Friendship

A main theme of my novels is relationships.  We see many different relationships: romantic, familial and friendship.  This particular post is going to focus on friendships and their importance.
In Though War Shall Rise Against Me, we see old friendships develop and new friendships grow.  We see that no friendship is perfect and that sometimes, friends have to be willing to be brutally honest.  Many times, Charlotte's friends, especially Alex, tell Charlotte things that she does not want to hear, but needs to.  We all need friends like that.
I have been very blessed in the friend department.  I write this on the eve of a day where I will be able to meet up with some of my very best friends from across the country throughout the course of the day.  Friendships are extremely important in a person's life.  I have friends that I will not talk to for months, but when we get together, it is as if no time has passed.  I have friends that have such a similar mindset to me, that sometimes words are not needed.  I have friends who will be brutally honest with me (usually in the fashion department), and that help me with my own personal growth.  I am especially blessed to have family members (sisters, brother, parents) who have become some of my closest friends.
Do I agree with everything that my friends do?  Absolutely not.  I have a handful of friends that I agree with very little in terms of politics.  They know my stances and I know theirs, but we "agree to disagree" and don't let it ruin our friendships.  No relationship will be perfect and I don't believe you can find anyone who will agree with you 100% of the time.  At least I haven't found someone like that.
One of my favorite author/artists/cartoonists is Charles Schultz, creator of Peanuts.  He once said "A friend is someone who knows all of your faults, but likes you anyways."  I strongly believe in that.  Our dearest friends will know our faults and weaknesses, but still care about us.  Another good trait of a friend is someone who will help you be the best person that you can be.  I tell that to my middle-schoolers all the time.
I believe my novels show those aspects of friendship between the characters.  Friendship is such an important part of my life that it naturally shows in my writings.  Book 2 in "The Turner Daughters" series, Be Strong and Steadfast also follows four friends.  We follow Isabelle and Elizabeth Turner, who are cousins to Charlotte and whom we met in Though War Shall Rise Against Me, and their friends America Joan Prentiss (who we also met in Book 1) and Catherine Corbin.  Their friendship will hit some rocky points throughout the course of the novel.  I hope you enjoy reading their story (it should be available in early 2017, stay posted for more updates).
Family is another theme that plays a major role in my novels.  I will be discussing that in my next post.  Stay tuned!  And enjoy your family and friends over the holiday weekend!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.