High school Memories: Love them or Leave them?

 By Maureen Bonatch 

In my opinion, it often seems like there are two kinds of people when it comes to high school. Those who speak fondly of those days past and refer to them as some of the best days of their life, and those who are happy to leave their high school days in the past. 

Me? I was happy to leave them behind to learn and grow from my experiences. Not that I don’t have some wonderful high school memories, but as a quiet, introverted girl, it presented me with some challenges. 

My short, sweet, paranormal romance, Witchy Memento, has my hero and heroine revisiting those high school memories with two different memories of their high school days. 

Will a past mistake determine their future?

Lucy is a witch with a successful business righting magical mischief. A call for help from her high-school heartache, Shane, prompts Lucy to manage his magical mayhem herself. No longer a nervous, hormonal teenager, Lucy takes the case to force an apology and bury her past humiliation. To her surprise, Shane insists he couldn’t forget Lucy—because she hexed him ten years ago. 

Witchy Memento is available for pre-order right here and will be released on April 6th as a Magic Crush Mini. Previously published as Witch You Were Here.

Did You Love —or —Were You Happy to Leave Your High School Days?

Looking to Get Cozy?

Check out these first-in-series Cozy Mysteries Right Here.

 

Fill Up Your TBR With Some Free Short Stories

Check out these free short stories Right Here

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries and paranormal romance as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and caffeine and wine are essential for survival.

 Sign up for M.L. Bonatch's Newsletter for free stories: https://www.maureenbonatch.com/free-book/

Keep the conversation going by joining my Facebook Group right HERE! https://www.facebook.com/groups/630494098126926

Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Today

by Maureen Bonatch

Last year was the first time we spent Easter at home with just our girls. COVID cancelled our usual celebration with family, but it also changed my daughter's plans to return to school since it suddenly went online at the end of spring break. 

This year will be another different type of year as my daughters are back on campus, but precautions remain in place so it will be the first Easter that we don't get to see them. We will see them on Zoom, of course. Thank goodness for the wonders of technology.

Then some of my extended family members got COVID and an additional family get together for this weekend was rescheduled for a later date. 

We're on our way back to a new normal, but we're not there yet. 

Part of me wants to rush time along so everything gets back to at least semi-normal, or until the semester ends so I can see my girls. But then I think about just how fast time goes by. I only realized that April 4th had snuck up one day prior, and remembered that I had a post to write for all my peeps here!

My brain came up empty as I dwelled on this very different holiday weekend this year. I looked through some of my old flash fiction, thinking I might have something related to spring. I came across this one. It's something that I probably wrote when my girls were in elementary school themselves. It made me think once again how fast time goes by, and how important it is to cherish every stage of our lives and the memories we create. 

Another Summer

    “I can’t believe the school year is over.” Lisa folded her arms across her cobalt shirt and grimaced. “I’m dreading entertaining Anthony and Johnny all summer.” 

        Susan smiled, taking in the clear blue sky. “I’m kind of looking forward to spending time with Tessa.”      

     The roar of the bus announced its arrival. Above the Blue Bird Bus logo, tiny heads bobbed as they scurried to exit. 

    Whoops and cheers emanated from the tiny mob, celebrating three months of freedom. 

     Susan searched the faces. 

     “Tessa?” Susan’s smile faltered. Her daughter's Blue’s Clues lunchbox clanked against her jean clad leg as she burst toward her mother. 

     “What’s wrong?” Susan clutched Tessa after she collided into her legs. Her cries muffled against Susan’s indigo shorts. 

    Tessa’s baby blue eyes scrunched up, pushing fat tears down her cheeks as she wailed, “I miss Julie!” 

     “What? You just saw her.” Susan gestured to the pig-tailed girl sporting navy ribbons and an identical expression of agony peering out the bus window as it continued up the hill. 

    Tessa sniffled, throwing her head back and opening her mouth so wide that she was in danger of choking on her strawberry bubblegum and bellowed, “I won’t get to see Julie all summer!” 

     Susan met Lisa’s gaze as she was trying to corral her two terrors wrestling on the lawn, adding more black and blue marks to their collection. 

    “Still looking forward to it?” Lisa smirked with a raised brow. Susan was spared a reply when the boys rolled over the Cool Berry juice box from their lunch, spraying a sapphire colored liquid over them.      

     “Boys!” Lisa deftly separated their intertwined limbs and stilled them with a narrowed look. Heads hanging, they trudged behind their mother. 

     Susan knelt to Tessa, smoothing hair from her face and wiping a tissue over her swollen cheeks. “Sweetheart, think of all the fun you and I can have. Most kids are happy for summer break, just look at Anthony and Johnny.” 

    The scolding already forgotten, they rushed ahead and stripped off their stained shirts and dove into an inflated swimming pool. 

 Tessa’s chin rested upon her chest and her whimpering continued. “That’s because they have someone to play with.” “Well you and I can do plenty together and I’m sure Anthony and Johnny would love to play with you—” 

    “Mama!” Tessa’s face contorted into an expression of horror. “They’re boys! And you’re old!” 

     “Oh.” Susan frowned. Her baby was growing up. 

    “Well,” Susan hid her dismay by hugging her daughter tightly. “Julie only lives a mile away. You can still play, phone her or write letters.” 

    Tessa pulled away. “Can she have a sleepover sometime? I’m the only girl in my class who’s never had one.” Placing her hands on her hips Tessa declared. “I’m not a baby anymore.” 

    “Well,” Susan sighed. “Okay.” Tessa’s smile lit up her face. “Thank you, mama!” She threw her arms around her mother. Susan laughed. 

    “As long as you know you’ll always be my baby.”

Happy Easter - Happy Spring - from Scuff!

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter 

 Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

A Year in Blessings

 

Hey, peeps, we’re almost there! Counting down the hours until we can kick 2020 out the door—with our steel-toed boots. Not that 2021 will start out great, but there is so much hope that it’ll end on a far better note.

Yet, there were some great moments to be had this year. Here are some of the highlights for me:

I am happy that my octogenarian parents have remained untouched by COVID-19. I can’t wait to be able to hug them again. My hubby and kids have also stayed virus-free. (Me too, in case you’re wondering.)

No major pet emergencies. Granted, we only have one pet at the moment, but still.

Took lots of delightful, socially distanced walks with my dad…and the (healthy) dog.

Kid #5 and I conquered the WORST jigsaw puzzle ever. Took us a month, and by the time we finished
we were ready to burn the damn thing. But we did finish! For the record, ever since I haven't been able to even think about Gone with the Wind without cringing.

Had not one, but two high school grads who managed to keep their senses of humor even though they missed out on almost all their senior activities/traditions.

 

 

 

 

 

The daily ducky visits to the puddle in the empty playground across the street last Spring. Hope they come back next year.

Somehow, I did not suffer a full-blown case of author-COVID-depression syndrome. Slacker that I am though, I did end up having to cram to complete my three novellas for the Intergalactic Dating Agency. Let’s be honest here, that wouldn’t have happened without a deadline.

And speaking of novellas, I published four this year! Skylar’s Gift (Prophecy series), Above the Storm, Wing and a Prayer, and Trial by Fire (all part of my new Silverstar Mates series.) A banner year, book number-wise.

Exciting times when work started on my very own office! It has a door! (If you'd like to see the progress, please subscribe to my newsletter: Lea's Letters from Space.)

After one postponement, I had cataract surgery over the summer. For the first time ever, I now have 20/20 vision in my right eye! Kinda exciting to not have to wear a contact lens in that one anymore.

I think have recovered enough from my distain for puzzles to take on this one, a gift from blogger Mary Smith via author Marlene Bell.

 

 

Discovering a way around the Stay-At-Home-Christmas. Thank you, Zoom, for giving us a way to "be" with our kids who no longer live at home!

The 2020 memes…oh, my gosh! Thanks to all the creative meme makers out there. I’m pretty sure that I laughed at more of those this year than during any previous year.

 

 

So, what about you? In a year of overwhelming odds, what positive moments of 2020 stand out for you? Don’t be shy…let me know in the comments.

May 2021 bring you peace, joy, and good health.

~Lea

P.S. - I have declared that this new year's eve is Unofficial National Stay at Home and Read Night. In case you're looking for some great new releases to snuggle with, check out these recent new releases from the SFR Station.

Little Things Can Make Your Ordinary Characters Memorable

By Maureen L. Bonatch 

Every time I see a butterscotch candy, or bread with an inch of butter piled on it—lots and lots of butter—I think of my grandmother, who we called, Nanny. 

Nanny has been gone for many years, but these simple things evoke my memory of her.

Visualizing a Character

I visualize Nanny's appearance in my mind, but I don’t describe her that way. I could describe her typical cotton dress, and her ever-present panty hose rolled down to ball just under the knee. I could detail her cropped, curly, white hair, and heavy glasses perched on the end of her nose. Or how she always cut the sides of her shoes to make room for her bunions.

Building a Setting

I could describe how she depicted her devout roman Catholic beliefs in her home. Or perhaps how she was always in the kitchen. That her freezer was never without ice cream and how she opened her heart, and her kitchen, to feed every person that walked in the door. 

Focus on Key Characteristics

But those aren’t the first things that come to mind. It’s the butterscotch candy resting in the glass dish in the parlor, and the mounds of butter stacked on a slice of thick bread that stuck with me for all these years. Those would be key elements if I was making my Nanny into a character. The rest might be essential in developing character backstory to help me understand the character better, but sometimes just a few little things can make a character memorable. 

My Writing Process

When a new character introduces themselves, they get right to the point. They start telling me their story. I might notice a few memorable characteristics in their personality, body language, or speech mannerisms and—off I go to wrap the character around those traits. It’s kind of like I found the egg and work backwards to find the chicken that created it. 

True confessions of a panster.

If you’re a heavy plotter, you might find this next paragraph upsetting and want to skip it. Since my writing begins with these few key elements, I’ve sometimes discovered I’ve written an entire book without identifying the color of the heroine, or the hero’s, hair or eyes. That my stories lacks those key descriptions. 

That’s because as a reader, I like to picture some of those characteristics myself. How I see them. Everyone doesn’t read/write that way, so I keep that in mind and go back and add some extra details.

In your Reading and/or Writing, What Comes First—the Egg, or the Chicken? (I.e: The Character or the Characteristics)

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter