April 4, 2009

Visiting with Emma Lai

Thanks Anna Kathryn for letting me visit today!
I always appreciate a chance to talk about my upcoming release His Ship, Her Fantasy available from The Wild Rose Press on August 12th. I'm very excited!

Blurb:

Ellie Woods is in love…with a ship. When an argument with the ship results in a bump on the head, she finds herself in the strong arms of Alastair. But, who is he, and where did he come from?

Alastair has loved Ellie from afar for years, but duty has kept him from revealing himself to her. When a grave threat reveals his true identity, he hopes that Ellie will choose reality over fantasy.

Visit my website to read an excerpt.

I'm also very excited to announce that I have signed a contract for the second story in the series currently titled His Hope, Her Salvation. In addition to working on edits for the story, I'm also finishing up the manuscripts to the next two stories in the series.

Okay, enough promo. Today, I'm feeling a little nostalgic and would like to talk about where my heart is. I live in Houston and love all of the conveniences of living in a big city, but there are days I long for the simpler times. Simpler times for me involved childhood, of course.

My dad is from Ganado, a little town with a population of 1,084 the last time I looked, which was a few years ago, I'll admit. It is seventy miles southwest of Houston. Really, it's a quick drive when you realize it takes just as long to cross from one end of Houston to the other. We used to go at least one weekend a month when I was a child. I continued the trips, but less frequently up until my aunt passed away in 2003.

Ganado doesn't have much to offer, not even a Wal-Mart, but there's something to be said about being able to walk to the grocery store, hardware store, and movie theater. Then there was the Dairy Mart, way better than the Dairy Queen, which has now replaced it.

The best thing about taking the little road trip though, aside from seeing family, was stopping at Prasek's Smokehouse a few miles before the town. They have the best jerky I've ever had. When I first started making the trips as a child, they had just a small storefront. Now, decades later, they have expanded to a much larger size. No matter though because I remember the stories of my dad going to school with the Prasek boys.

So, where is my heart? They same home is where the heart is, which means I have many homes. My primary home is with my husband and two rotten puppies. However, I also consider home to be where my dad lives and my mom lives, which is two more locations. But, a small part of home is still in that little bitty town, where I never actually lived, but I did and still do. It's a memory of simpler times, extended family, and good food.

Where is your heart?

Emma Lai

18 comments:

Beth Caudill said...

Congrats on the next contract. This sounds similar to Anne McCaffrey's Brain and Brawn series and possibly Andromeda. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

lainey bancroft said...

Congrats on the second contract, Emma!

My heart is right here at home with my husband, kids and crazy pets, but like you, a part of my heart remains in a place I have fond memories of, a tiny Lake in northern Ontario where I vacationed all my life.

Emma Lai said...

Thanks, Beth! I've never read any of her books...I'll have to check them out.

Thanks, Lainey! It's amazing what sentiments childhood memories hold. I wonder what my children will remember.

Mary Ricksen said...

I think everyone has one of those places of the heart. Mine is on Lake Champlain in Vermont. We always spent summers there and I still have family in the area. It feels like home.
Best of luck with the new book Emma!

kerribookwriter said...

Had to pop by to shout out to Emma! Hey, girlfriend! Big hugs!

Geez, I like to use (!) a lot don't I?

Congrats on your book and contract. You are really doing great and one of my upcoming goals is to work with TWRP in the near future. What has your experience been like with them?

Care to share?

Helen Hardt said...

Hi Emma, and congratulations again on your second contract! That's wonderful. My heart is whereever my husband and sons are. Trite, but true ;). It was fun to learn more about you!

Helen

Emma Lai said...

Thanks, Mary! I've never been to Vermont. My husband has dreams of doing a New England tour one day...so maybe we'll get to visit Lake Champlain.

Emma Lai said...

Kerri, I use ! a lot. It expresses my excitement and seems appropriate. TWRP is a great place. Everyone is super friendly and easy to work with. I'd definitely recommend them.

Emma Lai said...

Thanks for visiting, Helen! There's nothing trite about your heart being with your hubby and kiddos!

Skhye said...

Home is where I can wear my ratty clothes and run around all day without brushing my hair... once. Yep, if I'm online, this is probably how I look! LOL Not to mention, there's loads of books everywhere one looks. ;) I've lived in this house since '96. This is it. Home.

Rachel E. Moniz said...

Hi Emma:
Great news on the new contract. Congratulations!

I am very much a big kid. My heart is in magical and fantastical Walt Disney World. It's an escape I love to get to twice a year and I swear, my problems really do cease to exist when I get there! I still have a wonderful time when I get to go with my parents.

So nice to learn a little more about you today!

Rachel

Emma Lai said...

Skhye...I don't know where I'd be without my books.

Thanks, Rachel! I've never been to Walt Disney World, but I've heard it's fabulous.

Sarah Simas said...

Congrats on the second contract, Emma!

Great post! I know I'm in the home of my past when the smell of orange trees hits my nose on the outskirts of my hometown. As soon as the fragance wafts in the car, nostalgia takes over. The home of my present smells like applejuice and cookies. lol

Emma Lai said...

Sarah, smells deserve a category of their own! Roses and jasmine and fresh mowed grass always inspire flashbacks to childhood for me.

Anonymous said...

Great blog! Ours is Stanley, Idaho, in the mountains of Idaho.

Patsy
P. L. Parker

Emma Lai said...

Thanks for visiting, Patsy! I've never been to Idaho. Don't know if it looks anything like Wyoming, but we found that state starkly beautiful.

Christina Phillips said...

Congatulations on your second contract, Emma!

Emigrating from the UK to Australia 10 years ago, I never realised I'd miss all that green! But although there are lots of things I miss about England, and get nostalgic about, my heart lies (like Helen's!) with my husband and kids. I guess I'd be happy on the moon so long as they were with me too!!!

Emma Lai said...

Thanks, Christina! I appreciate stark beauty, but I definitely prefer green!