Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 84
August 6, 2015
A Plum, Some Pears, and 2,000 Pounds of Garlic
Tortuga Thursday
In 2012, on the plains of Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love
One lone plumTortuga Thursday snuck up on me this week. Last week, I missed it altogether. Just a little busy! I've got multiple writing projects going and farmer Lance has been off the farm which means I fill in as best I can. The orchard surprised me this week. We actually have some fruit this year. All but one of the apple trees has fruit...some only a couple but that's something. The pear tree is producing. And the big story is the plum tree with ONE
Pearsplum. LOL But it's a pretty thing.
Garlic before cleaningWe've also started the process of trimming, cleaning and boxing the garlic for market. Right now we have two wholesalers looking at our offerings. Hopefully, in about ten days we will be 2,000 pounds lighter of garlic.
Cleaned and boxed
Apples
Weeding the zucchini
One lone plumTortuga Thursday snuck up on me this week. Last week, I missed it altogether. Just a little busy! I've got multiple writing projects going and farmer Lance has been off the farm which means I fill in as best I can. The orchard surprised me this week. We actually have some fruit this year. All but one of the apple trees has fruit...some only a couple but that's something. The pear tree is producing. And the big story is the plum tree with ONE 
Pearsplum. LOL But it's a pretty thing.
Garlic before cleaningWe've also started the process of trimming, cleaning and boxing the garlic for market. Right now we have two wholesalers looking at our offerings. Hopefully, in about ten days we will be 2,000 pounds lighter of garlic. 
Cleaned and boxed
Apples
Weeding the zucchini 
August 3, 2015
EXCITING NEWS
MUSE MONDAY
In September, the first book in my Love and Murder Series, THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER, will be released by Amazon Publishing's Encore imprint. Pretty exciting news! Amazon acquires small publisher books that have gotten good reviews and shown success. My book will benefit from Amazon's promotional avenues and gain further exposure.
A few months ago, Amazon chose several books from my publisher and asked to purchase the rights. I was flattered to say the least. Contracts are signed and September is the target month for the release. The print version of my book will not change and will still be available from the same outlets, but the eBook will be exclusive to Amazon.
Blurb:Lacy Dahl never questioned her past until the deaths of her adoptive parents and her husband. A husband who wasn't what he seemed. Her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew; secrets that dispute the identity of her father and threaten her life. Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the murder of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts may make that impossible. As they move closer to the truth, saving Lacy may be his only salvation. Lacy begins to think the present is more important than her past...until Chance's connection to her mother and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. Will the truth destroy Lacy and Chance or will it be the answer that frees them?
Excerpt:
Momentarily struck dumb by his eye color, she stared back. Why hadn’t she noticed until now? Although not as light as hers or her father’s, the professor’s eyes were a startling green shade.His hand nudged her arm. “Lacy?”She jumped. “Oh, yes.” She slipped the tissue from the half-carved wolf. Another glance at his eyes and goose bumps riddled her arms.He lifted the wood close to his face, using both hands as if handling a delicate hummingbird. His thumb traced the neck of the creature to the juncture of where it emerged from the wood. When he brought the piece to his nose, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Lacy wanted to turn away from the oddly erotic gesture. He swallowed, opened his eyes and set the wolf back on the tissue. His attention shifted to the photograph of the chest. He touched the photo, a smile on his lips. “Where is the chest?”The chest. Like he knew it, had seen it before. “I’m having it sent. You’ve seen it before?”He didn’t move, stared out the window as if deep in thought. “I’d like to show you something, Lacy.” “All right.” She waited, watching his profile.He turned and stared into her face a moment. “You’re so very lovely. A creation full of life and passion, surpassing any art form.”His hypnotic voice floated on the classical strains drifting from the living room. She couldn’t speak. Didn’t know what to say. She’d been lifted upon a pedestal of admiration. With any other man, she might consider his words a means to a sexual end. The professor’s intentions, however, were crystal. He admired her like a work of art.
In September, the first book in my Love and Murder Series, THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER, will be released by Amazon Publishing's Encore imprint. Pretty exciting news! Amazon acquires small publisher books that have gotten good reviews and shown success. My book will benefit from Amazon's promotional avenues and gain further exposure.
A few months ago, Amazon chose several books from my publisher and asked to purchase the rights. I was flattered to say the least. Contracts are signed and September is the target month for the release. The print version of my book will not change and will still be available from the same outlets, but the eBook will be exclusive to Amazon.
Blurb:Lacy Dahl never questioned her past until the deaths of her adoptive parents and her husband. A husband who wasn't what he seemed. Her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew; secrets that dispute the identity of her father and threaten her life. Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the murder of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts may make that impossible. As they move closer to the truth, saving Lacy may be his only salvation. Lacy begins to think the present is more important than her past...until Chance's connection to her mother and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. Will the truth destroy Lacy and Chance or will it be the answer that frees them?Excerpt:
Momentarily struck dumb by his eye color, she stared back. Why hadn’t she noticed until now? Although not as light as hers or her father’s, the professor’s eyes were a startling green shade.His hand nudged her arm. “Lacy?”She jumped. “Oh, yes.” She slipped the tissue from the half-carved wolf. Another glance at his eyes and goose bumps riddled her arms.He lifted the wood close to his face, using both hands as if handling a delicate hummingbird. His thumb traced the neck of the creature to the juncture of where it emerged from the wood. When he brought the piece to his nose, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Lacy wanted to turn away from the oddly erotic gesture. He swallowed, opened his eyes and set the wolf back on the tissue. His attention shifted to the photograph of the chest. He touched the photo, a smile on his lips. “Where is the chest?”The chest. Like he knew it, had seen it before. “I’m having it sent. You’ve seen it before?”He didn’t move, stared out the window as if deep in thought. “I’d like to show you something, Lacy.” “All right.” She waited, watching his profile.He turned and stared into her face a moment. “You’re so very lovely. A creation full of life and passion, surpassing any art form.”His hypnotic voice floated on the classical strains drifting from the living room. She couldn’t speak. Didn’t know what to say. She’d been lifted upon a pedestal of admiration. With any other man, she might consider his words a means to a sexual end. The professor’s intentions, however, were crystal. He admired her like a work of art.
July 27, 2015
It's a Strawberry Summer with Charlotte Copper
MUSE MONDAY
Please help me welcome Charlotte Copper to Muse Monday. Although Charlotte has two paranormal-romance novellas already published, this is her first journey into Young Adult. With three daughters – now 18, 19 & 21 – she has read her share of YA books and loves the idea of strong, confident young heroinesFirst of all Brenda, I want to thank you for hosting me. I love following your blog and your adventures on Tortuga Thursdays.
Today I want to talk about where I got my idea. STRAWBERRY SUMMER is completely different from my previous stories, not just because it is Young Adult Contemporary versus my usual Adult Paranormal-Romance, but because it is close to home. Literally!
My usual ideas come from television, movies or even another book, where I find a character or a situation and think “what if?”, and then it morphs into something entirely different that no one would ever recognize it for its origin. The idea for STRAWBERRY SUMMER, however, comes from a real time and place.
I live in Stouffville, Ontario…just north-east of Toronto…and every July long weekend I volunteer, selling drink tickets, at our annual Strawberry Festival. They close Main Street Stouffville and there are rides and vendors, beer tents and bands, and of course fireworks for Canada’s birthday on July 1st. And like STRAWBERRY SUMMER, they also have a movie night and a dunk tank.
Although my duties mean the people I work with are all over 18 (we must have our Smart Serve to be involved with alcohol), there are dozens of high school aged kids also volunteering. Some are doing it to fulfill their volunteer hours required to graduate, but many come back year after year because it is a fun place to spend a few days each summer giving back to the community. Although the character and events are all fictional, and Stouffville itself is never mentioned, our annual Strawberry Festival and a few of kids at The Daughter’s school, fueled the idea for STRAWBERRY SUMMER.
BLURB:What could be better than working the dunk tank on a hot summer day with your best friend? How about catching the eye of the cute new boy?Olivia is volunteering at this year’s Strawberry Festival when she meets tall, buff and curly, Aidan. If the two are to stand a chance, they must look past their scars and overcome a few misunderstandings. EXCERPT: The three of them just got settled as the movie’s opening music began to play. Olivia sat on the blanket, Aidan on one side and Cindy on the other. Her friend sat yoga style, folded up like a denim pretzel, while Olivia reclined, legs out, and leaned back on her arms, aware of Aidan’s body next to hers. Stretched out in similar fashion, his leg and broad shoulders occasionally brushing against her. Especially when he laughed. She liked it when he laughed, and had trouble concentrating on some parts of the movie. Luckily, she’d seen it before. “So, you weren’t a little jealous earlier, were you? When you thought I’d been kissing Dakota?” The bright festival lights reflected mischievously in his eyes.“Uh…” Yes. “No,” answered Olivia, the heat of the truth rushed to her cheeks. She slurped the last remains of her pop. “Why?”“I don’t know,” he said as the final credits rolled on the giant temporary screen. “Just hoping, I guess.”
Charlotte CopperSILVER BLADE and HEART SHIFTER available from Wild Rose Press and Amazon
website & blog: http://charlottecopperauthor.com or http://is.gd/cNnXmx
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charlotte.copper.52 or http://is.gd/C05P6oBUY LINKS:
http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/strawberry-summerhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011B0KWY6https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strawberrysummer-1850106-149.htmlhttps://www.smashwords.com/books/view/558700
July 24, 2015
How's That For Fearless by Angela Hayes
FEARLESS FRIDAY Please join me in welcoming my guest, Angela Hayes!
Something rash, life changing. These four little words haunted me as I tried to figure out how I was going to write this post. I didn’t think the words rash and life changing could be used to describe myself. I’m a leo and as I continue to age, I find myself pretty set in my ways. I like routine, the comfort of knowing each day what I’m going to do and the order I’m going to do it in. I have a high tendency to use the same phrases over and over and do my best to fly below the radar. Boring, right! But the more I thought about this, I came to realize that there was a time when I did something rash and life changing. I eloped! Surpise!!! Six months after I met a boy, while working at a fast food chain, we high tailed it to the courthouse and forty dollars later, voila, a married couple. Guess it’s working out though. Two kids and one battle with cancer later, we’re looking forward to celebrating our fourteenth wedding anniversary this September. Pretty rash and life changing if I say so myself. How’s that for fearless!
BLURBLove Howard has more than a knack for matchmaking. Born from a forbidden passion and a twelve-hundred-year-old promise, she and her sisters can literally see true love. And while Love has no problem bringing other couples together, her own romantic life could use a little help.
Danton DeAngelo has always been well grounded in reality. So it throws him for no small loop when the woman he’s fallen for believes that she’s been reincarnated eleven times and can actually see true love.
Now Danton is faced with the biggest decision of his life. Accept Love for who she really is, or walk away from her forever.
EXCERPT
“That was close,” I breathed when we were outside, an entire building between myself and the best man. “It’s about to get even closer.” Faith smiled, making me instantly wary. I knew what was coming. She’d seen it. They both had. “What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb. “Look at him again, and you tell us,” Hope challenged. Dutifully I opened the door. Keeping to the shadows, I stepped inside, just enough to get another look at Danton DeAngelo. There he was laughing with his friends, what a beautiful sight. Male perfection bathed in the same powder blue light that all souls gave off when they were destined to be together. Blowing out a breath, I closed the door and faced my sisters. “He’s blue.” “He’s not the only one, honey.” Hope smiled, holding out a compact mirror she had pulled from her purse. Snatching it from her, I peered into the reflecting glass. There was my image, the one I’d spent twenty five years looking at, the one I saw mirrored in the face of my sisters. Except, unlike yesterday, I could now see a telltale blue glow around my face. Faint at first but growing stronger with every second. Closing the compact I could see the glow encompassing my hands. I looked down and around. Like a bad rash, it was all over me. “I’m blue!” I declared, pointing out the obvious. “True blue, true love. YOU are the future Mrs.Danton DeAngelo.” Hope gloated taking her compact back. “Ah damn!” I whined. BUY LINKS:Amazon http://bit.ly/LovesBattleAmazon Uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Loves-Battle-True-Blue-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00J9VXWGKThe Wild Rose Press http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=indexHYPERLINK "http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=1103"&HYPERLINK "http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=1103"manufacturers_id=1103 Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loves-battle-angela-hayes/1119985601?ean=2940149742493All Romance Books https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-love039sbattle-1576941-143.htmlBookstrand http://www.bookstrand.com/loves-battleItunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/loves-battle/id903146052?mt=11Book Trailer:http://youtu.be/t2_eJMzk9wA or embedded you tube link :
BIO:A married mother of two, I split my time between bringing characters to life by computer, and yarn to life with needle and hook. You can find me at www.authorangelahayes.blogspot.com where I help connect readers and the authors they love.
Other places you can find me:www.facebook.com/imahayes https://twitter.com/imahayes www.pinterest.com/imahayes http://www.manicreaders.com/AngelaHayes/ www.amazon.com/author/angelahayes
https://www.goodreads.com/author_angelahayes
July 20, 2015
IS THERE LIFE AFTER EDITING?
MUSE MONDAY
I groaned at the email from my editor, Stacy Dawn, today. And I love my editor. But when I saw the subject line "Post-War Dreams Final Galley"...well, I just couldn't help feeling despair mixed with elation. I have to read my book, yet again.
It's not that I think the book is boring. It's not that I'm unhappy with the finished product. But consider this - Post-War Dreams was the first book I wrote nearly ten years ago. I shopped it to agents for a year or so. After numerous rejections, I rewrote the book. Then I shopped it to a few publishers. I was told it not the right era for historical or the main characters were too young or even though the main characters were young, they acted as adults and teens wouldn't identify with them. I put it away for a year. By then, after all those edits, I'd read it at least a dozen times if not more.
One day, I dug it out, read, and edited it yet again with good results. A very small publisher in Minnesota liked it and published it as women's fiction under the title Honey On White Bread. But it didn't do well. The publisher didn't really have a large women's fiction line. I'd always loved the story and my characters. The publisher kindly gave me back my rights and I turned to the publisher of my other books, TWRP, The Wild Rose Press.
TWRP have expanded their genres, and now have a Vintage line, perfect for a 1945 historical. When my editor read the book, she loved it and performed her magic. Stacy knew just what changes it needed to make this novel come up to the level of writing I've achieved over the last ten years. But since TWRP contracted the book, now titled Post-War Dreams, I've read it four more times. This last read is to catch any typos or mistakes not caught the last million times. And guess what...I'm finding a few.
But wait! Not only am I reading Post-War Dreams again, Stacy says she'll be sending The Legacy of Love and Murder, third book in the series, to me in the next few days for the first round of edits.
With two books in edit mode, I really can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Someone check on me if you haven't heard from me in a week!
Post-War Dreams Vintage Romance (release date coming soon)
World War II has ended and the soldiers are coming home. After years of following her crop worker father, motherless Claire Flanagan is also coming home. If she can keep her father in one place long enough, she plans to follow her dreams to Hollywood. Until she meets Benjamin.
Benjamin Russell has been working since he was fifteen to support his mother and siblings. What he most wants in life is to own a construction business and take care of the family his father abandoned. The last thing he expects is to fall for his younger sister’s best friend.
Life, however, throws cruel twists and turns into the path of romance. And when an unrequited love seeks revenge against Claire, and Benjamin learns his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, will lost dreams of a future together be the only thing they have left?
I groaned at the email from my editor, Stacy Dawn, today. And I love my editor. But when I saw the subject line "Post-War Dreams Final Galley"...well, I just couldn't help feeling despair mixed with elation. I have to read my book, yet again.
It's not that I think the book is boring. It's not that I'm unhappy with the finished product. But consider this - Post-War Dreams was the first book I wrote nearly ten years ago. I shopped it to agents for a year or so. After numerous rejections, I rewrote the book. Then I shopped it to a few publishers. I was told it not the right era for historical or the main characters were too young or even though the main characters were young, they acted as adults and teens wouldn't identify with them. I put it away for a year. By then, after all those edits, I'd read it at least a dozen times if not more.One day, I dug it out, read, and edited it yet again with good results. A very small publisher in Minnesota liked it and published it as women's fiction under the title Honey On White Bread. But it didn't do well. The publisher didn't really have a large women's fiction line. I'd always loved the story and my characters. The publisher kindly gave me back my rights and I turned to the publisher of my other books, TWRP, The Wild Rose Press.
TWRP have expanded their genres, and now have a Vintage line, perfect for a 1945 historical. When my editor read the book, she loved it and performed her magic. Stacy knew just what changes it needed to make this novel come up to the level of writing I've achieved over the last ten years. But since TWRP contracted the book, now titled Post-War Dreams, I've read it four more times. This last read is to catch any typos or mistakes not caught the last million times. And guess what...I'm finding a few.
But wait! Not only am I reading Post-War Dreams again, Stacy says she'll be sending The Legacy of Love and Murder, third book in the series, to me in the next few days for the first round of edits.
With two books in edit mode, I really can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Someone check on me if you haven't heard from me in a week!
Post-War Dreams Vintage Romance (release date coming soon)
World War II has ended and the soldiers are coming home. After years of following her crop worker father, motherless Claire Flanagan is also coming home. If she can keep her father in one place long enough, she plans to follow her dreams to Hollywood. Until she meets Benjamin.
Benjamin Russell has been working since he was fifteen to support his mother and siblings. What he most wants in life is to own a construction business and take care of the family his father abandoned. The last thing he expects is to fall for his younger sister’s best friend.
Life, however, throws cruel twists and turns into the path of romance. And when an unrequited love seeks revenge against Claire, and Benjamin learns his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, will lost dreams of a future together be the only thing they have left?
July 16, 2015
Do I Smell Like Garlic?
Tortuga Thursday
In 2012, on the plains of Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love.
Helper Laura cleaning off the dirt.As you know, for the last week and a half, I've either been pulling garlic from the field or sitting in the garage stringing garlic to hang. The garage is about two thirds full, ceiling to floor, at this point. Might be closer to three fourths, actually. My daughter-in-law, Christie, asked me yesterday if I thought I smelled like garlic. Good grief! I hadn't thought of that. I wouldn't know since I'm so steeped in the smell, I doubt I would be able to tell. I must have looked stricken, because she
Laura in the field.blurted "but I haven't smelled you."
Today should be our last day of this stage. We're working faster and longer since rain is due in tomorrow. The relief of finishing will be
Zack pulling garlicjoyous! We have three buyers interested. Will they offer enough? Will they even make an offer? The waiting is killing me but no one else seems to be worried. Gourmet hardneck garlic has a market and we're one of the few growing it, perhaps very, very few in Arizona.
We'll have a couple of weeks before we have to begin trimming and
Frank stringing garliccleaning the garlic. Maybe I'll have a few days to put my author hat on. I've got the final look at Post-War Dreams in galley form. And the first round of edits for The Legacy of Love and Murder, book three, will be coming my way. I might even get to the toddler gym with Sadi. A little fun is called for!
Hanging garlic. Ribbons denote varieties.
Helper Laura cleaning off the dirt.As you know, for the last week and a half, I've either been pulling garlic from the field or sitting in the garage stringing garlic to hang. The garage is about two thirds full, ceiling to floor, at this point. Might be closer to three fourths, actually. My daughter-in-law, Christie, asked me yesterday if I thought I smelled like garlic. Good grief! I hadn't thought of that. I wouldn't know since I'm so steeped in the smell, I doubt I would be able to tell. I must have looked stricken, because she
Laura in the field.blurted "but I haven't smelled you."Today should be our last day of this stage. We're working faster and longer since rain is due in tomorrow. The relief of finishing will be
Zack pulling garlicjoyous! We have three buyers interested. Will they offer enough? Will they even make an offer? The waiting is killing me but no one else seems to be worried. Gourmet hardneck garlic has a market and we're one of the few growing it, perhaps very, very few in Arizona.We'll have a couple of weeks before we have to begin trimming and
Frank stringing garliccleaning the garlic. Maybe I'll have a few days to put my author hat on. I've got the final look at Post-War Dreams in galley form. And the first round of edits for The Legacy of Love and Murder, book three, will be coming my way. I might even get to the toddler gym with Sadi. A little fun is called for! 
Hanging garlic. Ribbons denote varieties.July 13, 2015
How To Add Poetry’s Pop to Your Writing by Mary Kennedy Eastham
MUSE MONDAY
Join me in welcoming Mary Eastham to Muse Monday.
Hi everyone. Working on my novella The Girl With Sand in Her Hair has been a challenge for me since my first two books were poetry (The Shadow of A Dog I Can’t Forget) and short stories (Squinting Over Water). My favorite genre is the short line, my term for writing poetry. I love the nuanced sound of the words when you can choose only a few, I love how they weave across the page like the splendor in the sky of the starling’s murmeration, the way they separate then come together again like dancing lace puppets sprung in fast magic from the heavens, careful not to leave an imprint. Blink and the starlings are gone. Whether we’re building a stanza or a scene or creating a chapter’s ending, hard for me because as a poet I think too much about what the end of each chapter needs to accomplish and where I need to leave the reader. I sometimes pretend my character has been thrown into an emotional interrogation booth and is being asked by a poetic stranger to ‘Tell me your story quickly and in poetic form.’ Here’s an example of how I used that to end Chapter One from The Girl With Sand In Her Hair from the point of view of my lead character Pippa Arabella Swann:
We keep crossing pathsBilly Blinker and meeach with our own goals always something there between us,maybe even something good.We just don’t go there…
And then in contrast using the same ’tell me your story quickly’ philosophy, I created Pippa’s fantasy about Billy which is how I end Chapter Two:
Cover me in your wet wash passionate wavesedge of the sky wildtethered to nothing in this sunset frothbut your love’s thunder.
Here’s another example from Lyn Lifshin, a poet’s poet who inspires me every day to get better and better still at mastering my craft. My mantra for life and for writing is that we are never done, there’s something out there every day we can grab and use in our life and in our writing. This is the opening from her book Ruffian:
Ruffian…her speed outpaced the cougar. Her grace rivaled the Gazelle. In the long history of horse racing, she was to be only a moment’s magic.But she had 'the look of eagles’ which no one could forget.
I read poet’s work often to inspire me when I’m writing the opening and ending paragraphs of my stories. If any of you would like to be inspired in your own work by poetry, here are two sites that feature poet’s work daily: www.rattle.com & www.poets.org
And now here are just a few random tips from my writing craft file:
I got this one from Director/Producer David Fincher (Benjamin Button) at a movie opening party in LA: In the best scenes, everyone is right. I am still trying to figure this one out and how I can use it to my advantage in my writing.
Kelly Ripa talked about learning lines on her show one day and about playing off her fellow actors as a soap opera star. I use her advice when I’m having a hard time with dialogue. Says Kelly, 'I say my line then think b.s. b.s. b.s. b.s. MY LINE, then b.s. b.s. b.s. b.s. MY LINE and then I let it all fall apart if my fellow actor takes our conversation into a whole other direction.’ Kelly teaches us all that dialogue doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. It can surprise us. I love sitting in cafes listening to people’s conversations. The best story dialogue is stolen.
Sorry guys, I don’t remember where I saw this but it really does summarize storytelling. Most stories are about:
…People who go…People who stay…People who come back.
Now here’s another one:
…Set up the world of your story…Set up an event that happens…What’s the change and how does that influence what matters to your character?
I heard this one in a radio interview with singer Rihanna:
Leo (Leonardo DiCaprio) told me when I’m writing lyrics to avoid obviousness. That’s what makes you create something that's the excitement, the thrill.
That’s my short list. Thanks for having me! Happy Writing and do try to sneak some fun into every summer afternoon. It goes by so quickly.
Where to find me:
MARY EASTHAMWebsite: www.rp-author.com/MKETwitter.com/WordActress
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dog-Cant-Forgetwww.amazon.com/Squinting-Over-Water
YouTube: Beautiful Angel Goddess
Hi everyone. Working on my novella The Girl With Sand in Her Hair has been a challenge for me since my first two books were poetry (The Shadow of A Dog I Can’t Forget) and short stories (Squinting Over Water). My favorite genre is the short line, my term for writing poetry. I love the nuanced sound of the words when you can choose only a few, I love how they weave across the page like the splendor in the sky of the starling’s murmeration, the way they separate then come together again like dancing lace puppets sprung in fast magic from the heavens, careful not to leave an imprint. Blink and the starlings are gone. Whether we’re building a stanza or a scene or creating a chapter’s ending, hard for me because as a poet I think too much about what the end of each chapter needs to accomplish and where I need to leave the reader. I sometimes pretend my character has been thrown into an emotional interrogation booth and is being asked by a poetic stranger to ‘Tell me your story quickly and in poetic form.’ Here’s an example of how I used that to end Chapter One from The Girl With Sand In Her Hair from the point of view of my lead character Pippa Arabella Swann:We keep crossing pathsBilly Blinker and meeach with our own goals always something there between us,maybe even something good.We just don’t go there…
And then in contrast using the same ’tell me your story quickly’ philosophy, I created Pippa’s fantasy about Billy which is how I end Chapter Two:
Cover me in your wet wash passionate wavesedge of the sky wildtethered to nothing in this sunset frothbut your love’s thunder.
Here’s another example from Lyn Lifshin, a poet’s poet who inspires me every day to get better and better still at mastering my craft. My mantra for life and for writing is that we are never done, there’s something out there every day we can grab and use in our life and in our writing. This is the opening from her book Ruffian:
Ruffian…her speed outpaced the cougar. Her grace rivaled the Gazelle. In the long history of horse racing, she was to be only a moment’s magic.But she had 'the look of eagles’ which no one could forget.
I read poet’s work often to inspire me when I’m writing the opening and ending paragraphs of my stories. If any of you would like to be inspired in your own work by poetry, here are two sites that feature poet’s work daily: www.rattle.com & www.poets.org
And now here are just a few random tips from my writing craft file:
I got this one from Director/Producer David Fincher (Benjamin Button) at a movie opening party in LA: In the best scenes, everyone is right. I am still trying to figure this one out and how I can use it to my advantage in my writing.
Kelly Ripa talked about learning lines on her show one day and about playing off her fellow actors as a soap opera star. I use her advice when I’m having a hard time with dialogue. Says Kelly, 'I say my line then think b.s. b.s. b.s. b.s. MY LINE, then b.s. b.s. b.s. b.s. MY LINE and then I let it all fall apart if my fellow actor takes our conversation into a whole other direction.’ Kelly teaches us all that dialogue doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. It can surprise us. I love sitting in cafes listening to people’s conversations. The best story dialogue is stolen.
Sorry guys, I don’t remember where I saw this but it really does summarize storytelling. Most stories are about:
…People who go…People who stay…People who come back.
Now here’s another one:
…Set up the world of your story…Set up an event that happens…What’s the change and how does that influence what matters to your character?
I heard this one in a radio interview with singer Rihanna:
Leo (Leonardo DiCaprio) told me when I’m writing lyrics to avoid obviousness. That’s what makes you create something that's the excitement, the thrill.
That’s my short list. Thanks for having me! Happy Writing and do try to sneak some fun into every summer afternoon. It goes by so quickly.
Where to find me:
MARY EASTHAMWebsite: www.rp-author.com/MKETwitter.com/WordActress
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dog-Cant-Forgetwww.amazon.com/Squinting-Over-Water
YouTube: Beautiful Angel Goddess
July 9, 2015
Garlic, Cancer, Car Probs = Stress
Tortuga Thursday
In 2012, on the plains of Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love.
Oh yeah, one of those weeks.
Frank and helpers.Harvesting continues in spite of the rain. We finally had a dry day yesterday followed by another today. Makes it much less messy and the mud is drying so the garlic is cleaned easier. BUT with the moisture and the hot weather, all varieties are ready to harvest. Trouble is, we can only move so fast. We recruited three young neighbors for help. As of
Loosen the soil.today, Inchellium (only softneck we planted), Porcelain Music, and Purple Italian are harvested and curing. We barely got into the Red Chesnok today. Unless we can recruit some more help or we pick up speed (both unlikely), we have six more days of harvesting.
Rusty taking it easy.In the midst of harvest, Rusty had an emergency operation to remove his spleen. If we hadn't gotten him to the vet when we did, he would've bled out within the hour. Good news is he's recovering nicely from the operation. Bad news is the lab on the spleen came back as cancer, the most aggressive kind. They didn't see any other tumors or indications when they had him open, but chances are pretty high that it could already have spread. We're going with the low chance of survival. Christie and Frank did research on cancer in dogs and came up with a diet to ward off the evil condition. Rusty is loving his new diet:
Mealtime
Fatty chicken thighs with skin, chopped
Chicken bouillon from boiling the thighs
High fat hamburger
Broccoli, spinach, and zuchinni
Olive Oil
Tumeric
Snack
Yogurt and blueberries
We're doing our best to keep him around a couple of more years at least. He'll be twelve in October. And as long as he feels good, he'll share this life with us.
Me, stringing garlic.When we got in the car to leave the vet, it wouldn't start. Our mechanic was shut down early for the 4th of July, so the car sat all weekend at the clinic. We had to have a new starter. Gosh, I hate car problems. But we're lucky to have found a great mechanic with reasonable prices.
Wow, didn't mean to rain down nothing but bad news. But it was one of those weeks. This time next week, the garlic should just about all be out of the ground, and we can take a couple of days off to catch our breath before we start cleaning and trimming it. That'll be good! And
Sadi loves mud puddles.as you can see, at least one of us in the family enjoys what the rain has done to our street.
Oh yeah, one of those weeks.
Frank and helpers.Harvesting continues in spite of the rain. We finally had a dry day yesterday followed by another today. Makes it much less messy and the mud is drying so the garlic is cleaned easier. BUT with the moisture and the hot weather, all varieties are ready to harvest. Trouble is, we can only move so fast. We recruited three young neighbors for help. As of
Loosen the soil.today, Inchellium (only softneck we planted), Porcelain Music, and Purple Italian are harvested and curing. We barely got into the Red Chesnok today. Unless we can recruit some more help or we pick up speed (both unlikely), we have six more days of harvesting.
Rusty taking it easy.In the midst of harvest, Rusty had an emergency operation to remove his spleen. If we hadn't gotten him to the vet when we did, he would've bled out within the hour. Good news is he's recovering nicely from the operation. Bad news is the lab on the spleen came back as cancer, the most aggressive kind. They didn't see any other tumors or indications when they had him open, but chances are pretty high that it could already have spread. We're going with the low chance of survival. Christie and Frank did research on cancer in dogs and came up with a diet to ward off the evil condition. Rusty is loving his new diet:Mealtime
Fatty chicken thighs with skin, chopped
Chicken bouillon from boiling the thighs
High fat hamburger
Broccoli, spinach, and zuchinni
Olive Oil
Tumeric
Snack
Yogurt and blueberries
We're doing our best to keep him around a couple of more years at least. He'll be twelve in October. And as long as he feels good, he'll share this life with us.
Me, stringing garlic.When we got in the car to leave the vet, it wouldn't start. Our mechanic was shut down early for the 4th of July, so the car sat all weekend at the clinic. We had to have a new starter. Gosh, I hate car problems. But we're lucky to have found a great mechanic with reasonable prices.Wow, didn't mean to rain down nothing but bad news. But it was one of those weeks. This time next week, the garlic should just about all be out of the ground, and we can take a couple of days off to catch our breath before we start cleaning and trimming it. That'll be good! And
Sadi loves mud puddles.as you can see, at least one of us in the family enjoys what the rain has done to our street.
July 2, 2015
Have You Experienced (Eaten) Porcelain Music?
Tortuga Thursday
In 2012, on the plains of Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love.
Step 1, loosen earth with fork (Frank and Scott)We are deep into garlic harvest in the middle of a heat wave with monsoons on the horizon every afternoon.
Garlic should be harvested after two weeks of no watering. Nothing ever works by the book in farming. I stopped watering anticipating harvest would begin the weekend of July 4th. But the heat we've been experiencing undid my plans. We were over 100 degrees for several days, yet there was some dampness when we started pulling the first row. Last night we finally got rain which made harvesting today a little muddy.
Our garage has been transformed into the garlic curing station. Depending on the variety and timing of harvest, it can take 2 to four weeks to cure.
Once we finished the one softneck variety we planted, we started on
Step 2, gently remove and clean off dirt.the Porcelain Music hardneck. Isn't that a cool name? It's a very white, very spicy garlic. The muddy conditions make cleaning off difficult because the paper wrapping should stay intact. The top layer tends to slide away with the mud. Since we're newbies, we aren't sure how this will affect it. They appear to be okay and will still have plenty of paper, but we'll see the final results after curing.
Step 3, get garlic out of sun ASAP.Weather forecast calls for a chance of rain every night for the next few days. What timing! We can't wait it out. When the garlic is ready, it's ready. Leaving it in muddy earth could result in rot. It's going to be a slippery, wet harvest.
Step 5, hang garlic to cure
Step 4, spread garlic
Keep your fingers crossed garlic doesn't mind.
Step 1, loosen earth with fork (Frank and Scott)We are deep into garlic harvest in the middle of a heat wave with monsoons on the horizon every afternoon.Garlic should be harvested after two weeks of no watering. Nothing ever works by the book in farming. I stopped watering anticipating harvest would begin the weekend of July 4th. But the heat we've been experiencing undid my plans. We were over 100 degrees for several days, yet there was some dampness when we started pulling the first row. Last night we finally got rain which made harvesting today a little muddy.
Our garage has been transformed into the garlic curing station. Depending on the variety and timing of harvest, it can take 2 to four weeks to cure.
Once we finished the one softneck variety we planted, we started on
Step 2, gently remove and clean off dirt.the Porcelain Music hardneck. Isn't that a cool name? It's a very white, very spicy garlic. The muddy conditions make cleaning off difficult because the paper wrapping should stay intact. The top layer tends to slide away with the mud. Since we're newbies, we aren't sure how this will affect it. They appear to be okay and will still have plenty of paper, but we'll see the final results after curing.
Step 3, get garlic out of sun ASAP.Weather forecast calls for a chance of rain every night for the next few days. What timing! We can't wait it out. When the garlic is ready, it's ready. Leaving it in muddy earth could result in rot. It's going to be a slippery, wet harvest.
Step 5, hang garlic to cure
Step 4, spread garlicKeep your fingers crossed garlic doesn't mind.
June 29, 2015
Gun Research Got Me Hooked
MUSE MONDAY Garlic harvesting is now a reality, so for a few weeks, my writing career takes a backseat to farming. Post-War Dreams, my 1945 historical, is awaiting a release date. I signed the contract, just this morning, for A Legacy of Love and Murder, the third book in the Love and Murder Series. I've been hard at work on the fourth book in the series. But...my farming hat is in place for a couple of weeks. So, this is a post from a few months ago.
Researching for a novel takes many forms. Some are much more exciting than others.
Last week, my son took me shooting. I'm not a gun person, never even held a gun. The trouble is I write about murder, some of which involves guns, and I decided it was time I had personal experience firing a gun.
I was nervous. What if my hand jerked and I shot something I shouldn't? What if my aversion to guns got me so scared I couldn't pull the trigger? This research was one of those chores I knew I had to do, but wasn't sure I'd enjoy.
We drove a few miles from our farm, out beyond the last house, down a dirt trail that inclined sharply into a wash and up again, requiring four-wheel drive. A small hill was our backdrop for the boxes he'd brought for our targets.
I started with a 357 Magnum Smith and Wesson using 38 special ammo. He first taught me about the gun, gun safety and then the mechanics of firing it. I put in my earplugs, took my stance and squeezed the trigger. I nearly hit the center. Then again. Just off center. Hey, that was fun.
I moved on to a 38 Special Smith and Wesson, bobbed and snubbed. That was a fun little gun to shoot. I also shot a 22 rifle and a 20 gauge, side by side, double barrel shotgun. All fun. And my son couldn't get over how accurate and steady my aim was - first time out. I'm hooked. I didn't expect to come to an understanding of why gun enthusiasts find enjoyment shooting at a target. It's one of those activities you can't explain unless you've tried it.
A great deal of research can be done on the Internet. I'm lucky to have done quite a bit of traveling so I can draw on that for my settings. There's nothing like firsthand knowledge to lend credibility to my writing. Handling a gun now gives me the experience my heroine might need when the villain is around the next corner.
Researching for a novel takes many forms. Some are much more exciting than others.
Last week, my son took me shooting. I'm not a gun person, never even held a gun. The trouble is I write about murder, some of which involves guns, and I decided it was time I had personal experience firing a gun.I was nervous. What if my hand jerked and I shot something I shouldn't? What if my aversion to guns got me so scared I couldn't pull the trigger? This research was one of those chores I knew I had to do, but wasn't sure I'd enjoy.
We drove a few miles from our farm, out beyond the last house, down a dirt trail that inclined sharply into a wash and up again, requiring four-wheel drive. A small hill was our backdrop for the boxes he'd brought for our targets.
I started with a 357 Magnum Smith and Wesson using 38 special ammo. He first taught me about the gun, gun safety and then the mechanics of firing it. I put in my earplugs, took my stance and squeezed the trigger. I nearly hit the center. Then again. Just off center. Hey, that was fun.
I moved on to a 38 Special Smith and Wesson, bobbed and snubbed. That was a fun little gun to shoot. I also shot a 22 rifle and a 20 gauge, side by side, double barrel shotgun. All fun. And my son couldn't get over how accurate and steady my aim was - first time out. I'm hooked. I didn't expect to come to an understanding of why gun enthusiasts find enjoyment shooting at a target. It's one of those activities you can't explain unless you've tried it.
A great deal of research can be done on the Internet. I'm lucky to have done quite a bit of traveling so I can draw on that for my settings. There's nothing like firsthand knowledge to lend credibility to my writing. Handling a gun now gives me the experience my heroine might need when the villain is around the next corner.
