Terry Odell's Blog, page 270
October 10, 2011
Editing and Sewing Machines
What I'm reading: Blind Faith, by CJ Lyons
There are those who write via a "discovery draft" racing to get from page one to 'the end' and then going back and revising. And revising. And revising. This is the approach of NaNoWriMo--write it all; no edits. That's a process I've never been able to embrace, so I was heartened once when I attended a workshop given by Linda Howard. She said she writes, then backs up and fixes, then moves forward, then backs up and fixes some more. She likened her process to using a zig-zag sewing machine. When she finished, she said, the manuscript was ready to send to her editor.
Her method is close to the way I write. I edit as I go. (Heck, I plot as I go, too!) Here's an example of my process from my current WIP, another of my Pine Hills Police series.
Overall, my heroine's goal was to open her own bakery, so, of course, my goal was to keep that from happening—or at least, to delay it.
Since I prefer to escalate the conflict rather than throw the reader into a full-blown crisis on page one, I began with simple accidents and setbacks as her contractor and crew (which she refers to as the Klutz Brigade) worked to get her bakery finished so she could open on time.
But that's not really enough of a conflict to carry the entire book. Since the book is a romantic suspense, and the hero is a former homicide detective, I threw in a dead body.
Once I had this, things fell into place. And the new character created new conflicts, and the potential for another suspect. But what it meant was that I had to go back and re-describe the building, introduce the character, layer in clues, and make sure she showed up often enough to become a legitimate secondary character instead of a walk-on.
The way things stand, I had to go back over 13 chapters to make sure my continuity was intact, and there were clues and red herrings. I can't imagine having to do that over 30+ chapters. It's enough to make sure everything holds together in those 13 chapters—I couldn't hold enough plot points in my head (or on my tracking boards, for that matter) to ensure I didn't have plot holes big enough to swallow a small village. Had I simply made a note to "Insert New Shop and New Character Here", I know I'd spend more time on the manuscript revisions than on the 13 chapter fixes.
To be fair, for things that won't impact the plot, I will make a notation, such as "Figure out what kind of plant will grow here" or "better description" and take care of it later
So, what kind of writer are you? Can you write straight through and fix everything after you get to the end, or are you obsessed with making sure everything fits together before moving forward?
Reminder – my Smashwords coupons for 50% off on FINDING SARAH and HIDDEN FIRE expire on the 15th. Don't miss your chance to buy both books for what will soon be the price of one. Links on the Deals & Steals Page.
One more thing: My bookshelves are filling up again, so when I hit 375 Google followers, I'm going to give away a book. Or two. Or three. Please help me make my goal. Tell your friends!
Tomorrow, my guest is Judy Alter, who's talking about fame and fortune. See you then.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
There are those who write via a "discovery draft" racing to get from page one to 'the end' and then going back and revising. And revising. And revising. This is the approach of NaNoWriMo--write it all; no edits. That's a process I've never been able to embrace, so I was heartened once when I attended a workshop given by Linda Howard. She said she writes, then backs up and fixes, then moves forward, then backs up and fixes some more. She likened her process to using a zig-zag sewing machine. When she finished, she said, the manuscript was ready to send to her editor.
Her method is close to the way I write. I edit as I go. (Heck, I plot as I go, too!) Here's an example of my process from my current WIP, another of my Pine Hills Police series.
Overall, my heroine's goal was to open her own bakery, so, of course, my goal was to keep that from happening—or at least, to delay it.
Since I prefer to escalate the conflict rather than throw the reader into a full-blown crisis on page one, I began with simple accidents and setbacks as her contractor and crew (which she refers to as the Klutz Brigade) worked to get her bakery finished so she could open on time.
But that's not really enough of a conflict to carry the entire book. Since the book is a romantic suspense, and the hero is a former homicide detective, I threw in a dead body.
Once I had this, things fell into place. And the new character created new conflicts, and the potential for another suspect. But what it meant was that I had to go back and re-describe the building, introduce the character, layer in clues, and make sure she showed up often enough to become a legitimate secondary character instead of a walk-on.
The way things stand, I had to go back over 13 chapters to make sure my continuity was intact, and there were clues and red herrings. I can't imagine having to do that over 30+ chapters. It's enough to make sure everything holds together in those 13 chapters—I couldn't hold enough plot points in my head (or on my tracking boards, for that matter) to ensure I didn't have plot holes big enough to swallow a small village. Had I simply made a note to "Insert New Shop and New Character Here", I know I'd spend more time on the manuscript revisions than on the 13 chapter fixes.
To be fair, for things that won't impact the plot, I will make a notation, such as "Figure out what kind of plant will grow here" or "better description" and take care of it later
So, what kind of writer are you? Can you write straight through and fix everything after you get to the end, or are you obsessed with making sure everything fits together before moving forward?
Reminder – my Smashwords coupons for 50% off on FINDING SARAH and HIDDEN FIRE expire on the 15th. Don't miss your chance to buy both books for what will soon be the price of one. Links on the Deals & Steals Page.
One more thing: My bookshelves are filling up again, so when I hit 375 Google followers, I'm going to give away a book. Or two. Or three. Please help me make my goal. Tell your friends!
Tomorrow, my guest is Judy Alter, who's talking about fame and fortune. See you then.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 8, 2011
And the Winner is ...
Lynn Rush's random number generator selected Diane Craver as the winner of a copy of Wasteland. Congratulations, Diane, and thanks to all for leaving comments. Diane, email Lynn at
lynnrush (at) cox (dot) net to claim your prize.
lynnrush (at) cox (dot) net to claim your prize.
October 7, 2011
Friday Field Trip - Fall Colors
On Monday, Hubster and I drove the Victor/Cripple Creek route to take some pictures of the turning aspens. And so did a LOT of other people. Everyone was pulling off to the side of the road. Some had camera phones, other full blown gear with tripods. One man told us this is the best color he's seen up here in 10 years.
One thing I've learned. Aspens grow in clones. The different clones will have different schedules for leafing out and turning gold. Some are gold, some yellow, some red-orange. Looking out over the mountains, the different stripes of color were breathtaking. And, for the record, our deck aspens are a very "late" clone--most of them are still quite green, and just starting to turn yellow. The ones on the other side of the house are already gold.
OK, enough talk. Enjoy fall in the Colorado mountains. Clicking on an image should enlarge it.
[image error]
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
One thing I've learned. Aspens grow in clones. The different clones will have different schedules for leafing out and turning gold. Some are gold, some yellow, some red-orange. Looking out over the mountains, the different stripes of color were breathtaking. And, for the record, our deck aspens are a very "late" clone--most of them are still quite green, and just starting to turn yellow. The ones on the other side of the house are already gold.
OK, enough talk. Enjoy fall in the Colorado mountains. Clicking on an image should enlarge it.
[image error]
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 6, 2011
Rooted in Danger
Don't forget to leave a comment on Lynn Rush's Tuesday post to be entered in her drawing.
Normally, I eschew promotion on this blog, but one of the perks of being the blog owner is that I can break the rules. And since I'm in marketing mode, I'm still working on garnering 500 followers and 250 likes--and check the Deals & Steals tab for how to get FINDING SARAH & HIDDEN FIRE at half off.
Today, I'm unveiling the cover for my next Blackthorne, Inc. novel, ROOTED IN DANGER. Although the release date isn't until April of 2012, seeing the artwork makes things seem real.
When I wrote WHERE DANGER HIDES, Fozzie (Foster Mayhew) had a slightly larger role than his brief appearance at the end of WHEN DANGER CALLS. I didn't know much about him in that first book, and learned a bit more in the second. I knew he was Aussie, cocky, and circling in a helo, could spot the fleas on a squirrel's balls from five hundred feet. Just as I'd needed to know more about Dalton when I wrote WHERE DANGER HIDES, Fozzie demanded I tell his story. So, I did.
Here's the blurb for the book.
Behind the public façade of Blackthorne, Inc., a high-end private investigation company, lies a band of elite covert operatives, and they're back doing what they do best.
Foster (Fozzie) Mayhew, Blackthorne's Intel Specialist, is cocky and arrogant, befitting his Aussie heritage. Put him in a helicopter with his surveillance instruments and he can spot the fleas on a squirrel's balls from five hundred feet. He's happiest when he's rescuing hostages, getting them to safety while Uncle Sam is still negotiating. But Fozzie's boss pulls him from the work he loves and sends him to locate Victoria Hamilton, estranged daughter of a rich client.
Torie Stoker, born Victoria Hamilton, is hiding from her father who needs her at home and married. There's no love lost between Torie and her family. They shipped her off to a Swiss boarding school when she was thirteen, and at twenty-nine, she's never looked back. When her best friend, Kathy, dies, Torie settles in Oregon, determined to give meaning to Kathy's death by continuing the botanist's quest for rare plants with potential medical applications. When a man shows up with a gun, Torie realizes how badly her father must want her back.
Fozzie wants nothing more than to locate his target, report to his boss, and get back to his real job. When he finds Torie being dragged away at gunpoint, his protective instincts kick in. Soon, they're racing to discover why her father sent armed men after her. Or could it have something to do with Kathy's pharmaceutical research to cure orphan diseases? The answers threaten to change Torie's life forever.
Rooted in Danger starts on a tropical island, and things heat up from there.
And if you haven't read the other books in the series, I hope you'll use the time between now and April to find out more about the covert ops team of Blackthorne, Inc.
Tomorrow, we're going a little higher up the mountain to look at some glorious fall colors. Come on back.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
Normally, I eschew promotion on this blog, but one of the perks of being the blog owner is that I can break the rules. And since I'm in marketing mode, I'm still working on garnering 500 followers and 250 likes--and check the Deals & Steals tab for how to get FINDING SARAH & HIDDEN FIRE at half off.
Today, I'm unveiling the cover for my next Blackthorne, Inc. novel, ROOTED IN DANGER. Although the release date isn't until April of 2012, seeing the artwork makes things seem real.
When I wrote WHERE DANGER HIDES, Fozzie (Foster Mayhew) had a slightly larger role than his brief appearance at the end of WHEN DANGER CALLS. I didn't know much about him in that first book, and learned a bit more in the second. I knew he was Aussie, cocky, and circling in a helo, could spot the fleas on a squirrel's balls from five hundred feet. Just as I'd needed to know more about Dalton when I wrote WHERE DANGER HIDES, Fozzie demanded I tell his story. So, I did.
Here's the blurb for the book.
Behind the public façade of Blackthorne, Inc., a high-end private investigation company, lies a band of elite covert operatives, and they're back doing what they do best.
Foster (Fozzie) Mayhew, Blackthorne's Intel Specialist, is cocky and arrogant, befitting his Aussie heritage. Put him in a helicopter with his surveillance instruments and he can spot the fleas on a squirrel's balls from five hundred feet. He's happiest when he's rescuing hostages, getting them to safety while Uncle Sam is still negotiating. But Fozzie's boss pulls him from the work he loves and sends him to locate Victoria Hamilton, estranged daughter of a rich client.
Torie Stoker, born Victoria Hamilton, is hiding from her father who needs her at home and married. There's no love lost between Torie and her family. They shipped her off to a Swiss boarding school when she was thirteen, and at twenty-nine, she's never looked back. When her best friend, Kathy, dies, Torie settles in Oregon, determined to give meaning to Kathy's death by continuing the botanist's quest for rare plants with potential medical applications. When a man shows up with a gun, Torie realizes how badly her father must want her back.
Fozzie wants nothing more than to locate his target, report to his boss, and get back to his real job. When he finds Torie being dragged away at gunpoint, his protective instincts kick in. Soon, they're racing to discover why her father sent armed men after her. Or could it have something to do with Kathy's pharmaceutical research to cure orphan diseases? The answers threaten to change Torie's life forever.
Rooted in Danger starts on a tropical island, and things heat up from there.
And if you haven't read the other books in the series, I hope you'll use the time between now and April to find out more about the covert ops team of Blackthorne, Inc.
Tomorrow, we're going a little higher up the mountain to look at some glorious fall colors. Come on back.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 5, 2011
What's Cooking Wednesday - Challah
Thanks to Lynn for her post yesterday. I have my own mix of writing tunes, and just hearing it start seems to calm and focus me. And don't forget; you can still leave a comment on her post (scroll down) to be entered in her drawing.
As we're in the midst of our holidays, and finding challah around here is nigh-unto-impossible, I've baked my own, and I thought I'd share the recipe. This one makes one loaf, although it's on the large size. It also requires rising time (3 of them, actually), so it's a great recipe for days when you want to sit around and read a book. (OK, so you could clean or do laundry or something else more productive. But why?)
My 'minor' variation: I use my KitchenAid with the dough hook for part of the kneading process, but there's nothing like taking out frustrations on a mass of dough to soothe the soul.
For Rosh Hashanah, the loaf should be round, which symbolizes the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
The recipe is below
Challah
1 pkg. yeast (regular, not rapid rise)
2 t sugar
1 1/4 c warm water
4 1/2 c flour
2 t salt
2 eggs
2 T salad oil
1 egg yolk
4 T poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
Combine yeast, sugar and 1/4 c warm water and let stand 5 minutes. Place
flour and salt into a bowl, making a well in center. Drop in eggs, oil,
remaining water and yeast mixture. Work into the flour.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl and
brush top with a little oil. Cover with towel, set in a warm place, and
let rise 1 hour. Punch down and cover again. Let rise until double in
bulk.
Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Between lightly floured hands, roll the
dough into 3 strips of equal length. Braid strips together and place in
baking pan. Cover with towel and let rise until double in bulk. Brush
with egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in 350 oven about 50
minutes or until brown.
*** For Rosh Hashana, don't put bread into a pan, but form into a circle
and bake on a cookie sheet. Won't take quite as long. If you want to add
raisins, knead them in at the beginning of the kneading process. You can
also bake the braided loaf, but not rounded, on a cookie sheet as well.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
As we're in the midst of our holidays, and finding challah around here is nigh-unto-impossible, I've baked my own, and I thought I'd share the recipe. This one makes one loaf, although it's on the large size. It also requires rising time (3 of them, actually), so it's a great recipe for days when you want to sit around and read a book. (OK, so you could clean or do laundry or something else more productive. But why?)
My 'minor' variation: I use my KitchenAid with the dough hook for part of the kneading process, but there's nothing like taking out frustrations on a mass of dough to soothe the soul.
For Rosh Hashanah, the loaf should be round, which symbolizes the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
The recipe is below
Challah
1 pkg. yeast (regular, not rapid rise)
2 t sugar
1 1/4 c warm water
4 1/2 c flour
2 t salt
2 eggs
2 T salad oil
1 egg yolk
4 T poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
Combine yeast, sugar and 1/4 c warm water and let stand 5 minutes. Place
flour and salt into a bowl, making a well in center. Drop in eggs, oil,
remaining water and yeast mixture. Work into the flour.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl and
brush top with a little oil. Cover with towel, set in a warm place, and
let rise 1 hour. Punch down and cover again. Let rise until double in
bulk.
Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Between lightly floured hands, roll the
dough into 3 strips of equal length. Braid strips together and place in
baking pan. Cover with towel and let rise until double in bulk. Brush
with egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in 350 oven about 50
minutes or until brown.
*** For Rosh Hashana, don't put bread into a pan, but form into a circle
and bake on a cookie sheet. Won't take quite as long. If you want to add
raisins, knead them in at the beginning of the kneading process. You can
also bake the braided loaf, but not rounded, on a cookie sheet as well.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 4, 2011
We Got The Beat
Today I welcome Lynn Rush to Terry's Place. Lynn is a former Minnesotan currently living in the heat of the Arizona deserts who loves dreaming up unique, troubled characters who tug at your heart-strings as they take you on a ride through their lives. Her novels are paranormal romance adventures geared toward the twenty-something crowd sometimes called New Adult or Upper YA. She's giving away a copy of her book, Wasteland, so be sure to read through and leave a comment.
You sure see the younger crowd having earbuds stuck into their ears constantly, don't you? Now, I'm no longer considered part of the "young crowd" but I love writing for them. So, I have to be up on their music.
At least that's my excuse when explaining to my husband why I'm listening to some of the music I do. Or even watching some of the shows I watch.
Not everyone can read or write with music playing in the background, though. I sure can, especially when I'm reading or writing an action scene. The louder the better, too. And if there's someone around, I'll plug in the earbuds much like my youngster counterparts.
For some reason, it helps me dive into the scene. Fast beats, loud singing and sometimes, some serious drum and guitar solos.
Love it.
Like for Wasteland, I wrote it in December, so I had one slow, but powerful song, You Raise Me Up, by Josh Grobin. An inspiring song, Hope Now, by Addison Road. I threw in some P!nk (Sober and Who Knew) as well to keep things spicy.
Then through the editing and critiquing rewrites, I had Skillet's Monster, Awake and Alive and Comatose blaring in my earbuds.
Awake and Alive was on repeat until my husband was considering throwing our stereo out the window. I'm kidding, he wasn't really.
There's just something about that special song that sends a wave of motivation and inspiration through me and keeps my fingers dancing over the keyboard. I have to keep it on repeat sometimes.
How about you? What songs do you like listening to while you're reading or writing?
Thanks for letting me take over your blog today, Terry. I'd love to give one of you guys a signed copy of Wasteland. Just leave a comment and you're entered. I'll draw a winner on Friday, the 7th, so be sure to check back on Saturday to see if you're the winner. If the winner drawn does not reside in the US, I'll send you an electronic version of Wasteland instead.
You can find Lynn at her website, www.lynnrush.com, and you can find Wasteland at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
You sure see the younger crowd having earbuds stuck into their ears constantly, don't you? Now, I'm no longer considered part of the "young crowd" but I love writing for them. So, I have to be up on their music.At least that's my excuse when explaining to my husband why I'm listening to some of the music I do. Or even watching some of the shows I watch.
Not everyone can read or write with music playing in the background, though. I sure can, especially when I'm reading or writing an action scene. The louder the better, too. And if there's someone around, I'll plug in the earbuds much like my youngster counterparts.
For some reason, it helps me dive into the scene. Fast beats, loud singing and sometimes, some serious drum and guitar solos.
Love it.
Like for Wasteland, I wrote it in December, so I had one slow, but powerful song, You Raise Me Up, by Josh Grobin. An inspiring song, Hope Now, by Addison Road. I threw in some P!nk (Sober and Who Knew) as well to keep things spicy.
Then through the editing and critiquing rewrites, I had Skillet's Monster, Awake and Alive and Comatose blaring in my earbuds.
Awake and Alive was on repeat until my husband was considering throwing our stereo out the window. I'm kidding, he wasn't really.
There's just something about that special song that sends a wave of motivation and inspiration through me and keeps my fingers dancing over the keyboard. I have to keep it on repeat sometimes.
How about you? What songs do you like listening to while you're reading or writing?
Thanks for letting me take over your blog today, Terry. I'd love to give one of you guys a signed copy of Wasteland. Just leave a comment and you're entered. I'll draw a winner on Friday, the 7th, so be sure to check back on Saturday to see if you're the winner. If the winner drawn does not reside in the US, I'll send you an electronic version of Wasteland instead.
You can find Lynn at her website, www.lynnrush.com, and you can find Wasteland at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 3, 2011
Finish What You Start--Or Not?
First, some bits and pieces. Thanks to my new followers and "likers." I'm slowly approaching my goal of 500 followers and 250 "likes."
I've decided to go more "formal" with my quarterly newsletter. Previously, I'd just emailed my small list of contacts with updates about what was going on, both with my writing and my new life up in the Colorado mountains. I confess to being lax about keeping the list up to date, and it did take time to add people manually and delete the bounced emails and those who chose to unsubscribe.
I found a company that meets my very limited budget and has excellent customer service (since I'm a newbie.) I sent my Fall newsletter out, with only one glaring error—the URL to this blog! If you want to receive my updates, there's a sign up form on my blog, which will get you added to the mailing list, which saves me some time. The next issue won't come out until January.
Next, I'm a guest over at Cassie Exline's blog today. Although she writes hot, there's nothing steamy about my answers to her interview questions, so take a moment and pop over there, and don't panic if you have to confirm you're old enough to enter her blog.
And because I'm sure you're wondering why I've got a picture of Brussels sprouts on this post--on to today's topic: Do you finish what you start?
Like countless other children, I was encouraged—with the instilled fear that children all over the world might starve otherwise—to finish whatever my mother put on my plate. Most of the time, I liked her fare, but like countless other children, there were some things I found less palatable than others. Veggies often fell into this category. Still, we were expected to eat them. Not understanding how not finishing Brussels sprouts could cause the death of children in China, but not wanting their demise on my conscience, I'd do my best to eat what was put in front of me. My strategy was always to get the yuckiest stuff out of the way first, then move on to the good tastes, which were the ones I wanted to be left with.
The 'clean your plate' mentality has carried over into my reading. Until recently, I finished virtually every book I started, even if I didn't like it much. I feel that way about the selections of the book club I joined recently. These are books that I normally wouldn't have picked to read, but it's interesting to listen to the discussions, and to follow them, I need to read the book myself. So far, most of those books have been "vegetables" to me, and I try to read them quickly to get them out of the way.
Not long ago, someone gave me a formula for how much of a book to read before casting it aside, which has assuaged some of the guilt of not finishing a book. You subtract your age from 100, and that's how many pages you "owe" the author. So, the older we get, the faster an author has to hook us.
One of the best features of e-books is that virtually any e-book store will allow you to download a sample. When you get to the end of the sample, if you're hooked, you can click the 'buy' link and keep going. If you're not, then you move on to the next one, guilt free.
Then there are the free books. For some reason, I've only recently been able to abandon one that hasn't grabbed me. They seem different from the samples, because they don't stop after a few chapters. There are all those pages left, and I still have that nagging compulsion to read them all. But I'm getting better about not feeling guilty when I decide the book isn't for me.
Do you clean your plate when you read? Or do you sneak those veggies into your napkin and hide them when Mom isn't looking?
Come back tomorrow when my guest, Lynn Rush, is talking about writing to music. She's giving away a book, so be sure to check it out.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
I've decided to go more "formal" with my quarterly newsletter. Previously, I'd just emailed my small list of contacts with updates about what was going on, both with my writing and my new life up in the Colorado mountains. I confess to being lax about keeping the list up to date, and it did take time to add people manually and delete the bounced emails and those who chose to unsubscribe.
I found a company that meets my very limited budget and has excellent customer service (since I'm a newbie.) I sent my Fall newsletter out, with only one glaring error—the URL to this blog! If you want to receive my updates, there's a sign up form on my blog, which will get you added to the mailing list, which saves me some time. The next issue won't come out until January.Next, I'm a guest over at Cassie Exline's blog today. Although she writes hot, there's nothing steamy about my answers to her interview questions, so take a moment and pop over there, and don't panic if you have to confirm you're old enough to enter her blog.
And because I'm sure you're wondering why I've got a picture of Brussels sprouts on this post--on to today's topic: Do you finish what you start?
Like countless other children, I was encouraged—with the instilled fear that children all over the world might starve otherwise—to finish whatever my mother put on my plate. Most of the time, I liked her fare, but like countless other children, there were some things I found less palatable than others. Veggies often fell into this category. Still, we were expected to eat them. Not understanding how not finishing Brussels sprouts could cause the death of children in China, but not wanting their demise on my conscience, I'd do my best to eat what was put in front of me. My strategy was always to get the yuckiest stuff out of the way first, then move on to the good tastes, which were the ones I wanted to be left with.
The 'clean your plate' mentality has carried over into my reading. Until recently, I finished virtually every book I started, even if I didn't like it much. I feel that way about the selections of the book club I joined recently. These are books that I normally wouldn't have picked to read, but it's interesting to listen to the discussions, and to follow them, I need to read the book myself. So far, most of those books have been "vegetables" to me, and I try to read them quickly to get them out of the way.
Not long ago, someone gave me a formula for how much of a book to read before casting it aside, which has assuaged some of the guilt of not finishing a book. You subtract your age from 100, and that's how many pages you "owe" the author. So, the older we get, the faster an author has to hook us.
One of the best features of e-books is that virtually any e-book store will allow you to download a sample. When you get to the end of the sample, if you're hooked, you can click the 'buy' link and keep going. If you're not, then you move on to the next one, guilt free.
Then there are the free books. For some reason, I've only recently been able to abandon one that hasn't grabbed me. They seem different from the samples, because they don't stop after a few chapters. There are all those pages left, and I still have that nagging compulsion to read them all. But I'm getting better about not feeling guilty when I decide the book isn't for me.
Do you clean your plate when you read? Or do you sneak those veggies into your napkin and hide them when Mom isn't looking?
Come back tomorrow when my guest, Lynn Rush, is talking about writing to music. She's giving away a book, so be sure to check it out.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
October 1, 2011
And the Winner is ...
The winner of a copy of Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames is Jackie Griffey.
Jackie, be sure to email Avery at avery (at) averyaames (dot) com with your address so she can send you the book!
Thanks to all who entered, and especially to Avery for being my first recipe guest blogger.
Jackie, be sure to email Avery at avery (at) averyaames (dot) com with your address so she can send you the book!
Thanks to all who entered, and especially to Avery for being my first recipe guest blogger.
September 30, 2011
Friday Field Trip - My Deck
Several weeks ago, Jason wanted to come over to shoot birds--with a camera, of course. Here's what he got by hanging around our deck and in our front yard. (Oh,and there's one non-avian species in here, too. Chippie wanted his picture taken)
For more from Jason, be sure to visit his website and photo galleries.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
For more from Jason, be sure to visit his website and photo galleries.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
September 29, 2011
Justify Those Scenes
What I'm reading (bike) Up Close and Personal, by Carla Cassidy.
First -- Happy New Year to those who are celebrating the arrival of the year 5772 in the Jewish calendar.
Next, Thanks to Karen Cote and Avery Aames for being my guests. There's still time to join the Thanksgiving Project and to win Avery's book, so scroll down if you haven't read their posts.
Please keep an eye on my sidebar. That's where you'll find updates, including savings on books and more.
And I've been negligent in mentioning that Sept. 24 - Oct. 1st is Banned Book Week. Don't take for granted our freedom to read. Check out these frequently challenged classics .
When I was re-editing FINDING SARAH for its re-release, I thought I'd check to see if there were any scenes I'd cut that might be worth slipping back into the book, now that length was not the issue it was for the print version. I did expand one scene showing Randy at work as a detective, in what I'd called his "kitchen caper" scene, but when I looked at another scene I'd enjoyed writing, I decided it still didn't belong in the book.
Why? Because the scene didn't do anything other than keep Randy from getting back to Sarah. Now, pulling the hero and heroine apart can create conflict, but a scene needs more than one reason to exist in a book. And this scene just didn't have it.
But, because it was fun, I've added it to my Cutting Room Floor files on my website. Why don't you pop over and read it , and then come back to see the final, very much abridged, version.
Sometimes less is better.
Something about Sarah was making this case personal and he dug for professional detachment. Shit. His mind had wandered again and he slammed on the brakes at the glow of red taillights ahead of him, narrowly avoiding rear-ending a Toyota. Five-thirty already. Had Sarah left? He hadn't confirmed their appointment.
He reached for his cell phone and punched in Sarah's work number. Three rings. Four.
"Pick up, Sarah. You've got to be there," he said, as if speaking the words aloud would make it happen.
And who knows? Maybe some day Jerome Quincy will show up in another book. With chickens.
If I'd wanted to integrate the scene into the book, it would have been necessary to include characters that might reappear, or some other consequence of the traffic accident, or thrown in a clue or red herring for the mystery. Or, it could have resulted in a fight between Randy and Sarah,which would add to the relationship conflict, but none of the above seemed significant enough (or would have meant massive rewrites, which could have resulted in tangled continuity errors). So, it remained on my hard drive.
Come back tomorrow for another field trip.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
First -- Happy New Year to those who are celebrating the arrival of the year 5772 in the Jewish calendar.
Next, Thanks to Karen Cote and Avery Aames for being my guests. There's still time to join the Thanksgiving Project and to win Avery's book, so scroll down if you haven't read their posts.
Please keep an eye on my sidebar. That's where you'll find updates, including savings on books and more.
And I've been negligent in mentioning that Sept. 24 - Oct. 1st is Banned Book Week. Don't take for granted our freedom to read. Check out these frequently challenged classics .
When I was re-editing FINDING SARAH for its re-release, I thought I'd check to see if there were any scenes I'd cut that might be worth slipping back into the book, now that length was not the issue it was for the print version. I did expand one scene showing Randy at work as a detective, in what I'd called his "kitchen caper" scene, but when I looked at another scene I'd enjoyed writing, I decided it still didn't belong in the book.
Why? Because the scene didn't do anything other than keep Randy from getting back to Sarah. Now, pulling the hero and heroine apart can create conflict, but a scene needs more than one reason to exist in a book. And this scene just didn't have it.
But, because it was fun, I've added it to my Cutting Room Floor files on my website. Why don't you pop over and read it , and then come back to see the final, very much abridged, version.
Sometimes less is better.
Something about Sarah was making this case personal and he dug for professional detachment. Shit. His mind had wandered again and he slammed on the brakes at the glow of red taillights ahead of him, narrowly avoiding rear-ending a Toyota. Five-thirty already. Had Sarah left? He hadn't confirmed their appointment.
He reached for his cell phone and punched in Sarah's work number. Three rings. Four.
"Pick up, Sarah. You've got to be there," he said, as if speaking the words aloud would make it happen.
And who knows? Maybe some day Jerome Quincy will show up in another book. With chickens.
If I'd wanted to integrate the scene into the book, it would have been necessary to include characters that might reappear, or some other consequence of the traffic accident, or thrown in a clue or red herring for the mystery. Or, it could have resulted in a fight between Randy and Sarah,which would add to the relationship conflict, but none of the above seemed significant enough (or would have meant massive rewrites, which could have resulted in tangled continuity errors). So, it remained on my hard drive.
Come back tomorrow for another field trip.
Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.
![[image error]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IL6CQmvUYF8/TopztzJwf7I/AAAAAAAAGUg/KRlIKCGzzLw/s1600/VictorCC_Oct3.10.jpg){kind=link}