Pat Bertram's Blog, page 317

Message in a Blog-gle

When Margay Leah Justice from Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem invited me to be a guest, she said, "November is going to reflect the themes of gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving, so if you can work up a post along those lines that ties to you as a writer and/or the theme of your book, that would be great, especially if you could tie the two together."

Of all the topics I've discussed during my blog tour, this one gave me the most difficulty. I have plenty to be thankful for, it's just that I...

Thinking Inside the Box

Sometimes it amazes me that there is an entire world one can enter through the portal of a electronic box. The only reason this doesn't always amaze me is that I tend to take the Internet for granted, which, perhaps, is a sign of my addiction. The cyber world is infinitely fascinating and filled with exciting possibilities. A potential friend could lurk behind an anonymous blog view. A possible fan might discover one of my books because of a guest appearance on a blog. I might learn...

Musings From My Notebooks

Today is the 24th day of my Daughter Am I blog tour, and I am wearing down a bit. Mostly that's because I'm still staying up way too late, though recently those long hours on the computer have nothing to do with my tour. Well, that's not strictly true — my mind has been going blank when it comes time to write the next guest blog, so I play games on my computer while I try to rev up ideas, but it's not helping. I have tomorrow's guest post written, but for the next day I've agreed to write an...

My Journey As a Writer

During my Daughter Am I blog tour, I have talked a lot about my writing life, I have done several interviews, I have even shown photos of my workspace, but today's stop is by far the most candid. I worry sometimes that I'm telling too much — do people really need to know what an incredibly long journey my quest to become a writer has been? It's an unending journey, to tell the truth. In the past eight years, I have learned how to write, but I want — need — to become the best possible writer...

Live Chat and Dead Darlings

This seems to be a slow weekend here on the Internet. I can never figure out where people disappear to or why. What could possibly be more fascinating than roaming cyberspace?  I realize in some places the weather is too nice to stay inside, in other places it's too nasty to do anything online. Many writers are involved in National Novel Writing Month. Many others are busy procrastinating. And me . . . well, here I am, still virtually book touring.

Today's stops:

Beth's Book Review Blog – a

A Store Walking Down the Street

I recently came across this sentence in a novel: "It was the kind of store I loved to see walking down the street when I was a kid." Whoooo. I'd like to see any kind of store walking down the street!

I was thinking about that particular gaffe while I was walking down the street today. I happened to see something that made me realize the sentence wasn't totally ludicrous — a house rolling passed me. Okay, it was being towed, but still, it was moving along the street instead of being securely...

He Mumbled, Groaned, Hissed, Spat, Purred, Whispered

As part of my Daughter Am I Blog Tour festivities, I am exchanging blogs with Aaron Lazar. I am blogging at Murder by 4, and he is blogging here. Lucky for me!  

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries and Moore Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com and

Blog Tour — Update and Downside

I've passed the halfway mark of my Daughter Am I blog tour, and already I'm feeling sad that it's going to come to and end. I was a bit nervous in the beginning about making such a blogging commitment, but it's worked out great. My hosts have been very kind, my commenters generous, and the stops have been varied enough to be interesting. You can see the entire schedule here: Blog Tour 2009. The beautiful thing about an online book tour is that if you missed a stop, you can still come to...

Big Bird and the Military

Sesame Street is forty years old today. When the program first launched, it was touted as a show to help kids learn and to show them that learning is fun. I never understood why they needed talking toys to instill a love of learning. I thought then, and I still think that learning itself is fun. You don't need to play games while learning to find the fun and excitement of expanding your brain. But apparently, even when I myself was young, I didn't get it. And now I'm wondering if all those...

Tripping Over Words, Rocks, and Other Things

Today when I was out walking I took a rockier route than I normally do. I wanted to photograph some shaggy beasts that live down the road. I was paying more attention to the creatures instead of where I put my feet, and I went sprawling. The whole thing was a bit ridiculous. I'd taken the same walk yesterday for exactly the same reason, though yesterday when I tried to take the photos, I discovered the camera batteries were dead. On my way home, I tripped on a branch embedded in the ground...