Toi Thomas's Blog, page 91

ToiBox Blog Weekly Recap 11/16/13

Check out my Recent Posts links to see what I was up to this week.

I started out the week with Sample Sunday 20- Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel, chapter 4.2

On Monday I posted my Top 5 fruit…

After observing Veterans Day.

On Tuesday I added to my Character files the Rorschach test for Leo.

On Wednesday I shared a Post from the Past concerning the main character of EC:GA.

On Thursday I talked about flashbacks over Tea and Conversation.

On Friday after a brief Friday Forecast I posted my interview with author, Paula Hrbacek.

There won’t be an Adventures in Blogging post today, but I’ll have something to share next week.

I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself this week and enjoy a very pleasant weekend.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, biography, blessings, blogging, books, character, culture, discussion, entertainment, fashion, geek, interviews, journal, life, likes, lists, reading, reviews, sample, wip

Paula Hrbacek Interview

The Eternal Curse Series Blog Presents an interview with author: Paula Hrbacek.

image provided by author

I double majored in journalism and art at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  After that, I worked for a book publisher, Christian Board of Publication, for five years in the advertising department.  Then I became a stay-at-home mother of four, a scout leader, and wrote on a freelance basis.  I’ve published five books so far: St. Louis Is for Families- Bethany Press, Created In Faith- Concordia, Bible Verses for Young Children- CBP Press, Stars Shine After Dark- IUniverse, and Day Camp in Hawaii- Create Space. I also write two newspaper columns for The Examiner, a free online newspaper: one about children’s arts and crafts and the other about books and book reviews.

You are one busy bee. I can’t imagine doing all you do with four kids. Kudos to you! Can’t wait to see what you have to share.

So whacha got for me today?

image provided by author

Stars Shine After Dark, is a sweet love story that has faith woven through the plot and used as a means of making decisions.  Faith is the compass that guides them through their problems.

Mona is an actress who grew up in Hollywood.  Trying to revamp her image from a child actor to a mature woman, she decides to go to college. There she meets Tim, a football star for UCLA.

They are both stars and both successful.  It should be a fairy tale romance, but soon overwhelming obstacles begin to test their relationship.

Mona finds relief by reading the book of Hosea.  She realizes that she has lost sight of what is really important to her, and decides to change her relationship with Tim.  They may have been going through a dark period, but if they are stars, they will find a way to keep their love shining.

I think everyone can relate to a love story in some way. For many, love stories allow secret contemplation about their own relationships by offering another point of view, a variety of scenarios, and possible solutions to past, present, or future issues to be had. Most importantly, love stories deliver all this a nice sweet package that can be picked up or put away a will. I think you have really something special to share with this story.

So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of Stars Shine After Dark?

Mona Poole is a young woman who grew up in Hollywood acting.  She wants to take some time off and have a “normal” life, examine what she wants to do next, and try to get a more mature image.  She enrolls at UCLA, and becomes friends with her agent’s niece.  On the one hand, she’s an old pro at handling business, but on the other hand, she’s a newbie when it comes to college life.  She’s used to having her parents act as her managers, but they have decided to move because of her father’s health, leaving her in total charge for the first time.  So, she’s a strong woman, but also a chick that has just been pushed out of the nest.

Even with the presence of relationship drama, this sounds like a pretty positive story about a child actress, and we all know we need more of these. I think Mona is a character that most people in this day and age can relate to on some level if only as yet another child star desperately try to make that transition into adulthood with grace.

Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

When I write I start with the problem, then the solution, and then I start working backwards. Who would get themselves in that mess, why, where, how, when?  Once I have all of that set in my mind, I write a short story, very quickly, just to get the plot organized.  Then, I’ll go back and fill in all the details, dialogue, descriptions and emotions that are needed to flesh it out.

When I was working on Stars Shine After Dark, I had the radio playing country music in the background.  It seemed that every time I got stuck for a good idea, a song would come on the radio that contained the answer.  There has to be a dozen country songs hidden in the plot—a scene where “the windshield wipers are slapping out a tempo” like Eddie Rabbitt’s song, a conversation where she talks “woman to woman” like Tammy Wynette, that sort of thing.  Of course, they aren’t direct quotes from the song, just the same general idea.  It was reassuring how when I needed a good idea, I got one at the right moment that way.

I like your methodology. It’s very organized. It’s cool too how you use music to inspire you. I like quiet when I write, but whenever I get stumped on a particular idea, that’s when I pull out my soundtracks. There a movie and theme music for every emotion and scenario there.

What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

I read a variety of books and authors, trying to learn what I can from each one.  But as far as inspiration for a story goes, I used to get a lot of good ideas from Dear Abby.  I thought her advice was lousy, so instead of arguing with her, I’d turn it into a fictional story.  I sold one of those to Modern Romance magazine years ago.

Well that’s one to get inspired. Who said inspiration has to come from someplace positive. Many of the greatest inventions of our time where inspired by frustration and need, not desire.

Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

A quote I like is “I know God has a plan for my life, but when I get to Heaven, he’s got some explaining to do.”  I guess my answer would be God and I think my questions would be “what time is it?” Is this a time to help the poor or a time to shake the sand off of my sandals when I leave?  Is it time to forgive, or time to rebuke the sinner?

I hear ya. Sometimes I wish I could just ask God about the things that no one else can even begin to understand. Good answer.

Who is so you and why?

I read Ernest Hemingway’s biography, and except that I’m a girl and he’s a boy, we have a lot in common.  We’re both the youngest, having two older siblings of the opposite sex.  My mother made me wear my brother’s hand-me-downs, my father was dramatic, my grandmother had a cottage on a finger lake near Lake Erie, and a few other things.  I mentioned this to my husband, and he became concerned because Ernest committed suicide.  I assured him that his death occurred after him having had three wives and that I’m only on my first husband.

A female Hemingway with less drama doesn’t sound too bad.

What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

The ideal spot is laid out on the sofa with a fuzzy afghan and a soft pillow on a rainy day in the spring, or the first week after school gets out, lying on a chase lounge in the back yard.  I like paperbacks best.  But the reality is that when an author asks for a book review, they send me a Kindle file.  Then I take it with me when I volunteer at our church’s gift shop and read it while sitting in an office chair, waiting for customers.  I don’t do audio books because I’m hard of hearing. I have a lot going on personally right now, so aside from a little promotion I’m doing, I’m taking it easy. I’m not really reading anything at the moment.

Comfort seems to be a priority when you’re reading and there’s nothing wrong with that. Too bad you can take full advantage of audio books. I prefer audio books to TV; seriously I either: read for entertainment, listen for entertainment, or watch a movie. TV almost doesn’t exist to me anymore. I know what it’s like to have a lot going one. That’s why reading for pleasure is great. You don’t have to do it until you want to.

What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

In elementary school, I like the series of books about a boy named Henry [Henry Higgins] who had a donut machine.  I liked it because he solved a problem in a different way.  He didn’t give up.

I also had a favorite craft book for children that used a lot of recycled goods like bottle caps and corks.  I think I made just about every project in that book.

My favorite magazine as a girl was “Boy’s Life”.  When I was in high school, my favorite magazine was “Parents’”

You don’t hear of too many teen reading “Parents” for fun, but everyone got their own thing. I remember reading about Henry Higgins when I was little too…

To see more of this interview and have a chance to win a copy of Stars Shine After Dark, visit the Eternal Curse Series Blog. For more information about this author, Paula Hrbacek, please visit the links below.

Website: Paula Hrbacek: Christian Fiction and Craft Projects

Examiner.com/Book Reviews | Examiner.com/Children’s Arts & Crafts

GoodReads: Paula Knoderer Hrbacek’s Blog

Facebook: Paula Hrbacek

Twitter: @PHrbacek

Purchase links for Stars Shine After Dark: Amazon, Kindle, Nook

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Interviews Tagged: author, books, character, ebook, fiction, gratitude, interviews, life, links, movies, music, process, reading, try this, writing

Friday Forecast : 11/15/13

Highlighting interviewees, guest posters, my standard weekly posts, and whatever else I can think of, going into the next week.

So, here what’s happening next week:

Sample Sunday

Listography- Favorite Movies as a Kid

Character Files

Brenda Perlin shares with us, “Home Wrecker II”

My monthly Blogdom post…always some good stuff there

Count Your Blessings

Lastly, next Friday I’ll post my review of City of Bones.

No Adventures in Blogging tomorrow, but perhaps next week I’ll be ready to dive in.

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Today I’ll post my interview with author, Paula Hrbacek.

I hope you’ve been checking out the Dose of Daily Gratitude blog. There have been some touching posts this month. My contribution will appear on the 24th. See my side panel for information.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

 

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, blogging, interviews, life, reviews, sneak peak, try this, writing

Tea and Conversation 05: Flashbacks

Today I’m sharing a picture of iced lemon tea from Pinterest.

Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why flashbacks?

Much of the background of the characters and the story is told through flashback, many where one character verbally recounts the events. This story covers a large span of time and only focuses on three main characters. If the story had been told chronologically, most of the book would have only included one character, Giovanni.

One reason why I like using flashbacks in this story is because it gives a more personal account of the events taking place. The flashbacks are experienced from an individual point of view.  Since the whole story is narrated by an unseen party, it’s clear that the story is not being told from experience, but rather from history. The narrator is telling a story that he or she has learned about over the years, has read about, and or was told.

Another reason why I like the use of flashbacks in this story is because it offers a break from the monotony of the current struggle. Of course the struggle eventually changes in some way either for good or bad, but until the climax is reached, it’s a lot of same melancholy expression repeated.

I honestly tried not to overuse the flashback technique, but it’s there quite a bit. By using this technique, the reader is able to jump back and forth through time, gathering up all the high points in the story or a character’s life, without having to sit through pages of everything in between.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Tea & Conversation Tagged: conversation, dreams, fantasy, fiction, pictures, stories, tea, writing

Posts from the Past: EC:GA The Protagonist

These are previous posts that have been dusted off, updated, and freshly presented to an audience that’s never seen them. These limited posts originate from the companion blogs I’ve written for the first two installments of the Eternal Curse Series (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse & EC: Battleground a Survival Guide).

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Who is Giovanni?…Well he’s just the answer to all of Mira’s dreams and possibly to key to a whole other world that we humans are too busy to see.

In the beginning, Giovanni is a somber character with a constant cloud of self-hatred and doubt lingering over him. To say his has self-image issues is an understatement, but you can’t really blame him. He is six and half feet tall with gray skin. Yes, I said gray, not pale or pasty, but gray. His eyes and nails are black and his hands and feet are unusually large. No wonder he keeps himself hidden away from other people. Oh and he’s allergic to sunlight…but wait…. he’s not a vampire. Sunburns come to Giovanni, like moths to a flame. Sunlight doesn’t kill him, but enough of anything that burns, can eventually.

Giovanni has enough trouble trying to blend into a world he really doesn’t fit in, but it only makes matters worse that he doesn’t know how to relate to people. It’s almost like he doesn’t know how to be “normal”. On top of all his physical and social issues, Giovanni is also plagued with nightmares, nightmares so real that sometimes they spill over into reality. Considering that, you can understand why he tends to be sleep deprived and moody. Needless to say, Giovanni is not a very positive or optimistic person.

There are two things, however, that make his life worth living and that’s the feeling of being needed by his friend Abraham, whom he takes care of, and gardening. When Giovanni first met Abraham, it was he who took care of Giovanni, but now that Abraham is up in age, Giovanni’s sole purpose in life is to take care of Abraham and keep him alive. When he’s not taking care of Abraham, Giovanni is working on the acres of land he lives on, which are covered in gardens and orchards.

Giovanni also has a few other quirks that make getting along with him difficult and exciting all at the same time. Giovanni is very strong and never gets sick. He even has some psychic and telepathic abilities. The most amazing thing that happens to Giovanni in the story, is the gradual transformation he goes through to become a completely different being. Yeah, I know, he transforms…It sound a little kooky, but it isn’t, especially when he learns what he’s turning into and then decides what to do with it.

Giovanni, throughout the book, works on and deals with his hot temper and lack of compassion until he is able to show Mira that he can be loved. The only question that remains is- will she love him?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Post of Past Tagged: angels, author, blogging, book, break down, character, demons, dreams, ebook, fantasy, fiction, good vs evil, journal, life, process, profile, purpose, stories, try this, writing

Character Files from the ToiBox 35: Leo- Psych Test

Rorschach Test

 

This is not a real Rorschach test , 

Subject EC:GA 5-Leo describe test image #1 as:but simply a fun little additive to the whole character profile motif.

A big scary monster with fangs, “a really creepy picture.”

Subject seems nervous about answering, but answers honestly without   hesitation. He believes what he see and only sees what’s on the surface. He will not read into this anymore than he has to. He appears to be a realist. He’s harmless.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

 

Filed under: Character Files, EC: Giovanni's Angel Tagged: angels, blessings, character, contemporary fiction, cultural study, demons, fiction, profile, spec-fic

Happy Veteran’s Day U.S.A.

Today is the day we remember and honor the end of wars and the signing of peace treaties. This is the day we thank and honor our veterans for serving in wars (appreciated and unappreciated) to protect the ideals of this country…We also get a day off work (some of us).

To everyone else around the world, I wish you a good day.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: holiday, life

Top 5: 05 Fruit

This is a list of my top five something. Most of the time my lists are pretty static, but sometimes I do change my mind. While I do try to apply some logic to my choices, sometimes I pick things that make no sense and for no good reason other than “I like it.”

Google search hdwallpapersplus.com

Fruit

1. Apples

2. Grapes

3. Pears

4. Bananas

5. Nectarines

I like to eat fruits when they are firm. I don’t like to add sugar to my fruit unless I’m cooking or baking something with them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: About Me Tagged: author, biography, fruit, likes, personal, top 5

Sample Sunday 20

Here is approximately 100 – 150 words from a randomly selected original piece for your enjoyment. These samples can include excerpts from my all my WIPs and my Eternal Curse Series, but only as works in progress (not the final products). These samples of published and unpublished works are protected under the U.S. Copyright agreement.

Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel chapter 4.2 (wip)

After lunch, Mira observed Abraham and Giovanni again working together to clear the table and put away the dishes. When they were finished, Giovanni walked Mira into the living room. He told her that he thought the living room would be a better place for them to talk instead of the office or the lab. After all, Giovanni and Mira already knew so much about each other; now they would learn all that had not been revealed before. Giovanni didn’t want it to feel like he was being interviewed or interrogated, even if that’s what was really happening. He wanted it to feel like they were old friends catching up on old times.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

 

 

Filed under: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Samples Tagged: angels, demons, family, fiction, romance, shape-shifting, spec-fic, war, wip

Adventures in Blogging: 2- Types of Blogs part 2

Types of Blogs vs. What I Read

First let’s review the blog types I’ve already mentioned.

1. News blogs

2. Niche or Themed blogs

3. Skill or Practical Application blogs

4. Exhibition or Presentation blogs

So today, I’ll be discussing what I personally feel is the fifth main type of blog to read. Remember, this is all based on my opinion and is heavily influenced by my interest in writing and reading books.

5. Special Interest - These are the blog that tend to blur lines. These are art blogs that are a combination of all the other types of blogs listed so far, but they usually focus on a more general topic. The art in question can be any number of things, but only one topic is usually focused on. As I mentioned before, Book blogs can be considered Niche blog, but they also work well here, along with movie blogs, music blogs, fine-art blogs, etc…

You see, Niche blogs are more specific than Special interest blogs. A Special Interest blog can be about music in so many different facets, while a Niche blog will focus on a specific genre or a specific way of recording. Book blogs are special interest to me, for the most part, but a blog specifically about historical fiction books is more of a Niche subject.

Book blogs have gone above and beyond the written word. Book blogs now share and discuss: book trailers, book reviews, author’s works and daily lives, tidbits about the publishing industry, preferred reading mediums, and so much more.

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At this point I’d like to make one small distinction. Not that the terms I’m about to share are a standard in any way, but they help me to have a better understanding of what I’m reading. I think there is a fine line and distinction between book blogs and story blogs.

-To me Book blogs are blogs dedicated to books in general (as I’ve mentioned above). They usually feature many book reviews as well as author interviews, book promotions, and special giveaways. These blogs exist to praise books without any obvious bias.

-Story blogs on the other hand are blogs that are dedicated to a specific book or series. For instance I have two story blogs dedicated to my Eternal Curse series.

To me, 40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse is an example of a Story blog, while The ToiBox blog (this blog) is an example of Author/Exhibition blog.

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Here is a list of some of my favorite book blogs to give you more of an idea of my distinction:

Authors to Watch | JeanzBookReadNReview | 4covert2overt | Should Be Reading |Review Books and More

So after reading all this, you might be wondering what was the point of all this?…

Well, the point is, I wanted you all to understand how I perceive the blogosphere. I figured if I’m going to be writing about my adventures in blogging, you all should have a reference point. If you’ve been following me for a while, or take a little time to read some of the posts about me and my bio, getting to know me is pretty easy, but understanding me may not be. I just wanted to make sure that there is no confusion about what I’m saying now or will be saying in the future.

I’ll be writing about my adventures, from my point of view, while offering my opinion on whatever the current matter happens to be. I hope you will enjoy it, if for no other reason, because you’ll get to see just how crazy my mind and reactions can be sometimes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Filed under: AdventuresNBlogging Tagged: author, blogging, books, exhibition, information, news, niche, practical application, reading, sharing, skill, theme, try this, types of blogs, writing