Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 11

Does Writing Change the Author? By Connie Vines #RR

 Does writing change the author? Do you think your writing has changed you in any significant way?

 Thank you Rhobin for this month's topic.

Writing can teach us lessons, and make us think differently. Writers can choose to use their writing to teach valuable lessons, to give new perspectives and make us see the world and the behavior  of people in a different light. Writing can inspire, motivate, and bring about change.

As for myself, and for most authors I know, self-doubt is something we’re all too familiar with.  It’s unavoidable.  Whereas most careers (or the author's day-job) are built on  a clear end goal for each day, authors goals are driven by a mysterious voice that sometimes chooses to speak to us… and sometimes doesn’t.

After all,  a professional fiction writer is someone who gets paid to make stuff up.  It’s a thoroughly exhausting job that takes a long, long time, and usually offers the writer very little financial reward.  

By writing a novel, the writer acts to keep their era alive for future generations, so that our children and grandchildren can understand who we really were, and what we stood for-- or as in my YA historical novel "Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water" focus on a moment in history which hasn't been portrayed truthfully in the past.

By nature, writers are teachers.  Again, writers write because they have something to say to the world.  They have a lesson to teach, a lesson so important to them—whether it be moral, intellectual, idealistic, or cynical—that they’ve sculpted an entire story for the sheer purpose of teaching that lesson.   

Romance novels promise a Happily Ever After which is something we all want from life. Happiness, joy, and the hope for a better tomorrow. 

Westerns/ Space Travel/  promise an Adventure, a glimpse into a new/different world.

Mysteries allow you to expand your thought process, search for hidden clues, or over look the obvious.  This is why children and adults a like love 'treasure maps'.

How does my writing change me?

It keeps 'child-like' hope, discovery, joy, and sheer fun alive in my soul.

And, often, a review or a comment posted on my blog or Facebook  site, will validate my story held meaning and, perhaps changed his/her life for the better--even if only for an hour or two.

Please visit the wonderful authors posting on this month's topic.  

Happy Reading!

Connie

NEW RELEASE
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FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED May 30 & 31

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2jz

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Book Review Sunday: Teeth of the Cocodrilo by E R Yatscoff

 

Action Packed!

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Aaron, a Canadian fire fighter living in Mexico, risks his life to save a family trapped in a burning car. This event and the events which follow, binds him to a Police commandant which places him in the criminal underworld. The plot twists, love-interest, and well-drawn secondary characters kept me guessing until the final page.
Publisher link:BWL Publishing Inc
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Teeth-Cocodrilo-R-Yatscoff-ebook/dp/B0747NDPGP
Amazon Bio Page

Barnes and Noble link:barnesandnoble


GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42305859-teeth-of-the-cocodrilo?from_search=true&from_srp=true&rank=7

Kobo: https://books2read.com/Final-Response https://books2read.com/The-Rumrunners-Boy

Bio:
Edward Yatscoff was born in the Niagara Peninsula and now resides in Alberta, Canada.  He’s backpacked the world, visited six continents, and lived in Australia.  From steelworker to assembly lines to construction work he finally settled down to a 32-year career as a firefighter.  
He’s played drums in a Big Band, climbed the Great Wall of China, honeymooned during the Grenada Revolution, snorkeled with a marlin, tried smuggling a Playboy into Communist Russia, egged an Aussie PM, and met his future wife on a freighter in the South China Sea.  
He manages a writer’s group, does occasional renos, travels, camps, and reads profusely.  He has written 11 novels YA, MG, and adult crime.  Among his notable awards are winner of the John Bilsland Non-Fiction Award and a Crime Writers of Canada Finalist. 

Ho Do You Choose Your Characters' Names? Are There Names You Avoid? by Connie Vines RR#83 #WritingTIps

This month's topic: 

How do you choose your characters' names? 

Are there any you avoid?

Character names are one of most important decisions I make when I begin a story.  Names have meaning and often set the tone of a novel. People have pre-conceived ideas of how a hero named 'Sam' should look/act verses a 'hero named Kaleb', for example.
I give one of my main characters a unique name which defines his/her personality or hint's at his/her background.
For example: In Rodeo Romance Book 1, featured a hero named: Lynx Maddox. Lynx is a bull-rider and dubbed 'the Wild Cat of the Rodeo Circuit'.  
Rodeo Romance Book 2, brought us: Brede (pronounced Breed) Kristensen is a widowed rancher.
My current release: Gumbo Ya Ya: an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style has a cast of characters in the four stories. Because each story features a Cajun hero/heroine, one will have a Cajun last name. 

Story One: Murphy Flynn and Sylvie Dupree.Story Two: Persia Richmond and Cooper T. Story Three: Julia Kincade and Sebastian Beaux  Story Four:  Enza and Gabriel

In my WIP my hero's name is Sam.  
Sam is a straightforward and down-to-earth guy--just as the meaning of his name implies.
A name is an easy way to define a character.  No long narrative needed. The reader knows Sam isn't  into flashy fashion or throwing away his savings on a whim.

 If your character is born in July: The flower: Larkspur (Lark) or Water Lily Gemstone: Ruby    Astrological Sign: Leo/ Lenora


Are there names I avoid?
Yes, I try not to have characters in a novel with similar names, or names beginning with the same letter.  
I do not like phonically spelled names: Kaleb, Danyella, Jakob, etc. this person is going to spell his/her name continually and I predict errors on legal documents too.  And in my case, however, I find it unwanted distraction when reading a novel. 
How do you feel about character's names?Do you have favorites?
See what the wonderfully talented authors of 'Round Robin' have to share with you today :-) 
Happy Reading!
Connie Barnes and noble Amazon Smashwords

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2i7

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Cajun Country Cooking on Monday's Blog

Flash Back to the Past! It's Cajun Cooking!

I miss Justin Wilson's Cajun Cooking Show.

I watched him on weekends. My husband is from Louisiana and enjoyed the mini vacation to the south when he watched his shows.
 Gotta love Justin Wilson's  funny stories.  And, no matter what was on the stove, everything needed more wine! 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs


I'm finishing final revisions on my next BWL release.  "Gumbo Ya Ya an anthology for woman who like Cajun romance ".
My anthology also includes recipes for delicious Cajun meals.  All are home-cook friendly.


                                                                Gumbo and rice


Though, I may add a recipe for fried gator 'bites'! 


                                                                    Fried Gator Bites


Gator, if prepared correctly, is tasty. 
Happy Reading and wishing Ya'll adventures in cooking,

Connie 

Guest Blogging today@ ffprwa.com

 Magic Mirrors, Evil Queens and Happily-Ever-After

Visit me at:

ffprwa.com

I'm having a great time. Please stop by for a visit...

My latest current release:

April 10th

Pre-order now!

Hot Cross Buns Monday on the Go by Connie Vines

The Hot Cross Bun marks the end of Lent and different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning, including the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial. They are now available all year round in some places.

* One theory is that the Hot Cross Bun originates from St Albans, in England, where Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a 14th-century monk at St Albans Abbey, developed a similar recipe called an 'Alban Bun' and distributed the bun to the local poor on Good Friday, starting in 1361.

Describe Hot Cross Buns (I love Hot Cross Buns), you asked:

They are a yeasty, buttery sweet bread bun with a hint of orange peel and spice and raisins/currents running through them! They just smell like bread when they're cold, but when they're heated up they smell of warm bread, warm milk, sugar, orange peel, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

How to make Hot Cross Buns at home:

There are 3 different types of yeast and you can use any of these to make Hot Cross Buns:

active dry / dry yeast – yeast in powder form that is best used after dissolving in warm liquid then left to get foamy before mixing in dry ingredients (like for Bread Rolls)

instant yeast / rapid rise yeast (used in this recipe) – this yeast makes the dough rise faster and does not need to be dissolved in liquid first, just mix everything at the same time;

fresh yeast – comes in block form, just crumble and dissolve in liquid.

Hot Cross Buns – Choose from 3 Methods

In this Hot Cross Buns recipe, I’m going to give you three different ways to make the dough:

1. stand mixer – easiest, my default way; 

2. kneading by hand – takes 10 minutes, and requires decent arm strength; 

3. simple no knead version – all you need is a bowl, wooden spoon and 1 minute of easy stirring. The easiest method of all, this will make buns that are ever so slightly less fluffy and do not keep quite as well. But it is a small compromise for the effort you will save!

Method #1 and #2 is recommended for best results, #3 is the easiest.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F

2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast (1 standard packet)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar

5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 5 pieces

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

3 and 1/2 cups (435g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spoon & leveled)

1 cup (140g) raisins or currants

(I will often add diced candied fruit too).

Mix via your method of choice. I change the mixing paddle to a dough hook for the kneading process.

PART 2 – RISE

Once the dough is smooth, place it in a bowl, cover with cling wrap then leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size.

PART 3 – FORM BALLS

To form the balls that bake into smooth round Hot Cross Buns, I find the best method is as follows:

Shape dough into log, cut into 12 pieces;

Take a piece, then bundle it up like a moneybag – this will stretch one side into a smooth round dome; and

roll/press/shape into a neat ball, the place the ball into the baking pan smooth side up.

PART 4 – RISE #2

Spray cling wrap with oil, then loosely drape over the buns. Leave for 40 minutes until they almost double in size – about 75% is enough.

PART 5 – HOW TO MAKE THE CROSSES FOR HOT CROSS BUNS

Simple mix of water and flour, the trick is ensuring it is the right consistency. Too thin, and it will run everywhere when it’s in the oven. Too thick, and you end up with stiff, hard sprigs on the surface of your soft buns!

PART 6 – BAKE!

Bake for 22 minutes or until the buns are a deep golden brown. I find that color is the best indicator for this recipe. Pale = undercooked. Burnt = 😩

PART 7 – GLOSS!

The lovely shiny finish on Hot Cross Buns is simply a mix of heated apricot jam and a touch of water. Just microwave to heat, mix until smooth then lightly brush onto the surface.

Substitute with other jams, or honey, maple syrup, golden syrup or other shiny syrups.

Prep Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes 

Cook Time: 22 minutes 

Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes Yield: 14-16 buns

Have a wonderful week!

Brain Food for Writers by Connie Vines

It wasn't until I completed this blog post that I realized that my title, well. . .carried an unintended double meaning.

My featured novella this month -- Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow-- is a Zombie story. And today's topic is brain food.  Well, brain food for writers, anyway.

On deadline? Obsessed with your current storyline?  Forfeiting sleep, exercise, and nutrition to reach the moment you can type the words The End on the final page of your novel?
Here are a list of grazing foods that you can keep on hand.  High in protein, easy prep, and tasty.
Single serve, or 5 ounces of nonfat cottage cheese.  3 grams more protein than a typical serving of Greek yogurt.
Hard boiled Egg.  No longer shunned due to claims of too high cholesterol, we can enjoy in moderation. You can boil yourself or purchased peeled and packaged at the market.
Peanut butter.  Scoop your own or purchase in single packets, smear on a banana or apple slices.
Roasted chickpeas ( I love hummus and falafel).  120 cals per serving, 5 gram of protein and fiber.To prep yourself rinse and drained chickpeas in a bowl with olive oil.  Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Oven bake at 425 degrees for 45 mins.
Greek yogurt
Turkey roll ups. Nitrate free deli turkey breast with a squirt os mustard, a slice of tomato, and some lettuce.  Add red pepper slices and baby carrots. Roll and store in a plastic container or foil.
Hummus.  Made from chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil, hummus is a healthy mix of protein and fiber. Use it as a dip for carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, and cucumber slices,
100-calorie almond packets.
String cheese.
Happy Writing & Reading.
Connie

It's National Puppy Day! by Connie Vines #National Puppy Day

Prepare yourselves for an overdose of cuteness, because March 23 is National Puppy Day! Established in 2006, National Puppy Day is a paw-some day for all dog enthusiasts to celebrate unconditional love and fawn over the undeniably cute fur-balls that bring so much happiness into this world. While we’re all softies when it comes to our four-legged friends, today is also designed to raise awareness about puppy mills and help prospective pet owners consider adoption.
Their cuddles and wiggles make us smile and without a doubt, there are squeals of delight when there are puppies around!
We must remember: Puppies are a big responsibility. Be sure to consider everything involved and adopt from a shelter. The puppies there need love and a home just as much as any other and they grow into loyal pets, too!
According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year. Some of these dogs come with litters of puppies. If you’re seeking a puppy to start your furry family, check the shelters first. When these abandoned and abused animals find their way to a shelter, each one needs a forever home and their potential is limitless.
Personal note: 
I have always welcomed my pups into my life.  My first, very own puppy, was a pedigreed miniature poodle I name Jacques. My father was on on shore-duty during my 12th birthday. I recall the drive to Fallbrook, CA to an AKC approved breeder. It didn't take long until  I fell in love with the black curly-haired-bundles of wiggles.  With in moments, we were 'best-friends'. 

Since Jacques passing, I have adopted (and adored) an abandoned greyhound who lived until she was 14; chiweenie (a little fire-ball) who lived until he was 12.; followed by my current pups:  A rehomed KC Spaniel/Poodle toy-mix (always by my side) and a shelter pup. I adopted the 1 year-old Westie Highland Terrier on my birthday last year. He's  vocal and spunky but allows my 7 lb. KC Spaniel/Poodle tattle on his mischievous behaviors (pen-stealing, for one). 
It goes without saying that when you adopt a rescue pet, you’re saving a life—but you’re actually saving more than one. By adopting, you’re helping make space for another animal in need and helping to give them the opportunity to become beloved pets. 


HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPuppyDayUse #NationalPuppyDay and post photos of your puppy on social media.
Go to the dog park and let your puppy play.
Pick up a special treat for your puppy.
Go for a walk with your young friend.











Wishing you a day filled with paw-prints, cold-noses, and puppy-kisses!
Connie

How to Develop Tension in Your Writing by Connie Vines #RR #RR82 #WritingTips

How do you develop tension in your writing?

RR#82

Thank you Robin for this month's topic :)

I believe creating tension in a novel (or short-story) is a skill which is always been honed and re-invented by an author.

The genre of fiction or even non-fiction often denotes the type of tension you develop when you are writing.  However, these are the go-to questions I ask myself when I am writing and revising my stories: 

First and foremost, your characters must be people your readers will like and relate to.

Have I created  a conflict crucial to your characters. ...

Are my characters engaging characters with opposing goals. ...

Remember to keep raising the stakes. ...

Allow tension to ebb and flow. ...

Keep making the reader ask questions. ...

Create internal and external conflict. ...

Create secondary sources of tension. ...

Make the story unfold in a shorter space of time.

Also:

Master the art of pacing. ...

Time your tension effectively. ...

Introduce exponential tension. ...

Consider using cliffhangers: at the end of a scene or at the end of a chapter.

Throw out those extra words (adverbs). Verbs = Action.

Examples in my writing:

Excerpt from "Brede" Rodeo Romance, Book 2

With and unexpected flash of recall cam a feeling of success. Only the joy was gone al too quickly, blotted out by something else that hovered at the edge of her consciousness. Dark and menacing, it pressed down on her like a thunderhead in the moments before a cloudburst.

She remembered the darkness...

Excerpt from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1

Coming out of chute number 5 is Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat"...atop Widow-Maker. This cowboy hails from Amarillo, Texas. Let's give him a big Montana welcome."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The heavy thud of hooves to the ground. The animal's labored breathing and the clang of the cowbell filled Lynx's head as his butt was pounded against the bull's back. His spine compressed with every jolt.

Helluva way to make a living, he thought, fighting to remain upright. Infuriated, the bull jerked its head from side to side, rolled his eyes, and suddenly aimed a horn at Lynx's leg.

The Brahman had changed his tactics, Lynx realized, his arm pulling hard at the socket as he fought against gravity. Exhaling a heavy snort, the animal dropped its head forward and blasted toward the center of the arena, Lynx knew he was in trouble, big time. . .

Excerpt from "Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water" Native American/First Peoples Series, Book 1

1868

The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over the age of six be educated in the ways of the white man.

Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said: It was cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.

1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries

Isolated bands of colored clay on white lime-stone remained where the sagebrush was stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land of barren rocks and twisted paths that reached out into the silence.

A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. My people and I call ourselves "Nde" this means "The People". The white man calls us Apache....

I hope you enjoyed this month's topic.

Remember to complete the blog hop and see what my cohorts have divulged (we all love  secrets) about developing tension in their writing.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Connie

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2fU

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/ (You are here now)

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day! By Connie Vines

"The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but in New York City in 1762, and with the dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century, the March 17th celebration became widespread."

Since everyone visiting ' Dishin' it Out' today, has general knowledge of the celebration, I thought I'd share my often baked soda bread recipe.  I serve the bread warm and search slice is smeared with Irish butter and a dollop of orange marmalade.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour2 Tablespoons caraway seeds1teaspoon baking soda1teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit2. Mix flour, caraway seeds, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.3. Mix buttermilk and stir until large minister clumps form.4. Gather dough into a large ball and lightly flour outside.  Place dough into a ball and kneed until dough becomes smooth and hold a together.5. Roll into a large ball and lightly flour the outside.  6.Place the dough ball in a non-stick baking sheet and shape into a 6-inch diameter ny 2-inch tall mound.7.Cut a 1-inch deep X across the top, extending the edges.8. Bake approximately 35 minutes, until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.9.Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool completely.10.Cut into 8 wedges.
This is sooo easy and sooo delish!