9 minute read
ARTICLE
ARTICLE Author J.S. Ririe~ Why the World Needs Clean Fiction & Characters With Values!
Ireally am in a very small minority. I see it with most of the books my 13-yearold granddaughter reads and her obsession with the macabre, violent and unreal frightens me.
Advertisement
Fortunately, she’s not into the really graphic sexual stuff yet, but I see the handwriting on the wall. No one wants to write about normal people with regular problems anymore because it’s much too tame and doesn’t appeal to the masses who have been conditioned to accept things as being routine that caused people to gasp even a generation ago. I feel a great need and responsibility to help fill the gap between people who have decided that God no longer exists, and ones who still believe in him, with stories that cause people to get in touch with their inner selves and hopefully find the strength to fight their own problems without giving in to all the negative influences that are so prevalent in our me-centered society. Brylee Hawkins Virtue
Brylee is a character of the twenty-first century. She knows what it’s like to feel rejection, regret, betrayal, anger, and loneliness. Watching her grow from a frightened young woman with no real sense of self into a confident adult who can run a ranch and
give emotional support to a family she doesn’t know helped me to identify my own strengths. She has no answers when she arrives in Australia to face her estranged father, but she has the faith necessary to keep moving forward when her beliefs threaten to destroy everything she is trying to build-even a new romance. She learns how to fight through the hardships and pain without turning her back on God, like almost everyone else in her family has done, because she understands that without her faith she has nothing left to cling to. Her journey parallels that of most women who have ever lived, not in exact experiences, but in the throbbing disappointment, excruciating heartache, and loss of dreams that few mortals escape. Brylee’s story is not for readers who prefer fantasy to reality, but it is for those who want a thoughtprovoking and exciting read that is full of twists and turns they will not see coming. An Author's Values
I can only speak to the values I’ve set for myself, and they are ones I cannot violate even though I know I would garner far more success if I did. I was raised in a very strict home where our mouths were washed out with soap if we said even the mildest swear word and our behinds felt the pain coming from a razor strap if we backtalked to our mother or stepped out of line in any other way. I’m not saying that’s any way
to raise kids, but we knew what it was like to respect God, country, and adults–-something that is sorely lacking in today’s permissive and self-indulgent society. I also grew up reading books where the authors could tell a riveting story without lacing it with profanity, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, explicit sex, and many other things I feel are unnecessary but still show up on nearly every page in the books that are coming off the press today. I feel accountable for every word I write because it defines who I am as a person. I’m proud of being a Christian in a very unChristian world. I want people to know I believe in God and in my Savior who died for each of us since I know I will have to account to them one day. That stance offends a lot of people who can say some very unkind things, but I try to let their comments roll off my back because we have the right of choice and should never condemn someone else for their personal beliefs. Creating Women of Substance
In the past seven years, I have published sixteen books--two series and four standalones. Each lead character comes from a place of 44 Books ‘N Pieces Magazine — April 2022 — www.BooksNPieces.com
true individuality, underscoring diverse problems that could happen to almost anyone. I write in first person because it feels more authentic to me, and I cast women as my lead characters because I really have no idea how men think, and I want my stories to be believably real. I also feel that the genres of family life, romance, and mystery are more likely to be read by women who want to identify with the lead character. In ‘Indecision’s Flame,’ Brylee is searching for forgiveness and family as she tries to make peace with a very disturbing past while trying to build a future where she can thrive. Reagan Sinclair, as a new FBI agent, finds out through some very desperate experiences that perhaps her parents were right in advising that a career exposing her to the seediest underbelly of life isn’t the right place for a girl who attends church every Sunday and who still believes in God. Maya lost her husband in an unexpected avalanche and is left with two children to raise. Rani has a chip on her shoulder as big as the state of Colorado and cannot stand weakness in anyone, but then she discovers some of her own. Andrea just wants to be married but falls in love with a guy who is all wrong
for her. And Jada goes back to her old college as an adjunct professor hoping to find answers as to why her professional life is flourishing while her personal life stinks. The series I’m working on now is about a middle-aged divorced woman who finds herself alone with no one to cling to for help, but she is willing to risk everything she has left to become part of a family she has never known and isn’t sure still exists. Indie v Mainstream Publishing I’m afraid to push too hard into mainstream publishing because I don’t want anyone telling me I have to change my characters’ values and beliefs just so a general audience would be more interested in their stories. I have to say that I value my integrity over potential dollars earned, and stand firm in that position. Whatever money I do earn goes directly into an account for my grandchildren. I like having people tell me how much they appreciated one of my books because it gave them direction, courage, and hope. I appreciate being able to connect with other writers of faith-filled books who are going through the same struggles I am in finding the right audience. It gives me the courage to stand by my beliefs because the work we’re doing is helping people if only one by one. For me, that’s what my
NOTE: ALL BOOK COVERS ARE HYPERLINKED. CLICK THEM!
Personal Growth Through My Writing
I think I realized how much I’ve grown as both a person and an author when I started my latest series. While each of my books contain reflections of an incident or feelings I’ve had somewhere throughout my life. I no longer care what someone might think about the story line or how my characters react to personal problems. We live in a very diversified world and have to accept both the good and the bad in others if we want to be happy. That doesn’t mean we have to embrace a lifestyle that isn’t right for us or accept any kind of abuse, but we do need to show compassion and understanding. That’s something I’ve always believed, but being judgmental, jealous, or angry has, in the past, clouded many of my dealings with people. I no longer feel that way. I now know who I am and would like for my faith to fill anyone struggling with the same peace I’ve managed to find. Of course, I would still like to find that golden niche every author dreams of, but I’ll keep on writing until I do.
Thanks for reading.
J.S.Ririe
•Crossfire at Bentley •Kismet finds a Way •Rivers of Rage •Beyond the Glass Doors
AGENT REAGAN SINCLAIR SERIES
•Final Allegiance •Resilience •Safe Haven •Unsheltered •Welcome Redemption
INDECISION’S FLAME SERIES
•Indecision’s Flame - Book One •Lost - Book Two •Exposed - Book Three •Betrayal - Book Four •Reawakening - Book Five •Unraveling - Book Six •Destiny - Book Seven
Find J.S. Ririe books on Amazon and your favorite outlet. https://amzn.to/3ppR4Xe
You can follow her on her blog at: http://janhillbooks.com
[Publisher’s note: I have known Jan for many years. She is not only a kind and generous author, but her books are not boring in the least. In fact, there is a wonderful level of tension that she manages to inject into her characters that make you forget that you are reading a clean romance, or clean drama series. If you’ve been looking for a solid series that you can share as a family, I strongly recomment any of her books.]
A NEW YORK SECRET: A HEARTBREAKING AND UNFORGETTABLE WORLD WAR 2 HISTORICAL NOVEL by Ella Carey
From top-ten bestseller Ella Carey comes an utterly heartbreaking historical novel, inspired by true events, about the courage, love and friendships that sustain us in the darkest of days. https://amzn.to/3hzmpTa
DEAD SIMPLE by Peter James
Now a Major ITV Drama Starring John Simm (Roy Grace Book 1) by Peter James It was meant to be a harmless stag-night prank. But a few hours later, the groom has disappeared and his friends are dead. With only three days to the wedding, Roy Grace is contacted by the man’s distraught fiancée to unearth what happened on that fateful night. https://amzn.to/3tlGEZP
LUST, MONEY & MURDER SUPER BOXED SET (6 BOOKS): THE FIRST TRILOGY & THE RUSSIAN TRILOGY by Mike Wells
Master of ‘unputdownable’ thrillers Mike Wells offers the first two trilogies in his bestselling Lust, Money & Murder series in one super boxed set (six books). Starring Secret Service Special Agent Elaine Brogan https://amzn.to/3MlyHwG
INDIE AUTHORS ONLY Promote your book HERE for $25 per issue. No contracts. No minimums. This is our way of getting you affordable exposure. Visit our website, www. BooksNPieces.com and click INDIES.
Lifter
by Julio Carlos
“Life itself, the sheer struggle of living can seem overwhelming at times. So many things taken for granted, so many small joys overlooked. The poignant and unabashed prose is simple, but hits with the power of a heavyweight. As inspirational as it is thought provoking. Highly recommend.” - International Best-Selling Author, Anna J Walner
“Emotive and soothing. Visceral and stirring. This is a varied collection of poems with unexpected relatability. The words flow easily off the page and into your mind, resonating with deep, perhaps even buried, feelings you don’t usually entertain. It’s a short book but take your time with it. It’s one that you’ll return to again and again to take time out for yourself and some mental healing. Don’t let the world put you under its feet.” - Award Winning Author, Neil Hemphrey
“This is the kind of book you want to turn to whatever your current state of mind. It is a pick-me-up and keep-me-going inspirational book” - Marie Snow
“I read “Lifter” from start to finish in one sitting because I just couldn’t turn away. Everything Julio has written feels very relatable to me, as I have struggled with my mental health and with having love and worthiness toward myself, and I really felt the truth of the words hitting me deep inside. Highly recommend reading.”- Jada Reese
