E. Ayers is a multi-published author
of over twenty books and has spent plenty of time on Amazon’s top 100 authors
list. She’s best known for her sweet westerns and her sexier River City novels.
She’s a proud member of the Authors of Main Street, which means her books are
suitable for the average adult audience.
You can find her in the following
places and she always has something special for readers of the Authors of Main
Street Newsletter.
Her newest release is Campaign
(Brad and Ryn’s Story), a River City novel. Just jump into this series
because the glue that ties the books together is the city.
Campaign
My
Five Secrets behind my book Campaign (Brad and Ryn’s Story)
Hi,
Beverley, it’s always fun being here on your blog.
In
the story, Ryn is mute. The focus of the story is not her disability, but her
disability obviously is very much a part of the story. So I’m going to give you
some behind the scenes peek at what I do or don’t know.
1)
I don’t know sign language. I’ve taken it, as a language, several times. I know
the alphabet. I can say a few things. I can understand a few signs, but I don’t
really know it. I do know it’s easier to understand what is being said then to
remember the darn sign for everything. And those who use it all the time do it
so fast that it’s next to impossible to keep up with them.
It’s
like charades in shorthand. There really is no past, present, or future unless
they say yesterday. It’s like saying ‘I store bread milk.’ If it’s your
husband, then you know he’s planning to go tonight after dinner. Or if he does
it with a frown you know he’s complaining that he just went yesterday so why is
the milk already empty? And if he’s driving and “chatting”, he’ll do it one
handed! That’s like half a sign!
There’s
also a secondary sign language that is a word-for-word translation and it’s
mostly used for teaching in schools, etc. But it’s almost never signed outside
of a classroom except on rare occasions when translation is crucial.
2)
I’ve had friends, coworkers, and neighbors over the years who have been speech
or hearing impaired. I really pulled on that background and my interaction with
those people as I wrote the book. We’re all the same on the inside.
Many
years ago when a blind friend had her baby, she called and begged me to come
over. You don’t have to beg for me to come see a new baby! She really wanted to
know if her new daughter was pretty. That was so important to her.
3)
I totally understand panic attacks. I have this crazy fear of being trapped in
a tunnel, yet I live in Tidewater, Virginia, USA, and this area is full of
tunnels going under waterways. My biggest fear is getting trapped in one. Let
there be one accident and that tunnel can be stuck for hours. The worst I’ve
ever experienced was being about the second car into the tunnel and my hubby
was driving. If I ever really get trapped deep in a tunnel, I’m certain they
will be taking me out by ambulance. And like everyone else around here. I drive
through them all the time with no problems. (It’s not claustrophobia. I can
have a MRI with no problem. I’ve been in a stuck elevator for hours - not happy
but okay.) Panic attacks make no sense, but they happen. Ryn’s fear of being
outside in a thunderstorm is extreme but fueled by a PTSD (post-traumatic
stress disorder). Panic attacks are not unusual. Medication and counseling can
help the patient.
4)
I love, love, love horses! Grew up around them. Love the steeplechase and
always wanted to go on a foxhunt! Haven’t been on a horse in over 40 years. But
I’ve never actually been ‘thrown’ by a horse. Although I did wind up
upside-down under the horse’s belly still clinging for dear life as my horse
walked me to a grassy spot where he let me drop and roll out of his way. Then
he came over and nudged me with his nose, as if to say what happened? He was a
retired racehorse and I adored him. I used his name in the book.
5)
I think we all know a Brad. He’s that rock of a guy who doesn’t get ruffled. He
knows how to play and he knows how to work. I swear those guys are the toughest
ones to write because they don’t have the quirks and they aren’t extreme in
anything. But I loved writing him. He was so opposite of Ryn in so many ways.
She was totally flawed, and he just bundles her into his arms and makes the
world right (eventually).
Blurb
Brad Shoemaker was blindsided when
he discovered that love could be silent, and Kathryn “Ryn” Demary is mute. But
when Mayor Bruno Giovanni is forced into early retirement, he chooses Brad to
run in his place. Ryn is determined to campaign at Brad’s side, but instead of
being an asset, she just might be his biggest liability. Ryn finds herself
campaigning not just for Brad to become mayor but also for his love. Politics
can get dirty and Ryn’s caught in the middle.
Buy Links for Campaign:
Available at Amazon and as Kindle
Unlimited.
You
can find E. Ayers at these links:
Twitter
@ayersbooksWebsite http://www.ayersbooks.com
Shared Blog http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com
Blog http://ayersbooks.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page http://amzn.com/e/B005AYJ0XE
Authors of Main Street Newsletter http://ow.ly/xel3e
Thanks for checking out E. and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions, E. will be around to answer them today.
HI, everyone! I'll be in and out all day long. So don't forget to leave me a comment. I'd love to know if anyone else has crazy fears.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that racehorse had an attitude. He didn't like kids, but he liked me for some strange reason. He wasn't mine but I wanted him. I'd ride him every summer when I was young. I'd braid his mane and tail, take him treats, and do anything I could to spoil him. He had the most beautiful trot. An absolute joy to ride. But let someone else get on him and...not pretty! :-)
I prefer English, not western. Yes, I know how to ride western. Even dated a guy who had a horse and a western saddle. Not telling those secrets! ;-)
I never read about a mute heroine. This should be a very interesting read. I am afraid of height. I can't drive or even on a high bridge or a mountain.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'll bet you are not alone on that high bridge thing. There are several tall ones around here. (If we aren't going under, we are going over the water.)
DeleteI'm actually hoping people somewhat forget she's mute as they read and see her as just Ryn.
Cute imagery about you on the horse. :)
ReplyDeleteI think writing stories about people with special needs is a great idea. Best luck with your newest.
Thanks, Rose. I can feel Ryn poking me and telling me she's not special needs. She's telling me she isn't the one who has the special need, we do for not knowing sign language. She's talking but we're not comprehending. She does have a point. :-)
DeleteOh, E, that's so sad about your blind friend who wanted to "see" her baby. But you got me laughing with the horse story. What a sweetheart to check on you. Good post!
ReplyDeleteWe tend to forget about all the small things in life that we take for granted. Every mother wants her child to be pretty, but it was extra important to my friend. For her, it meant acceptance.
DeleteI still remember everyone screaming when he rose up on his hind legs and that saddle slid with me on it. But I totally trusted him not to purposely hurt me. Maybe it's a good thing we're kids when we learn to do things.(And no one rode with a helmet back then.)
I'm a very nervous car passenger. I'm okay behind the wheel, but when we go on road trips, I always volunteer to take the back seat. (I think it's safer.) It wasn't until my son graduated with a degree in psychology that we realized my anxiety in the car stemmed from an accident I was in as a child. I had been in the back seat. My mother flew through the windshield and was hospitalized for several days and my brother, also in the front, broke his arm. I was three years old and I still remember it pretty vividly. Strange the things we carry around with us.
ReplyDeleteOMG! Your mother is lucky to be alive. Back in the days before seatbelts... My mom insisted so my dad installed a WWII airplane belt system in his jeep to keep me in the seat when I was little. In the summer with no doors or top on that thing, it was fun ridding with Daddy but Mommy was panicked! Now I know why. LOL
DeleteA wonderful article about your characters. Sign language is an art form. I know what its like to research for a book. Good luck with sales.
ReplyDeleteThanks, JoAnne. Sign language is very dynamic and constantly changing. I do feel guilty for not having a better handle on it. Many high schools and universities teach it as credit as a foreign language.
DeleteI love learning more about you. I can't imagine how some people pick up on Sign Language so quickly. I wouldn't be able to do it. The story sounds great! I wish you all the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping, Melissa, and a very happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteIt's not that difficult to learn. The signs actually make sense when you think about them, but they do them so quickly that you don't have time to analyze each one. Pick up a book on it or take a class. It's fun.
If you had to learn it, you would. Brad knew he had to learn it. But there is a funny scene where Brad can't figure out what she is saying and gets quite confused.
After I signed in, my comment disappeared from the box. :( Let me try again: Often we read about flawed or "damaged" heroes but rarely do we encounter a heroine facing the issues that Ryn faces. Sounds like a great read. And thanks to E. Ayers for sharing her stories, especially the horse one. You should ride again, I bet you'd still love it!!
ReplyDeleteThe truth is we're all flawed. We all have our quirks and problems. And sometimes we're under that horse hanging on for dear life and wondering what happened.
DeleteI'd love to go riding again, especially if the horse came with a handsome silver-haired owner and a whole lot of wide-open space. But I'll pen those stories for me. :-)
I find it so frustrating when I have to sign in and my comment vanishes! Thanks for trying again.