‘Tis the Season…To be Thankful!
on Nov 21, 2009 in Jerrica Knight-Catania Thanksgiving critique writing gratitude thankfulness With Turkey Day just a few days away, I’m compelled to write about gratitude today. Many people wait until this time of year to think or talk about what they’re grateful for, and I used to be one of them. But a couple of years ago, I lear...

Take a Bite Outta Crime – part 1
on Nov 20, 2009 in Dellani Oakes caterers crime Secon Take a Bite Outta Crime My sister gave me this idea when I saw her over the summer.  We were talking about the books we’d been reading.  She said she was tired of vampires in everything – understandable.  She had also read a mystery story where the investigat...

A Question in the Night
on Nov 19, 2009 in Norm Brown books characters fiction life thoughts writing author book process the writing process When I’m working on a novel, I try to stick to a schedule of being at my desk for a few hours each weekday morning. During that time, I do not connect to the internet and I screen phone calls using the caller-id function. If I don’t recognize the...

New York Subway “friends”
on Nov 18, 2009 in writing Bronx Manhattan New York City public transportation Subways Yankees I learned this tidbit from the Science Section of the NY Times: There are more bacteria in your face when you first turn on your shower than when you’re down in the NY subway. Whether or not this is a comfort to you, accept it as an introduction to...

In Praise of Romance
on Nov 17, 2009 in books fiction lazarus barnhill life random writing Jane Austen Lacey took a Holiday regency romances romance novels Second Wind Publishing Starr Toth Can a man write a romance novel? I remember one of my college English professors talking of wanting to “pick up a little spare change” as a graduate student.  He decided to write short stories using a female pseudonym and submit them to women’...

Garbled
on Nov 16, 2009 in Humor Mairead Wapole Second Wind Publishing fun funny laughter life music family garbled lyrics Hounds of Love Kate Bush Mairead Walpole My sons love to hear me sing. (I’m not sure why, since I have it on very good authority that I my vocal abilities are lacking, and that is if the listener is being kind.)  That said, I sing… a lot and loudly; in the car, as I am cleaning the...

Message in a Novel
on Nov 15, 2009 in Pat Bertram blogging books fiction random writing Daughter Am I message in a novel. Jane Austen Sense and Sensiblity The Jane Austen Book Club theme After watching the movie, The Jane Austen Book Club, which followed several couples whose stories mirrored those in Austen’s books, I decided to reread Sense and Sensibility. While plowing through the incredibly long and obtuse introduction to the...

Unexpected Dialogue
on Nov 14, 2009 in writing  When I take time to sit and watch previously recorded shows with my husband it is to let my mind go and simply be entertained.  However, on a past episode of Warehouse 13, Breakdown, which aired 9/8/09 on SYFI, one piece of dialogue stuck with me.

Hold Your Tongue!
on Nov 13, 2009 in writing I continue to be amazed at how very small the writing community is. Especially with the advent of things like Facebook and Twitter, everybody is “friends” with everybody, or knows someone who’s friends with them, or knows someone wh...

Finding Madelyn
on Nov 12, 2009 in Suzette Vaughn 1947 coming soon Finding Madelyn Galen Langley Letter Madelyn Murphy Dearest Madelyn, It’s February of ‘47. I haven’t seen you in three years. I’m not even sure where to send this, you weren’t here when I got home. But this you already know. What you probably don’t realize is that a...