Pamela Q. Fernandes's Blog, page 26

Guest Post: Linda Nielsen on writing Characters in Romance

Today I talk to romance author, Linda Nielsen about how she writes her characters in this complex genre.

Linda Nielsen worked as a model in Chicago, founded California Contemporaries in Monterey, and served as a military representative with the Monterey Peninsula before writing her first book. Her unique position allowed her to get to know and learn from a variety of individuals who would later influence her characters. She is now retired and lives on the top of a mountain in the Sierra Foothills with her husband and seven furry critters.

Linda Nielsen on writing characters in romance.

Tell  us about yourself.

I worked in Chicago as a model and appeared in television commercials early in my life. Later, I felt the call of the West coast and moved to Monterey, California where I founded California Contemporaries, a temporary employment agency. I met the man of my dreams in Carmel and, when we retired, we moved to the Sierra Foothills,high above the old gold mining town of Sonora. Here we share our home with seven furry  critters.

We enjoy watching an array of prettily colored birds, as well as a family of squirrels and keep our distance from the occasional possum and a couple of skunks. The bob cat and the bear are rarely seen and the deer eye my flowers from the other side of the fence where we keep a large bucket of water for them. I enjoy my gardens and a bubbling fountain, a wrought iron picnic table and sweeping mountain vistas.

How long did it take to write “Because I’m Worth It?”

Hard to believe this started life as an inspiration story with angels trying to guide the families to do what was right but when I showed it to another author and a college professor, their opinion was about the same. “Huh? So, you’re going to do this again?”

My first book, Lasso The Stars, was published in 2012 under L. L. Nielsen. When I started Because I’m Worth It, and it had angels, even though they were humorous angels, it was suggested that I take them out and put in something that would turn heads, not hearts. So, I removed the angels, tinkered with the characters and set them loose to interact with each other and see how they’d behave.

Naturally, the first draft of the story was revised many times as more consideration was given to continuity, plot, characters and locations.

Where did the idea come from?

Bits and pieces would surface every so often about a baby left on a door step and I decided to take a few notes and see what would happen. Having no idea where it would go, I let it simmer for a while until a grandmother appeared and then a son and an irate bride-to- be. Things started to pop and I realized I had something going on. It wasn’t a very scientific approach but it all fell into place.

Because I’m Worth It by Linda Nielsen

What’s the biggest lesson you learned while writing this book?

I learned the safety net of a story board to keep track of the plot and the characters. I put it on a wall in the laundry room where no one would bother it because, if someone was in the laundry room, there was always something to do . . . clothes needed to be separated, put in the washer, put in the dryer and folded so, overall, people stayed clear of that room and my story board was undisturbed.

Bullet points kept me focused and stick-em notes helped me navigate the ideas. I kept a separate sheet for each character where I noted their physical traits, favorite expressions and personality peculiarities and I referred to it often. And, oh yes, always put in chapters prior to final edit! I actually did an entire post on this subject.

What advice would you give to other authors in the romantic suspense genre?

Show, don’t tell. I think readers like to feel emotion so select what feelings you want to bring out and really think about it. Then write. If the emotion changes as you get into your work, you’ve made a discovery and need to explore it. Don’t be shy about changing your thoughts.

Which is your favorite character in the book?

It varies. Today it’s Terri Sue Ellen because she’s so nasty and ill informed. She has no idea people laugh at her. Writing her character was loads of fun . . . even after putting boundaries on her personality, she still packed a wallop. I think that if an angel was involved Terri Sue Ellen could have been helped, but I’m not sure.

How does the place, the south meets west concept come about?

They’re conceived to be so different that it was easy to insert contrast and conflict as both are needed in a story to grab and hold interest. Plus I know the Big Sur area and I lived close to Chicago when I was younger and have several friends in southern states and we visit often. They were very, very helpful in creating the mother-daughter team in Because I’m Worth It.

When I got into the southern characters, I remembered being ten years old and having a girlfriend from the South come up North to visit her aunt and uncle. This southern Miss was delightful, soft spoken, sweet and manipulative. We were the same age but she could do anything without ever lifting a finger because everyone did it for her.

She remained neat and tidy while the rest of us were generally dirty at the end of the day She was my idol but I could never quite grasp how she accomplished so much by doing so little. She told me she learned how from her mother, who learned from her grandmother, and it was a family secret. But sometimes, if I gave her something, like the rest of my allowance, she’d give me a hint. For instance, for $2.15 I got, “Don’t be talkin’ so loud, quit your movin’ so fast and, Linda, wash your hands, there all sticky.”

I think it’s important to be familiar with the places and people you write about, then exaggerate, tell a story, have fun, remember it’s fiction, it’s entertainment and if you’re having a good time, the chances are your readers will, too.

Who are your own go to authors that you read in this genre and why?

I have several but Nora Robinson, Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt come to mind. They all have characters that are well developed and drive the story forward. They have a flow to their words that makes reading a joy.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, not in this genre, but brilliant writers, as well as James Patterson and Tom Clancy. I should also mention a most favorite author of mine, Mark Twain, who offered a tip for writers. It remains close to my story board.

“Anyone can have ideas but the difficulty is to express them

without squandering a lot of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering

paragraph.”

BECAUSE I’M WORTH IT is now available in print and eformat. You can find out more about Linda here or email her at: authorllnielsen@yahoo.com

Linda is giving away 3 copies of her book as a giveaway on my website. You can enter the giveaway here and get all your friends to sign up for this giveaway! Check out last month’s giveaway winners here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Inkspell Publishing picks up Wish Upon A Bollywood Star

Inskpell Publishing and I inked a contract last week. Yay! 

Giveaway Winners Announced

My giveaway contest finally has winners.

Giveaway Winners

This was my second giveaway this year and we have four winners. Here they are:

Samantha Martin – Winner of Tote & Under A Scottish Sky
Bn100- Winner of Cinders of Castlerea
Jeff Baines- Winner of Under A Scottish Sky
Amy S- Winner of Cinders of Castlerea

Congratulations to the winners. I hope everyone had fun participating in this giveaway.  I did and I’m so glad we the entries we did. i’m even taking some of the comments and suggestions for my next book. So thank you to everyone. So hopefully we will have a new giveaway next month. Lookout for that.

I also have some book news that I’ll be putting up soon, I’ve sold Painting Kuwait Violet to Solstice publishing. Speaking of Kuwait, here’s a brief view of the tradition of pearl diving in Kuwait. The Milanese Stars, my romantic heist is due to be released. In fact, check out my post on the best heist movies of all time here. 

So there’s lots happening in the next few months. Stay tuned.

Winners: I’ll be sending you your prizes soon via email and the tote bag via post. Thank you once again.

 

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My new short story “Naiad of Pegae” is out!

Naiads?  Yes, naiads or mermaids. I’m so happy that my story, “Naiad of Pegae, a cross between Christianity and Greek myth has finally been published. It’s kind of strange, but I’d written this story for another competition about the seas and mermaids for a submission call on that theme. My story was rejected there and after many tears, I started looking for a home where someone would find the message remarkable.

What message was that?

The message was clear: God teaches us to love and anyone saying otherwise is definitely not of heaven. The whole story dwells on the premise that God is love and when you love, you sacrifice, even at the cost of your own life. The book was on a limited release on the publisher’s website, but we should be out on major publishers too with increasing fan demand.  Once it’s available on Amazon, I’ll put it up in my book list as well.

Here’s the cover. What do you think? This is an anthology, which features many other authors and all the stories are based on mermaids or water creatures of the sea. It’s fantasy and myth.

I’m super happy that my story which has a christian leaning made the list of this collection.

Naiad of Pegae

I know some of you may even wonder what exactly are Naiads?

They are supposed to be  a type of mermaid, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water in Greek mythology.

There are tons of stories on them and I was very intrigued when I read all these stories of Greek gods killing each other, pillaging, hurting and turning people into spiders and whatnot. The discord in Greek Mythology lead me to research Naiads and then create a story interweaving a more loving concept into it. Overall, I’m happy with the way it turned out as the story ends in the fields of Elysium. I’m also so grateful to my editor, Madeline and Amber for picking this story.

Like the cover? Let me know…

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19 Is my focus on Christ like St. Catherine of Siena?

St. Catherine of Siena-“God is more willing to pardon than we have been to sin.”

Charles Johnston is a father and husband in Phoenix, Arizona. His conversion journey has taken years, as he felt God pulling him toward His Church but he resisted until he couldn’t take it anymore. He gave in and fell in love with His Church.  He blogs for ‘Now that I’m catholic.wordpress.com’. In this episode, I talk to Charles, about the Apostle Peter, his ministry and transformation from a fisherman to fisher of men.

In this episode I talk to Charles about St. Catherine of Siena.

He explains:

-How St. Catherine was shaped by her conversations with Jesus

-How she put Christ first in all things

-How we can focus on prayer this Lent

-What is our purpose in life?

Here’s the podcast.

 Some of St. Catherine’s famous quotes:

Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.
Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.
All the way to heaven is heaven, because Jesus said, “I am the way.
Speak the truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.
Turn over the rudder in God’s name, and sail with the wind heaven sends us.
These tiny ants have proceeded from His thought just as much as I, it caused Him just as much trouble to create the angels as these animals and the flowers on the trees.

We hope you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to check out our other podcasts on Lent.

 If you enjoyed this podcast, like us, leave us a comment and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. We are on iheartradio, Stitcher, Itunes, andtunein.com.
We’d love to hear from you. Please rate us so that our podcast reaches out to the people who need to hear it.

 

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Happy Valentine’s day!

Happy Valentine’s day to all my readers and my tribe. I hope you’re having a fantastic Mardi Gras as well.

Valentine’s Day

For all my readers I’m doing a special discount on my book “Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman.” It will be .99c all month. Yes!

Valentine’s Day Discount

Also I will give away a three free ebook of any of my title of your choice,  if you leave a comment with the answer to this question, What is the most romantic place in the world and why? I’ll tell you why I’m asking in another post. For now it’s a Valentine’s secret. Share this with your friends using the rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am also planning some courses for medical writers and we’re hoping to get that ready soon.  Unbelievably we’re already beginning Lent this week and we’re recording a new podcast about St. Catherine of Siena. But in the meantime please take a look at our podcast on Lent.

Since it’s Valentine’s month I’d like to share one of the most romantic poems of English Literature.  And I think you’ll love it too.

So we’ll go no more a roving

So we’ll go no more a roving

So late into the night,

Though the heart be still as loving,

And the moon be still as bright.

 

For the sword outwears its sheath,

And the soul wears out the breast,

And the heart must pause to breathe,

And Love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,

And the day returns too soon,

Yet we’ll go no more a roving

By the light of the moon.

Don’t forget to send in your comments. Also if you want to know more about my upcoming posts, podcasts, and answers on medical dilemmas, subscribe and you should be able to get my weekly posts straight to your inbox.

Happy Valentine’s Everyone!

 

 

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Q 21 HOW CAN DOCTORS PREVENT LAWSUITS?

Lawsuits? I hear you. I received several questions about this in one form or the other. I don’t know how to deal with litigation. But I will tell you what I’ve been taught from the doctors I worked with in New York in a country that is litigation happy.

Lawsuits

Document Everything

This is the most important thing. Put everything down on your EMR. You’ve ordered a test, made a referral, awaiting results, suspecting something. Write down everything. Why? Because we don’t remember everything and when you put things down on paper, your treatment plans, your differentials, your thinking is clear on paper. Moreover it’s obvious that you as the physician did due diligence while working up the patient. It will help eliminate unnecessary litigation & will also act as evidence in court.

2. Communicate Well

Various insurance companies report that even with bad outcomes, patients respond favorably to doctors who are honest and open to communication. Don’t avoid rounds with patient relatives who are upset in a bid to avoid them. In fact, try to be there for them. Your presence speaks volumes.

3. Apologize

If there has a been a missed diagnosis or an error in clinical judgement, a heartfelt apology goes a long way. Don’t shift blame, instead identify what went wrong and say sorry. It has been proven that patients are less likely to file lawsuits if doctors apologize after owning their errors.

4. Get Informed Consent

Surgical specialties face a ton of lawsuits and at the forefront of this is getting an informed consent. People need to be explained what they’re doing, the side effects, the consequences, the benefits and even the cost. Let them know everything. And as much as time is of the essence, it has to be the patient’s decision. Not yours.

5. Follow-Ups 

Organize follow-ups. Post surgical follow-ups are always important. I understand that the onus is on the patient to show up but if you want to have good outcomes, follow-ups are crucial. It’s an extension of good clinical care.

6. Get Malpractice Insurance

Yes, while you do your best to avoid lawsuits, there are people who are just looking for an easy payday. So get this and your insurance provider will actually look at your practice and offer risk management strategies.

Medicine is not always black and white. There are times when we make crucial decisions in those crunch moments that can alter lives forever. If in doubt, ask some one for help. Your peers and superiors may be able to to identify the warning signs  and help you out. Also the more people aware of the situation the better as collective decision making might have a more logical, thought out approach.

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18 Why & How to Prepare For Marriage!

Valentine’s special for all the singles and  engaged folks, we have a podcast on why and how to prepare for marriage.

Marriage is a lifelong commitment. John Bosio

Why & How to Prepare for Marriage?

 

John & Teri Bosio

John and Teri Bosio have been married 45 years (Nov. 2017) and have two daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson.  They live in Nashville, TN.  They led religious education and marriage enrichment programs at the parish and diocesan level for most of their married life.  They served on the staff of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, in Kansas as Family Life Coordinators.  John has a Master’s Degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling.  For 13 years he served three parishes in Kansas as a marriage and family therapist.  Teri has many years of parish ministry experience as Adult Formation and RCIA Director, and Director of Religious Education. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Human Relations.

John and Teri produced a very successful date night program: SIX DATES for Catholic Couples, which is based on John’s first book: Happy Together: The Catholic Blueprint for a Loving Marriage.   In addition they co-produced The BEATITIDES: A Couple’s Path to Greater Joy, a video series based on John’s book,  Blessed is Marriage: A Guide to the Beatitudes for Catholic Couples. In 2016 John completed a new video series for couples: The Virtues. Most recently John and Teri collaborated with Ave Maria Press and Spirit Juice Studio to create a marriage preparation program that reflects Pope Francis’ views about accompaniment and evangelization: Joined by Grace, Preparing for the Sacramental Journey of Marriage. This was followed with a prayer book for couples: Joined by Grace, A Catholic Prayer Book for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.

Joined by Grace

John and Teri continue their ministry to families and couples by conducting workshops and leading retreats around the country.  For more information about John and Teri, and their marriage building programs visit: www.JoinedbyGrace.com, www.Happy-Together.net,  and www.The-Virtues.net.

In this episode, Pamela talks to John and Teri Bosio about preparing for marriage :

They talk about:

-Why preparation is so important before marriage?

-What should this preparation involve?

-Advice to single people on the lookout for life partners?

-How can single people resolve emotional hurts, pains and the past?

-What should be the prayer of single people?

You may want to check out our other podcast, “How to build a Good Christian Marriage.” If you enjoyed this podcast, like us, leave us a comment and share our episodes on social media with those who may benefit from it. We are on Stitcher, Itunes andtunein.com. We’d love to hear from you. Please rate us so that our podcast reaches out to the people who need to hear it.

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How To Create Your Own Podcast

Want your own podcast? I keep getting asked this question by people who want to launch their own podcast. How did you do it? How should I go about it? What are the steps involved? And when I start to explain it to people, it sounds so complicated. When I wanted to learn how to do this I had to go to a number of websites, watch a number of different videos and then come up with my show. Not without all the mistakes I made and all the errors of judgement that comes with experience. Recommending other people to a bunch of websites was highly impractical.

Make your Pap A Priority!

I recently wrote for abdistory.com about Pap Tests.  For those unaware, every 7 seconds a woman dies of cervical cancer. It is the third most common cancer among women today in India. And the worst part is that it’s entirely preventable.

Prioritize Your Pap

I’m sharing my post on Pap tests and hope you can read my tips as you make your health check up a priority this year.

Here are a few statistics from the World Health Organization.

Here’s the post where I share my tips for your next Pap test.

If you have any questions then feel free to write to me and if you have any tips, then please share them with us. I believe we owe it to our fellow sisters to make them aware of cervical cancer and the risk it presents to women. During this month of cervical cancer awareness, let’s make women’s health a priority and get the Pap tests done.

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