Guest Post: L.B. Griffin & The Twenty-One-Year Contract

Posted May 13, 2023 by meezcarrie in historical, L.B. Griffin, romance / 0 Comments

Please join me in welcoming author L.B. Griffin to the blog today as I spotlight her historical romance, The Twenty-One-Year Contract!

THE TWENTY-ONE-YEAR CONTRACT by L.B. Griffin
Standalone sequel to Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox
GENRE: Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: The Wild Rose Press
RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2022
PAGES: 336

Kathleen Gray—talented, a little wild, at times rebellious, but always popular—has a fun, easy life in rural Somerset, with a doting family.
Suddenly, they are gone, everything is changed, and she has only Uncle Jack. Try as he might, he cannot be father and mother to her—he has a business to run and his own life to manage.
Kathleen takes a chance and becomes Kate Westfield, fending for herself in London, with a new life built on her hopes and dreams and new friends. She could hardly have imagined that one of those friends has a shoebox full of answers.

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Note: While I have not yet read this book, the author says the content contains only a minimal amount of cursing and no explicit scenes.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

by L.B. Griffin, author of The Twenty-One-Year Contract

I didn’t understand what a pantser was at first. Embarrassed when asked the question I smiled and attempted to look cool. If I ever had cool that is. Of course, the moment I could, I searched Google. Interestingly after checking it out it produced some of the following authors – and a ton more that are reportedly pantsers:

Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander
Matthew Hughes, author of What the Wind Brings
George R.R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones
Isaac Asimov, author of I, Robot (and many more)
Rex Stout, author of the Nero Wolfe Series
Sally J. Ling, author of Frayed Ends and Unraveled

Pantsers apparently don’t plan their stories.

I suppose I fall between both stools – I’m a plotter and a pantser.

Though I didn’t have an actual plot I had a story to tell. I also knew I wanted my story to be accurate for the era and needed to ensure that I didn’t let myself, or the readers down by getting specifics wrong.

It made me smile to hear my novels were #historical – after all I was born in the 50s so obviously dinosaur. I remember a ton from my childhood but I wanted to be absolutely certain I got my facts right. Luckily, I love to research. Any excuse. I get lost for hours as I get so much pleasure – so maybe this isn’t the pantser side of me.

I struggle terribly with numbers and timelines. So doing a timeline, checking dates and days for me, is akin to a horror story. So, I’m super-cautious and have to keep confirming I’ve got the detail right. I doubt myself all the time. I don’t want someone saying, well she started out in January one day and there was a blizzard, but the following day it was June and blazing hot.

Of course, if you are a writer there’s nothing wrong with plotting or planning or being a pantser. Whatever you do, if it works for you then all power to your elbow.

Let your stream of consciousness walk you through the story. Allow your imaginary friends shout at you in the middle of the night and tell you what to write. That’s what happens to me. My characters shoulder barge each other out of the way in the middle of the night, wanting me to write their story first. While I love what they have to say and of course, I listen, sometimes I want to bump them off and it doesn’t mean I always write what they want me to.

Sometimes I go right off grid with their ideas, and a whole new storyline emerges. This is the way I work, with an idea. The beginning. I find the middle and always know the end.

What I’ve learned from a lot of my new author friends they are able to start out with the bones, then add the flesh and then edit. Wow. This is something I aspire to. No wonder they finish their work waaay before me.

One tip: Have an ending. I’ve met too many writers who have a wonderful story and are unable to finish because they cannot see the ending.

L.B. Griffin was born and raised in the UK. She is married and came out of retirement when she received a contract for her debut novel. Griffin loves to write stories to touch people’s hearts, She draws upon social issues that are often hidden in deep drawers but readers can identify with. Her women don’t see themselves as courageous, strong, or survivors, but they certainly are.

Her debut, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox has received superb 5 star reviews, amongst them Whispering stories and VINE VOICE reader/blogger Michelle Ryles, singing high praise: ‘Incredibly well-written, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox is a magnificent debut. It’s a poignant, disturbing and a heart-warming page-turner that has left me chomping at the bit to continue Harriet’s story.’

The sequel, and also standalone – The Twenty-One-Year Contract, is already receiving fantastic five star reviews such as: VINE VOICE “This book will have you laughing, crying and cheering.”

L.B. Griffin continues to turn silent stories into courage, hope, and survival. Be warned, she is a self-confessed chocolate-raisin and strawberry addict!

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What about you? What makes you want to read The Twenty-One-Year Contract by L.B. Griffin? If you were/are a writer, would you be a plotter or a pantser?