It’s
Just a Structure
In my novel, Profile, JuleighAnn Harper lives in a
house on a lake in a western suburb of Denver. That house and setting are
meaningful in that I myself lived in a very similar place when I started
writing Profile. In fact, when I wrote
any scene involving that setting, I envisioned my own situation – the location
of the rooms, the deck, the view, the wildlife.
Alas, my situation did
not last. My wife and I divorced (no, she wasn’t Evelyn), and I moved out. Since
then, my attitude about it closely resembles Arden’s. In the as yet unpublished
follow-up to Profile, Arden and JuleighAnn, though not the main characters, do
make a few appearances. In one of those scenes, Arden comments on his
situation:
Well, yeah, it’s nice. But it’s just
a structure. Yes, it’s a lovely house in a beautiful location, but that’s not
what makes it home.
I had expressed a
similar viewpoint to my wife before we moved into that house. We lived in a
simple brick ranch home in a quiet neighborhood. She loved the house, and while
I thought it was a fine house too, she couldn’t understand how I could be so blasé
about it. It was a nice place, but it was just a structure.
My attitude didn’t
change when we moved into the lake house. It was an even nicer house, in a
nicer location, with a killer view! But still, it was just a structure. Do I
miss it? Absolutely. I miss the house, the location, the view, the wildlife.
But it had never really become home to me.
When I write about it
now, both in the follow-up novel 1684,
and in my as yet unnamed work in progress, it seems to me more like home with
Arden and JuleighAnn in it than it ever did for me. Which I admit is sad in a
way, but at the same time, it feels good seeing that place now as a real home
to characters I love.
**********
I’ve taken a big step.
Well, for me anyway. I’ve decided to capitalize on capitalism. I’ve opened a
CafePress store. That’s right! Now you can spend your hard-earned money to own
things with my name on it.
Be the envy of your
neighbors by sporting a T-shirt that provides free advertising for me, your
favorite author. Make your coffee taste just a little more snarky by drinking
it from a Haydn Grey mug. Hang your keys on a Haydn Grey keychain because,
well, I don’t know why. Why not?
All the items available
are competitively priced. In fact, you won’t find a cheaper price on Haydn Grey
merchandise at any other store. The more you buy, the more you get!
And if you act now, it
will be shipped to you that much sooner!
Happy shopping!
