Maryland, including Kentlands, inspires novel series

by Loriann Oberlin

When my husband and I were house hunting in Gaithersburg, the first home our realtor showed us was in the Kentlands. Well, we settled into a nearby neighborhood, but quickly found the vast array of Kentlands dining and shopping to be incredibly convenient…and, for me, inspiring.

Though I live on the Eastern Shore now, I’m back weekly for my work. One day, while pondering my character’s need for housing, I thought why not create a Chesapeake version of the Kentlands! So I called it Shore Landings in the new women’s fiction novel “Second Chances: Book Two of The Maryland Shores,” written under my fiction pen name of Lauren Monroe.

After many years of writing non-fiction and devoting time to my primary role as a therapist, I took the advice I often give to clients, i.e., “find your outlet,” “hang around with like-minded people” and “take time for yourself.” Writing fiction was always something I had wanted to do. I even attempted it in the ’90s, but I doubted myself back then. After nine non-fiction titles, I decided, it was time to try something different—time to merge favorites from Pittsburgh (my hometown), Maryland, and the scenery we treasure in the Chesapeake Bay.

Honestly, it almost didn’t happen. Clearing clutter—as one does prior to a move—I tossed the original, 20-year-old manuscript into the Montgomery County recycle bin. I thought I had a CD backup. Oh no…it was on ancient floppy disk! Fortunately a friend resurrected it. I saved what worked, cut what didn’t, changed things, and invented new characters—all with the idea of creating a women’s fiction novel with romance and family/work themes most modern women would appreciate. Well, at least women in their mid-30s into their 80s, as my readers report.

The pen name I chose has symbolism. Lauren was the character in my ’90s version, but I liked it well enough to adopt and decided upon Monroe, short for Monroeville, where I lived and worked outside of Pittsburgh. The pseudonym isn’t any secret; it merely separates the genres of fiction and serious non-fiction, written under my professional name.

As for my characters, different paths made both my novel heroines single mothers. Having been one of those before remarriage, I know it’s stressful. If the average woman hasn’t gone down that path, she certainly knows many women who have. While some novelists build glamour and wealth into their books—and that’s fine—I chose to convey a sense of realism and character lifestyles that resonate today. The series starts out post-9/11 where tension in Maryland ran high, especially in the fall of 2002. This served as the anxiety-producing backdrop to “Letting Go: Book One.”

“Second Chances: Book Two” opens with the 2003 President’s Day Blizzard. I like to impart history, even if through weather or the infamous Ravens/Steelers rivalry I’ve included for fun. The series—and my readers tell me this, too—forces me to remember how even 10+ years ago, we weren’t nearly as connected with cellphones, gadgets, and wi-fi as we are today.

As an author creates characters, she must give them a workplace or setting. Since I’ve always been an avid fan of medical drama, dating back to the (sshh!) ’70s, I created a hospital set south of Annapolis. Of course, I had to embellish the two handsome male characters I began writing years ago. They are both doctors/ surgeons. One grew up in Bethesda/Chevy Chase. The other….well, he’s Italian from my hometown of Pittsburgh. Not to worry, however, The Maryland Shores series features Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers fans! I think it’s great to have hometown loyalty, and I’ve come to appreciate the history of team purple as I wrote these two books thus far.

Book One includes some scenes in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., while Book Two takes place on Maryland’s Eastern Shore as well. It ends actually in Ocean City, where many Marylanders flock each summer themselves. No more spoilers! When I read after a long day, I usually escape into a warm, engaging story. So I set out to create that. There’s steamy romance though not exactly fifty shades of the shores… especially with the family- and pet-centered lives my characters lead!

Since the Gaithersburg Book Festival occurs just after Mother’s Day and the weekend before summer really kicks off, I hope readers will come out Saturday, May 16.

I have been privileged to be a part of the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA) where many other authors will also have books for purchase at the festival. We sponsor an educational event each year called the Bay to Ocean Writers Writer’s Conference. I’ve served on the planning committee in past years. In fact, my first conference inspired me to try Indy publishing after so many years of having a traditional editorial/publishing team. Both of my novels are published in paperback, and I’ve created Kindle editions also.

Find ESWA and Bay to Ocean on Facebook and the web. Many of us will have QR Codes to scan for those who love to read on their devices. Download a QR Code Reader ahead of time!

My websites are www.laurenmonroenovels.com and www.facebook.com/lauren.monroe.novels. You can follow me on Twitter @LaurnMonroe (yes, that’s spelled correctly…I wasn’t there first!) and on Pinterest and goodreads with an author page.

“Whatever genre you like, grab a book…or a few.  It’s a sure-fire way to relax!”