Lessons from--Titanic?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Today we are talking about the Titanic. Kind of.  And keep reading for an answer to the Titanic question that I am sure is always on your mind.

But first, the wonderful Valerie Biel is offering champagne today! Okay, virtual champagne—and we hope you will join in her toast.

And then, below, we'll discuss a burning controversy. Seriously.

“Having Champagne with You Fine People”

  By Valerie Biel

I love a good story—I’m not picky about the method of delivery. They all have their place in the world from a dinner table retelling of a day’s high or low points, to a great movie or TV series or to a wonderful novel in any format.  (Although I do love the way a hard cover cracks open so satisfyingly.)

I read a lot of books, sometimes as many as five a week. But I also watch a lot of movies, and often reference movie lines in conversation—which is either annoying or fun—depending mostly on whether you get the reference.

Why is this important? I have a point, I promise. (Are you picturing Reese Witherspoon in the courtroom in Legally Blonde saying that line? ha ha) When Hank Phillippi Ryan offered a guest blog post here with you fine people (hint/hint), a scene from Titanic popped into my mind.

You know the one where Jack is sitting around the dining table as a reward for saving Rose from ‘falling’ off the bow of the ship?

Ruth [Rose’s mom]  And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?

Jack: [to Ruth and other guests dining at their table] Well, yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.

[And then they all go on to toast making each day count!]

I LOVE that scene.

When I shifted gears to fiction writing 15  years ago—it was for exactly that reason—to make each day count.

I’d been mainly working as a political fundraiser, which is not the most fun occupation, when our family was hit with a big loss. Two of my sisters died from the same rare and aggressive cancer a few years apart. This was all deeply heart-wrenchingly sad—we’ve all lost people we love and know that horrible grip of grief. It was time to reevaluate my life. I was simply done with doing something I didn’t like all that much. And I think my sisters would be happy to know they helped give me a kick in the butt to move forward with my writing.

Have I made each day count?  I’ll be the first to admit that some days have ‘counted’ more than others! But I’ve tried to live that way and be grateful for the time to create stories and build the worlds that (hopefully) come alive and entertain my readers.

And I truly love writing novels. I love the process (most of the time.) I definitely love the magical days when you have that ‘ah-ha’ moment for the best plot twist. Aren’t those the best?!

One thing I never could have imagined is the large and supportive writing community I’ve ended up being a part of because—as I’ve learned—writers are excellent people who go out of their way to help each other. You all know that here at Jungle Red Writers! So many individual friendships, collaborations, and partnerships! Then there are the organizations that have been instrumental to my success and survival as a writer … SCBWI, Sisters in Crime, the Blackbird Writers, Wisconsin Writers Association and more. All offering camaraderie and feedback . . . and if needed, navigational assistance to steer clear of proverbial icebergs. (I couldn’t help one more Titanic reference.)

Most important of all though are all the readers who have been willing to spend their money on my stories and especially those who have been willing to tell other people about them. That’s one of the very cool things about being a writer.

As authors, I feel we’re continually on the grandest adventure in the world having champagne with exceptionally fine people and toasting to making each day count!

[Author note: In my opinion, that door was definitely big enough for both of them!]

HANK: Toasting you all, too! And this is perfect timing, Valerie— Reds and readers, tell us one thing you are grateful for today!

And ha, ha-- you all know what Valerie is talking about right? Some people think Jack could have joined Rose on the door/debris floating on the North Atlantic, and they both could have survived. Apparently now the consensus is—can you believe we are talking about this?-- that they could have fit, but then it wouldn’t have floated.

Aren’t you glad you came to the blog today? Did you know about this controversy?

 

Valerie Biel is the author of the mystery-suspense novel Beyond the Cemetery Gate, named one of the Top 100 Indie Books of 2024 by Shelf Unbound Magazine. Her other novels include the award-winning Circle of Nine series and  middle-grade novel, Haven. She uses her powers for good and manages publicity and marketing efforts for other authors. When she’s not sitting behind a computer, she’s reading (or watching a movie), wrangling her overgrown garden, and traveling the world—often on trips for the charity she runs with her husband, The World Orphan Fund. Once upon a time, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. She lives with her husband on a (tiny) portion of her family's century-old farm in rural Wisconsin, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write. Learn more about her adventures at ValerieBiel.com.

 

About Beyond the Cemetery Gate:

When the police rule her dad’s death an accidental overdose, 16-year-old Chloe refuses to believe it and vows to find his killer. Alone against a potentially corrupt, small-town police force, a persistent social worker seeking proof that she has adult supervision, and precariously low funds, Chloe learns that her dad’s life as a cemetery caretaker masked a web of family secrets that quite possibly led to his death—and are now putting her in mortal danger.

Needing freedom to investigate, Chloe pretends that her only surviving relative, a famous war correspondent, has returned from an overseas assignment to be her guardian. But living alone in the caretaker’s house in the middle of the cemetery, mere feet from the crime scene, puts Chloe’s nerves on edge even before she unearths clues about the shadowy side of her small town. Help comes from unlikely and surprising allies: the colorful owner of the local retro diner, the quiet new classmate with his near-perfect memory, and a spirit who visits in her moments of greatest need.

But as Chloe gets closer to the truth, someone else is getting closer to Chloe, watching her every move. And when her aunt turns up on international news reporting from a war zone, Chloe’s cover is blown. Now the race is on to reveal her dad’s killer—but perhaps—Chloe isn’t as alone as she thought.

"Not all secrets are buried in the grave. Beyond the Cemetery Gate is a nonstop read through a dark, twisting plot and the dangerous world of shadows and sinister people that 16-year-old Chloe must outrun and outsmart." - Patricia Skalka, Author of the Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries