Stuck in the Middle with You with Guest Blogger: Lucianne Rivers

The Book Boost welcomes author Lucianne Rivers to the blog.

She's here to discuss making it through mid-life and here's what she had to say...




Instead of middle of the book slump, how about, "How to deal with middle of life slumps," instead? Especially when trying to write a full-length romance novel?


I've always done everything about ten years too early: Professional actress by age eleven, writing scripts for television by thirteen, solo singer with the RTE Concert Orchestra by fourteen, switching countries by twenty-four, married by twenty-five, baby by twenty-eight, and published author by twenty-nine.


Is it unusual that I've hit mid-life crisis about ten years too early? Probably not. But, alas, I believe this is indeed the case as I approach the big three-oh.


Having beaten the odds of finishing three linked novellas, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Kill Me, on a deadline while going through a marital separation, I now face divorce, and while it is amicable, it's still so hard.


Moving, divorce, and death—at least the death of an identity—are the three most stressful occasions in a woman's life, apparently. And yes, I can confirm this statistic. Thank God for anti-depressants, exercise and good friends.


But oh, my poor novel, untouched for weeks. Sure, I can blame the heavy promotion of the release of Hold Me (Entangled Publishing) for my lack of typing, but the truth is my characters are suffering from mama's mid-life writing slump. The cast of Vice and Valykyries are in a sad and indefinite stasis. As am I.


Limbo is not a creative place, it seems. Although my biceps are developing nicely from all my trips to the gym.


And who is an artist without her art? Just an "ist," I suppose.


The internet tells me there are over twelve hundred words ending in "ist." I guess that if I started from that relatively blank slate I could be any number of things while I wait for my writer's slump to pass.


An anarchist, an evolutionist, a revolutionist or a survivalist…


And maybe once I get through all twelve hundred options I can circle back to artist.


Hopefully sooner.


And considering my ten-year-early M.O., perhaps I'll be scribbling again by the New Year.


Fingers crossed.


A Note from the Book Boost: Lucianne, I've been exactly where you are...only I was 32 at the time and now...five years later I can tell you that there is love, beauty, and true happiness on the other side of what you are going through. Hang in there...you WILL make it and your writing will be waiting for you when you're ready. Thanks for sharing and please tell us more about your story.


Blurb:


Still reeling from her mother’s death, news anchor Jane Caldwell’s life is upended further when she learns the father she lost twenty years ago is still alive. Her mother’s will unleashes a manhunt—the Caldwell sisters must find their father, or their mother’s estate will not be settled, and their questions about his disappearance will remain unanswered.


Jane’s search leads her to Guatemala to investigate a man who claims to be her father and heir to the family fortune. Needing a translator, she enlists enigmatic Harrison DeNeuve, a sexy ex-patriot with a penchant for wearing dark sunglasses in public.


As Jane struggles to reunite with her would-be father, Harrison fights to suppress his desire for Jane. He has a secret—one he’s sequestered himself in a third-world jungle hideaway to keep safe—and falling for Jane puts more than his heart at risk.


Jane finds two men in Guatemala—a father and a lover—but can she trust either of them?

Want More Lucianne?

Visit her website here: http://www.luciannerivers.com/

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