by Guest Blogger, Rachel Milano

Ever since I can remember, books have always fascinated me. I would get excited every time I got my hands on one of the good novels from my favorite author. Among the good novels that I read growing up was Margaret Mitchell’s classic Gone with the Wind. I used to picture myself as the beautiful and strong-willed Scarlett O’Hara exchanging biting yet witty remarks with the suave and charming Rhett Butler. As the years went on, I found myself collecting a number of good novels to read.

Another book I read in my teenage years was Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I held a strong connection to this novel because like my favorite character Jo March, I too had three sisters and I could relate to their adventures and misadventures. In the recent years, some good novels for young adults that I have come across include Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. While they may be classified as good novels for teenagers, I still enjoyed them a lot even though I’ve long passed my adolescent years. It just goes to show that even good novels to read for young adults can be appealing to an older demographic. Lately, one of my favorite books has been The Cicada Funeral by Alene Roberts. Miss Roberts has the special gift of writing novels that are not only entertaining, but also uplift and inspire the human spirit.

It takes a special talent to be able to weave words together in order to come with a really good novel. These good novels are able to captivate the readers, bringing life to each character while tackling plots that can be as poignant and tender as first love, or as heart wrenching and agonizing as death. While books may tackle many different themes and plots, the common denominator among all the great novels is that they are all written from the heart and they leave readers deeply moved and completely satisfied.

Welcome to the first entry on my new web site blog. I’m so excited my fingers keep hitting the wrong keys on my computer. I’m afraid I’m going to wear out the delete button. Anyway, here goes.

Whenever I talk to a group about my books there are some questions that always seem to come up: Where do you get your ideas, do you write out ideas for future books and save them, and do you have each book firmly plotted out before you begin?

The answers are just as ambiguous as the questions and varied as the authors you ask. I don’t really know the answer to the first question. They come to me from everywhere. I never try to come up with an idea or plot for some future book; I just figure it will be there when I get there. As far as plotting out a book, I mostly just have a vague idea and a place to start. Sometimes I know a few sketchy ideas for the middle and once in a while an idea of where and how I want it to end. Once under way the characters become so real to me that I sometimes feel like a follower or chronicler of their actions, rather than the initiator.

There is, however, one constant in all of my writing. I pray a lot! I’m grateful for the talent that I have, but I know I need help if my books are to reach out and touch some one’s life in a positive way.

Some time ago I saved an article by the syndicated columnist, Erma Bombeck. In answer to one of the above questions she wrote a column I came to love and appreciate. I thought you might like to read a couple of excerpts from that column.

“Someone interviewed me recently and wanted to know if I saved ideas so I could be assured of at least one strong column a week.

I don’t save anything. My pockets are empty at the end of the week. So is my refrigerator. So is my gas tank. So is my file of ideas. I trot out the best I’ve got, and come the next week, I bargain, whimper, make promises, cower and throw myself on the mercy of the Almighty for just three more columns in exchange for cleaning my oven. . . .

I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will go like this: ‘So empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfulfilled? Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have left? Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven’t spread around?’
And I will answer, “I’ve nothing left to return. I spent everything you gave me. I’m as naked as the day I was born.”

And that, I think, is a wonderful way to look at life. Use every bit of talent that God gave you. Hold nothing back. Be grateful. And my own personal favorite; you’re never too old to accomplish your dreams.