Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 3

Book Promotion Ideas for Authors. What Works and What Doesn't? #Round Robin, #Author Tips, Author Promo ideas

 

Thank you Sky for this month's topic.

 Book marketing tips: What works for me and what doesn't.

I have found my marketing sucess depends on: the book's release date, the book's premise, great reviews, and "what's hot and what's not" 😄.

 Summer books sell well because it is vacation time. Everyone loves a great beach read.

Halloween is the perfect time to showcase a spooky or goth story.

Holiday stories are always a relaxing reading.

Since I write in multiple genres, I try to avoid competing with myself.

This year, I will have a RomCom book for a winter release.

*Often, a reader likes a particular TV show or movie and is looking for the same type of connection in a book. (Yellowstone = Cowboy Romance, NCIS = Action/Military heroes.)  I prefer to write what I wish to read or what catches my attention. After all, I will live with my fictional people for months and months.

What hasn't worked for me:

Free book giveaways.

Swag giveaways.

Facebook ads.

Merchandise (mugs, totes, etc.) is on my website.

Streaming a live video event (Connie doesn't like to read aloud to adults. Though story hour is fun with children).

What works for me:

Book Awards.

Discounting the first book in a series.

Promo on other blogs.

Utilizing my blog(s) connection with my readers/new readers.

Facebook author page.

Publisher's Author Insider Blog, FB page for readers.

Theme promotions with other authors.

Coffee Time Romance (which closed its doors last year).

Guest appearances on other blogs.

And, of course, nice reviews from readers :-)

Participation Events, which sadly are no more:

Young Author Events, Judging YA Writing Contests.

Guest Speaking at schools and libraries. 

Book Signing Events at local and family-owned bookstores.

Please stop by the other authors participating in this month's Blog Hop. I bet they are sharing their secrets, 😉too!

XOXO

Connie

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-36L

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

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

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

Spotlight on Author J. Q. Rose By Connie Vines #Author Spotlight, Friday Author Interview, #Writing your Spiritual Memoir #Christian Faith

Welcome, Author J. Q. Rose

During your last interview, we talked about a fiction novel; today, we are venturing into another genre: writing a spiritual memoir.

Please tell us about your current release. 

Thank you for theopportunity, Connie, to tell you and your readers about my latest release,Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir,a Christian-based how-to book. My passion is to encourage folks to write theirlife stories. The second book in the series, Book Series for LifeStorytellers, inspires and encourages readers to write their spiritual memoirs.When offering workshops on life storytelling, I discovered thatpeople do not write their stories because they can't remember their lifeexperiences. So,  in the book, I suggestmany ways to spark memories, and I offer tips on writing a memoir/life story thatwill keep readers engaged. The last part of the book includes over forty topicsto write about, a Bible verse that fits the topic, and writing prompts forinspiration to get you started.

1.     Whatwas the inspiration for this story/book? 

I led workshops on lifestorytelling, so I created a book, Your Words, Your Life Story, with thelessons I taught in my presentations. With a book, I could engage with a larger group of people who needed help getting their story out of their heads and onto paper, computer screen, or video. After I wrote that book, I felta nudge from God to author a book on how to write a spiritual memoir. Thenudging would not go away, so I committed to writing and  finishing the book. I'm glad I did.

2.     Pleasetell us about your life experiences that led you to become a stronger Christian.

 In creatingthe book about spiritual memoirs, I grew in my faith as I studied Bible verses and new and familiar ones and researched to discover the meaning of the verses andthe stories behind them. Another life-changing experience in maturing my faithoccurred over the weeks we volunteered to do mission work with a wonderfulgroup of people. After selling our flower shop and greenhouse operation, myhusband and I  joined the NOMADS RV group-Nomadson a Mission Active in Divine Service. Our winter mission was in the country's sunny, warm areas. We worked together painting buildings insideand outside, repairing roofs,  cleaningand fixing up older people's homes and trailers, and clearing brush and weeds.Those with experience worked on installing electricity and plumbing. At aHabitat for Humanity project, my husband installed at least ten toilets in thenew houses. Working with such a group of Christians dedicated tohelping others was fun. They were generous, kind people who made up the teams. Thelight of Christ shined through them. Not only did they profess to be Christians,but they also actively lived a Christian life.

1.     What,in your opinion, makes a good writer? 

Focus. When authors focus inon a fiction or non-fiction story/topic, their writing engages the readers. Oncethey get off the subject, the reader becomes confused and loses interest.

 

2.     Werethere any bumps in the road while drafting this how-to book?

Yes,imposter syndrome. I am not a Bible scholar. I am not a minister, ordained ornot. I have no glowing credentials to convince folks I should take on selectingverses in the Bible that will prompt readers to write a life experience. When Iquestioned if I should continue, which happened throughout the book's writing, I had to have a business meeting with God. Taking time to pray as Iwalked, got ready for bed, or opened my laptop to write gaveme the strength to persevere and make imposter syndrome disappear. I havenever felt more committed to any book than this one. I want to getit into the hands of readers and writers so they can share their stories withthe world.

 

3. How Do you use Social Media as a promotional tool? Whatworks for you/what doesn't work? 

I really love connecting with folks onFacebook. I have my personal and business pages with my pen name J.Q.Rose. I enjoy creating images with Canva or choosing photos from Pixabay to accompanythe post. I shout about my books, new releases, and books on sale, e.g., theSmashwords 75% off sale on my books through January 1, and I also promote friendswith new releases and sales. I use Facebook groups for promoting books, suchas the Smashwords page and Kindle pages. I use keywords to discover bookpromotion pages and post on my publisher's Facebook pages. I do not postconstant reminders to buy my books because it annoys readers.

I have beenpoking around Instagram, but I don't feel comfortable with it. And those seasof hashtags are overwhelming. I do leave cute pics and announcements andpromotions infrequently. I need help getting my JQ Rose FB page to connect to Instagram, as promised by the companies. And there is no one to call for assistance. So, Ionly get a little promoting done via IG now. I love blogging and havebeen writing my blog, Focused on Story, for about 12 years! Wow, I justrealized that. I love blogging, not much for promoting but for connecting withreaders. When I finish this blog tour for promoting Your Life with Jesus, Iplan to begin adding articles to Substack in 2024 as soon as I know what topicsI want to cover. Life Storytelling will be one for sure.

 

4.     Do youhave a favorite Christmas song and/or movie?

One of my favoriteChristmas songs, and I have many, is Mary Did You Know. One of the linesin the song asks, "When you kissyour little baby, You've kissed the face of God?" That line takes my breathaway. My favorite movie is The Christmas Story. A young boy,Ralphie, is the main character in the story about a family living in a smalltown in Ohio. I  love watching it everyyear and laughing at the contest prize in the enormous box delivered tothe family. Dare I spoil it and tell you what is in the box? Nope. I couldnever explain it well enough to make you laugh or wonder! If you haven'twatched it, please do. And, of course, if you watched it, watch it again.

 

5.     What childhoodmemory still influences your life?

When I was 6 years old, I overheardmy mother talking to my dad before Christmas. I asked Santa to bring me aballerina doll for Christmas and a toy pistol in a holster. Yes, I loved cowboymovies and  was quite a fan of RoyRogers and Rex Allen. When Mom asked Dad about buying the ballerina, I wascrushed. At that age, I suspected there was no Santa Claus, so her question confirmedmy suspicion that he was not real. I was so sad when I saw the beautiful ballerina doll underthe Christmas tree. I never liked that doll because she reminded me that Santa Claus was a fairy tale. That was the first massive,life-changing moment for me. However,  the experience prepared me to manage disappointments in my life ratherthan to be defeated by them.

 

6.      Is there anything you'd like to share with thereaders?

Please wish your readers a Happy New Year 2024 from J.Q. Rose!

Please follow these links to purchase her current release or learn more about her fiction books.

Universal link eBook https://books2read.com/u/bx6qJo

·       https://www.amazon.com/Your-Life-Jesus-Spiritual-Storytellers/dp/B0CN6P86PN

BN paperback https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144335967?ean=9798223368113

Reviews:

"well-organized,easy-to-understand writing guide"

"Biblical references withprompts are excellent."

"topic aimed at women from a Christianperspective"

"content engages the reader to recognize thepower of her own stories."

Best-sellingauthor and workshop leader J.Q. Rose guides you through the elements ofstorytelling to keep readers turning pages. With her wit and warmth, she offersclear explanations, examples, and exercises to discover how to draft yourstory.

This book willopen your heart to know God is speaking to you as you pray, plan, remember, andcompose your stories.

https://www.jqrose.com/

Thank you for visiting with us today. J..Q...

I've read J.Q..'s current release and found the writing guide and prompts enabled me to recall nuances of my life, which now have a deeper meaning... ⛪

Connie

XOXO

Surprise Saturday! Today it's: How to Watch a Classic Noir Movie and Not Feel Bad About It By Connie Vines

 Aaaaaah, the weekend. You survived another week of working, commuting, and remembering everything required to stay alive. 
Congrats. 
Now it's time to relax, right?
I hear your hysterical laughter and snorts of disbelief because you think it isn't possible. Well, it is possible. Really.
Perhaps not EVERY single Saturday. However, you can free up one or two Saturdays a month.
How? I chose my most dreaded chore: laundry. I washed, folded, and put away several loads of laundry three evenings this week.
Of course, I didn't lounge on the couch all day or cloister myself in a dark closet with my tablet to watch a movie. I placed a DVD 🎥in the player and plopped on a wingback chair. Where my iced espresso and bowl of popcorn were within reach. 🍿 

The Trailer is posted on Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_(1944_film)

Noir: Film noir (French: "dark film") style of filmmaking is characterized by such elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy. The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post-World War II era.

Movie: Laura, an American film noir released in 1944, is considered a classic of the genre. The movie, directed by Otto Preminger, is notable as a suspenseful mystery and a compelling account of obsession.

Plot:In one of the most celebrated 1940s film noirs, Manhattan detective 🔎 Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Madison Avenue executive Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) in her fashionable apartment. On the trail of her murderer, McPherson quizzes Laura's arrogant best friend, gossip columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), and her comparatively mild fiancé, Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). As the detective grows obsessed with the case, he finds himself falling in love with the dead woman.

My takeaway:
I enjoyed the movie. Made for a viewing audience in the 1940s, it is slower-paced, and social norms of the time will not compute to those who have no concept of "accurate portrayals of history." The hero is arrogant but a gentleman. Everyone smokes cigarettes, and clothes are very formal.
It is a thinking person's movie. The pauses. The shadows. The twists and turns. The intensity. The dark moments. The perfect way to spend an overcast or rainy afternoon.
The music leaves its haunting melody on your soul.

 Wishing you a wonderful week, 
Connie

Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses #Free Read. #Flash Fiction Story for My Readers By Connie Vines #Holiday Story, #Free Read #Sweet RomanceHe

A Holiday Gift to My Readers

 

Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses

By © Connie Vines

He always ordered a slice of gingerbread and black coffee. Hearing his voice through the headset made my morning, which was why I volunteered to work the drive-thru.

Was it his southern drawl, his friendly smile, or the way G.B., the Irish setter, rested his chin on Mason's shoulder so adoringly that won me over?  I'm not certain. I only know I developed an impossible-to-hind crush.

Mason finally asked me out, and now we're engaged.

We're perfect together, like hot chocolate with whipped cream or gingerbread cookies and milk.

We are planning a small winter wedding. Our family organized a potluck reception. My dad will walk me down the aisle of the church. And G.B. (AKA Gingerbread Boy) is excited to be our ring bearer. 

I hope you enjoyed my Flash Fiction Story. 

🎅🎄🎁

Please click on the following author links for more gifts to you, our readers:

XOXO,

Connie

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-35i

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

Diane Bator https://dbator.blogspot.com/

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

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

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

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

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

Setting the Scene By Connie Vines #Round Robin Blog, #Writting Tips, #BWL Author

 Setting The Scene 

 Setting for a story is important, exciting, and often challenging.

While I endeavor to give my readers a vivid sense of where and when events occur, I struggle with what is essential versus what "I" wish to highlight.
Sensory details are essential.
Show what is surprising or strange to the main character.
Introduce emotional qualities of the 'place.' Tragic, Cheerful, Nostalgic, or another emotion.
How does the character feel about the place?
Is the story set in the city, the desert, or an imaginary world?
What are the key details that make your story's setting interesting?While my stories may be fiction, I have lived in or vacationed in the town or area I chose as a setting. This is important to me. It's my way of making the scene come alive for my readers.
I set up a picture storyboard for reference.
I study the regional dialect. Example: Porch, Stoop, Patio. In California, it's a patio; in Texas, a porch; and in Chicago, Illinois, it's a stoop.Your readers will point out your mistake.
If you are writing a historical novel, research is a must. Libraries, Historical Societies, original documents, and personal diaries are essential. However, Wikipedia or www search acquired historical information is always suspect. 
My opening settings/hooks:



Charlene hadn't told Rachel she'd fixed her up with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat" of the rodeo circuit. Rachel sighed. She should have known. After all, Charlene only dated men who wore booths and Stetsons.


Thunder rumbled across the remote New Mexico sky as an unforgiving wind shoved somber gray clouds against a craggy mountaintop. Brede Kristensen tugged the brim of his Stetson lower of his forehead. The threat of a storm didn't faze him; nothing fazed him anymore. The worst had already happened.


"You and Elvis have done a great job on this house," Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen, where the tour began. "Sorry I couldn't get over until now, but I've been sort of...well, busy. " She hoped her sister didn't ask her to define busy. Becoming a zombie and dealing with the entire raised from the dead issue over the past six months was not a topic easily plunked into casual conversation.

5 stories in one book
Marring Off Murphy
Settling into his office chair, Professor Murphy Flynn glanced at the copy of OP News. "I Want to Get Married," the headline read. He upended his coffee mug when he realized the grainy photo was of him, sending the liquid perilously close to a six-inch stack of ungraded papers.

Love Potion N. 9
"Don't shake your finger at me, Simone Basso. I know what I'm doing," Persia Richmond said, holding a pipette to fill a crystal half-ounce atomizer with perfume.

A Slice of Scandal
"Hey, now,' dis key lime [pie's like de one I serve at my restaurant. Simple to make and good to eat! Key limes perk up de mouth and makes you hoppy."
Producer/Director Julia Kincaid focused on her monitor and adjusted the mic of her headset. "Camera One, tighten the headshot."  She watched as the camera feathered over the chef to capture the best angle. The camera should have loved Franklin. His height was average, his black hair was short and curly, and his skin took on a polished bronze color under the harsh camera lights, but the camera didn't like Franklin. There was something about his eyes: the dark agate, forbidding and expressionless...

1-800-Fortune
The moon was full: giant in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.
There are seventy-eight cards in the Tarot deck. Four suits of fourteen cards each. Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and twenty-two cards call the major arcane--the big mysteries.

If you found my examples helpful, please post a comment on my blog.
Please click the links below to visit the talented authors participating in our Blog Hop this month. 
  Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses, Connie

 

Dr. Bob Rich  https://wp.me/p3Xihq-33K

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

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

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

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

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

The Dreaded Sagging Middle of Your Story. Is there a Quick Fix? By Connie Vines #Writer Tips, #Halloween Stories, #Story Structure

Sagging Middles, We All Have Them; We All Hate Them. 

So, what's a writer to do?

What we have been taught in workshops, lectures, and writing tips:

#1 Prevent a Sagging Middle by Increasing Tension.

In the move towards the climax, your characters should face increasingly bigger obstacles and challenges. Things should get more complicated – never less. Characters should have more at stake as events unfold. The emotions should run higher and deeper.

Was that helpful? 

I discovered, by trial and error (mostly error), that I needed to plot my novel first.

Usually via the standard W-plot line.  This is my starting point. Why? Because I can immediately locate my 'sagging middle'.

Then I write my important scenes. 

I always have too many characters, too many problems, and the dreaded sagging middle. 

This is when I write the final scene of my novel.

Then I go back and set up the pivotal points of my novel.

When I write my first draft of a novel, I write 3 chapters (1-3, 4-7, etc.) Then I go back and revise. While it doesn't eliminate problems in the middle of the story, it does make me catch-pacing problems.

I began my writing career writing in magazines for children/ YA readers. This is probably why this format works well for me.

Since it's almost Halloween, I have a RomCom Zombie novella, with quick passing and 'no sagging middle'.

https://www.amazon.com/Today-Zombie-T...

🎃

This month's participants:

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-322

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

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

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

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

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

Hooking Your Readers--Fantasy, History, SciFi, Paranormal (Making the Unfamiliar Feel like home). By Connie Vines #writing Tips, #Hooking Your Reader, #BWLPublishing IInc

While I can't promise to make your visit to an alternate world feel like home. I can promise you will believe you are there.

--Connie Vines, author

This month's topic is hooking your readers into your character's alternate reality.  

I write in multiple genres. 

Since our topic is hooking your reader, I will showcase the opening paragraph(s) of my "unfamiliar" worlds.

Gumbo Ya Ya is an anthology; I will share opening hooks from several stories.

Love Potion No.9 

It is said the sense of smell is the most intimately linked of all our senses to memory, and I believe it to be true. One whiff of a familiar scent, even one we have not encountered in years, can transport us to a time and place long forgotten, even before we consciously recall the memory.

1-800-FORTUNE

The moon was full, huge in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.

There were seventy-eight cards in the Tarot deck. Four suits of fourteen cards each. Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and twenty-two cards called the major arcade--the big mysteries.

"You and Elvis have done a great job on his house, Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen where the tour began. "Sorry I couldn't get over until now, but I've been sort of...well, busy." Slipping her Juicy Couture tortoise-shell framed sunglasses into a bright pink case, Meredith crammed them into her black Coach handbag. She hoped her sister didn't ask her to define busy. Becoming a zombie and dealing with the entire raised from the dead issue over the past six months was not a topic easily plunked into casual conversation.

1868

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

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

1880, Apacheria, Season on Ripened Berries

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

A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world, I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves N'dee. The People. The white man calls us Apache.

For those unfamiliar with the sport of rodeo or living in a small Montana town, my Rodeo Romance, Book 1, would be considered a different world.

Charlene hadn't told Rachel that she'd fixed her up with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat" of the rodeo circuit. Rachel sighed. She should have known. After all, Charlene only dated men who wore boots and Stetsons.

(I don't wish to spoil the scene at the Honky Tonk, so I'll end it here 😉)

Did I draw you into my stories? 

Did you believe you were there, in the thick of things?

If you wish to continue the adventures, feel free to go shopping.

My ebooks are available at your favorite online stores, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and my publisher's website.

Please visit the writers participating in this month's Round Robin Blog Hop.  

Happy Reading,

Connie

XOXO

Participants for September:

Dr. Bob Rich  -  Nonhuman is not inhuman

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

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

 

Spotlight on Author Deirdre O'Dare By Connie Vines #Author Spotlight, #Author Interview, #Iditarod Race

Welcome to 'Dishin' It Out' Author Spotlight!
This month's guest is Deirdre O'Dare.
*Deirdre and I have been friends for decades. We met while serving on the International Outreach Chapter of Romance Writers of America board.
Flashback Moment: When I stood up and introduced myself at the writer's conference in Anaheim, California. Deirdre kept staring at me, then blurted, "I thought you were a blonde." 🤣🤣
Gwen Morgan, AKA Deirdre O'Dare
Now, on with the interview 😀
1. Please tell us about your current release 
Relative Dangers is a romance novel with plenty of action and adventure. My characters are people I know and I understand. Just regular folks with unusual jobs and who live in rural or remote places may seem exotic to some readers. 
I have also written a few historicals, some sci-fi and fantasy, and police procedurals. The only area that I really avoid is horror. The heat levels of my books are all over the spectrum, from Sweet Tales to NC-17. Relative Dangers  was initially published under my Gwen Morgan synonym.
Relative Dangers is mildly spicy, with a couple of realistic love scenes. 

 


2.  What was the inspiration for the story?
In my younger days, I was a semi-professional horse trainer. When I started creating the story, it seemed to be my heroine's natural lifestyle or career. In some ways, she is the avatar of the girl I was. A girl experiencing her first love. Only time, life would deal them a happy ending.
The plot in the main events is strictly petitioners, but the horse work is real, totally based on what I know. Another pattern of my writing is to have current or relevant issues in today's life and world and find other ways into the plot's challenges, conflict, and progression. In this case, the development of a remote area and environmental issues become very significant. Several f Gwen's romance novels do this for various issues, such as Reservation casinos, women in the military, and law enforcement. 
 3.  What would you like to see more/less of in your genre?

Erotic and explicit romance has moved into the mainstream, with the heat levels once limited to Indy and e-press firms like Ellora’s Cave now found in many lines and publishers. While I do not take issue with this, I find that too many books I pick up are basically “sex stories” with a bit of emotion and action. I have always said I write love stories. While a lot of hot sex is perfect and realistic for some couples, for others, not so much. I want to feel the emotions and have the people cope with real life in the real world in which they, like I live. 

Recently I have read more Inspirational Romances, not so much because I prefer the sweet or clean portrayal of relationships but because I feel those authors pay much more attention to making their characters real and appealing, to development of a solid plot--say mystery, danger, or struggles,  and overall the product is just better fiction and more absorbing. It is ‘easy’ to go from bedroom to back seat to back in the bushes with a couple while we do not know them very well, and hardly anything else happens! Authors must put more effort into their story while keeping it as sexy as they wish or their couple fits. Now I will say this is JMHO--and probably does not work for all readers-- but that is where I am in my reader hat.

4.  What, in your opinion, makes a good writer? 
First and foremost, the fiction writer must be a good storyteller. Yes, the experts say show, don’t tell, and it is generally correct, but if there is no story, no key characters you can identify with who face a variety of challenges, complex, and obstacles, they must somehow brave and strive their way through to win their goal or reward, why bother to read it? Beyond that, a deep understanding of human nature, a curiosity about people and what makes them tick, a special sense to visualize and create a world where those characters abide with century details, then let the reader feel she he is there, and perhaps most of all, in the imagination that find stories in most everything And then the compulsion to tell details characters bring to you. My characters just appear out of the universe and begin to nag at me until I let them share their tail, which I transcribe from their images and put into words for others to experience

  5. Do you have a favorite paragraph/line in this novel? 

This is hard. Several scenes resonate when I re-read the book some years after the original writing. Mari’s struggle with Mitch (the dangerous relative)  and then her anguish over her little dog being hurt. Perhaps when she asks the hero, Dusty, why he is trying to help her and being very kind. She shocks him with part of her speech which I excerpt here.  

“Maybe I’m paranoid or too suspicious or something…but, well. Everybody is out for what they can get, you know? So I don’t understand why you are doing things for me. I mean, well, I know all about sex and stuff. So if that’s what you want, you don’t have to buy me things and take me places. If you just asked, I’d probably let you.”  He realizes then that she has been oddly sheltered and is far from naïve or innocent and is hard-pressed to answer her!

 6. If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters, who would it be?
I have loved almost all of my heroines, but Mari in this book and Melissa in The Man in Black probably feel the most like a person I could be. I have had a few secondary characters that I identified with too, but hey, we all want to be the heroine of our story, don’t we? So I can see myself as Mari, although she is much younger. Melissa, by birth, is almost edging into the “upper crust’ class in her background, but she becomes an ordinary woman living an ordinary life which fulfills her deepest wish. 

 7.  What are your hobbies? Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? Do any of your hobbies play a part in your novels?

Oh. I am a super dabbler! I enjoy almost anything creative, so over the years, I have done a lot of sewing, made jewelry, sketching and watercolor painting, photography, and written poetry, to name a few. Although my work with horses--and mules--was hardly a hobby, I have always deeply loved animals, and there are not too many pieces of my fiction that do not feature horses, dogs, or even a whole menagerie. I have always loved the outdoors and hiking, camping, exploring, and such, which find a way into most of my tales. I’ve had characters write poems, be ‘rock hounds,’ be an artist or a crafter, and most women are at least tomboys at heart.

Thank you, Connie, for having me as a guest at "Dishin' It Out!". 

It has been so much fun, and I hope the readers enjoy it too. I hope other readers, like me, are more intrigued by the guy next door or down the street than a Middle Eastern Sheik, a Greek tycoon, or a sexy version of Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos!! If there are, you are who I write for. 

So I hope you will check out the potpourri of fiction by Deirdre O’Dare at Amazon or, preferably, directly at JMS Publications.

 https://www.jms-books.com/deirdre-odare-c-224_244/

 An avid fan of the sport of Sled Dog Racing, she was also fortunate enough to visit Alaska during the Iditarod.
Thank you for sharing your interesting writing life and leaving us with a poem inspired by lady mushers.

Iditarod

Iditarod: far, distant place.

A dream. A myth. A trail. A race.

Beneath aurora blazing bright,

Through cold and wind and long, dark night.

Cheering crowds at start and end

But in between, rare is the friend

Who braves the wild to aid or say,

They’re with you in spirit along the way.

Out on that trail, just you and your team

The elements battle to chase this dream.

Those dogs on which your life depends,

Now closer and dearer than kin or friends.

Together, such trust and faith you share

For only true teamwork will get you there.

There are no losers; only winners complete.

Your goal you’ve reached and it feels so sweet.

Despite the pain and the tears you spend,

Somehow you hate to see it end.

Iditarod: far, distant place.

A goal, a dream, a test, a race.

© GMW 25 Aug 14

Thank you, everyone, for visiting "Dishin' It Out'" today.

Happy Reading 📕📖📗📚📱

Connie 

XOXO

My Favorite POV (point of view)? to Write? By Connie Vines. #Writing Tips, #POV, #Round Robin Blog #Dark Winds

This month’s topic: What is Your Favorite POV (point of view) to Write? Why?

My favorite POV is a first-person narrative. It works best when writing YA/MG fiction or a RomCom novella.

Why? 

Because it builds a rapport with readers by sharing a personal story directly with them. Bringing the reader close like this makes a story—and storyteller—creditable. I find this especially so when writing a historical novel.   

Excerpt from Tanayia: Whisper upon the Water, First Peoples Series.

Prologue

1868

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

Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said, “It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.”

1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries

Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remain where the sagebrush is stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reach out into silence.

A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves N’dee, The People. The white man calls us Apache. 

Chapter One

Only a soft light from the east lit the dirt path I soon would walk.  I rose from my blanket and dressed in my favorite buckskins and moccasins.  After combing my hair, I stepped from my wickiup and walked toward the center of camp. Women from neighboring Apache bands, dressed in their best clothing, squatted around their campfires, patting tortillas and fry bread. My relations traveled great distances to share my coming-of-age ceremony. I am proud and happy.  I smile and call out my morning greeting, ya'atche."

"Many blessings, my child," several replied as I passed.

The sharp scent of crisp dough and the bitter scent of acorn stew floated in the cool air. My stomach grumbled in hunger. Large feasts, such as the one my people prepared today, are no longer common. Grandmother, Ligai Tlenaai- White Moon, however, remembers the long-ago days when her band feasted at each change of season. She told me of times when food was plentiful.....

Sunrise
Preparing for feast
Wickiup
Geronimo
Native American Boarding School
Life before San Carlos Indian Reservation


The link will go live on August 23, 2023, at 8:00 AM Eastern Time.
The permalink is https://www.longandshortreviews.com/guest-blogs/lasr-anniversary-scavenger-hunt-tanayia-whisper-upon-the-water-by-connie-vines/

These amazing authors participating in today's Round Robin Blog:💃🎉🎉🎉
Anne Stenhouse AJ MaguireConnie VinesHelena Fairfax
Skye Taylor

Purchase links:

https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia?_pos=1&_psq=tana&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Spanish version: 

https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia-un-murmullo-sobre-el-agua-spanish-edition?

Character Arc and How it Ties into Your Story Plot By Connie Vines. #RR, #Round Robin Blog Hop, The Call to Adventure

The topic for July is the significance of Character Arcs in stories and their connection to the plot or story arc. Do you allow some time and narrative to character arcs for secondary characters?

One of the first writing classes I attended was a screenwriting class based on Chris Vogler's The 12 Stages Of The Hero's Journey. 

Since I was already acquainted with Joseph Campbell's work in comparative mythology and comparative religion (the power of the Myth), I discovered this was comfortable for me to plot my novels.

The 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey

The Ordinary World (Where the Hero/Heroine exists before the present story begins.

Call to Adventure

Refusal to the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the Threshold

Tests, Alles, Enemies...

Approach to the Innermost Cave

Ordeal

The above can be if you analyze the original Star Wars movie. 

This boils down to A protagonist embarking on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed.

If you are writing a romance, YA/MG novel, or historical, the plot and character arcs' development remains the same.

Romance: they start with one perspective, confront challenges that force them to face their fears and weaknesses, and ultimately change for the better.

SciFi: Here, you may be writing a negative arc where the character changes for the worst.

I develop character arcs for all of my characters. The main characters have the most detailed character arc. However, each character in the story must come across as a person. Different rules apply to the 'bad guy,' of course. 

Both plot and character arc are equally important in my stories.

The plot is the device that moves the story forward, and the character emparks on their journey through these plot points--experiencing challenges (both external and internal) and obstacles along the way.

These novels have the most intense character arcs and plot arcs.

Character and plot are inseparable because a person is what happens to them. Without a clear sense of who a character is, what they value, and what they're afraid of, the reader will be unable to appreciate the significance of your events, and your story will have no impact. 

Please visit the talented writers participating in this month's Round Robin Blog Hop.

See you next month 😎,

Connie

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

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

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

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

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

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

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