Rosemarie Redux

 In this post from 2016, Marita's mother, Rosemarie Mercer, joined me on the porch swing. Things were a bit rocky to start as she was annoyed that a series of maternal responsibilities of my own delayed the writing of this post, and I had to reschedule her from morning to afternoon. Still, she was gracious enough to respond to a few additional questions for today's version of this post.

Where will we find you when you’re not on the page of the book we’re reading?

Rosemarie: Well, today you will find me re-arranging my schedule in an effort to accommodate this blog post. Usually, I'll be busy with my volunteer work, at church, or perhaps even at home with my husband, Judge William Mercer, who is retired, but still plays a vital role in the community. 

What’s something we’d be surprised to know about you?

Rosemarie: I suspect there is quite a bit you'd be surprised to know about me. Unlike my daughter, I believe in discretion and prefer that my private life remain private.

What are your thoughts on children?

Rosemarie: Today's children are spoiled. Parents simply do not discipline them. When I was raising my granddaughter, she had limits. Charlotte understood, even from a young age, that there are consequences that accompany bad behavior.

What regrets do you have?

Rosemarie: I regret that my daughter chose to rebel and reject everything her father and I stand for. 

Whom do you admire? 

Rosemarie: My husband, of course, and the ministers at our church. They do God's work.

It seems that Jim's outlook on life is more similar to yours than Marita's is. Did you ever wonder if perhaps he should have gotten full custody of Charli? 
Rosemarie: Of course not! A child belongs with her mother. If Jim had wanted to be a parent, he should have accepted his paternal responsibilities from the very beginning. His late arrival has less to do with what's best for Charli and more to do with what's best for Jim.

What are your hopes for Charli?

Rosemarie: Charlotte is a bright girl with abundant potential. I can only hope she will put those things to good use, following the path her grandfather paved rather than pursuing the back alleys her mother chose to explore during her own teen years. Getting her to church is an important step in helping her to realize her potential.

It must be gratifying to know that your daughter has such a loyal friend in Bets.

Rosemarie: Gratifying is not exactly the word I would choose. That girl has been trouble from the word go. My daughter needs to make some friends that are a better influence on her and Charli -- someone like the new youth pastor at our church, for example. 

Are you proud of your daughter?

Rosemarie: (Pauses) Of course I am. She, too, is bright with abundant potential, and she is a good mother, if a bit lax. I only wish she'd made better choices growing up. 

Way Back Wednesday: Gregory Who?

 Last weekend, I finally tackled some of the clutter in my office. Among the random slips of paper on my desk was a playlist for Marita (one of the  protagonists in my novels) and Gregory.

Gregory? 

I'll let this post from last summer re-introduce you.

Gregory Daniels, Esq. appeared in Casting the First Stone, but after "beige" date with Marita, he never got a second chance. At least not until the third book, when he showed up early on, hoping to convince Marita he was worth a second look. 

Here are a few things I know about Attorney Daniels. 

1. When he's not at work and/or in court, he's most likely in the law library or at the gym.

2. He worked as a barista to put himself through law school. 

3. He admired the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she was feisty, smart and had a hunger to see justice served.

4. He has two older sisters. 

5. He thinks he made a mistake not trying harder with Marita.

And one thing I learned? He can be very persistent when he wants something. 

Or someone.

Oh, and that playlist? 

Here you go.

"Taking a Chance on Love"

"Crazy"

"Since You've Asked"

"Love Shack" 

Admittedly, that last one is kind of an outlier. Not sure what I was thinking when I chose it but, in reviewing it, I enjoyed departing from the standards.

 

Vacationing with my Characters

Pixabay

I spent last weekend at the beach and, as I sat on the screened-in porch (my favorite writing spot and second favorite inspiration spot), I began to wonder how my characters would spend a weekend at the beach. Charli would, no doubt, hit Grotto Pizza and spend lots of time at the beach on a boogie board. Or maybe she'd be more like my daughter, preferring the pool at the condo complex to the beach, lying out on the chaise lounges there until she got too hot and then jumping in the water to cool off again.

Nah. I see Charli as the beach type -- volleyball, boogie boards and maybe even a run by the ocean.

As for Marita and Bets, their agenda would depend on who was on the trip. Is it a girls' weekend or are they there with Charli? The days would be much the same either way, spent on the beach, preferably close to a lifeguard stand where they could scope out those in charge of keeping them safe -- purely a precautionary measure, of course, especially once Marita realizes the lifeguards are closer to Charli's age than hers. Talk about a reality check!

Bets' swimsuit of choice would be a bikini, of course, accessorized by a big hat and little-to-the-imagination cover-up. She'd skip the cover-up completely if it didn't complete the ensemble with the hat (protecting her fair skin) and all.

Marita
(Nordstrom)

Marita's suit of choice would be a one piece with enough cut-outs to show some skin -- something in black or a bright color (fuchsia, maybe?), just this side of a two-piece (which I now know is called a monokini....)

Angel
(Nordstrom)

Angel would definitely wear a one piece, too modest, especially now that she's a mom, to go any other way. If she'd gone shopping with Marita or even Jim, she might have come home with something like the suit at left. Otherwise, a traditional styling in a floral or a pastel color would most likely be her choice.

It's always fun imagining what my characters are doing outside the pages of the book, especially when I'm at work on another book they populate, as I am with Marita, Angel, Bets and Charli.

Genevieve, a character I'm in the midst of creating now for a book that won't get written for quite some time, is significantly older than Marita and Bets. She would grace the beach only in the early morning if at all, settling under an umbrella with a cup of coffee made from beans she ground herself. In her current incarnation, Genevieve is reclaiming the beach, a place she has assiduously avoided for decades.

Dressed in a classic black one piece.

Casting the First Stone Characters Back on the Porch Swing

Hi Folks!

Lisa is here:

gapingvoidart.com

So you've got us.

Here are a few questions we picked out of the pile of questions from her Happiness Project calendar pages.

What are your favorite parts of your ordinary day?

Marita: Coming home after work and having dinner with Charli.

Bets: Seeing Trevor.

Angel: Waking up to the sound of Spencer cooing over the baby monitor and picking her up while she's still warm and sleepy.

Charli: Um, getting out of school?

What makes you happier: To go to bed early and wake up early or to go to bed late and wake up late?

Bets: Yes. The second one.

Angel: Early to bed, early to rise.

Marita: Early to bed, late to rise.

Charli: Me, too. Like Mom.

Telephone, e-mail or text?

Bets: Text. Unless it's Trevor.

Marita: Text.

Charli: Text.

Angel (looks embarrassed): Phone. Sorry. I just like to hear people's voices.

More time with friends or more time alone?

Bets: Friends -- especially Ri-Ri.

Marita: Friends.

Charli: Friends, mostly. Depends on the day.

Angel: Friends, definitely.

Load the dishwasher or unload the dishwasher?

Marita: Load. I'm very particular.

Angel: Me, too! Jim gets mad when I rearrange things, though.

Charli: Neither.

Bets (laughs): I'm with you, kiddo! Hire a maid!

Favorite holiday?

Angel: I love Thanksgiving, but I'd have to say Christmas.

Marita: Christmas with children is so much fun -- Christmas!

Charli: Mom, I'm not a child.

Marita: I didn't say you were -- I meant Spencer. (Under her breath) But you are.

Charli: I heard that.

Marita: And you love Christmas.

Charli: Yeah, yeah.

Bets: It's unanimous! We all love Christmas. And if you need a Christmas book -- that we're all in, by the way -- you should definitely check this one out!

Marita: Subtle, Bets. Very subtle.

Bets (shrugs): It's a gift.

A Dream is Just a Dream

 Marita's dream, as promised.

Marita topped off her wine and tucked her legs up under her.

"Okay," Bets said impatiently. "Charli's in bed. It's just us and the wine. What on earth was this dream all about?"

Marita shrugged. "It was just a dream. I can hardly even remember it."

"Yeah, right. That's why you keep guzzling that wine."

"Bets --"

"Ri-Ri. How bad can it be?"

"It wasn't bad." That's the problem.

"Ooh. Was it that good?" Bets squealed. "It was! Tell, tell, tell!"

Marita shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, for all the good it would do. This was Bets, after all. Hiding anything from her was completely impossible.

She cleared her throat. "It all started out innocently enough. There was this attorney -- "

"Name, please."

Marita waved her off. "No one you know. Not really even anyone I know, actually. Anyway, we were working on a deposition. The day ended, everyone left and I was alone in the conference room, packing up my stuff."

"And the attorney?"

"He wasn't there. At least not at first. I picked up my stuff to leave and was walking to the elevator when he came around the corner and asked me what I was still doing there. We chatted for a couple of minutes, and he asked me if I had dinner plans. It was Charli's night at Jim's, so I said no, I'd probably just grab some Chinese food on the way home."

"Thanks for calling me."

"Bets. This is a dream. Besides, I was tired."

"You could tell that in the dream."

Marita paused. "Yeah. I could tell a lot of things."

Bets tilted her head to one side. "Like...."

"Like how this guy smelled. And how much I wanted him to make me a better offer."

"And did he?"

"He did."

"Ooh! So..."

"We went to dinner, and it was really nice. Upscale. Candlelit. Soft music."

Bets leaned forward and poured herself some more wine. "Sounds horrible."

"Very funny. We laughed, we shared stories. It was like we'd known each other for years. And when he took me home, he kissed me goodnight and asked if he could call me."

"And you said...."

"Yes. Without even a second thought. No worries about how it would impact Charli, work -- "

"Lukas."

"Yeah. Lukas. It was a totally selfish, self-indulgent dream."

"OMG, Ri-Ri. It was a dream. And all he did was kiss you goodnight." Bets waggled her eyebrows. "Unless you left out the juicy details."

Marita shook her head. "Nope. Total gentleman. Tall, dark, handsome, educated, well-off gentleman. The weird thing is I'd have felt less guilty if it had been -- I mean if things had gone further. I'd at least understand it."

"Because Lukas is a total choir boy and you -- like me -- think the choir loft was designed for clandestine rendez-vous."

"Don't be gross."

"Gross? Wow. Celibacy is killing your sense of humor."

"Bets, what do you think this dream means?"

"Ri-Ri, it's a dream. The guy was some anonymous hot dude and he treated you like a queen. You'd be crazy not to wake up feeling...how did you feel?"

"Disappointed that it was just a dream. Followed immediately by guilty. If I'm in a happy, committed relationship, shouldn't I be dreaming about my boyfriend, not bachelor #1?"

Bets took a sip of wine, then shook her head. "I think you're making too much of this. It was just a dream."

Marita nodded slowly, then polished off her wine and set the glass on the coffee table. "You're probably right." And this uncomfortable, unbalanced feeling is just the wine.

But Marita couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the wine at all.

6 Questions from the Porch Swing for Judge William Mercer

Pixabay

Today, Marita's father, retired judge William Mercer, takes some time away from his study  to join me on the porch swing. 

Where will we find you when you’re not on the page of the book we’re reading?

Judge Mercer: As you've indicated in your introduction, I spend a great deal of time in my study. Now that I am retired, I have more time available to immerse myself in cases that fascinate me, and I enjoy writing about them as well.

What’s something we’d be surprised to know about you?

Judge Mercer: Retirement has not dampened my enthusiasm for the law and all of its nuances. Perhaps that is not surprising, however.

What are your thoughts on children?

Judge Mercer: Although helping my daughter to raise my granddaughter was not something on which I had planned, I greatly enjoyed having Charlotte in the house. She is now and always has been a wonderful young lady.

What regrets do you have?

Judge Mercer: I often wonder what I might have done differently in raising my daughter. She has a reasonably good life now, but I wish she hadn't followed such a circuitous path to get there. 

Whom do you admire? 

Judge Mercer: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She continues to pursue justice and the law with a passion uncharacteristic of many peers half her age.

Are you happy with the role that church is playing in Marita's life now? 
Judge Mercer: I am suspicious of the role that church is currently playing in my daughter's life. Although I am happy to see a resurgence of interest in that area, I question both the motive and longevity behind that interest.

6 Questions From the Porch Swing for Rosemarie Mercer

Pixabay

Today, Marita's mother, Rosemarie Mercer, joins me on the porch swing. As we begin, she's very unhappy with me, as a series of maternal responsibilities of my own delayed the writing of this post, and I had to reschedule her to this afternoon. So, with apologies, I'll begin.

Where will we find you when you’re not on the page of the book we’re reading?

Rosemarie: Well, today you will find me re-arranging my schedule in an effort to accommodate this blog post. Usually, I'll be busy with my volunteer work, at church, or perhaps even at home with my husband, Judge William Mercer, who is retired, but still plays a vital role in the community. 

What’s something we’d be surprised to know about you?

Rosemarie: I suspect there is quite a bit you'd be surprised to know about me. Unlike my daughter, I believe in discretion and prefer that my private life remain private.

What are your thoughts on children?

Rosemarie: Today's children are spoiled. Parents simply do not discipline them. When I was raising my granddaughter, she had limits. Charlotte understood, even from a young age, that there are consequences that accompany bad behavior.

What regrets do you have?

Rosemarie: I regret that my daughter chose to rebel and reject everything her father and I stand for. 

Whom do you admire? 

Rosemarie: My husband, of course, and the ministers at our church. They do God's work.

It seems that Jim's outlook on life is more similar to yours than Marita's is. Did you ever wonder if perhaps he should have gotten full custody of Charli? 
Rosemarie: Of course not! A child belongs with her mother. If Jim had wanted to be a parent, he should have accepted his paternal responsibilities from the very beginning. His late arrival has less to do with what's best for Charli and more to do with what's best for Jim.