Elizabeth Maddrey shares the inspiration for her latest Contemporary Romance, Luna Rosa: Blushing Moon. Comment or answer the question at the end of this post to enter the drawing for Monday’s drawing. Deadline: May 12th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Elizabeth:
Truth or Fiction by Elizabeth Maddrey:
I don’t usually put a lot of myself into my books. Maybe a favorite food gets a mention, but that’s about it. When I sat down to write Luna Rosa, I knew I wanted my hero, Nick, to be a pianist and that’s about it. As I thought about him, I discovered he’d had aspirations to be a performer, but suffered from serious stage fright that ended that as a career option. I could practically hear someone saying, “Well, if he let stage fright end that as a career, he didn’t want it badly enough.” Because that’s the sort of thing people would often say to me when I made excuses for why I can’t play the piano in church.
You see, I love the piano. I’m not concert quality by any stretch of the imagination, but I play well enough to keep myself entertained. But if I know someone’s listening, my hands shake. Not just a little tremble. Not a wobble. Seismic tremors that shift my fingers three and four keys away from where they ought to be, rendering the song some bizarre modern composition instead of whatever it was supposed to be. (When I say “someone’s listening,” that includes my family. I’m just now barely able to play if my husband is home and somewhere else in the house. But I have to convince myself he isn’t listening. My kids pretty much need to be outside. With the doors and windows shut so I don’t think the neighbors might hear.)
It’s incredibly frustrating. And I felt a teeny tiny bit sorry for foisting my neuroses on Nick. But only a little. I didn’t make him quite so bad as I have it. His major issue arises when people he doesn’t know are listening. So, he’s able to play at church, provided he remembers that he knows a good deal of the congregation. It’s one of the reasons he chose the smaller church to attend, rather than the large church that most of my characters who live in the D.C. area go to.
It was a lot of fun writing about Nick and working his fear of public performance into the plot—a real issue in the romance, given that the heroine of Luna Rosa is a concert pianist who doesn’t understand why anyone would shy away from using a God-given talent simply because of nerves. I have a little of her in me, too, now that I think about it though, because it is frustrating to not be able to more with something that I know would be useful.
Maybe there’s more of me in my books than I realize. I’ll have to ponder that. But I do know that this is the first time I’ve consciously taken something I struggle with and given it to a character. Since it was so much fun, I’m not sure it’ll be the last.
About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.
Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her:
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About the book – Luna Rosa: Blushing Moon:
She loves the spotlight, he prefers backstage. Can they still play love’s duet?
Nick Carter’s career as a piano tuner and teacher keeps him off-stage and allows him plenty of time to compose music he has no intention of ever publishing. Enter Louisiana Chalfant, the new symphony pianist who embodies the word diva. She’s exactly the kind of woman Nick has vowed to avoid, but when they’re cajoled into playing a duet he finds there’s more to her than he first thought.
Louisiana settles into her temporary role with the symphony in Washington, D.C., glad for the reprieve from touring professionally. She’s astonished to discover immense talent in the handsome man who keeps her piano in tune. Practicing for a duet at church gives her the perfect opportunity to get to know the real Nick.
As they play together, Nick and Louisiana develop a friendship that begins to morph into something more, but what happens when their diverging goals threaten to upstage their love?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Get your Copy Now! Luna Rosa: Blushing Moon (A Tuscan Legacy Book 2)
Question for Readers: Where’s the first destination on your travel bucket list?
Come back May 7th for Brenda S. Anderson!
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth. Interesting to know the inspiration behind the story.
Thanks, Marion 🙂
Thank you Shannon for introducing us to Elizabeth. You always bring me a lot of joy.
I can concur with you Elizabeth. I was also so scared of standing up in front of people that I would get a zero on book reports in school. Fast forward a long time and God called me in a situation where I was to speak in front of a lot of people. He told me He would give me the words and would be by my side.
So keep playing and working on letting God guide you.
Thank you for sharing your personal witness along with using it in your stories. I have your books and look forward to reading them. You are an inspiration to me and others who read your story, personally and in your book.
As for the question, that’s very hard to answer. There are so many places. But I think first would probably have to be Israel. As long as there’s peace there.
You’re welcome Kathy. That’s what I wanted this blog to do – introduce readers to new to them authors. So I’m glad it’s working 🙂
Israel is on my list. Some day I hope!
And I’m so glad you’re able to get through your stage fright now, that’s excellent. It’s strange to me how I have no problem *talking* in front of groups, it’s just music! 🙂
I was the same way about getting up in front of people when I was younger. Book reports were dreaded all year long. And it was excruciating to go to a restaurant and tell the waiter my order. Making conversation with someone I didn’t know was impossible. Kids in school thought I was stuck up because I didn’t talk to anyone, but I was just painfully shy. I took piano lessons at school when I was 14 for a short time. It was harder than I expected so I quit. But when I was practicing, if anyone walked in the room, my hands shook and moved off of the right keys, so I totally get that. If I’d continued, I may have had stage fright too. You’re one up on me though, at least you didn’t quit and can actually play. Finally, I went to cosmetology school and realized it was worse to cut someone’s hair for thirty minutes and not make conversation than it was to make conversation with someone I don’t know. I came out of my shell. And now I speak at writer’s conferences and ladies retreats.
I don’t really have a normal bucket list trip. I don’t have any desire to travel to another country. I guess if you could get me to go though, it would be a beach where there’s great shelling.
I love this, Shannon! And I’m glad cosmetology school helped you get out of your shell — I actually just changed stylists because it was so awkward to sit there for 30-45 minutes in utter silence. I tried to start conversations, but she never would respond with more than yes or no and…it was just awful 🙂
It was awful. After ten years, I decide hair styling wasn’t for me. I wanted to style only. Not cut and color too 🙁 But if I hadn’t gone to cosmetology school, I might still be locked in my shell. I’m still an introvert. Even though I enjoy social interaction and speaking in public now, I’m completely drained afterward.
The book looks great! My entire family would head out to Hawaii….
Oh…Hawaii is on my list so high up! When my hubby and I were first married, we had orders for Hawaii (he was Army), but they ended up changing last minute and 4 years in South Carolina is not quite the same as 4 years in Hawaii would’ve been 🙂
Alaskian cruise
Oh! We’ve done that one — I want to do it again. It’s so beautiful!
My first destination would be to a spa located on the beach.
Where I can get away from the hustle and bustle of life and take time just for me.
Oh, yes. A little get away time is a good thing 🙂
My first destination would be Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I would also like to visit you and your parents in Virginia, Elizabeth.
That would be fun, Sue!
My folks and my sister went to Nova Scotia and PEI together, but I didn’t get to go along — they’re on my list to see, too!
I would love to go back to Europe!!!! I want to share so many places with my husband. Thanx for the giveaway!!!!
Oh, me too! We’re basically waiting until my youngest is a little older so he might have a memory or two (seriously, a six year old in Europe doesn’t sound like a lot of joy to me. Maybe when he’s nine or so.) But I’ve been and hubby never has and I’d love to share my remembered favorites. 🙂