#IWSG August 2020. Jemi Fraser on surprises in writing a genre.

Hi all, friends and participants in the IWSG monthly blog hop!

This month, I'm excited to feature Jemi Fraser, long time blogger and friend of WEP, onto my blog today. I've watched Jemi burst onto the scene with not one, but four books. Her wonderful Dancing with Dementia, is doing well on Amazon. Now she's rapidly releasing 3 romantic suspense stories, an inspiration to me and I hope many others whose finger is hovering over the PUBLISH button.

Click HERE for more IWSG posts.

Alex's awesome co-hosts for the August 5 posting of the IWSG are Susan Baury Rouchard, Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jennifer Hawes, Chemist Ken, and Chrys Fey!

I've asked Jemi to answer the IWSG question which she was happy to do. Now I'll go back to reading my copy of Reaching for Normal...

Thanks for inviting me to your blog today, Denise!!

August 5 question - Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be."

Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?

For me, this is a fascinating question!

My current Bloo Moose releases are Romance/Romantic Suspense stories. I certainly didn’t start out writing that way!

My mom had/has a HUGE disdain for anything romance. From a very young age, she encouraged me to read anything and everything from the library - except romance. Or Trash as she liked to call it.

I found so many other books and genres to adore, I didn’t feel the lack. I devoured mysteries and when a high school teacher introduced up to Fahrenheit 451, I found speculative fiction. Then fantasy, spy thrillers, and so much more. I actually didn’t read my first romance until well after my kids were born.

When I started writing, I experimented for a few years with a variety of genres and age levels, looking for my voice and my style. Looking for what truly fit me.

And I found it in romance mixed with some danger and mystery along the way.

Happy endings are important. I’ve taught enough years and met enough struggling families to know that. Everyone needs to believe that happy endings are possible. All my longer stories need those happy endings.

In the case of my shorter fiction, that dark side of life does often take over. Which does make for a fun balance in my writing.

So, yes, I think the form often finds me. How about you?

Welcome to Bloo Moose, Vermont where love is worth the risk! Small-town contemporary romance with an element of suspense. Each book is a stand-alone.

Reaching For Normal

She’s no damsel in distress. He’s no Prince Charming. But if they don’t team up it won’t be only wolves that’ll be dying.

Amazon.com.    Amazon.ca.    Apple.     Kobo.    Google Play.

Barnes and Noble.    Goodreads.    Bookbub

Reaching For Risks

One Reno List for the B&B. One Risk List for herself. One sexy retailer who should be the last one she wants.

Amazon.com.    Amazon.ca.    Apple.    Kobo.     Google Play

Barnes and Noble.     Goodreads.     Bookbub

Reaching For Everything

Love means nothing in tennis. Can he prove to her that love means everything in life?

Amazon.com.    Amazon.ca.     Apple.     Kobo.     Google Play

Barnes and Noble.    Goodreads.    Bookbub

***

Jemi Fraser writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her nonfiction work focuses on the ways that dementia has impacted her family. Her fiction work varies from contemporary romance to suspense and flash fiction. Years as a teacher have taught Jemi that life is short and that happy endings are a must.

Jemi lives in Northern Ontario, Canada where snow is always a topic of conversation and the autumn leaves make everything better.

Website                   Facebook                Twitter.              Instagram     

Amazon                  BookBub                 Goodreads.        Pinterest

Just Jemi blog          Dancing with Dementia Blog

Thanks Jemi! It was wonderful having you here today. I hope to see you at WEP this month if it will fit into your busy schedule! We always look forward to your #flashfiction.

Jemi Fraser - Dancing with Dementia - blog tour appearance - EMOTIONAL NONFICTION.

Today is the first day of Jemi Fraser's blog tour. I'm sorry my post is a little late due to circumstances beyond my control. Her TOUR CALENDAR  is at the end of the post.

I asked Jemi to talk to us about emotional nonfiction. Take it away, Jemi. 

EMOTIONAL NONFICTION

Writing is always an emotional experience. I know this is true for me, but I believe it is true for most authors as well.

I write romance, an emotional genre. My characters become important to me and I’ve often found myself laughing and smiling along with them as I write. I worry along with my characters and cry for them as well. (Yes, even as I create the things that they worry and cry about!)

I figured writing romance was a pretty emotional experience.

And then I started writing Dancing With Dementia. Nonfiction, but more emotional than any fiction I’ve written.

Because of the nature of the project, I found myself emotionally drained as I wrote. Watching our Loved Ones experience dementia is tough. Even those funny moments (and there are lots of them) in the book were emotionally difficult to write.

Writing about that dementia meant that I experienced each and every incident over and over again as I wrote and revised and edited and proofed.

I tried working on other writing projects to lighten my heart but the Dementia project refused to let me go. Those other projects were firmly booted to the back burner for a long time. They’re battling for my attention now that Dancing With Dementia is heading out to the real world.

With the emotional impact DWD has on me, I had to make some adjustments.

•           shorter time frames for writing

•           don’t write immediately before or after visiting my mom (our Loved One dealing with dementia)

•           don’t write late at night (guaranteed sleepless night)

•           alternate between the serious moments and the ones filled with laughter and joy

•           focus on how to help other people navigating those first steps in the Dance of Dementia

It will be interesting to see how my writing process morphs as I once again focus on fiction writing.

How about you? If you’re a writer, do emotional bits of your project affect you in the Real World? Have you had to change up your routine because of your subject matter? As a reader, do those emotional works affect you as well?

It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Jemi Fraser’s DANCING WITH DEMENTIA, Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia Blog Tour through MC Book Tours today.

The author is offering a tour-wide international giveaway of an Amazon Gift Card. More information on the giveaway is listed below.

Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia
by Jemi Fraser

◊ Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
◊ Publisher: Just Jemi Books
◊ eBooks
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1-9991258-1-3

Dementia and Alzheimer’s touch the lives of millions around the world, but so much is still unknown.

As first-generation Canadians, we didn’t recognize the early warning signs. We didn’t know the differences between regular aging and the early stages of dementia. We’ve made mistakes but we’ve learned a lot.

DANCING WITH DEMENTIA will help you:
•Identify those early warning signs
•Use visuals to improve communication
•Choose your words wisely
•Redirect and reassure
•Stay calm and cope with your own emotions
•Consider nursing home options
•Improve caregiver self-care

We’ve learned to dance the early steps of the disease with our love and laughter intact. If you are looking for help recognizing early signposts along with practical ways to cope with early Dementia and Alzheimer’s, this book is for you.

DANCING WITH DEMENTIA buy links:
Amazon.com              Amazon.ca          Apple Books       Barnes & Noble          Kobo

Add DANCING WITH DEMENTIA to your Goodreads shelf

For those who aren’t familiar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.

Jemi Fraser writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her nonfiction work focuses on the ways that dementia has impacted her family. Her fiction work varies from contemporary romance to suspense and flash fiction. Years as a teacher have taught Jemi that life is short and that happy endings are a must.

Jemi lives in Northern Ontario, Canada where snow is always a topic of conversation and the autumn leaves make everything better.

For more on Jemi and her writing, visit her following sites:

Website          Just Jemi Blog       Dancing With Dementia blog 

Amazon Page        BookBub      Goodreads       Facebook       Twitter       Quick Tips Videos

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This tour-wide giveaway is for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. The giveaway is open internationally.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and you’ll be directed to the widget.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow Jemi on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you might find out. I hope dementia hasn’t touch your family or friends, but in case it has do you have any tips to share on dealing with this terrible disease?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR CALENDAR:
Monday, March 30: Denise Covey – Guest Post
Mystery Writing is Murder – Guest Post
Defending the Pen – Q & A & Review
Constantine – Guest Post
Tuesday, March 31: Joylene Nowell Butler – Guest Post & Feature
Mainewords – Guest Post
Tara Tyler Talks – Interview
Wednesday, April 1: Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post
Spunk on A Stick – Feature
Circle of Friends – Feature
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Feature & Top Ten List
The Girdle of Melian – Guest Post
The Warrior Muse – Top Ten List
Thursday, April 2: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews & Interviews – Q & A
Thoughts in Progress – Review
Friday, April 3: Pat Garcia Book Reviews – Review
Writer’s Gambit – Top Ten List
Ellen Jacobson Author – Top Ten List & Review