Terry Odell's Blog, page 263

Friday Field Trip - Birds (not angry)

I asked Jason if he had any more pictures to share. He said he'd already given me all his "good" ones and didn't have anything new. So, I dug through my hard drive and found these that he'd given me back in 2005, before he took up photography full time. I think they're just fine.



Happy New Year. Be safe.



































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Fun With Rhetoric

What I'm reading: Surrender at Dawn, by Laura Griffen (Nook)

Many of us (not saying me, mind you) remember those grammar and rhetorical device lessons from our English classes. You know, things like analogies, metaphors, similes, and the like. Well, today, as my last "writing-related" post of 2011, I thought I'd share a fun one: paraprosdokian. Everyone could use a smile or two.



Disclaimer: Hubster sent this via email, and I don't have sources for the examples.



A paraprosdokian sentence consists of two parts where the first is a figure of speech and the second an intriguing variation of the first. They're used typically for humorous or dramatic effect.



- Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.



- Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.



- The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list




- If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.



- We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.



- Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.



- The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.



- How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?



- Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity they can train people to stand at the edge of a pool and throw fish.



- I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.



- Women will never be equal to men till they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they're sexy.



- A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.



- You don't need a parachute to skydive, but you do need one to skydive again.



- The voices in my head may be fake, but they have good ideas!



- Hospitality is making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.



- I scream the same way whether I'm about to be eaten by a shark or seaweed touches my foot.



- Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go.



- There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.



- You're never too old to learn something stupid.



And here's a quick quiz. This is an example of another rhetorical device.

Abso-blooming-lutely (I cleaned it up a bit for this blog!)



Anyone know what the term is? If you do, email me at contest @ terryodell .com (remove spaces). Don't give it away in the comments. There will be a prize!



If I can scrounge up some pictures, there will be another Friday Field Trip tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I'd love a nice round number of followers to ring out 2011. My goal of 500 might have been a bit lofty, but goals can be revised. What about 425?

Enjoy your weekend, and be safe!

Image credit for this blog: Painting depicting a lecture in a knight academy, painted by Pieter Isaacsz or Reinhold Timm for Rosenborg Castle as part of a series of seven paintings depicting the seven independent arts. This painting illustrates rhetorics



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What's Cooking Wednesday - Ham Sandwiches

What I'm reading: Freaks, by Tess Gerritsen; Second Son, by Lee Child (Nook); Highlander's Curse, by Melissa Mayhue (bike)



Thanks to Jonnie for yesterdays' guest post. Series and Stand Alone is something I can relate to.

My physical therapist's office hosted an Open House, and I'd like to thank Carol Greenstreet, who enjoys poking me in the back with needles, for sharing her recipe for some yummy ham sandwiches. If you had a Christmas ham, this might be a good way to use up leftovers. If not, you can certainly find ham in the deli section of your local grocery store.



Ham Sandwiches



1/3 c butter, softened

2 T finely grated onion

3 ½ T poppy seeds

2 t Dijon mustard

2 t Worcestershire sauce

2 dozen small dinner rolls

½ lb thin sliced baked ham

8 oz package sliced Swiss cheese



Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter, onion, poppy seeds, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl until blended. Split rolls with serrated knife; spread butter mixture on both cut sides. Place ham and cheese on bottom half of roll. Replace tops.



Place on baking sheet and bake until brown and a bit crispy on the edges.



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In the Beginning--Series vs. Stand Alone

Jonnie Jacobs is the author of Paradise Falls (forthcoming March 2012) as well as twelve previously published mysteries. Today she discusses the thrill of starting a new book, and the differences when starting a stand-alone and a series.



Now that the various winter holidays are behind us and we look forward to the clean slate of a new year, I'm reminded of the way I feel when I've finished a book and am ready to start another. I love beginnings—a new year, a new day, even the oft-dreaded Monday. And I especially love beginning a new book. Getting characters into trouble is a lot easier than getting them out it! But more than that, I like the freshness of a new book. I have a pretty good idea of my characters, but they always surprise me. I think I know where the story is going, but it rarely does. At the start of a book, anything is possible.

Where to start when the possibilities are seemingly endless?

I've written ten books in two different mystery series. The nice thing about a series is that after the first book, many of the decisions are already in place. I know my main characters, their friends and family, the setting, and much more. Of course, series characters need to grow and change. Each book is complete in itself, but it's also a chapter in an ongoing story, and one of the things readers like about series is being able to follow characters over time. I try in each series book to move the character in some new direction in her personal life, and in each book I learn more about her.

A series also means that decisions you made in prior books stick with you. If you've written about an amateur sleuth in book one, readers might be upset to find she's turned into a veteran detective by book two. Similarly, readers expect the author's voice and writing style to remain fairly consistent. And decisions about your lead character, even if they were minor and offhand, can come back to haunt you.


With a single-title book, the possibilities are wide open. Exciting, yes, but also a bit daunting. Tone, viewpoint, style, present or past tense – a stand-alone book reinvents it all.

For me, character is key to the story, and I love having the opportunity to create a new character "from scratch." I ask myself, who is this person and how is she involved in the events of the story? What conflicts in her own life complicate the story? What's her background? What's her family like? Does she have a pet? Is she tall or short? What's her hair color?

With a series character, I need to find a reason for my character to be involved in the events of the story. Sometimes this emanates from her personal life, as with Kali and her murdered brother. With a non-series book, I can create lead characters that fit the events of the story.

In Paradise Falls, my second stand-alone novel, there are three point-of-view characters – the mother of a missing girl, the mother's stepson who she accuses of wrongdoing, and the detective working the case. The mother appeared in my mind as a fairly well-defined character. I knew she had a happy marriage and a good life that was about to be turned on its head with the disappearance of her daughter and her suspicions about her stepson.

The detective was initially more of a challenge because I wanted her to have a real stake in the outcome of the story, and I knew nothing at all about what sort of person she was – or even if she was a she. I crafted her backstory and present-life conflicts to fit that purpose. I decided that she was indeed a she (her emotional connection with the mother would be stronger than if she were a man) and that she had a missing daughter herself. I threw an uneasy romance with an FBI agent into the mix because the relationship complicated her ability to do her job.

The teenage boy was also a challenge. I'm an adult woman, for starters. But I often find the more different I am from a character, the easier it is to give free reign to my imagination and let the character take over. And again, because this book isn't part of a series, I could craft this young man to fit the needs of the plot.

Whether in a series or a stand-alone book, I love beginnings. As in real life, I love the chance to start afresh. Of course it's easier to do in a book than the real world, which is why I enjoy starting a new one, and especially a novel where everything is new to me.



Visit Jonnie on the web at http://www.jonniejacobs.com, and look for her new book, Paradise Falls, this March.





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Newsletter Survey Results

What I'm reading: Second Son, by Lee Child (Nook)

And Happy Boxing Day to those who celebrate.



Thanks to all who participated in my Newsletter Survey question. I've taken all your responses into account as I work on my next issue. The survey asked to check any items you'd like to see in an author newsletter, and these are the results:



New Releases: 100%In the Works: 83%Contests: 63%Personal Glimpses: 58%Excerpts: 46%Photos: 29%Recipes: 20%Puzzles & Games: 12%

If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so at my website.  (And you can win some of my overflow books if you sign up--just email me to let me know you want them. Details, as always, on the Deals & Steals tab). I'll also be giving away another ARC of ROOTED IN DANGER via my newsletter, so you'll need to subscribe to enter that one.



Other Bits and Pieces: The Backlist eBook authors are having a 99 cent sale through January 8th. This is a great way to fill up those new e-readers! My book, DEADLY SECRETS is one of the books on sale. You can find all my indie books here.



I'll be doing a month-long workshop for Savvy Authors in February. I've blogged about it at their site here.



And, I'm still hoping for a few more likes and follows before Saturday. 



Tomorrow, my last guest blog post of 2011! Author Jonnie Jacobs will be talking about Series vs Stand Alone.

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Happy Holidays Again

Normally, this is a "Jewish Christmas"







However because this year, Christmas Day falls in the middle of Hanukkah, we'll be celebrating with family, and won't be going out for Chinese food. (Not to mention, the Jewish population in Teller County isn't large enough to support either of the two Chinese restaurants in the county, so they're not open.





We'll be having Hanukkah at Gram's this year on Christmas Day.[image error]

Happy Holidays

For some it will be Christmas Eve tonight. For us, it's night 5 of Hanukkah.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend and hope you can share it with loved ones.



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Friday Field Trip - Oh, Deer

First: DEADLY SECRETS is on sale for 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Take advantage of this special price for the holidays. Buy for yourself or give as a gift.



I'd hoped to get out to take some winter pictures around the neighborhood yesterday, but woke to about 8 inches of snow, and it was still snowing. So I went through my hard drive and thought I'd share some deer pix. They're not reindeer, but those don't live around here.  The pictures were all taken from our house. Some through glass, some with quickly grabbed cell phones, so I make no claims that they're high-quality shots. Only high-quality subjects.



And have a wonderful holiday weekend. Since Hanukkah and Christmas overlap this year, we're having our family get together on Sunday. No Chinese food this time. Latkes, rugelach, and more.















 
















 























 

















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Character Names

What I'm reading: Eye of Heaven, by Marjorie M. Liu (bike)

I hope everyone is getting ready for their holiday celebrations in a calm, peaceful, stress-free way! And if you're stuck having to find a last-minute gift, may I humbly remind you that e-books can be given as gifts. It's been around for a while on Amazon, but Barnes & Noble has joined in the "gifting" parade, and you can buy any e-book (of course, I hope one might be mine) and send the gift to someone on your list. They'll get an email telling them the gift has arrived, with instructions for download. The only caveat might be where they live—for various legal reasons I don't understand, non-US folks might not be able to redeem the gift. But it definitely works for anyone in the states.



No braving the crowds at the mall, no standing in lines, no postage, no wrapping. Easy-Peasy.



On the writing front—a recent read had me pulling my hair, and not because of the quality of the writing, or the story. It was simply one of those things that tangled my brain and kept slowing the read. I've talked about it before, and it's a common enough "problem" that I wonder why editors aren't more alert to it—or at least the editor who was "in charge" of the book. However, since one of my editors apparently paid no attention to character names, I can sympathize—that book had 3 characters named Hank/Henry If you have the print version of that book, you can find them. The new e-version, thank goodness, has been fixed.


While it's true that families often name children with similar names, or with the same initial. That's real life. Fiction doesn't have to be real life. If it's confusing your readers, it shouldn't be real life. (Although I recall people saying that my girls couldn't possible be twins because their names didn't rhyme or start with the same letter—something I pointedly avoided long before I gave a thought to writing).



At any rate, in a book where there are 3 sisters as major characters, and their names all start with "Ma" (and then there's their mother, whom they refer to as "Mama") means I'm constantly trying to remember who's who. And then there's the detective, who also has a major role, and his name is Martinez. Two other characters have 3-letter "J" names.



And, because it's the holiday season and I'm as busy as everyone else, here's




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What's Cooking Wednesday - Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Thanks to those who are stepping forward with recipes. I'm always looking for more!



Today there's a double treat at What's Cooking Wednesday. My guest for today is Janet Rudolph, who's sharing a recipe for chocolate-dipped strawberries. In addition, I was a guest at her blog with my recipe for Apricot Brandy Balls. Be sure to check that one out, too.



Welcome, Janet.



I'm a chocoholic, and to fulfill my addiction, every day I post a recipe, review or news about chocolate. I'm all about easy and delicious. One of my favorite recipes is for Chocolate Covered Strawberries. They're simple to make, and they always look fabulous. You can stuff them or drizzle them, but fresh strawberries dunked in good quality chocolate is the key.







CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES TO DIE FOR!



INGREDIENTS:

1 quart fresh large fresh strawberries, with tops

1 cup Dark Chocolate 60-65% cacao, broken or chopped

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate 72-85% cacao, broken or chopped

3 Tbsp. heavy cream

White chocolate, melted for Drizzle




DIRECTIONS:

Rinse strawberries and dry thoroughly, keeping tops on. In top of double boiler or a stainless steel bowl atop a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Dip strawberries 1/2-3/4 way up in chocolate mixture and place on wax paper or parchment lined cookie sheet to allow chocolate to harden.

When hardened, drizzle with melted white chocolate.



Hints:

Wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. A drop of water in melted chocolate can cause it to "seize" and turn the entire mixture into a mess. How to smooth out the chocolate: I just saw a chef add a tiny bit of honey and stirred. It worked!



How to dip:

Grasp stem of strawberry and dip into chocolate, swirling to partially cover with chocolate. Give the strawberry a small shake as you pull it out of the chocolate. When strawberry is completely out of chocolate, swirl it in quick, clockwise motion to let excess chocolate drip off. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.



Want to get a bit fancier? Here are links to Chocolate Covered Stuffed Strawberries.



Chocolate Covered Stuffed Strawberries



Strawberries Stuffed with Chocolate Cream



Janet Rudolph is the editor of the Mystery Readers Journal, and creative director/writer at Murder on the Menu and TeamBuilding Unlimited. She blogs daily at Mystery Fanfare and DyingforChocolate.com, facilitates a weekly mystery bookgroup, hosts literary salons with mystery authors, and has been a committee member on numerous mystery conventions. A long time contributor to the mystery genre, she received her Ph.D. in religious mystery fiction. She lives in the Berkeley/Oakland (CA) hills with her husband, a golden retriever, a Siamese cat and a Ragdoll cat. She is also a judge at Chocolate Salons. Someone has to do it! Her websites are: www.mysteryreaders.org, www.murderonthemenu.com, www.teambuilding-unlimited.com and Blogs: Mystery Fanfare www.mysteryfanfare.com and DyingforChocolate www.dyingforchocolate.com



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