Fresh Fiction Blog | Lilian Darcy | Inspiration for River Bend Series

The River Bend books have been in my head for years, and I've been searching for a way to write them. I initially thought of them as a series for Harlequin Special Edition, but when I looked deeper at the ideas I realized they needed more space and more complexity in story-telling than is possible in a series romance novel of less than 60,000 words. When I was invited to write for The Tule Group and Montana Born Books, it was so exciting to know that at last I'd found a home for these stories.

Each of them centers around what happened on prom night in Marietta eighteen years ago,1996, and in the shorter novella that sets up the series we see that night from two more perspectives, those of high school teacher Kate and sheriff Harrison.

Prom night is such an impossibly huge event in the mind of so many American high school kids. They hang so many expectations on it - that it's going to be the best night of their lives, that it's going to be the start of wonderful love, the launch of real life. For a lot of eighteen-year-olds, I suspect that prom night fizzles a little bit after all the hopes and dreams. Prom is fun, but it doesn't change much. Life goes on, and the big changes happen later, in unexpected ways. Sometimes, though, it's different.

I wanted to explore what would happen if that big, all-important night went so sour and wrong that it really was life-changing, but not in a good way. In the River Bend novels, one character is still keeping a huge secret from that night - one that has shadowed her whole life since. Another is locked in unresolved feelings about the sister she lost to the river during the drunken after-prom party at River Bend Park . A third embarks on a relationship that leads to an unhappy marriage and eventual divorce. More than one key character in the series leaves town following what happens on prom night, so shaken up that they don't return to Marietta for eighteen years.

River Bend seemed like the right name for the series, not just because of the major events that play out at River Bend Park, but because of the symbolic meaning of a bend in the river, too. In life, for good or ill, we never know what's around the river bend...

Late Last Night
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The Sweetest Thing
#1

Lilian Darcy is a five-time Rita™ Award nominee who has written over eighty romances for Harlequin, as well as several mainstream novels. She has also written for Australian theatre and television under another name, and has received two award nominations for Best Play from the Australian Writers Guild. In 1990 she was the co-recipient of an Australian Film Institute award for best TV mini-series.

What is the worst thing that happened to you on a big event? One commenter will win a Kindle copy of THE SWEETEST THING

Comments

the worse thing is i was at a park with friends and i had a
scratch on my leg well i had alot in my hands so when i tried
to bend over to scratch my leg someone banged into me and i
fell in the mud
(Denise Smith 2:08am March 3, 2014)

I had to wear a garbage bag (because of the weather - it was
rainy and cold and I was unprepared - to a huge dog show
while showing my dog! AND... we won!!!!!!
(Linda Townsend 7:30am March 3, 2014)

Can't really recall anything too bad happening at a big event.
(Pam Howell 8:32am March 3, 2014)

It was my first year in college and at their prom, I had a long flowing gown on and I tried to sit at the bar and I just couldn't reach the high seat. I kept standing on my gown. Oh it was awful and very embarrassing.
(Bonnie Capuano 9:06am March 3, 2014)

I was so shy that any little thing might have been embarrassing, but nothing major happened, thank goodness.
(Anna Speed 11:19am March 3, 2014)

When I was nine years old wearing white shorts at a family reunion and all
of a sudden my white shorts had turned red I just started my first period
which I didn't know what happened I thought I was dying I was crying I
didn't want to die it was so embarrassing and my family still won't let me
forget Thank You
(Ava Curtis 1:26pm March 3, 2014)

I cant remember anything happening at a big event, thank goodness.
(Denise Austin 1:36pm March 3, 2014)

At my first big high school dance: The dress I had chosen was a lovely light blue with a black velvet overlay of sorts. Once I started dancing and got a little sweaty, the black velvet started to rub off of the dress! I went in to the bathroom to wipe away some of the velvet, and under my arms, the velvet had stuck particularly well to my arm-pit area! All the other girls in the bathroom thought I had never shaved my arm-pits and that I had this horrific fuzzy black hair under my arms! It was pretty embarrassing, but thankfully, the girls all laughed when I explained and wiped the fuzz away!
(Michelle Brown 2:37pm March 3, 2014)

I was at a music festival standing near a barrel when over comes this lady and just throws up in it. She wipes her mouth and walks away. Needless to say, I moved elsewhere, but it ruined my day!
(Nancy Wolfe 3:39pm March 3, 2014)

wearing the same dress as another girl at a formal in high school
(Denise Holcomb 3:48pm March 3, 2014)

I really can't remember anything. in fact, I never really had any big events in my life except my two weddings and nothing eventful happened then. I never went to any school functions as my family didn't have money for dresses or dance lessons. So, there is no story there. I guess I'm just boring. :/
(Janine Rowe 4:30pm March 3, 2014)

I'm Italian living in the US and i'm not used to Prom Nights
so i don't have a story to tell about it, in Italy we don't
have Prom at school but when we graduate from university
your friends make you dress like a foul and while they get
you terribly drunk they make you do the doctor walk of shame
through the alleys in the city where you live for a whole
day or until you pass out drunk. :) those are fun days
(Sarah Hansrote 7:29pm March 3, 2014)

For my daughter's high school graduation it was so very hot
that I ended up going back to the car and spending the
entire time there. I lack sweat glands and had no way to
cool my body and it was being held in an out door stadium.
I just couldn't do it. Needless to say, we were all
dreadfully disappointed and I felt like I let down my child.
(Marcia Berbeza 9:13pm March 3, 2014)

I don't have a prom story, but I do have a senior high school one. I was in my 3rd class in school when someone said something about the dress that I was wearing. It was on backwards! I blushed deeper than the color of the dress (which was a shade of deep pink)!! I ran for the rest room to change it around. I gave everyone a "chuckle" of the day/week/month, etc.!!! LOL :)
(Jean Merriott 9:23pm March 3, 2014)

I did go to prom - neither my junior or senior year -- no date -- and back then one didn't go to prom without a date, or even in a group. Don't really know that I regret it.
I did attend the Senior Banquet (a separate event altogether). I remember the dress I wore - a greenish turquoise, very low in the back, boat neck in front, full skirt (regular length) - soft materials, printed skirt and solid top. And I had my hair cut and fixed. I felt great.
But I guess the worst was I didn't date in high school -- was never asked out.
(Donna Durnell 9:50pm March 3, 2014)

This book sounds like it would be good to read! Love to read and always have a book with me every-where I go.Thank you for your contest!!
(Carol Oddy 9:56pm March 3, 2014)

I knew I was having problem with the dress I bought for my sister III's wedding reception. The front of the dress wasn't altered correctly and I kept bringing that up to the Wedding Boutique Store Manger. I couldn't wear a bra without the showing the bra halter.

Just as I was being served the main course, my dress fell forward and the waiter got a few view of my naked breasts. I was just horrified and embarrassed in this very awkward position. I made my fourth sister who is the maid of honor to who was sitting next to me not to even bring it up except I have received bad service from that wedding boutique store.
(Kai Wong 10:21pm March 3, 2014)

My big events all seemed to go quite smoothly - thank
goodness.
(Mary Preston 11:30pm March 4, 2014)

On my graducation day from high school my dad was flying in and because of bad weather he missed the whole thing!
(Carole Fiore 2:37pm March 6, 2014)

I gave one final turn to a faucet to turn it off good, and
then it broke making me miss the time I promised to man a
booth at a carnival for the elementary school. Arriving an
hour late with stitches in my wrist, I got to mosey around
and participate in the cake walk instead of "working". We
won a cake from one of my kid's teachers.
(Alyson Widen 4:47pm March 14, 2014)

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