Hey friends,
Have you checked out my debut novel, Healing Hannah’s Heart, yet?
If you have, hooray!
Today, I want to share some details in this stories that you may have missed. When I was drafting this book, I surprised myself with how much little snippets from my life snuck into the story, LOL.
Detail #1 – Buccleuch Park
This is a park in New Jersey where I went on many field trip as a young, Catholic school girl. The park is home to Buccleuch Mansion, a former colonial estate.
I have fond memories of its wide open, grassy lawns and play areas. I grew up in an urban area (meaning, lots of concrete, very little grass). So coming here was a respite from the concrete.
In Healing Hannah’s Heart, there’s a flashback scene where Jake proposes to Hannah in this park. I thought it would be the perfect setting for a romantic moment.
Detail #2 – The phrase yawa karon.
Yawa karon is a cuss word in Visaya, a Philippine dialect. It means “child of the devil.” Whenever I did something bad as a child, my mother would call me “yawa karon” LOL. That slipped into my story too.
It’s so interesting how these childhood memories stick, eh?
Detail #3 – Nasogastric tubes
I use the term nasogastric tube in my second scene of Healing Hannah’s Heart when Hannah is in the emergency room. When I first drafted the scene, one of the first comments I got was: “Um, you need to get the medical details right.”
So I ordered some used textbooks and studied all I could about second and third-degree burns. This is when I learned about nasogastric tubes! I felt pretty smart using the medical term in my story. 🙂
FYI, a nasogastric tube is a special tube that carries food and medicine to the stomach through the nose.
Detail #4 – Father-son bonding
In Healing Hannah’s Heart, Jake is estranged from his son, Tim. Jake hopes to reconnect with his son throughout the book.
In one chapter, I share a snippet of the past where Jake and Tim bond. It’s a flashback where Jake had to take care of Tim for a few days. At the time, Tim was a young child.
Even though most of story focuses on the present tension between Jake and Tim, I share some lighter moments. This was one of them.
Detail #5 – Waiting rooms and Go-sees and Open Calls
In Healing Hannah’s Heart, I explore the modeling world in all of its fickleness, triumphs, and vagaries. I was a model growing up, and so I tap into my experience for this story.
The one thing I loved and hated about modeling was the open calls and go-sees. These are basically auditions for potential modeling assignments. The waiting rooms were busy spaces where models would sign in and have their Polaroid taken (I’m dating myself) and/or show off their portfolio.
The waitings rooms were also hopeful spaces because perhaps, maybe, I could book this modeling assignment.
In Healing Hannah’s Heart, Hannah encounters the waiting room as an established model. She has to comes to grip with the fact that she’s a “has-been” and there are younger, beautiful models who are eager to take her place.
It’s heartbreaking. How Hannah works through this disconnect becomes her journey.
So that’s it, folks. Five details readers miss in Healing Hannah’s Heart.
If you haven’t read the book yet, I encourage you to purchase your copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
INSTAGRAM LIVE READINGS EVERY WEEKEND!
Every weekend, I (or my husband!!!) will be reading a chapter from the book on Instagram Live. This week we will be reading from Chapter Three. Follow me on IG for updates. My IG handle is @preslaysa
About the Book
Hannah Hart may have been burned by the breakup of her rocky marriage, but the ambitious Afro-Filipina model has big plans for her future. Her stunning looks and flawless skin provide the opening she craves to become a celebrity in the fashion world. Then an arsonist’s match brings Hannah’s world crashing down around her.
While Hannah recovers from her burns, she is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants, her estranged husband, Jake Hart. Jake isn’t ready to give up on their marriage. The return of Jake’s teenage son from a one-night stand had been the catalyst for their breakup. Can Jake help both the son who resents his abandonment and the woman he still loves? He can do nothing about the scars on her skin, but can he heal Hannah’s heart?
As she struggles to rebuild her life from the ashes of her shattered dreams, does Hannah have the courage to give Jake a second chance? And is the world ready for a differently-abled model who will redefine what it means to be beautiful?
