Jennifer Wilck's Blog, page 60

You’ve Got the LOOK

Thanks to a fellow author, Paula Martin, for tagging me with the ziggy zig zag tag—“You’ve got the LOOK!”

As part of this tag, I have to take my most recent work in progress or my current manuscript and search for the word “look,” then post the surrounding paragraphs/text.

My current ‘work in progress’ is as yet untitled, but is meant to be Book 2 of a series I’m hoping to write and publish. Book 1, The Seduction of Esther is a contemporary romance with a Jewish theme, and revolves around the holiday of Purim. Book 2 moves onto Passover and continues the story of two characters featured in Book 1–Miriam, the heroine’s sister, and Josh, the antagonist, who’s going to be turned into a good guy. This is the first draft and is very rough, so bear with me please! I used the word ‘look’ in the opening of the book, so these are the first three opening paragraphs, starting with Josh. Let me know what you think!

He threw his pen across the room. It sailed in an arc over the two sleek black chairs on the other side of his black marble desk, banged against the dove grey wall and landed behind the steel and black credenza. A splotch of ink, resembling a Rorschach pattern, marred the formerly perfect wall. Josh swore to himself and ran his hand down his face. Of all the ridiculous, unbelievable, annoying coincidences, this one was by far, the worst.

He swung around in his chair and stared out the window of his Manhattan office. Marvels of steel and concrete filled his view, and as an architect, he usually found solace, inspiration and satisfaction from looking at them. Even a little pride, when he identified ones he’d helped to design. But today, he didn’t see them. He saw her face and he clenched his jaw in aggravation.

The line from Casablanca flitted through his head. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…” He fisted his hands at his side, flared his nostrils and closed his eyes.

And now, the fun part–why should I be embarrassed on my own–I get to tag five more authors. So, Anne Holly, Lila Munro, Jessica Lauryn, Debra St. John and Nancy Herkness, tag, you’re it! You can post in your blogs, website or on your Facebook pages. And the rest of you, these ladies are great writers, so check them out!

Keys To My Happiness

What makes you happy? I’ve done a lot of thinking about that during the past few weeks as we’ve battled with Hurricane Sandy and all the upheaval she brought.

Helping others makes me happy: We were very fortunate. The storm did not cause us any damage. We didn’t lose power. We didn’t even lose any trees. But others around us weren’t as lucky. Our friends were without power for more than a week. So were my parents. We opened our home to them—our friends stayed over for three days, my parents used our house during the day, and eventually gave in and stayed with us after our friends left. It was hectic and crazy, and I’m pretty sure neither my husband nor I have added “Open a B&B” to our retirement list ideas, but I loved being able to help the people I care about.

We’ve known our friends for almost 13 years. Our kids grew up together. After spending the first week after the storm stuck in the house and staring at each other, it was nice to have some new people to talk to (and stare at). We celebrated Halloween together, we talked and we checked in with one another each day. My parents provided lots of laughs and my kids had more time to spend with their grandparents. My dad even channeled his inner Danny Tanner and cleaned my vacuum (I put my foot down at the idea of dust busting the vacuum to remove the dust).

Time with my family makes me happy: As much as I loved having everyone over our house, it was also nice to get back to just the four of us. Routines are comforting, as is knowing what each person needs or wants without having to ask. Spending so much time with others made me appreciate the time I get to spend with my family even more.

Alone time makes me happy: I’m an only child. These past two weeks made me realize that in order for me to recharge and be even semi-human, I need some time to myself. Luckily, I was able to get at least an hour or two each day, where I didn’t have to talk to anyone. I could be alone with my own thoughts as I did whatever needed doing. Even trips to the grocery store by myself were sufficient, though not ideal, for me to get my sanity back.

Writing makes me happy: Unfortunately, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to write. Hosting people takes work and used up much of the time I would have spent writing. At first, I didn’t miss it—I was probably too busy! But after everyone left and I was able to sit at my computer and think (rather than play on Facebook), I realized how much I really did miss it! I’m glad to be back.

This post is part of a Blog Hop. Check out the other participants here

I Think I’m Turning Into A Curmudgeon

I’m sitting here watching Hurricane Sandy updates, which is so much better than watching political updates at this point, and I have to say, I’m confused.

Meteorology is the only profession that I know of where you can be wrong 50% of the time and still be taken seriously. They can create the most technologically advanced models and trackers and whatever; they’re still competing against Mother Nature, and Mother Nature is unpredictable.

We know this. We see this all the time. From predictions about huge blizzards where we end up getting a sunny day, to predictions of sunny skies where it rains for hours, the weather reports are often wrong. I’m not trying to bash meteorologists; they’ll be the first ones to tell you how much of a guessing game it is. And yet, we fall for it every time.

Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t be concerned about the storm; we should. Forecasts show catastrophic damage. But, I think we need perspective. Showing damage to South American countries, which don’t have the building infrastructure that we do, does not demonstrate the amount of damage we will suffer.

There are other stories that need to be told. Like this one: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/soldiers-stand-guard-at-tomb-of-unknown-soldier?fb_action_ids=4575429425055&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

I think we need balance. There has to be a way to prepare people for the worst without scaring people unnecessarily. We need to leave politics out of it. It would be nice to see preparations based on what the public actually needs, rather than the idea of limiting the amount of voter anger. And I’m going to take warnings from experts a lot faster than I will from politicians, no matter how well-meaning.

“Hurricane Sandy is a powerful storm,” says President Obama. Really? Thanks.

Mitt Romney’s campaign canceled his event in Wisconsin tonight “out of sensitivity for the millions of Americans in the path of Hurricane Sandy.” Really? More likely because fewer people will be able to watch.

I don’t need unnecessary updates that rehash old information and fill the gaps with irrelevant old storm information. I don’t need my area compare to third world countries where a ¼ inch of rain causes massive mud slides—that’s not relevant. Silence, as long as it doesn’t last too long, is not the end of the world. My youngest daughter, who talks non-stop, is in the process of learning that talking and breathing are not interconnected. You can be silent and still breathe. The news media and politicians would do well to learn that lesson.

We’ve been hearing about the potential of this storm since Thursday. We’re as prepared as we’re going to be. I’ve bought supplies, I’ve secured my home, my kids are home and I’m going to hunker down with my family. And more importantly, I’m going to manage expectations and fears. We’re going to do the best we can. The end of the world is not coming, no matter what the media says. We’ve survived storms before and we will do so again.

I wish my friends and family the best through this storm. Stay safe.

Hear Her Roar

Yes, this one is going to be political, but no, I’m not planning on lauding one side or the other, so even if you’re sick of politics, you might want to stick around to see how I do! [image error]

My kids are studying about the upcoming presidential election in school, and I’m pleased to say that my eighth grader is putting a lot of time and effort into it. Watching her start out with an opinion, do some research, and come to a different opinion, has been fascinating.

The school is planning to hold real elections, register kids to vote and give them an insight into what happens in a real election. But most importantly, I think they’re actually learning that a presidential election is more than a popularity contest, and it’s a wonderful lesson for them to learn.

My kids know how I lean politically, although, until now, they haven’t really understood it. Although I have registered with one particular political party in order to be able to vote in primary elections, I consider myself an Independent voter. There have been many Republican candidates that I’ve liked and there have been many Democratic candidates that I’ve liked. In a perfect world, I’d love to be able to vote for the most qualified candidate, regardless of political affiliation. As that world does not yet exist, my vote goes to the candidate who, in my opinion, has the best record, and the best belief in, women’s rights. I hate voting that way. It feels narrow minded, naïve and stupid, but until women’s rights are guaranteed to be protected, that’s just the way it is for me.

When my daughter came home and was tasked with picking a candidate she thought she would vote for, watching the debates, picking two issues to research and then determine who she would actually vote for, she made it VERY clear to me that while she would need my help in understanding things, she was totally uninterested in hearing any bias from me (she used a lot more attitude and eye rolls than I’ve just described). I promised her I’d do my best. But man, was it hard.

To start with, she was picking the candidate that I don’t support. I could not wrap my head around how my child, who has had very intelligent and mature conversations with me about equal rights for all people, and how important that is to her, could like someone who to me, seems to be against that. She claimed that all of her friends also liked her candidate and she didn’t understand how I didn’t like him. Since she wasn’t at the research phase of her project yet, and therefore, was not receptive to my providing information about voting records, etc to support my claims, I held my tongue, did not reply, and consoled myself with two thoughts. Number one, I’d be able to provide her with evidence when she got to her research phase and number two, she’s only thirteen. She’s supposed to be enticed by her friends’ opinions, she’s supposed to fight me when I try to convince her otherwise.

And in a way, she is, unfortunately, like a lot of voters out there, who latch onto a statement that they hear, or an experience that they have, or a social media comment, and don’t bother to do research to find out if that statement is true. For the record, I’m referring to both Democratic and Republican voters here.

But here’s where she differs, and here’s where, I hope, many voters do too. She watched the debates with me and made me pause every three minutes to explain what was going on. It was difficult, I admit, for me to explain and remain neutral. In some cases, I couldn’t even point out the fiction in what each candidate was saying, because part of our agreement (she would talk to me only if I didn’t try to sway her) was that I had to remain neutral. Other than a few gasps and snorts, I think I did okay for the most part (although she did give me a few eye rolls). Then she picked her two issues to research. She let me help her find unbiased sites to do the research on and she had very interesting discussions with me about these issues. By the end of her research, she came to the conclusion that her initial preference for the candidate was no longer valid and that she would be voting for the other candidate, despite what “all of my friends” say.

I’m proud of her. Not because she is now “voting” for the same candidate that I am. She’s entitled to her own opinions and her own preferences, just as I am mine. And if, after doing research, she still liked the other guy, I’d still be proud of her, because she’s shown herself to be mature enough to step away from the influences around her. Despite the fact that she’s thirteen, she has come to her own conclusions, regardless of my feelings or her friends’. She put in the time and effort to determine what issues matter to her and to research how the candidates stand on those issues. She wasn’t afraid to say she made the wrong initial choice. And she’s not being swayed by people around her.

Additionally, she was willing to discuss the issues with me. We were able to have a good discussion about morals and values together. She understood that while I will instruct her on the right way to be a decent human being, and I will try to change her mind when it comes to certain values and morals, ultimately, we each have to make our own decisions. We had a respectful discussion. There were spots where we disagreed and spots where we agreed. It was enlightening and even fun. We were able to put aside the politics and get a better understanding of what we each believe.

She can’t vote for a long time. But when she can, watch out. Her voice will be powerful and she will make sure it’s heard.

Six Sentence Sunday

Another six sentences from Skin Deep:

“Hi, Pop.”

The words sounded as if they’d been dragged in chains from John’s throat, each one scraping his larynx as it came out.

“I heard you’d come. Don’t know why you bothered,” said the man as he stared at the TV. He took the beer can and squeezed it. He loosened his grip and the can popped; like a

small child delighted with his discovery, he repeated this.

Check out these other great authors participating in Six Sentence Sunday. And thanks for stopping by!

The Manicure

My youngest daughter painted my nails. It was not the best manicure I’ve ever gotten, and it was definitely the cheapest, but additionally, it became quite a conversation piece and a chance for me to observe some interesting reactions.

You see, it was Yom Kippur afternoon, and we were hungry and tired and trying not to be cranky. My oldest daughter and husband were in the process of making a bargain so that she could paint his nails. Rather than say, “No way,” like he usually would, he decided to use the request as a chance to be allowed to take pictures of her whenever he wanted—anyone with a 13-year-old girl with an attitude will understand how difficult it is to get pictures of them. So, while they were bargaining back and forth about how long the nail polish would stay on (less than five minutes), who would be allowed to see pictures of his nails (no one) and what he could do with any pictures he took of her (pretty much nothing, but at least we have photographic proof that we have a teenaged-daughter), my youngest used the opportunity to ask me if she could paint my nails.

Well, when the only male in the house is allowing his nails to be painted, I can’t exactly say no, can I? So I said yes. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of getting my nails done. I find the hand massages painful and most of the colors look better in the bottle than on my nails, but I do occasionally get them done. Even less occasionally, I do them myself. And if my kids want to paint them, I’ll almost always say yes—it gives them pleasure and it’s harmless.

My mistake was thinking that she meant to paint them all one color. No, she brought ten different nail polish colors in multiple shades of the rainbow, plus nail art colors to paint on top. She put a lot of thought into the order of the colors on my hands and the design she would add when they’d dried. It made her happy and allowed her to be a part of the nail activity for the afternoon.

When she’d finished, I looked at my hands. To say it was not a professional job would be an understatement. The color wasn’t even, the stripes were crooked, there was paint on my skin and some of the colors were gloppier than others. But I smiled and thanked her and honestly, forgot about it.

Until, of course, I went to several meetings and got together with friends. Apparently, people have noticed my typical lack of nail polish, because they certainly noticed my new manicure! But what I found most interesting was their reactions. Sure, my nails looked funny—my daughter has many talents, but painting nails is not one of them. While I was definitely in public, I was not anywhere that required me to dress to impress anyone or to dress professionally. No one that I saw was supposed to judge me based on the fact that I let my daughter paint my nails. Yet, the first question everyone asked me (after “What happened?”) was when I planned to take it off.

Now, I’ll admit, another reason I don’t like painting my nails is that I have to remember to take it off before it starts chipping horribly. Honestly, I’m a pretty neat and put together person, but I don’t like the extra fuss. But seriously? My daughter painted my nails. I was as likely to take it all off immediately as I would be to throw away a picture she made me. I was very clearly not making a fashion statement; I readily admitted to being blindsided with the rainbow plan. The fact that my nails were less than perfect for a few days was not the end of the world.

I didn’t want to be the cause of the look of disappointment on my daughter’s face if I had removed the polish immediately. I didn’t want to make her think I didn’t like what she’d done. I didn’t want to erase the smile of satisfaction she got every time she looked at my hands.

Would any of those things be the end of the world either? No. Was she aware that her attempt wasn’t as professional as when we get manicures from salons? Of course. But that wasn’t the point.

We had fun together and it was an easy way to give her some pleasure. I laughed every time I looked at my nails. And it helped to make it one of the easiest fasts I’ve ever done. That’s why I left the nail polish on my fingers.

And you know what? I’d do it again!

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to another installment from Skin Deep. To set it up, Valerie has just learned that John’s mother is dying and he’s rushing to the hospital.

John’s eyes bored into hers, and Valerie thought she saw a flicker of longing in them. She blinked, and the look was gone, replaced by flat eyes, clenched jaw, and lack of any facial expression. Her arms ached to hold him; her body tingled

at the thought of pressing against his chest and hearing his heart beat. She wanted to lose herself in his scent and forget he hadn’t called her when he’d first heard the news. But now was not the time for her needs; he needed her to be strong, to comfort him, if only he would let her. She looked at him, touched his arm with her hand, and he melted.

For more great Six Sentence Sunday samples, check out these great authors. And if you’re interested in Skin Deep, you can go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Tell me the Truth. Do I Need a Stylist?

Please welcome Anne Holly to my blog today.

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer, mother and teacher, who currently lives in Ontario. She’s the author of two contemporary romance novels and numerous short works, and is working on two historical pieces at the moment. You can find her on Facebook, GoodReads, Twitter, and her blog, or check out her books on Amazon, B&N, and elsewhere.

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Tell me the Truth. Do I Need a Stylist?

A guest post by Anne Holly



While skimming the writers’ forums I like to lurk on while avoiding work, I came across a thread about a rather well-known author of a recent controversial bestseller. Someone had posted an article on her success for which she’d been photographed and interviewed. Most of the comments were what one would expect, critiquing the article, decrying the State of Literature, etc, etc. A little sour grapes, here and there, I admit.

But one post clearly stood out to me, it was so jarring. Yet, not as uncommon as I’d like.

One poster said something along the lines of, “You’d think she could afford a stylist with all that money!” The post picked on a few points of dress, and made some derogatory reference to kiddy carpools, for which she was better suited, according to this poster.

I could only sigh in response. This is what someone gets as a reward for writing a bestseller (even if I or you, or the poster, didn’t like the book)? I tell you, it’s moments like that that remind me that being unknown has its blessings.

So, tell me: Does the way an author looks reflect the state of their book? Or, is this just a way to dismiss her book as “stupid mommy lit”? I’m inclined to vote for the second, since that carpool quip didn’t seem accidental.

Maybe I’m old school, but I generally give creative types and academics wide passes when it comes to dress. Well, to tell the truth, I don’t really care how anyone dresses, outside myself and my child, but I’m even more forgiving for the “absent minded” professions. My first reaction to that post was, basically, if writers are expected to march to the cookie cutter directions of stylists, then imagination is doomed, and we might be crawling into a pit of vanity and consumerism from which we might not escape.

Okay, so maybe that is way overkill, but it did irk me.

My second thought was whether this “you need a stylist” business would have been directed at a male writer. Or is it that women authors who fail to dress according to Hoyle are slobs fit for the carpool, while male authors display their shambles as mere adorable eccentricities? I don’t think I have ever seen a poster dismiss a man’s writing based on his shirt or hairdo; have you?

In any case, it was a low moment in professional discourse. Say her book is crap, fine. Say you’re concerned about the tastes of the public, okay. Hope that trends change, why not? But I haven’t used someone’s clothes to dismiss their minds since junior high, and I’d love it if we stopped judging authors by their covers.

Oh, and by the way, the answer to my question? Do I need a stylist? The answer is no.

I’m too busy writing.

Anne Holly’s most recent novel is Textbook Romance (link: http://textbookromance.webs.com/)

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Chase after love? As a single mother, Professor Liberty Sullivan knows better. Between her flighty mother and a disastrous history with men, she’s pretty much soured on the whole concept of romance. Personal freedom and self-reliance are her new guiding mantras. Raising her son and being a career star are the most important things now.

Then she meets Seth.

An ex-cop who’s making a new life for himself and his daughter, Seth Webster has every reason to play it safe. Then he meets Liberty. Prickly about love, following some crazy anti-romance curriculum, she still makes Seth’s heart pound. And a lifetime of cop instinct tells him he’s about to teach Liberty that this romance will be anything but by the book.

LINKS:

Website: http://www.anneholly.webs.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Holly/140519945969686

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4509212.Anne_Holly

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anneholly2010

Blog: http://anneholly.blogspot.ca/

Amazon profile: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004GR1CGY

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/anne-holly

Tips For Exhibiting

For the second year in a row, I participated in the Collingswood Book Festival. Picture, if you will, six blocks of books. Six blocks of writers, publishers, book sellers and book collectors, in addition to special guests, speakers and lots of food. For anyone who likes to read, it’s heaven. And for authors, well, it’s a chance to meet lots of potential readers, enjoy the fresh air and even sell a few books.

[image error]Having done this event two years in a row, I’ve learned a few things from watching fellow authors and listening to my husband (as much as it kills me to admit that). I thought I’d share them:

1) Good signage is important. Six blocks of books means there are a ton of authors around and tents tend to look the same. Passersby need a quick and easy way of finding you and of figuring out what kinds of books you are selling. Blown up cover shots and back cover blurbs are a great way for people to find out a bit about your book from afar.

2) Display frames are a great way to showcase that cover art.

3) Wire racks are a great way to display your books—the guy 2 tents down from me did this and it was a really creative way of showcasing his work.

4) Dog bones might be better than chocolate. Bet you never thought you’d hear me say that! It was a beautiful day and anytime you have a beautiful day, you have people walking their dogs. I think I saw about 100 of them and all but two of them were well-behaved (Those 2 didn’t stop barking for the 15 minutes their owners were taking a break on the bench across from me.). Next year, I’m going to offer everyone who passes me a bone for their dog—it will give people an excuse to stop by my tent, and me a chance to talk to even more people.

5) The coolest thing I saw was a retractable banner. It looked like a retractable movie screen, only it had the book cover on it. It stood inside the author’s tent and was a colorful way of showcasing books.

6) Sitting in a tent for six hours makes you hungry. At least, it did me. And while there’s lots of food for festival attendees, I can’t go get it and talk to people at the same time. While my husband was great at being my errand guy and making sure I was fed and hydrated, next year, I’m bringing a cooler with fruit and cold water—festival food is a bit heavy.

7) This one is courtesy of my husband—next year, I’m making a big sign offering author signings. A lot of the exhibitors were publishers. People who stopped by my tent, and others’, were pleasantly surprised that we were the actual authors and were eager to talk to us and get us to sign the copies of the books they bought. It’s another draw.

8) Offer a “festival-day” discount. Attendees like to feel like they’re getting a bargain, and it’s a great way to convince them to buy your book right then, rather than later, when they may or may not remember to do so.

9) I need a money box. This might sound silly, but I was working out of my wallet and purse, which was a bit unwieldy. Next year, I’m bringing a box with plenty of change (in the correct denominations for the cost of my books).

10) Weights. It was sunny with a bit of a breeze. While that’s great weather for walking, it’s not so great for exhibiting and there were at least two times that my tent threatened to fly away. Again, this is probably a no-brainer, but it was my first time with my own tent (last year, I borrowed one).

Anyone have any other pointers?

Six Sentence Sunday

Here’s another six sentences from Skin Deep:

The evening of Michelle’s annual Halloween costume party blew in with a light breeze and a full moon. John felt a stab of disappointment; a small part of him had been hoping for rain, high winds, mud slides—anything that would cancel the party. Every year, Michelle hosted it for the cast and crew. It had become legendary. He’d listened for weeks to everyone anticipating it as they discussed their costumes, and he knew from previous experience that the party would be the subject of conversations for days afterward. Although she’d held the party for three years—as long as the show had been in production—John had never attended, but in a moment of weakness, for Valerie’s first party, John had agreed.

For more great authors, check out the Six Sentence Sunday website.