North of Heartbreak by Julie Rowe

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North of Heartbreak

By Julie Rowe

Since her divorce, Willa Hayes has thrown herself into her work as a nurse practitioner in the remote town of Stony Creek, Alaska. She's regained her self-confidence and her heart is almost healed. Then her newfound peace is shaken by the arrival of sexy flyboy Liam Reynolds. Willa can't deny she's instantly, intensely attracted to him—even if she's convinced he's yet another Mr. Wrong.

Liam has his own reasons for fleeing to the isolation of the north, and a relationship is the last thing he wants. He wasn't counting on being drawn to the pretty nurse who accompanies patients on his flights to southern hospitals.

Fortunately, the temptation—and the desire to avoid anything serious—is mutual. So the pair comes up with an arrangement: sensual, steamy, no-strings fun. But when things heat up on a cold Alaskan night, the rules of the game may change forever...

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Everything I Know About Writing Medical Romance I Learned From Star Trek

By Julie Rowe

The character of the doctor has always been one of the main characters in every Star Trek series made.

Why?

I believe it’s because we all have the same fears and expectations of doctors no matter where we come from, and it’s those similarities we need to draw from in writing any medical scene. Here’s a quote to illustrate my point: 

McCoy to Chekov: “Now this isn’t going to hurt a bit.”

Chekov: “That’s what you said the last time.”

McCoy: “Did it hurt?”

Chekov: “Yes.”

McCoy and Chekov, TOS/The Deadly Years.

  

What’s great about this bit of dialogue is that anyone reading it can identify with Chekov.

I learned to write medical details in plain English from this little conversation McCoy had with a policeman and Kirk in The Voyage Home:

McCoy to policeman: “Damnit, do you want an acute case on your hands?  This woman has immediate postprandial upper abdominal distension!  Out of the way…Get out of the way.”

Kirk to McCoy: “What did you say she’s got?”

McCoy: “Cramps.”

Most readers don’t understand medical speak. You have to put things in terms they DO understand.

I learned to use medical scenes to deepen the stakes for my characters from this exchange between Kirk and a police man in The Voyage Home:

Policeman to McCoy: “How’s the patient, Doctor?”

McCoy: “He’s gonna make it!”

Police man: “He?  You came in with a she?”

McCoy: “One little mistake…”

This made me laugh out loud when I heard it the first time, but for the policeman, it sure made him wary!

I learned that the best doctors are deeply empathic and need to be written that way.

Dr. Crusher to Picard: “Where are the calluses we doctors are supposed to grow over our feelings?”

Picard: “Perhaps the good ones never get them.”

Beverly and Picard, TNG/Code of Honor.

Dr. Pulaski to Doctor: “It’s a time honoured way to practice medicine – with your head and your heart and your hands.”

Pulaski to Doctor, TNG/Contagion.

Dr. Bashir to Garak: “I’m a doctor, you’re my patient, that’s all I need to know.”

Bashir to Garak, DS9/Life Support.

Practicing medicine is often an emotionally draining occupation. It’s important to remember this aspect when you’re creating medical characters.

I’ve learned that readers enjoy stories with medical characters engaged in a struggle to safe a life.

Dr. Bashir to Winn: “Listen to me. I don’t care about your negotiations, and I don’t care about your treaty. All I care about is my patient, and at the moment, he needs more treatment and less politics.”

Bashir to Winn, DS9/Life Support.

I learned that not all medical scenes need to be serious. Humor can be a powerful a tool in storytelling.

Chekov to Sulu: “’Give us some more blood, Chekov.’ ‘The needle won’t hurt, Chekov.’ ‘Breathe deeply, Chekov.’ ‘Blood sample, Chekov.’ ‘ Marrow sample, Chekov.’ ‘ Skin sample, Chekov.’  If…if I live long enough, I’m going to run out of samples.”

Sulu: “You’ll live.”

Chekov: “Oh, yes, I’ll live. But I won’t enjoy it.”

            -Chekov and Sulu, TOS/The Deadly Years.

The final lesson is to end the story with an emotional satisfying ending.

Live long and prosper.

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About the Author

Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the North West Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll never be able to write about all her medical experiences because, “No one would believe them!”

A double Golden Heart finalist 2006, Julie has two books out with Carina Press: ICEBOUND and NORTH OF HEARTBREAK. Her writing has also appeared in several magazines such as Today’s Parent, Reader’s Digest (Canada), and Canadian Living. She currently facilitates communication workshops for her local city college. You can reach her at www.julieroweauthor.com or on Twitter @julieroweauthor .