Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 54

LIFE IS A TEST by Ginger Simpson #humor

Life is a test for most of us. Sometimes you just look up at heaven and ask God to give you an "F" and move along, but things aren't that easy.  We all have to endure what comes our way.

I can remember when my test started. I was a “fat” child—even before the days of fast food and hormone-injected burgers. If one survived all the fat jokes and unkind remarks, then that person was sort of a survivor.  Bullies have been around since the beginning of time, trust me.

 Oh, you don’t know you’re being tested until you become an adult and wonder how you made it through those times. At least today, kids can blame their weight on their eating habits and the fact that both parents are forced to work and don’t have time to cook nutritious meals…in my time, my mother stayed home with us and cooked all our meals.

My dad worked in a raft shop for ninety-nine cents an hour. With four kids to feed, he used to “appropriate” things…like that word? That’s a new saying my husband  uses when he brings things home from work that he didn’t buy. Anyhow, my dad “appropriated” the canned rations that were used in packing life rafts.

Days that he brought them home felt like Christmas...those cute little tins with food inside. How fair is it that you can you get fat on rations that starving people, adrift in a life raft, eat to survive?

My mom had a strange habit of cooking one extra piece of meat.  Dad was a meat, potatoes and salad kinda guy, so that was our menu most of the time. Can you say “cholesterol”?

There were four kids and two adults in our family, and no matter how big the pieces were, she always cooked seven of them. I don’t think anyone wanted a second helping, but there it was, lurking for whoever could eat the fastest. Every night was like a contest you really didn’t want to enter, and you didn’t really want the prize, but you were compelled to perform. It wasn’t until I had stomach surgery and had to learn to chew everything I ate that I actually realized food has a taste.

Being fat as a child is exceptionally hard on your ego. I was always the last picked in any recess games. That’s how you really learn to manage stress. You're forced to line up while two team captains,
usually the slimmest and richest kids in class, select their favorites…one at a time. The line gets shorter and shorter until you are the only one left. In itself, standing as the soul remaining pick does some severe damage to your self-esteem, but when the captains start offering you to the other team as a nicety…that’s the worst. Imagine standing red-faced while two people argue about you--and not because they want you.

First team captain:  “Okay, we have enough, you can have her for your team"
Second team captain:  No, that’s all right, you take her…it’s only fair.”

Fair, schmaire! What would be fair is if you didn’t have to play those stupid games of dodge ball in the first place. What fat kid wants to run around trying to avoid being hit by something that’s
as round as they are?


I hope this brought some laughter to your day.  Now, I sort of wish I could go back to those dodge-ball playing days.  :)

Check out my books on my web site http://gingersimpson.com.  If you find any broken links, please let me know.  I'm open to suggestions, too, since I did the design myself.

Have you ever been 'Impulsive'?

Impulsiveby Jamie Hill
A Collection of short stories  The first glimpse of a person, someone so breathtaking it’s almost stunning. That heart-stopping moment when gazes lock across a crowded room. Finding the courage to speak over the noisy thrumming of a heartbeat. Feelings so intense, they tend to make one’s actions a bit impulsive. Four stories of spicy, sweet, sassy romance. Three Wishes, All That Jazz, Playing With Destiny and High Maintenance.
Three Wishes: While visiting Madame Zena’s Mystical Shoppe, Macy Green discovers a dusty old bottle she never imagines could actually be magical. (paranormal romance)
All That Jazz: Devon Knight has a secret. He’s been watching his neighbor, beautiful Gia Malone, through their apartment windows, every day while he practices his trumpet. (sweet romance)
Playing With Destiny: When beautiful witch Calista Canyon discovers the man of her dreams living right next door, she tries everything she can think of, short of magic, to get him to notice her. (paranormal romance)
High Maintenance: Deidre North is enjoying a family ski vacation after Christmas, when an accident sidelines her from the slopes with a cast on her leg. (sweet romance)
“I loved the stories. Each of them was very different, which was something that I enjoyed. My two favorites have to be Playing with Destiny and High Maintenance. And don’t you just love the cover? I look forward to reading more of Ms. Hill’s work very soon. Impulsive is a great book to have with you while you’re on the go or only have a few minutes to relax. Just enough time to get lost in a short story and still be done in time for dinner.” ~ Val, You Gotta Read Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MPRMEQ/ Right now only 99 cents at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/41360

SUNDAY SNIPPETS by Ginger Simpson #sundaysnips 07/19/15

Another offering from Odessa.  Week before last...before the re-run, the wagon Odessa and her father traveled in overturned, pinning her father beneath the wheel.


The dirt unfurled like a brown ribbon between the expanse of cactus and sagebrush. Odessa, refusing to let her father see her hopelessness, blinked back tears.


Anger heated her blood. This was all her fault. First her mother died giving birth, and now her father was dying because of her. He wanted her to have a woman’s influence in her life—have more opportunities. Their trip had gone smoothly until Papa whipped the horses to a faster pace to combat the heat—stir a breeze where none existed. The same wheel that spun now had been the one that slipped into a ragged rut and tipped the wagon over. She’d jumped clear, but her father remained pinned beneath the sideboard from the waist down. The accident snapped the harness rigging, and the animals ran off. What she wouldn’t give for one to wander back right now.

She rushed to the other side and pulled with all her might on the front wheel. Praying for strength, she gritted her teeth and tugged until splinters from the prickly-wooded spoke tore into her flesh. There was nothing she could do. The wagon wouldn’t shift.

Something stung above her left eye and she swiped her knuckles across the spot. Blood mixed with the dirt on her hand and created rust-colored mud. She wiped the stain on her sleeve and scanned the area for something to use for leverage. Her father had often lifted things by using a piece of wood or a log from a fallen tree. She hitched up her skirt and traipsed through sparse knee-high growth, praying to find something—anything. 

 “Stay with me, Papa, I’m looking.” She cast another hopeful glance at the trail. Still no one in sight. Why had they decided to make this wretched trip to Phoenix?  Just because Aunt Susan lived there? Odessa’s stomach churned with fear and her mind spun in a hundred directions. What if she couldn’t get Papa out? 

She spied nothing but rocks, boulders and a broken saguaro limb too rotten to use. Her shoulders sagged as she returned empty handed to the wagon. Her father’s face appeared even more ashen and his breathing ragged. A scarlet pool colored the dirt beneath him. She hunkered beside him and took his hand. Why had God let this happen?


Now...hop on over to my pals and see what they're sharing:

http://authorjamiehill.blogspot.com/  (Jamie Hill)http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

Secrets and Lies ~ an excerpt ~ by Jamie Hill

"How dare you speak to me in that manner?" Natalie Jameson clenched her fists. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so furious, while at the same time full of anguish and regret."No, Natalie. How dare you?" Her husband's normally handsome face reddened, the veins in his forehead growing bigger the angrier he became. "You started this. It's your fault."Natalie stomped past her living room sofa, pausing long enough to pick up a decorative pillow. She squeezed the small, blue square and slammed it down on the couch again. "So you've said. Repeatedly. I've got it, Alex. All our problems are my fault. Read you loud and clear.""I never said everything was your fault. Just this one thing. This one very huge issue." He ran a hand through his closely cropped, brown hair."You're making it huge, that's for sure."Alex blinked in apparent disbelief. "You saw our daughter when she stormed out of here tonight! Gigi was damn near hysterical. She's got an hour's drive ahead of her. Frankly, I'm concerned that she makes it home safely."Natalie glanced over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen. "Great, pin that on me, too, while you're at it. Now I'll worry until she has time to get home and we can phone her."Alex stayed on her heels. "I doubt she's going to talk to either one of us tonight.""She might." Natalie dredged some optimism from deep inside. Gigi had been upset. Even though Natalie had the best intentions, nothing about their conversation had gone the way she'd hoped or planned. Natalie's stomach churned with uneasiness."Now you're delusional. We'll be lucky if she talks to either of us again this month."Natalie filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. "In case anyone wonders where Geege gets her flair for drama…""I'm not being dramatic," Alex insisted. "Realistic is more like it. And I think I've figured out your motive for stirring this pot.""My motive?" Natalie raised her voice again. "I told you my motive. Gigi is having some medical issues. Her doctor referred her to a specialist, and before she even sees him, she has to fill out a really long family medical history. I wanted her to have accurate information.""You honestly think it's better for her to put 'unknown' than to possibly list inaccurate information? Because that's what it is, you know, a great big stinking 'U' for unknown."Natalie's heart sank. "I never thought about it like that.""Exactly. You didn't think, Nat.""Why should I?" she snapped. "You're thinking about it enough for both of us. You're overthinking it to death. You always do this, Alex. Give me a break!""Don't turn this around on me. I told you I figured it out. You're bored with the kids out of the house for the first time ever. You've lost your purpose. I think you stirred all this up so you'd feel needed again. So Gigi would need you."Natalie coughed, choking back amazement at Alex's assessment. He was so totally off base, she wondered if her husband really knew her anymore. "How dare you?" She fumed."Here we go again. Round and round in circles. This conversation is going nowhere. I, on the other hand, am out of here." He grabbed his coat and yanked his keys from the hook on the wall. "Where are you going?" Her voice sounded shrill to her own ears. Natalie knew she needed to reel herself in, but couldn't quite handle that just then. "Don't you walk out on me!"Alex steeled his blue-eyed gaze at her and scowled. He tugged the door open with a jerk, and slammed it on his way out."Alex!" She stared after him but he didn't return. She heard the garage door go up, and the sound of his car backing out. The overhead door lowered again. Alex was gone.Two hours later, he still hadn't returned. Natalie sighed. The eyes seemed to follow her as she moved around the house. The ghost didn't move, it simply peered out from the dark hallway, but it had an eerie glow-in-the-dark quality that made her uneasy. Natalie chided herself for being jittery about a cardboard Halloween decoration. She pulled her sweater tighter around her waist, and hurried from the hallway.The house is too quiet. That's my problem. In the twenty years she'd lived there, the place had never seemed as quiet as it did now. Is Alex right? Am I bored with my 'new' life? The question nagged at her as she made her way to the kitchen, where the teapot had just begun to whistle for the third time that night. She poured steaming water into her well-used 'World's Greatest Mother' mug and added a fresh tea bag. She scooted onto the bench in the breakfast nook, then leaned back against the cushions and allowed herself to think about what was really bothering her.It wasn't just the quiet. The stillness of the house was preferable to the yelling and crying that had taken place there just two hours ago. Alex almost never got angry. A calm and rational man, he usually thought about his words before he spoke. Natalie liked to tease that he was the stereotypical accountant—organized, predictable and virtually unshakeable. He'd proven her wrong tonight. He could indeed be shaken, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Despite her teasing, his predictability and calm demeanor had always provided a steadying influence on her. He was her rock, her strength. An extremely good-looking man, now a mature version of the incredibly handsome boy she'd met in college. The first thing she'd noticed about him had been his eyes—piercing, bright blue irises that could see through her, as if to her very soul. Add to that his intelligence and common sense way of seeing things, and Natalie had the man of her dreams. He was, quite simply, the love of her life.Natalie remembered seeing those eyes grow dark with anger only one other time in their lives before tonight. Serious anger, not the 'Who-launched-the-ball-through-the-window?' type of stuff. Alex handled those things with a grain of salt. He was a good father, with an extraordinary amount of patience. Not tonight. Tonight he'd been angry, his eyes, normally bright, had grown dark, full of anguish and resentment. She hated knowing she'd caused that. The ironic thing was, when Alex had gotten so angry before, a long, long time ago, it was for the same reason that he was angry now. Natalie sighed and sipped her tea. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Secrets and Lies, a novel by Jamie HillPublished by Books We Love
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZF5AXC/ 
 

READ IT OR WEEP by Ginger #descriptions

Surprise...this isn't about politics, so please read on.

Did you know that on Amazon, you'll find copies of books with old covers and titles no longer in print?  It's confusing unless you read the descriptions or notice that the book is for sale by an independent seller.

Amazon allows people to resell books they've bought previously.  I just found one of my out-of-print books...a humorous 50 pager that's on sale for over $400.  Good luck....I couldn't even sell one copy for the ridiculous price the publisher asked.  I think it was $9.95.  I gave more copies away than I sold because I personally would never pay that much for a 50 page book.

The confusion comes when old copies with old covers and titles remain on the author's page.  Bec careful and make sure you are getting the latest copy of the book.  Consider this just a courteous note that my title to this post makes sense, and I guess John didn't get the message and is wiping away his tears.  *lol*  Anyhow, I'm actually posting this topic because I'm really sick and tired of people who leave reviews with a less than stellar rating because THEY didn't take the time to read the description.   Don't give me a one star review because my book was too short to your liking or you don't like the story.  Read the blurb and description before you buy something and leave a review that makes you look like a dumbbell.

 Each booklisting tells you how many pages you can expect to find, and also if the book has previously been published under another title.  The blurb is supposed to give you a good idea about the storyline, so if you don't like sweet romance, don't expect to find a sex-packed novel. Tags are a great hint.

 Why you ask, would an author republish a book?  Good question, and the best answer I can offer is that before Amazon started making deals with the big houses, ebooks cost much more.  Would you rather pay anywhere from 99 cents to $2.99 for a book or $5.95.  Therein was the problem.  No one wanted to pay $5.95 and up for a book written by an unknown when they could get a paper copy by an established and well-known author at Walmart.  Some of our books got little to no sales, so now some of us have found a publisher like Books We Love, who deals with seasoned authors and bring previously published books that people missed out on.  Lots of good reads. Right now and throughout the year, there will be 99 cent specials going on.  You can find your favorite authors at http://bookswelove.net.  There, you will also be able to see what's just been released, what's coming soon, and find links directly to the website of your favs.
Just in case you don't have mine bookmarked, it's http://www.gingersimpson.com  *lol*

So...in closing, I hope you'll understand why Prairie Peace is now Destiny's Bride, Sister's in Time is now Time Tantrums, and so on.  BWL makes sure to let you know the book was previously released, and gives you all the up-to-date info you need.  Also, you can be sure the books have been re-worked to do away with as many novice errors as possible.  The fact that we keep learning, helps us write better books.  It's a never-ending process.

EXAMPLE OF CHANGE:

THEN
NOW

Now Available ~ The Blame Game series by Jamie Hill ~ Boxed Set

Now in one specially priced box set, The Blame Game series brings you four complete novels for one low price. Get ready for family drama and sweet romance, no serials or cliff hangers.

Blame it on the Stars: Teacher Catlin McCall has second thoughts about dating the father of a student, but listening to his sweet talk one night under the stars, she finds him hard to resist. They stumble into an impetuous, passionate relationship which leaves them breathless and his family less than thrilled. A not-quite-ex-wife who decides she wants her man back, combined with a pair of manipulative teenagers, make for more problems than either of them are prepared to deal with.

Blame it on the Moon: Dana Naughton returns home after college to teach at the local elementary school. She’s not aware of the struggles her family is going through, but is glad to help however she can. She’s also surprised to learn that Clint Stewart, her old high school sweetheart, is now working for her father.

Blame it on the Sun: Dave Naughton’s laid-back attitude has cost him two sports writing jobs. Fear of commitment and uncertainty may cost him a whole lot more where his personal life is concerned. He’s summoned home to face his father, the owner of the family business and the one man he really doesn’t want to disappoint.

Blame it on the Rain: Charlie Naughton and Jenny Craft grew up together. Their parents were best friends and the kids were inseparable throughout their school years. But when Charlie goes off to college, he’s focusing more on his baseball scholarship than the friend he’s leaving behind. 

http://amzn.com/B011FFAIKU 
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theblamegameboxedset-1850727-177.html 


Through July, all books at Smashwords are 50% off when you use the provided coupon code on each book page. HALF PRICE!!!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/559393

SUNDAY SNIPPETS with Ginger Simpson #sundaysnips

Still trying to get my stuff together, so I've done a re-run today.  Please forgive me.  I'll try to be back to some kind of normal next week.  JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT ELLIE'S LEGACY, DESTINY'S BRIDE AND BETRAYED ARE ALL ON SALE FOR 99 CENTS.

Naïve, country girl, Cynthia Freitas, moves to the big city with high hopes, but her starting salary barely makes rent in a run-down tenement. Newspaper headlines warn of a serial killer in the neighborhood, and the article grabs her attention when she recognizes the victims bear a striking resemblance to her. Alex Carlyle is assigned to assist detectives in one of the toughest cases he’s ever experienced as a cop. Despondent over a recent break-up with his fiancé, he buries himself in his work until he meets the cute new tenant next door who gives him something else to think about except kidnap and murder. The aftermath of their first “jolting” kiss places the burden on Cynthia to solve Alex’s case and keep him from potentially becoming the next victim. 

In this excerpt, the hero meets the heroine"


Maybe today was the day he’d clean up the pigsty he lived in. Maybe not! He stretched and yawned, feeling the need to pee.

Alex rolled to the edge of the bed and sat for a moment, then swaggered into the bathroom to
relieve himself of the six pack he‘d polished off before bed. As he stood at the toilet, he stared through bleary eyes at his reflection in the medicine chest mirror. His dark shock of hair lay flat on one side while the other looked like a tornado had rumbled through. Rubbing the palm of his hand against his stubbly chin, he longed for the days when he didn't have to shave every morning.

"I guess being tall, dark and handsome has its drawbacks," he quipped, while slapping both his
cheeks. Too much alcohol always made waking up tough.

"Hmm!" He leaned in closer, recalling an old re-run of a favorite cop program. “Maybe I should
forego shaving and see if I can pull off that Miami Vice-Don Johnson look." He studied the image staring back at him. "Ah, maybe not ... then I'd have to get one of those white, linen outfits like he wears." Alex backed away and cocked his head.

How would that famous TV cop solve Alex’s current case? The hot water always took at least
five minutes to reach his apartment so Alex turned on the shower. While he waited, he sauntered back to the bed and pulled his covers back into place and straightened the pillows. Satisfied he’d done something to improve his housekeeping, he dropped his boxers on the floor, stepped out of them and went back into the bathroom where the water had finally turned warm. Taking a shower in The Cairns was more like walking in a light rain, but Alex stepped in the tub and quickly soaped and rinsed. The one thing he could always count on: the hot water never lasted very long.

He yanked the towel from the wall rack, sending the securing hardware flying in all directions.
Amidst the tinkling of scattering screws, the entire bar clattered to the floor. He shook his head and sighed. "Shit! What next?"

Terrycloth wrapped around his waist, Alex left the mess lying on the floor and went into the
bedroom. Should he fix the bar or call the super? Such important decisions made Alex laugh. He
decided to fix the bar later, right after he picked up all the bottle caps on the living room floor.
He donned his sweat suit and tennis shoes. Images of the missing women spun through his
mind, along with a faceless man who heaved a snide laugh at the police‘s inability to catch him.
Overcome with the need to escape his cramped quarters and sickening images, Alex decided a quick run around the nearby park sounded like just the ticket. Besides, a little exercise would counter-balance allvthose calories from his nightly beers, a habit he’d acquired since the breakup, and one he needed to discard.

He picked up his IPod and clipped it to his waistband. As he opened the door, the heaping
trashcan in the kitchen corner caught his attention. The contents overflowed the container and spewed onto the floor. He donned his headphones and cranked up the volume of his all time favorite song, Travis Tritt's, Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof.

Singing along and not caring that he wasn't in tune, he picked up empty beer bottles, potato chip
bags, and all the caps that missed their mark and stuffed them all inside the garbage sack. After tying the top, he hefted the bag over his shoulder and strode out into the hallway, keeping step with the musical beat.

While passing Apartment 2A, the door opened. The tenant backed into the hallway, two garbage
bags in tow. Not watching where she was going, she bumped right into him.

Obviously shocked by the sudden impact, she spun around. "Excuse me, I'm so sorry. I should..."

Her widened eyes traveled the length of his body.

 Her mouth gaped.

He towered over her petite, maybe five-foot-three frame.

She gazed up at him. "Uh ... I should have been watching where I was going."

Alex dropped the trash bag on the floor and removed his headphones. Unable to resist, he
returned her once over, but with a much slower scan. Blonde hair drawn back into a ponytail presented a youthful appearance, but her clingy, terrycloth outfit did a great job outlining assets that proved she wasn't a child. The way she licked her full bottom lip, maybe a nervous habit, made him want to savor a taste for himself.

Realizing he had missed most of what she said, he forced himself to stop ogling her and pay
attention. He'd heard her apology and needed to respond, but his mouth turned dry as dust. He cleared his throat and smiled. "No problem," he managed to croak.

Puberty and voice change passed through his mind, but that took place a long time ago. He
swallowed hard and pointed to her trash bags and then to his own. "Looks like we're both headed for the same place."

"Yep, it's Saturday, my cleaning day. Same routine every weekend." 

Her head tilted in a way that made her beautiful hazel eyes sparkle. His palms turned sweaty, and he wiped his right hand against his pant lengthen extended it.

"Name's Alex Carlyle. I live in Apartment 2E."

Her tiny hand disappeared inside his. "Hi, Alex. I'm Cynthia Freitas. Looks like we're neighbors.
How long have you lived here?"

Why did she make his knees weak? He adjusted his stance. "Going on two years already. Time

flies when you're having fun."

***************************

I got carried away and gave you more than a few snippets. This is one of my favorite stories, and you can't imagine how hard it was to write about two characters who really, really become entwined.

  Hop on over to the following sites and check out their weekly offerings:


http://authorjamiehill.blogspot.com/  (Jamie Hill)http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com (Vijaya Schartz)http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

How to Build Suspense by Ginger Simpson #suspense #mystery #writing tips

I am particularly interested in this topic because one of my current WIPs is going to be a suspense story.  I tried my hand at writing one and although I thought I did a great job of surprising the reader with the villain, reviews suggest otherwise.  The last thing you want in suspense is predictability.  Maybe using some of Elizabeth Sim's tips  borrowed by WRITERS DIGEST and an article written on how to FUEL YOUR STORY WITH SUSPENSE:

Elizabeth Sims is an American writer, journalist, and contributing editor at Writer's Digest magazine.Born: 1957, Wyandotte, MIEducation: Michigan State University, Wayne State UniversityAwards: Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mystery

1.  Point a finger.  This can work to create and maintain suspense in any genre.  You can point to anything:  financial ruin, a broken heart, a lost opportunity....

2.  Pull a false alarm.

3.  Build a forgotten place.  (Example:  Edgar Allen Poe tricked an enemy into joining him in a wine cellar then bricked him up there.  Suspense rises in trying to figure out the reason.

4.  Plant a hazard, then wait.  An example Sims gives is a snake pit in True Grit.  It's introduced but not used until Mattie falls backwards into it.  Although from the moment of introduction, it's been lurking in the reader's mind.

5.  Make panic your friend.  Have your victim stumble and fall.  Built anticipation.

6.  Water a plant.  I see your confused stare.  *smile*  Growth of the character can be incredibly suspenseful.  Think about Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Bad Seed.  You water a plant and wait to see what it grows into.

7.  Withhold the right stuff.  According to Sims...withhold substance but give tantalizing information as in The Valley of Fear where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle keeps a character's identity secret from the other characters and readers thus giving everyone the opportunity to interpret clues.

8.  Banish someone....as in the Bible where God throws Satan out of Heaven...or if you wish to modernize...a troublesome kid gets sent to boarding school.  Let your imagination guide you.

9.  Rip it from the headlines.  Check your local news.

10. Fray an End.  Okay, I see that same blank stare.  Leave a cupboard door open because little odd things not quite in order create suspense, although subtle.

11.  Fake 'em out.  An example given...have the guard step out for a smoke.  Readers will suppose it's a great time for an escape.  Have the guard come back, think the same thing and race to where he finds the prisoner lounging peacefully.

12.  Stash Someone.  Harriet the Spy discovered how useful hiding is.  Watch and listen undetected.  Suspense conjures up questions such as:  What is you sneeze?  What is a dog comes along and detects the candy in your pocket?

13.  Seat a pigeon on a stool.  Guess what this means.

14.  Put a mask on it.  Use disguises or impersonation to build suspense.

15.  Amp the Unknown.  Stephen King is the master and has built a colossal career by using the unknown...example:  The Shining.

16.  Put a symbol to work.  Example:  A beautiful lake can represent the water of life, or symbolize something more unsettling.  For instance....it can transgress into something cold, hard and dangerous.

17.  Flip the Hourglass, then flip it again.  I see the puzzled look again.  :)  Example A Season in Purgatory by Dominick Dunne who skillfully works with time for max suspense.  From the start, the reader knows a murder occurred many years ago, and then transport the reader back in time to when the victim was alive.  How was the crime committed?  How was it hidden or exposed?  Then flash forward again to the conclusion.

18.  Double down on the Debt.  Huh?  Anyone knows when you do favors, people are in your debt and more easily persuadable.

19.  Isolate 'em.  How about a stuck elevator or a vehicle with a flat tire?

20.  Throw a Monkey wrench.  Make the reader work for the real culprit.

21.  Get your head into it.  Live and breath your writing.  If you do, you[ll have a greater chance of having your readers stick with you with bated breath.

Note from Ginger:  I'd like to take credit for all these tips, but it's evident these are from someone well-read and experienced.   The entire article is in the November/December 2014 issue, and it's great.

Movie Quote Trivia ~ Sizzling Summer Edition ~ Answers

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to check out my Movie Quote Trivia on Monday. Here are the answers:

1) Easy

Hooper: "Well, uh, it doesn't make much sense for a guy who hates the water to live on an island."

Brody: "It's only an island if you look at it from the water."

Hooper: "That makes a lot of sense."

Roy Scheider played Chief Martin Brody in 1975's Jaws. Richard Dreyfuss played oceanographer Matt Hooper. And Robert Shaw played fisherman Quint. Here's a bonus Quint quote:


Quint: "Here lies the body of Mary Lee; died at the age of a hundred and three. For fifteen years she kept her virginity; not a bad record for this vicinity." 









2) Medium


Frenchy: "Beauty-school sure wasn't as I thought it would be."

Vi: "Nothing ever is." 

Didi Conn played Frenchy in 1978's Grease. Oscar and Tony nominated actress Joan Blondell played waitress Vi.





 











 





 

3) Movie Buff


Ben Willis: "Happy Fourth of July!" 

Julie: [terrified] "Please... it was an accident!" 

Ben Willis: "I know all about "accidents", and let me give you some advice: When you leave a man for dead, make sure that he's REALLY dead." 

Muse Watson played slasher Ben Willis in 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer. Jennifer Love Hewitt played Julie.



Thanks for playing along and have a great summer!

Movie Quote Trivia ~ Sizzling Summer Edition

Time for another game of Movie Quote Trivia. This one is in honor of Summer! I'll give you three quotes, ones I consider easy, medium, and Movie Buff! Can you name the movie and better yet, the character who said the lines? Try not to cheat!

1) Easy


"Well, uh, it doesn't make much sense for a guy who hates the water to live on an island."

"It's only an island if you look at it from the water."

 "That makes a lot of sense."


2) Medium

"Beauty-school sure wasn't as I thought it would be."

"Nothing ever is."


3) Movie Buff


"Happy Fourth of July!"

"Please... it was an accident!"

"I know all about 'accidents', and let me give you some advice: When you leave a man for dead, make sure that he's REALLY dead."



Good luck! I'll post the answers Thursday. Thanks for playing along!