#26 Inside the Emotion of Fiction's "MAGICAL MISTLETOE" by Maggie Rivers

Chris Rice Cooper 

caccoop@aol.com

https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7

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***The CRC Blog welcomes submissions from published and unpublished fiction genre writers for INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION.  Contact CRC Blog via email at caccoop@aol.com or personal Facebook messaging at https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7

*****All photos are given copyright permission by Maggie Rivers unless otherwise noted.

****Maggie Rivers’s Magical Mistletoe is the twenty-sixth in a never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction writer wrote that specific excerpt.  All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links are at the end of this piece. 

Name of fiction work? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? Magical Mistletoe and no, there were no other names considered.

Fiction genre?  Ex science fiction, short story, fantasy novella, romance, drama, crime, plays, flash fiction, historical, comedy, movie script, screenplay, etc.  And how many pages long? Romance. 150 pages.

Has this been published? And it is totally fine if the answer is no.   If yes, what publisher and what publication date? Published by Freeman Group, LLC February 2018

What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? Began in October 2017/Completed in January 2018

Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work?  And please describe in detail.  And can you please include a photo? I do most of my writing in my home office with some writing done at two coffee shops (Starbucks and Panera Bread). 

My home office consists of two bookshelves with two rows of books on each shelf. My office desk sits in one corner facing the center of the room, with a credenza and two tall cabinets behind and beside it on both sides. They are all gray in color except for the bookshelves which are light colored wood. 

On the other side of the room are three gray metal file cabinets. The fun thing is there are stiletto trinkets on every available surface, some I’ve bought myself but most have been sent to me by my reader fans. One other thing that sits in my office are a pair of red Alabama (my hometown) stilettos autographed by Coach Nick Saban himself. They’re in a glass display case that sits on top of the file cabinets. I have a radio to listen to music if I need. Behind me, on the credenza is a small water fountain for the sound of running water, like a small trickling stream.

What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? When I write, I usually have my radio on and the little water fountain behind is running. And always, my little dog, Mouse, the Diva of Doggies, is in her little pink bed on her heating pad (which fans have sent to her) snoring away. I’m a coffee drinker and usually drink coffee until around 1 or 2 p.m. Then I switch to sweet tea (I’m from the South originally). I now write directly on my desktop computer. When out at a coffee shop, I use my laptop. I’m a late night, early morning writer. I’m usually in bed around 10 p.m. and wake up around 2 a.m. I write until around 6 a.m. and then head back to bed until around 9 a.m. Up again and write throughout the day.

What is the summary of this specific fiction work? The summary of the story is two people who meet, fall in love, overcome their differences and live happily ever after.

Can you give the reader just enough information for them to understand what is going on in the excerpt? I just love these few lines. To me it’s what true love is about. These two people have had their problems. Abby is a believer in the legend of the mistletoe. Spence is not. Yet, to prove to her that he loves her, he drives from the small town of Shady Rivers, Alabama to New York City, and knocks on her door.

Please include the excerpt and include page numbers as reference.  The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. Page 116.

Abby opened the door. A look of surprised delight crossed her face.

“You forgot this,” said Spence as he handed her a bouquet of mistletoe. The moment she took it, he pulled the door closed.

Why is this excerpt so emotional for you?  And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? Spence’s one line “You forgot this,” just brings tears to my eyes. This man loves this woman so much that just because she believes in the mistletoe, he will, too. He doesn’t even wait for her to reply. He simply hands it to her and closes the door. I guess it’s emotional to me because I think every woman and man out there would like to find that kind of true love. The feeling I get is feeling lost for so long and finally, with that one gesture, you’ve found home. Home is where you’re loved, you’re safe and you know you belong.  

Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? And can you please include a photo of your marked up rough drafts of this excerpt. There were no deletions and there are no marked up drafts.

Other works you have published? The Wrong Wedding; The Wrong Groom; Harley’s Heart. Those were all published under my name alone.

I also write as one of The Stiletto Girls (3 of us who write individual short stories in one book based on each book’s theme).

I write in those books as Maggie Rivers also and the titles of the books are. Blue Jeans and Stilettos; .Ms. Claus Wears Stilettos; Venus in Stilettos; Flipflops/Stilettos in the Sand; Stilettos in the South; Stilettos in Wine Country; Stilettos in Sturgis, Pretty in Lipstick Wicked in Stilettos; and Spurs and Stilettos.

Magnolia “Maggie” Rivers was born and raised in Alabama and started developing her writing career at a very early age. Before she learned to write her ABCs, she made squiggles on paper that only she understood but those were her stories.

First published in the early 1970s, Maggie writes hot, sexy, sizzling contemporary romances. (Left:  the woman it the article is Maggie Rivers)

She teaches an adult education class through the Des Moines Public School system entitled “How to Write A Novel” and also teaches the same program throughout Iowa’s prison system – a position secured for her by Gov. Vilsack. (Below:  Maggie Rivers teaching)

She’s attended workshops by Jenny Crusie and Bob Mayer; Janet Evanovich; J.A. Jance; Laura Baker and Robin L. Perini; Lois Greiman; Cheryl St. John, Mary Winter; Michael J. Manno; Kali Van Baale; and Tamara Siler Jones; to name just a few. 

(Above Right and Left:  Maggie Rivers as a United States Air Force medic during the Vietnam War)

She spent four years in the Air Force as a Nurse and has spent over 40 years as a Legal Secretary.

In addition to writing, she is also an award-winning photographer, specializing in nature and wildlife photography. She has won numerous photography awards and was selected to participate in the "Faces of Iowa" project which was exhibited at the Des Moines Art Center before traveling around the State of Iowa.

Check out her website at: http://www.maggierivers.com  

maggie@maggierivers.com

INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links

001   11 15 2018 Nathaniel Kaine’s

Thriller Novel

John Hunter – The Veteran

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/001-inside-emotion-of-fiction-nathaniel.html

002   11 18 2018 Ed Protzzel’s

Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller

The Antiquities Dealer 

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/002-inside-emotion-of-fiction-ed.html

003   11 23 2018 Janice Seagraves’s

Science Fiction Romance

Exodus Arcon

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/003-inside-emotion-of-fiction-exodus.html

004   11 29 2018 Christian Fennell’s

Literary Fiction Novel

The Fiddler in the Night

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/004-inside-emotion-of-fiction-christian.html

005  12 02 2018 Jessica Mathews’s

Adult Paranormal Romance

Death Adjacent

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/5-inside-emotion-of-fiction-jessica.html

006  12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s

Literary Fiction Novel

Ruby the Indomitable

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/006-inside-emotion-of-fiction-robin.html

007  12 12 2018  Adair Valerez’s

Literary Fiction Novel

Scrim

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/007-inside-emotion-of-fiction-adair.html

008  12 17 218 Kit Frazier’s

Mystery Novel

Dead Copy

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/008-inside-emotion-of-fiction-kit.html

009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s

Noir/Spy Novel

The Road of a Thousand Tigers

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/009-inside-emotion-of-fiction-robert.html

010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s

Contemporary Romantic Fiction

The Other Twin

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/010-inside-emotion-of-fictions-other.html

011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s

Cozy Mystery

Trimmed To Death

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/11-inside-emotion-of-fiction-nancy.html

012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s

Crime Novel

Second Story Man

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/12-inside-emotion-of-fiction-charles.html

013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s

Flash Fiction

His Full Attention

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/13-inside-emotion-of-fiction-alexis.html

014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s

Young Adult/Historical

POKEWEED:  AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/14-inside-emotion-of-fiction-brian-l.html

015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s

Dystopian

Reduced

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/15-inside-emotion-of-ficton-reduced-by.html

016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s

Legal Fiction/Mystery

Little Boy Lost

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/16-inside-emotion-of-fiction-little-boy.html

017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s

Young Adult ScieFi/Fantasy/Romance/Adventure

My Quest Begins 

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/017-inside-emotion-of-fiction-my-quest.html

018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s

Mainstream Fiction/ Suspense/ Historical

Hotel Moscow

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/18-inside-emotion-of-fiction-talia.html

019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s

Multidimensional Fiction

Alligator Alley

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/19-inside-emotion-of-fiction-rick.html

020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s

Urban Fantasy

The Soul Collectors

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/20-inside-emotion-of-fictions-soul.html

021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s

Post-Colonialist Novel

The Nowhere Man

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/21-inside-emotion-of-fictions-nowhere.html

022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s

Mainstream Novel

Silk And Ashes

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/22-inside-emotion-of-fictions-silk-and.html

023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s

Short Story Collection

There Is No Other Way to Worship Them

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/23-inside-emotion-of-fictions-there-is.html

024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s

Short Story Collection

Pasture Art

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/24-inside-emotion-of-fictions-pasture.html

025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s

Historical Fiction

Beloved Mother

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/25-inside-emotion-of-fictions-beloved.html

026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s

Romance

Magical Mistletoe

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/26-inside-emotion-of-fictions-magical.html