There's No Place Like Home by JoAnn Durgin

There’s No Place Like Home

Who can forget the classic scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy clicks the heels of her ruby red shoes and says, “There’s no place like home”? Although Dorothy’s incantation was popularized by the 1939 film, the sentiment originated in the song, “Home, Sweet Home” (1823) in the opera Clari and introduced at London’s Covent Garden. Performed at the end of the first act, the text of the song goes like this:

“Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”

While the lyrics allegedly alluded to the lyricist’s homesickness, the song became an instant hit, and its popularity quickly spread throughout the English-speaking world.

Have you ever been homesick? At age twelve, I went to summer camp for the first time and was desperately homesick. In my defense, the campground was rustic and bare-bones (the name Gnawbone should give you a clue what it was like). During my first semester in college, my mom said if she’d given me a dime (the price of a phone call in those days), I’d have begged her to come “rescue” me and take me home.

In my sophomore year, I spent a semester abroad. When I turned on the news on the first Saturday in May, I burst into tears when I heard the first few notes played by a trumpeter. You see, I’d forgotten it was the day for the Kentucky Derby. Although I’ve never attended, the event takes place close to my hometown in southern Indiana. Our family moved back to the area in 2005 after living in a number of states coast-to-coast. However, I will probably always grow teary-eyed when I’m traveling by air, and the pilot announces the plane’s approach into Louisville. The region known as “Kentuckiana” has always been “home” in my heart, although it admittedly took me a few years to reach that conclusion.

Do your favorite authors give you a sense of “home” in their writing? I’m not talking about sappy and sentimental writing, although you might feel a strong tug on your emotions. Neither am I necessarily talking about making you feel immediately “comfortable” with the characters and setting (although that can be part of it). It’s possible to write any genre in an exciting, involving way that makes readers feel like they’re “home.” I’d challenge you to study the author’s style and examine how he/she combines the pivotal and necessary elements of writing—a unique writing voice, well-developed characters, a vivid setting you can feel and see (using all the senses), a great plot, and steady pacing. But there’s more.

Our favorite novels appeal to our sense of belonging. When we identify with and relate to someone or something in the novel, it draws upon our memories, sensibilities, and reaffirms our humanity and place in the world. Ideally, Christian novels glorify God and offer hope to the reader. The characters and their story touch something deep inside us that reassures us we’re not alone. And reminds us that we’re saved by grace and redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb.

It’s a high honor and privilege to write books which reflect His love for us. Let’s do our best before He calls us to our heavenly, eternal home.

Until His Nets Are Full,

 ~JoAnn 

Matthew 5:16

Do your favorite authors give you a sense of "home" in their writing? #seriouslywrite #tipsforwriters via @Gr8tReads

Our favorite novels appeal to our sense of belonging. #seriouslywrite #tipsforwriters via @Gr8tReads

When we identify with and relate to someone or something in the novel, it draws upon our memories, our sensibilities, and reaffirms our humanity and place in the world. #seriouslywrite #tipsforwriters via @Gr8tReads

Only a Breath Away

As the daughter of a lighting technician and a costumer, Madalina (“Madi”) Pavel grew up in the shadows of the famed Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Now 26, Madalina is the coloratura soprano understudy for the Met Opera who seeks the breakout role of a lifetime.

Julian Rhodes is the owner/manager of Harmonia, a popular Manhattan breakfast bistro frequented by the Met staff and performers. He devotes all his energies into making his restaurant a success, but when he meets the beautiful coloratura soprano, Julian begins to rethink his priorities.

Can a romantic relationship survive between a workaholic business owner and a promising opera singer? When Madalina is offered a fabulous career opportunity, their love is put to the test. Come backstage for a firsthand look into the fascinating world of the opera where stories are beautifully and passionately told through drama and song. 

Julianna Desmond is the pen name of USA Today Bestselling Author JoAnn Durgin. Her books in release include the following three novels (with more to come!)—Only A Heartbeat Away, Only A Breath Away, and Only A Whisper Away. Each standalone story features a heroine with an unusual occupation and the faithful hero who can’t help but fall in love with her. Overflowing with faith, humor, and romance, the novels are a lively escape for those seeking an uplifting and lively read!

A former estate administration paralegal, JoAnn writes contemporary Christian romance full-time and lives with her family in her native southern Indiana.

Feel free to connect with her at https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin or via her website at https://joanndurgin.com.