Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 199
December 4, 2014
BOOK REVIEW - The OCCASIONAL DIAMOND THIEF
Kia is sixteen when her father dies, and already her life is fractured. Moments before he dies, in his delirium, he gives her something, something he has hidden away for most of the years of his life. Something he stole. A rare – and illegal - Malemese diamond.
With the jewel secreted in her personal effects, and thinking only to get away from her mother, Kia embarks on what she intends to be a new life. A series of misfortunes take her to the far away planet of Malem; her affinity for and aptitude with languages has earned her the position of translator for Select Agatha, of the Order of Universal Benevolence.
But in running away from her problems at home, Kia finds she cannot run away from herself. Agatha seems to know Kia in ways she doesn’t even know herself. On Malem, Kia encounters harsh living conditions, and lives only for the day she can return to her home planet. Events conspire to involve her in not only returning the diamond to its owner, but in a daring rescue.
Jane Ann McLachlan easily drew me into her story. Not a genre I have read before, it hooked me from the start. Written in first person, the story pulled me in and made me feel I was there. I sweated when Kia was eavesdropping, when she met Sodum in the alley behind his shop. My heart raced with her when she and Agatha are brought before the Queen of Malem. I grew fond of Kia, and of Agatha. I rooted for them. And cheered them on as they came into the final stretch of the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more by this author. I highly recommend The Occasional Diamond Thief.
#bookreview, #janeannmclachlan, #theoccasionaldiamonthief, #youngadultfiction. #sciencefiction, #futuristic, #spacetravel
November 13, 2014
Author Interview - Carol Moncado
I’d like to give a big welcome to Carol Moncado to my blog. Thank you for joining me today. I’m happy to have you here.
When she's not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband, four kids, and a dog who weighs less than most hard cover books. She prefers watching NCIS to just about anything, except maybe watching Castle. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not watching her kids - and the dog - race around her big backyard in Southwest Missouri, she's teaching American Government at a local community college. She's a founding member and President of MozArks ACFW, category coordinator for First Impressions, blogger at InspyRomance, and represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency.
www.carolmoncado.com Visit for the RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA giveaway today through 22 December!!!
Facebook: Carol Moncado Books
Twitter: @CarolMoncado
Pinterest: Carol Moncado
Blog at: www.inspyromance.com
Robin E. Mason: Hi Carol, welcome. Where did the inspiration for Finding Mr. Write come from?
CAROL MONCADO: The inspiration came from a conversation I had with Casey Herringshaw in the comments on Seekerville one day in mid-2011. We were planning for our first ACFW conference and debated whether or not we should stalk Julie Lessman while there. It turns out we didn’t need to, but the idea had taken root. The original concept had a much more Lucy-Ethel tone to it, but I love the way it turned out.
REM: So why the name Mya Elizabeth Linscott?
CM: Mya... well, the reason is implied in the book so I won’t spoil it here. I don’t remember the inspiration for Elizabeth, but likely just looking for something with an “E” to make it MEL. Linscott comes from my favorite Mary Connealy hero, Tom Linscott in Sharpshooter in Petticoats.
REM: Nice, a hook to get the reader in! Good choice on middle name, too; I’m personally fond of Elizabeth – tis what the E. stand for in my name! ;-) Where did the inspiration for Dorrie come from? What about the skin cancer on Dorrie's nose?
CM: Dorrie embodies pretty much every author I know, myself included. The insecurities. The fears. The rejection. But with all of that comes friendships that transcend writing. Camaraderie. Growth. And I do know of at least one couple that met at a conference and married later. Her journey mirrors mine in many ways [though not the contest final/win - or the random conference wedding ;)].
As for the skin cancer... as I was working on a round of edits for this book, I was diagnosed with exactly what she was. Her experience there also very much mirrors my own - from the nickel-sized crater to the second surgery and the lasering. And yes - my eyelids were numb at one point ;-).
REM: Carol, I’m so sorry you went through that. I trust all is well now. And I do relate to the camaraderie amongst us writers! I rather bask in that! What about Jeremiah? Where did the inspiration for him come from?
CM: My husband isn’t a writer, but he’s a lot like Jeremiah in a lot of ways. He’s incredibly supportive and I couldn’t do this writer thing without him. I don’t know where the whole “Prince Caspian” thing came from, but came it did. And I loved it!
REM: I love when these notions show up like that! You’ve several other characters of interest, where did you find inspiration for some of them? Will they ever get their own stories?
CM: Many of Dorrie’s writer friends were inspired by my own.
• Stephanie Jamison morphed out Casey Herringshaw. Her story, Finally Mr. Write, is the second book in this series and releases November 24, 2014.
• Anise Taylor came from my dear friend Pepper Basham [who recently signed her first book contract!!!!] - her story is slated for Grace to Forgive, which takes place in 2018 [why yes, I have some stories planned that far out ;)]. I have about 1500 words of that story written, from right smack in the middle, and every time I reread it I cry. I don’t think I’m a good enough writer to do that story justice just yet so I’m glad I’ve got a bit of time ;). However, Anise will pop in and out of stories here and there in the meantime!
• Julie Harders was initially inspired by Julie Lessman. Her son, Travis Harders, gets a story in Grace to Save [which comes right before Anise’s story]. Travis’s daughter’s last name is Connealy-Harders - names stolen from Mary Connealy and Audra Harders.
• Gavin Parmigianno is introduced at the CANDID conference. Dorrie and Jeremiah babysit for Bethany Sheer’s twin daughters. Gavin and Bethany meet in Falling for Mr. Write, book 3 in this series, slated for release in December 2014. That story was written long before I realized how well it fit in this series - with just a few tweaks ;).
• The Watchers blog group is based on the real life Seekerville - who meet every night of conference in the bar to hang out, encourage, commiserate with, love on all of the Seekervillagers.
• The NovelSistas are mentioned as a shout out my very own Jessica Keller Koschnitzky and Kristy Cambron. They’re both also part of BritCrits - which includes Jen Cvelbar (writing as Jennifer A. Davids), Joanna Davidson Politano, and Stacey Zink.
REM: I love putting real-life characteristics of people I know into my characters. What fun, real-life, stories about writers ended up in Finding Mr. Write?
CM: When Jeremiah talks about worshiping in a room with several hundred other people who get it, that’s very much a real experience for me and many others. I cry during the first worship session at ACFW - Every. Year.
But my favorite story is about Dorrie and the writer she was talking to in the elevator. At ACFW 2012 in Dallas, a woman walked into the elevator. We greeted each other like long lost friends. About halfway through the elevator ride, we realized we didn’t know each other, but neither of us wanted to admit it. To this day, I can’t tell you who I thought she was. And vice-versa. We ran into each other constantly that year. In Indianapolis in 2013, we hung out a lot on purpose and she joined my critique group [though she fails to see the wisdom in adding dinosaurs to a WWII epic - sigh]. This year, in St. Louis, we were roommates with plans for Dallas again next year. I thank God for the best “oops you’re not who I thought you were” ever! Jen Cvelbar is a true blessing!
REM: An accidental-on-purpose moment and friendship! Tell us about NaNoWriMo and what role did it play in Finding Mr. Write?
CM: NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it takes place every November. Hundreds of thousands of people world-wide commit to writing a fifty thousand word rough draft of a novel [for comparison purposes, a Love Inspired book runs about 55 thousand words]. The “fast draft” is how I write best anyway so it suits me. I’ve “competed” and won every year since 2007, though many of those will never see the light of day.
Because of the six releases planned between now and the end of the year, I’m not officially doing NaNoWriMo this year - and I really am mourning that. I know it seems odd, but that’s how much I love it.
Finding Mr. Write started as my 2011 project, though it’s undergone some fairly major revisions since. Good Enough for a Princess [releases 11/17/2014] was from 2012. Queen of His Heart [working title; releases Spring 2015] was the 2013 project.
REM: I have taken the NaNoWriMo plunge this year with my first novella, and second ever to-be-published story. I don’t write “fast draft” style, but I can crank some words out – now if I’d just see that happen! LOL Carol, you’ve mentioned a lot of different titles and release dates. What books are coming out next? What are you working on now?
CM: This is the beginning of my “grand opening” as an author! Six books are releasing this year and I’m working to finish them up right now.
* Finally Mr. Write: CANDID Romance book 2; November 24, 2014
* Falling for Mr. Write: CANDID Romance book 3; December 2014
*Good Enough for a Princess: The Montevaro Monarchy book 1; November 17, 2014
*Along Came a Prince: The Montevaro Monarchy book 2; December 2014
*More Than a Princess: The Montevaro Monarchy book 3; December 2014
Spring 2015 will see the release of the next series - The Brides of Bellas Montagnes. When I have the time, I’m working on book 3 in that series, Prince from her Past. The first two are mostly done - Hand-me-down Princess and Queen of His Heart [working title].
REM: I’m impressed! I jumped in without rhyme or reason, and certainly without a plan! You’ve done some footwork, that’s for sure! Why indie? Why now? How does that process work?
CM: Why indie? Because I’ve been doing this for a long time and most of my books are just a bit too outside “the box” for traditional publishers to take a chance on. I completely get that. Plus the number of fiction slots available each year with a traditional publisher has shrunk several times through the closure of fiction lines in the last couple of years.
Why now? I have 13 manuscripts under my belt, many of which were a polish or two away from being ready. Plus, I really, truly, believed God gave me the go-ahead when I prayed about it.
How does it work? Write a book. Rewrite the book. Edit. Edit. Edit. Critique partners. Edit. Edit. Proofreaders. Design a cover. Format the ebook. Format the paperback. Format the paperback cover. Submit the ebook to Kindle Direct Publishing. Submit the paperback files to CreateSpace and wait for a proof copy. Pray the proof copy arrives in time to sync the paperback and ebooks by the release date [that didn’t happen for Finding Mr. Write and is unlikely to for Good Enough for a Princess, but they’re both coming]. Anything but the writing [and some of the editing] can be hired out - either in exchange for money [paying an editor or cover designer or formatter, for instance] or as a barter [like with critique partners]. A long, daunting - but rewarding - process!
REM: I get that for sure, I’m definitely “outside the box” in my stories! Have you ever talked about fictional characters as real people?
CM: Can I plead the 5th?! No? Seriously?! Fine. Yes. I have. Do you have a problem with that?! ;)
REM: You can plead the fifth if I can….. #whistlesdixie What are your top five favorite books of all time?
CM: To quote one of my favorite people, Ruth Logan Herne: Oh! My! Stars! How to choose just five???? Let’s see:
1. Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
2. Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
3. Anything by Becky Wade [but especially Meant to be Mine. Or My Stubborn Heart.]
4. Any of Janice Thompson’s rom coms - starting with the Weddings by Bella series
5. Anything by Mary Connealy
REM: Thanks Carol, for stopping by and sharing with us! I think I’m dizzy just trying to keep up with you! LOL I look forward to reading all of your wonderful stories.
Finding Mr. Write
#Christfic, #newrelease, #CANDIDRomance
When she's not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband, four kids, and a dog who weighs less than most hard cover books. She prefers watching NCIS to just about anything, except maybe watching Castle. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not watching her kids - and the dog - race around her big backyard in Southwest Missouri, she's teaching American Government at a local community college. She's a founding member and President of MozArks ACFW, category coordinator for First Impressions, blogger at InspyRomance, and represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency.
www.carolmoncado.com Visit for the RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA giveaway today through 22 December!!!
Facebook: Carol Moncado Books
Twitter: @CarolMoncado
Pinterest: Carol Moncado
Blog at: www.inspyromance.com
Robin E. Mason: Hi Carol, welcome. Where did the inspiration for Finding Mr. Write come from?
CAROL MONCADO: The inspiration came from a conversation I had with Casey Herringshaw in the comments on Seekerville one day in mid-2011. We were planning for our first ACFW conference and debated whether or not we should stalk Julie Lessman while there. It turns out we didn’t need to, but the idea had taken root. The original concept had a much more Lucy-Ethel tone to it, but I love the way it turned out.
REM: So why the name Mya Elizabeth Linscott?
CM: Mya... well, the reason is implied in the book so I won’t spoil it here. I don’t remember the inspiration for Elizabeth, but likely just looking for something with an “E” to make it MEL. Linscott comes from my favorite Mary Connealy hero, Tom Linscott in Sharpshooter in Petticoats.
REM: Nice, a hook to get the reader in! Good choice on middle name, too; I’m personally fond of Elizabeth – tis what the E. stand for in my name! ;-) Where did the inspiration for Dorrie come from? What about the skin cancer on Dorrie's nose?
CM: Dorrie embodies pretty much every author I know, myself included. The insecurities. The fears. The rejection. But with all of that comes friendships that transcend writing. Camaraderie. Growth. And I do know of at least one couple that met at a conference and married later. Her journey mirrors mine in many ways [though not the contest final/win - or the random conference wedding ;)].
As for the skin cancer... as I was working on a round of edits for this book, I was diagnosed with exactly what she was. Her experience there also very much mirrors my own - from the nickel-sized crater to the second surgery and the lasering. And yes - my eyelids were numb at one point ;-).
REM: Carol, I’m so sorry you went through that. I trust all is well now. And I do relate to the camaraderie amongst us writers! I rather bask in that! What about Jeremiah? Where did the inspiration for him come from?
CM: My husband isn’t a writer, but he’s a lot like Jeremiah in a lot of ways. He’s incredibly supportive and I couldn’t do this writer thing without him. I don’t know where the whole “Prince Caspian” thing came from, but came it did. And I loved it!
REM: I love when these notions show up like that! You’ve several other characters of interest, where did you find inspiration for some of them? Will they ever get their own stories?
CM: Many of Dorrie’s writer friends were inspired by my own.
• Stephanie Jamison morphed out Casey Herringshaw. Her story, Finally Mr. Write, is the second book in this series and releases November 24, 2014.
• Anise Taylor came from my dear friend Pepper Basham [who recently signed her first book contract!!!!] - her story is slated for Grace to Forgive, which takes place in 2018 [why yes, I have some stories planned that far out ;)]. I have about 1500 words of that story written, from right smack in the middle, and every time I reread it I cry. I don’t think I’m a good enough writer to do that story justice just yet so I’m glad I’ve got a bit of time ;). However, Anise will pop in and out of stories here and there in the meantime!
• Julie Harders was initially inspired by Julie Lessman. Her son, Travis Harders, gets a story in Grace to Save [which comes right before Anise’s story]. Travis’s daughter’s last name is Connealy-Harders - names stolen from Mary Connealy and Audra Harders.
• Gavin Parmigianno is introduced at the CANDID conference. Dorrie and Jeremiah babysit for Bethany Sheer’s twin daughters. Gavin and Bethany meet in Falling for Mr. Write, book 3 in this series, slated for release in December 2014. That story was written long before I realized how well it fit in this series - with just a few tweaks ;).
• The Watchers blog group is based on the real life Seekerville - who meet every night of conference in the bar to hang out, encourage, commiserate with, love on all of the Seekervillagers.
• The NovelSistas are mentioned as a shout out my very own Jessica Keller Koschnitzky and Kristy Cambron. They’re both also part of BritCrits - which includes Jen Cvelbar (writing as Jennifer A. Davids), Joanna Davidson Politano, and Stacey Zink.
REM: I love putting real-life characteristics of people I know into my characters. What fun, real-life, stories about writers ended up in Finding Mr. Write?
CM: When Jeremiah talks about worshiping in a room with several hundred other people who get it, that’s very much a real experience for me and many others. I cry during the first worship session at ACFW - Every. Year.
But my favorite story is about Dorrie and the writer she was talking to in the elevator. At ACFW 2012 in Dallas, a woman walked into the elevator. We greeted each other like long lost friends. About halfway through the elevator ride, we realized we didn’t know each other, but neither of us wanted to admit it. To this day, I can’t tell you who I thought she was. And vice-versa. We ran into each other constantly that year. In Indianapolis in 2013, we hung out a lot on purpose and she joined my critique group [though she fails to see the wisdom in adding dinosaurs to a WWII epic - sigh]. This year, in St. Louis, we were roommates with plans for Dallas again next year. I thank God for the best “oops you’re not who I thought you were” ever! Jen Cvelbar is a true blessing!
REM: An accidental-on-purpose moment and friendship! Tell us about NaNoWriMo and what role did it play in Finding Mr. Write?
CM: NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it takes place every November. Hundreds of thousands of people world-wide commit to writing a fifty thousand word rough draft of a novel [for comparison purposes, a Love Inspired book runs about 55 thousand words]. The “fast draft” is how I write best anyway so it suits me. I’ve “competed” and won every year since 2007, though many of those will never see the light of day.
Because of the six releases planned between now and the end of the year, I’m not officially doing NaNoWriMo this year - and I really am mourning that. I know it seems odd, but that’s how much I love it.
Finding Mr. Write started as my 2011 project, though it’s undergone some fairly major revisions since. Good Enough for a Princess [releases 11/17/2014] was from 2012. Queen of His Heart [working title; releases Spring 2015] was the 2013 project.
REM: I have taken the NaNoWriMo plunge this year with my first novella, and second ever to-be-published story. I don’t write “fast draft” style, but I can crank some words out – now if I’d just see that happen! LOL Carol, you’ve mentioned a lot of different titles and release dates. What books are coming out next? What are you working on now?
CM: This is the beginning of my “grand opening” as an author! Six books are releasing this year and I’m working to finish them up right now.
* Finally Mr. Write: CANDID Romance book 2; November 24, 2014
* Falling for Mr. Write: CANDID Romance book 3; December 2014
*Good Enough for a Princess: The Montevaro Monarchy book 1; November 17, 2014
*Along Came a Prince: The Montevaro Monarchy book 2; December 2014
*More Than a Princess: The Montevaro Monarchy book 3; December 2014
Spring 2015 will see the release of the next series - The Brides of Bellas Montagnes. When I have the time, I’m working on book 3 in that series, Prince from her Past. The first two are mostly done - Hand-me-down Princess and Queen of His Heart [working title].
REM: I’m impressed! I jumped in without rhyme or reason, and certainly without a plan! You’ve done some footwork, that’s for sure! Why indie? Why now? How does that process work?
CM: Why indie? Because I’ve been doing this for a long time and most of my books are just a bit too outside “the box” for traditional publishers to take a chance on. I completely get that. Plus the number of fiction slots available each year with a traditional publisher has shrunk several times through the closure of fiction lines in the last couple of years.
Why now? I have 13 manuscripts under my belt, many of which were a polish or two away from being ready. Plus, I really, truly, believed God gave me the go-ahead when I prayed about it.
How does it work? Write a book. Rewrite the book. Edit. Edit. Edit. Critique partners. Edit. Edit. Proofreaders. Design a cover. Format the ebook. Format the paperback. Format the paperback cover. Submit the ebook to Kindle Direct Publishing. Submit the paperback files to CreateSpace and wait for a proof copy. Pray the proof copy arrives in time to sync the paperback and ebooks by the release date [that didn’t happen for Finding Mr. Write and is unlikely to for Good Enough for a Princess, but they’re both coming]. Anything but the writing [and some of the editing] can be hired out - either in exchange for money [paying an editor or cover designer or formatter, for instance] or as a barter [like with critique partners]. A long, daunting - but rewarding - process!
REM: I get that for sure, I’m definitely “outside the box” in my stories! Have you ever talked about fictional characters as real people?
CM: Can I plead the 5th?! No? Seriously?! Fine. Yes. I have. Do you have a problem with that?! ;)
REM: You can plead the fifth if I can….. #whistlesdixie What are your top five favorite books of all time?
CM: To quote one of my favorite people, Ruth Logan Herne: Oh! My! Stars! How to choose just five???? Let’s see:
1. Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
2. Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
3. Anything by Becky Wade [but especially Meant to be Mine. Or My Stubborn Heart.]
4. Any of Janice Thompson’s rom coms - starting with the Weddings by Bella series
5. Anything by Mary Connealy
REM: Thanks Carol, for stopping by and sharing with us! I think I’m dizzy just trying to keep up with you! LOL I look forward to reading all of your wonderful stories.
Finding Mr. Write
#Christfic, #newrelease, #CANDIDRomance
October 31, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! RELEASE DAY!!!
The month of October is a special time for me:
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
Tessa
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
CHARACTER INTERVIEW – TESSA
rem: Good afternoon, Tessa, welcome.
Tessa: Good afternoon. It’s good to be here.
rem: Your childhood was rather a Cinderella story. What was it like growing up without your mother’s attention?
Tessa: I didn’t know any different, until I started school and my friends talked about their mommies. But, Carlotta was there for me since the day I was born, and Aunt Vandy is in my earliest memories. I grew up with her kids, they are like sibling-cousins to me, perhaps more than anything else. Of course, Molly has always been like a big sister to me, and now that we’re adults, we have an amazing friendship.
Once Mother and Heath began courting – they never just dated, it was so society oriented, and once they finally became exclusive, I guess everyone knew they’d marry. He was kind to me, paid more attention to me than Mother did really. His mother, my Grandmother Lila was particularly sweet to me, too. I know now that was for his sake.
rem: What about Kase? What effect did he have on your childhood?
Tessa: Kase was the one person who made my childhood special. I was still so little when he and Mother split up, and I didn’t understand. I’d see him in the gallery sometimes, and he’d wink at me, and give me great big hugs. He was so withdrawn with other people, but with me, he was the most affectionate and tender man you could imagine. And I mean that in the best way, not inappropriate at all.
rem: How did you feel when your sister was born?
Tessa: I knew there was a baby coming, but I was only ten years old. I thought they would go get her somewhere, or that Santa might bring her. I remember being so disappointed that Christmas morning, because Santa hadn’t come, and Mother and Heath weren’t home.
rem: That must have been difficult for you. How did that make you feel about the baby?
Tessa: Oddly enough, it made me feel protective. After the new baby novelty wore off, something in me kicked in that made me want to protect her, to be sure she never felt as put off as I did. I knew Aunt Vandy would love her too, and I wasn’t jealous. I wanted to be for her what Vandy was for me.
rem: So you two were close. Her death must have been traumatic for you.
Tessa: [pause, deep breath] In a word, yes. I watched [author privilege, no spoilers here; Tessa was about to give away too much!]
rem: And when your mother arrived in Greece, what was that like?
Tessa: Remember, she had already said how she felt on the phone. She didn’t know it was me she was talking to, of course, she thought I was Connie. That was the more traumatic part. I knew how she felt, but to hear it put into words, I just… [deep breath and pause] And then she got there, and she was showering me with affection. I tried, truly I did, to tell her. But I couldn’t make the words come out.
rem: Didn’t you think someone would discover what you did?
Tessa: Every day. Not a day went by in thirteen years that it didn’t cross my mind at least once. I couldn’t tell Howie, I couldn’t tell Molly, nobody. I was terrified if they found out, if they knew, that they’d hate me. That they would feel the same way my mother always had about me, unwanted, indifferent.
rem: Why did you choose the name Tessa? You were living life as Connie, why not keep her name?
Tessa: I couldn’t bear it. I loved her, I couldn’t let myself be called by her name. Tessie was my nickname for her from the time she was a tiny baby. And a twisted sort of bonus, Mother hated it. To insist she call me by the name she hated, gave me a sort of wicked glee.
rem: How did it make you feel when you got the phone call? Did you have any idea who it was?
Tessa: Honestly, the cruelty of it made me think of Mother at first, that she was behind it. But then again, she was indifferent toward me, but never cruel. I couldn’t fathom who could know what happened or how they found out. I wracked my brain trying to figure out who might possibly know, or who might loathe me so desperately to be so cruel.
rem: Tessa, thank you for being with us today. I hope our readers are sufficiently intrigued to want to know your whole story.
Tessa: I sure do hope so. Thank you for having me.
If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by and like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, on my blog! Please leave me a comment, let me know you’re here!
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#tessacharacterinterview, #TESSARELEASEDAY, #onemothertwodaughters, #onefavoriteonenot
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
Tessawill be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
CHARACTER INTERVIEW – TESSA
rem: Good afternoon, Tessa, welcome.
Tessa: Good afternoon. It’s good to be here.
rem: Your childhood was rather a Cinderella story. What was it like growing up without your mother’s attention?
Tessa: I didn’t know any different, until I started school and my friends talked about their mommies. But, Carlotta was there for me since the day I was born, and Aunt Vandy is in my earliest memories. I grew up with her kids, they are like sibling-cousins to me, perhaps more than anything else. Of course, Molly has always been like a big sister to me, and now that we’re adults, we have an amazing friendship.
Once Mother and Heath began courting – they never just dated, it was so society oriented, and once they finally became exclusive, I guess everyone knew they’d marry. He was kind to me, paid more attention to me than Mother did really. His mother, my Grandmother Lila was particularly sweet to me, too. I know now that was for his sake.
rem: What about Kase? What effect did he have on your childhood?
Tessa: Kase was the one person who made my childhood special. I was still so little when he and Mother split up, and I didn’t understand. I’d see him in the gallery sometimes, and he’d wink at me, and give me great big hugs. He was so withdrawn with other people, but with me, he was the most affectionate and tender man you could imagine. And I mean that in the best way, not inappropriate at all.
rem: How did you feel when your sister was born?
Tessa: I knew there was a baby coming, but I was only ten years old. I thought they would go get her somewhere, or that Santa might bring her. I remember being so disappointed that Christmas morning, because Santa hadn’t come, and Mother and Heath weren’t home.
rem: That must have been difficult for you. How did that make you feel about the baby?
Tessa: Oddly enough, it made me feel protective. After the new baby novelty wore off, something in me kicked in that made me want to protect her, to be sure she never felt as put off as I did. I knew Aunt Vandy would love her too, and I wasn’t jealous. I wanted to be for her what Vandy was for me.
rem: So you two were close. Her death must have been traumatic for you.
Tessa: [pause, deep breath] In a word, yes. I watched [author privilege, no spoilers here; Tessa was about to give away too much!]
rem: And when your mother arrived in Greece, what was that like?
Tessa: Remember, she had already said how she felt on the phone. She didn’t know it was me she was talking to, of course, she thought I was Connie. That was the more traumatic part. I knew how she felt, but to hear it put into words, I just… [deep breath and pause] And then she got there, and she was showering me with affection. I tried, truly I did, to tell her. But I couldn’t make the words come out.
rem: Didn’t you think someone would discover what you did?
Tessa: Every day. Not a day went by in thirteen years that it didn’t cross my mind at least once. I couldn’t tell Howie, I couldn’t tell Molly, nobody. I was terrified if they found out, if they knew, that they’d hate me. That they would feel the same way my mother always had about me, unwanted, indifferent.
rem: Why did you choose the name Tessa? You were living life as Connie, why not keep her name?
Tessa: I couldn’t bear it. I loved her, I couldn’t let myself be called by her name. Tessie was my nickname for her from the time she was a tiny baby. And a twisted sort of bonus, Mother hated it. To insist she call me by the name she hated, gave me a sort of wicked glee.
rem: How did it make you feel when you got the phone call? Did you have any idea who it was?
Tessa: Honestly, the cruelty of it made me think of Mother at first, that she was behind it. But then again, she was indifferent toward me, but never cruel. I couldn’t fathom who could know what happened or how they found out. I wracked my brain trying to figure out who might possibly know, or who might loathe me so desperately to be so cruel.
rem: Tessa, thank you for being with us today. I hope our readers are sufficiently intrigued to want to know your whole story.
Tessa: I sure do hope so. Thank you for having me.
If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by and like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, on my blog! Please leave me a comment, let me know you’re here!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#tessacharacterinterview, #TESSARELEASEDAY, #onemothertwodaughters, #onefavoriteonenot
October 30, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! – DAY THIRTY!!!
The month of October is a special time for me:
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
Tessa
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
NANOWRIMO
My Countdown Celebration is winding down. Or, should I say, RAMPING UP!! Tomorrow’s the day, Tessa’s official Release Day. Of course, she’s been available for a couple of
weeks now, but tomorrow’s the HOOPLA and CELEBRATION!! TWO parties, one online, one live. It’s been a tall order, writing a blog post every.single.day. I’ve loved it, but it was a lot of work!!
So how am going to celebrate NOT posting every.single.day? For one thing, except for my Sunday Devotional post, I’m taking a hiatus from ye olde blogge for November. And the other little reason, the next consumer of my time shall be NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. “NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world.” (NaNoWriMo.org) Yes, I’m taking the plunge. From one high-volume writing task to ‘nother! Fifty thousand words in 30 days! How could I not? It’s a challenge, yes? Gauntlet thrown, no? Challenge accepted, gauntlet picked up!
According to the rules, actual writing does not begin until the stroke of midnight on the 1st of November. I can’t speak for others, but I shall abide by this; in fact, I may not even begin until the 2nd….. What with my event on Saturday ‘n all! I have my title – that’s a biggie – The Key on the Christmas Tree, and my main character, Risa, and a couple of others, and I have a most general story line, something of a cross between The Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I think. The key is, well, key in connecting Risa to Lina. That’s about all I know to this point. Suffice to say, I am not an outliner, but a “pantzer” which is to say, I write “by the seat of my pants,” which is to say, my characters tell me the story as we go along.
I do know this will be the first in a series of novellas, something entirely new to me. Like the whole Author Hat isn’t new enough, or NaNoWriMo itself for that matter; I hadn’t even heard of NaNo until this month! LOL The connections Risa makes, through the key, will each be the main character of his or her own story.
A general summary / notion of The Key on the Christmas Tree: Risa lives alone, maybe has a cat, works a solitary job - as yet undetermined - and leads a fairly solitary life. On her visit home for Christmas, with her large and bustling family, she discovers an antique key hanging on the tree. She becomes fascinated with it, why it's there - the tree is always decorated the same every year. She asks, albeit quietly, but no one has a clue about the key. It seems it has mysteriously appeared, and that it is there specifically for Risa.
The scope of the adventure is yet undetermined, but the key sets in motion a new life for Risa, and connects her to new people, who become fast friends for life.
NaNoWriMo will be a fun venture for me, I can’t wait to see where Risa’s story takes her, us! If I pull it off exceedingly well, it might even be available in time for Christmas!! A Christmas miracle!
For all the work that went into posting daily, I’ve truly enjoyed it. (not so much I want to even attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis though!) I plan to be back on track, posting regularly on Fridays. After the first of the year (is that so close that it's already “a thing” now!!!) I will continue with book reviews and author interviews – both of which intimidated me at first but I discovered I enjoy! Monthly though, definitely not weekly! And, the sequel to Tessa is brewing; stay tuned!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#countdowncelebration, #TESSARELEASEDAY, #nanowrimo, #keyonthechristmastree, #yayasisterhood, #travelingpants, #authorinterviews, #bookreviews
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
Tessa
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
NANOWRIMO
My Countdown Celebration is winding down. Or, should I say, RAMPING UP!! Tomorrow’s the day, Tessa’s official Release Day. Of course, she’s been available for a couple of
weeks now, but tomorrow’s the HOOPLA and CELEBRATION!! TWO parties, one online, one live. It’s been a tall order, writing a blog post every.single.day. I’ve loved it, but it was a lot of work!! So how am going to celebrate NOT posting every.single.day? For one thing, except for my Sunday Devotional post, I’m taking a hiatus from ye olde blogge for November. And the other little reason, the next consumer of my time shall be NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. “NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world.” (NaNoWriMo.org) Yes, I’m taking the plunge. From one high-volume writing task to ‘nother! Fifty thousand words in 30 days! How could I not? It’s a challenge, yes? Gauntlet thrown, no? Challenge accepted, gauntlet picked up!
According to the rules, actual writing does not begin until the stroke of midnight on the 1st of November. I can’t speak for others, but I shall abide by this; in fact, I may not even begin until the 2nd….. What with my event on Saturday ‘n all! I have my title – that’s a biggie – The Key on the Christmas Tree, and my main character, Risa, and a couple of others, and I have a most general story line, something of a cross between The Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I think. The key is, well, key in connecting Risa to Lina. That’s about all I know to this point. Suffice to say, I am not an outliner, but a “pantzer” which is to say, I write “by the seat of my pants,” which is to say, my characters tell me the story as we go along.
I do know this will be the first in a series of novellas, something entirely new to me. Like the whole Author Hat isn’t new enough, or NaNoWriMo itself for that matter; I hadn’t even heard of NaNo until this month! LOL The connections Risa makes, through the key, will each be the main character of his or her own story.
A general summary / notion of The Key on the Christmas Tree: Risa lives alone, maybe has a cat, works a solitary job - as yet undetermined - and leads a fairly solitary life. On her visit home for Christmas, with her large and bustling family, she discovers an antique key hanging on the tree. She becomes fascinated with it, why it's there - the tree is always decorated the same every year. She asks, albeit quietly, but no one has a clue about the key. It seems it has mysteriously appeared, and that it is there specifically for Risa.
The scope of the adventure is yet undetermined, but the key sets in motion a new life for Risa, and connects her to new people, who become fast friends for life.
NaNoWriMo will be a fun venture for me, I can’t wait to see where Risa’s story takes her, us! If I pull it off exceedingly well, it might even be available in time for Christmas!! A Christmas miracle!
For all the work that went into posting daily, I’ve truly enjoyed it. (not so much I want to even attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis though!) I plan to be back on track, posting regularly on Fridays. After the first of the year (is that so close that it's already “a thing” now!!!) I will continue with book reviews and author interviews – both of which intimidated me at first but I discovered I enjoy! Monthly though, definitely not weekly! And, the sequel to Tessa is brewing; stay tuned!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#countdowncelebration, #TESSARELEASEDAY, #nanowrimo, #keyonthechristmastree, #yayasisterhood, #travelingpants, #authorinterviews, #bookreviews
October 29, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! DAY 29
The month of October is a special time for me:
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
MONSTER MASH BOOK BASH – HIDING OUR IDENTITY and WEARING MASKS
I moderated a spot on this Facebook event today.
Staying on topic – for me – I discussed wearing masks. Halloween, of course, is all “fun-n-games” candy-seeking. Right? I did not address Halloween or its origins, I did not discuss the do or don’t participate. Intentionally.
“A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. They are usually worn on the face, although they may also be positioned for effect elsewhere on the wearer’s body, so in parts of Australia giant totem masks cover the body, whilst Inuit women use finger masks during storytelling and dancing.” [taken from Wikipedia]
rem: I lifted this pic and quote from Mia Botha on Writers Write this morning. [my bonus post today] The quote is by Oscar Wilde, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth."
rem: What do you think about that statement? true or no?
AC: I think it is true.
rem: thanks AC, can you share an example?
rem: Reminds me of the internet. I am really backward and shy in person but I'm not online. Make sense?
rem: that's really good!!! don't we all hide behind our digital personna!!!
rem: Other than burglary, why would anyone want to hide their identity????? I think we associate masks with fun, Halloween and parties. But there is a darker side to masks. what about someone breaking into your home or a bank? what are they hiding and why?
AC: Their face of course. If someone sees them, then no one can identify them by their facial features.
rem: EXACTLY!!! hiding their identity!!!
RE: And possibly their own fear. You feel braver in a mask.
rem: fear is one, absolutely
“History
The use of masks in rituals or ceremonies is a very ancient human practice across the world, although masks can also be worn for protection, in hunting, in sports, in feasts or in wars – or simply used as ornamentation. Some ceremonial or decorative masks were not designed to be worn. Although the religious use of masks has waned, masks are used sometimes in drama therapy or psychotherapy.” [Wikipedia]
rem: AC, you mentioned being shy. I understand that so well. and apparently, it's a trait not uncommon to writers, and artists in general. I think we compensate [some do] with inflated ego. Some of us, however, prefer to stay in our safe cocoon. and when we must venture out, we put on a brave front, i.e. a mask of sorts.
thoughts? agree? disagree?
AC: Agreed!
rem: for reasons to complicated too address here, I lived most of my life with a crippling lack of confidence. even with evidence to the contrary!! I could not, no way, no how, let anyone be aware that I was mistaken, or even that I did not know something. my "mask" then, was a false bravado and a total facade.
AC: Exactly! The same here.
rem: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was invisible. Or she thought she was invisible, felt that way at least. And when she felt people were staring at her, she wished she was invisible. That little girl was me. Hello, my name is Robin, and I’m a recovering invisiblet. I wasn't shy, I was terrified. [lifted from my blog 050214]
CG: Nice to meet you, Robin, and glad you are not invisible any longer!
rem: me too CG!! thanks!!
rem: my personal spiritual journey and walk with God has brought me to the place I am now - still learning - confidence, in who I am, and in the gifts, talents, and abilities He has given me!
CG, you just made a great comment, "Scary," to one of the images of masks. Question: which is scarier - visible masks or invisible?
AC: I have to say invisible. A lot of times when we hear about a serial killer, many friends, family and coworkers are shocked that they did those things.
CG: That is so true, the initial "scare" over a grotesque mask is one thing, but when we become lured in by the other kind of masks, whoa is me....
rem: and I rest my case!!! unabashed plug --> this is exactly what my novel Tessa is about. she wore a "mask" for 12 years, thinking no one knew. and mostly, no one did. still, she was tormented every single day, living a lie. ok, end of "plug" LOL
I am now living without masks, learning to reveal more and more of my real self, to trust [dear God, trust!!!] others with my heart!!! but oh, the joy!!!
KS: Hello Robin, I used to be invisible, too, very shy. I would be so surprised when people noticed me and said hello. Like you, the Lord Jesus Christ has brought me out of my shell. I was told as a child that "children are to be seen, not heard"! I must have adopted the invisible part unconsciously; if I couldn't give my opinion then I must become invisible. One way I compensate now is with a partial mask; when things are getting too serious I pull out my Billy Bob Teeth I got on eBay and start telling jokes or just talking funny. It changes the sad, tired waitress, the boring meeting, the family arguing, and it gets everybody laughing. I am amazed at how my personally changes into this latent comedian. I have a wig and hat and housecoat when I do Maxine jokes at a monthly lady prayer group and for senior luncheons! HERE IS MY HAPPY MASK!
rem: KS, what a wonderful example of God using that which the enemy intended for evil!!! the very thing that kept you intimidated - you are now using for His glory!!! LOVE this pic by the way!!
rem: what about this? classic and complete change of personality??? because of a mask.....
a final word, there are instances in which masks are a good thing, a safety feature: gas masks, military, sports even. GC, thanks for giving me the chance to share my [scattered] thoughts on masks and identity!! I look forward to the rest of the event, and I'll plan to join in again next year!! thanks to all for participating with me!!
AC: Have a great day, rem!
CG: Very interesting and thought provoking discussion, Robin. Thank you!
rem: thanks ladies for your great discussion!!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#monstermashbookback, #sheddinglightinadarkworld, #hidingouridentity, #wearingmasks, #themask, #jimcarrey
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
MONSTER MASH BOOK BASH – HIDING OUR IDENTITY and WEARING MASKS
I moderated a spot on this Facebook event today.
Staying on topic – for me – I discussed wearing masks. Halloween, of course, is all “fun-n-games” candy-seeking. Right? I did not address Halloween or its origins, I did not discuss the do or don’t participate. Intentionally.
“A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. They are usually worn on the face, although they may also be positioned for effect elsewhere on the wearer’s body, so in parts of Australia giant totem masks cover the body, whilst Inuit women use finger masks during storytelling and dancing.” [taken from Wikipedia]
rem: I lifted this pic and quote from Mia Botha on Writers Write this morning. [my bonus post today] The quote is by Oscar Wilde, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth."
rem: What do you think about that statement? true or no?
AC: I think it is true.
rem: thanks AC, can you share an example?
rem: Reminds me of the internet. I am really backward and shy in person but I'm not online. Make sense?
rem: that's really good!!! don't we all hide behind our digital personna!!!
rem: Other than burglary, why would anyone want to hide their identity????? I think we associate masks with fun, Halloween and parties. But there is a darker side to masks. what about someone breaking into your home or a bank? what are they hiding and why?
AC: Their face of course. If someone sees them, then no one can identify them by their facial features.
rem: EXACTLY!!! hiding their identity!!!
RE: And possibly their own fear. You feel braver in a mask.
rem: fear is one, absolutely
“History
The use of masks in rituals or ceremonies is a very ancient human practice across the world, although masks can also be worn for protection, in hunting, in sports, in feasts or in wars – or simply used as ornamentation. Some ceremonial or decorative masks were not designed to be worn. Although the religious use of masks has waned, masks are used sometimes in drama therapy or psychotherapy.” [Wikipedia]
rem: AC, you mentioned being shy. I understand that so well. and apparently, it's a trait not uncommon to writers, and artists in general. I think we compensate [some do] with inflated ego. Some of us, however, prefer to stay in our safe cocoon. and when we must venture out, we put on a brave front, i.e. a mask of sorts.
thoughts? agree? disagree?
AC: Agreed!
rem: for reasons to complicated too address here, I lived most of my life with a crippling lack of confidence. even with evidence to the contrary!! I could not, no way, no how, let anyone be aware that I was mistaken, or even that I did not know something. my "mask" then, was a false bravado and a total facade.
AC: Exactly! The same here.
rem: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was invisible. Or she thought she was invisible, felt that way at least. And when she felt people were staring at her, she wished she was invisible. That little girl was me. Hello, my name is Robin, and I’m a recovering invisiblet. I wasn't shy, I was terrified. [lifted from my blog 050214]
CG: Nice to meet you, Robin, and glad you are not invisible any longer!
rem: me too CG!! thanks!!
rem: my personal spiritual journey and walk with God has brought me to the place I am now - still learning - confidence, in who I am, and in the gifts, talents, and abilities He has given me!
CG, you just made a great comment, "Scary," to one of the images of masks. Question: which is scarier - visible masks or invisible?
AC: I have to say invisible. A lot of times when we hear about a serial killer, many friends, family and coworkers are shocked that they did those things.
CG: That is so true, the initial "scare" over a grotesque mask is one thing, but when we become lured in by the other kind of masks, whoa is me....
rem: and I rest my case!!! unabashed plug --> this is exactly what my novel Tessa is about. she wore a "mask" for 12 years, thinking no one knew. and mostly, no one did. still, she was tormented every single day, living a lie. ok, end of "plug" LOL
I am now living without masks, learning to reveal more and more of my real self, to trust [dear God, trust!!!] others with my heart!!! but oh, the joy!!!
KS: Hello Robin, I used to be invisible, too, very shy. I would be so surprised when people noticed me and said hello. Like you, the Lord Jesus Christ has brought me out of my shell. I was told as a child that "children are to be seen, not heard"! I must have adopted the invisible part unconsciously; if I couldn't give my opinion then I must become invisible. One way I compensate now is with a partial mask; when things are getting too serious I pull out my Billy Bob Teeth I got on eBay and start telling jokes or just talking funny. It changes the sad, tired waitress, the boring meeting, the family arguing, and it gets everybody laughing. I am amazed at how my personally changes into this latent comedian. I have a wig and hat and housecoat when I do Maxine jokes at a monthly lady prayer group and for senior luncheons! HERE IS MY HAPPY MASK!
rem: KS, what a wonderful example of God using that which the enemy intended for evil!!! the very thing that kept you intimidated - you are now using for His glory!!! LOVE this pic by the way!!
rem: what about this? classic and complete change of personality??? because of a mask.....
a final word, there are instances in which masks are a good thing, a safety feature: gas masks, military, sports even. GC, thanks for giving me the chance to share my [scattered] thoughts on masks and identity!! I look forward to the rest of the event, and I'll plan to join in again next year!! thanks to all for participating with me!!
AC: Have a great day, rem!
CG: Very interesting and thought provoking discussion, Robin. Thank you!
rem: thanks ladies for your great discussion!!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#monstermashbookback, #sheddinglightinadarkworld, #hidingouridentity, #wearingmasks, #themask, #jimcarrey
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! BONUS POST
Writers Write
Write to communicate. We offer the best writing courses in South Africa.
Masks reveal more than they conceal
What would your protagonist wear for Halloween?
What do Tutankhamen, Zorro and Batman all have in common? They all wore masks. Granted, Tutankhamen’s most famous mask was worn posthumously, but he did wear a fake beard while he was alive. Just like Santa - the fake one in the mall, not the real one. The real one obviously has a real beard.
Even today, we wear masks. The most common celebration of masks for most of us is Halloween. The costume or mask you choose to wear reveals a lot about you. It allows you to express a part of your personality that you usually hide or repress.
The history of masks
We have been wearing masks and costumes for centuries. Death masks, fertility masks, funeral masks, plague masks.
We wear outfits and masks to keep us safe - consider the hazmat suits worn by doctors and aid workers in West Africa. We wear them as disguises - think of bank robbers or actors. We wear them for occupational reasons - consider welders, astronauts and firemen. We wear them for sports - think ice hockey and American football. We even wear them for punishment - think of muzzles, a la Hannibal Lector. Ok, there might be a debate about punishment or pleasure in some circles. For me, it would be punishment. Can you see how I am revealing myself?
In comics
Super heroes, as an example, wear masks to hide their identity. Those masks change their behaviour. Peter Parker is awkward and fumbling, but add the suit, and he turns into a web-slinging-swinging-villain-fighting machine. Clark Kent is a super geek, but Superman is well, super. Masks and costumes allow us to have alter egos.
Like super heroes, masks allow us to hide who we are as well. At best, they give us freedom. A chance to have fun and misbehave. At worse, they give us distance from our responsibilities and ourselves. We no longer hold ourselves accountable. Everyday women wear make-up to change, improve or conceal appearances. Think of how far Renée Zellweger took that.
In books
In The Lord of the Flies by William Goldberg, the boys paint their faces. This allows them to set their animalistic natures, their ‘beasts’, free. In Phantom of the Opera, Erik wears a mask to hide a deformity.
As writers
As writers, we reveal much of ourselves in our work. We hide behind our characters; we live lives different to our own. It seems the more we try to hide, the more we show. We choose our characters as we choose our masks; to live a different life. We write to escape. Why do you get dressed up for Halloween? To stay home and stay sober? I think not. Consider this quote from Oscar Wilde:
Source for Quote
Think back to your past Halloween costumes or think about the last fancy dress party you attended. Why did you choose that particular costume? What were you trying to say or not say? In your fifteen-year-old-Goth-phase, what did you choose to wear? In your awkward shy twenties did you dress as a sexy librarian or a warrior woman? These decisions tell us a lot about where you were at that time of your life.
In character
Use this to explore your characters. What masks or costumes would your characters choose to wear? Why? What did they wear five years ago? Have they ‘progressed’ or are they still the same get-drunk-every-Friday-night-university-kids they were a few years back? Did your character wear the same costume for four years straight? What we hide and what we think we hide are closely related.
What mask do you wear? What mask does your character wear?
by Mia Botha
If you liked this post, you will enjoy Do Not Underestimate NaNoWriMo - Five Life-Saving Tips for Writers
Mia Botha facilitates for Writers Write. She is also a novelist, a ghost writer, and the winner of the Mills&Boon Voice of Africa Competition. When she isn’t writing, she is the mother of two children and the wife of a very lucky man. Follow Mia on Pinterest and Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter
~~~~~
Writers Write offers the best writing courses in South Africa. If you want to learn how to write a book, write for social media, and improve your business writing, send an email to news@writerswrite.co.za for more information.
Writers Write - Write to communicate
#writerswrite, #miabotha, #masks, #addamsfamily, #tutankhamen, #zorro, #batman
Write to communicate. We offer the best writing courses in South Africa.
Masks reveal more than they conceal
What would your protagonist wear for Halloween?
What do Tutankhamen, Zorro and Batman all have in common? They all wore masks. Granted, Tutankhamen’s most famous mask was worn posthumously, but he did wear a fake beard while he was alive. Just like Santa - the fake one in the mall, not the real one. The real one obviously has a real beard.
Even today, we wear masks. The most common celebration of masks for most of us is Halloween. The costume or mask you choose to wear reveals a lot about you. It allows you to express a part of your personality that you usually hide or repress.
The history of masks
We have been wearing masks and costumes for centuries. Death masks, fertility masks, funeral masks, plague masks.
We wear outfits and masks to keep us safe - consider the hazmat suits worn by doctors and aid workers in West Africa. We wear them as disguises - think of bank robbers or actors. We wear them for occupational reasons - consider welders, astronauts and firemen. We wear them for sports - think ice hockey and American football. We even wear them for punishment - think of muzzles, a la Hannibal Lector. Ok, there might be a debate about punishment or pleasure in some circles. For me, it would be punishment. Can you see how I am revealing myself?
In comics
Super heroes, as an example, wear masks to hide their identity. Those masks change their behaviour. Peter Parker is awkward and fumbling, but add the suit, and he turns into a web-slinging-swinging-villain-fighting machine. Clark Kent is a super geek, but Superman is well, super. Masks and costumes allow us to have alter egos.
Like super heroes, masks allow us to hide who we are as well. At best, they give us freedom. A chance to have fun and misbehave. At worse, they give us distance from our responsibilities and ourselves. We no longer hold ourselves accountable. Everyday women wear make-up to change, improve or conceal appearances. Think of how far Renée Zellweger took that.
In books
In The Lord of the Flies by William Goldberg, the boys paint their faces. This allows them to set their animalistic natures, their ‘beasts’, free. In Phantom of the Opera, Erik wears a mask to hide a deformity.
As writers
As writers, we reveal much of ourselves in our work. We hide behind our characters; we live lives different to our own. It seems the more we try to hide, the more we show. We choose our characters as we choose our masks; to live a different life. We write to escape. Why do you get dressed up for Halloween? To stay home and stay sober? I think not. Consider this quote from Oscar Wilde:
Source for Quote
Think back to your past Halloween costumes or think about the last fancy dress party you attended. Why did you choose that particular costume? What were you trying to say or not say? In your fifteen-year-old-Goth-phase, what did you choose to wear? In your awkward shy twenties did you dress as a sexy librarian or a warrior woman? These decisions tell us a lot about where you were at that time of your life.
In character
Use this to explore your characters. What masks or costumes would your characters choose to wear? Why? What did they wear five years ago? Have they ‘progressed’ or are they still the same get-drunk-every-Friday-night-university-kids they were a few years back? Did your character wear the same costume for four years straight? What we hide and what we think we hide are closely related.
What mask do you wear? What mask does your character wear?
by Mia Botha
If you liked this post, you will enjoy Do Not Underestimate NaNoWriMo - Five Life-Saving Tips for Writers
Mia Botha facilitates for Writers Write. She is also a novelist, a ghost writer, and the winner of the Mills&Boon Voice of Africa Competition. When she isn’t writing, she is the mother of two children and the wife of a very lucky man. Follow Mia on Pinterest and Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter
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Writers Write offers the best writing courses in South Africa. If you want to learn how to write a book, write for social media, and improve your business writing, send an email to news@writerswrite.co.za for more information.
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#writerswrite, #miabotha, #masks, #addamsfamily, #tutankhamen, #zorro, #batman
October 28, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! – BOOK REVIEW #4
The month of October is a special time for me:
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
BOOK REVIEW – THE LAND UNCHARTED by KEELY BROOKE KEITH
The Land is primitive and simple, and its people are content. They live minimal lives, at least by the standards of the 21st century. Except that this is 2025. And The Land is isolated from the world, and its turmoil that swirls around them. No one had left The Land since the ancestors arrived there seven generations ago. Nor had anyone else discovered the island.
Until Lieutenant Connor Bradshaw. Ejected from his aircraft during a military assignment gone bad, Lieutenant Bradshaw’s body washes up on the shore of The Land. Strolling the beach, Lydia Colburn watches in amazement as he drifts from the heavens, clad in unfamiliar military garb, and unconscious. As a doctor, Lydia’s concern for an injured patient outweighs her curiosity of his arrival.
His injuries are not life threatening, and with treatment of gray leaf tree, Connor recovers quickly.
The lieutenant’s military training demands that his priority be to recon with his squadron, but he finds that to be impossible. There is no technology in The Land, and no communication with the outside world, and the ocean currents surrounding The Land are too treacherous to navigate As time passes, however, Connor becomes acclimated, and satisfied, living in The Land – and attracted to Lydia. As his feelings for her stir and grow, he not only feels the need to protect her, but to protect The Land from the world outside. His world, a world of war and destruction.
For the first time in her life, Lydia feels her heart stir, and allows the hope of romance to begin to warm her heart.
Keely Brooke Keith presents a unique story, in which two worlds collide. Not unlike traveling back in time, the modern day knight in black army gear is suddenly thrust through a portal of sorts, to a world of simple means. She deftly builds tension, not only between Lydia and Connor, but with a disgruntled admirer who hovers on the outskirts of the story right up to the ending pages. Ms. Keith has created a very believable characters in Lydia Colburn, dedicated to her calling as a doctor, who struggles with real life issues, and in Lydia’s family members, as well as Connor Bradshaw, who struggles at first with being unable to return to the life he had known. Ms. Keith has also created a very believable world, The Land, in which the society is structured neatly; but not to be utopian or Pollyanna, evil lurks at the borders.
A delightful read, The Land Uncharted pulled me easily in to the story line, and as I came to know the characters, I found myself rooting for them in their quests. I look forward to more by this author.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#bookreview, #keelybrookekeith, #thelanduncharted, #grayleaftree, #twoworldscollide, #technology, #waranddestruction
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
BOOK REVIEW – THE LAND UNCHARTED by KEELY BROOKE KEITH
The Land is primitive and simple, and its people are content. They live minimal lives, at least by the standards of the 21st century. Except that this is 2025. And The Land is isolated from the world, and its turmoil that swirls around them. No one had left The Land since the ancestors arrived there seven generations ago. Nor had anyone else discovered the island.
Until Lieutenant Connor Bradshaw. Ejected from his aircraft during a military assignment gone bad, Lieutenant Bradshaw’s body washes up on the shore of The Land. Strolling the beach, Lydia Colburn watches in amazement as he drifts from the heavens, clad in unfamiliar military garb, and unconscious. As a doctor, Lydia’s concern for an injured patient outweighs her curiosity of his arrival.
His injuries are not life threatening, and with treatment of gray leaf tree, Connor recovers quickly.
The lieutenant’s military training demands that his priority be to recon with his squadron, but he finds that to be impossible. There is no technology in The Land, and no communication with the outside world, and the ocean currents surrounding The Land are too treacherous to navigate As time passes, however, Connor becomes acclimated, and satisfied, living in The Land – and attracted to Lydia. As his feelings for her stir and grow, he not only feels the need to protect her, but to protect The Land from the world outside. His world, a world of war and destruction.
For the first time in her life, Lydia feels her heart stir, and allows the hope of romance to begin to warm her heart.
Keely Brooke Keith presents a unique story, in which two worlds collide. Not unlike traveling back in time, the modern day knight in black army gear is suddenly thrust through a portal of sorts, to a world of simple means. She deftly builds tension, not only between Lydia and Connor, but with a disgruntled admirer who hovers on the outskirts of the story right up to the ending pages. Ms. Keith has created a very believable characters in Lydia Colburn, dedicated to her calling as a doctor, who struggles with real life issues, and in Lydia’s family members, as well as Connor Bradshaw, who struggles at first with being unable to return to the life he had known. Ms. Keith has also created a very believable world, The Land, in which the society is structured neatly; but not to be utopian or Pollyanna, evil lurks at the borders.
A delightful read, The Land Uncharted pulled me easily in to the story line, and as I came to know the characters, I found myself rooting for them in their quests. I look forward to more by this author.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#bookreview, #keelybrookekeith, #thelanduncharted, #grayleaftree, #twoworldscollide, #technology, #waranddestruction
October 27, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! CONTEST #2
The month of October is a special time for me:
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
Contest begins today and goes through the Day of the Event! On the Day of the Event, I will randomly select one correct entry as the winner.
CONTEST #2: Scavenger hunt – peruse through my Countdown Posts to find
A – Style of art preferred by Marni, Cassie, and Connie; OR
B – Which authors I interviewed this month; OR
C – Which books I reviewed this month.
Ready! Set!! GO!!!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#contest, #countdowncelebration, #scavengerhunt, #authorinterviews, #bookreviews
my debut novel, my baby,
Tessa,
will be released IN PRINT on Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
Contest begins today and goes through the Day of the Event! On the Day of the Event, I will randomly select one correct entry as the winner.
CONTEST #2: Scavenger hunt – peruse through my Countdown Posts to find
A – Style of art preferred by Marni, Cassie, and Connie; OR
B – Which authors I interviewed this month; OR
C – Which books I reviewed this month.
Ready! Set!! GO!!!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#contest, #countdowncelebration, #scavengerhunt, #authorinterviews, #bookreviews
October 26, 2014
WELCOME to my PARTY!!! Sunday Devotional – Third Edition
WITHHOLDING NOTHING
I had planned to write today’s Devotional about worship. However, today’s church service ministered to me in such a way that I will share what Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit this morning. While we were singing William McDowell's, “Withholding Nothing,” the part that says, “I surrender all to you,” He told me to surrender ALL - surrender my pain – NO!! NOT MY pain, THE pain, surrender THE Rheumatoid Arthritis, surrender [and here's a biggie] THE poverty!!! They are NOT mine! They are NOT my portion nor my inheritance. I have identified with these for so long, I've tolerated them for so many years - but no more!! NO MORE!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63jGC...
It’s the great exchange. When we give Him what we have and are – He gives us what He has and is. Papa God is everything. He has everything.
And then, the part where he’s singing about, “All I want is You.” And Holy Spirit said back to me, “All I want, Robin, is you.” That’ll blow your mind. All He wants- is US.
So, I relinquish all that comfortable junk, all that which seemed and felt like it was mine, but isn’t. Lies can never be mine. Or yours. Lies aren’t anything, they are distortions, mirages, illusions – and they aren’t real. We can never own something that isn’t real, we can never own nothing.
But the Truth. The Truth is faith and evidence and substance of things unseen. The Truth is the fulfillment of all that He is and has for us. The Truth is who we are. The Truth is our identity [there’s my theme again!!! Imagine that!!] And our identity is in Him! Outside of that, away from Him, our identity flounders, flops, and fails. For if we are not attached to the Truth – to the Vine – we cannot sustain ourselves, our lives. And we settle for counterfeit, for lies, for vapors of nothing. Pain that I’ve lived with for years? Not true, not God’s Truth. Poverty? Not His either.
I offer this poem I penned a few years ago.
The Problem with Pain
The problem with pain is that it
hurts. That’s just what the prob
lem is. And it’s subversive, it sneaks up on you and calls itself something else and always overstays its welc ome. It says it’s ok, you’ll get
used to it. You won’t mind after a
while, and you don’t. You treat
pain like a welcome guest in
your home only this is
your body.
And it hurts and you don’t even know
it’s there anymore. It just trolls through you and strikes out
at you and you catch your breath. And take a pill or
a shot. And we wrap our wounds in gauze
like a mummy. And part of us dies. And pain, it
laughs at you because we said it was ok for it to
stay. It slows us down and says we hurt too
bad to do that. But we really wa
nted to do that. And now we’re sad too. Cause Sad an
d Pain are friends. And we realize that life has slipped by and all the things we wanted and all the drea
ms we dreamed and all the goals we set have vanished. And we can never get them back. And Pain know
s this. And laughs because this was th
e plan. To keep
me, to hold
me back
from what I was
meant to do. From wh
at I was created
to do.
What I was put here
to do.
But guess what?
Guess what Pain?
I say go away.
I say you can’t stay.
GO AWAY!!!
YOU CANNOT STAY!!!
And Pain, it knows that it must listen to me. Because
I speak with authority.
But it doesn’t go quietly.
It doesn’t go peaceably.
It goes kicking and screaming and clawing. Even i
ts exit hurts.
But it goes.
It leaves my body and my life.
And now my dreams and goals and all the things I ever wanted in my life can be.
I can do the things I could not do before.
I can be who I could not be with this demon attached to me.
For I am free. I can be me. I can be who I was created to be.
© Robin E. Mason
18 April 2009
That’s the problem with any lie, it doesn’t want to go. It moves in and settles in, takes over and gets comfortable. In our lives. But it doesn’t belong in our lives, and when we kick it out, when we tell that thing, whatever the lie in your life may be, that in the Name of Jesus it has to go – it isn’t going to go peaceably. And it may take some time. [OUCH!!!] But authority is authority, and it doesn’t waver or quake. And if we stand firm in the authority that belongs to us as the righteousness of Jesus, those lies have not choice and they will flee.
So yes, I surrender ALL to Holy Spirit. Because I know what He offers, what He has for me in exchange, is perfect.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#devotional, #williammcdowell, #withholdingnothing, #surrenderall, #greatexchange, #allIwantisYou, #theproblemwithpain, #itsnotmine
I had planned to write today’s Devotional about worship. However, today’s church service ministered to me in such a way that I will share what Holy Spirit dropped in my spirit this morning. While we were singing William McDowell's, “Withholding Nothing,” the part that says, “I surrender all to you,” He told me to surrender ALL - surrender my pain – NO!! NOT MY pain, THE pain, surrender THE Rheumatoid Arthritis, surrender [and here's a biggie] THE poverty!!! They are NOT mine! They are NOT my portion nor my inheritance. I have identified with these for so long, I've tolerated them for so many years - but no more!! NO MORE!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63jGC...
It’s the great exchange. When we give Him what we have and are – He gives us what He has and is. Papa God is everything. He has everything.
And then, the part where he’s singing about, “All I want is You.” And Holy Spirit said back to me, “All I want, Robin, is you.” That’ll blow your mind. All He wants- is US.
So, I relinquish all that comfortable junk, all that which seemed and felt like it was mine, but isn’t. Lies can never be mine. Or yours. Lies aren’t anything, they are distortions, mirages, illusions – and they aren’t real. We can never own something that isn’t real, we can never own nothing.
But the Truth. The Truth is faith and evidence and substance of things unseen. The Truth is the fulfillment of all that He is and has for us. The Truth is who we are. The Truth is our identity [there’s my theme again!!! Imagine that!!] And our identity is in Him! Outside of that, away from Him, our identity flounders, flops, and fails. For if we are not attached to the Truth – to the Vine – we cannot sustain ourselves, our lives. And we settle for counterfeit, for lies, for vapors of nothing. Pain that I’ve lived with for years? Not true, not God’s Truth. Poverty? Not His either.
I offer this poem I penned a few years ago.
The Problem with Pain
The problem with pain is that it
hurts. That’s just what the prob
lem is. And it’s subversive, it sneaks up on you and calls itself something else and always overstays its welc ome. It says it’s ok, you’ll get
used to it. You won’t mind after a
while, and you don’t. You treat
pain like a welcome guest in
your home only this is
your body.
And it hurts and you don’t even know
it’s there anymore. It just trolls through you and strikes out
at you and you catch your breath. And take a pill or
a shot. And we wrap our wounds in gauze
like a mummy. And part of us dies. And pain, it
laughs at you because we said it was ok for it to
stay. It slows us down and says we hurt too
bad to do that. But we really wa
nted to do that. And now we’re sad too. Cause Sad an
d Pain are friends. And we realize that life has slipped by and all the things we wanted and all the drea
ms we dreamed and all the goals we set have vanished. And we can never get them back. And Pain know
s this. And laughs because this was th
e plan. To keep
me, to hold
me back
from what I was
meant to do. From wh
at I was created
to do.
What I was put here
to do.
But guess what?
Guess what Pain?
I say go away.
I say you can’t stay.
GO AWAY!!!
YOU CANNOT STAY!!!
And Pain, it knows that it must listen to me. Because
I speak with authority.
But it doesn’t go quietly.
It doesn’t go peaceably.
It goes kicking and screaming and clawing. Even i
ts exit hurts.
But it goes.
It leaves my body and my life.
And now my dreams and goals and all the things I ever wanted in my life can be.
I can do the things I could not do before.
I can be who I could not be with this demon attached to me.
For I am free. I can be me. I can be who I was created to be.
© Robin E. Mason
18 April 2009
That’s the problem with any lie, it doesn’t want to go. It moves in and settles in, takes over and gets comfortable. In our lives. But it doesn’t belong in our lives, and when we kick it out, when we tell that thing, whatever the lie in your life may be, that in the Name of Jesus it has to go – it isn’t going to go peaceably. And it may take some time. [OUCH!!!] But authority is authority, and it doesn’t waver or quake. And if we stand firm in the authority that belongs to us as the righteousness of Jesus, those lies have not choice and they will flee.
So yes, I surrender ALL to Holy Spirit. Because I know what He offers, what He has for me in exchange, is perfect.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#devotional, #williammcdowell, #withholdingnothing, #surrenderall, #greatexchange, #allIwantisYou, #theproblemwithpain, #itsnotmine
October 25, 2014
¡¡¡BIENVENIDO a mi FIESTA!!! - DIA VIENTICINCO
La mes de octubre es un tiempo especial para mí:
mi novela de debut, mi niña
Tessa,
será lanzado IMPRIMIDA en Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
¿Qué es nuestra propósito en el Reino de Dios? Para ser sal y luz, para compartir la Palabra del Señor, para compartir la verdad y Su amor. Para ser Su mensaje viviente. Somos vasos de Su Alma, de Su presencia, y Lo llegamos adentro de nuestra alma en cada minuto. Somos Sus manos y pies en la tierra, somos Su voz y Su canción.
Mi oración esta noche:
Bienvenido, Señor, bienvenido en este lugar, en nuestras corazones.
Querido Padre, queremos conocerte, queremos saber Tu voluntad, queremos saber Tu Palabra. Enseñanos, Padre, en Tu camino. Aviva Tu Palabra en nuestra mente, aviva Tu Palabra en nuestras pensamientos cada día. Camina con nosotros y guía nuestra camina.
Te amamos, te damos la honra y la gloria. En el Nombre de Jesús, Amén y Amén.
Nuestro iglesia se llama, Iglesia Dominio, “una iglesia Hispana que existe para despertar y desarrollar líderes con el propósito de Dios y Su reino.” http://www.DominioSC.org/ Los servicios empiezan a las 7:00 cada sábado. Estan disponible por el internet, también. El link para el servicio es: live.dominiosc.org. ¡Juntanos!
Tengo que dar un “shout out” a mis pastores, Marc y Blanca Garcia! Son mis padres espiritules! Estoy demasiado bendicido conocerlos a ellos, y demasiado agradecida al Señor para ellos en mi vida!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#spanish, #espanol, #propósito, #mensajeviviente, #Susmanos, #Suspies, #iglesiadominio
mi novela de debut, mi niña
Tessa,
será lanzado IMPRIMIDA en Halloween!
WHEEEEE!!!!!
¿Qué es nuestra propósito en el Reino de Dios? Para ser sal y luz, para compartir la Palabra del Señor, para compartir la verdad y Su amor. Para ser Su mensaje viviente. Somos vasos de Su Alma, de Su presencia, y Lo llegamos adentro de nuestra alma en cada minuto. Somos Sus manos y pies en la tierra, somos Su voz y Su canción.
Mi oración esta noche:
Bienvenido, Señor, bienvenido en este lugar, en nuestras corazones.
Querido Padre, queremos conocerte, queremos saber Tu voluntad, queremos saber Tu Palabra. Enseñanos, Padre, en Tu camino. Aviva Tu Palabra en nuestra mente, aviva Tu Palabra en nuestras pensamientos cada día. Camina con nosotros y guía nuestra camina.
Te amamos, te damos la honra y la gloria. En el Nombre de Jesús, Amén y Amén.
Nuestro iglesia se llama, Iglesia Dominio, “una iglesia Hispana que existe para despertar y desarrollar líderes con el propósito de Dios y Su reino.” http://www.DominioSC.org/ Los servicios empiezan a las 7:00 cada sábado. Estan disponible por el internet, también. El link para el servicio es: live.dominiosc.org. ¡Juntanos!
Tengo que dar un “shout out” a mis pastores, Marc y Blanca Garcia! Son mis padres espiritules! Estoy demasiado bendicido conocerlos a ellos, y demasiado agradecida al Señor para ellos en mi vida!
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
#spanish, #espanol, #propósito, #mensajeviviente, #Susmanos, #Suspies, #iglesiadominio
Robin's Book Shelf
The people I meet, the worlds I get lost in and long to return to. And the authors who create these worlds and the people who inhabit them.
- Robin E. Mason's profile
- 80 followers
