Strange Subjects Indeed

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As a writer, I use the internet heavily when I’m doing research. there are times I would hate for someone to actually look at my search history, and when I know I’m going to be asking some strange questions I drop into “incognito” browsing.

So, what strange things might a writer look up? For crime fiction you can bet they are looking for forensics, weapons, poisons and anything else murderous you can imagine. For a romance writer it might be hormones, relationships, or personality types. For me? I have looked up all of those things and more.

I write in a variety of genres so my search history is also varied. For a historical fiction I am working on I needed to know what life was like in a mining camp in the early 1900’s. It was rough to say the least. For The Manx my research not only includes everything and anything about the Isle of Man, but the rich folk tales of the island as well along with the royal history of Castle Peel. Murder in Sulpher Gulch is a mystery. I join my crime writing friends in looking up everything about murder and the Mafia.

The strangest bit of research I’ve done has been in the area of crime. It is so far outside my realm in life that I never knew much about it except what could be gleamed from cops shows on the television. (BTW…most are very inaccurate. Don’t go off television shows). One short story I needed to know what kind of poisonous plants grew in the south eastern areas of Tennessee. Once I found a few good ones it then took more research to see if a person could be poisoned with them and how it would be done. Weird stuff.

The one place on my list of to-do’s is to pay a visit to my local police station. I have a few story lines that involve murder. I don’t know the first thing about police procedure so I expect to get to know the local police quite well.

This post inspired by:

Insecure Writers Support Group.

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The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!

Where do you like to read or write?

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I love to read just as much as I love to write, and I have a few favorite reading spots. I always get a few pages in just before I go to sleep, but when I settle in for a long reading period I love my recliner. I can prop my reader on a pillow and fall into the story.

When I write, it is always at my desk computer. I like its location with a large window to stare out of when I’m formulating the next scene. But, if I had anywhere in the world to write? That’s an easy one. I would sit against a wall of Peel Castle on the Isle of Man. I don’t know if there would be a good spot to see the water as well as feel the castle wall on my back, but when I get there I’ll let you know.

I am still working through The Manx and had hoped to have it published by now. Yet, it has always been missing something that keeps it under wraps, and I know it is missing a trip to the island itself. As an author I want to know first hand what the air tastes like, how the trees sound in the wind, and feel the stones bite into my feet. These are the things that will breath life into the book.

This post inspired by:

The awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Gwen Gardner,Doreen McGettigan,Tyrean Martinson,Chemist Ken, and Cathrina Constantiner!

Arches National Park

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As I write this post, I am in Moab, Utah, specifically Arches National Park. I have never been here before so the experience has been nothing less than awe inspiring. I find it incredible the things that Mother Nature can create. Moab itself is surrounded by immense red bluffs that are fantastic, but once into the park my breath is taken away.

Landscape Arch is a slender archway of rock that spans 290 feet.

Am I surprised by this? Yes and no. I did research the area before we came. I scoured through a vast amount of information, history, and photography. So, I knew this was going to be amazing, yet what I didn’t know was that not a single word or photograph began to express what it is really like here.

I call this Pharaoh Rock. It reminds me of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

So, it took me by surprise when I thought about how this can correlate to reading or writing. The greatest authors do exactly the same thing for their readers as Arches N.P. does for a visitor. One can do as much research as they want into a famous author, but until they read the works and fully absorb the immensity of it, the experience falls short.

Today is the last day of my visit here, and I have one last adventure to undertake. I will rappel down 250 feet into a grotto. My nerves are on edge and I can already feel the adrenalin start to surge, much the same way a great writer can pull the reader into their story.

How about you? What books have you read that have taken your breath away? Where have you gone that was so much more than you expected?

Today’s post was inspired by Arches National Park and IWSG.

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The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage.

The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Renee Scattergood,Sadira Stone,Jacqui Murray,Tamara Narayan, and LG Keltner!

Get a Giggle

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June is here and I think it is finally looking like summer in Colorado. We had a cool, wet spring. In late May we even had 8 inches of snow. Quite unusual for this area of the state. With all the weather I spent a good deal of time indoors working on my new book, Sulpher Gulch.

I have written in many styles and am finding the cozy mystery quite fun. I read a series of books by Amanda M. Lee that really tickled my funny bone. Her series, Wicked Witches of the Midwest, are based on three witches who live in Hemlock Cove, a quiet village in the lower part of upper Michigan. For me, it is a laugh out loud series. Janet Evanovich is another author who also gets giggles from me. I loved the Plum Series.

How do I keep those giggles going after the series end (or I just need a break)? Write my own. First off, writing a cozy mystery was a new venture for me. Add the humor side and I found myself in uncharted territory. Yet, I didn’t feel discouraged, lost, or otherwise sinking in a doomed ship. I felt energized (remember the pink bunny?).

I started Sulpher Gulch just a short while ago and am nearly finished. I am excited to see this coming together and am looking forward to the cover design and its release. I haven’t set a date for that yet, but when I do, you will be the first to hear.

Until then, read a little bit of Amanda Lee or Janet Evanovich. Your day will be brighter if you do.

Today’s post was inspired by:

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The question posed for this month’s post was, “Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?”

The co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton,Kim Lajevardi,Sylvia Ney,Sarah Foster,Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

2018 Reading List

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Every year, on my birthday, I ask for books. My family comes through with gift certificates to my favorite book haunts. Because I consume books like some people drink coffee, the gift certificates are perfect.

Below is my reading list from 2018. I usually post this list in January or February, but, hey, what can I say? Better late than never. I read a ton of Amanda Lee’s books because they just struck my funny bone in just the right place. She cranks out books faster than Janet Evanovich (I’ve read most of her’s too), and has the same sense of humor. I can never pass up on something funny and easy to read.

People ask me, “Did you really read all of them?” YES. If I came across anything too awful to finish it is not listed here. I am pleased to say that I did not have to pass on any books last year.

Note: I have listed these books alphabetically, order by author, so they are not in any particular ranking of best to worst.

~~THE LIST~~

C.J. Archer
Glass and Steel Books 3, 5 & 6
The Ink Master’s Silence
The Convent’s Secret
The Apothecary’s Poison

David R. Bernstein
Avatars Rising

Becky Clark
Fiction Can Be Murder

Michelle Crystal
Lavender Blue

Avery Daniels
A Resort to Murder Mystery I & II
ICED
Nailed

T.C. Edge
The Enhanced

Charlie N. Holmberg
A Paper Magician Novel
The Plastic Magician

DeAnna Knippling
The Page Turners

Cynthia Kuhn
A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery Book 1
The Semester of Our Discontent

Stephen Lawhead
The Paradise War

Amanda M. Lee
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery Books 1 & 2
Witch Out of Water
Witchin’ USA
An Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs Cozy Mystery Books 1, 2, 3, 4
Bat Out of Spell
Spell on Earth
Hotter Than Spell
Spell or High Water
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery Book 1
The Bigfoot Blunder
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery Books 1-11
Any Witch Way You Can A Breath of Witchy Air
Every Witch Way But Wicked
A Witch Before Dying
Witching You Were Here
Murder Most Witchy
The Trouble With Witches
Witching On A Star
Something to Witch About
Charms & Witchdemeanors
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch

Madeleine L’Engle
The Wrinkle in Time Quintet: Books 1-5
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time

Shannon Mayer
Questing Witch Series Books 1 & 2
Aimless Witch
Caravan Witch

Margaret Mizushima
Killing Trail: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

Harper North
The Manipulated Series, Books 1 & 2
Modified
Surfaced

Corinne O’Flynn
The Expatriates, Books 1&2
Song of the Sending
Promise of the Scholar

Philip Pullman
His Dark Materials, Books 1-3
The Golden Compass
The Amber Spyglass
The Subtle Knife

Susan Kaye Quinn
The Debt Collector

Philip Reeve
Mortal Engines, Book 1
Mortal Engines

Lisa Brown Roberts
Spies, Lies, and Allies: A Love Story

Michael Scott
The Alchemyst

Cidney Swanson
Thief in Time, Books 1- 3
A Thief in Time
A Sword in Time
A Flight in Time

Jeff VanderMeer
The Southern Reach Trilogy Books 1, 2, 3
Authority
Annihilation
Acceptance

Kiersten White
The Chaos of Stars

T.A. White
Of Bone and Ruin

A to Z Reflections

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The A to Z Blogging Challenge for 2019 is now in the history books. I participated right up until I just couldn’t. I had some deadlines that squeezed between having to adult and my job. I had to make a choice and left the challenge at ‘R’.

#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary Reflections badge

The Reflection post is a tradition at the A to Z Challenge. It gives everyone a chance to look back at what worked, what didn’t, what we’ve done, what was learned, and where we hope to go from here. There is a list of 10 questions that have been posed by the A to Z organizers. I may not answer all of them, but I hope, by doing this reflection post you will join us next year, or you will do your own challenge at some point.

A to Z asked: What did you love about the challenge?
This is the second year I participated and what I like the most about it is the push to keep up on this blog. I sometimes forget my readers (how rude!) when I’m falling down the writing rabbit hole. By doing this challenge I am reminded to get back to the important people — YOU, my readers.

A to Z: What would you change about it?
I would like to see a Blog Hop link. Was there one? Maybe I missed it. It would be nice to be able to have a link at the end of our posts (Linky Tools) so readers can easily check out the rest of the blogs participating.

A to Z: What was the best moment for you during this year’s challenge?
I hate to say this, but the day I had to call it to a stop. I know that is counterintuitive, but I was relived. I over extended myself and by stepping away I was doing myself (and everyone involved) a service that benefited all of us.

A to Z: What is the best comment your blog got during the challenge, and who left the comment?
I got so many wonderful comments from everyone who read the posts. I hope they all keep coming back to visit and commenting. It is encouraging to have comments and likes because then I know there are readers who enjoy the posts.

I found several new blogs to follow along the way. Check them out :

A to Z: Will you do the challenge again?
Absolutely!

There were more questions and much more to say, but I think I will close here by saying WOW!! A huge thank you goes back to everyone who worked hard to make this challenge happen. This is one of the best writing challenges I participate in and I’m looking to continue for sometime to come.

Until then? Happy reading!!

Language is Power

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What was some experiences where you learned that language had power?

Language, I have found, has more power than I ever realized. What about you? Think about it. If you were to walk up to a random person on the street and tell them their shoes were ugly, what would happen? My guess is that, if you could be a flea on their sleeve, you would see them go through the rest of their day in the dumps. On the other hand, change a single word – ugly to awesome – you change the tone of their entire day.

Television, books, social media, person to person communication, and even books, are opportunities to use language to influence, support, or demoralize people. In my home, we dropped network television and I immediately noticed a difference in my attitude. If I read a humorous book my outlook brightens.

Much of my childhood was spent learning the negative power of language, and as I grew, and had children of my own, I learned how to turn all that negative to positive. In college I studied photography and we had to give, and take, critique. I saw first hand how a few, carefully stated words, could either save, or kill, the artist within a person.

When I read books, then write a review, I point out the best of it rather than everything the author has done wrong. Mind you, there is room for improvement in most things, but I show a writer how to improve with positive language. Whenever I am given feedback that is supportive, I tend to learn more and have a stronger desire to continue on.

Language is a powerful thing. It really is as simple as having a glass half empty or half full. To borrow on another saying, “You attract more bees with honey.” That honey will always taste sweeter when you carefully choose words that support and encourage. Now that’s power!

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Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in our IWSG post. These questions may prompt us to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. We Include our answers to the question in the IWSG post or let it inspire our post if we are struggling with something to say. 

The awesome co-hosts for this month are, Lee Lowery,Juneta Key, Yvonne Ventresca, and T. Powell Coltrin!

It’s a Blog Hop!! Check out these other amazing blogs…..

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