Terry Odell's Blog, page 138
June 21, 2016
In the Interview Room – Mia Kay
Today I welcome Mia Kay to Terry’s Place. Mia is the author of the Agents Undercover romance series.
What’s your biggest distraction when you should be writing?
The Internet. Whether it’s falling into a research rabbit hole or chatting with my critique partner, it’s hard to stay off the web.
Plotter or Pantser?
Plotser. J I have a plot; but at some point in drafting, the characters begin to ignore it. Usually that’s a good thing.
Setting: real, totally made up, or based on a real place?
Based...
June 20, 2016
Themes and Tropes
Most readers have favorite genres and sub-genres. Mystery lovers might prefer police procedurals or cozies. Some prefer suspense. Romance readers might zero in on any of the myriad Harlequin imprints, or they might eschew those in favor of the deeper “single title” books. Whatever they choose, readers like comfort and familiarity when they pick up a book, and there are some tried and true themes and tropes.
I get emails from a number of advertising sites such as BookBub and Fussy Librarian, w...
June 19, 2016
Happy Father’s Day
Wishing my dad and all dads a very happy Father’s Day.
And also wishing daughter Nicole all the best as she competes in the Ironman Syracuse 70.3 Triathlon today.
This means that while you and your dads are enjoying your Bar-B-Q, golf, fishing or other Father’s Day festivities, she’ll be swimming 1.2 miles, then bicycling 56 miles, followed by a ‘leisurely’ 13.1 mile run. And all this after some serious medical setbacks over the last 2 years. Send good wishes her way. You should be able to...
June 17, 2016
Friday Field Trip – Rome
My daughter was in Rome recently and was kind enough to share some pictures.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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June 16, 2016
Black Moments
Every genre brings reader expectations. The detective will solve the crime, the hero and heroine will fall in love and there’s the promise of the happily ever after. A romantic suspense is a combination of both of these, and not delivering can upset readers. Likewise, leaving the main crime in a mystery unsolved will frustrate readers. Another “no-no” is killing off a major POV character, although if you’re a Big Name Author, you can probably get away with it.
One convention I don’t particula...
June 15, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Sheila’s Soup
We had this soup at the ranch, and it was delicious. Sheila was kind enough to share her recipe. I made it at home, but used chicken for the protein and chicken broth instead of beef. I used more chicken and a cup of barley because I wanted a thicker, heartier soup for a full meal.
Sheila’s Soup
Recipe courtesy of Sheila Clouse and the Colorado Cattle Company
Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
6 c beef broth (match your broth to your choice o...
June 14, 2016
In the Interview Room – Kay LaLone
Today I welcome Kay LaLone to Terry’s Place. Kay is the author of Ghostly Clues and Family Secret.
What’s your biggest distraction when you should be writing?
My biggest distraction when I should be writing is the internet. Checking my email, looking on Facebook, and putting auctions on ebay.
What’s on your desk?
Computer, notebooks, and pencils.
E-books, print, or both? Any preferences? Why?
I read both e-books and print, but there is nothing like flipping pages. I love the smell of old book...
June 13, 2016
Men Aren’t Women With Chest Hair
Image from PSDGraphics
I’ve been reading Fool Me Once, by Harlan Coben, and one thing I’ve noticed (not just with this book) is that he is an expert at writing from a woman’s point of view. And not just for a few scenes – Maya is the single POV character for the entire book. Since I’m busy with an unexpected out of town trip, I’m scheduling this post before I leave. It’s one I wrote several years ago after a workshop given by Linda Howard. It was part of my 12 Steps to Intimacy series.
I writ...
June 10, 2016
Friday Field Trip – Colorado Cattle Ranch 2
I’m on a plane today, but here are some of the pictures Hubster took during our stay on the ranch.
As we drove onto ranch property, the welcoming committee came out to greet us.
Scotty was always happy to answer my questions, no matter how off the wall.
The Fishing Hole
In which we learn that I have a physiological issue which means I can’t rotate my wrist properly to learn how to rope.
Not perfect, but the bad guy’s dead, I think.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
June 9, 2016
On Question Marks and More
First, I had to plan a last-minute trip to my parents’ home. Because I’m busy taking care of all the details that go into an unexpected trip, this isn’t a “usual” writing post, although there is one tip in here.
For whatever reason, I have this “thing” about forgetting question marks. I know the rules, I know where they belong, but apparently by the time I get to the end of the sentence, I’ve forgotten it was a question.
At any rate, I clearly left out enough question marks that did belong in...
