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Vol. 2 , No. 21 , September 14, 2006
‘My Charming Protector’ a Charming First Novel
By: Azul Uribe
Fall is just around the corner, bringing with it the added obligations that seem to come during the colder months of the year. However, for those out there looking to cling to summer for a couple more hours, there is the breezy literary debut by Vickie Treadway (who goes by the pen name of Tory Lynn) in the form of “My Charming Protector.”
”My Charming Protector” falls into the romantic category, following Shawna Thomas, a computer genius who knows a little too much about the company she’s working for. Secrets are being stolen, but unfortunately she doesn’t have the necessary evidence she would need to stop it.
Throw into the mix a set of exciting (but dangerous) occurrences and a very handsome man by the name of Mitch. Shawna’s a shy one though, and instead of snagging the hunk right away she hesitates. She’s young, and she’s unsure, and she’s scared.
This book is a beach read, and seeing as how there are no such large bodies of water here in Utah, or at least anywhere in a ten mile radius of Enoch (desert! Desert everywhere!), that was a bit of escapism I wasn’t able to indulge in. The book seems synonymous with fun and frolic of the nautical sort, but it can still be enjoyable to read here in the mountains.
The author, who hails from San Diego moved here about two years ago, buying a house with her husband in a week’s time, and relocating her family to Cedar.
“We thought Cedar was just beautiful, and we just kept saying to ourselves ‘we have got to check [Cedar City] out,’” she said. “Then, about two years ago, our daughter had a gymnastics meet in Vegas, and we decided to check out Cedar for a week. We closed on a house, sold our house in San Diego, and moved here,” Treadway said.
The idea for Shawna Thomas’s character however, has been kicking around much longer, dating many years back.
“Believe it or not, I thought of her right after high school,” Treadway said. “I saw a movie about a child prodigy and really loved the idea of having a character like that. This is my first book, and I finally got her the way I wanted after 20 years.
“I knew exactly what I wanted the characters to be, and it didn’t come together until three years ago,” she added. “I have variations of the story in three different folders and right after I got my laptop, I was able to finally write it all out.”
Treadway started her writing at the age of 9 with poetry, and transitioned to short stories by the time she was in high school, helping her set a foundation for her future writing. Becoming an avid reader changed her perspective of writing and of herself.
“I started saying to myself and just thinking ‘I could do that,’” she said. “I was reading a lot, and I realized that I could do a lot of the same things, and I just believed in myself. That’s another thing: you really need to believe in yourself, you really do, in order to get where you need to be.”
Treadway specializes in writing romances, and is currently working on three short stories and two other books, one which she is editing and hopes to publish in the coming year.
“From the time I was a teenager, I loved love,” Treadway said. “I’ve always loved writing about love. I’ve been married for 21 years, and my husband and I are still best friends, and I still love love.
“It’s not that it’s a happily ever after, but I want people to see that there is the possibility of giving it a go,” she said.
Writing the book has had its challenges and rewards both personally and professionally.
”For many years I didn’t let people read my work because I was afraid of what they would think of me,” Treadway said. “After compiling the story though, I was really proud of it. It was the first time that I took stock as a writer of what I was doing, and I just realized why does it matter what other people think when I’m the one living my life?
“Seeing my work in print after so many years of dreaming and making notes was amazing,” she added. “I got home one day after work and my husband called me into the office. I thought I was in trouble, but he told me to go out on the table and see. I saw the books, and it was the first time that I saw it in print. I couldn’t say anything, I just started to cry. The feeling you have from seeing your work published is just amazing.”
Her husband and daughter have offered their support in her writing efforts, often helping her edit and offering opinions of her work.
“I’m fortunate to have the full support of my family,” she said. “Tyler Braun and Braun Books have also been very helpful, and I would like to thank him for hosting my first book signing.”
Treadway has advice for those looking to become writers, or those aspiring to publish their work. “If you want to become a writer in your heart, you probably already are,” she said. “You should journal about everything that happens; describe everything. Take paper everywhere with you. Take a creative writing class, (and) know your grammar.”
“My Charming Protector” by Tory Lynn is available for sale at Amazon.com and Braun Books, located on Main Street. For more information on Tory Lynn and her work, visit www.publishedauthors.net/torylynn/index.html.
Other Articles from this issue:
Stampede Provides Fun Weekend Entertainment
Livestock Show Celebrates 66 Years of Success
Cedar City Comes Alive with Variety of Activities
Teacher Honored at Enoch Council Meeting
Water Board Discusses Banking Water
Karate Students Take National Competition By Storm
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Wonderful, October 6, 2006
Great Read, August 14, 2006
