To stay with using numbers to name my books, THIRTEEN is my YA novel, I’ve called this Chicklit series 40 Something. I am publishing it as a series of approx 10 000 word novella ebooks. Once I have 8 novellas I will publish them in one paperback novel.
The first Novella is called Sunday Dinner and will be published on March 4th, 2016.
It’s Sunday and that means family dinner at Rose’s house.
Charlie drags her friend Lindsay along to her sisters for family dinner and Rose’s idea of a girls’ night. Charlie knows that her sister and mother will hate everything about Lindsay because she’s pretty, single, and fun.
Justine has the perfect husband, the perfect life, and the perfect career. When Lindsay disappears with Justine’s husband, her sister-in-law, Rose, gives her opinion on the new addition to their dinner. Justine doesn’t really care that they disappeared, even when Charlie seems concerned enough to drag her along to look for them.
Sophie is trying to survive a recent separation. Rose thinks she needs Charlie’s help so arranges a girls night to introduce the women. Sophie isn’t sure what to do about her separation and for tonight she is going to enjoy time without her kids for the first time since they were born.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a YA Novel about a boy, his single mother, a cop, and an invading army. This blog is about her Chicklit novella series, 40 Something.
She is a 40+ year old woman who separated from her husband after 20 years of marriage. In the process she learned that dating has changed, being a single parent is difficult, and navigating the court system isn’t easy. Along with her 40 something friends she discovered that it isn’t just men who have mid life crisis.
Single life may seem lonely and dark, but if you only focus on that elusive man you’ll miss out on all the great things hiding around you. I’m not talking just about men. Things as wonderful as a new hobby, writing a book, going to all the little towns and tourist attractions in your region. Time with your children.
I am guilty of being too focused on finding Mr. Right. All I found were Mr. Unavailable, Mr. Broken, Mr. Hook up, Mr. Married, Mr. Player, & Master Immature.
I haven’t quit looking. I still have profiles on the various dating sites and check them however, I don’t message and text for days on end because I learned the hard way that it goes no where.
I look back on the last 2 years of train wreck dating and see a lot of research for my next book, a few friends, and a lot of heartache because I wanted what was in the light so bad that I missed what was hiding in the shadows.
In her new Chicklit novel, Shannon Peel is exploring what it means to be a 40 something woman in the 21st Century. Each of the 5 women are personalities that we as woman are made up of in various degrees. We are too complex to be just one.
I pull into the driveway and park the van. My head is throbbing with the beginnings of a headache. I lean back on the seat’s headrest and close my eyes. Just for a minute. Only a minute.
Bang
“Moooom.”
My eyes shoot open, an electric shock jolts me and my heart pounds in my chest. I feel a wave of blood moving through my body. I’m getting light headed and dizzy. What the? I turn and my son’s face is looking at me through the driver’s side window. I put my hand to my chest breath deep and push the button to open the window, nothing happens. Right. I turn the key in the ignition and put the window down.
“Aiden. You scared me. What?”
“Aren’t you coming in? You’ve been out here for almost an hour.”
An hour? I look at the time on the dash. It’s been almost an hour since I parked. The groceries! I panic. Meat, frozen pizzas, milk, cheese. I flick the switch unlocking all the locks on the van and the back door rises up.
“Grab some groceries and take them into the house. Where are your sisters?”
“Awwwwe do I have to?”
“Yes. Your sisters?”
“I don’t know. Inside.”
I grab a few bags and yell for my three daughters to unload the van and put the groceries away because I’m running late. They whine while doing it. I don’t care.
“Well if you hadn’t fallen asleep -” Aiden starts and I just glare at him daring him to continue. The boy’s not dumb, I’ll give him that.
I have to get ready Gus will be home soon.
I run upstairs to jump in the shower, shave, wash my hair, the whole nine yards. I have less than an hour to look gorgeous. Not an easy feat at 40. After 22 years, four kids and an extra 100 lbs I am not the slim beautiful 18-year-old girl my husband married. I know Gus still loves me. He says my curves and stretch marks make me that much more real and attractive to him. More cushin for the pushin he teases me and I try to believe him, I do.
My husband doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him, thanks to good genes and a physical labour job as a contractor, he even still has most of his hair. I see the women lingering around him, flirting with their eyes, trying to get my husband’s attention. He claims never to notice because he only has eyes for me. Ha. I just bet he didn’t notice when Melissa Rempkin walked right into him at church and then looked up with puppy dog eyes.
“Ooops sorry Gus. You sure are a solid one aren’t you?”
I could have ripped her eyes out and I would have too if the pastor hadn’t walked by at that very moment. I mean, I can’t have him thinking I’m a jealous, violent, irrational, woman, now can I?
I get out of the shower, look at my naked body in the mirror and cringe. I’m plump. Round. No, not rounded, round. My waist is larger than my hips and my hips are round. Remember in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie, when the girl eats the gum and becomes a big fat round blue berry and needs to be rolled out by the umpa loompas. No, not the Johnny Depp one, the original one, the one made before, before I was born. The one with, what was his name? It’s been so long since I saw it. Gene Something… Simmons? Hackman? Oh I don’t know.
click for Ebook series
“Moooooom.” My son’s voice coming through the door.
“Whaaat?”
“You forgot the Nacho cheese dip. How are we supposed to have a movie night without the nacho cheese dip?”
“I don’t know. You have to make do. Now leave me alone or give me your game system.”
I start getting dressed. Nothing fits the way I want and I hate how I look. After trying on four dresses and a pantsuit I settle on a black sac of a dress. It might as well be a tent. My hair at least is cooperating. I wished I’d had time to go to the hairdressers this afternoon and get it done up really nice, but with driving the kids around, the groceries, getting the house cleaned up, laundry, the list is endless.
There that should do it.
I dig in the bathroom closet for my make up box. I hardly ever wear any, there is little to no point. I rarely go out and when I do, no one cares what I look like. Lack of daily practice is making a mess of things and I feel like a clown. Too much eye shadow and the lipstick is too bright.
“Mom. Aiden is being a little shit, you have to get him under control.”
“Language Alexis, watch your language.”
I turn to see my eldest daughter looking gorgeous and dressed to the nines in a blue patterned skirt with a matching blouse and her hair cascading over her shoulders. She’s 19 and looks a lot like I did when I married Gus. I look at my slim daughter with her indented waist and perky breasts and sigh.
Just wait I think, twenty years and you’ll look like me.
“And where do you think your going tonight?” I ask.
“Out with Cameron.”
“Which one is Cameron?”
“The blonde with the pick up truck. You know he goes to the University, he’s studying to be a lawyer one day.”
“Oh right him. What happened to the one whose an electrician or something? I like him.”
“Dan? I’m seeing him tomorrow and before you ask I went out with Richard last night.”
“How do you keep them all straight? I can’t even imagine dating more than one man. You’re not sleeping with them all are you? Don’t forget you can catch diseases and worse they’ll think you’re a whore and no man has ever fallen in love with a whore. You really should just pick one or else people will think you’re a slut or something.”
She has heard me say these things a hundred times already and I can see from the glaze over her eyes that she isn’t listening. Why do I bother? I just want her to be happy. Not like her aunt Charlene or worse Charlene’s new friend Lindsay. I wouldn’t worry so much if she’d just find a nice boy. A boy who is like Gus and would take care of her, protect her. It’s a dangerous world for girls. It just is.
“Mom. Enough. Aiden. That little spoiled shit you call a favourite.”
“I do not.”
She rolls her eyes. I hate it when she rolls her eyes.
“Everyone knows he’s your precious little boy and that he’s an entitled pain in the ass who at this very moment is trying to make nacho cheese sauce in your kitchen with your favourite pot. Thought you might want to know.”
With that she turns on her heel and walks out the door.
Trying to make nacho cheese sauce? Oh no, what does that mean?
I hurry downstairs and there is my son with cheese all over the counter and a pot of burning cheese on the stove.
“Oh Aiden.”
“I wanted Nacho Cheese sauce. Gerry likes Nacho Cheese sauce and I told him there would be some.”
I grab the pot off the red-hot stove element. Right then, the smoke detector goes off and Gus walks into the kitchen.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
I’m sipping on a coffee waiting for my date to arrive. Frank. He’s cute. Well, he is in his photos, tall, and rugged looking. We’ve been chatting online for a couple of weeks, some texts and even a phone call. He sounds nice. Really nice.
I’m kind of nervous to tell you the truth. Butterflies be damned, I have eagles flying around in my stomach making me nauseous. What if he doesn’t like me? What if he walks in, sees me, turns around and walks right out again without even saying hello?
I look at the time on my phone. 1:47. We were supposed to meet at 1:30. A few minutes late doesn’t mean anything, right? I reread our conversations. I like that I can go back and reread conversations like this. It helps. I feel like I can really know him, you know, like some door to his mind has opened up, the one that social filters usually keep tightly shut.
Our text conversation
Him:Wow sexy Me:Thanks. I think you’re hot Him:Mmmmm you are making me hard Me:What? How? I’m not there Him:Just thinking about you about touching you Me:So do you want to? Touch me that is Him:Hell yeah baby Me:Then why haven’t you asked to meet me? Him:You want to meet me? Me:Yes. Him:When Me:I’m free tomorrow afternoon Him:You want to come to my place? Me:I’d rather meet in public Him:I thought you wanted me to touch you Me:I want to meet you first – In public
We’ve had this same text conversation almost every night for a couple of weeks, until he finally asked me to meet him, here, at this coffee shop at 1:30pm. I look at the time on my phone again. I remember when you needed a watch, now they are unnecessary. I miss wearing a watch, maybe I can buy one. I mean if Craig pays child support I can. But that’s for the kids not me. I better not, but I miss having a watch. At least I have a phone. Craig wouldn’t buy me a phone, didn’t want the payments. And a phone is better than a watch. The phone says 1:53.
He’s over 20 minutes late.
Is that OK? Should I leave? Should I stay? What should I do? Should I call him? Text him? Charlie will know.
“Charlie, it’s Sophie.”
“Hey what’s up?”
“Well, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course. Shoot.”
“When a guy is over 20 minutes late for a coffee date does that mean I got stood up?”
“Depends. Traffic, accidents. But baring that, I’d say he forgot.”
“Oh. Should I text him? Call him?”
“Fu** No. He’s the one that’s late, he should be texting or calling you. Call me if he does and let me know what his reason was. Otherwise, sweetie write the loser off and move on to the next. You deserve better than that ass.”
Do I? I am not so sure. I mean he seemed like a really nice guy, we hit it off, I like him and maybe he is just stuck in traffic or in an accident. I get a jolt of fear. What if he’s been in an accident? What if he’s hurt? I should find out.
“But –”
“No buts. Promise me Sophie that you won’t contact him. Contact another guy, any other guy but don’t contact him. If he had a legitimate reason you can talk about it with him when he contacts you. Otherwise, assume he stood you up and find someone else. He’s not worth the effort.”
He is. He is worth the effort. At least I think he is.
I’m here. He isn’t. He didn’t call. Didn’t text. Maybe his phone broke. Or maybe his car broke down. Maybe his phone is dead. Maybe he deleted my number by accident. Or —
“Why don’t you come over and we’ll make everything better with retail therapy.”
I think about getting a watch, briefly. I know I can’t afford it. I mean there is a bit of money in the account, but the kids will probably need something. And what if Craig choses not to pay child support this month? I don’t think I’ve upset him, but I never know with him.
“Uhm. I can’t, sorry.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I got to get back to the kids. Isabella is babysitting.”
“OK. Tell Isa that I said hi.”
I hang up. Glancing around the coffee shop one more time, not seeing him. I am embarrassed. It’s crazy I know, but I think everyone in here knows I just got stood up. I glance down at the floor. My eyes burn for a minute. Just a minute though. I can do this and I walk out to my car. Tears streaming down my face.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
Let’s throw out all the bullsh** shall we. No one is guaranteed to find someone to love them in this world. All those positive thinking sayings people say to help you feel better, they are fu**in’ lies.
Dating guru’s I’ve read their positive thinking crap, I even tried it when I started this dating process over 5 years ago. Know what I got? A kick in the ass while the door was still closed, thank you very much. People don’t know jack sh**. Let’s look at their so called advice, shall we.
He’s out there looking for you too.
You’ll find love when you stop looking for it. Or Don’t give up he’s looking for you too.
Really? I’m right here. If he was looking for me he’d have found me already. I’m not hiding. In fact I have look at me ads on almost every online dating site. I go to bars. I paid matchmakers, I let people know I’m looking. Trust me, no man is looking for me. Men are looking for the best looking piece of ass they can bang. That’s what guys want. A nice piece of tail. Some chick that’ll make their friends jealous and will look good beside them.
My ass is too big to love. Big enough to screw, but too big to love and sure as hell too big to be seen in public with. They don’t want to take me out and do stuff like go to a movie or dinner with someone like me. I’m not pretty enough or young enough.
Then there’s the whole Love Yourself BullSh**
He can’t love you if you don’t love yourself.
I love myself just fine thank you very much. I rock and am better than any of those Barbie doll princesses they are all bowing down to. Men don’t want to get to know you, they just want to fu** you. Well F** them, if they are too stupid to take the time to figure out how wonderful I am, then it’s there loss, not mine.
Besides, I’m living just fine without him. If he didn’t want me when my life was upside down chaos and I needed him to lean on, then I sure as hell don’t want him now that my life is good and I don’t need anyone.
YOU HEAR THAT, I DON’T NEED A MAN, I DON’T NEED ANYONE.
Be open to the Love in Front of You.
Be vulnerable
Vulnerable? What the F*** kind of advice is that? Yeah lets all wear our hearts on our sleeves so men can grab them and jump all over them before kicking you out.
D0n’t be picky, be open to possibilities
Why the fu** would I want to love just any man who happens to come along and love me? I make 6 figures and am pretty damn awesome in a courtroom. I drive a high end sports car. I go on tropical vacations all the time. I have a great life that lots of losers want. That doesn’t mean they deserve me. They have to earn it. They have to show me that they are worthy of me, not the other way around.
Law of Attraction can eat me
You are what you attract.
Be what you want and it will find you.
Seriously? Are you saying I don’t deserve a great man because some cosmic energy out in the world decided I am unworthy? I’m pretty. I’m smart. I’m independent. I got a lot going for me, thank you very much. I have a lot to offer a man.
I know what I’m worth, They are the Blind Asses
Know what your worth and a man will treat you better.
Yeah right. A guy says he wants to meet, I say, “great where?” He says his place, my place, his car, or his hotel room. Like that’s all I am, some slut. Well I’m not and when I say I’m not and will only meet at a coffee shop, he disappears.
It’s OK, he just wasn’t the one, Move on.
I’m supposed to be OK with men’s behaviour because he’s just looking to get laid and not a relationship. I’m supposed to be OK with all the men in my message box wanting to hook up with me? I’m supposed to be OK with the fact that all I am to men is a set of tits? I’m supposed to be OK with some asshole talking to me like I’m a prostitute? Really?
What the Fu** kind of advice is that? If you know your worth and don’t put up with bad behaviour, you’ll be alone because let’s face it, the single 40 something men out there either want the 30 something tart or just want to bang you. They don’t care how much it hurts a woman to be talked to like that. They don’t give a crap how it eats away at her soul when he just wants to hook up and she isn’t good enough to date or love.
Men only care about themselves. They don’t care how it feels to know that you are only good enough to f***. They lie to get what they want, they just fu** em and fling em because they have needs that need to be met and I am not good enough to love, my needs don’t matter.
Well Fu** that sh**. I’m good enough to love. They don’t deserve me, not the other way around. I am good enough damn it. You can all go screw yourselves for thinking differently and treating me like I don’t deserve love.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a marketing professional, a single mom, and a divorced woman trying to find love in Vancouver, BC Canada. Her daily life is filled with struggle, humour, love, and stories. She encourages you to follow her and come along this journey with her.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
It’s just, well. Who are these people who live in my house? One minute they are my sweet amazing well behaved children, the next they became these things. These hormone driven crazy Teenagers who can drive a sane woman, well, crazy. I’m on my way to the looney bin I tell you.
Take my oldest, Alexis. I endured 26 hours of labour getting her into this world, that on top of a difficult pregnancy where I thought for sure my stomach was just going to come out my mouth I was retching so much. Ever have the stomach flu? Well this was that for months on end. I thought for sure I was going to die, so did the doctors. I ended up in the hospital with tubes feeding me the nutrients she needed to grow.
She has been a struggle every day since she was conceived.
The day she turned 13 she became an absolute nightmare. It’s been world war 3 in our house as she tries to get away with everything from wearing too much make up and too little clothes to staying out after curfew getting drunk and high. I swear if I’d known how hard headed she was going to be I would have left her at the hospital, or maybe just named her donkey.
Next came Isabella and she is my dream child. Easy pregnancy, well by then they’d invented these pills for morning sickness and I was popping them like gummy candies. They are a God send. I gained so much weight I thought I was going to burst. The labour was a struggle at first and then the monitors started going off. I thought for sure she was dying, I was scared. Well, she was in distress, so I was wheeled into the O.R. for a c-section. Seriously, you should consider booking one of these the day you find out your pregnant. Much easier way to get that baby out of you and into the world.
Isabella was a model child, until 14, when she met a boy and not just any boy. She had to fall for Johnny an 18 year old rebel with long multi coloured hair, a tattoo and facial piercings. At one point I counted 7. Can you imagine having someone punch 7 holes into your face? Not to mention what that kid did to his ear lobes.
Well, I thought Gus was gonna shoot him the minute he saw the boy. We don’t own a gun, but Gus was ready to go buy one. From that moment on she’s been a struggle with outrageous requests, which Gus and I put a stop to. No way is my daughter walking around with a nose ring, or any part of her face pierced, her body tattooed or her hair any colour but the rich brown God intended. For mercy’s sake. Give that girl one inch and she’ll be headed to hell.
Jessica was my third girl. She was always a quiet serious little girl. Such an easy child. She never gave me any trouble as a toddler or preschooler. She brings home the best marks from school of all my children. She’s perfect really. Quiet, studious, smart, and keeps to herself. Always reading or doing homework in her room I rarely ever see her.
When she became a teenager not much changed. Well, her moods became a little darker at times and she seems to mope more than I’d like, still she is doing just fine.
Then came Aiden. Finally a boy.
My pregnancy was so easy, barely any morning sickness and I had so much energy. Labour was a breeze and he was here, finally. I love my girls, however I wanted to give Gus a boy so badly. Right from the minute that boy could move he was into everything. I was forever running after him. It was exhausting. Busy, busy, busy that boy. He’s grown into a talented athlete, a natural Gus says. At 13 he’s already on the school Football team. There isn’t any sport he couldn’t excel at.
He just turned 13 and I am beginning to see the Teenager signs already. He stopped hugging me, I was quite upset the first time it happened, but he’s becoming a man you know and a mother has to expect these things. He hangs out with friends after school somewhere, but I am not sure exactly. I find it quite frustrating at times. I need to know where he is at all times I tell him, of course he doesn’t listen. Such a boy my Aiden.
I enjoyed my children’s toddler years, preschool years, elementary years. They were always so sweet, so loving, and we’d have so much fun together. Now, oh my. God give me strength to make it through a day without wanting to strangle one of them, especially Alexis and Isabella.
Being a mother is wonderful, I’m just wondering is there a place I can send them for their teen years where I could visit on occasion and then when they are normal again they can come home?
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
To write really good characters you have to know how they would react to things. So if my characters got together for a movie night at Rose’s place to watch an Officer and a Gentleman, would they all agree? Let’s find out.
The Question
What are your thoughts about the last scene of an Officer and a Gentleman?
Sophie’s Thoughts
The ending? Oh well. It was romantic I guess. I mean. There she is working in a dead end job, unhappy, and knowing that’s all she has to look forward to. Depressing. I guess she’s young and there will be other men, other classes of officers. But she is hurt because he didn’t want her, he was gonna leave her behind. Then he walked in and saved her, took her away, and everyone cheered. Heck, I cheered even though I knew it was gonna happen.
Why is it wrong to want that? I mean. I want so bad for a man to come save me from my life, sweep me off my feet and carry me away to a safer one. Make life easier. Happier. But everyone tells me it’s wrong to want that. I won’t find a good guy if I need one to save me and I’m beginning to believe them. No man wants a woman as messed up as me and I can’t blame them.
I just love the classic love stories they are so romantic. Here she was working away thinking that he’d abandoned her and then he comes all dressed up in his white uniform looking so handsome. To surprise her like that, pick her up in front of all her co workers and carry her away into the sunset to live happily ever after. What a story. I cried.
You know Gus is romantic like that. Once, before the kids, he came to my workplace with a big bouquet of flowers. He’d already arranged everything with my boss, a week off, can you imagine. Gus had planned everything, packed my suitcase and took me to Hawaii for our first wedding anniversary. It was so romantic. Just like him. I love him so much.
The ending? Well a man in uniform is so sexy. When he walked in all confident in his uniform looking hot, I thought yummy. Then when he grabbed her head and just took a kiss from her like that, wowza. The rest was too tame though. Way too censored in my opinion, but what can you expect from the 80s. Come on, the scene needed more heat.
I love a man who takes what he wants, just comes and grabs a woman all cave man like and she melts into him with passion, heat, then they fu** hard. That’s what that scene needed. Now that would have been something to clap for.
The whole movie was Bull shi**. Men don’t give two craps about saving some poor little woman from her life and what a pathetic thing to want. Clapping because he’d showed up and stole her away for what? Come on men don’t do that sh**. They just want someone to cook for ’em and fu** em. They don’t want to be bothered with all that touchy feely stuff.
OK so some of them are into the whole romance thing, like my brother in law Gus. But Gus and guys like him are so, I don’t know. Gus is a good guy, a nice guy, a family guy. Those guys are all married to woman like my sister Rose.
Strong, independent, career women like me, we got selfish guys who are focused on their careers as much as we are focused on ours. Who has time for all that romantic stuff. I just don’t trust it. The only reason they are doing it is to get laid, so why bother it’s not real.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel about being a 40+ year old woman in today’s world. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. I welcomes any parenting or dating stories you would like to share for the book, but please understand the story will only be a jump off point as I’m not about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a marketing professional, a single mom, and a divorced woman trying to find love in Vancouver, BC Canada. Her daily life is filled with struggle, humour, love, and stories. She encourages you to follow her and come along this journey with her.
When you write a novel you have to know your characters inside and out. The more developed the characters, the more believable and empathetic they are. The aim of any good writer is to draw the reader in by making their characters relatable.
For this novel there are a number of characters and each one has their own back story, personality, likes, dislikes, and attitudes. Sophie is one of these characters.
Demographics
Name: Sophie Harris
Age: 43 years old
Status: Recently Separated
Occupation: Many failed ones
Children: Two one boy 10 and one girl 7
Body Type: Petite and slim
Personality
Sophie is a tragic woman who tries in life but doesn’t succeed. For her life is one daily struggle after another resulting in chronic depression and stress ailments. She really does try hard, thing is she gets it wrong more times than she gets it right and those who claim to love her beat her down her. She is beaten down, submissive, and doesn’t trust herself thanks to years of conditioning from a lifetime of abuse.
People see her as weak, whiny at times, and not worth their time. At least that is what she thinks, it’s not the truth. Those who know her see a strong, capable woman struggling and surviving. Yes she is a tragic figure with her clearance rack, ill fitting, clothes and do it yourself die job. She’s never had anyone put her first and does not know how to believe she’s worth the money to polish her appearance.
She struggles daily with demons telling her she is not good enough, she is worthless, and doesn’t deserve to be happy because let’s face it, she’s tragic. She fights these demons with a strong mind and an even stronger will. She wants a better life, she wants success, she wants to be loved, and she knows she deserves it. Problem is, life and those who claim to love her have given her evidence to the opposite and her will falters under the proof that she isn’t worth what she hopes she is.
She isn’t outgoing and prefers to be alone. She gets scared in large noisy groups of people and feels safer in quiet places. She is a fierce lioness where her kids are concerned and protects them with a venom so dangerous it seems like over kill and an inappropriate response to most people.
She is not the kind of person people seek out to spend time with and if it wasn’t for her friend Rose she’d be alone all the time. She doesn’t mind being alone except when the demons get too loud and the pain gets too much to bear.
Marriage
At first Sophie’s marriage to Craig was like any marriage and they were both somewhat happy, then life happened and wore them both down. The marriage became a long struggle for her as she tried to please her husband who was never happy and didn’t appreciate her. Over the years Craig’s drinking became heavier and more violent. He blamed her for his perceived failures, even though she did everything she could to support him, while simultaneously trying to succeed in her own endavors with no support from him.
Little by little the power dynamic shifted until Sophie had no power and felt what she wanted didn’t matter at all. She stopped wanting, she stopped dreaming, and she stopped hoping. Craig’s angry outbursts were uncontrollable and directed at her. He called her terrible things, said she was worthless, and incapable of getting anything right. This took its toll and she still struggles with the lies he told her.
Finally, he had enough and wanted out but did not want to lose any of his economic status, the house, or his stuff. His frustration at having her in his life came out in violent anger and soon she had no option but to leave the house with the children.
Family
Sophie’s mom is a very opinionated, competitive, and strong woman who controls everyone and everything around her. She needs to be the best, have the best, and that included kids. No matter what Sophie did growing up, it wasn’t good enough for her mother who expected perfection. Second place was never good, B’s should be A’s and heaven forbid Sophie be the topic of any rumour in the small town they lived in.
Though her mother expected perfection, she did not expect Sophie to amount to much more than a housewife and mother. Any time Sophie dreamed of being something that her mother didn’t think fit into her plans for Sophie’s life, her mother informed her that she didn’t have what it took to do that. Support came with strings and as long as Sophie towed the line she was given approval and love, the minute she didn’t, support was non existent, criticism heaped on, and love withheld.
Her father died when Sophie was young and her mom remarried a man who was successful in the business world, easy going, and liked little girls. Sophie’s mom turned a blind eye to what was happening under her roof because it was more important to look perfect to the world than air out dirty laundry. Besides, he supported them financially and gave them the socio economic life her mother wanted.
She has a couple half brothers who are much younger, spoiled, and entitled. Where Sophie could do no right, her brothers could do no wrong and they just ignore Sophie.
Likes / Dislikes
Sophie has no idea what she likes or dislikes. She just exists and believes she doesn’t matter enough to want anything. It’s been so long since she wanted something for herself she has no idea what she wants anymore. She tells herself she is content with what life has given her and makes do.
Ideal Man
Sophie just wants to be loved. She wants a man who will take care of her, protect her, see her, love her, give her a life she never thought possible. She desperately wants a boyfriend who will invite her to move in with him, make her safe and take care of her and her children.
This blog is a look at the characters in a new novel by Shannon Peel about being single as a 40+ year old in today’s online dating environment. The novel, like all literature, draws from real life but embellishes it, changes it, and merges it together with fantasy. You won’t find a 100% true story on the blog or in the novel. She welcomes any dating stories you would like to share for the book but understand the story will only be a jump off point as she isn’t about to publish anything exactly as it happened. Email her today at Shannonpeel01[ at ]gmail [.com]
And yes…. Dating stories about women behaving badly are welcome too, as my characters are flawed and handicapped when it comes to dating.
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN a book about a boy and his mom caught behind enemy lines when soldiers attack their North American hometown. The story asks the question, what if it happened here?
Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a YA Novel about a boy, his single mother, a cop, and an invading army. This blog is about her Chicklit novella series, 40 Something. 
Shannon Peel 