Sherrie Miranda's Blog, page 186
July 14, 2015
You Helped Stop a War! NOW Help Seal the Peace Deal with Iran!
Let’s make this work! We’ve had enough war in our lifetime to last 10 lifetimes!
Do you know about my novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman in El Salvador during their civil war.
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Lies-El-Salvador-July-ebook/dp/B00T6EI1UW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
Originally posted on Peace Action Blog:
You made history!
The peace deal reached this morning with Iran thwarting any nuclear weapon production is one of the most important diplomatic accomplishments of the century so far. It demonstrates that intelligence, patience, creativity and an openness to conflict resolution can prevent war.
Illustrating that, the history books, as usual, will be full of photographs of a handful of people, around a table.
But we know that thousands of our members and like-minded folks protected the talks by speaking up for diplomacy. Without you, attacks by the Iran hawks could easily have derailed diplomacy. Peace Action was one of the first organizations to work on this issue by organizing a high-level meeting of NGO leaders over eight years ago.
Now we all need to make one final push to ensure that the peace deal makes it across the finish line. Congress is likely to vote to approve or disapprove…
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Annoying Things Only #Writers Will Understand
A great post AND I can finally reblog from my sister’s iPad!
July 7, 2015
Long Live Peace. Long Live Mandela.
This post is more than a year and a half old, but Nelson Mandela was and always will be one of my heroes. There is so much the rest of the world’s politicians could learn from him if only they would try.
My debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is a/b an American girl in war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5chkAc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Originally posted on Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger:
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 − 5 December 2013)
I remember exactly where I was. How could I not. If it were not for the voluntary participation of the international community in the Games of the Olympiad, and the heart-pounding, thrill ride known as FIFA World Cup, only war and rumors of war attract worldwide attention in unison. With few exceptions, it takes mind-boggling tragedies, like the one befallen the Philippines, to capture the attention of all humanity and bind us under one sun. There is little wonder, why so many willingly fell under the magical spell of Great Britain’s most recent royal wedding. For a brief moment, we were all kids again, believing that fairy tales come true and that happiness is forever after.
In February of 1990, I called Providence, Rhode Island home. I resided on the east side of downtown, just up the hill from Brown University, in a…
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July 2, 2015
The Five Reasons Why: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper
Not much to add to Kendall’s post, except that Karma is only a bitch if you are selfish. If you a kind. loving person, Karma is actually a wonderful thing! ;-)
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5chkAc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Originally posted on Kendall F. Person, thepublicblogger:
One of the main task of theology
is to find words that do not divide but unite,
that do not create conflict but unity
that do not hurt but heal
– Henri Nouwen
Have you ever walked along the moonlit sand, under a star-filled sky and wondered, “What is the meaning of my life?” Have you ever given a moment your all, ran your fastest race, but still came in last? Have you ever thrown a penny in a well, blew out all the birthday candles on your cake, yet your wish failed to be filled? Have you ever fallen down and been unable to get back up? Have you ever thrown your hands up high and shouted toward the heavens, “I give up!” Have you ever faced humiliation or felt the world staring you down? If pain has ever pierced your heart, and made you feel alone. If…
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June 30, 2015
My Response to jiminpanama’s response to “The Problem with Gay” by Kendall F. Person
jiminpanama says:
June 30, 2015
Risking to comment here and sharing feelings without being judged. I am always learning that’s why I follow your blog Kendall. All sins being created equal, and God loving all of us in spite of us. I believe that and I get it. I have a problem condoning and putting the official seal of our government on anything against the rules of God, nature, and science. I would need a bigger sampling but I was talking to my uncle and he says he was born gay. I asked him when he knew and he said ever since he had sex with his gym teacher when he was 13. I know boys go through short fazes and changes in sexuality and certain years are critical years. Things can sway a teen boy based solely on timing. My fear is with massive exposure to “gay” the numbers will rise, and it is unfair to our youth to throw this in their faces at the wrong age. It is blasted all the way around the world, and like the public discussion about oral sex and Mr Clinton it will bring too much to the forefront of our world, what all along should be private. Chances are today the child’s first experience sexuality will be hard core porn of some variety. Gone are the days of women’s breasts in a magazine. It is too much for our kids to process, and now they will be making their sexual choices at a younger and younger age. Bet you ten bucks this becomes standard teaching for 5th grade sex Ed within 5 years. How does a kid process that he’s gay or not at 10 years old when he should be riding a bike or fishin with his buddies. Help me out here.
Sherrie Miranda responds:
June 30, 2015
Jim, you are mistaken and misled yourself. First of all, how do you know what God thinks, feels or Believes? Please don’t tell me that you got that info from the bible because that was written by men, men who wanted to put us in our place. Even Jesus’ writing is held by the Catholic Church and they will never allow their converts to know Jesus’ true feelings. BUT Jesus is NOT God, no matter what people may tell you.
Secondly, is there some reason that it is ok for children to be exposed to pornography, but NOT to the idea of Gay love and marriage?
Thirdly, if marriage equaled sex, then I guess children’s mind are corrupted since the day they are born (or perhaps, conceived? Maybe that is the meaning of original sin?). Just because gay marriage makes you think of sex does not mean that is true for the 99% who do not equate love and marriage with sex (esp. children).
Fourthly, sex is only discussed for a day or two in 7th (tho it used to be 8th which was much more appropriate) and 10th grade (or higher if they didn’t take Health in 10th grade). It is taught in a HEALTH class where many things are taught, including nutrition and the warning signs for suicide. They do not go into detail about how a man and a woman have sex so why on earth would they now go into detail about HOW a gay couple has sex?
And even middle schoolers would be considered “questioning,” not Gay. Many of them don’t even know they are questioning but we, as caring teachers, often do see the signs.
What has me most stunned in all these discussions is that the screen, both movie and TV, is filled with violence. Horrible violence, YET NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT THAT.
So, finally, I must ask: If I were to agree with everything you say here (& believe me I don’t), which is worse? To imagine two people having sex (as you seem to do every time you hear the word “Gay”). Or to see a body blown to bits? Or a person’s body riddled with bullets.
Me? I will take SEX over VIOLENCE any day of the week!
Thank you.
Sherrie Miranda (Cont.)
June 30, 2015
And I forgot to even mention the depiction of a woman being raped which is seen often enough that many children have a clear idea what it is and boys often think it is funny.
It is very sad what these so called “Christians” focus on when there is so much good they could do in this world.
P.S. That does not include the Christians who are in this world helping others, whether through missionary work or in their own community here in the U.S.
Sherrie Miranda is the author of debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too:
June 29, 2015
Monday Funnies – With GARFIELD
Along with these funnies borrowed from Chris The Story Reading Ape’s blog, I would like to ask authors about doing taxes. Well, I know a lot of you are British and there may be a couple Canadians reading too. But this is what I heard about taxes in the U.S. “You have three years to start making money; after that it is considered a hobby, if you still aren’t making a profit.” Ok, I probably read that somewhere.
Any thoughts on this would be helpful. For instance, if you are traveling & you do a book event, are you allowed to claim the trip? What about a car rental? Yeah, I know, I should talk to my CPA, but he’s in LA & is super busy; he never returns my calls.
Originally posted on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog:
June 24, 2015
ASK AN AUTHOR: OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK, SELF VS.TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING W/ Guest author Sherrie Miranda
ASK AN AUTHOR:TIPS & FREEBIES, OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK, SELF VS.TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING, & NOVEL-WRITING TIME
June 2015 Articles
Secrets and Lies in El Salvador: Shelley’s Journey Sherrie Miranda Traditional Publishing Shia LeBeouf
By Sarka-Jonae Miller
June 6, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –This week’s column welcomes a guest author, Sherrie Miranda. Sherrie is a resident of Chula Vista and the author of the historical fiction novel, Secrets and Lies in El Salvador: Shelly’s Journey, which tells the story of an American visiting El Salvador during the time of the Salvadoran Civil War. The story is based in part on the author’s experiences in El Salvador. If you’d like to learn more about Secrets and Lies in El Salvador, it is on sale for $0.99 on Amazon and on two best seller lists.
If a writer is working on a story and has hit a rough patch — the plot isn’t progressing as planned, the characters are starting to do odd things, the prose just isn’t coming together — do you have any techniques you could recommend to work through those? What is the hardest part about being an author? – Ekta Garg
Sherrie: There are several things you can do if you are stuck. When I was writing my novel, I thought I was wasting time (i.e. procrastinating) when I was researching the history of the war. I also got really fascinated with the leftist poet, Roque Dalton, and started reading everything I could find about him. Then I ordered several of his books, many of which were published posthumously, and started devouring his work, both in English and Spanish.
As it turned out, all that procrastinating ended up being a really good thing. For one, it made the story much richer. But the biggest change was the addition of Roque Dalton to the story. He was dead already, but I made my main character related to him so it became a more compelling reason for my protagonist to go to El Salvador.
Another thing that a well-known author (I wish I could say for sure which one) wrote as advice, is to go back and read the writing you are planning to add to. I started doing that every time I opened the document and it made it not so scary as I said “I’m just going to read it, not necessarily write,” but I always did write. By then I was writing, editing or revising something everyday.
As for your second question, the hardest part of being an author is to keep going back to the story, to trust that it will all get worked out by the end and whatever doesn’t get worked out can be deleted. Or, if you are like me, and can’t bear to delete anything, you can save it for another story.
Sarka-Jonae: I’ve never had writer’s block but I have had writer’s lack of motivation. I’ve also suffered from some severe cases of I-don’t-want-to-itis and Do-I have-to syndrome. The trick about re-reading what you’ve written free of the expectation of writing more, and that motivating or inspiring you to start writing again, is something I shared at an author panel I organized in April at the Grossmont Center Barnes & Noble. Since Sherrie was there too, she might be thinking of me. Nice to know people are remembering my advice even if they are forgetting the source.
I’d say the hardest part of being an author is writing book after book knowing it could take publishing a series or two before you reach success. But as Shia LaBeouf would say, “Do it! Just do it! Make your dreams come true.”
Self publish or publisher? How long does it take you to write a novel? – Kelly D. Smith
Sherrie: It depends; do you want to have more control over your writing? Or are you willing to make changes even though you may not agree with the suggested change? The other question you need to ask is “How long are you willing to wait to get this product brought to life?”
You have to wait to find the right agent, then, the agent shops your manuscript. How much she puts into this process depends on how much she likes the ms. I decided no one was going to love my baby as much as I did so I ran a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for editing and then dug into my own funds to pay for the cover design, formatting and uploading. Fortunately I had been all over the social sites for enough time that I found another writer who gave me reliable referrals.
I would caution any writer who is considering self-publishing to be careful not to let your work go out too soon. That is the biggest problem with self-publishing. You have to be in this for the long haul and have a lot of patience and perseverance.
As to how long it takes to write a novel, that also depends. I knew more than thirty years ago that someday I was going to write a story about the Salvadoran civil war. I started working on my MFA in Creative Writing, thinking that I would be forced to write this story that way. That turned out not to be true. So, in my case, it took about six years to write my novel, but if you already understand the basics of a story, I’d say you could at least have a decent draft in three years.
Sarka-Jonae: I got the idea for Between Boyfriends in college, but since I put myself through school I had no time to start writing it. When I finally began, it took probably two years to get a decent draft. Agents can me some positive feedback and useful criticism, prompting a serious overhaul. Long story short, it took probably four years of writing, not including time off, to produce a publish-worthy manuscript.
My second book took less than a year and my third only six months, not including the time my editor and proofreader needed to do their jobs. I’d say six to eight months for my fourth and fifth books too. I suspect part of this had to do with the first book being longer and subsequent books being spinoffs or sequels, so I already knew the characters really well.
SJ’s Favorite Freebies – My romantic comedy Between the Sheets is free on Amazon from June 5-8. The contemporary romance Love Bats Last by USA Today best-selling author Pamela Aares is free now as is the Sexy Love Box Set by C.C. Cartwright. The romantic mystery novel The Heiress of Santorini by #1 best-selling author Angel Sefer is free June 11-14.
– Got questions?
Send them to Sarka-Jonae Miller through Twitter @sarkajonae, Facebook, or via her author website. Events found on SJ’s events page.
SJ is a local author, book marketing manager, publicist, and columnist who writes chick lit and steamy romance based in San Diego and Los Angeles. Learn more about SJ and her books here.
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
June 23, 2015
Are Subplots Necessary?
The subplots in my novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” not only tie into the main story and reinforce the central message, but they also tie into each other. Susan Leigh Noble’s points here are important to heed if you are writing a novel or even a memoir.
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5chkAc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Originally posted on Into Another World:
A subplot is a mini-story woven into your main story. It could involve your main character having two things going on at the same time (such as finding love while solving a mystery) or it can involve secondary characters having their own issues.
Now you don’t absolutely need to include a subplot into your story but there are many good reasons to include one.
It adds depth to your story.
If the subplot involves secondary characters, it can make them more rounded and complete.
It can help build tension. (You can leave your main story line hanging and switch to the subplot to keep your reader wondering what happens.)
Subplots can pile on problems for the main character or perhaps distract them from their course.
It can reveal information to your main character or to your reader
It can set up characters for multi-book series
Incorporating Subplot
Now your subplot…
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A Round Table
Ana Elisa Fuentes is the photographer I would have wanted to be had I stuck to it, instead of becoming an author. Since my protagonist in “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is also an amazing photographer (for the same reason – She connects with people so they trust her), I wanted to share her images of refugees. I wish I had seen the Voices photo exhibition that these photos were in!
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5chkAc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Originally posted on AnaElisa:
A nomadic woman walks with her belongings to the river, along the Plateau of Tibet, at elevation of 12,000 feet. Selected for the Voices Exhibition, on the occasion of The First Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, at the United Nations, in New York, New York. Photographed on color slide film with flash fill. Photo copyright Ana Elisa Fuentes.
Nuns walk with their dri ( a juvenile yak) on the Plateau of Tibet. Image copyright Ana Elisa Fuentes. Photographed on color slide film, donated by Kodak. Selected for the Voice exhibition, on the occasion of The First Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations.
Two women wait for a bus in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Selected for the Voices Exhibition, on the occasion of The First Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Photographed on color film. Photo copyright Ana Elisa Fuentes.
Women, members of the Dani tribe mourn, the passing of their tribal chief…
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June 22, 2015
How to write dialogue that’s convincing and full of life
Dialogue can be hard, but it can also be fun. I was happy I figured out how to let my characters speak for themselves. That was really important to me.
Do you know a/b my debut novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador”? A young American woman goes to war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
My husband made a video for my novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5chkAc?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Originally posted on Nail Your Novel:
I’ve had this interesting email: ‘A literary agent told me my dialogue sounded lifeless and unconvincing and that my characters talked only about plot information. What might be missing? What could I do to improve?’
What’s good dialogue?
First of all, although dialogue is one of the ways we can unfold the story, it’s more than an exposition vehicle. Note that word ‘lifeless’ in the agent’s assessment: good dialogue brings a quality of real experience. It lets the reader eavesdrop on people who are experiencing the story first hand. Even in a first-person narrative, we need dialogue from other characters or the world may seem less vivid.
(Of course, you might do this deliberately, perhaps to create a highly coloured or unreliable view of the world. But usually even a first-person narrative will let the other characters speak for themselves.)
However, characters obviously must talk about what’s happening – who…
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