Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 184

Just Put Your Lips Together and Blow

What is it about famous lines that made them famous? There are tons of them. "Kiss me, you fool." Why do those words stick in our minds? Of course, some of them got a little messed up over the years. For example, Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca never said "Play it again, Sam," The actual line was, "Play it, Sam."

One of my favorites was Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not. "You know how to whistle don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." Then there are the m...

Lessons in Reading

A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I'd been a reading kick--still kicking and reading. And writing. But I wanted to share some lessons I've learned through reading recently.

A) I don't want to be judged for something I did or who I was when I was a teenager. I've read a couple of romances that hinge on a mistake the hero made as a teenager. Ditching the girl at the prom and showing up ten years later or letting his rich family bash his girl and call her a money-hungry slut.

Sure. These are ho...

A Different Kind of Creativity

Liz and I have something in common. Well, something aside from 1) writing romance and 2) being WordWranglers and 3) being friends. We like to quilt. Although, I'll wager that Liz is much better than I am.

A corner that doesn't quite match up? Doesn't bug me. It bugs the bejayjay out of my MIL, who's a master quilter...and I've talked quilting with Liz and I think she and my MIL are of like minds on this one.

My latest project was a softbook quilt - you know, fabric books? Yeah, but instead...

Cover reveal....Mississippi Blues!

  Everyone has a book of their heart. This is mine. I usually write about cowboys, men I know and love. This book doesn't have a cowboy in sight. There are two intertwined love stories. Not secondary characters, but two full stories.  I love this cover. From the time the book was conceived until it's birthday, in about three weeks, I have always seen it with a full, Mississippi moon and dark blues. The artist did a great job bringing my vision to life!   Cover R...

Tale of the Cottonwoods

       The other Word Wranglers come up with the best analogies. I’ll read their posts—especially D’Ann’s—and I’ll wonder where she can possibly go with that. And boom, there it is again. Crap, I’ll think, why can’t I come up with things like that.
          So this morning I’m sitting here trying to come up with something good. Or at least something readable. Maybe even an analogy! And I’m looking out my office window...

Loss of Sexual Tension Means the Story is Over?

Have you noticed that once the sexual tension is over in a television show, the ratings drop? I may be showing my age, but does anyone remember the shows Moonlighting and Who's the boss? Once the main characters did the deed, it was like the writers had nothing else to write about. The hero/heroine acted like they got bored with the relationship after sex. And I got bored too.

But I noticed that doesn't seem to happen in books. There are tons of series out there that leave readers sa...

Writing: My First Love

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Its Just Your Perspective

Last weekend, we took a drive to Amish Country, which is always a fun excursion: bebe loves to see the horse-and-buggies, the countryside is really pretty and there is fun shopping. We hadn't been for a couple of years. So imagine my surprise when Amish Country went...well, country.

For anyone who doesn't know, Amish isn't 'country', it's a religious order in which the people forego electricity and modern ways for a more simplified lifestyle.

Not country. Just simple. And on with the blog:

I too...

Stay The Trail

I may have mentioned a time or two that my daughter and I love to trail ride . In a previous post, I said we like to wander in the mountains sometimes, and we do. But at times that isn't possible. The Forest Service will post these signs, and they mean what they say--Stay The Trail. You aren't allowed to wander. The Forest Service wants you to stay on the marked trail because they don't want you to trample delicate forage or scare wildlife that may be there.

Lately, I've had trouble with...

Mother's Day...Again

Mother’s Day has come and gone for another year and I didn’t write anything about it even though writing is what I do. I think about it a lot, think about my mom—gone all these long years—and my mother-in-law, who I’ve loved almost as long as I’ve loved her son and who has loved me back. I think about being a mom and a grandma—it’s just my favorite thing. But Mother’s Day? I’m really glad when my kids remember it, tell me they love me, stop by if they’re close by, but mostly I’m glad it’s not...