Terry Odell's Blog, page 137
July 1, 2016
Friday Field Trip – Bad Liebenzell
Elaine Baskin traveled to Bad Liebenzell in the Black Forest in Germany and is sharing her pictures with us. Thanks, Elaine.
The fortress and keep of Bad Liebenzell
The town of Bad Liebenzell looking down from the fortress
Old building no longer in use
Walking path to the fortress
Walking path to the fortress
Walking path to the fortress, coming to the old City wall.
Path to City Wall
The stairwell in the keep, looking down from the top
Have a great weekend, everyone!
June 30, 2016
After The End
On Monday, I talked about prologues. How about looking at epilogues today? Although I’ve done a prologue for one of my books (I think that comes to 6% of my titles), I’ve never done an epilogue. I like these less than prologues. Or, perhaps I dislike them more.
After all, a prologue is supposed to draw your reader in. If they get as far as the epilogue, they’ve read the book.
And, since I’m neither a proponent of epilogues, nor do I have any experience with them, I asked my friend Google wha...
June 29, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Black Bean and Quinoa Tabbouleh
This recipe was originally for a lentil tabbouleh, but living where I do, getting things like bulgur (cracked wheat) is easier said than done, so I substituted quinoa, which we can find. Also, the original recipe called for lentils. Another challenge of living at altitude—any dried beans take FOREVER to cook, and I couldn’t find canned ones at the 2 stores I checked. But that’s part of cooking—learning how to adapt for what’s on hand and what works.
Black Bean and Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Ingre...
June 28, 2016
In The Interview Room – Shannyn Schroeder
Today I welcome Shannyn Schroeder to Terry’s Place. Shannyn is the author of the O’Learys contemporary series and the newly released For Your Love series.
What’s your biggest distraction when you should be writing?
My kids are my biggest distraction because more often than not, someone needs a ride somewhere. If I’m actively procrastinating, however, Twitter or critiquing someone else’s manuscript is my favorite way to be distracted.
Plotter or Pantser?
I’m a Pantser. I spend a lot of time fi...
June 27, 2016
Before the Beginning
I started reading a book by a new-to-me author. It began with a prologue, headed “3 Years Ago.” Not an immediate turnoff—3 years seems long enough before “Chapter 1” to consider it a prologue.
However, in this book, it took almost 10 pages of back story and info dumping before we get to the action—the protagonist discovering his wife lying on the floor bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. Does the reader need to know everything the hero was thinking from the moment he woke up, trying to...
June 25, 2016
Want Books?
I’m decluttering my office, and I need to cull some books from my shelves. Some new, some gently read. Genres include mystery and romance. Winner will receive a minimum of 5 books, randomly selected from my shelf.
Contest ends July 5th.
Terry Odell is cleaning her office and has books to give away. #contest #amreading
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The fine print:
No purchase is necessary. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. Winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter from all ent...
June 24, 2016
Beta Readers Needed
I’ve finished the first draft of my 3rd Triple-D Ranch romantic suspense.
I’m looking for beta readers — readers with some free time, as I’ll need a turnaround by July 13th at the latest. The manuscript is about 94,000 words, or 340 manuscript pages. I’m NOT looking for proofreaders; I’m looking for overall impressions of the story, the characters, and whether things hold together.
Rebecca is looking for money, not love, but the money she needs is to help pay for her nephew’s medical bills. S...
Friday Field Trip – Birds in South Texas
My son Jason Odell has been busy with his photo safaris. Here are some images from his recent trip to Texas.
I’m back from my annual trip to south Texas, where I bring a small group of photographers to photograph birds from private blinds. By being in the blinds, we’re able to get closer to the birds than we could otherwise, which leads to some really nice photos. All of these images were captured with a Nikon D500 DSLR camera and a 200-500mm Nikon zoom lens. I can’t wait to go back again nex...
June 23, 2016
Let’s Talk About Research
I’m over at Booklover’s Bench this week, talking about my research experiences for my Triple-D Ranch series. Learning new things is fun no matter who you are or what you do. I’ve got a download of In Hot Water for one commenter over at “The Bench.” Please pop over and share something you’ve learned.
June 22, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Not Much
Hubster and Dog have been out of town minding our daughter’s dog this past week, and I confess I haven’t been particularly creative in the kitchen. I’ve been using the time to finish the first draft of my third Triple-D Ranch novel, and finishing a book always calls for a celebration. No cooking involved when it’s champagne and chocolate.
