What’s coming for Barbara in 2014

Couture Fashion ModelYoung chick, old boots.  That’s my theme here.  As 2013 fades to 2014, it’s only natural to think about ending the old and beginning the new.  But is that what really happens?

Not in my book.  And I mean that both literally and figuratively.  I don’t see that we end and begin.  Life is a continuum.  What we do today is colored by what we did yesterday. We appreciate what’s in front of us all the more for what’s behind.  We are the sum of our parts.

Which brings me to the newest Barbara Delinsky book, my work-in-progress.

I’ve written the first half and will be heading down the home stretch as soon as the bubbly from New Year’s Eve goes flat.  I don’t have a title for it yet.  Well, actually, I have about twenty titles but can’t pick one, in part because I really really really like several and in part because my publisher may hate them all.  If so, they’ll come up with one we both like, and I’m good with that.  A title is a marketing tool.  I write the book, they market it.

So what’s the book about?  Here’s the opening of the proposal I gave my publisher.

A daughter’s chance at happiness might cost her mother everything…

Jamie MacAfee is ambitious – but being pitted against her own mother for a job they both want?  She hadn’t planned on that, any more than she’d planned on instant parenthood and an upended love life.  As her tidy world comes apart, she needs her mother more than ever.  But will Caroline be there for her if Jamie steals her dream?

Let me say, right off the bat, that my heart of hearts is with Jamie’s mother.  I adore Caroline MacAfee.  Having overcome a marriage that destroyed her self-esteem, she has rebuilt herself into a strong, smart, successful woman.  She is now fifty-six, not at all old by modern standards.  But it is old in a field that prizes a flawless face.  So Caroline is told that her daughter will be replacing her in the job she adores.

How would you feel if you were Caroline?  Or if Caroline were your mother?

This book is about old and new, age and beauty, classic and novel.  One of several backdrops to the story is home construction, as in renovating old houses and building new ones.  Caroline lives in a charming Victorian that exudes history, while Jamie’s condo is sleek, white, and new.  See where I’m headed?

Want to help?  I’m making a list of things in life that age well.  Wine is one example, vintage boots another.  How about wood, leather, music, books?  What can you add to the list?

BTW, my favorites among those twenty titles are Home Plans,  Ageless, What Matters More, and What We Build.  What do you think?

I’ll finish this book by June, and it will be published as your summer escape in 2015.  I post sneak previews from time to time, so do check back here.  In the meanwhile, please know that I wish you a 2014 that is filled with warmth, happiness, and peace.

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22 Comments

  1. Robin G. Morgan on December 27, 2013 at 7:26 am

    I’m partial to What Matters More – but I think What Matters Most is even stronger. Wishing you all the best in 2014 – from one grandmother to another!!

    • Ellen Hayden on January 2, 2014 at 11:16 am

      I too like What Matters More!!

  2. Shelly on December 27, 2013 at 7:28 am

    Sounds like a great book! What ages well??… Women!! Some might disagree seeing as most people (Americans, anyway) put all their stock in beauty. But I mean women.. Not necessarily their beauty but women themselves. They become stronger, wiser, more beautiful inside. Time and motherhood make us softer, gentler. Maybe not right away.. As motherhood makes most of us crazy for at least the first few years, but I think that trip to the crazy side helps us see what really is important in life and shapes us to become better women the older we get.

  3. carin buckman on December 27, 2013 at 7:46 am

    Hi Barbara! I’m so sorry that I missed you in Concord at your book signing, but was thrilled when I received your signed message in Sweet Salt Air from Stan! I look forward to the next book; my favorite from your list above is Ageless. My professional marketing opinion is that this title will attract and entice more of your target readers to pick up the book. What Mattters More sounds like a Danielle Steel title to me – sorry. And I don’t think the two “building” titles are as marketable as Ageless – which carries some sense of mystery…Just my humble opinion.

    I’ve been working hard and haven’t been able to participate in any of your FB surveys, but for the record “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” is this Jewish girl’s favorite Christmas song!

    Hope your holidays were lovely and all the best in 2014!

    Love,

    Carin

    • Jane Pellow on December 27, 2013 at 10:44 am

      I like the title Love Prevails. Because,hopefully, no matter the outcome, a mother’s and daughter’s love should prevail over all else! I wait anxiously for the premiere of this book in large print!

  4. Cindy P on December 27, 2013 at 8:36 am

    Shelly’s comment hit it right on the head. Women age and get better with time, so do our friendships deepen and our relationships with our spouses (if we are so lucky!), our children and our awareness pf our own self-worth. Looking forward to the new release in 2015! Enjoy finishing the story 🙂

  5. Donna. on December 27, 2013 at 9:01 am

    Nice to see that both ages can compete for a job. Hope they come closer together.

    • donna winder on December 27, 2013 at 10:55 am

      I like , What matters more < thanks Donna

  6. Margaret-Anne Wojcik on December 27, 2013 at 11:12 am

    I’m liking any of those titles. But I got to thinking about your comment regarding life being a continuum. I like to think of life as a journey, or a work in progress. So how about “The Journey Matters” as a title, OR, ” Work in Progress”, seeing as how you may have a construction theme.

    Just some thoughts!! I know the book will be fabulous, whatever the title!!!!

  7. Carol on December 27, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    I think Ageless is the best of those. Another I like is Building Dreams . Trees age well!

  8. Virginia on December 27, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    I think I like Ageless…think that get better with age? I think classic jewelry or precious metal could be added to your list. Classic music, poetry…so, yes, I think you are on the right track.

    I don’t know how I’d feel if my daughter got the job I was going for…we are not in a good place right now. I think a lot would depend on the family situation…wanting the best for my grandchildren regardless of my relationship with their mom. It also depends on my belief in who I am…I know we differ in beliefs but as a child of God, I don’t rely on jobs or possessions to define me.

    I love your writings because I can relate too well with the mother/daughter conflicts.

  9. Pam on December 27, 2013 at 7:33 pm

    Friends would be first on the list. They not only age well, they are priceless. Since Caroline and I are about the same age I thought about what I love that ages well: vintage jewelry, antique glassware, silk scarves, hats and handbags. Looking forward to your new book!

  10. Jan on December 28, 2013 at 9:36 am

    What gets better with age?…….Understanding and Gratitude

  11. Lisa Stern on December 28, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    What matters more is the title I like best. What matters more, a job or the relationship between mother and child? Hmmm…

  12. Sandra Earle on December 28, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    I also like What Matters More. Makes one think. What really does matter more. Happy New Year and wishing you the best in 2014. God Bless.

  13. Donna on December 30, 2013 at 9:49 am

    What matters more appeals to me more than Ageless. If I was roaming the book store ( and did not know what a fabulous writer you are) I would not pick up a book titled Ageless . I would think it was a self help book or beauty book instead of a novel. That’s just my opinion. Of course I do know what a great writer you are and buy everything you write.

    Happy New Year!

  14. Aishat on January 7, 2014 at 11:00 am

    In my opinion I think what matter most (not more) is perfect for the book because you start wondering is it the job that matters most or the relationship between mother and daughter. I love your books(all the ones I have managed to get my hands on because its not easy to get the latest here) and I wish that I can atleast be at one of your book signings but as the saying goes ”man proposes but God disposes” nevertheless that doesn’t stop me from getting your books even if it takes months or years to get them. Stay blessed.

  15. June Bourgo on January 16, 2014 at 11:25 am

    I like “Ageless” the best because it represents Caroline and the Victorian House and all that she is fighting in her life. But if you are like me you’ll spend the next six months pulling up word combos and trying out new titles before you decide. Can’t wait for the new book. Cheers.

  16. Carren Ross on February 3, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    Relationships. That is what ages well for me. Sisters, husband and friends alike. We all grow together or sometimes apart; for seasons. Just in the process of reading your book UPLIFT, thanks for doing that project. I know it has been over 10 years now, but it is still relevant today.

  17. Pennsatucky on July 24, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    Good whiskey and fine art age the best.

    • sue on July 29, 2014 at 7:31 am

      WHAT MATTERS MORE IS GOOD—ALSO ” EMOTIONAL COMPETITION ” POPPED INTO MY HEAD

      • Linda C. on October 21, 2014 at 2:43 pm

        Quilts age so well. I love the bringing together of many small parts that create a beautiful whole.

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