Eva Pasco's Blog, page 6
December 26, 2024
Eva’s Byte #504 – My Literary Year in Review
2024
For starters, I published a novel in July:
“Aileen’s Guesthouse is a heartfelt contemporary novel with beautiful prose. The author transports readers back to Rhode Island in the 1970s, and we are quickly immersed in the goings-on of the residents. All dealing with various stages of grief and unrelenting guilt, the main characters—Aileen, Gert, and Lillian, along with the supporting character, Ox—must come to terms with the hand fate has dealt them and face the consequences of their choices. Themes of coming-of-age, love, grief, and family pepper the pages of the all-encompassing story…I easily felt like I was part of the clan. This was a delightful read that left me profoundly affected. The guesthouse residents will be impossible to forget, and I am grateful to have made their acquaintance.” (Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Reader Views)
On Goodreads:
Having pledged to read 25 books in 2024, I actually read and reviewed 53 as of December 26th. All of them are written by independently published authors.
I was recognized as a “top 10% reviewer”.
As this year comes to a close, I’m currently drafting chapter 7 (1275 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*As we move on to the next chapter of 2025, may each of us persevere to achieve our creative goals.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
For starters, I published a novel in July:
“Aileen’s Guesthouse is a heartfelt contemporary novel with beautiful prose. The author transports readers back to Rhode Island in the 1970s, and we are quickly immersed in the goings-on of the residents. All dealing with various stages of grief and unrelenting guilt, the main characters—Aileen, Gert, and Lillian, along with the supporting character, Ox—must come to terms with the hand fate has dealt them and face the consequences of their choices. Themes of coming-of-age, love, grief, and family pepper the pages of the all-encompassing story…I easily felt like I was part of the clan. This was a delightful read that left me profoundly affected. The guesthouse residents will be impossible to forget, and I am grateful to have made their acquaintance.” (Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Reader Views)
On Goodreads:
Having pledged to read 25 books in 2024, I actually read and reviewed 53 as of December 26th. All of them are written by independently published authors.
I was recognized as a “top 10% reviewer”.
As this year comes to a close, I’m currently drafting chapter 7 (1275 words thus far) along my Contemporary work in progress.
*As we move on to the next chapter of 2025, may each of us persevere to achieve our creative goals.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
December 18, 2024
Eva’s Byte #503 – Hauling out the Holly
Partial to “We Need a Little Christmas,” this popular song originated from Jerry Herman’s Broadway musical, Mame, and was first performed on stage by Angela Lansbury who played the title role.
Needing a little Christmas all year round in my home, the motif abounds beyond hauling out the holly for the holiday season:
A four-foot pine with gnome ornaments
A three-foot pine cone tree with sprigs of pine and berries
A two-foot pine with bird ornamentation
A one-foot pine decorated with colorful, miniature felt mice
A one-foot pine embellished with red berries.
I also have an assortment of plush lumberjack moose and one woodsman Santa decked out in my rustic office for all four seasons.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m hauling words along the draft of chapter 7 (702 thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us keep a little Christmas in our hearts all year round.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Needing a little Christmas all year round in my home, the motif abounds beyond hauling out the holly for the holiday season:
A four-foot pine with gnome ornaments
A three-foot pine cone tree with sprigs of pine and berries
A two-foot pine with bird ornamentation
A one-foot pine decorated with colorful, miniature felt mice
A one-foot pine embellished with red berries.
I also have an assortment of plush lumberjack moose and one woodsman Santa decked out in my rustic office for all four seasons.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m hauling words along the draft of chapter 7 (702 thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us keep a little Christmas in our hearts all year round.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
December 11, 2024
Eva’s Byte #502 – On the Outside, Looking In
In the aftermath of light snow, on a gloomy morning with a biting chill of 34 degrees, I set out for my last trip in the capacity of a caregiver. Essentially, heading to the end of the road.
In the midst of braking during heavy commuter traffic, I was serenaded by Andy Williams’ “Happy Holidays” on the local twenty-four-hour Christmas station. Diverting my attention to the houses nearby, their illuminated windows indicated creatures were stirring. Perhaps, some sipped a hot cup of coffee while basking inside the warmth of their home.
Hoop-de-do and dickory dock!
I look forward to reclaiming the warmth of hearth and home without the encumbrance of anxiety.
In the capacity of a writer, it's been a slow crawl, but I hope to pick up the pace along the journey of my Contemporary work in progress. Currently, the draft of chapter 7 has progressed to 602 words.
*May each of us find time to enjoy our favorite seasonal activities.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
In the midst of braking during heavy commuter traffic, I was serenaded by Andy Williams’ “Happy Holidays” on the local twenty-four-hour Christmas station. Diverting my attention to the houses nearby, their illuminated windows indicated creatures were stirring. Perhaps, some sipped a hot cup of coffee while basking inside the warmth of their home.
Hoop-de-do and dickory dock!
I look forward to reclaiming the warmth of hearth and home without the encumbrance of anxiety.
In the capacity of a writer, it's been a slow crawl, but I hope to pick up the pace along the journey of my Contemporary work in progress. Currently, the draft of chapter 7 has progressed to 602 words.
*May each of us find time to enjoy our favorite seasonal activities.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
December 4, 2024
Eva’s Byte #501 – A Matter of Perspective
From my perspective, Christmas ‘tis the season for cultivating gratitude and manifesting good will to humankind. Whether or not I view Christmas as “the most wonderful time of the year; the hap-happiest season of all,” is immaterial. Or, any time of the year for that matter.
For me, it all boils down to having barely enough, having just enough, or having more than enough. In that regard, I’m grateful for having more than enough to rejoice about.
The other day, crawling in a line of traffic along my route, I espied a homeless encampment consisting of two tents in a wooded area, not far from the road.
Clearly, Christmas is not a one-size-fits all, holly, jolly proposition glossed over in traditional song lyrics.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m moseying along chapter 7(594 words thus far) of my
Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us experience the relevance of Christmas from our own perspective.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
For me, it all boils down to having barely enough, having just enough, or having more than enough. In that regard, I’m grateful for having more than enough to rejoice about.
The other day, crawling in a line of traffic along my route, I espied a homeless encampment consisting of two tents in a wooded area, not far from the road.
Clearly, Christmas is not a one-size-fits all, holly, jolly proposition glossed over in traditional song lyrics.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m moseying along chapter 7(594 words thus far) of my
Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us experience the relevance of Christmas from our own perspective.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
November 27, 2024
Eva’s Byte #500 – Going the Distance
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” (Bob Marley)
One of the many who goes the distance in the capacity of care-giving, I recently found myself back in the loop of hightailing it to the ER and making follow-up visits to the hospital.
At this particular hospital, going the distance literally starts with pounding the pavement from a parking garage to a building, and then proceeding along a labyrinth of corridors to one’s destination.
On one of those days, I arrived before the official start of visiting hours. I sat in the waiting area at a central location where people in need of medical attention check in. I may have gone the distance, but this elderly woman out-distanced me by a mile:
She inched her way along the drop-off/pick-up lane to a set of doors. When she got out of her SUV, she single-handedly removed a wheelchair from the cargo section. After whipping it in shape, she then proceeded to assist her husband out of the vehicle and into the chair. After wheeling him inside the building, she got back in her vehicle and headed for one of the parking garages.
You know the drill. She had to walk all the way back to the central building. Eventually she’d have to walk all the way back to the parking garage to get her vehicle and join the queue in the transport area to perform another Herculean feat.
That’s an unsung heroine summoning her strength and stamina to go the distance!
In the capacity of a writer, I’ve gone the distance in fine-tuning chapter 6 of my Contemporary work in progress to 1544 words. Due to life’s hairpin turns, I’m slowly getting my mojo back for wending my way through the draft of chapter 7 (243 words thus far).
*May each of us go the extra mile when it’s required of us to do so.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
One of the many who goes the distance in the capacity of care-giving, I recently found myself back in the loop of hightailing it to the ER and making follow-up visits to the hospital.
At this particular hospital, going the distance literally starts with pounding the pavement from a parking garage to a building, and then proceeding along a labyrinth of corridors to one’s destination.
On one of those days, I arrived before the official start of visiting hours. I sat in the waiting area at a central location where people in need of medical attention check in. I may have gone the distance, but this elderly woman out-distanced me by a mile:
She inched her way along the drop-off/pick-up lane to a set of doors. When she got out of her SUV, she single-handedly removed a wheelchair from the cargo section. After whipping it in shape, she then proceeded to assist her husband out of the vehicle and into the chair. After wheeling him inside the building, she got back in her vehicle and headed for one of the parking garages.
You know the drill. She had to walk all the way back to the central building. Eventually she’d have to walk all the way back to the parking garage to get her vehicle and join the queue in the transport area to perform another Herculean feat.
That’s an unsung heroine summoning her strength and stamina to go the distance!
In the capacity of a writer, I’ve gone the distance in fine-tuning chapter 6 of my Contemporary work in progress to 1544 words. Due to life’s hairpin turns, I’m slowly getting my mojo back for wending my way through the draft of chapter 7 (243 words thus far).
*May each of us go the extra mile when it’s required of us to do so.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
November 20, 2024
Eva’s Byte #499 – The Right Time
In the capacity of a writer, the song title “Night Time is the Right Time” pinpoints when I sit at the keyboard to further my Contemporary work in progress. Based on my lifestyle, the evening hours are devoid of commitments and reasonably free from distractions.
A smattering of famous night-owl writers include: Franz Kafka, Danielle Steele, Barack Obama, T.S. Elliot, Charles Dickens, and Sylvia Plath.
As for moi:
Two hours devoted to the craft are plenty for me to wrap my head around during the intense process of plotting a scene. In that regard, I have finished drafting chapter 6 (1536words), and have begun drafting chapter 7, progressing from 125 words.
*May the right time provide the “write” of way along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
A smattering of famous night-owl writers include: Franz Kafka, Danielle Steele, Barack Obama, T.S. Elliot, Charles Dickens, and Sylvia Plath.
As for moi:
Two hours devoted to the craft are plenty for me to wrap my head around during the intense process of plotting a scene. In that regard, I have finished drafting chapter 6 (1536words), and have begun drafting chapter 7, progressing from 125 words.
*May the right time provide the “write” of way along our creative journeys.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
November 13, 2024
Eva’s Byte #498 – Villains in Fiction
As I flesh out one of the fictitious villains in my Contemporary work in progress, I do so to avoid creating archetypes like Oil Can Harry, the cartoon gangster cat created by Terrytoons who is Mighty Mouse’s arch enemy. During my childhood, I delighted watching Harry’s evil ploys to steal Mighty Mouse’s girlfriend away from him.
A writer who takes pride in writing fiction with conviction, I’m winding down the draft of Chapter 6 (1247 words thus far), delving into why one of my villains has evolved into a ruthless, misogynistic, self-serving stinker:
Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you…
("Getting to Know You" is a show tune from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I)
*May each of us delve into the heart of matters when writing our stories.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
A writer who takes pride in writing fiction with conviction, I’m winding down the draft of Chapter 6 (1247 words thus far), delving into why one of my villains has evolved into a ruthless, misogynistic, self-serving stinker:
Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you…
("Getting to Know You" is a show tune from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I)
*May each of us delve into the heart of matters when writing our stories.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
November 6, 2024
Eva’s Byte #497 – A Gratitude Platitude
Mindful of the chasm between the haves and have-nots, be it feast or famine, my foundation of gratitude is built on appreciation for food, clothing, shelter, health and well-being.
With all the hard knocks from recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I’ve adopted this gratitude platitude in celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving:
“Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what befalls us in life, we can take the charred remnants, and we can reconstruct a life unimaginably richer than that from which the shards and pieces fell.” (Craig D. Lounsbrough)
In the capacity of a writer, I’m grateful for my characters who are steering me along the journey of a Contemporary work in progress. The draft of chapter 6 is progressing from 601 words.
*May each of us celebrate a Thanksgiving robust in strength and resilience.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
With all the hard knocks from recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, I’ve adopted this gratitude platitude in celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving:
“Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what befalls us in life, we can take the charred remnants, and we can reconstruct a life unimaginably richer than that from which the shards and pieces fell.” (Craig D. Lounsbrough)
In the capacity of a writer, I’m grateful for my characters who are steering me along the journey of a Contemporary work in progress. The draft of chapter 6 is progressing from 601 words.
*May each of us celebrate a Thanksgiving robust in strength and resilience.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
October 30, 2024
Eva’s Byte #496 – A Weighty Subject
The brick:
In the same camp as those writers who leave no stone unturned in the quest to bring about realism, authenticity, and plausibility to fiction, I delved into the topic of “bricks”.
One nefarious brick out of a pile is the weighty subject in the draft of chapter 5 (finished at 1157 words) along the progression of my Contemporary.
What I gleaned from my research is in keeping with the chapter setting of Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford, Massachusetts, vis a vis the location of the now defunct Wamsutta Mills, constructed in 1847.
It had come to my attention that during the 1800s, the standard size for bricks in the United States was 9 inches long by 4.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high. This size was widely adopted after 1840.
All well and good, but, this writer needed to know the weight of a brick that size. Lo and behold, I discovered there’s such a thing as a brick weight calculator.
Weighing in:
Brick Weight = Length x Weight x Thickness x 0.0694
I divulge the actual weight in chapter 5 to add realism, authenticity, and plausibility to the scene.
*May each of us weigh our words in laying the foundation of our stories.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
In the same camp as those writers who leave no stone unturned in the quest to bring about realism, authenticity, and plausibility to fiction, I delved into the topic of “bricks”.
One nefarious brick out of a pile is the weighty subject in the draft of chapter 5 (finished at 1157 words) along the progression of my Contemporary.
What I gleaned from my research is in keeping with the chapter setting of Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford, Massachusetts, vis a vis the location of the now defunct Wamsutta Mills, constructed in 1847.
It had come to my attention that during the 1800s, the standard size for bricks in the United States was 9 inches long by 4.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high. This size was widely adopted after 1840.
All well and good, but, this writer needed to know the weight of a brick that size. Lo and behold, I discovered there’s such a thing as a brick weight calculator.
Weighing in:
Brick Weight = Length x Weight x Thickness x 0.0694
I divulge the actual weight in chapter 5 to add realism, authenticity, and plausibility to the scene.
*May each of us weigh our words in laying the foundation of our stories.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
October 23, 2024
Eva’s Byte # 495 – The Earrings
Strolling down memory lane in the spirit of Halloween, I espy my nine-year-old self putting on a gypsy costume. Although, I don’t recall one stitch of clothing comprising the ensemble, I vividly and fondly gaze upon the festive pair of earrings my mother made from scratch:
Wielding a mathematical compass, she penciled two circles on the cardboard backing of a pad. After cutting them out, she outlined several geometric shapes on both circles, then used crayons to brightly color each division. For the final touch, my mother jabbed the compass point into the circular shapes to perforate openings for elastic threads to slip through. Tying the ends formed the drop for the earrings to dangle from my ears.
Still a gypsy at heart, I’m in good company with those who embrace our uniqueness without following the crowd. We value our independence, enjoy solo ventures, and manifest creative energy.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m venturing along chapter 5 (741 words thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us embrace the spirit of adventure.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Wielding a mathematical compass, she penciled two circles on the cardboard backing of a pad. After cutting them out, she outlined several geometric shapes on both circles, then used crayons to brightly color each division. For the final touch, my mother jabbed the compass point into the circular shapes to perforate openings for elastic threads to slip through. Tying the ends formed the drop for the earrings to dangle from my ears.
Still a gypsy at heart, I’m in good company with those who embrace our uniqueness without following the crowd. We value our independence, enjoy solo ventures, and manifest creative energy.
In the capacity of a writer, I’m venturing along chapter 5 (741 words thus far) of my Contemporary work in progress.
*May each of us embrace the spirit of adventure.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
