“What was she like?” Joy dared at last to ask the question haunting her.
“Who?” Ray started, the warmth draining from his gaze. Even the hand lying between them in the car—the hand that until now had been holding and occasionally stroking Joy’s—seemed to grow colder.
“Carolyn. I saw her from time to time, but I never really knew her.” She was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop herself. “We did serve on the same committee once, but... well, actually I served on the committee. She chaired it.”
He hesitated, frowned slightly. He withdrew his hand, fiddled with the controls on the air conditioner.
Joy stared at the BMW’s sophisticated panel of controls, as different from those on her Volkswagen bug as Ray’s waterfront home was from her meager apartment. Not her apartment anymore. That part of her life ended when she said, I do, or—more precisely—when she gave notice and allowed the apartment to be shown and then rented by another single professional woman. She drew in a long slow breath, inhaling the delicious leathery smell of a nearly new car, while she forced herself to be silent, not to babble about something irrelevant, to wait for his answer. When she had about given up, he spoke, his voice clipped. “I don’t like to talk about her.”
“Sorry.”
A faint shiver ran down Joy’s spine. Although it was nearly five years ago that his first wife died, clearly the pain was still fresh. Perhaps it always would be.
“Who?” Ray started, the warmth draining from his gaze. Even the hand lying between them in the car—the hand that until now had been holding and occasionally stroking Joy’s—seemed to grow colder.
“Carolyn. I saw her from time to time, but I never really knew her.” She was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop herself. “We did serve on the same committee once, but... well, actually I served on the committee. She chaired it.”
He hesitated, frowned slightly. He withdrew his hand, fiddled with the controls on the air conditioner.
Joy stared at the BMW’s sophisticated panel of controls, as different from those on her Volkswagen bug as Ray’s waterfront home was from her meager apartment. Not her apartment anymore. That part of her life ended when she said, I do, or—more precisely—when she gave notice and allowed the apartment to be shown and then rented by another single professional woman. She drew in a long slow breath, inhaling the delicious leathery smell of a nearly new car, while she forced herself to be silent, not to babble about something irrelevant, to wait for his answer. When she had about given up, he spoke, his voice clipped. “I don’t like to talk about her.”
“Sorry.”
A faint shiver ran down Joy’s spine. Although it was nearly five years ago that his first wife died, clearly the pain was still fresh. Perhaps it always would be.
"Jeter’s characters and scenery are so vivid and real that I felt I was right there sharing all their hope and fears. So looking forward to the next installment!"
-Jana Little, Reader
"Debra Jeter does a beautiful job creating realistic characters whose lives intertwine in an honest and purposeful way. I found myself still thinking about their stories once the book ended. A novel best enjoyed beachside, pool side or fire side. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down."
-Katy Owen, Reader
"Joy After Noon drew me in and I longed to see Joy make the right decisions and embrace God’s plan for her life. My heart ached along with hers as I followed her struggles. I found myself relating to many characters in the novel--cringing sometimes and laughing at others."
-Tracy Wilbanks, Writer, Reader, Editor.
"I have been privileged to be the editor for this book. Jeter weaves a suspenseful plot while tugging at the heartstrings."
-Linda Wood Rondeau, Author, A Father’s Prayer
Song of Sugar Sands
Fun Facts about Debra
How I Started Writing:
I’ve loved writing all my life. I attempted my first “novel” when I was about nine after being captivated by Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon mysteries. In college, I studied everything from Theatre to Pre-Medicine. In an acting class, I received the highest grades in our class, not because my acting was superior but because I did the best job of describing (on paper) my “Inner Resources” for each scene. It dawned on me then that I was more a writer than an actor.
Who Influenced My Writing:
Being southern myself, I’m drawn to southern writers and settings: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone With the Wind, the stories and novels of William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, William Gay, Larry Brown, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, Donna Tartt, Lee Smith, Zora Neal Hurston, and Alice Walker.
When I first encountered Crime and Punishment as required reading in 9th grade, Dostoyevsky became my favorite writer and remains so. The idea that a character doesn’t have to be noble in his or her actions to be a viable protagonist, that one can be guilty of the vilest actions imaginable and yet still redeemable in fiction as in life, struck a chord with me. From the Russian writers (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Pasternak and Chekhov), I discovered that “not being able to put it down” was not necessarily the highest praise for a book. Another writer I can read over and over is C.S. Lewis, and I learn something new each time I read him.
Jan Karon is one of the writers who inspires me because she never expected her books to have a great audience, and she published her first novel late in life. I’m also inspired by the fiction of Madeleine L’Engle and by her book on writing, Walking On Water, in which she discusses the connections among faith, spirituality, and creative work.
Among my favorites to read (which always influences me, even if at a subconscious level) are a number of literary writers, as well as authors who are commercially very successful but also incredibly talented and often lauded. They include: Anita Shreve (my daughter once told me that her writing reminded her of mine, and I was thrilled), Daphne du Maurier, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Richard Russo, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Ian McEwan, Barbara Kingsolver, Wally Lamb, Amor Towles, Elizabeth Berg, Lisa See, Amy Tan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Khaled Hosseini.
What I Have Written:
The Ticket is a novel about a family struggling financially who comes into a sudden windfall, and the impact this win has on the various members of the family. Edited by Eva Marie Everson and published by Firefly Southern Fiction (an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), The Ticket was a Selah Award finalist in two categories and a finalist in Jerry Jenkins’ Operation First Novel.
Pshaw, It’s Me Grandson: Tales of a Young Actor: The road to maturity is filled with chug holes and chuckles for rambunctious child actor Clay Jeter and his grandfather Clifton Coleman. This true story is a fly-on-the-wall account of making the television series Christy, based on the Catherine Marshall novel, as well as a great examination of country living in the first half of the twentieth century. It was a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.
Joy After Noon is the first novel in the Sugar Sands series. This novel explores the challenges of second marriages and dealing with stepchildren during the crucial years of puberty and teenage angst. College professor Fatima Joy marries a widowed bank executive caught in an ethical dilemma and misreads his obvious frustration while struggling to integrate into her new family.
Song of Sugar Sands: Acadia Powers knows herself to be too selfish, too sinful, and too skeptical in her faith to marry a preacher. And yet she does. A deeply devout young man falls in love with the beautiful but troubled Acadia, and the young couple embark with high hopes on a new life pastoring a small church in a southern community. Song of Sugar Sands is the second novel in the Sugar Sands series, and is scheduled for publication in 2019 by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.
I have also coauthored two textbooks, one in its 7th edition, and the screenplay for a feature film. Jess + Moss premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival and garnered a number of international awards.
What I'm Working On Now:
The book I’ve just finished is based on the life of my grandmother, who was born in 1900. The working title is When the Rest of Heaven Was Blue. It’s a story of hardship, poverty, and struggle but also of love and joy and the wealth that comes from immaterial things in life. One of the messages that emerge is to cherish the moments we have in this short stint on earth and to let our loved ones know how we feel about them.
I’ve loved writing all my life. I attempted my first “novel” when I was about nine after being captivated by Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon mysteries. In college, I studied everything from Theatre to Pre-Medicine. In an acting class, I received the highest grades in our class, not because my acting was superior but because I did the best job of describing (on paper) my “Inner Resources” for each scene. It dawned on me then that I was more a writer than an actor.
Who Influenced My Writing:
Being southern myself, I’m drawn to southern writers and settings: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone With the Wind, the stories and novels of William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, William Gay, Larry Brown, Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, Donna Tartt, Lee Smith, Zora Neal Hurston, and Alice Walker.
When I first encountered Crime and Punishment as required reading in 9th grade, Dostoyevsky became my favorite writer and remains so. The idea that a character doesn’t have to be noble in his or her actions to be a viable protagonist, that one can be guilty of the vilest actions imaginable and yet still redeemable in fiction as in life, struck a chord with me. From the Russian writers (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Pasternak and Chekhov), I discovered that “not being able to put it down” was not necessarily the highest praise for a book. Another writer I can read over and over is C.S. Lewis, and I learn something new each time I read him.
Jan Karon is one of the writers who inspires me because she never expected her books to have a great audience, and she published her first novel late in life. I’m also inspired by the fiction of Madeleine L’Engle and by her book on writing, Walking On Water, in which she discusses the connections among faith, spirituality, and creative work.
Among my favorites to read (which always influences me, even if at a subconscious level) are a number of literary writers, as well as authors who are commercially very successful but also incredibly talented and often lauded. They include: Anita Shreve (my daughter once told me that her writing reminded her of mine, and I was thrilled), Daphne du Maurier, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Richard Russo, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Ian McEwan, Barbara Kingsolver, Wally Lamb, Amor Towles, Elizabeth Berg, Lisa See, Amy Tan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Khaled Hosseini.
What I Have Written:
The Ticket is a novel about a family struggling financially who comes into a sudden windfall, and the impact this win has on the various members of the family. Edited by Eva Marie Everson and published by Firefly Southern Fiction (an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), The Ticket was a Selah Award finalist in two categories and a finalist in Jerry Jenkins’ Operation First Novel.
Pshaw, It’s Me Grandson: Tales of a Young Actor: The road to maturity is filled with chug holes and chuckles for rambunctious child actor Clay Jeter and his grandfather Clifton Coleman. This true story is a fly-on-the-wall account of making the television series Christy, based on the Catherine Marshall novel, as well as a great examination of country living in the first half of the twentieth century. It was a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.
Joy After Noon is the first novel in the Sugar Sands series. This novel explores the challenges of second marriages and dealing with stepchildren during the crucial years of puberty and teenage angst. College professor Fatima Joy marries a widowed bank executive caught in an ethical dilemma and misreads his obvious frustration while struggling to integrate into her new family.
Song of Sugar Sands: Acadia Powers knows herself to be too selfish, too sinful, and too skeptical in her faith to marry a preacher. And yet she does. A deeply devout young man falls in love with the beautiful but troubled Acadia, and the young couple embark with high hopes on a new life pastoring a small church in a southern community. Song of Sugar Sands is the second novel in the Sugar Sands series, and is scheduled for publication in 2019 by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.
I have also coauthored two textbooks, one in its 7th edition, and the screenplay for a feature film. Jess + Moss premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival and garnered a number of international awards.
What I'm Working On Now:
The book I’ve just finished is based on the life of my grandmother, who was born in 1900. The working title is When the Rest of Heaven Was Blue. It’s a story of hardship, poverty, and struggle but also of love and joy and the wealth that comes from immaterial things in life. One of the messages that emerge is to cherish the moments we have in this short stint on earth and to let our loved ones know how we feel about them.
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for being a part of my tour! Could you share one thing you look for or appreciate in a romance (either on paper or in life)?
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine what it would be like having to navigate through a second marriage with existing families....it is hard enough with the first one!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Sue. I haven't experienced a second marriage, but I got to thinking about what a challenge it would be and that's part of what inspired me to write Joy After Noon.
Delete:)
DeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rita. I hope you try it. Let me know what you think if you do.
DeleteNice cover
ReplyDeleteThanks, Edgar. Glad you like it!
DeleteThanks! We worked hard selecting that cover--glad you like it. Hope some of you check out the book! I'm also working hard to build an audience.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Victoria, glad you like it.
Deletethanks, Victoria
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking time to bring to our attention another great read. I appreciate it and thank you also for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, James, for being part of my tour today!
DeleteThanks for the giveaway; I like the excerpt. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the excerpt. Hope you try the novel :)
DeleteLove the part in the excerpt about forcing herself to remain silent and not babble. Totally relate.
ReplyDeleteSo do I. I always admire people who are good at keeping silent, and I'm trying to learn that skill. Tough going though.
DeleteVer lovely cover. Wish I was on the beach
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie. Me too!
DeleteAre you a gone with the wind fan? A favorite of mine!
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting sorry.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. I'm glad it caught your interest. Hope you check it out, and good luck with the drawing/giveaway.
DeleteThank you
DeleteSo glad you joined the tour today, Mary. Hope you try the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone who commented or just visited the site today. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteHow did you come up with name of the book?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question. Initially, the idea behind my title was that my protagonist Joy’s life has been lonely (and joy has been elusive) since her parents died when she was sixteen, and she has about given up on finding love when she meets Ray. She comes into his ready-made family and, for a time, this seems like a mistake to her. However, in the afternoon of her life, she finds love and joy. Yet, I think the concept goes deeper than this, and the afternoon of life does not begin at a particular age, or even stage of life. In the novel, Ray has been pursuing career success and material acquisitions, and experiences a significant change of direction. Some fairly disastrous events in his workplace precipitate the change in Ray—events that threaten not only his financial stability but the core of who he is. Even Ray’s teenage daughters experience significant change, as they are forced to think about issues of life and death.
DeleteCarl Jung says: “The afternoon of life is just as full of meaning as the morning; only, its meaning and purpose are different.” When do you think the afternoon of life begins?
A big thank-you to my host today! I am delighted at the responses and comments I received.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is gorgeous! I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy. I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you finish.
DeleteThis cover is eye catching! I really loved reading about this book! Im so excited to have a new book and author to try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. This book is the first of a new series, and I'm currently editing the second one, called Song of Sugar Sands.
DeleteI like the cover
ReplyDeleteSo glad this cover has turned out to be a hit! Do you go by Gwen or Gwendolyn? Love the name.
DeleteSounds great.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dale, and I hope you check it out. I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you do.
Deletethe cover is really cool
ReplyDeleteWe debated whether to show her face entirely, or just the back of her head (so you could fill in the face as you like) or the compromise that we finally went with of showing just a profile. Glad you like it.
Deletethank you for the giveaway
ReplyDeletetiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
You're welcome!
Deletethanks sounds like a wonderful book
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. That's what I love to hear!
Deletesounds so good.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I like your "handle"--I love sunshine myself, get a bit depressed if it's rainy or overcast for too long.
DeleteWhat do you want readers to take away from your stories?
ReplyDeleteI love it when a reader thinks something along the lines of: I know that feeling or I can really relate to this situation or feeling or dilemma. In Joy After Noon, I want the reader to think about how vital communication is in any relationship and how easy it is to misread another person's feelings. I think there's a somewhat unique message in all my books; at least I hope there is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like to send the message that there's always hope, even when things seem really bleak.
ReplyDeleteThose reviewers really make me want to read the book! I can't imagine what Joy has to go through trying to live up to Ray's first wife. On another note, it's funny that you mentioned Crime and Punishment. I'm about halfway through the book and I really want to make it all the way through it but I keep stopping. I feel like there will be a pay off eventually but it hasn't happened for me yet. Maybe you mentioning it is a sign to keep reading it. Can't wait to read all of your book!
ReplyDeleteGood luck finishing Crime and Punishment. I know that not everyone loves that book, but I remember how it struck me that the author was able to make you relate to people who are doing really horrible things. No matter what we do it's always possible to find a path to Redemption. I do look forward to hearing what you think of my book and I'm so glad that you liked the sound of it
DeleteGood luck finishing Crime and Punishment. I know that not everyone loves that book, but I was struck by the way the author is able to make you relate to people who have done truly horrible things. I find it encouraging that no matter what we do, it's always possible to find a path to Redemption. I am so glad that you liked the sound of my novel, and I look forward to hearing what you think of it.
ReplyDelete