Silver Dagger Book Tours
  • Welcome!
  • Current Tours
    • Book Tours
  • Book a Tour
  • Open Sign Ups
  • Contact
  • About
  • Win a Book Tour!
  • Welcome!
  • Current Tours
    • Book Tours
  • Book a Tour
  • Open Sign Ups
  • Contact
  • About
  • Win a Book Tour!

Elmington - Book Tour and Giveaway

11/17/2023

32 Comments

 
Picture

​No good deed goes unpunished in a willfully blind, technocratic society.

Picture

Elmington
by Renee Lehnen
Genre: Social Satirical Fiction

Picture

​No good deed goes unpunished in a willfully blind, technocratic society.


Gordon Gray, a retired librarian, only wishes to chain smoke, read twentieth-century novels by dead white men, and at the time of his choosing, shuffle off his mortal coil. Everyone from his thanatophobic doctor to his New Age neighbour has an opinion on what Gordon should want and how he should be treated. When his daughter Martha arrives from the West Coast, she finds Gordon disheveled, wheezy, and cantankerous in his squalid bungalow. She remains in Elmington to negotiate with his meddlesome entourage and look after him. Seven months later, Gordon is dead, and Martha is in police custody for the crime of caring unconventionally.

Winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Unpublished Manuscript in 2022


“Very engaging, great dialogue, great dark humour and social commentary.” – Crime Writers of Canada Judges

"The central characters in Elmington crackle with complexity and conflicted feelings as they navigate the minefield of end-of-life decision making. As Renee Lehnen’s pitch perfect prose animates the fictional town, the tensions simmering just below its gleaming surface emerge. This timely and unforgettable book confronts the most difficult choices a family can be asked to make - and the constraints within which those decisions are forced to unfold.” — Judith Harway, author of the memoir 
Sundown and three collections of poetry



Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads


Picture
Picture
​“Open the drapes, Duchess,” Gordon squawked. “See what’s become of your old neighbourhood.”
Martha went to the bay window, pulled the heavy, burgundy curtains across the rod, and squinted into sunshine. When she’d arrived by taxi in the night, the haze of streetlights only vaguely outlined the houses on Roselea Drive. She could see alright now. Across the street stood Falstaff in a Zen garden—a half-timbered Jolly Olde English cottage on steroids surrounded by geometric topiary.
“Who lives there, Dad?” asked Martha, pointing.
“Bean counter,” Gordon wheezed. “A modern-day Bob Cratchit who toils over ledgers for one of the Bay Street banks.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Nope.”
“I’ll bet he can afford a Christmas turkey.”
“Sure,” agreed Gordon. “But he probably prefers a thistle salad. His soul is harder than a dried pea. I’ve only spoken to him once, while he was orchestrating the disgorgement of his belongings from a moving van into that, that… house… and I knew by the way he treated the box carriers that there was no point in pursuing neighbourly friendship.” Gordon waved a liver-spotted hand dismissively, then coughed.
“How about them?” Martha gestured toward the grand Cape Cod style house on their right.
“An advertising exec and his social x-ray wife. Rest in peace, Tom Wolfe. . . .”
“Nice house.”
“Yup. I imagine the happy couple inside it, drinking martinis and mending nets by the hurricane lamp.”
“Are there any kids in the neighbourhood now?”
“A few, though you never see them. They’re ferried about by SUV, school to sports to elocution classes or whatever kids get up to these days. There’s a boy next door, on the left.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Ethan. Like the furniture.”
Martha smiled. Of course, the old man remembered the boy’s name.
“Poor kid will never have a paper route, or play ball hockey, or soap windows on Halloween,” wheezed Gordon. “His mother, Joanne, keeps him on a strict schedule. He’s fourteen, for crying out loud.”
“Who’s crying out loud?”
“I am. On the lad’s behalf. By the way, how’s Joseph?”
“Still incommunicado,” replied Martha, voice faintly forlorn. “His community doesn’t believe in using modern technology—you know, like telephones—and it’s peach season in the Okanagan, so I guess he’s too busy to write or get in touch.”
“His community or his cult?”
“Take your pick.”
Her answer hung in the air while the old man hacked and spat into a Kleenex. She peered through the slanted glass at the home of poor Ethan. The house was reclad in pastel angel stone and stucco and a shiny, black Lincoln Navigator sat on equally black, freshly sealed asphalt.
Her gaze shifted to her father’s front yard. The Corolla had come to rest at an odd angle on the crumbling driveway. No doubt the old man had become a menace to pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists on the broad streets of Elmington. Since her mother’s death three years prior, weeds had invaded the flower borders and now lamb’s quarter and wild carrot grew among the roses and hostas. The lawn was almost knee-high.
“I’ll mow today,” said Martha.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Gordon countered. “I hired a company to do it. It’s been a wet summer. They’re just behind. Now I’ll thank you for straightening the drapes and bringing me coffee.”
“Okay. Coffee.”
Martha crossed the shag carpet, passed through a short hallway, and entered the kitchen. The linoleum was sticky under foot. Twin dog bowls, one with dusty kibble, the other empty, graced the corner, although her mother’s Pekinese, “Mutsu,” had died several months prior. On the counter, dirty spoons and glasses and cups ringed by evaporating liquids awaited a dishwasher who hadn’t come. Until now. This was the first chore she’d tackle. . . .
While Martha waited for the water to boil, she looked through the window over the sink. The kitchen faced northwest, in shadow for much of the day. However, it wasn’t the dimness of the room she found depressing, but the absence of three graceful spruces that used to mark the property line behind the house. Now a tall, wooden fence, ugly side out, guarded the lot to the rear and a new monster home dwarfed the bungalow.
She leaned against the counter and considered the old man’s circumstances. He was slipping from chronic ill health into advanced decrepitude. Following a weekend conference in Toronto, she’d intended to stay in Elmington for a few days, then fly back to Vancouver for the beginning of the fall term. Plainly that would be impossible. The old man had to be sorted out. At the very least, he needed home care. Better yet, a move to a nursing home, but he’d never agree to that.
The kettle whistled. Martha poured boiling water into the mugs and stirred. The milk in the fridge was curdled sludge. They’d have to drink their coffee black this morning, bracing and hot. She carried the mugs to the living room and set her father’s mug on a tray table piled with books, next to his recliner.
For the first time that morning, he smiled at Martha, revealing a row of yellow teeth that resembled broken doweling. “Thank you, Duchess.”
As a young, socialist firebrand, she’d hated that nickname. Now she didn’t mind it. “You’re welcome, Dad,” replied Martha, returning his smile.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Renee Lehnen is a registered nurse by profession and a writer by passion. Her short stories have been published in the anthologies "Dark Secrets" and "Murder! Mystery! Mayhem!" In addition, she was the 2019 winner and 2020 runner-up of Stratford Rotary’s short story contest. In 2023, her Victorian romance novel, "What Love Demands", was released by The Wild Rose Press under her pen name, Renata North. Renee lives in Stratford, Ontario with her husband.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


Picture
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author? 
I’m a frontline registered nurse. RNs usually keep their opinions to themselves in this sensitive, censorious day and age. I became an author because I thought my ideas were worth sharing. 
I started with essays but they were earnest, preachy bores and took themselves too seriously so I banished them to a dull cocktail party in my laptop. I switched to fiction writing, first short stories, then novels. Fiction offers more scope for getting one’s point across without anaesthetizing readers with tedium. 

What is something unique/quirky about you? 
I’m addicted to podcasts on real estate and self-made billionaires.
  
Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!  
“Happened to (me)!” – the phrase suggests passivity on my part, with an exclamation mark no less. Hmm. Once, in a ski lift line, I was with my daughter who was wearing old, secondhand ski goggles and a man who worked for a major sporting goods company saw the goggles and offered to trade them for brand-new, top-of-the-line goggles. We took him up on his offer, though I wonder if we couldn’t have bargained for more.
 
What are some of your pet peeves?  
I dislike bureaucratic decision making and being told what to do. 

Where were you born/grew up at? 
I was born in Kitchener, Ontario and I grew up in rural southwestern Ontario.

If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? 
I’d spend the day with my husband and my family, reminisce, and remind them how much I love them. I’m not a crier, but I’d make an exception on that day.

Who is your hero and why?  
I respect courageous free thinkers – people such as the late Buckminster Fuller, Margaret Atwood, Cornell West, Ricky Gervais – folks who defy the pigeon-holes of political identity because they think for themselves.

What kind of world ruler would you be?   
I hope I’d be a benevolent libertarian, but I fear the power would go to my head. 

What are you passionate about these days?  
Civil liberties and preserving basic freedoms such as freedom of speech. I also hope that humans will – very soon – grasp the sensible notion that we do not have to develop every square inch of Mother Earth, that we need wild places.

What do you do to unwind and relax? 
I enjoy outdoor sports. I’ve been learning to play the piano, but I’m firmly stuck in the easy, plunketty-plunk songs so while the piano may be relaxing to me, it can be distressful to those within earshot of me.

How to find time to write as a parent? 
I didn’t write when my children were small. I started writing when my kids were in high school and they preferred me writing to helicoptering.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!  
Freakishly tolerant of hard work.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? 
Gee, that’s hard, as I don’t feel I’ve broken in enough to earn the label. The first time my writing passed the “stranger test”, i.e., someone other than my mother or husband found my work compelling enough to bother with, was when an essay I wrote on long-term care was accepted for publication in Canada’s largest newspaper. I wrote it under a pseudonym to avoid being fired from my job in a nursing home. That was in 2017. That was both a breakthrough and a kick forward. 

Do you have a favorite movie? 
I love any screwball comedy, the more distasteful the better.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
Elmington. It’s bittersweet and written in third person which is easier for movie adaptation, I think. As my romances are spicy, there wouldn’t be enough material for even a short movie minus sex scenes. So, yup, Elmington it is.

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?  
Whenever I travel, I look for literary places, e.g., Emily Bronte’s English moors, Mordecai Richler’s Saint Urbain Street in Montreal. Very close to home, I’ve visited the tiny park and library named for Alice Munro in Wingham, Ontario.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? 
If beavers had facility in English and waterproof laptops, maybe a beaver? Hide the pencils! 

What inspired you to write this book? 
Elmington, 80,000 words of satire, suspense, and the blood-curdling reality of mortality. I was inspired by the nursing home residents in my care.
Before the pandemic I’d started writing an exposé/treatise on long-term elder care, the only form of institutional care other than incarceration that persists in this post-industrial age. (Orphanages, lunatic asylums, poor houses, residential schools – they’ve all disappeared.) Then the pandemic happened.
I was a frontline RN working in a nursing home at the time (still am).
I lost patience with non-fiction writing – it requires a high degree of accuracy – so I decided to write a novel about an elderly man who gets trapped in the medical system and his daughter who is whip-smart and well-resourced but still has trouble advocating on his behalf. I threw in a love interest to comment on the issues of the day and stir the pot. Plotwise, the restrictions imposed on ordinary people by a faceless, authoritarian public health bureaucracy provided a mechanism to raise the stakes.
The novel wrote itself into a satirical suspense. Some things such as terminal illness, death, and substance abuse are so awful that they wind up being funny. 

What can we expect from you in the future? 

To make a short story long: When Elmington didn’t find a publisher right away (despite winning the Crime Writers of Canada “Best Manuscript” Award in 2022), I worried my writing wasn’t good enough. I decided to write a novel tailored to a high-volume market to test that hypothesis and I wrote a spicy, Victorian bodice ripper, “What Love Demands”, with commercial appeal. That book was picked up by the Wild Rose Press and released just before Elmington. Currently, I have a politically incorrect romcom under the scrutiny of Wild Rose’s sharp-eyed contemporary romance editor. “Definitely Against Policy” will probably be released in spring 2024.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters? 
Yes. The main characters of Elmington also appear in short stories in my collection, “The Very Best Suburb” albeit with different names.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Elmington? 
Sure. 
Gordon Gray: 78 year-old widower, chain-smoker, retired librarian, voracious reader of novels by dead white men, a terminally ill, gentle soul. 
His daughter is Martha Gray, early 50s, divorced, single mother to a semi-estranged son, professor of Marxist philosophy, overweight, heavy drinker with a good head of hair, psyche tortured with self-doubt. 
Gordon’s best friend and Martha’s would be love-interest is Imogen Wallis, mid-40s, children’s librarian, author of lesbian erotica, rule bender with a Gothic style-sense.
Secondary characters include a New-Age neighbour with over-weaning maternal instincts, a bubble-headed home stager, a cutthroat real estate agent, a family physician who’s afraid of death, and a personal care worker who’s gritting his teeth in a forced smile to get through his day. 

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book? 
I had vague ideas of a father and his daughter and began there. My own father died of lung cancer in 2008, and although Gordon isn’t him, they share traits such as kindness and a tendency toward self-destructive behaviour. I built forward from there. I seem to have an absence of mothers in my books, replaced by aunts or grandmothers. I suppose that’s because my mother is very much alive, a good person, and off-limits for inspiration at present. Likewise, I have sisters and we’re close so my characters tend to be only children.

Where did you come up with the names in the story? 
Martha was named for the biblical Martha who had a self-sacrificial, martyr complex. 
Gordon is a typical name for an elderly male Canadian of Scottish descent. 
Gray is their surname as it describes their lives, from the humdrum of marking essays with a hangover to the clouds of cigarette smoke hovering about the bungalow. 
Imogen is a literary name with a dash of colour and that is the role of the character in the novel. Her surname, Wallis, is a nod to Wallis Simpson, notorious wife of King Edward VIII.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? 
I enjoyed writing the dialogue including taboo words that I would say out loud if I were braver or had Tourette’s. 

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Gordon – Wants to be left alone with his cigarettes, his memories of his deceased wife Judith, and the comfort of books. Also wants to die on his own terms.
Martha – Longs for a stable happy family life that is chronically out of reach. She replaces family with academic work and gin.
Imogen – Wants Martha body and soul as well as professional autonomy and freedom to be herself.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel? 
I struggled mightily and eventually recognized that the suburban setting of the novel is a character in its own right. Thus, the novel was christened “Elmington”.

Who designed your book covers? 
My talented, dear friend, Sheila Greenland, designed the Elmington cover as a gift to me. The main character is pictured dissolving in cigarette smoke. Sheila captured the book’s theme very effectively with the illustration and colour on that cover.
Barbara Storey of Storeylines Press has the eyes of an artist and agreed to use Sheila’s cover.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 
I’d develop the theme of midlife female friendship more thoroughly and the sense of loss and betrayal Martha would feel when things go sour. 

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book? 
I learned that sending a beloved manuscript into the world is almost as emotionally fraught as seeing one’s child off to university for the first time. 
Also, my hunch that silence is worse than disapproval has transformed into full-blown belief. We’re often better off when we say difficult things out loud if they happen to be true.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? 
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Donald Sutherland could play Gordon? And the late Colleen Dewhurst as Martha?

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
I wrote the book to be read, so don’t be shy. And if you’re balking at the cost, please check out my short story collection for free. The title is “The Very Best Suburb” and you can find it in a PDF at www.lehnen.ca . My romance novels are written under my pen name, “Renata North”.
 
How did you come up with name of this book?
Once upon a time, my family and I lived in a stuffy, self-satisfied suburb of Toronto called Oakville. I changed a few details to transform the real suburb of Oakville into the fictional suburb of Elmington. It’s an ideal setting for a satire with a cast of middle-class professionals.
The setting felt as if it were a character too, so the novel became “Elmington”.

What is your favorite part of this book and why? 
I enjoyed writing about Christmas, oddly enough, as I prefer any other holiday to it.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? 
I’d want to get to know Judith better. She’s Gordon’s late wife and although she hovers malevolently and silently in the background, she’s a fascinating combination of intellectualism, asceticism, and narcissism. I’d take a walk in the park on a fine fall day with her as she wouldn’t approve of drinking in a bar or eating chocolate cake in a cafe.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? 
To be completely frank, although they are all fictional characters, most of them are composites of people I know or have known including myself. 

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? 
Oh, absolutely the characters own the story. I follow them around with a clipboard like a curious anthropologist.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read. 
Well, it won’t be a “must read” for everyone as such a book does not exist. I may merely suggest that you read it and decide whether I’ve wasted your time or not. 
 
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes. The first novel I wrote was a who-done-it set in a long-term care home. Tragically, the murder of several nursing home residents at the hands of a homicidal nurse hit the news in Ontario around the time I intended to shop the manuscript around. Naturally I set the manuscript aside. Recently, I reread the manuscript only to discover that I’d done the impossible: I’d written an unforgivably dull murder mystery. I don’t think I can rehabilitate it – it’s really lousy.
I also have a collection of short stories, most unpublished, in a PDF on my website, available for free. I think the stories are amusing and you can be the judge of that by accessing them at www.lehnen.ca . The title of the collection is “The Very Best Suburb”.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be? 
Tobacco smoke, gin breath, and institutional Lysol with top notes of new car and vehicle exhaust smell. But who would make such a candle?

What did you edit out of this book? 
Nothing, though perhaps I should have. Scenes in which Martha is shopping are a bit incongruous and unnecessary, but I had fun writing them, so I left them in as comic relief.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
Fortunately, Kurt Vonnegut left excellent, practical advice for writers, so not him. I suppose I’d want to learn about comedy writing and satire from a brilliant humorist such as John Mortimer.
 
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book. 
Fun fact: 
Initially, when I couldn’t find a publisher for Elmington, I thought I’d write the pandemic out of the manuscript and try submitting it again, reasoning that the pandemic was a topic that people weren’t ready for. Then when I reread the novel, I realized that I’d captured the opening weeks of the pandemic in real time. I wrote Part IV as lockdowns benighted our land and long-term care homes became maximum security penitentiaries. The story was so true to what had happened, I had to leave it as it was written.
Fortunately, my publisher, Barbara at Storeylines Press, felt the book had merit and took a chance on Elmington.

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors? 
I love satire and humor, old and new. In no particular order, I love the writing of Sue Townsend, John Mortimer, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, David Sedaris, Agatha Christie, Curtis Sittenfeld, George MacDonald Fraser, Candace Bushnell, and Mordecai Richler. Top ten. Voila.

What book do you think everyone should read? 

I wouldn’t presume to be prescriptive to adults, but kids are another matter. For the tots, I recommend Richard Scarry books, Winnie-the-Pooh (the original, not Disney), Charlotte’s Web, Captain Underpants – anything that sends their curious minds on journeys and sucks them into the wild world of literature. One would do well to begin with the entertaining books in the “naughty heap, destined for burning” and go from there.
 
How long have you been writing? 
I wrote some maudlin, embarrassing poetry as a broken-hearted twenty-something though my lab reports from that era are much more compelling. 

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
Usually, I have two or three characters formed in my head and a scenario to put them in and I go from there. The supporting cast is invented and inserted ad hoc. 

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? 
I research as I go. For fiction, usually the great Google reference library and archives suffice.

Do you see writing as a career? 
Not really.  Writing is one of several passions of mine. I also have my nursing career, I fix up older homes for rental housing with my husband and sister, and I serve on the board of a local environmental charity. I like having projects and I frame my work in that way.

What do you think about the current publishing market? 
It’s frustrating to find a traditional publisher. They are not eager to take a risk on a new novelist, especially if his or her work crosses or – gasp - defies genres. One could wallow in the muck of bitterness, but I think for a writer in that position, self-publishing is the way to go. Entrepreneurialism is a useful mindset to adopt in this world.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? 
I read a lot, chiefly nonfiction, mystery and suspense, and satire. I’m a history buff. For media, I read from sources across the political spectrum and triangulate toward a sense of reality accordingly. 

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? 
Silence. I love music and I immerse myself in it when I listen to it, but I find music distracting intellectually and emotionally when I’m trying to concentrate on work.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? 
I prefer to write one book at a time. 

If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose? 
Any book by John Mortimer. He captured the hypocrisy of our age with his Horace Rumpole books. Ditto Sue Townsend.

Pen or type writer or computer? 
Computer, because I like to edit as I write.

Tell us about a favorite character from a book.  
I love Horace Rumpole. Also Anne Shirley of Green Gables. And Adrian Mole. And Harry Flashman. I have a soft spot for misunderstood underdogs.

What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? 
I wanted to see if I could do it. It turned out I could. I don’t regret spending time writing as I wouldn’t have known what I was capable of if I hadn’t tried it.

A day in the life of the author? 
As I’m an insomniac, I wake up early and I write. Then, when the rest of the world wakes up, I get on with my non-writing day.

Advice they would give new authors? 
I have three bits of advice: 
Keep your day job. People rarely get rich as writers. 
Exercise outdoors every day so you don’t wind up stoop shouldered, nearsighted, and vitamin D deficient from spending too much time at your desk. Being physically healthy will help you withstand the emotional toll of rejection that all writers face. 
Rejection is to be expected – remembering that will ease some of its sting.

Describe your writing style. 
Spare and efficient.
 
What makes a good story? 
It’s the plot, stupid/baby! And an interesting plot requires interesting characters because they do interesting things.

What are they currently reading? 
I’m reading a Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) novel, “The Running Grave.” It won’t win a Booker, but that’s what makes Rowling’s writing so great. It isn’t pretentious. She entertains her readers with believable characters, strong, ever-moving plots, and masterful storytelling.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? 
I don’t outline because I’m incapable of predicting what my characters will do. I start with two or three characters, a scenario, and a vague direction and off I go, chronologically, chapter by chapter, letter by letter. No skipsies.

What are common traps for aspiring writers? 
Too much scene setting. The story is what matters most. Also, everyone has seen a sunset. Don’t waste paper, ink, and photons on poetic descriptions of the sun sinking at the western horizon because writing stuff like that is boring and self-indulgent.

What is your writing Kryptonite? 
Hangovers. To be avoided. I promise myself to never have another one every time I ruin a morning of work from over-indulgence.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? 
I try to write what the characters think and sometimes that aligns with what I think. When I write to avoid offending people or to deliver a product, the writing is dull. It takes courage to write originally and honestly, but it’s more interesting for readers. My greatest fear isn’t in offending people; it’s in boring them.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 
It’s okay to wait to write until you have something to say. Experiencing life – going on adventures, trying new things – is grist for the mill. I wouldn’t have had much to say as a young woman. I was childish and melodramatic. It’s just as well I waited to write. Maybe that’s a common phenomenon.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex? 
Sex scenes.
 
How long on average does it take you to write a book? 
I’m a very slow writer as I don’t outline a plot. Rather, I create the characters and a scenario, and then I wind up the characters and watch what they do. The characters are a step ahead of me and I write their story by following them. Then, to really bog down the process, I edit and polish as I go. I wind up with a manuscript that is close to ready in one or two drafts. Using this arduous process takes me a year to write a book. It’s slow but I haven’t found a better way to write.

Do you believe in writer’s block? 
Not really. I haven’t experienced it myself, although I have times of laziness or resistance. “Writer’s block” seems like an excuse not to write. If I find myself resisting writing, I find something else to do and return to writing later. Truth is, I wouldn’t use “block” as an excuse to stop taking care of patients – that’s my job as a nurse – so similarly, if I just get on with the work of writing, I find the “block” is only in my imagination. It isn’t real.
​
Picture
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Nov 17
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Book Bites....with a side of coffee

Nov 18
The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'

Nov 20
What Is That Book About
Craving Lovely Books

Nov 21
All Things Dark & Dirty
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼

Nov 22
Author Sahara Foley
Haley Cavanagh Books

Nov 23
Thanksgiving

Nov 24
Naughty Nightie Book Blog
Westveil Publishing

Nov 27
Plain Talk Book Marketing – GUEST POST
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Nov 28
J.M. Northrup
I'm Into Books

Nov 29
❧Defining Ways❧
Books all things paranormal and romance

Nov 30
C.A.Milson
Celticlady's Reviews

Dec 1
Country Mamas With Kids
Girl with Pen

Dec 4
Bedazzled By Books
Inside the Insanity

Dec 5
Karen J. Mossman
Literary Gold

Dec 6

Kenyan Poet
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Dec 7
ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ
My beauty my books

Dec 8
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Dec 9
A Wonderful World of Words – GUEST POST

Dec 11
Midnight Book Reader
Sylv.net

Dec 12
Scrupulous Dreams
Royally Insane Books

Dec 13
The Book Dragon
Trixie Reports Books

Dec 14
The Bookshelf Fairy
Painting With Words

Dec 15
The Scratching Post
Twisted Book Ramblings

Dec 17
Insane Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Picture
32 Comments
Marcy Meyer
11/17/2023 06:26:47 am

I like the cover art. Looks great. This sounds like an interesting book.

Reply
Valerie Seal
11/17/2023 06:28:48 am

Looks good

Reply
Beyond Comps
11/17/2023 07:45:24 am

Great cover!

Reply
Carol G
11/17/2023 10:11:32 am

I didn't know 'caring unconventionally' would be considered a crime. I would have thought something like elder abuse would be the better fit, at least in the minds of some people.

Reply
Renee Lehnen
11/18/2023 12:28:54 pm

You're very perceptive, Carol. That's actually the heart of the matter in the book. Depending on how you interpret events, the heroine could be either a criminal or a daughter acting out of love.

Reply
Cathy French
11/17/2023 10:29:00 am

It has been a long time since I've read anything Satirical so am anxious to read this one.

Reply
Renee Lehnen
11/19/2023 04:38:04 am

If you don't mind, Cathy, I'd like to hear what you think of it after you've read it.
Thanks for you interest!

Reply
Julie Bickham
11/17/2023 12:06:05 pm

I look forward to it

Reply
Alma Fisher
11/17/2023 12:51:30 pm

Looks like a good read

Reply
wendy hutton
11/17/2023 02:24:42 pm

sounds like a wonderful story

Reply
Jodi Hunter
11/17/2023 03:33:24 pm

Sounds like an interesting read.

Reply
Jon Heil
11/17/2023 05:32:03 pm

Hope it does well!

Reply
Renee Lehnen
11/18/2023 12:37:17 pm

Thank you!

Reply
Terri Quick
11/17/2023 06:34:52 pm

Sounds good

Reply
Sherry
11/17/2023 07:51:28 pm

Looks like a good read.

Reply
Susan Smith
11/18/2023 02:52:36 pm

This sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
bn100
11/19/2023 08:24:35 pm

nice interview

Reply
Teresa Gilbert
11/20/2023 10:13:33 pm

As a daughter I can see her actions. i guess it deoends on how you look at everything

Reply
Anne Perry
11/22/2023 09:35:27 am

Sounds amazing. I like dark humor.

Reply
Wendy Jensen
11/23/2023 01:51:16 pm

The book details are interesting.

Reply
Jenny Ham
11/23/2023 04:20:08 pm

Sounds good thanks for sharing.

Reply
Crystal M
11/23/2023 06:18:33 pm

This book sounds intriguing!

Reply
Jamie N.
11/25/2023 05:47:28 pm

This sounds like my kind of book!

Reply
Kelly D
11/26/2023 04:43:11 pm

The book sounds great and would keep me interested.

Reply
Audrey Stewart
11/27/2023 02:30:30 pm

Renee Lehnen is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book.

Reply
Shirley Ann Speakman
11/28/2023 06:45:37 am

I enjoyed the post it was great to get to know about the book and the author too.

Reply
Bea LaRocca
12/3/2023 09:43:36 pm

Thank you for sharing your guest post, bio and the book details and for offering a giveaway, Gordon definitely sounds like someone I would love to meet

Reply
Jamie Martin link
12/6/2023 09:23:59 pm

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Reply
Daniel M
12/14/2023 06:36:20 pm

like the cover

Reply
Dreaa Drake
12/17/2023 03:40:10 am

This sounds like a interesting book!

Reply
jason jennings
12/17/2023 05:27:42 pm

great cover cant wait to read it

Reply
Renata
12/17/2023 10:55:45 pm

Sounds good!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Win a FREE tour here!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Sign up for tour updates!

    New tours. All genres. All ages. All the time.

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Activity Book
    Adventure
    African American
    Alt History
    Anthology
    Apocalyptic
    Audiobook
    Australian
    Bdsm
    Billionaire Romance
    Biography
    Chick Lit
    Childrens
    Christian
    Coloring Book
    Comedy
    Coming Of Age
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporaryromance
    Contemporary Romance
    Cookbook
    Cozymystery
    Cozy Mystery
    Crime
    Cyberpunk
    Dark
    Dark Romance
    Drama
    Dystopian
    Educational
    Epic Fantasy
    Eroticromance
    Erotic Romance
    Fairytale
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Romance
    Financial
    Giveaway-hop
    Gothic
    Graphic-novel
    Health And Wellness
    Historical
    Historicalromance
    Historical Romance
    Holiday
    Horror
    Humorous
    Inspirational
    Legal Thriller
    Lgbtq
    Literaryfiction
    Mafiaromance
    Mafia Romance
    Magicrealism
    Magic Realism
    Mcromance
    Mc Romance
    Memoir
    Menage
    Middlegrade
    Middle Grade
    Military
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    Newadult
    New Adult
    Nonfiction
    Paranormal
    Paranormalromance
    Paranormal Romance
    Parenting
    Pets
    Poetry
    Politics
    Postapocalyptic
    Pulp-fiction
    Reverseharemromance
    Reverse Harem Romance
    Rockstarromance
    Rockstar-romance
    Romance
    Romantasy
    Romanticcomedy
    Romantic Comedy
    Romanticsuspense
    Romantic Suspense
    Satirical
    Sciencefiction
    Science Fiction
    Scifi
    Scifiromance
    Scifi Romance
    Selfhelp
    Shortstories
    Short Stories
    Special Needs
    Special-Needs
    Speculativefiction
    Speculative Fiction
    Sportsromance
    Steampunk
    Supernatural
    Suspense
    Sweetromance
    Thriller
    Timetravel
    Time Travel
    Travel
    Urban
    Urbanfantasy
    Urban Fantasy
    Western
    Womensfiction
    Womens Fiction
    Youngadult
    Young-adult
    Youngadultya
    Young Adult Ya

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016