Guest Post: Dianne Venetta

I'd like to thank Dianne Venetta, author of Jennifer's Garden for writing this interesting guest post for Books Etc. She gets asked a lot if the gardening in the novel comes from her own green thumb. Read on to see if that's the case!

Many who read Jennifer's Garden want to know how my love of gardening played into the writing of Jennifer’s Garden.  The answer to this question lies in this guest post.  Enjoy!


"A woman will bloom in time…" is a play on words that epitomizes my core belief: women are unique and beautiful and follow a life path unlike any other. Comparing ourselves to others is a waste of time, because we don't walk in their shoes. We borrow them, but we don't own them. She's going to have to make her own way in life. I'm simply her guide on how best to go about choosing which direction is right for her.
And this is the way it was meant to be. Not all tomatoes sprout at the same time. Squash grow in a variety of sizes and shapes and color. Trust me. I grew a zucchini once that turned into a pumpkin, right before my very eyes. Beats the heck out of me, but I've learned not to fight Mother Nature. While she has a sense of humor, she doesn't appreciate back talk.
While this wasn’t the first novel I wrote – that one was the story of a mother-daughter relationship, one that needed healing but wouldn't—until the women involved learned to accept who they were, why they affected each other and how they could move forward together in an intimate and loving relationship; the way nature intended. Eventually, I will publish the story; for my daughter.
The garden analogy is actually the result of a brief hiatus I took from writing a few years back. After an exceptionally tough rejection (apparently my thick-skin was thinning) I had to "step away from the beast" so to speak, and regain my perspective and objectivity about the craft of writing. No better place for me than outdoors!
However, while out gardening my mind never quit. I have a bad case of the "busy mind" anyway, but all sorts of thoughts took flight in my brain between my rows of corn and tomatoes and next thing you know, a new blog was born called BloominThyme. It journals my foray into the realm of organic gardening, my lessons learned, creatures discovered—including the antics of two kids and a dog along the way!
But the garden is also where my stories grew roots, in my heart and in my mind. Stories about a woman's personal growth and maturity, these were books I wanted to write. I'm sure it stems from my desire to be a good role model for my daughter; sharing with her the mistakes I've made, decisions that went well, the endless palette of choices that await her."