A Review: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

Wilson Lewis has taken his life for granted. He is a successful attorney. His beautiful wife, Jane, gave him three beautiful children, kept a beautiful home, and took care of all his needs.  But when he forgets their 29th anniversary, he realizes how close he is to losing the things that matter most. So he sets out to repair the damages done over the years by learning to be a true partner to his wife. 

I have never been a fan of books written in the first person. This book changed that for me. I was drawn in and captivated by William as he told the story in his own personal voice. His character and propensity for insight and reflection while delivering a sucker punch of emotion left me weepy more than once. Seldom would I read a book twice, but this book, in particular, may take a lonely spot on that sparse shelf. A must read.  

Edited to Death!

When I think back on the first draft of my current (first) novel, I remember how the words just seemed to fly from my fingertips. The characters became living, breathing entities, and I cared about them. Yeah, the writing may have been a little flowery, wordy, and full of technical errors, but it came to life just the same.

A couple years later, my computer crashed.

I had to begin the long process of retyping the whole thing.  While I typed, I edited... and edited... and edited.  Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with my characters. I lost track of the story, and traded authentic for technical.

I think I've killed Sarah and Michael.  At the very least, I dumped them off on a dirt road somewhere to find their own way home.  Oh, what have I done? For now, I'll continue to type it back in, one chapter at a time. But from now on, no editing, just typing.  Once I find them again, we'll deal with the technical issues.

Have you ever written something you loved just to over edit it to death?

Life After

After a long hiatus in writing, I'd thought I'd give it a go, and scrape a little of the rust off.

Life After

Lyndsey sat on the fountain, looking out across the courtyard. She watched as the people passed by in pairs. Some holding hands, some arguing, some just comfortable in their silence. But each in the presence of his or her soul mate. What a strange world she lived in.

She remembered the stories she'd grown up hearing from her mother, about how she'd had finally found the man of her dreams in a grocery store after years of searching: In a world before SoulSearch Enterprises.

Despair crept up on her like the ivy growing up the face of the brick building across the street. She longed to be transported back in time, to a place where her soul mate couldn't be selected for her by a computer program. To a time when a woman could bump into a man in the grocery store and find her partner in life.

Chris' gentle face flashed in her mind, leaving a cold chill to worm its way up her spine. If only she'd had more time with him before his death. If only she'd had more memories to carry with her. But she didn't. Even though she'd sent her Acknowledgment of Readiness to SSE when she was 18, Chris had waited years longer. When they'd finally met, he'd admitted that the whole process just seemed unnatural. But once he'd been introduced to Lyndsey, he'd fallen head of heels.

That was before he'd literally fallen head over heels from the top of the skyscraper during a construction job, and left her forever, only 2 weeks after they'd finally been introduced.

Now, all around her, couples passed, none bothering to look at her. They had eyes only for each other. They trusted the process at Soul Search, never doubting, never questioning, but blindly following. Never asking 'what if'? Neither had Lyndsey. Now she didn't have to ask 'what if' because she already knew. Once you lost your match, you were on your own in a world where people relied on the computer to guide their futures. Alone and without hope.

The fluttering a paper in her face pulled her from her thoughts. Looking up, she found herself mesmerized by the piercing gaze of the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. Chocolate eyes smiled at her from under dark, expressive brows. He held the paper out to her, waiting for her to take it. When she reached out and grasped it, he just turned and walked away. When he disappeared, alone, in the crowd she finally glanced down at the flyer she clutched in her hand.

Survivors Meeting

All are welcome

There is life after the

loss of your soul mate.