Congratulations to Chris A! She won an ebook from Laina Villeneuve.
Author Laina Villeneuve is with us today to celebrate the release of her third book, Such Happiness As This, available now from Bella Books.
She’s also giving away an ebook copy. Want to enter the drawing? Leave a comment down there and I’ll draw a winner on Friday, 27 NOV 2015. That’s Black Friday for all you bargain shoppers living in the US.
Good Luck!
Such Happiness
by Laina Villeneuve
My third book, Such Happiness As This was released by Bella books in October. In the Acknowledgements, I thanked both of my parents, my dad for the music and my mom for the title. This writing thing I do so often feels like magic. In this book, I gave Grace’s character the cello only to get her practicing at the home of her love interest, Robyn. I’m no expert on music, but my dad is, so I called him and talked about music in a way I’ve never talked with him before.
I told him my character was angry, and I needed a piece of music for her to be practicing. He’s the one that said she should play “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals, and we had long conversations about what the cellist is trying to accomplish with the piece. I watched Yo-Yo Ma perform it over and over listening for what my dad described. I studied how a piece of music could repair someone’s mood, or as my wife and I describe it, smooth down the prickles.
I am a person of prickles. Sometimes when I apologize to my wife after a particularly difficult day, she’ll say it’s okay, that my prickles didn’t poke her. I have learned to become more aware of what spikes my prickles, and it’s often tied to what Father Boyle calls the overactive disapproval gland. In his book Tattoos on the Heart, he describes the disappointment we often feel in ourselves as something we project onto God. As a Unitarian Universalist, I am not typically thinking of what God thinks about me, but I do worry about what others think, and with my highly overactive disapproval gland, I figure that those around me, my parents and colleagues (both writing and teaching) must be as critical of me as I am of myself.
Grace would never waste her time worrying about what others think. Robyn would like to say she doesn’t but has spent a long time feeling pressured to be someone she is not. In one scene, she listens to Grace play and then describe “The Swan” and says it is just like Hans Christian Andersen’s story, “The Ugly Duckling” when the duckling spends a winter swimming in circles trying to keep the pond from freezing around him. He feels the pressure of society to be something he is not, but he is so confident about who he is that he won’t bend to the cat’s idea that he should just purr or the hen’s idea that he should just lay eggs.
It was that scene that had me searching through Andersen’s story for a title. I found several maybes but none that spoke to me. I called my mom and ran each maybe by her, and she agreed that it was a good idea and said she’d have a look at the text. I woke up to her proposal of Such Happiness as This in my inbox, the turn of phrase from a different translation.
One would think that for someone so worried about what the world thinks, a writing career might not be the healthiest mental decision. And yet the characters I write are so much more grounded than I am, and I can’t help but think that it’s healthy for me to spend time in their mind-space instead of my own. The product, too, is satisfying. When the magic of writing pulls a thread tight through what I’ve created, I feel seen, and I feel proud as the swan that graces the cover of this book. I remember Alice Walker’s idea that we write to heal ourselves, and this book brings me a few steps closer.
But not so much that I don’t have more writing to do.
When I look at all that I have, I cannot help but see how very much I have that makes me happy: a wife of ten years, three spunky children and a wonderful home in Southern California where early morning walks with our little white dog give me the opportunity to see the sunrise on the San Gabriel Mountains. I’m also grateful to be a professor of English at the local community college where I’m lucky to teach Children’s Lit which helped with Such Happiness as This as well as the novel I’m about to finish. I’m hoping my mom has found the right title.
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lainavilleneuve
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005629426151
Dear Laina,
I have enjoyed your earlier works and look forward to this new title! Thanks for sharing some of the back-story … and a chance to receive the ebook!
LikeLike
So glad you enjoyed the first two. I hope you enjoy catching up with Kristine and Gloria in Humboldt County and meeting their new friends!
LikeLike
Sounds like one that needs to be on my wish list. Thanks for sharing it with us.
LikeLike
You bet!
LikeLike
Loved last two books and have eagerly been awaiting this one to arrive in ebook form. To win a copy would be a real bonus. I’ll still buy it if not.! Looking forward to future reads as well.
LikeLike
Closing in on finishing the fourth book now! I do hope that you enjoy Such Happiness — I really liked spending time with Robyn and Grace.
LikeLike
Thanks for the opportunity…looks like a great book.
Cheers 😃
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike
This sounds like a great read!
LikeLike
Hope it doesn’t disappoint!
LikeLike
I haven’t yet read any previous books, but would love to discover a new author.
LikeLike
Do know this one stands alone, and if you want the backstory on Kristine and Gloria, start at the beginning with Take Only Pictures.
LikeLike
I would love to read your new book. Always want to find new author’s to read.
LikeLike
And I’d love to be a new find — good match, I’d say!
LikeLike
Loved your first two books, so am really looking forward to reading this one.
LikeLike
So glad you liked the first two and hope you enjoy the new characters as well as those visiting from Take Only Pictures and The Right Thing Easy!
LikeLike
Congrats on your latest book! Please put my name in the draw hat; thanks.
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike
Sounds like a neat book. Definitely put my name in the drawing…
LikeLike
And I want to be found– a great combo!
LikeLike
Stinkin’ computer keeps scrolling funny–glad you entered the drawing!
LikeLike
I must say I haven’t read any of your books yet, however, after reading your blog, I will check them out. Please add me to the drawing! I love music, and took up the Saxophone about 7 years ago. I had to learn to read music at the same time. It helps fill a need for me, and I now play with our community band. Take care!
LikeLike
Music is a great for building community!
LikeLike
Congratulations on the release of your third book. I think the title is beautiful and I am glad both your Mum and Dad were able to help with the book. I love your prickle anology and will be using that with my wife in the future if that is all right with you. I look forward to reading your newest.
LikeLike
You may absolutely use it! May your days be mostly prickle-free!
LikeLike
I’d love to read the new book and catch up on the characters visiting from Take Only Picture.s
LikeLike
It was so fun to have them in more of the story. I hope you enjoy the new characters as well!
LikeLike
I loved your book Take Only Pictures so I’m excited to read your new one too.
LikeLike
Yeah! Thanks for telling me!
LikeLike
Welcome to Women and Words,
I have not had the pleasure or privilege reading any of your books yet. This story sounds interesting and I look forward to reading it.
LikeLike
Happy to catch your interest!
LikeLike
Loved your other books. Please count me in the drawing.
Thanks
LikeLike
So happy to hear this–it totally makes my day!
LikeLike
Sounds somehow else than out of mold. Good, I would like to read your book.
LikeLike
I often feel out of the mold…I hope in a good way!
LikeLike
Congratulations on your new release. I love books with music at their core and a cello? Sold. Looking forward to reading your work.
LikeLike
Don’t you think the cello is the sexiest of the stringed instruments?
LikeLike
Loved Take Only Pictures so I’m anxious to read your new one!
LikeLike
Don’t miss The Right Thing Easy. It’s not essential that you read them in order, but there are a few things in Such Happiness that the second one answers.
LikeLike
I’d love to be entered
LikeLike
Yeah!
LikeLike
I love how you described your writing process. Getting advice from your dad is awesome. A new bonding experience. Good for both of you. And later when you describe the prickles, great imagery. I can so relate to that one. Best of luck with this new book.
LikeLike
So glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLike
Congrats on another book, I have enjoyed all of your other ones so I will add this to my “to be read” pile!
LikeLike
Super! Are you one to leave a review? I find the reader reviews super helpful and would love to have your feedback on what worked/didn’t for any of of my stories on Amazon or Goodreads!
LikeLike
Thought I’d let you know I loved all three of your books and look forward to the fourth one you mentioned. Since I have the first three you can leave me out of the drawing. Thanks for writing.
cw
LikeLike
Aren’t you kind!!! I think you should send me an email at lainavilleneuve@gmail.com which I will tuck into my book four folder to remind myself to send you an early copy of THAT one! Thank you so much for your note!
LikeLike
And aren’t you generous! Thank you so much.
cw
LikeLike
I love the title and cover and I would love to read this book.
LikeLike
I’d love for you to read it, too!
LikeLike
I thoroughly enjoyed Take Only Pictures. Missed The Right Thing Easy… Will get that asap. Wouldn’t mind winning Such Happiness 🙂 Thank you for your blog!
LikeLike
You bet. Thanks for checking it out and picking up the second one. I hope you enjoy Dani and Hope as much as I did.
LikeLike
Laina, I know I’m late to the party, but I wanted to say that the way you described your writing process really made me consider my own. I love the idea of picking the cello, then researching it, watching it performed, and really trying to get down to the core of the performance of it by a renowned musician. I haven’t read any of your previous work, but this one is going on my To Be Read list!
LikeLike
So glad to be on your list! Thanks for the note. I find that what my characters do helps me get them. In the next book, I have an auto technician and have gotten such insight to characters from my auto tech colleague! Happy writing!
LikeLike