LUCY BURDETTE: I've loved my friend Susan (S.W.) Hubbard's books since her first Adirondack mystery. When I heard that she was making the big leap to try women's fiction (as I am), I knew we should hear all about it. Welcome back to JRW!
SW HUBBARD: Have you ever looked at a photo and said to yourself, “I bet I can do that. How hard could it be?”
My husband Kevin and I both love to hike, so I showed him the pictures. “We should do this!”
Kevin did the research and reported that the trip would require us to hike nearly one hundred miles in nine days, starting in France and hiking through Switzerland to Italy and back to France. “I’m not sure we’re up to this,” Kevin said. I knew he meant, “I’m not sure YOU’RE up to this, Susan.”
Oh, pish! How hard could it be? After all, Elliot had done it. He and I are the same age, and he’s never been a hard-core athlete. Indeed, Elliot is more of a bon vivant. He and I once took a hike in college in which all we packed was a bottle of red wine, a baguette, and some brie.
No water.
I assured my husband I was up to the challenge, and we booked the trip. I steadfastly ignored his exhortations to do some 10-mile practice hikes in New Jersey. Who wants to hike ten miles through nondescript woods when it’s buggy and hot?
In July, we departed for the French Alps.
Okay, I would never, ever admit my husband was right on a blog with a wide international readership such as JRW. However… hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc is harder than it looks. I’m very glad I went (and I DID cross the finish line), but it was challenging. As in, I thought my heart would explode out of my chest climbing up those trails.
Hmmm. About as hard as hiking a hundred miles in the Alps, as it turns out.
You see, mysteries come ready made with conflict because of that dead body in the first fifty pages. In women’s fiction, an author has to work to keep the conflict strong enough to move the story along.
I had a great hook: a young woman marries a much older man and when she finds herself a widow at age 45, she sets out to recapture the endless possibilities that life offers at age 25. And I had a familiar setting: Palmyrton, NJ, the fictional town where my estate sale mysteries take place. Some of the characters from the Palmyrton Estate Sale Mystery series make cameo appearances in this new novel, Life, Part 2. But the story belongs to Lydia Eastlee. She trades her big McMansion for a funky starter bungalow, adopts a rescue dog, and launches into a new career she’s unprepared for. And did I mention the sexy young carpenter remodeling her kitchen? No one gets murdered, but there’s plenty of laughter and tears along the way as Lydia rebuilds her life.
As with the hike, I had fun, learned a lot, and tested my stamina as I wrote Life, Part 2. But I sure didn’t save time. Maybe on the sequel.
When’s the last time you launched into something that was harder than it looked?
S.W. Hubbard’s newest novel is Life, Part 2, the first installment of her new Life In Palmyrton women’s fiction series. She is also the author of the Palmyrton Estate Sale Mystery Series and the Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series. Visit her at http://swhubbard.net
And here's how to order the books:
Congratulations on your new book . . . it sounds very special and I’m looking forward to reading it. I’m glad to hear there will be a sequel and I’m curious to know what you found to be the most exciting part of writing in a different genre.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think almost everything is harder than it looks before you start and there are times that it seems as if everything I do is harder than I expected. But there would be so much that we’d miss if we never tried just because it might be hard. So . . . .
Good morning, Joan! I think the most exciting part of writing women's fiction was the chance to explore women's friendships and how they develop. My women friends have always been very important to me, but in the book, Lydia allows some of her friendships to fall away during her marriage. Once she's a widow, she has to build new friendships, and that's hard as we get older. But I've given Lydia a great friend named Roz, who is her colleague at her new job.
DeleteCongratulations, Susan! I love that, "How hard could it be?" approach. I branched out into historical mystery a few years because a passion hit me. The research takes a LOT of time. And now I seem to be branching out into a different historical era - nuts! But when a passion hits ya...
ReplyDeleteTwenty years ago when I was running a lot, I ran a six mile race with a friend. A few months later we ran a ten-miler. At that race we saw a flyer for a half-marathon and decided to tackle it. When we completed that one, my friend looked at me and said, "Looks like Boston is next!" The Boston marathon, that is. Running 26 miles is a LOT harder than 13. But we got charity numbers, trained a lot, and both finished. And your Alps hike makes my joints hurt even to think about it!
You are one of my inspirations, Edith! You're so disciplined and productive. My husband is a runner, and when we were first dating, I tried to take it up. I never got beyond a 5K. He did the NYC marathon, and it was grueling. So that's quite an accomplishment. (But you only have to do it once for bragging rights!)
DeleteOnly doing it once was good enough for me!
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ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm lacking in ambition or something, but I don't look for extra challenges to accomplish when I see pictures of things that other people are doing with their lives. I find day to day life throws enough obstacles in my way as it is, so that when I have the chance to just rest I don't want to add more to my life.
Rest is good!
DeleteAnd for sure everyone is different! The smart person tries to figure out when something isn't necessary for him or her, or when she ought to push herself:). My hub is out running in Central Park this morning and I'm drinking coffee and looking at Facebook...
DeleteGood choice, Lucy!!
DeleteCongratulations Susan. I like the story line of your book and your post.
ReplyDeleteMore than 20 years ago, I had to rethink my life after a marriage of 25 years.
This fall, I'm attending a biographical workshop. It is harder than it seems. I always tend to remember the good times but a biography must show every aspect of our life.
Will we see you at Bouchercon ?
Thanks, Danielle. Yes, there are certainly parts of our lives we choose to forget, and other parts that are burned into our memories. Best wishes for success with your biography--that's certainly a big project! Alas, I won't be at B'con. I'm still teaching and can't get away.
DeleteI love your books, Susan, and especially all of the characters you have created. But I am still trying to decide on the pronunciation of Palmyrton!
ReplyDeleteThere was the time I painted my bathroom. How hard could it be? Let's just say I discovered that is one of the things I had best leave to a professional, or at least to someone who actually enjoys doing that sort of thing.
Hi Judi! Thanks for the compliment. The town is pronounced Palmer-ton. I guess it's funny that I gave it an unusual spelling since in LIFE, PART 2, Roz does a whole riff on students who spell their names wrong 🤣
DeleteRegarding painting, I once waited until my husband was away on a business trip to start painting our bathroom. He is a perfectionist and couldn't get started because he wanted to fix every little thing perfectly. I'm a realist and just wanted to slap some fresh paint on!
Thanks, Sue, that's the pronunciation I thought was best but I kept thinking Palmyra (another place) in my head and then telling myself no, that's not it.
DeleteI remember the thing about weird spellings of names and just the other day mentioned that to my granddaughter.
Susan, who said every good story has a bit of a mystery? Life is full of mysteries and not all of them involve a dead body! Kudos to you for taking on the challenge of a new genre of writing!
ReplyDeleteHow hard could it be? My first quilt. Loved it all--still quilting. Gardening--love flowers, love planning, but sadly still lacking a thumb green enough to make it all turn out like the pictures!
Yes, in LIFE, PART 2, I explore the mysteries of human nature. I agree with you about gardening. My vision for my garden always far exceeds my ability to deliver. Gardening is like raising teenagers--full of joys and unexpected bombshells!
DeleteSo true, Susan. Mine never turns out quite like I expected but I enjoy it anyway.
DeleteCongratulations on your new book, and your new direction, Susan! The book sounds great, and if you can hike all the way through France, Italy, and Switzerland, I'm sure you'll find your footing in women's fiction.
ReplyDeleteForeseeing challenges and figuring out ways around them is more or less my job, although most of the time the challenges aren't life-threatening. But back in 2005, when my husband died, I had no idea how to map the road ahead. I totally understand how your character had to go back to where she left off in her 20s and re-find herself at 45. Alas, no hunky carpenter for me. I look forward to seeing how it all turns out for her.
A good hunky carpenter is hard to find in real life. That's the joy of fiction😉. Sounds like you got your life on track after your loss. Good for you!
DeleteLove the title! Love the cover!! Love the premise!!! And so admire your courage and stamina. I've loved your books since the first Adirondack mystery... looking forward to this new direction.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hallie! Working on a genre-appropriate cover design was a challenge, but I think my designer did a good job.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book -- it looks very good and easy to relate to.
ReplyDeleteIn the summer of 2018, after seeing how much travel exhausted my 90-year-old mother in law, I suggested that I would host Thanksgiving, as I had the year before, but in her home, so she wouldn't have to travel. How hard could that be, right?
It turns out, cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for 22 people in an unfamiliar kitchen is about a thousand times more difficult than doing it in your own! I left it saying "Never again!" (Though I am now planning to do it again because -- who knew -- my mother-in-law is still with us and at 91 no better suited to travel than she was at 90..)
Oh, no--that's EXACTLY what I have volunteered to do this Thanksgiving! I'm sending my husband out early, loading his car up with all the equipment I'll need. Wish me luck!
DeleteThat is such a perfect phrase! And graduations, there must’ve been moments when you thought I’m just going to give up. So yay!
ReplyDeleteI’d love to hear more about your women’s fiction… What do you think is the key?
Luckily, I had the invaluable editorial assistance of our own Ramona deFelice Long (I hope she's here today). She pointed out the spots where the story dragged a bit, and the other spots where I needed to delve more deeply into my heroine's emotions. Early reviews have been positive, so I guess I succeeded. But Ramona's cool critique is essential for me.
DeleteCongrats on the new book, Susan.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say writing that first book when I thought, "How hard can it be?" cured me of thinking that about anything ever again. :) It's always harder than you think!
I'm the eternal optimist. Every time I start a new book, I always have forgotten how hard the last one was.
DeleteThat hike really was ambitious, Susan! Just going from close to sea level in New Jersey to the altitude of the Alps was a major challenge. We who live closer to the core of the earth tend to forget about that factor, don't we? SO much harder to breathe when we have not oxygen-loaded in some way.
ReplyDeleteWe just had a new home built, and it was vastly more difficult than I thought it would be. I expected to tell the architect what I wanted, and for the house to rise from the ground effortlessly. Cue the universe laughing. Two years later we are living in a lovely, light-filled and easy-to-care-for "toetag" home, but there are still a million things that need to be done.
Totetag home! I never heard that expression before (I had to think about the meaning!) . Congrats on your new house--I'm sure it was worth the effort. We arrived in the Alps a couple days early to get adjusted to the altitude. It didn't bother us that much.
DeleteShalom Reds and fans. Susan, congrats on the book. Easy or hard, a book is an accomplishment. I tend in the opposite direction. I always think that something I want to try will be hard. So I put it off and put it off. Like attempting to play a new piece of music on the piano. When I decided to take piano lessons, one of the things that having a piano teacher helps you with, is breaking everything down into manageable chunks.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, moving a piano, is something that should just be left to professionals. I did it myself twice in the last ten years, with the help of two or three friends. Each time, I said “Never again!” You can seriously hurt yourself by trying to lift that weight up and down stairs. It costs about $200 to move a piano a short distance and because very few people want an old piano anymore, it costs about the same to dispose of one.
Funny you should mention piano lessons and piano moving. The heroine of LIFE, PART 2 goes back to studying piano after her husband dies. And she has a Steinway baby grand that she has to move from her big, married home to her much smaller "starting over" home. Complications ensue! I'm glad your piano teacher inspires you to tackle the tough pieces :)
DeleteWelcome to Jungle Reds!
ReplyDeleteAlways bring water when you hike! I always bring water when I go hiking. We walked / hiked in the Swiss Alps and it was beautiful!
Yes, I have done many things that are harder than I thought it would be. And I also have done things that were easier than expected. What I have learned over the years is that if I have the necessary tools or knowledge, then it is not as hard as expected. For example, I remember my teacher giving us math workbooks to bring home when I was about 6 years old. I remember scribbling all over the pages and saying to my Mom that it was too hard. She said that I can learn and when I worked on the math pages, I was surprised that I could do it. I could do it because my teacher taught us in the classroom.
Diana
Yes, the hike with no water was when I was 21. I've learned a few things about hiking since then. I teach expository writing at a community college, and my students are always telling me, "I just suck at writing." I have to remind them that anyone can improve. I always say, "You don't have to get ll the way to Shakespeare.You just have to move towards Shakespeare."
DeleteBrings back memories. When we were 21, we think we are invincible, right? So true about moving towards Shakespeare. I have been told that writing every day like journaling helps with writing skills.
DeleteAlways, always exciting ti hear about a new book from the inestimable S.W. Hubbard! I've thought about writing women's fiction or romance as well - since I write pretty close to those genres in my crime fiction - but holy cow, how do you get the plot going if no one is murdered or abducted? My mind goes blank.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Julia. Yes, getting started without a crime is a challenge. However, I do have the heroine's husband drop dead in Chapter 1, so there's a dead body after all :)
DeleteCongrats on completing the hike (I don't know that I could do it) and entering a new genre.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark. I had fun even though I wore myself out with bother endeavors.
DeleteCongratulations on your new book! I love the premise and the cover is great!
ReplyDeleteAs for the hiking, my husband and I take vacations to national parks and nature vacations at least once a year. There are some really good trips that we have not chosen because we figured that 6-7 miles a day, every day, would be too hard. I think we made the right decisions, we are no longer young and he has some knee issues. But there is a certain amount of regret that we couldn't do the more challenging trips.
On the other hand, I definitely have gotten into the "how hard can it be?" mindset in many other endeavors. Some things like baking pies or knitting a blanket or even doing yoga are things that you can learn and improve at as you work on them. But those are very different from being stuck on a mountain trail, miles from the next "hut" with the knowledge that your sore knee or aching foot is just going to have to make that journey.
We love hiking the national parks also. Have you been to Bryce Canyon in Utah? That is gorgeous and not hard hiking at all. We are going to Yosemite in the spring. But no free solo on El Capitan!
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ReplyDeleteCongrats, Susan! I made the same shift a few years ago. While I still write mysteries I also write contemporary romance and women's fiction. No one believes me when I say it can be more challenging than mystery writing (no dead body to propel the plot) so it's nice to hear you confirm my own conundrum. Your book sounds delightful! I'm looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn. I have lots of ideas to keep this series going, each focusing on a different woman in an interconnected circle of friends and acquaintances. So many ideas, so little time!
DeleteCongratulations on your book, Susan, and on tackling the challenge. For me, every book turns out to be so much harder than I thought it would be, and I'm relying on the dead bodies!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deb. Writing really never does get easier, does it?
DeleteYour book sounds so appealing! Next you should try women’s fiction with a dead body thrown in. Seriously though, “starting over” stories can be funny and inspiring. I enjoy them so much.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll enjoy this one, Pat. Actually, it does start off with the (natural) death of the herine's husband, so there is a dead body!
DeletePlease. More of your mysteries
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