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Jan Sikes has a #NewRelease!

11/22/2021

47 Comments

 
Hello blog friends, I've wonderful news to share. Author and friend Jan Sikes has just released a Christmas novella. It's a touching story, one that earned a 5-Star review from me. I've invited Jan to tell us about her book, so let's see what she has to say . . .  
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Thank you SO much, Gwen, for offering to help launch this new story even in the midst of a busy holiday season. I truly appreciate it!
​

It’s no secret that a coal miner's life was hard, especially back in the 1960s. Safety requirements had yet to be enforced, and often, when a mine collapsed, men lost their lives, leaving families with no means of support.


My character in Mountain Laurel Christmas lost his father to the Kentucky coal mines when he was a young child. Here's a glimpse.

EXCERPT:

   Shifting away from the intrusive interviewer, I stare past him at a memory as vivid as if it were yesterday.

   1961

   Mama sank into the nearest threadbare chair and crumpled into a heap of sobs.
​
   The man laid a clumsy hand on her shoulder. “Mrs. Anderson, I’m sure sorry. We tried everything to get Robert out, but when that section of the mine gave away. Well, we just couldn’t get in. It was awful bad.” The miner sighed and shoved a hand covered with coal dust in his pocket. “I’ll have the missus come around and check on you if that’s okay.”

   While I could hear the fateful words falling out of the foreman’s mouth, they weren’t registering in my twelve-year-old brain.

   Wide-eyed, I watched, a growing lump closing off my throat like a vise.

   Mama didn’t answer that day. The kind of grief a person only feels when their entire world is snatched away wracked her body. Her frail shoulders heaved with heart-wrenching sobs. Guttural cries sprang from deep inside. The hair on the back of my neck prickled and stood on end.

PictureJan Sikes
​​
​Grief broke the children’s mother and rendered her useless to the family. When I write a heart-wrenching scene like this one, I experience my character’s grief, loss, anger, and helplessness. Many times I have to pause and take a minute to compose myself. As a writer, it is my goal to make the reader feel these same emotions.

I'd love to hear from you. How do you react to scenes like this one? What is your approach to writing scenes of heartbreak?




​BOOK BLURB:

​​Orphaned, his family torn apart by tragedy, Cole Knight has come a long way from a ramshackle miner's cabin on the side of the Cumberland Mountain.

Daring to follow an impossible dream, he's made it big in the music business. Now, he's a country music sensation with a huge house, fancy cars, plenty of willing women, money, and adoring fans. He should be on top of the world. Instead, he's drowning in a swirling pool of self-contempt and relentless guilt.

It's easier to lose himself in a bottle than face the hard truth...he hasn't delivered on a promise he made to his father.

It's almost Christmas, and the sting of failure drives him back to that tiny cabin in the mountains. But has he waited too late to put the shattered pieces back together—to find himself and restore a lost family? 
​
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PURCHASE LINK: https://amzn.to/3HxCFzO 
 
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:  
WEBSITE | BLOG | BOOKBUB | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | YOUTUBE CHANNEL
 
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47 Comments
Annette R Aben link
11/23/2021 03:17:42

Grief, being universal, is so individual, private. You made me feel better about my own dealings gried because I could see I was not alone. She is me!

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 04:32:44

How beautifully expressed, Annette. Thank you for visiting, sharing, and supporting Jan. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:34:05

You are so right, Annette. Grief is universal, yet so individual and private. Thank you for your beautiful comment. Hugs!

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Harmony Kent link
11/23/2021 03:36:43

An incredibly powerful scene, Jan. Best of luck with your new release! Thanks for sharing, Gwen 💕🙂

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 04:34:22

It's a pleasure to host writer friends. Thank you for visiting, Harmony. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:34:33

Thank you, Harmony. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!

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Yvette M Calleiro link
11/23/2021 03:58:36

What a powerful scene, Jan! You described the scene so perfectly. Even through the eyes of a child, I felt the mother's despair. Like you, I feel what my characters feel. I've cried many times while writing my stories. I've always just figured the empath in me can't help but be one with the character. Lol! Great post. Thanks for hosting today, Gwen! :-)

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 04:36:53

Like you, Yvette, I've cried many times for and with my characters. Jan's scene is beautifully, powerfully written. Thank you for supporting her on this tour. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:36:11

I think that trait is what makes you a fabulous writer, Yvette. To become one with the character brings it to life with all the emotions attached. Thank you so much for stopping by! I appreciate your support!

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Yvette M Calleiro link
11/23/2021 21:03:02

Aw, thanks, Jan! I feel the same way about you and your writing. :-)

Jill Weatherholt link
11/23/2021 04:20:18

What a moving and powerful scene, Jan! Becoming one with my characters and experiencing their heartache is my favorite part of the process, along with writing their happy ending. :) Thanks for hosting today, Gwen!

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 04:38:26

Thank you, Jill, for supporting Jan and sharing your experience - wonderfully expressed. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:37:02

Thank you for your beautiful comment, Jill. Yes, I too am a sucker for a happy and satisfying ending to any story. I appreciate you stopping by!

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Pat Garcia link
11/23/2021 04:25:22

Hi Jan, Hi Gwen,
Jan, this excerpt reminds me of Germany's coal mines. The ones in the West have all been shut down since 2018, but I think there are some still in the eastern parts which was once call East Germany. I do remember a mine exploding but I don't remember the circumstances. It was horrible.

Even today, there are still countries in Europe, especially in the poorer, least economically developed countries that have coal mines and men work down under in the pit of them.
Your book sounds like a story that grabs the heart.

Gwen, thank you for hosting Jan today.
Shalom aleichem

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 04:41:27

Thank you, Pat, for visiting and sharing as you have. It's hard to imagine the struggles of those who work in the mines, but Jan illuminates that for us. Shalom, my friend. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:38:15

It is sad to know that inhuman working conditions continue to persist across the globe when it comes to making the almighty dollar. Thank you, Pat, for your comment. I'm glad you stopped by!

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Staci Troilo link
11/23/2021 04:42:29

I have written scenes that brought me to tears. That's when I know I have them right. It's also when I know it's time to take a break. A heart can only take so much pain in the writing process. Your emotion definitely shone through in this work. Wishing you all the best with it, Jan.

Thanks for hosting, Gwen.

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CS Boyack
11/23/2021 05:23:29

That’s a powerful excerpt, Jan. Hope the tour is producing for you.

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 06:00:58

Thank you, Craig, for cheering for Jan on her tour. 🙂

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:38:54

Thank you, Craig. The last time I checked my numbers, I was happy with what I saw, so I call it a success!

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 06:39:52

Thank you, dear Gwen, for hosting me on your beautiful blog site. I love the way you did the layout for the post. You went above and beyond! I am deeply touched. I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 07:05:21

You are most welcome, Jan. I loved hosting you on this tour and wish you all the best. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving with your beautiful family. 💗

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Mae Clair link
11/23/2021 06:57:44

Such a strong and emotional excerpt, Jan.
I wish you all the best with this release. I positively loved it!

Gwen, thank you for hosting. Such a beautifully presented post as always!

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 07:04:12

Thank you, Mae, for your kind support and your endorsement of Jan's new book. It's a winner for sure! 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 08:41:36

Thank you for your kind recommendation, Mae! I appreciate your support!

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Jacqui link
11/23/2021 07:50:56

That excerpt is amazing. I feel that pain--don't want to because no one can survive it. I'm definitely intrigued.

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 07:53:28

Thank you for visiting, Jacqui. It's hard to fathom such pain, but I've read the novella, and it softly rests in my heart. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 08:42:12

Your comment is music to my ears, Jacqui! I hope it intrigued you enough to pick up a copy. :)

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Joan Hall link
11/23/2021 08:39:57

This was a powerful scene. One that, unfortunately, happened all too often with miners.

I highly recommend this book. It's a wonderful story for the holidays.

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 08:42:46

Sad, but true, Joan. Thank you for your comment and your recommendation! I appreciate your support!

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 08:48:14

Thank you, Joan, for stopping by to support Jan and her latest book. I found it enlightening as well as heart-fillng. 💗

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D.L. Finn
11/23/2021 10:04:42

I felt the mother pain reading it. A great holiday story, how others get past that pain. It is hard to write and feel it all with the characters, but it sure comes out to the readers when it so heart felt lime this was.
Thanks for hosting, Gwen :)

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 10:54:37

Thank you, Denise! I appreciate your comment and your support immensely!

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Gwen Plano
11/24/2021 09:59:53

Thanks so much for your visit and support, Denise. 🤗

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john howell link
11/23/2021 11:49:22

Wonderful excerpt, Jan. Thanks to you, Gwen for hosting Jan

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 12:42:52

Thank you, John. It's a pleasure to host. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 😊

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Linda Broday link
11/23/2021 11:49:33

Jan, I don't think I've ever written a book when I didn't cry. Sometimes I sob for a while, using a whole box of Kleenex. Other times I laugh and giggle. I cried reading Mountain Laurel Christmas. I felt his pain and anguish, the burning need to correct mistakes in the past. And I really cried when Cole's brother got on stage with him. That was very emotional. I feel you've reached a whole different level in your writing. Love you dearly.

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 12:44:07

Thank you, Linda, for visiting and offering Jan such tender support. I agree with you. Jan has reached a new level of writing. 💗

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 13:46:06

Sister, I cannot tell you what your comment means to me. I know compared to many, I'm still a newbie writer, but I am happy my work is improving. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Thank you for all you do to help me along the way! I love you!!!

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Elizabeth Gauffreau link
11/23/2021 14:38:40

A very powerful scene . . .

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Gwen Plano
11/23/2021 15:46:54

Thank you, Liz, for visiting and commenting. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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Jan Sikes
11/23/2021 20:21:22

Thank you, Liz. I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for saying so.

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Mar
11/24/2021 10:34:53

Another powerful reading, Jan. As usual, you write it beautifully. Gwen, thank you so much for sharing your site with us and promoting our friend! :)

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Robbie Cheadle
11/24/2021 10:47:21

A most compelling extract. Thanks for sharing about Jan's new book, Gwen.

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Marcia Meara link
11/25/2021 07:35:41

Another great stop on the tour, Jan! Love it! And thanks for sharing, Gwen. This is one of the special Christmas reads I'm looking forward to enjoying very soon! It's already waiting for me on my Kindle.

Here's to great success with this story, Jan. It sounds wonderful! 🤗💖

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Wendy Scott link
11/25/2021 18:25:42

Congrats, Jan, this heart-touching story about family bonds is just what the world needs right now.

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Diana Peach link
11/28/2021 10:15:16

Congrats on Day 2 of the tour, Jan. I loved this book. So well written. Thanks for hosting, Gwen. It's great to see Jan getting some press. <3

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Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


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