C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 27
January 1, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday The Write Solution
Three Critical Questions for Filling in Plot HolesBy Susan DeFreitas
Recently, I did a little something with a client that felt like magic.
Or, let’s say, I did something that seemed pretty normal for me, but seemed to strike my client as magic: I helped her fill in a gap in the plot of her novel in a way that struck her as just exactly right, and in a way that was totally in tune with her own vision for her novel.
At which point she . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
December 21, 2023
Friday Feature Christmas Wish
December 19, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight other pursuits
She created this piece of window art for the church, several years ago, to coordinate with a cantata the choir was performing then we later turned it into a Christmas card. Hope you enjoy your holiday.
December 18, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday What happens when you write
Let’s Talk About The Weird and Unexplained Things Which Can Happen When WritingBy Lucy Mitchell
My writing life always gets weird and a little bit spooky during this time of year. I know what you’re all saying – ‘that’s because it’s Halloween tomorrow (Tuesday 31 October). Your brain is trying to spot things which it can label ‘odd’ and then validate your belief that this is a spooky time. Probably true…but let’s still talk- ha ha!
October, November and December have always been big novel writing months for me. I like to think I’m . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:December 14, 2023
Friday Feature Easy Holiday Brunch
4 large red peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, deveined
2 tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil
⅓ cup (30 mL) smokey-style barbecue sauce (Experiment with different flavors)
8 slices Edam cheese (We use Havarti herb and garlic)
8 eggs
¼ tsp. (1 mL) salt
¼ tsp. (1 mL) black pepper
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cilantro, chopped fine (optional)
PREHEAT outdoor grill to medium-high.
TOSS peppers with oil in a medium-sized bowl. Brush insides of peppers with barbecue sauce. Place cut sides down on grill. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly charred and slightly softened. Remove from grill.
PLACE a cheese slice inside each pepper half, pressing cheese against sides.
CRACK an egg into each pepper cup. Season with salt and pepper.
REDUCE heat to medium. Place peppers on grill over indirect heat. Close lid.
COOK 15 to 20 minutes, or until whites are just set and yolks are still soft, or to desired doneness.
SPRINKLE with cilantro and serve.
Fried Potatoes
1 small Idaho potato per person, baked
1 tbsp. butter per potato
1 small onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
PEEL and slice potatoes when cool enough to handle. Set aside in a small bowl.
MELT butter in medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add onions. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Adjust heat so onions don’t burn.
GENTLY stir in potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 20 minutes or until browned.
Once the dishes are washed and put away, I’m sure you’ll be ready to escape to your favorite spot for some quiet time. Why not relax with one of my books? May I suggest a nostalgic visit to Fairy Falls? Just remember to breathe in the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the settings. Experience life along with my characters in their world.
Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking…
The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.
Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.
BUY LINKS Amazon Kindle – Amazon Paperback – Barnes & Noble Mirror World Publishing ebookMirror World Publishing Paperback
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure
series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery
series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading,
researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and
single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist
region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
December 12, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight A Gift For The Wife
This is for all the guys out there who have to figure out what to get the wife for that “special” day. Of course, you have to remember that “special” day first with enough advance notice to be able to even worry about the gift. If you only remember the day as you are coming home from work then stopping at the flower shop is the only recourse, with possibly a box of candy. Candy only if she is not trying to lose weight so you need to pay attention, but that’s best to do all the time.
Remembering the “special” day has become much easier since we all carry smart phones. Just load the list of “special” days in with a reminder of that day a week in advance. That should give you plenty of time to start paying attention to get that special gift. Of course, just paying attention you also have to understand what the hints are, or you could end up like the guy in the old joke that said:
“I don’t know what to buy my wife anymore. First, she wanted a mink, so I got her one. Then she wanted a silver fox, so I got her one. She still isn’t happy, and now the house if full of animals.”
Yes, you had better understand what the hints are saying.
When writing a story, you can always insert a little fun between the hero and heroine with him forgetting a “special” day, especially when he doesn’t even think of those type of things like the one week, one month anniversary of whatever is special to the heroine. This type of faux pas can give a little levity to some of your conflict between the hero and heroine without it always having to be about life and death. Mixing a little humor into a story can make the characters seem real to the reader.
While not about forgetting a “special” day this excerpt from book one in our Turning Stone Chronicles series has a little fun between the hero and heroine.
No one knew what Rhys Temple liked better than Alexi Jordan. That’s what made them such good partners. That same intimacy would also make them great lovers, a thought that had crossed her mind many times.
Alexi retrieved Rhys’ birthday cake from the back seat of her car. The privilege of baking this momentous-occasion pastry had almost brought her to blows with the rest of the females in the precinct office. She scooped up his birthday gift and then dropped it as the cake box slid down her arm. A quick slap on the clear plastic lid stopped the perilous drop but squished the yellow roses she’d so carefully crafted onto the German Chocolate cake.
She examined the decorations. Rhys’ name, age, and birthday salutation were intact. She sighed. “So much for presentation.”
A deep chuckle sounded behind her. “Need some help?”
“Hey, birthday boy.” Alexi motioned toward Rhys. “Get your gift.”
His eyebrows rose, and a seductive grin eased across his face as his arm circled Alexi’s waist.
Electricity shot through her causing her to shudder. “Not me.” At least, not for now. “The box. In the car.”
“Oh, that gift.” He released her, his hand trailing across her back.
She jabbed at him with her elbow.
He shrugged, his grin playful. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
He’d been “trying” for some time now. It was starting to get to her, but there was no way she could afford to give in. Too many things stood in the way.
As he maneuvered his tall body in front of her, his taut abdomen brushed against her in a way she felt was purposely seductive. Old Spice cologne mixed with a manly scent, uniquely Rhys, drifted past her. She loved the way he smelled.
She backed away. He made concentrating difficult. So much that in the year and a half they’d worked homicide, she’d often been tempted to ask for another partner. But the thought of not spending most days with him always changed her mind.
Have you read a story where something has been inserted about a “special” day being missed or used humor about a special day that made the characters seem genuine?
After you’ve got your gift, settle into a comfy chair and check out our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
December 7, 2023
Friday Feature Tis the Season to Go Dutch
Stamppot: One of the best-known Dutch dishes is stamppot, an old-style Dutch dish. It is made of mashed potatoes mixed with one or more vegetables like kale, carrots, endive or sauerkraut. Stamppot is traditionally served during the winter and enjoyed best with rookworst (smoked sausage).
Broodje kroket: The ‘kroket’ is a deep-fried roll with meat ragout inside, covered in breadcrumbs. The original Dutch ‘kroket’ is made from beef or veal, but there are many different flavors like chicken satay, shrimps, goulash or even a vegetarian ‘kroket’. You can eat a ‘kroket’ as a snack, but most of the time they are served on sliced white bread or hamburger buns with mustard on the side—even fancy restaurants serve them. Caution: the ‘kroket’ can be extremely hot inside.
Bitterballen: Translated as bitter balls When you go for drinks or visit a birthday party it is most likely that these little, round, often dangerously hot snacks are served. They are battered in a crunchy breadcrumb coating and filled with a gooey mixture of chopped beef, beef broth, flour, butter, herbs and spices. They are typically served with mustard for dipping. The red-white-and-blue flag is also nearly mandatory while serving them!
Stroopwafel: This delicious chewy cookie the stroopwafel—translated as a syrup waffle—was first made in the town of Gouda in the Netherlands during the 18th century. In fact, until 1870 stroopwafels were made only in Gouda and there were about 100 bakeries selling these treats in that city alone. This sweet waffle made from two thin layers of batter with a sticky syrup filling in the middle. They can be purchased in packages at nearly every grocery store and bakery in the Netherlands, as well as freshly made at street stands at markets and festivals. And this food choice somehow made me cringe…
Fries (Patatje Oorlog): While fries are popular in nearly every corner of the world, in the Netherlands they eat them with everything on it. And with everything they mean Patatje Oorlog (Fries like War). Fries with peanut butter, sauce, ketchup, mayo, onions and if youwish, you can put curry on it too! Um…I think I’ll stick to gravy or ketchup. These treats are just a sampling of what the Dutch have to offer. So why not try something a little different and go Dutch for the upcoming holiday season? Do any of these foods whet your appetite? If so, which ones? What other ethnic foods do you savor for the holidays? I would love to know, so please share in the comments below! Cheers and happy holidays!Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries…
Imagine a teenager possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power. There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go…until mysterious things start to happen.
Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:
The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Legend of the Timekeepers, prequel Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and two shiny red e-bikes.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
December 5, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight Your Fridge: What does it say about you?
What’s in your fridge? I discovered my “staples” have one thing in common. What that says about me is debatable.
Eighty-two percent of Americans form an opinion about someone after viewing the contents of their refrigerator. I guess that means folks are routinely sneaking a peek in the fridge, which, in and of itself, is a little creepy.
Still, when I read the statistic, I just couldn’t help myself. I bounded – in my mind I bound – off to the kitchen and opened the door to see what the stuff in my refrigerator might have to say about me.
There’s an awful lot jammed on those shelves – some things, quite frankly, I’m not sure I want to look at too closely – so I decided to list the foods that jumped out at me, figuratively speaking, of course.
Fifteen containers of mustard, all used at some point and lining a door rack, stood out. Now I’m not a complete wack job. They are different kinds of mustard: honey, spicy brown, sweet hot pepper, Coney Island hotdog, roasted garlic, and Jack Daniels horseradish, to name a few.
I did a little research and found an article titled “What your favorite condiment reveals about your personality.” (In case you think I made this up, here’s the link: https://www.dressings-sauces.org/what-your-favorite-condiment-reveals-about-your-personality.)
“Mustard usage is strongest among consumers age 35 to 64 and is also favored by those who consider themselves ambitious, self-disciplined and family-oriented,” the article said. “Mustard lovers also rate themselves as more shy than any other condiment-favoring group.”
All of that worked for me, accept the bashful part. Shyness is simply not incorporated into my DNA.
Also in my refrigerator, just above the mustard, were fourteen bottles of hot sauce. (Perhaps I’m a horder. I’ll have to revisit this possibility.) Again, all containers had been previously opened. They included Chipotle Tabasco, West Indian Hot Sauce, Brimstone Caribbean Red, Orange Pulp Habanero, and Big Black Dick’s Hot Cayman Islands Rum Sauce. (It’s a real thing, so stop snickering.)
Who craves hot sauce?
“If you are a man aged 18-34 living in the south or west, you probably prefer hot sauce to all other condiment sauces,” the above-mentioned article said. “You likely. . . are a competitive risk-taker. . .(and are) more happy, ambitious, spontaneous and risk-loving than other condiment users.”
While I’m a woman and the age bracket is wrong – I’m 62, but I’m pretty sure I look much younger – the rest is spot on.
Elsewhere in the fridge there are two crisper drawers, ostensibly for fruits and vegetables. And one does, in fact, house a large array of colorful healthy foods. However, the other drawer is filled with . . . chocolate: dark and milk, chips and cookies and my favorite toffee and caramel and nut confections. Wee Snickers bars peek from the clear plastic edges of the drawer. Multiple varieties of those chocolate slabs Trader Joe’s elves place by the checkout counter rest, half eaten, in a pile. That drawer is stuffed to the brim with sweet things, as if, perhaps, my unconscious mind is prepping for the zombie apocalypse.
“A sweet tooth has been shown to be linked to a willingness to help people out, but chocolate lovers are also emotionally vulnerable,” said another online article. “They’re charming, flirtatious and may even have a penchant for drama.”
While the rest of the fridge was filled with the usual stuff – eggs and bacon and milk, myriad cheeses – I love cheese! – yogurt and containers of things that should have been pitched long ago – it was the wine I focused on. There are always a few bottles chilling, as well as others in racks around the house. (Think the aforementioned zombie apocalypse here. One must be prepared.)
So, what does all this say about me? I haven’t a clue. Unfortunately, the statistic did not come with an answer key, which might have proved useful. So, I considered what mustard, hot sauce, chocolate, and wine all have in common. What did I come up with? They’re all pretty much indestructible. Really. Have you ever seen mold on mustard, hot sauce, chocolate, or wine? No! of course not. They have the half-life of plutonium. Proof: I visited the Cayman Islands nine years ago, which is when I acquired my Big Black Dick hot sauce. And it’s still perfectly fine.
What this all says about me remains elusive. Perhaps you’ll have to come over, sneak a peek in the fridge, and tell me what you think.
Please allow me to offer you a glimpse at my latest women’s fiction novel for you reading pleasure.
The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.
In 1939, archaeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine-hundred years earlier, was a magician.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
AMAZON BUY LINK
Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces.
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.
Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
December 4, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Writers All
The Ease of WritingBy Jim Dempsey
We can all write, right? Most of us learned to write at school. Many of us then went on to write as part of our work: reports, plans, assessments, etc. And, in these days of social media, most of us write messages, posts and emails. Some of us even still write good old fashioned letters.
So, while it might be fair to say that most people write in some capacity, it’s not the case that most people are writers.
What’s the difference? . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:November 30, 2023
Fridays Feature Preparing for Christmas is like writing a book
We think writing and Christmas have a lot in common.
Preparing for Christmas is like writing a book—not that anyone gets much writing done in the weeks before the holiday. The concept, however, is the same; start early and stay on target.
For an easy Christmas holiday:Shop all year long, especially on vacation where you can get one-of-a-kind items, and avoid the mall rush.Plan in advance. Knowing your menu weeks in advance and looking for recipes you can prepare ahead, freeze, or have on hand reduces stress in the kitchen and lets you enjoy the holiday too. Don’t want to cook ahead?Then remodel the kitchen (not before the holidays, of course) and get that second oven you’ve been wanting so all those green bean casseroles will fit in. Better yet, let someone else host.Get familiar with your Christmas dishes. Start using your Christmas dishes at the beginning of December so you don’t have to get them out of storage at the last minute. That 24 piece place setting of hollies and Christmas trees needs to be used more than once at Christmas dinner!Get next year’s Christmas cards as soon as they go on sale. After all, you have a pretty good idea how many you will need for next year, and they never go out of style.Begin next year’s Christmas letter now. Start in January and keep a running tally of the important things you want to include. If you bind the letters in a notebook you have a ready-made life journal. One stone, two birds.Make a goal list. Shopping done before Christmas, house cleaned thoroughly by the first weekend in December, trim the tree the day after Thanksgiving (since you don’t have to shop on Black Friday), Christmas cookies baked by the second weekend (or cheat and just buy them), the guest room readied right before your guests arrive, and so on. Tweak the list to fit your needs.For easy book writing: Write all year long, every day. Then when you take all that time off in December to get ready for the holidays, you won’t feel so guilty.Plan your book in advance. Some seat-of-the-pants writers claim too much planning takes the fun out of writing. We’ve done it both ways, and have found thorough planning and plotting keeps us out of those pesky writer’s blocks. You just have to be willing to let your characters speak to you even if they don’t want to go where you’ve planned.Get familiar with your book and characters. Let the novel and your characters live with you daily. When you are thinking about the book all the time, the words come easily to the page and your characters’ voices sound more real.Get your ideas as soon as they come to you. Carry a notebook, or use your phone, to jot down everything that comes to mind about your current WIP or ideas for new books. Even if you don’t use the ideas now, they may work, with some tweaking, for something in the future. Writers are always writing and we need to capture those ideas when they come.Begin your next book now. Writers who don’t think about future projects while they are still working on the current one run the risk of writer’s block for their next book. A running log of ideas, thoughts, characters, or anything related to the next books will make coming up with the stories easier. We brainstorm when we drive places, capturing all our ideas, good or bad, in a composition notebook. In a single composition book we have at least 10 new ideas waiting to be developed.Will we write them all? Maybe not, but we have ready-made journal filled with possibilities.Make a goal list. Set writing goals for yourself. Whether it’s 100 words a day, or 20 pages a day doesn’t matter. It’s the goal that counts.Tweak your goal list to fit your needs and you’ll be surprised how quickly those 100 words will turn into pages, and pages into chapters, and chapters into a book.So this holiday season, when you are laying your gifts beside the nativity, under your Christmas tree, give a gift to yourself. Promise to start writing early in the New Year and stay on target. Who knows, with perseverance and a little luck, you could be tucking your brand new book under next year’s tree as a gift to someone else.
Happy Writing and Merry Christmas!
C.D. Hersh
