything over two-inches would sit gathering dust.

Don’t feel too sorry for me (I’ve already cornered that market). I now live vicariously through my characters. In DEADLY RECALL, my recently released Romantic Suspense from Bell Bridge Books, Eden Moran my protagonist wears the man-killer shoes I cannot. But…like a sponsor in A.A., I felt it only fair to warn my readers that heels aren’t all that:

Excerpt of Deadly Recall and my public service warning . . . 

Traveling at a fast clip in four-inch stilettos when you’re calm was foolhardy. Walking in them when you’re angry bordered on suicidal. Her thoughts must have transferred to her feet. Eden stumbled. And wouldn’t you know it the good detective had hung around to witness. He reached out to steady her as Father Slater stepped out of the bridal room.

And . . .

Well, that was that, Eden thought, as she pulled into her covered parking space next to the commercial building that housed her loft. Using the Honda’s trunk for support, she tugged off her heels. It might take a day or two to regain her spirits, but she’d damned well relieve her aching feet now.

End of Public Service Announcement 

I may not be able to wear beautiful, sexy shoes anymore. But my heroines do. And another thing, for anyone who has ever met me, I’ve been blessed―or cursed―with Irish skin. I’m so fair that after one outing on a lake when I sunburned so badly I required medical care, the doctor said to me, “Will you face it. You’re never going to be a Copper Tone baby.”

Dumb doctor. What does he know? All right. I didn’t go to medical school and he did, I get it. Like my shoes, I’ve given up spending long hours in the sun. Or if I do, I wear hats, or I take an umbrella. I still find ways to satisfy my cravings. I give my characters the traits and abilities I’ve been forced to give up. And although I make them suffer in other ways, darned if they aren’t able to tan. Don’t worry, I do have a rather strong conscience – no matter how beautiful their skin tone, they always wear sunscreen.

So what about you? Is something off limits to you that you’ve found a way to live vicariously through? Isn’t reading the best escape ever? I’d love to hear about your escapes, and to one commenter, I’ll give away either a paperback or a digital copy of my new release, DEADLY RECALL. Thanks for having me, Joelle!  

A terrifying memory is locked deep inside her. A killer wants to keep it that way. Nine-year-old Eden Moran thought she was saying good-bye to her mentor that fateful day in St. Patrick’s. She had no idea she’d witness the nun’s demise, or that her child’s mind would compensate. Now seventeen years later, Albuquerque cops have unearthed human remains, and the evidence points to Eden as being the key to solving Sister Beatrice’s murder. When a hellbent cop applies pressure, Eden stands firm. She doesn’t remember the woman. Unfortunately for Eden, Sister Beatrice’s killer will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.  

Donnell Ann Bell is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist who previously worked for a weekly business newspaper and a parenting magazine. Her debut novel The Past Came Hunting became an Amazon bestseller, reaching as high as #6 on the paid overall list and finaling in 2012 Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence, RWA’s® Greater Detroit Bookseller’s Best, and the 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Deadly Recall, brought to you by Bell Bridge Books, is her second published novel. Learn more about Donnell at www.donnellannbell.com

28 comments:

  1. Welcome to The Stiletto Gang, Donnell! What a lovely, humorous post!

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  2. Thanks for joining us, Donnell! I have a pair of new black stilettos sitting behind me here in my office and I'm just jonesing to wear them. But seeing as we've got 13 inches of snow out there, I'd say it's going to be a while...

    Maggie

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    1. Maggie, two words. Snow boots! :) Wow, send some of that snow to Colorado. We could sure use some! Your area as certainly been through the ringer. Ooooh, black stilettos. Sounds sexy!

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  3. Hi Donnell! I love this post and your books. I can't wait to read Deadly Recall. Thanks for joining us today!

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  4. Posting for Carol Silver Springston who had trouble posting ;)

    Tried stopping by the link to the blog since Pat put it on her FB page. Actually I made it there, but when I posted a comment it gave me a whole bunch of choices to make that had my palms itching and sweating. I am social media impaired. How do I get a chance to get a book you're giving away?

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  5. Great post, Donnell! And I can't wait to read your new book! Technically, I should reduce my chocolate intake, but same days I lose track! LOL!

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    1. Thank you, Lana. You write historicals.... Did they have chocolate back then. How can you live vicariously through your characters with chocolate ;) Thanks for dropping by!

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  6. Can't wait to read your book! I escape as often as possible with my books. We have a wedding and then a grandbaby, the first one, this year...just a little stressful, but very exciting.

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  7. Margaret, why on earth would you want to escape... a wedding a grandbaby ... Congratulations. I'm so glad you enjoy reading. I, too, believe it's the best escape ever! You're entered in the drawing! Thank you.

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  8. Great post, Donnell! Fun to read. I'm not a shoe-aholic but my daughter is.:) About living vicariously, it occurred to me none of my heroines are short. They're either tall or medium. I wonder why?:)

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    1. LOL. Eve, we should get together and create a tall, stiletto-wearing woman who tans. Vicariously yours :) Thanks for dropping by.

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  9. After years of wearing heels with business suits, I love telecommuting to my day job in yoga pants and fuzzy socks. Every now and then, though, I look at the pretty suits and heels and kinda miss all that. (Slowly giving them away to the women's charity.)

    But you guessed it! My current heroine is temporary living in a small town where her designer suits and heels are a wee bit excessive :)

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    1. Ha! I knew I liked you, Cathy Perkins! Another woman living vicariously. I watched Jennifer Garner run in heels in one of her old television shows.... Seriously? I thought she was amazing. I've been meaning to write to her and Ben and say, how are the kids...and your feet? :) Thanks for commenting!

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  10. I am still a shoe-holic, but my heels are lower. I hate it, but age and injuries have necessitated it, . I do get my thrills with high wedges - for some reason, I can do those. So, I get my feeling sexy in with my wedges. I have never been a sneaker wearer unless exercising - even as a kid, I never wore sneakers in public - until the high-top Reebok craze. I had those puppies in tons of colors. Hubby got mad once because I wore pretty shoes all around Disney World and ended up having to ice my feet at the end of the day. Ah, shoes and fashion! ;}

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    1. You're my kind of woman, Victoria. I love pretty shoes. And right now I'm stuck in tennis shoes. Oy! Glad you're taking care of your feet though! Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I used to clump around in HIGH HIGH heels back in the day. For about 4 years, I put MILES on my shoes and then...not a bunion but a broken ankle! Had to wear a cast for 6 six. When the cast came off, my heels were a thing of the past. Now I confess to being a sandals sort of gal...even in the winter. My toes live to be free!

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    1. Love it, Cynthia... Free toes... er..toes free.... Thanks for commenting!

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  12. Love shoes, especially boots, but I hate trying them on. Instead I'm a purse-aholic as purses always fit, and they're always comfy.

    In my current WIP, one of my protags is a convicted murderer, the other a high school history teacher. Truth be told? I think they're living vicariously through me. :)

    Congrats on the release of DEADLY RECALL, Donnell. Such joy to see!!

    ~VR Barkowski

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  13. Waving hi to Viva, a purse-aholic... Oh, how I miss reading your fantastic work. Ha. You're not living through them, they're living through you. Thanks for the kind remarks on Deadly Recall, Viva!

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  14. All of my characters have perfect eyesight, unlike me. I've worn glasses since the second grade.

    I would love to win your new book!

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  15. Hi, Cathy, you vicarious woman, you. You're entered in the drawing. Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. Great post, Donnell! I'm also a reformed stiletto-holic and I have a bit of a purse problem. Oh and earrings... You never have to worry if they'll fit. LOL But as far as living vicariously through my characters, Caro has a great fashion sense, and I alas have none. She wears all sorts of fun designers, like Stella McCartney and Lily Pulitzer. Me...not so much.

    Congrats on the new book! Can't wait to read DEADLY RECALL!

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  17. Thanks, so much Sparkle :) or is it Abbey... And you both have amazing fashion sense. You're right about earrings... I still wear the same size as I did in high school... Tell me can earlobes gain weight? Congratulations on your wonderful series. And thanks for the congrats and stopping by!

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  18. Congrats to Cathy Perkins who is the lucky winner of a copy of DEADLY RECALL. You'll have to let Donnell know if you'd prefer a paper or electronic copy of the book.

    And Congratulations to Donnell on this release. I am so delighted for you and am grateful you were willing to share a bit of your book and yourself with us.

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    1. Thank you, Joelle, and to the Stiletto gang for having me!

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  19. My wife loves your books! Thank you so much for sharing this. Question where did you get the surgery done? My wife is looking for bunion surgery in Crystal Lake, she has had one for awhile now and finally wants to get something done about it.

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