NANOWRIMO 2022: Hit The Target 8 Days Early!!! 50,000 words: The Heart is a River(novel about BC floods) Beautiful British Columbia Fraser Valley

 Dear Readers:

I am so incredibly psyched to share with you tonight that at 8:28 P.M. EST, I completed my beautiful and inspiring Nanowrimo Project for 2022. The targeted timeline was for Nov 30th but I made it with eight days to spare! So happy and proud!!!

This one was a labor of love, inspired by the tragedy of the November 2021 B.C. floods in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, specifically near Abbotsford. 

My heroine, Ria Brooke, lost her home when it was swept away down the river. She has spent the last six years rebuilding her home after the untimely death of her husband, John.

Now, devastated, and waiting on her insurance claim and browsing the rental homes, she is offered a place to stay by dear friends Bill and Laura Everly, who own a ranch and run the youth shelter, a nonprofit organization that provides food, clothes, and lodging for at risk youth. Ria was hired as an admin person at the shelter shortly before the floods came and washed her home away. She considers herself hugely blessed to have such a loving and supportive couple in her life, Bill and Laura, who brighten her days with their compassion, wit and laughter, not to mention, Laura's home cooking and hospitality.

Laura's other talent is matchmaking, and who better to set Ria up with an eligible bachelor type than Laura herself! She has her eyes on the ruggedly handsome older gentleman, a retiree, who volunteers twice a week at the shelter, using his truck to bring furniture to the youth. 

Keir Weston is tall, lanky and impossibly handsome, with his silvery mane and beard, his sultry voice and aloof demeanor. One look from Ria and sparks fly! The only problem is, Keir got badly burned by a bitter divorce two decades ago, and he's kept to himself and doesn't want to be tied down. He finds a kinship with the lovely, evolved woman, though, and feels a stirring in his heart that he thought he would never feel again, and decides to test the waters.

But Ria is vulnerable and scared. She's lost the one man she thought she had forever with, and now she lost her beloved home. Falling for Keir was not her mission, but she can't help but open her heart to the sexy silver fox who seems vulnerable and sad too, under his well-drawn facade.

When New Year's Eve comes, the big bash of the year is held at the Everly ranch, and Keir decides to show up out of the blue. Ria wants to spill her feelings and tell Keir that he is the only man for her, but will he accept her offer of love, or run for the hills and deny them both the love they both desperately need from one another?

The Heart Is a River is a story of hope, heart and healing. It's a passionate story of deep wounds and old hurts coming to the surface. But it is also the story of finding the courage to light the lamp for love just one more time.

I just know you are going to love this heart-tugging story.

Coming soon!!

Much love,

RR xo

LET THERE BE LOVE

Let there be falling leaves
from well-worn trees,
towering oaks,
and silver birch,
etched in time
with lines to tell
what they've been through

Autumn's bounty of
crimson, tangerine, gold
Falling, trickling,
Cascading
to the earth like
dreams and stories
we've carried so long
in hearts brimming with
hope & promise

Let there be September and October nights of
smoky skies
and diamonds in our eyes
as we watch the world slumbering
and we sit hand in hand,
under the blanket of love
sharing, loving & caressing
Just two souls
who've found one another
in the lottery of the cosmic path

We are lucky,
oh so lucky
to be here at this moment
Two flames amid
7 billion

I wanna get lost in your aquamarine eyes
and just forget the world
savor every minute of you
like the whip creme on my lips
and the hint of pumpkin spice on my tongue
from the steamed milk latte
you served me today

Let there be September skies of baby blue
with sunlight pouring through
and evening skies of sapphire
when the firewood burns
in old homes across town
while we share a moonlit stroll
murmuring secrets
only we can know

Let there be joy in our hearts
to whisk away the fear
let there be kindness
to chase away the gloom and doom
of this cruel world
let there be laughter
bubbling over from
our happy, kindred hearts

But most of all,
let there be Love.

--Rochelle Renee --
Sept 5 --2020
12:26 p.m. EST

NANOWRIMO -- GRAND FINALE!!!

Dear Readers!

We've reached the finish line for the annual novel writing challenge, NaNoWriMo -- or better known as National Novel Writing Month.

I soared through the finish line with my latest labor of love...5 days early. Completed on November 25th at just over 50,000 words..."CALL MY NAME" was brought to fruition.

Now, for the editing time. Drafts one, two, three and four...and so on.

If YOU were lucky enough to finish your novel on time, CONGRATS!!! Even if you didn't make the 50,000 words, kudos to you for creating something beautiful that you loved working on and brought you immense joy.

Being an author is not for the faint of heart. It takes hours, weeks, months, and years of blood, sweat and tears, in order to hone your craft and become better at what you do

It also takes a huge consumption of time to work on a novel. We are definitely an underrated breed, at best, but I would not trade my natural born gifts for the world.

Look for my novel in coming weeks...to be published by KDP.

I salute all the writers who took part in this year's novel challenge. Thank you also to my faithful readers who've supported me over the years and joyously look forward to every new novel that I release.

With much love and Gratitude,

RR xo

REST IN PEACE SHILOH: WE WILL MISS YOU

On August 13, 2018 my beloved family pet was euthanized. Trust me. This was not an easy decision to make. Shiloh, our beautiful white haired Schnoodle, was 12 and aging badly. He'd not been eating properly for five weeks. It had gotten to the point where I was hand feeding him morsels from a can of chicken flakes. Poor thing refused to eat any kind of dog food. He knew he was on his last days. Animals try to speed up the death process by deliberately foregoing meals in hopes to end their pain.

The choice to put him to sleep was excruciating for me. To watch him in pain day after day, week after week, was so painful. I felt selfish, because I wanted him alive, to be near as he always had, the faithful companion and the buddy who greeted me at the door as I came in from work. But seeing him deteriorate was more than enough to bear.

When my time comes and it's someone's choice to pull the plug, it won't be easy for them to make that call. We love those close to us and we beg God for "just one more day" in hopes of cherishing those 24 hours forever. Or praying for a miracle.

Shiloh was in my arms, so frail, in that vet office, when they came to take him away. I opted not to watch as they injected him. Instead, I stayed in a side room, sobbing hard. The tears fell like Niagara Falls and I felt so ashamed. What was my problem?He was going to be pain free, finally, and cross that rainbow bridge to doggie heaven to join the other loving souls. He would be at peace and his pain finally gone. But here i was...bawling like a baby. It was for the best, the vet assistant told me, trying to reassure. Yet we love our pets and we linger...hoping for one more hug, one more doggie kiss or wag of the tail that reminds us we are our loved and that we mattered to them.

My Shiloh is resting with angels now. Perhaps he has been greeted by Mr. Lou, our other Schnoodle who passed in October 2012. Or maybe he met with Lady, our beloved Springer Spaniel who died Dec.12, 2000. It's a nice thought to relish. At any rate, he is better off. Me? It took some time to adjust. I would lie in bed after his passing and swore I heard more than a few times his small whimper at my bedroom door to alert me that he wanted in. And I would wake in the morning before work to see his doggie bed was empty. How truly depressing that was. No more 6:00 a.m walks before I hurried off to work.

Now, though, there's a void where Shiloh inhabited my heart. I caught myself on kijiji the other day, perusing ads for puppies. One known breeder of CKC registered English Springer Spaniels had a litter of gorgeous pups born June 11th. Another slap in the face for me. The anniversary of my soulmate Trent passing.  It's like the Universe just grabbed my heart and mocked me with a rollicking laugh that echoed off the walls. I cringed at the irony.

I know one day I'll own another dog. Because dogs love you like no one else. Humans leave you, betray you, mock you, deceive you...but dogs...they love you UNCONDITIONALLY. All they ask for in return is for a scratch behind the ears, a full food dish, walk to the park and some water. Not much at all.

My heart is heavy tonight. I miss you Shiloh. You were a good boy and faithful friend. Rest in peace. Till we meet again. Adios.

RR