BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume VI: Full Circle

Gables of Legacy, Volume VI: Full Circle

I had believed that this particular series was completed after five volumes, and then I moved on to other things. Much later, the idea came for this book and I realized that the story of Michael and Emily and their family was not yet completed. The title, “Full Circle,” came to me early on and felt very right for the theme of this story, and I was glad the publisher agreed to use it.

If you’ve followed Michael and Emily’s story from the beginning, then you know that they are kind of the Romeo and Juliet of LDS fiction—minus the tragic ending. The wonderful thing about the gospel, and writing stories with gospel-themes, is that we know the end of this life is not the end. When Michael passed away in volume three of this series, the story had shifted so that their children were the main focus of the plot-line, but obviously Emily remained a very strong character and well loved by readers. It occurred to me that Emily’s story could not really be over until she was reunited with Michael. Also, there was a point that had been made very strongly back in “Now and Forever,” that I felt needed follow-through at the end of the series. The point being that Michael and Emily were not able to be sealed in this life, because she was sealed to her first husband. Through some powerful spiritual experiences, Michael and Emily both came to know that they would be together forever, and the technicalities would be worked out when they got to the other side, but they made their children promise that once they were both gone, they would make certain that sealing was taken care of. Many of you have written to me over the years to ask if this is doctrinally correct, and the answer is yes. When we do temple work for those who are dead, a woman can be sealed to more than one man, so that the ordinance is in place, and the rest will get worked out on the other side. Once Emily had been gone for a year, this could happen. So, I’m giving away the ending if you haven’t read it: the culmination of this series was the sealing by proxy of Michael and Emily, and their children having a spiritual witness that they were indeed together. It’s the ultimate conclusion to a Mormon love story.

While getting Emily to that point, however, I needed some serious plot to get her through the final years of her life. I’ve written about romance in many seasons of life, but it was a new twist to have a widowed grandmother decide that she’s tired of being alone, she’s bored with her life, and she wants to start dating again. In a way that seems typical of real life, the adult children weren’t terribly thrilled with their mother trying to fill their father’s shoes. The story ended up having some great messages in that regard, and some real tenderness and romance. All in all, it has a great happy ending. And Anita Stansfield guarantees a happy ending.

BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume V: The Miracle

Gables of Legacy, Volume V: The Miracle

Featured Song: “Straight Up”
by Paula Abdul

This volume of the series takes a little twist as Jess’s younger sister Emma becomes the main character, but Jess’s place in the story is still very prominent. The family is still struggling to come to terms with Michael’s death, but the story brings on more challenges. Of course, without challenges there would be no plot. Sometimes readers ask me why I don’t write more about these characters. First of all, I haven’t had any inspiration to go beyond the books already in this series, but I also reached a point where I felt like this family had already endured enough and we should let them rest in peace. But who knows what the future will bring?

I loved having Emma serve her mission on Temple Square, and the way that she connects with Scott Ivie because he’d met Jess when he’d been serving his mission in Salt Lake City years earlier. The way that Scott is drawn into the family is tender and illustrates the way that God orchestrates our lives if we’re paying attention to the Spirit and follow Its guidance.

Little bit of trivia: in my mind, I saw Scott as looking very much like Hugh Jackman. Ironically, he is Australian, but in MY story, he’s the American among an Australian family. But he had the right look, so it’s all good.

In regard to my next entry, I didn’t realize at this point that there would be another volume; I thought the story was finished. Later, more inspiration came for the final book.

BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume IV: An Eternal Bond

Gables of Legacy, Volume IV:
An Eternal Bond

Featured Song: “With Arms Wide Open” by Creed

This song actually came up in the previous book, but its message flows into this one. This is one of many songs I learned to love through my children, because this was one of my son’s favorite songs when it came out. It’s a little “hard” sounding, but the lyrics are beautiful. This song expresses Jess’s joy in learning that he was going to be a father. And that “hard” feeling in the music captures his personality in a way.

For the record, I hate the title of this book and it was changed without my knowledge. This is when I put my foot down and asked for more input, and they’ve been much better about at least consulting me on title changes since then. My working title was “A Gilded World.” There’s a line of poetry in the front of the book which includes this phrase. My idea with the series was that each title would have a lovely “G” word in it to work as alliteration with the “Gables” series. That was nixed on the previous volume when my idea of “Going Home” was nixed for “The Silver Linings,” which I didn’t like either. On this book, the committee argued that no one would know what “gilded” meant. I said they would by the end of the book. Oh well, I learned a long time ago that it doesn’t matter so much what the title is as what’s inside.

In this story, Jess is struggling to come to terms with his father’s death and he doesn’t feel worthy of all that’s been left to him. He’s inherited wealth, but he’s also inherited a great deal of responsibility. Jess and Tamra are confronted with an immense number of challenges. This book exemplifies the theory of “When it rains it pours.” One of the revision suggestions was that there were too many trials in this book, that it wasn’t realistic, and I needed to tone it down. I told them I knew a number of people who could testify that it WAS realistic. It was one of those cases when truth was stranger than fiction, even if it was based in a simple principle. But I always wanted my fiction to have a realistic edge. Sometimes people are hit with so much all at once that they don’t know how to cope. They let me keep all of the trials and struggles in tact, and Jess and Tamra came through in the end, better and stronger for having endured them well. Now THAT is a great life lesson.

BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume III: The Silver Linings

Gables of Legacy, Volume III:
The Silver Linings

Featured song:
“When We Dance” by Sting

This song was released years after I wrote “First Love and Forever” but it fit the situation so perfectly with Michael and Emily that I fell in love with the song. In this book, when Michael knows he doesn’t have much time left in this world, I had him dance with Emily to this song. I know I seriously cried when I wrote that scene.

In some ways, this was one of the hardest books I’ve ever written. As I’ve mentioned previously, the idea for this series came to me more as one big story, and I knew early on there was going to be a death in the family, but it was still difficult to write about.

Michael Hamilton is a deeply beloved character, as those of you who have read his story from the beginning will attest to. Having him die of cancer was an emotional roller coaster for me. As always, I write from inspiration and I feel like I’m writing a book the way I’m SUPPOSED to write it, not the way I WANT to write it. I know that many readers were upset by this event, but I can assure you that no one cried over it more than I did. I went through a grieving process through the course of this story that I’ve experienced rarely in my stories. And the effect it had on my readers was a compliment to me. (Even though some of them were real mad and I actually got some hate mail.) Michael obviously felt real, or there would be no grief. Of course, his family members left behind were the ones that we could relate to. I felt like it was an important learning experience, for me as a writer, and for my readers. If we can learn something about the grieving process—and making peace with it—through the experience of fictional characters, then we might be better prepared to handle it when it happens in real life. If we haven’t lost someone close to us, we inevitably will. It’s just the nature of life.

This book is dedicated to Conrad and Diane. These are dear people in my ward. Conrad died of cancer and Diane was left at an age and in a situation very much like Emily. Diane is someone I look up to and admire, and her courage and faith inspired me, even though the common threads didn’t really strike me until I was well into writing the book. She shared some of her feelings and experiences with me, and she taught me much about the ministering of angels that went into this book, and the next one. Their youngest son was actually serving a mission when the cancer was diagnosed. It was very difficult for the family and for all who love them. But they are a great example of pressing forward that I wanted to capture in fiction. Diane later served a mission and is doing well.

The really great thing that counteracts the impact of Michael’s death is knowing that you can go back and read the previous books over and over, and he will live forever.

BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume II: A Guiding Star

Gables of Legacy, Volume II:
A Guiding Star

Since this book was coming out at Christmas time, I wanted it to be kind of a Christmas book, and also fit into the series. In my original broad conception of the series, I knew that it was important for Tamra to go back and face her own past. To have it happen at Christmas time seemed appropriate. In volume one, Jess had to deal with the skeletons in his closet, and now Tamra needs to do the same.

The overall message of this book is one that I’ve used multiple times, laced into different plot lines. Many of us come from some degree of a dysfunctional family, and if we really want to be at peace, sooner or later we have to face up to how those things have affected us, and decide if we’re going to carry on the negative cycles or break them and start better ones. Tamra’s mother was definitely at the higher end of dysfunctional, but Tamra was one of those people with a strong spiritual instinct that brings her beyond it. Later in the series, we find out some things that help us understand how Tamra became the way she was, which is often the case. We certainly can’t judge something when we can’t see the whole picture. But we CAN choose to rise above it.

I loved bringing in the surprise of Tamra’s father in this book, and his turning out to be something completely different than what she’d expected. The life lessons Tamra learns in this book are something I think we each should consider, as she comes to learn that it’s her own choices, and not her past, that determines who she is.

BACK HISTORY: Gables of Legacy, Volume I: The Guardian

Gables of Legacy,
Volume I: The Guardian

Featured song: “Alive and Kicking” by Simple Minds

When I finished the story of the Hamilton family several books before this, I really believed it was done for good. I had no inclination whatsoever that this story would move into the next generation. When I got the idea of making Jess Michael Hamilton the fourth the hero of his own story, I thought it would be one book, and I was going to call it “Gables of Legacy.” As I started writing, it quickly grew in my mind and I knew it needed to be a series. I’m not the kind of writer to do outlines, but I did stop at this point to calculate where the story could be divided into parts that would make adequate books with solid beginnings and endings, but take the story on. “The Guardian” became volume one, and by the way, I love this title! It’s a great title, but I mostly love it because the guardian we’re talking about is Alexandra Byrnehouse-Davies from “The Gable Faces East.” In this story, Tamra feels drawn into the Hamilton family by someone from the other side of the veil. She later realizes that Alexa had guided her to the family home just in time to save Jess from taking his own life.

One of the things I loved about this book was seeing the Hamilton family, the station, the history shown in previous books, all through the eyes of a new character. It’s easy to fall in love with Michael and Emily all over again as you see them from this new perspective.

I have a little motto that I always guarantee a happy ending, but I can’t make any promises regarding the beginning of the next volume. I believe that this is a lot like life and it portrays a more realistic sense of life than most romantic fiction. Problems are a part of life, and they continue to come up. Here we see Michael and Emily facing new challenges as the parents of adult children, but their experiences of the past give them a great deal of wisdom and compassion. I’ve learned a great deal from them, myself.

BACK HISTORY: The Three Gifts of Christmas

The Three Gifts of Christmas

Through the process of connecting the historical “Gables” novels and the contemporary “First Love” series, I realized there was a generation missing. After the success (and personal enjoyment) of the two previous smaller Christmas books, I decided to solve the problem by writing a Christmas story that would bridge the generations together. As with everything I write, it felt very inspired. I loved the idea of Allison coming home for Christmas, and the story being spurred by her conversations with her dying grandmother.

Since my father and my father-in-law both served in World War II, the era has a special place in my heart. In fact, my parents were newlyweds when my father was drafted, and I often thought of these characters and wondered how it might have been like for my parents. Looking at pictures of my mom and dad from these years certainly helped my inspiration along.

Part of the idea also came from hearing the fact that WW II fighter pilots had a life expectancy of six weeks once they were in action. (I think that’s the right number; I know it’s right in the book.) While that element intrigued me, I took what I knew of the previous and future generations in this family and pieced it all together. I also had the help of a wonderful woman I’d met who was Australian. She had read some of the previous manuscripts to help me make sure I was handling the Australian elements okay. She taught me about the Australian Christmas traditions and it was easy to tie those into the Hamilton family and the boys home.

I love to reread this book at Christmas time, and I love the way the scripture at the beginning takes on such powerful meaning with the things that LeNay learned during her early years at Byrnehouse-Davies and Hamilton. I love seeing Alexa as a grandmother figure; her wisdom and experience are powerful! I want to be that kind of grandmother some day.

BACK HISTORY: Gables Against the Sky





Gables Against the Sky

Featured song: “Great Southern Land” by Icehouse And: “Hey Little Girl” and “Cross the Border” also by Icehouse And: “East of the Sun” and “Slender Frame” by a-ha

I remember listening to this song (“Great Southern Land” by Icehouse) over and over and feeling strangely drawn to it. I couldn’t get enough of it. I kept feeling like the song itself had some deeper message that I wasn’t getting, and if I listened to it long enough, I might get it. I remember very clearly the moment when this song (after hearing it at least a hundred times) seemed to trigger something in my mind and a story rushed in suddenly. I remember that it happened on my birthday, but I don’t think that’s significant. In a matter of moments I perceived the story of Jess and Alexa’s son, Tyson, and how he loved a woman who had been raised by his parents, but never officially adopted. I felt his immaturity and selfishness and his loathing for his home. And I could see the difficult journey that brought him to appreciate how blessed his life had been. That journey included rescuing his sister and the woman he loved from the villain who kidnapped them and took them into the Outback. I kept listening to that song while I wrote frantically, along with some other songs by Icehouse that became kind of a soundtrack to the story.

Michael Hamilton was originally the villain, and I wrote him that way. He was completely horrible and unredeemable. Then, as I was writing, I found Emma falling in love with him. It took me as much by surprise as it did her, but I had long ago come to accept that characters take over and must be respected in the creative process. I had to go back and rewrite the beginning to make Michael redeemable. He took over the story and became even more of a hero than Tyson, or at least more of a main character. While it’s a dual love story, Michael definitely stole the story. I still laugh to think of some of his antics. And the lessons of his life are powerful, if I say so myself.

Rewriting the beginning was no small thing, since I wrote this during those days of the typewriter at the kitchen table, which I have referred to before. And there was no letter P, except for the times I was using my mother’s typewriter. As I’ve also mentioned before, this book and its prequel were written long before I even considered writing LDS fiction, and then they just all kind of melded together. When it actually came time to submit this book for publication, I had to retype the whole thing (editing and revising as I went) into a computer so I would have an electronic file for submission. I was on bedrest with my last pregnancy at the time and it became necessary to purchase a laptop. I’ve been writing on one ever since. This is specifically why I dedicated the book to Alyssa Dawn. She was right there with me during the rewrite, kicking me now and then.


Drawing by Anna C. Stansfield, copyright 2009

I have a dear friend who loves this book so much she has literally worn out multiple copies. I think she has a crush on Michael. But I think I do, too. (Along with a number of other fictional heroes.)  It was the actor Alan Rickman who inspired my Michael Hamilton. If you don’t know the name, you’ll know he plays Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies. Of course, Michael would be much younger, but he just fits the part so well. (Of course, I wrote it many years ago. You should also check out “Sense and Sensibility with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson; he’s in that and so adorable.) As with many of the actors that inspire me, he’s not conventionally handsome, but he has so much charisma and such a presence. I’m including a picture my daughter, Anna, drew of Alan Rickman from a different movie. (“Truly, Madly, Deeply”; I highly recommend it.) Of course, Michael didn’t play the cello, but the look of this picture is so much my Michael, minus a few years.

BACK HISTORY: The Gable Faces East

The Gable Faces East

Featured Song: “Crazy” by Icehouse

I came up with this title years before I came up with an idea for a story that fit. I just remember thinking that one day it would work, and it did. In fact, the title became so much a part of the story, that it was amazing to me. I wrote the book in 1988, long before I ever considered writing LDS fiction. Much later, when I had started writing my first LDS novel (see notes on First Love and Forever here on this blog) I just knew that Michael would be the descendent of these characters. But it was years later that this was published.

For my publisher, doing a book without LDS content was somewhat of an experiment, and after doing a handful of them, we mutually decided that it wasn’t working. I learned after the fact that they weren’t very clear within the company what their policy actually was on certain issues. I submitted the book with the belief that if there were aspects to the story they felt needed changing, I would work with them to do the changes. Long after it was published, it came to my attention that some readers (AND some people who worked for my publisher) were outraged at the content of this book. For me, I knew that in contrast to national market romances, it was squeaky clean, (and that’s what my goal was, to offer a positive alternative to such books) but for some people it was apparently extremely offensive. This was when I first met with the true meaning of hate mail, and I became well acquainted with what we unaffectionately call the self-appointed morality patrol. I recall receiving two letters on the same day: one was from a woman who told me I was writing pornography, the book should be burned, and I wasn’t worthy of a temple recommend. The other was from a mother thanking me for writing a clean historical romance that she could let her teenaged daughters read. It’s clearly all a matter of perspective, but the people who hated this book spoke very loudly and it began a downward cycle in policies, politics, and book sales.

Ironically, the book sold very well, and I’m still frequently told by many good women that this book is one of their favorites. If I had to go back and write it again, I might have been more careful in how some things were presented, but I would never change the story. I know that the intentions of my heart were to write a clean book that taught good messages. The publisher let the book go out of print because I believe it became somewhat of an embarrassment to them. But hey, it’s a great story and it's now available for the Kindle HERE.

I’ve often been asked: why Australia? The answer is: when the idea for this story came, it was in Australia. The characters are Australians; where else would they live? Can’t wait to tell you about the sequel, Gables Against the Sky!

BACK HISTORY: Home for Christmas

Home for Christmas...
As far as music goes, I listened to a variety of Christmas stuff to set the mood—but it was in the middle of the summer, which only contributed to my reputation of being a little off.

I love Christmas stories! So, when I got the idea to stick a Christmas story into this series, I was very excited. The goal with a good Christmas story (in my opinion) is to provoke some of that childlike excitement and to create the kind of cozy atmosphere that comprises the classic Christmas celebration. But I think my favorite line in this book is when Allison asks Sariah’s brothers if they’re the three Nephites.

Ammon was actually inspired by someone I knew briefly, who shall remain anonymous since he doesn’t know he inspired a hero. He was very handsome and played the piano at church. I didn’t know him that well. I just liked to watch him play the piano.

The greatest trivia I can tell about this story is something that happened long after it was written. When my oldest son was ready to propose marriage, he asked me (being the romance expert) how he should go about it. Since he’d read the book, I suggested we put the ring in an ice cube in her drink and have her family over for dinner. He had the real ring tucked away close by, not wanting to risk losing it through some freak occurrence, while a cheap ring was hiding in her Kool-Aid. She took forever to drink it, then finally went cross-eyed when she spied something in her glass. It was a great moment!

One of my dear friends tells me often that of everything I’ve written, this book is one of her very favorites. I like it too, and I pull it out every few years at Christmas time, just for fun.

BACK HISTORY: By Love and Grace

I actually wrote a good portion of "By Love and Grace" before I wrote “Now and Forever,” then out of the blue (another term for inspiration) I came up with the idea of having Sean O’Hara live with Michael and Emily so their lives could be integrated, and one story would lead into another. It worked out well in the long run with the way Sean kept showing up in the Hamilton Family Saga.

When the storyline first came to me, it was evident that having a heroine become the victim of a rape was a tumultuous and poignant conflict. Having it occur soon after meeting the hero brought up all kinds of irony and dilemma. With the story idea in place, I began researching this very sensitive topic, and pondering my own feelings on the matter. Having the hero a psychologist in training seemed another great irony, one that I can’t take credit for. (Inspiration again.) It felt completely right and natural that Tara would give this baby to someone else, which was a great opportunity to talk about the beautiful principle of adoption. Over the years, this book has been passed into many, many hands as they’ve dealt with rape, unwanted pregnancy, and/or adoption. It’s gratifying for me to see that it’s helped many people deal with real-life problems, even though for me it all stemmed from simply wanting to write a great story.

A year or so after this book was published, I met a man who became my own personal Sean O’Hara. He’s a remarkable psychologist who rose above his own challenging upbringing. Since that time we’ve become good friends and his insights have helped me a great deal in my own life as well as in my work. I take pride in being one of the people in his life that finally convinced him to write a book. (Because he’s so smart and has such great ideas.) It’s called “Everyday Parents Raising Great Kids,” by James D. MacArthur. Whether you’re raising kids or not, you should read this book!

I had barely finished this manuscript when I realized that I’d spoken to people who had been on both sides of adoption, but I hadn’t actually talked to a rape victim, and perhaps I should in order to be certain I’d gotten it right. I went to a book signing (during a BYU game; not smart) and not one customer came in . . . except for a young lady who had been raped and was pregnant, and working toward adoption. We talked and bonded. She read the manuscript and assured me that I had it right. (Must be inspiration.) This is one of many experiences that has let me know I’m being guided and directed in my work, which makes me very grateful, and humbled by the privilege.

BACK HISTORY: Now and Forever

"Now and Forever"

Featured Song: “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey

Music is an integral part of my writing. I discovered it accidentally many years before I got a book published. Sometimes it’s like the Twilight Zone when it happens. (And it’s going to come up a lot in our book discussions.) There I was, minding my own business behind the wheel, listening to the car radio. I always liked this song by Journey. But suddenly I’m hearing it and seeing Michael driving dangerously fast across the flat Australian landscape. He was hurt and angry. He’d done it after Emily had first left him, and he was doing it again—only this time his bad habit was going to get him into a great deal of trouble. And if the lyrics don’t fit perfectly, I’m not the queen of writing Mormon soap operas.

Some of my LDS novels have dealt with issues that are universal, such as domestic violence, cancer, rape, disabilities, etc. But some of them face challenges that are exclusive to our religious beliefs, and our culture. This is one of those books. The main conflict regards the fact that Michael is not sealed to Emily, and he’s terrified of losing her. It’s a situation unique to Mormonism and it requires a great deal of faith for those who are faced with it. The story answers the questions as far as it’s possible to answer them while in this mortal life. I’ve received many letters from people who have dealt with the same issue, and it’s nice to know the story made a difference for them.

BACK HISTORY: First Love Second Chances

"First Love Second Chances" is like a bridge for me between books one and three of the trilogy. It was necessary to get to the really great stuff in “Now and Forever,” and it’s just kind of an extension of “First Love and Forever.”

When the idea initially came for this story, I thought, “I need this hero to be rich, English speaking, but foreign.” And the next thought that came to my mind was, “He is the descendent of the characters in books you’ve already written.”

It became easy to create Michael as a deep and well-faceted character when I knew everything about his grandparents and great-grandparents. It was years later before “The Gable Faces East” and “Gables Against the Sky” were published. We’ll get to those books all in good time. Given my own history with the family, it was exciting to take Emily and her children to the station in Australia and have it seen through her eyes. My readers didn’t know what was coming with generations past, but I did. What I didn’t realize at the time was how the story would continue on through the following generation, as well. And we’ll get to that later, as well.

Enjoy September's Book, "First Love Second Chances"!

~Anita

BACK HISTORY: First Love and Forever

First Love and Forever

Featured song: “Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg

Through many years of writing historical romantic novels and trying to sell them on the national market, I did nothing but collect rejection letters and get discouraged. Once in a while a friend would suggest I try writing LDS fiction. I insisted it was not my niche. (This is funny, right?) Then one day something shifted in my mind, as if I were being told that I was supposed to write for women who shared my faith, and I could change the way it was done. A couple of hours later, the plot for “First Love and Forever” was swimming around in my head, from beginning to end (minus some details, of course). Somewhere in the middle of writing it, I heard the song by Dan Fogelberg on the radio. I had always loved the song, but I was blown away as the lyrics fit the emotions of my story so well, (except for the part about the beer). Therefore, I ended up listening to the song hundreds of times while I was writing, and it helped me with the poignancy of the story. “Just for a moment I was back at school and felt that old familiar pain . . .”

I wrote the book at my kitchen table in a 900-square-foot house, with four children. The ages of Emily’s girls were very close to three of my four children. I used their behavior and sometimes even quoted them. I wanted the book to feel real for a young mother, the way that babies cry and interrupt conversations, etc. I was writing on a typewriter my husband had bought at D.I. that didn’t type the letter P. (For more on this, you can read my essay in the book “Reflections.”)

The book was rejected five times, including once by the publisher that ended up making it a best seller. It was remarkable to me how many people told me that this book changed their life or saved their marriage. For that reason and many more, I know it was inspired. Many of my characters are very dear to me, but there’s just something wonderful about Michael and Emily that can’t be duplicated. Oh, and . . . in my mind, Michael looks just like Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams.” With an Australian accent, of course.

For more trivia on this story, tune in September when we continue with its sequel; "First Love, Second Chances".