When I write, my characters develop a life of their own, no matter what I may have envisioned for them.
There are many mothers in Everything in Between, and there are many ways to be a mother.
Each of these women are unique in their own way. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’d like to discuss these moms and why they are important to the plot of my novel.
Many of these ladies elevated their roles from minor characters and became real scene stealers. Happy Mother’s Day!
Beverly Carr is Sabrina, the main character’s mother. Beverly helps keep her daughter grounded by being compassionate, caring, and honest. She’s a wonderful role model who is actively involved in her community. Before she became pregnant with Sabrina, Beverly was told by her doctors that she would never be able to conceive. Sabrina was her “happy surprise.” Beverly enjoyed being a mother and loved “mothering” Sabrina and her friends. According to Sabrina, her mother was meant to have a big family, and anyone who comes into her orbit becomes part of that family. She’s a former teacher, and she is currently the head librarian at the Brookhaven Public Library. Beverly gets to use her skills as a librarian to do research for Sabrina to help solve the mystery surrounding the removal of the memorial plaque from the high school.
Gwen Williams was Adam’s mother. She had trouble becoming pregnant and experienced several miscarriages when he was a child. She was active in her community. She was a member of the local PTA when Adam was in school and volunteered at the library. Gwen was protective of her only child. Gwen shut down when Adam died because in her mind she stopped being a mom. She was not able to recognize the many ways she had been a mother-figure to Adam’s friends and other children in the community. Gwen never came to terms with Adam’s death. She left her husband and remarried. She and her new husband had twin sons using IVF.
Danielle Templeton is Clay’s mother. She is a loving, but reserved parent. After the death of her daughter, Danielle throws herself into her work as a wedding planner/bridal consultant. Danielle has always been the peacemaker in her family. She tries to be the buffer between Clay and his father.
Marie Ward is the widow of Simon Ward the man who caused the bus crash that killed Adam. Marie is a loving mother. She relied heavily on her sons after the accident to help care for their father, and she relies on them to keep the company business going. She defers to her sons.
Tracey Hodges is a strong loving mother. She uses her personal strength to help Steve recover and build a new life after the accident. Tracey was always involved in her community, and the Hodges home was always open to everyone. Like Beverly, she is a strong role model and mother figure to her children’s friends.
Marianne Hodges has two young daughters. She also runs a real estate agency with her older brother. Marianne is an equal partner with her husband Steve. She’s strong and confident and an excellent role model to her daughters.
Lucinda Sloane is the trophy wife. She tries hard to be a loving mother to her stepchildren, but she favors her own child, Talia. She would do anything for Talia even at the expense of others.
Gilda Carlisle is a complex character. She loves her children, but not enough to put them first. She’s not above using her children as leverage to get what she wants. Gilda is a middle school teacher, but she doesn’t enjoy her. She wants to move to the high school, so she doesn’t have to deal with pre-teens.
Everything in Between explores guilt, grief, loss, and our ability to survive and move forward.
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Frances Joyce lives in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, a suburb in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. She shares a Mid-century modern home, in a constant state of renovation, with her four cats, Annika, Milo, Koho, and Mittens.
Frances grew up in Florida and attended college in North Carolina. While raising three sons, she lived all over the United States working in several career fields. Writing became her passion.
After freelancing for several local magazines, she started the monthly online publication, This Awful Awesome Life, thisawfulawesomelife.com.
Everything in Between is her third book.
Dancing in the Rain: Surviving Breast Cancer and Learning how to Embrace Life follows Frances and four other women through diagnosis, treatment, and finally, those four all important words, no evidence of disease.
His Life’s Work is an action-thriller about a serial killer with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Her books are available on amazon.com.
Everything in Between by Frances Joyce is available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book on amazon.com. Here is the link, https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Between-FrancesJoyce/dp/1960399861/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZS2347EON70H&keywords=Everything+in+Between+by+Frances+Joyce&qid=1682964829&sprefix=everything+in+between+by+frances+joyce%2Caps%2C82&sr=8-1