tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-98957392024-03-15T18:10:28.720-07:00Fragrance and Love can never be hidden.Connie Vines' Fragrance for Love SeriesConnie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-79019946277637331542016-12-17T00:30:00.000-08:002016-12-17T23:25:29.752-08:00Prologue and Epilogue—Do They Have a Use? By Connie Vines RR# 12/17/16<b>Victoria Chatham suggested this topic: Prologue and Epilogue. Do they have a use? Should they be used? Can you have one without the other? This topic was suggested by one of our group, Victoria Chatham. Be sure to check out her blog. </b><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">pro·logue ˈprōˌlôɡ/</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">noun</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">1. a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">"this idea is outlined in the prologue"</span><br />
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It’s an interesting topic. While critique partners and other authors seem to ponder the pros and cons, frequently. I’ve used both in my historical and romantic suspense novels. While my contemporary romance novels have an epilogue so that my readers know it truly is a happily-ever-after story.<br />
My prologues are short and to the point. I have an action event that sets the tone of my romantic suspense novel. I find this effective because it doesn’t leave ‘dead time’ so to speak. I can hop into the action/ skip ahead in time/ or open my story the a different POV. <br />
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However, a writer must be selective, I believe. You need to make certain that your story still opens with an inciting moment, perhaps for the hero (Brede, Rodeo Romance, Book 2). Or to set a historical tone for a novel (Whisper upon the Water). Does the prologue change the story? I use my prologue to intensify the emotional connect between my character(s) and my readers.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">ep·i·logueˈepəˌlôɡ,ˈepəˌläɡ/</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">noun</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.</span><br />
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Epilogues tie up all the loose ends. I like to jump forward and show a wedding or have a toddler in the picture. The reader is satisfied, knowing all is well in. Isn’t that what stories are all about?<br />
I also make use of diaries; which, in my experience, editors seem to love or hate. Though in a contemporary novel, I suppose, I would make use of email, twitter, and blog/snapchat.<br />
So, I am pro epilogue, pro prologue. And, I am also, pro Oxford comma!<br />
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Happy Holidays!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie Vines</span></b><br />
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Please Blog Hop and see what these participants have to say:<br />
<br />
Margaret Fieland <a href="http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com/">http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com</a><br />
Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a><br />
Dr. Bob Rich<a href="http://wp.me/p3Xihq-QS"> http://wp.me/p3Xihq-QS</a><br />
Marci Baun <a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a><br />
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/<a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Victoria Chatham <a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/">http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/">http://www.helenafairfax.com</a><br />
Beverley Bateman<a href="http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/"> http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Rachael Kosinski <a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/">http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Kay Sisk<a href="http://kaysisk.blogspot.com/"> http://kaysisk.blogspot.com</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/">http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><br />
<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-85259892036356312732016-11-20T00:30:00.000-08:002016-11-20T00:30:22.663-08:00NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month by Connie VinesNational Novel Writing Month (often shortened to NaNoWriMo, "na-noh-RY-moh"), is an annual Internet-based creative writing project that takes place during the month of November.<br />
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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.<br />
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To win you must write a 50,000 word novel—from scratch—in one month. To break it up, you have to write 1,667 words a day, every day, for thirty days straight.<br />
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That’s a lot of words. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo this year, how do you win? Here are five suggestions.<br />
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1. Write With Friends<br />
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Community can provide positive reinforcement. I belong to Romance Writers Of America and my Orange County Chapter and others have this contest every year.<br />
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2. Write Fast<br />
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Today, writing fast is the most important thing you can do. Quantity begets quality, so write quickly today.<br />
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3. Don’t Edit<br />
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Editing is essential. Don’t be one of those writers who submits their unedited NaNoWriMo novel to publishers on December 1. But November isn’t for editing. November is for writing. The Oxford Comma and misuse of your/you’re can wait for December.<br />
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4. Use a Timer<br />
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Your inner procrastinator may try to convince you otherwise, but there are only so many hours in November. Spend your time wisely by using a timer.<br />
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Set it for thirty minutes and see how many words you can write. Take a five minute break. Then, set it for another thirty minutes and see if you can beat your word count from last time.<br />
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5. This Isn’t Just About 50,000 Words<br />
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This is about mastering the craft of writing. Intrinsic motivation is always more powerful than extrinsic rewards, and becoming a master at something like writing is intrinsically good.<br />
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Every time you feel your energy flagging and procrastination taking over, ask yourself, “How can I get better today? What can I do to become a great writer today?”<br />
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Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Please post a comment and let me know how you are doing. If you have any writing tips, please share.<br />
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I must confess that my day job prevents me (yes, it is an excuse) from meeting my daily word count. UNLESS unless I am writing a novella (this year's personal challenge), or a YA novel. I know this keeps from participating in an actual contest but that isn't my real reason for participating. I participate to complete my stories.<br />
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Happy Writing!<br />
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Connie<br />
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Please visit our Sunday Snippets Blog Hop members:<br />
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-8501085724797651242016-10-30T00:30:00.000-07:002016-10-30T00:30:13.495-07:00Halloween for Skittish People by Connie VinesWe all know my Zombies (Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow) are not The Walking Death type of <br />
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Zombies. Everyone who has attended my yearly Spooktacular Dinner, know it’s not at guts-and-gore type affair. I’m not a scared cat, exactly. I simply have the gift of a very vivid imagination. The type of imagination that produces a nightmare when I watch “Meerkat Manor”, “Fantasia”, or any war movie.<br />
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So what movies are recommended for skittish people?<br />
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1. Hocus Pocus<br />
2. The Addams Family<br />
3. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown<br />
4. Ghostbusters<br />
5. Frankenweenie<br />
6. Halloweentown<br />
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas<br />
8. Little Shop of Horrors<br />
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What move do I always watch? It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I love, love this movie. Snoopy in the pumpkin patch always makes me smile.<br />
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What Halloween movie is your favorite? What movie frightens you out of your wits? What movie give you nightmares?<br />
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Well, Frankenweenie did it for me. With The Nightmare Before Christmas came in a close second in the ‘giving Connie a nightmare’ category. <br />
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The crazy thing is, I can read and re-read the novel Dracula by Braun Stoker and watch the 1990’s movie version of Dracula and I am fine. (Dracula, like The Phantom of the Opera, falls under the umbrella of tortured hero and love story –in my mind anyway). <br />
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I’ve posted pictures of a few party ideas and treats I’d like to share. (visit my Pinterest Boards: novelsbyconniev).<br />
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Please ‘treat’ yourself to a book from BWL this Halloween! Remember to visit the other member of out weekly Blog Hop!<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE">Order Connie's Books HERE!</a><br />
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1Huntington Beach, CA, USA33.660297 -117.9992265000000233.448913 -118.32195000000002 33.871681 -117.67650300000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-14178246616975888072016-10-22T00:30:00.000-07:002016-10-22T00:30:14.685-07:00How Important is a Title? # 10/23/16 Round Rhobin<span style="font-size: large;">Topic: How important is a title? What attracts you to a certain title, and how do you determine what to title your book? </span><br />
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Thank you Rhobin for another excellent topic!<br />
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I believe the title of your book is–by far–the most important book marketing decision you’ll make.<br />
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There’s little good guidance out there on the right way to think about titling your book. The few blogs that address this decision offer advice that is:<br />
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Trite – “Go with your gut!”<br />
Superficial – “Browse bookstores for ideas!”<br />
Actively harmful information – “Don’t spend too much time on it.”<br />
They’re all wrong.<br />
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Just like companies spend millions on naming new products, and blogs spend hours testing different titles for their posts, you should spend serious time and energy finding the right book title.<br />
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This is a very important decision, one you need to think about and get right to ensure your book has the best possible chance of success.<br />
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Debbie Macomber, New York Times Bestselling Author, has spoken a number of times at The Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers meetings (I am a long time member). When Debbie was writing serial romances for Harlequin/Silhouette she came up with her book titles by reading the names of race horses in the Sunday Newspaper.<br />
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Janet Daily, 1944 - 2013, began her writing career also writing for Harlequin Romance. She set each one of her novels in an U.S.A. state. Each title was often the state's motto.<br />
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<b>Why Do Book Titles Matter?</b><br />
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The title is the first piece of information someone gets about your book, and it often forms the reader’s judgment about your book.<br />
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Let’s be clear about this: A good title won’t make your book do well. But a bad title will almost certainly prevent it from doing well.<br />
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Based on loads of empirical research and our decades of experience in the book business, we have a pretty clear picture of what happens in the mind of a potential reader when evaluating a book. They consider these pieces of information about a book, in this order (assuming they come across it randomly in a bookstore or browsing on the internet):<br />
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The title of the book<br />
The cover of the book<br />
The back cover copy (the book description copy, if it’s online)<br />
The flap copy (or the reviews, if it’s online)<br />
The author bio (depending on where it is)<br />
The book text itself (or they use the “see inside” function to read a few paragraphs)<br />
The price<br />
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The title is the first thing the reader sees or hears about your book–even before the cover in most cases–and getting your title right is possibly the most important single book marketing decision you’ll make (even though most people don’t think about it as marketing).<br />
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<b>The 5 Attributes Of Good Book Titles</b><br />
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A good title should have all of these attributes:<br />
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Attention Grabbing<br />
Memorable<br />
Informative (gives idea of what book is about)<br />
Easy to say<br />
Not embarrassing or problematic for someone to say aloud to their friends<br />
Attention Grabbing<br />
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This should be pretty obvious. There are a million things pulling on people’s attention, and you need a title that stands out. A bad title is one that’s boring, or seems boring.<br />
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There are many ways to grab attention; you can be provocative, controversial, exciting, you can make a promise, etc. The point is your title should make people stop and pay attention to it.<br />
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Remember, a book title is not only the first thing a reader hears about your book, it’s the one piece of information that a reader has that leads them back to the book itself. If your book is recommended to them by a friend, and they can’t remember the title, then they can’t go find it in a bookstore or on Amazon.<br />
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A good test is to ask yourself this question:<br />
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If you were to tell someone the title of your book at a party, would they have to ask what it’s about?<br />
If so, that’s probably a bad title.<br />
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Also, don’t out-think yourself on your title.<br />
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By using a word or phrase that is either not immediately understandable by your desired audience, or doesn’t convey the point of the book, you are putting a huge obstacle in front of your success.<br />
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<b>Easy To Say</b><br />
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Tongue twisters and hard to say phrases reduce the likelihood that people will engage the book or say it out loud to other people.<br />
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This is a concept called cognitive fluency–to make it simple, it means that people are more likely to remember and respond favorably to words and phrases they can immediately understand and pronounce. We don’t want to go too far into the psychological explanations here, but the point is this: Don’t try to be too sophisticated at the risk of becoming obscure. It will only hurt your book.<br />
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<b>Step 2: Brainstorm</b><br />
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This step is simple.<br />
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Spend at least a few days writing down every single title idea you can think of.<br />
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Telling someone to brainstorm is like telling someone to “be creative,” meaning that it’s not an easy thing to describe. That being said, we will will list every possible way we know of to find a good book title, complete with examples (remember, these techniques are not just for your main title, they will be the basis for your subtitles as well).<br />
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Use clever or noteworthy phrases from the book: This is very common in fiction, and can work well with novels. It also works well with non-fiction books, where the concept of the book can be summed up quickly or with one phrase.<br />
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Examples<br />
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The Black Swan<br />
Lecturing Birds On Flying<br />
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell<br />
Use both short and long phrases: We usually start with a really long title and work our way down to much shorter phrases. The goal is to have the main title be as short as possible–no more than 5 words (genre fiction varies)–and have the subtitle offer the context and put in important keywords.<br />
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Use relevant keywords: For non-fiction especially, searchability matters. You want to make sure that when someone searches for the subject or topic of your book, it will come up on Google and Amazon.<br />
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If you are unsure of this, go look on Amazon and see how often subtitles and titles are use additional keywords to attract more search engine traffic.<br />
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Examples<br />
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons In Personal Change<br />
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success<br />
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Use Amazon/Goodreads/Wikipedia for inspiration:<br />
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Wikipedia’s list of the best-selling books of all time<br />
Goodreads list of best book titles<br />
Amazon’s current best-selling books<br />
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Try Random Title Generators: I’m not going to tell you these are great ways to find book titles. But sometimes people get desperate, and this is something you could try if you ran out of other options:<br />
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http://www.kitt.net/php/title.php<br />
http://www.fictionalley.org/primer/title.html<br />
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<b>Finally: Make Sure The Title Is Not Already Popular</b><br />
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No, you cannot copyright titles. Technically, you can call your book “To Kill A Mockingbird” or “Lord Of The Rings” or even “The Lion,The Witch, and the Wardrobe.”<br />
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That being said, copying a popular book’s makes it VERY hard for your book to stand out, and pretty much guarantees a lot of negative reviews from people who are not getting the book they expected to get.<br />
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Happy Reading & Writing,<br />
Please visit the writers who are participating in this month's Round Rhobin!<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span><br />
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Marci Baun <a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a><br />
A.J. Maguire <a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Victoria Chatham<a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/"> http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Skye Taylor<a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea"> http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a><br />
Judith Copek<a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/%C2%A0"> http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/ </a><br />
Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/">http://www.helenafairfax.com</a><br />
Heather Haven<a href="http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/"> http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/</a><br />
Dr. Bob Rich <a href="http://wp.me/p3Xihq-MI%C2%A0">http://wp.me/p3Xihq-MI </a><br />
Margaret Fieland <a href="http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com/">http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com</a><br />
Rachael Kosinski <a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/">http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright<a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/"> http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><br />
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com7Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0928092 -118.3286613999999934.040211199999995 -118.40934239999999 34.1454072 -118.24798039999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-63497457933443100372016-10-16T01:30:00.000-07:002016-10-16T11:16:01.754-07:00Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow, Sunday Snippet #SundaySnip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow </span>is the first novella in my Sassy and Fun Series.<br />
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Do you go all out for Halloween? I sure do. I serve my Spooktacular dinner the weekend before Halloween. Complete with 'Dead-man over Worms", "Bloody Fingers", "Frankenstein's Brain". Well, you get the picture. So here is a snipped from my Zombie Romance. It's Sassy. It's Fun. And, best of all, Here <i>Today, Zombie Tomorrow</i> is FREE with Kindle Unlimited at Amazon.com!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's my Snip:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Meredith didn't recall much about the accident, nor who or what, reanimated her. She remembered and over-hearing a security officer informing a pungent-smelling zombie that he couldn't purchase an alcoholic beverage (apparently he didn't match up with his photo ID). Within moments, a shoving match between the two men ensured, quickly escalating into zombie chaos: shouting, running and chomping.<br />
<br />
Chomping?<br />
<br />
At the time, Meredith thought it was all part of the festivities, perhaps a little odd and definitely crazy. Just like the cornstarch-based zombie-vomit and fake blood, everyone had globbed and smeared on themselves; but hey, it was an Arts event. Even after finding herself wedged in the center of the zombie mob, lunging and bumping along until they were in site of the pier, Meredith. . .<br />
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Visit Amazon.com to read "Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow"! FREE is a great deal. And a great gift filled with Halloween Fun! (click on the book cover).<br />
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Happy October, everyone!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span><br />
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<br />
Stop by and visit the talented authors participating in this week's Sunday Snippet Blog Hop.<br />
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-10566188506247660232016-10-09T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-09T00:00:18.068-07:00Sensory Details in Your Story by Connie Vines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSobp9zzcck/Vtx89fZFMZI/AAAAAAAABUc/Lmi_yGexcTIPw2SyTYJLYAqhhHagffOawCPcB/s1600/bannerfans_945975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSobp9zzcck/Vtx89fZFMZI/AAAAAAAABUc/Lmi_yGexcTIPw2SyTYJLYAqhhHagffOawCPcB/s200/bannerfans_945975.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Every writer knows how important sensory details are to a story.<br />
Here is one way to keep track of those details that make your stories come alive for your readers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.edrawsoft.com/templates/images/sensory-observation-chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://www.edrawsoft.com/templates/images/sensory-observation-chart.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sight (the most utilized sense in writing; don’t forget the others!)<br />
<br />
- flash of lights in the night sky<br />
- deep blue of the ocean<br />
- the roads had begun to glisten underneath headlights<br />
- the sun was setting behind low, gray-blue storm clouds<br />
- a heavenly hue to the layers of ice and snow accumulating on rooftops and tree limbs.<br />
- her shadow shaky behind a slight flame stemming from a candle she carried<br />
- sparks lit up the dusk of day<br />
- a blinking red light from the truck’s turn-signal illuminated our darkened home<br />
<br />
Sound<br />
<br />
- The walls shook and vibrated like the tail of a rattle snake<br />
- Ice crackled and pinged against the family room window<br />
- Wind swirled around our beach house whistling loudly to a terrible tune<br />
- The television buzzed as it shut off, and the furnace sighed one last time before the house<br />
fell silent.<br />
- The cracking of wood splitting punctuated each burst of fire like an exclamation point.<br />
- the sounds of emergency sirens awakened the still roads<br />
- the howling of wind and branches creaking under the weight of ice<br />
<br />
Smell<br />
<br />
- sweet aroma of baking corn bread<br />
- cinnamon-scented candle<br />
- pungent odor of smoke.<br />
- salty beach air<br />
- rotting leaves and crispness of air<br />
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Touch<br />
<br />
- We sat still, huddled underneath the quilt<br />
- Car tires gripped the ice with fearful intensity<br />
- The power lines, heavy from the thickness of ice had snapped<br />
- soft tufts of fur<br />
- stick my toes in the warm and grainy sand<br />
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Taste<br />
<br />
- ice-cold strawberries<br />
- tall, frosted glass of sweet yet bitter lemonade<br />
- salty chips<br />
- juicy tartness of orange<br />
- rancid butter<br />
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Think about your life experiences; good and bad.. The places you've lived. Your childhood.<br />
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See what you can do to add sensory details to your stories.<br />
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Happy Reading and Writing,<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie </span></b><br />
<br />
Join in today's blog hop! Stop by and see what these other BLW authors are sharing!<br />
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a></span>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Brea, CA, USA33.9166805 -117.9000604000000333.811277499999996 -118.06142190000003 34.0220835 -117.73869890000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-36783537224436849622016-10-02T00:30:00.000-07:002016-10-01T21:04:37.139-07:00Act as if What you do Makes a Difference #SundaySnippets<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.</b> -- <i>William James<br />
</i><br />
As writer I tend to think in scenes and storylines. I know that every
story makes two promises to the reader: an emotional one, and an intellectual
one, since the function of a story is to make you feel and think.
However, there is also a beginning to each day, where I, as a human being, must
function in the act of day-to-day living.<br />
<br />
As part of this day-to-day living, I am very much aware of how actions, words,
and attitude have either a negative or a positive effect on others.<br />
<br />
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.<br />
<br />
In addition, if you are aware of Native American Culture, the Lakota know that
what you choose to do at any given time, be it a good deed or an evil one, the
consequences of that deed impacts seven generations. Seven generations!<br />
<br />
This is why in both my writing and my living, I try to take the high
road. I am not saying I always succeed, but I at least aim for the
target.<br />
<br />
I also strive to keep my characters in check. Even when my villains
do truly terrible things (Sister Enid to Tay in Whisper upon the Water),
I show motivation and life events so that the reader understands why this
event took place; but I never paint the behavior as acceptable.<br />
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Beginnings to a story should give the reader a person to focus on, yet in your
life's story: you are the main character.<br />
<br />
Look at some of the beginnings in your own life. What have you learned,
what stories do you have to share?<br />
<br />
Ummm. . .what have I learned? I've learned that gators can run. . .very
fast. I learned that on a family vacation to a South Georgia swamp.
While that did not make a particularly wonderful life event (especially at the
beginning of the day), but it will make a great scene in a novel or short
story.<br />
<br />
I also strove to set an example.<br />
1. I did not scream as I ran. I prayed that my sons would not witness
their mother being chomped on by a bellowing alligator.<br />
2. I explained that my actions (going down to the water's edge) weren't very
wise.<br />
3. We discussed what we might watch for so the event was not repeated.<br />
4. After we left the swamp we stopped at
a local eatery for fried gator tail. Yes, not taking the high road
here. We called it 'regional food' and left it at that!<br />
<br />
If you have a moment or two, please download my Rodeo Romance Series:<br />
Lynx (contemporary romance), Brede (romantic suspense), or my YA novel, Whisper
upon the Water. <br />
<br />
Also, visit my friends and wonderfully talents authors:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Juliet Waldron</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;" /><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;">Trisha McGil</span><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">l</span></a><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;"><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Dishin' It Out</a></span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 20.286px;">Happy Reading,</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.286px;"><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: white;">Connie Vines</b></span></span></span></div>
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-7176658110821248652016-09-25T00:30:00.000-07:002016-09-25T00:30:24.255-07:00Creating a (Not So) Perfect Western Hero by Connie Vines<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How Exactly does a writer create a Western Hero?</span></b></div>
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I thought I'd look at Hollywood's current take on what it takes to be a Western Hero in today's Wild West!</div>
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Since I have just started streaming Season 5 of Netfix's"Longmire" on my iPhone, I thought we could take a good long look at Walt. (Now I watched the show when it was on t.v (A & E). However, missed Season 4,)</div>
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Walt Longmire </div>
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Fictional Character/ <b>as he appears in the Longmire (the mystery series in print).</b></div>
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Full name: Walter Longmire</div>
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Species:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Human</div>
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Gende:r<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Male</div>
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Occupation:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sheriff</div>
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Title:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sheriff of Absaroka County, WY</div>
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Spouse(s)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Martha Longmire (deceased)</div>
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Childre:n<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cady Longmire (daughter, b. 4/1979)</div>
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Nationality:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>American</div>
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Police career: </div>
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Department:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Absaroka County Sheriff's Department</div>
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Years of service:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1972–Present</div>
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Rank:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sheriff</div>
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History</div>
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A native of Durant, Wyoming (the county seat of Absaroka County), Walt attended the University of Southern California, where he played offensive lineman for the USC Trojans and graduated in 1966 with a degree in English literature. He was then drafted by the Marine Corps and completed boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and OCS at Marine Corps Base Quantico. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division as a Military Police Officer, and served in country at Tan Son Nhut Air Base during the Vietnam War. He served in the Marines for four years, and earned, among other decorations, the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. After serving in Vietnam, Walt spent six weeks assigned as security at Johnston Atoll.</div>
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Upon his discharge from the Marines, Walt returned home to Wyoming where he was hired by Sheriff Lucian Connally as a deputy sheriff in 1972. Walt was elected as the Absaroka County Sheriff in November 1988 after Lucian all but threw the race and decided to retire.</div>
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<b>Longmire as he appears in "Hollywood" screenplays:</b></div>
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Here is a Nextflix preview:</div>
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<a href="http://screenrant.com/longmire-season-premiere-5-review-netflix/">http://screenrant.com/longmire-season-premiere-5-review-netflix/</a></div>
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History</div>
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Absaroka County native Walt Longmire, born c. 1953, is the well-respected sheriff that resides there. When the series begins, it is believed by most that his wife, Martha Longmire, died of cancer.</div>
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His father was a rancher who managed the stables of Absaroka County's most wealthy family, the Van Blarcoms. He is a graduate of Durant High School Class of '81, and his football jersey still hangs in the school's trophy case.</div>
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In their 20s, he and Henry worked at Prudhoe Bay Oil Field in Alaska.</div>
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Walt has been the Sheriff of Absaroka County since at least 2005; his immediate predecessor is Sheriff Lucian Connally (Peter Weller), the uncle of Branch.</div>
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In 2010, Walt arrested Malachi Strand (Graham Greene), the Chief of the Cheyenne Reservation Tribal Police, for extortion; he also has an adversarial relationship with the current CRTP Chief, Mathias (Zahn McClarnon), although the two have a bond of mutual respect.</div>
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So what are the differences between the books and the TV series?</div>
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One of the key differences between the books and the TV series is the character's age and subsequent backstory. In the books, it is established that Walt is a college graduate and Vietnam War veteran, and has been the Absaroka County Sheriff since the early 1980s. However, no mention of college nor a military career has ever been specified or even alluded to on the show (although it hasn't been ruled out either), and Walt's age has been established multiple times, having graduated from high school in 1981 and having been friends with Henry since they were 12 years old, 38 years earlier.</div>
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In a significant departure from the books, Walt's wife Martha does not die from cancer. While she is still diagnosed with the disease, in the TV series she is murdered, the details of which are slowly revealed over several seasons, significantly affecting Walt's relation with his deputy Branch and the Connally family.</div>
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While the TV series portrays Vic as interested in Walt, her feelings aren't reciprocated like they are in the books. Instead, the TV series has Walt slowly recovering from losing his wife, unable or unwilling to maintain a relationship with a woman called Lizzie Ambrose, before finally showing enough interest in a member of the opposite sex to actively court Dr. Donna Sue Monaghan.</div>
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In the books, Absaroka County has seen five murders in 24 years. The TV series has seen 27 confirmed murders in the two first seasons alone.</div>
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In both the books and the TV series, Walt's friendship with Henry Standing Bear is significant but in the books Standing Bear is a person of physical strength, good judgement and moral character. In the TV show he is written to be of great moral character but with more attitude than substance.</div>
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Personally, I find Longmire (Hollywood version) has become more of a believable hero from Season 1. During the 1st Season he see to be a Western version of NCIS "Gibbs" complete with hating his cell phone and refusing to use it even in an emergency. I've vacationed in Wyoming and an wonder where those cell towers are in 'Walt's World" especially during winter snow storms.</div>
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I would also like to see Henry Standing Bear be shown as a person rather than a "walk-on Native".</div>
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What do you think? Does Longmire seem like the perfect Western Hero?</div>
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T<b>he Western hero</b> is the possessor of physical strength, stamina, and an innate sense of the right thing to do; he rejects eloquence, refinement, and superior intelligence as standards of measure.</div>
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Yes. Walt fits the standard. However, I'd wish that Hollywood would have let Longmire keeph is original backstory (change to Gulf War). Having the retired high school football jersey bring to mind Al Bundy (Married with Children), not a Sheriff with a wealth of life experience and education to draw upon.</div>
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Still, the Wyoming country-side, and Robert Taylor are easy on the eyes.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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Remember to stop at by and see what everyone else is talking about today!</div>
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Palm Springs, CA, USA33.8302961 -116.5452920999999833.4079206 -117.19073909999999 34.2526716 -115.89984509999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-15422914282146268432016-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:002016-09-24T00:00:12.085-07:00What Eccentric Writing Habits Have I Never Mentioned? By Connie VinesMost authors, of course, have personal eccentric writing practices. Fueled, no doubt by his or her <br />
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personal muse. Agatha Christie munched on apples in the bathtub while pondering murder plots, Flannery O’Connor crunched vanilla wafers, and Vladimir Nabokov fueled his “prefatory glow” with molasses.<br />
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Then there was the color-coding of the muses: Alexandre Dumas, for decades, he penned all of his fiction on a particular shade of blue paper, his poetry on yellow, and his articles on pink; on one occasion, while traveling in Europe, he ran out of his precious blue paper and was forced to write on a cream-colored pad, which he was convinced made his fiction suffer. Charles Dickens was partial to blue ink, but not for superstitious reasons — because it dried faster than other colors, it allowed him to pen his fiction and letters without the drudgery of blotting. Virginia Woolf used different-colored inks in her pens — greens, blues, and purples. Purple was her favorite, reserved for letters (including her love letters to Vita Sackville-West, diary entries, and manuscript drafts. Lewis Carroll also preferred purple ink, but for much more pragmatic reasons: During his years teaching mathematics at Oxford, teachers were expected to use purple ink to correct students’ work — a habit that carried over to Carroll’s fiction.<br />
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So how do my little eccentric (or never before mentioned) writing practices measure up? Is my personal muse quirky, dull, or out of control?<br />
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Since my quirks are normal for me, I had to think about this for a bit. <br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I always drink coffee that is part of my current ‘setting’. When my setting is New Orleans I mail order my coffee from my favorite spot.<br />
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Café du Monde. I have my cup and saucer, and a portable mug when I writing outdoors. I have a blue coffee pot and matching tin cup when I writing westerns (yes, the coffee is VERY strong and black). And of course, a Starbuck cup or a Disneyland mug when my novels take place in So.Cal.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>My music and my menu planning also is linked to my settings. All within the range of normal. Though I have more than my fair share of coffee mugs and cups.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I listen to diction videos on YouTube so that I am not relying on my memory for the sound of a Cajun accent, Texan’s drawl, etc. <br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I visit areas on Google Earth and Zillow. Even if I have lived or vacationed there, I may have forgotten an interesting ‘something’ I can insert into dialogue, or find a way to describe a scene.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I talk to myself. Or not simple little sentences. I’m talking about a two- way conversation: “Do you think that might work?” “No. No one is that stupid!” “How about. . .” This is the time my husband walks by to find out who’s on the phone, or if I’m asking him a question. The dog even pokes her head in to see what’s going on. I’m thinking this is a bit outside of the ‘normal’ range.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I write I have to make certain my work space in in perfect order. I have colored folders/pens/notebooks that match and are exclusive to the story I’m working on at the moment.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I never enroll in an online class when I’m writing—it’s guaranteed writers’ block. I never talk about my WIP because I mentally clock that as writing time and lose interest in the story before it’s completed.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Whatever story I’m am working on is my favorite.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I survive on 3 hours sleep when I am deep in a story. I know I drink coffee, but seem to run the story in my mind when I sleep too.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I also pick up the quirks of my heroines. I have several friends who are in theater and said it’s a bit like ‘method acting’. Fortunately, I’m back to my state of normal a couple of weeks after typing THE END.<br />
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I think all of this part of a writer’s voice. It is what we, as readers, look for in a story. Hopefully, it is what my readers, enjoy about the novels, short-stories and novellas that I write too.<br />
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Happy Reading!<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span><br />
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Please stop by and visit every one participating in this months’ Round Robin Blog Hop:<br />
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Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a>
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A.J. Maguire <a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Beverley Bateman <a href="http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/">http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/is-my-writing-right-for-you">https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/is-my-writing-right-for-you</a>
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Rachael Kosinski <a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/">http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/">http://www.helenafairfax.com</a><br />
Victoria Chatham <a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/">http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Margaret Fieland <a href="http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com/">http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/">http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com5Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-9710695955986192392016-09-18T00:30:00.000-07:002016-09-18T00:30:13.131-07:00Sunday Snippets: Topic: Villain(s) 9/18/2016<div class="body" style="margin: 0em 0px 0em 0em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
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A change of pace this Sunday this Sunday. Instead of a snippets from my featured novel, "Brede".<br />
I thought I post a writing topic.<br />
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One of the most important characters in a story, the person we love to hate. The 'villain'.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Villian</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">noun</span></div>
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<span class="dnindex" style="display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">cruelly</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">malicious</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">person</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">who</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">is</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">involved</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">devoted</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">to</span><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">wickedness</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">crime;</span> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">scoundrel.</span></span></div>
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<span class="dnindex" style="display: block; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 28px;"><span id="hotword" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">character</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">play,</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">novel,</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">like,</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">who</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">constitutes</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">an </span><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">important</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">evil</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">agency</span> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span class="hwc" id="hotword" name="hotword">plot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My personal faves (if you can label a villain as such):</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>White Witch</b> from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The White Witch is a beautiful, proud, and cruel villain who has made herself Queen of Narnia against the wishes of all who live there. It is because of her that it has been always winter and never Christmas for the last 100 years. If anyone tries to rebel against her, they are sure to be found and captured by her spies, at which point the rebel will be imprisoned or turned to stone. She is also the witch who wages war against Peter, Lucy, and their Narnian army. <b>(She still frightens me)</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;">Jane Eyre was really is like a Cinderella story in some ways, with plenty of villainy for our heroine to cope with as she proves herself a princess. <b>(Skillfully written, this novel is a favorite of mine).</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Darth Vader</b>, Star Wars.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <b>The Wicked Witch of the West</b>. T</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">he Wizard of Oz.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><i>Do I write these type of villains? </i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">No. ( I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.). Usually, villains in my novels are people who did not start out as evil; if the villain is evil, she/ he is mostly off stage (remember Meerkat Manor gives me nightmares).</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">In my YA novel, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Whisper upon the Water, </i>Sister Enid, did a great deal of good before her focus changed. Since this was a YA novel (Dream Real Award Winner, National Book Award Nominee, and Frankfurt eBook Finalist), which deals with Native American issues, I was careful not to make the evil a racial focus. Instead, Sister Enid and the circumstances where a product of the times: ignorance and fear, which became hatred.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>The Purpose of Villains.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In my opinion,the villain can be worth more than the hero. I say this because the villain, or antagonist, serves many purposes. In his or her simplest form, the villain is a foil to the protagonist. The values and goals of the hero are contrasted and challenged by the villain. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The villain and the hero both play different roles in the plot. While the villain initiates and develops the conflict, the hero finds the solution. In many novels and stories, the villain is far more complex than the hero. What led them to choose his or her path? A hero may have "greatness thrust upon him," but a villain leads a life of isolation. What I mean to say is that no matter how difficult it gets for the hero on his or her journey, Good will always be there for support. In contrast, the villain chooses Evil —a path he or she will walk alone. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The antagonist and villain figures of fiction and real life teach us more about ourselves than the hero. In the villain we identify our best and worst qualities by either disagreeing with the villain's actions or attempting to comprehend the vile deeds he or she commits. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It must be emphasized that heroes and villains are interchangeable and far from black and white, but in their most stereotyped forms, they contrast. A hero may struggle, but his or her values are strong and unwavering. A villain, like Darth Vader, may switch to the Good side. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Villains provide fiction with entertainment, plot and philosophical depth. In many ways, it is the villain that defines the hero - chooses him. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Happy Reading,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Connie </span></div>
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Please visit the other wonderful writers who participate in our weekly blog hop:</div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/ Ginger Simpson</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/"> http://triciamg.blogspot.com</a>/Tricia McGill<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">/<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (Juliet Waldron)</span></span><br />
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com14Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-15696447941926445962016-09-03T21:38:00.001-07:002016-09-05T12:57:12.378-07:00Sunday Snips & Stuff<div class="entry-content" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<a href="http://galadarling.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/stars.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="stars" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5787" height="619" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/stars.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="650" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="cap" style="border: 0px; float: left; margin: 0px 0px -0.2em; padding: 0px 0.1em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">O</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">h, Mercury retrograde. You are here, AGAIN. You have arrived on our collective doorsteps in all your messy glory. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here we go. The planets are swinging around at all times, and their movements affect us all in different ways. All planets go retrograde, but Mercury’s journey seems to impact people much more than any other. (Even people who “don’t believe in astrology” often “believe” in the crazy aftershocks of Mercury retrograde!)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Why is that? It’s because Mercury rules communication, clear thinking, truth and travel, so when the planet goes retrograde — which means that it looks like it’s going backwards in the sky — all those things go backwards. They start to get ugly and tangle up. Mercury isn’t really going backwards, it’s just hanging out by the sun, but from Earth, that makes it look like it’s in reverse. It typically runs for a couple of weeks, a few times a year.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Check out these dates below and put them in your calendar!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2016, Mercury is retrograde from…</strong><br />January 5th to January 25th<br />April 28th to May 22nd<br />August 30th to September 22nd<br />December 19th to January 28th (2017)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Note:</b> We sometimes start to feel the effects of Mercury retrograde a few days early. It’s nice to give yourself a bit of leeway on either side of the prescribed dates!</span></div>
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<span class="not-georgia" style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All <i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sorts</i> of things! It’s like everyone you know has suddenly gone mad! You might find yourself getting into bizarre arguments about nothing at all, being unable to finish sentences or barely even able to form a coherent thought. Your computer and other electronic equipment is more likely to go on the fritz. You could experience travel delays, too. Double-check your flights and take a book with you to keep you occupied while you wait for the train! We don’t tend to get all the information we need at this time, so it can be hard to make big decisions and it’s not always the best time to sign a contract, either.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Expect to hear super-loud complaining from your friends who are Gemini (me!) or Virgo, since both are ruled by Mercury! Mercury also rules a lot of industries like publishing, writing, editing, advertising, sales, public relations and anything to do with transport, like airlines, the post office and cabs! This means it can be particularly rough for Gemini train conductors and Virgo magazine editors, so be kind to any you know!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I often find that Mercury retrograde makes me want to go into hermit mode. I feel like half my brain is missing so I’m really not that interested in interacting with anyone, plus every conversation seems to go in an unusual, confusing direction. I feel much more irritable and frustrated and things just <i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">don’t</i> seem to go how I want them to.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So that’s the bad news. Mercury retrograde can be a total kick in the teeth for those of us who normally pride ourselves on having our karmic shit together! The GOOD news is that Mercury retrograde provides us with lots of beautiful opportunities if we can just tilt our head and squint.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mercury retrograde wants us to move back spiritually. It is providing us with a chance to re-examine various areas of our life which may need a little more work, so that we can move forward to a bright new dawn. Now, more than ever, the time is right to look at things with clear eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It’s also a terrific period in which to tie up loose ends. So many of us have unfinished projects… Maybe that door just needs another lick of paint, or you’ll decide to put away your ex-boyfriend’s love letters once and for all. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the best ways to cope with it — as with anything, really — is to just “go with the flow”. When you fight Mercury retrograde, that’s when life gets really ugly. Just take some time, go slowly, be careful, don’t freak yourself out by expecting to be uber-productive-perfect right now. Be good to yourself and the people around you, now more than ever!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A QUICK GUIDE TO</span></div>
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<span class="not-georgia" style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SURVIVING MERCURY RETROGRADE!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Be sure not to take things too personally. People will often say offensive things they didn’t mean around this time, because their thinking is clouded and their communication skills are on pause! If your best friend suddenly became the most insensitive person in the world, give her the benefit of the doubt.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Back up your data!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Don’t purchase any big ticket items, because they will often have flaws or issues that you weren’t aware of! Of course, life doesn’t stop just because of wacky planetary movement, so if you absolutely <i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have</i> to get that car, computer or iPhone, TRIPLE-check all the paperwork, and make sure you have a warranty!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Take things with a grain of salt. Everyone is a bit confused, and people are much more inclined to change their mind once Mercury goes direct. Mercury can be a bit of a trickster — could it be that the next few weeks are a big karmic joke?!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Read the small print on any contracts. Ask lots of questions. Again, you can’t put your life on hold just because of some silly planet, but adapt your lifestyle a bit so that things run more smoothly. Communication can be a mess right now, but do your best to get as much information as you can.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Finish things you started a while ago. Home improvement projects? Wardrobe re-organisation? Short stories? Love affairs?! This is an excellent time to tie up loose ends and file things away forever.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Get together with old friends, reminisce and laugh!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Double-check any information you’re given, especially as relates to travel arrangements! During one particularly formidable Mercury retrograde, I actually caught a cab to the wrong airport! Check times, delays, baggage allowances, reservations… everything!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Allow Mercury to nudge you in unusual directions. If you seem to find yourself “back to the future”, don’t just try to wriggle out of it — look at what the universe is trying to show you. What can you learn from this situation? This is a fantastic time to re-examine, accept and move on.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" scale="0" src="https://galadarling.com/gala/images/ui-images/heart.gif" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="doki-doki!" /> Use the things you’ve discovered in the past to create a dazzling new vision so that you’re ready to blast ahead when Mercury goes direct!</span></div>
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See you next Sunday!</div>
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Please stop by and visit the members of our weekly blog hop!</div>
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Connie</div>
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<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a>Tricia McGill</div>
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ </a> Juliet Waldon </div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com </a> Ginger Simpson</div>
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-90533288583331619652016-08-28T00:30:00.000-07:002016-08-28T00:30:13.494-07:00Sunday Snippets by Connie Vines #sundaysnips&stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's another beautiful Sunday morning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s1600/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s200/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today I'd like to share another snippet from my Rodeo Romance, "Lynx".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Page 51:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Blinking irritably at the heavy, burning sensation in his eyes, compliments of a sleepless night invaded by erotic dreams of Rachel, Lynx crawled from bed the following morning and staggered to the rear of the camper. He managed to perk a strong pot of coffee before peering into the refrigerator. A quart of milk with an expiration date of six days past, a mummified tomato, and a cardboard container holding a two-day old hamburger stared back at him. The heavy scent of bacon, pancakes, and eggs from next door provoked a rumble of hunger from his stomach. He needed food. It only went to reason, Running Springs, being a small town, possessed one cafe--"The Round-Up" where Rachel worked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">With a resigned shrug, Lynx showered, shaved, and got dressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lynx stopped short when he walked across the threshold of the cafe, his gaze riveted to the woman whose image had kept him up all night--Rachel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He felt like hell, and he <i>looked</i> like hell, and to compound his ire, she sat at the end of the counter looking refreshed. At five in the morning, she should have looked a little haggard!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Her silky hair was pinned at the nape of her neck in some type of complicated braid. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She looked up at him when the bell over the door jingled, and she managed a smile. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, rising to her feet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To read more of "Lynx" or "Brede" Rodeo Romance, Book 2. Click on the book covers, or visit my website: <a href="http://www.novelsbyconnievines.com/"> www.novelsbyconnievines.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE">download now at Amazon.com</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<br />
Please stop by and read the Sunday Snippets of the authors participating in our weekly Blog Hop, too!<br />
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Happy Reading,<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Snippets for Brede next week!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), Ontario, CA 91761, USA34.0559781 -117.598056999999988.5339435999999971 -158.90665099999998 59.578012599999994 -76.289462999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-33264247462884265472016-08-21T00:30:00.000-07:002016-08-21T00:30:12.851-07:00Sunday Snippets #Sunday Snips <br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">For today please enjoy another snippet from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s1600/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s200/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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Rachel smiled. Lynx wasn't at all what she'd expected. Sexy, take-charge, Texas rodeo cowboy one moment, and charming, non-threatening date the next. She didn't know what to make of the situation.<br />
<br />
Or Lynx Maddox.<br />
<br />
It was only the cologne, she reminded herself when Lynx leaned closer and pointed out the skill of the fiddle player--she always loved the scent of a good cologne. Warm and musky. Or, maybe it was his reputation that held such appeal--he was a rodeo cowboy. Bull riders flirted with death and danger every day, and that alone could be a real turn on for some women.<br />
<br />
Still she knew none of those things was the real reason she was reacting this way.<br />
<br />
His heart-stopping green eyes were her undoing. Weren't they? <i>But what about his smile? </i> she asked herself. Heavens, he had a gorgeous smile.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hfJ8hjDADKQ/VZNzwk7VrsI/AAAAAAAAA5I/1NINFbik2ww/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hfJ8hjDADKQ/VZNzwk7VrsI/AAAAAAAAA5I/1NINFbik2ww/s320/IMG_1379.JPG%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Please hop over to to the other talented and read more "snippets"! (I'm hopping over there right now!)</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">To purchase "</span><span style="color: red;">Lynx</span><span style="color: blue;">", or my other books, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE">click here:</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">To watch my book trailers, <a href="https://vimeo.com/user15974418">click here:</a> or <a href="https://www.novelsbyconnievines.com/book-trailers.html">here </a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-86448824231478166022016-08-14T01:30:00.000-07:002016-08-14T01:30:36.829-07:00Lynx, Rodeo Romance, Book 1— #sundaysnips&stuff <div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">What woman doesn’t love a cowboy?</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s1600/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s200/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
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This Sunday’s Snippet is from my Contemporary Western Romance
“Lynx”. Rodeo Romance.<o:p></o:p><br />
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"I've never been to Cheyenne, Wyoming or Frontier Days," Rachel said.<br />
<br />
Lynx toyed with a long strand of her black hair and brushed it away from her face. "Cheyenne, Wyoming is a rodeo town, Frontier Days is a three-day celebration, " Lynx said. "Its's a huge tourist attraction, and the town goes all-out for it. The locals say Cheyenne onlyl has two seasons--winter and Frontier Days."<br />
<br />
Dan and Charlene turned their attention back to the couple.<br />
<br />
"Don't be talking about going just yet," Charlene said, clutching Dan's hand. "You fellas just got home yesterday."<br />
<br />
"Now Charlene," Dan warned. "You know how much purse money's at stake here."<br />
<br />
"I know. . ."<br />
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<br /></div>
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Rachel
melted against the back of her chair, as Lynx’s finger tip brushed a strand of
hair from her face. Her body shivered
all the way to her toes. Fidgeting with
a silver bracelet on her wrist, Rachel didn’t know how to deal with this type
of covert seduction. “You’ll have a good
time then,” she said addressing her comment to both men.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Everyone
has a good time,” Lynx clarified.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dan
chuckled. “Everyone who’s able, anyway.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rachel
reached for her glass, glancing a Dan. “I don’t understand.”</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dan
pushed his hat further back on his head, revealing a bright crop of red
hair. “I landed in front of the angry
end of a bull last year and broke my arm.
Lynx had a hell of a good time, though.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wWFY0GQ3B0/VZN0KGCUirI/AAAAAAAAA5U/rwR2Kn5RX8w/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wWFY0GQ3B0/VZN0KGCUirI/AAAAAAAAA5U/rwR2Kn5RX8w/s320/IMG_1477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available in Print and eBook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE">Download now. Amazon.com</a></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Don't go away, just yet! It's a Blog Hop--stop by and see what other teasers this authors have for you reading enjoyment.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333333;">http://mizging.blogspot.com</span> </a>(Ginger Simpson)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428976863631_2825">http://triciamg.blogspot.com</span> </a>(Tricia McGill)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/" style="font-size: small; line-height: 18.48px;" target="_blank">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ </a><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.48px;">(Juliet Waldron)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Have a wonderful Sunday,</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Connie</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-21457947396997265412016-07-23T00:30:00.000-07:002016-07-23T00:30:07.052-07:00What Makes a Novel Memorable? #RR Blog Hop 7/23/16<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Topic for July: What makes a novel memorable?</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0dnr9DViUc/VV1BsdK_MGI/AAAAAAAAA28/Y1QZv0hdpJ8SBMMPHuvaLUQP1Kwb6yJJACKgB/s1600/Maylistp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0dnr9DViUc/VV1BsdK_MGI/AAAAAAAAA28/Y1QZv0hdpJ8SBMMPHuvaLUQP1Kwb6yJJACKgB/s200/Maylistp.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
The best stories connect with readers on a
visceral level. They transport us to another time and place and put us in a
different “skin,” where we face challenges we may never know in life. And yet,
the commonality of the story problem draws us onward and, in solving it
vicariously through the protagonist, changes us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Another feature of
a memorable story is characters that live off the page. One of the highest
compliments I’ve never received for my novel “Lynx”, Rodeo Romance came when
one reader told me she thought about my story constantly. She said that Lynx
and Rachel’s story seemed so real, so heart wrenching, and their love so very
enduring. She said that she was going
through a difficult time in her life and my story gave her hope. Hope.
Hope for someone during a desperate time—I felt blessed that she shared
her story. I was also humbled. It is moment such as this that I know just
how powerful worlds and stories are to our readers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
While I never sit
down at the keyboard and say, “I think I will write a powerful, life-changing
story today.” What I do, by nature, is
select a social issue for the core of my stories. Since my stories are character driven and
often told in the first person, the emotion has a natural flow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
How do you create
this type of engagement with your story?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Go beyond the five
senses. Your reader must feel your
character’s emotions. Your reader must
forget there is a world outside of your story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<br />
Embrace idiosyncrasies. As
teenagers everyone wanted to fit in, be one of the crowd. Your character isn’t like anyone else. Give him an unexpected, but believable
trait. In “Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow”,
99-cents for the next week on Amazon.com, my heroine, a Zombie has a pet.
Not a zombie pet. Not a dog, or a cat.
She has a teddy bear hamster named Gertie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Make them laugh. It doesn’t need to be
slap-stick. Just a little comic relief
when the reader least expects it to happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Make them cry.
Remember the scene in the movie classic, Romancing the Stone, where Joan
Wilder is crying when she writes the final scene in her novel? I find this is the key. If you are crying, your reader will be crying
too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
If you are writing a romance, make them fall in
love. Make the magic last. The first meeting, first kiss, the moment of
falling in love. These are the memories
our readers savor, wait for in our stories.
Don’t disappoint them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">As Emily Dickinson, said so well: </span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">There is no frigate like a book</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">To take us lands away,</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Nor any coursers like a page</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Of prancing poetry.</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">This traverse may the poorest take</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Without oppress of toll;</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">How frugal is the chariot</span><br />
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">That bears a human soul!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Thank you, once again, Rhobin for this month’s
topic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Please visit the members of our RR blog hop today
and see what each one has posted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Today-Zombie-Tomorrow-Connie-Vines-ebook/dp/B00OA25GJY">FREE 6/22 - 6/29</a></b></div>
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Judith Copek <a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/">http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/</a>
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Beverley Bateman <a href="http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/">http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
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Victoria Chatham <a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/">http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Helena Fairfax <a href="http://helenafairfax.com/">http://helenafairfax.com/</a><br />
Marci Baun <a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a><br />
Rachael Kosinski <a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/">http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Connie Vines <a href="http://connievines.blogspot.com/">http://connievines.blogspot.com/</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/">http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-60455638466532677422016-07-10T01:30:00.000-07:002016-07-10T01:30:24.081-07:00Sunday Snips & Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb88MYLOiGs/V2ok317k1xI/AAAAAAAABfQ/j_T3KGBrWpwA7xEpBIb7qzq43wTLXrDqgCLcB/s1600/bannerfans_945975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gb88MYLOiGs/V2ok317k1xI/AAAAAAAABfQ/j_T3KGBrWpwA7xEpBIb7qzq43wTLXrDqgCLcB/s200/bannerfans_945975.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-88290195977927331722016-07-07T09:07:00.001-07:002016-07-07T09:07:02.727-07:00Social Media Tips for Authors<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/2016/07/hootsuite-and-social-media-for-authors.html?m=1">http://mizging.blogspot.com/2016/07/hootsuite-and-social-media-for-authors.html?m=1</a><div><br></div><div>I am blogging today! Please stop by at Dishin' It Out. Even if you aren't a writer, you may find the social media info & tips helpful,</div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-40926144963205527982016-07-03T00:30:00.000-07:002016-07-03T00:30:23.602-07:00Software Programs for Writers # Sunday Snips & Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABR8/FxJMo_rK9WQ/s1600/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">E<img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABR8/FxJMo_rK9WQ/s200/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As everyone knows I like to use software programs and social media.<br />
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I was reading my friend, Beverly Bateman's, latest blog topic titled Writers Software Programs (Blogging with Beverly on Blog.spot) when I realized this was a very interesting topic.<br />
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I also began to wonder exactly how many programs I used when writing, plotting my novels, stories, etc. I feel the content would be of interest to writer, readers, and those who man be looking for a program help them make it though the rigors of a AP, university level, or an extension class.<br />
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My go to program is <i>Power Structure</i> purchased via Write-Brain.com. Since I work in segments: Chapter 1 - 3, etc. rather than scene by scene or chapter by chapter, this program is adaptable to my thought process. I am able to work in three Acts, Chapters, Scenes, or any structure model of preference.<br />
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Conflict, Subplot, plot point, You can also change almost any term used in Power Structure to suit your personal preference. I attended a class by Chris Vogler, a Hollywood screen writer, who uses Joseph Campbell's "A Hero's Journey" as a plotting bible. Since I have followed Joseph Campbell's works and find the "A Hero's Journey" the best way for <u>me</u> to write a story (with the look of 3 x 5 cards when I feel like experiencing a flashback to my freelance magazine days).<br />
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Beverly also mentioned <i>Dramatica Pro</i>. Pricey, yes. I believe for characterization, especially for detailed historical novels, or when writing a continuing series, this program was a good investment.<br />
This program allows you to work on levels for character development. If you so wish, you may print a StoryGuide at each stage of development. This program also has a number of templates to choose fro, e.g., screenplay, novel, short story. Each comes with an appropriate number of archetypal characters already created, ensuring that each character has a clear dramatic function in the story.<br />
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There is also a Plot Progression Window which lets me examine where to place a pivotal point. There is also a Spin-the-Model Brainstorming option. This helps when, heaven forbid, you have writer's block--and much, much less painful than pounding your forehead on your desk until your muse comes up with a plan.<br />
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On my iPad I have several program: <i>My Writing</i> (which I seldom open), <i>A Novel Idea</i> (where I have grains of thoughts/names of future novels) this takes the place of scribbles from my lip liner on discarded pieces of paper I'd find in the depths of my tote bag. <i>I Do Notepad </i>& <i>I Do Notepad Pro </i>which I will use but it have a devil of a time retrieving what I have saved. <br />
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The Journal app is good for free-flowing thought/plotting etc. and also for using as a writer's journal. You can create labels, change the font and even add a background picture. This is were I many place the notes from my character interviews. <br />
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For more information about by novels, or to purchase my novels, please click on the bookcover, or links at the top of my blog.<br />
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Please visit the other authors in this weeks' Sunday Snip & Stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brede-Rodeo-Romance-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00DRPHILY?ie=UTF8&keywords=Connie%20vines&qid=1465100492&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Brede-Rodeo-Romance-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00DRPHILY?ie=UTF8&keywords=Connie%20vines&qid=1465100492&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1</a></div>
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Happy Reading,<br />
<br />
Connie Vines<br />
<br />
<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.triciamg.blogspot.com</a> (Tricia McGill)<br />
<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com</a> (Ginger Simpson)<br />
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Janet Waldon)<br />
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-68687372706507536482016-06-26T02:30:00.000-07:002016-06-26T02:30:23.043-07:00Sunday Snips & Stuff #6/26/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Research—Does Inaccuracy in a Novel Bother You? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr></div>
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Does it bother me? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, in my case, there are varying degrees of
irritation. If it is an easily found fact, or a fact that any functioning
adult should be aware of then, yes—I am very irritated and will probably not
finish the novel. On the other hand if current verbiage is used or the
description of an item of clothing is more modern, that could be the writer’s
choice. The writer may feel that her ‘readers’ wish to have the ‘flavor’
of a historical story without the genealogy charts or gritty reality of the
era. Then I am okay. But to pass the facts off as accurate/ or marketed
to make the reader believe this is not a <i>fictionalized </i>story—as
in “The Other Boleyn Sister” or Disney’s “Pocahontas” animated movie (with what
I like to call the Vulcan-mind-meld when the Hero and Heroine suddenly speak
and understand each other), I do become angry. Apparently, I clamp
my teeth, and my husband swears, that I growl when these movies become a topic
of conversation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We all make mistakes, I remind myself. Alternatively,
the copy-editor adds/ deletes a needed fact. Moreover, sometime we simply
‘thought’ we removed it from the final draft. Still sloppy research makes
for sloppy writing. If you do not like research, build your own
world/town/or, do not give the reader a date or place to hang her hat on.
You and add a statement: liberties were taken; the mistakes are my own,
etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Researching</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Any professional writer knows there is a lot more to the job
than simply writing. There is also revising, editing, promoting, and much more.
Before I even consider typing: Chapter One. Whether I am writing,
historical, or fantasy, I conducted days—if not months or even years, gather my
research material and scheduling interviews. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Research is vital to every writer. Contemporary novels
required daily research to keep up-to-date on the latest tech item, hairstyle
or whatever relates to your storyline. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Every encounter with a new person or visiting a new place is
an opportunity for better, more descriptive writing. Writers never truly take a
vacation, or turn off the research part of her/his brain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do I organized my research material? (Tossing
everything into a large bin is oh-so-not-the-way to be organized.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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#1: Keep a File Folder for Ideas<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have files where I stash clippings of articles on specific
topics I feel will come up again, or will one day make great short
stories/articles. I have plain colored folders for “shared” topics (I
write multiple genres), cute folders (for YA/Teen topics), action folders for
supernatural stories, etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These clippings are often <b>story generators or
prompts </b>to open a chapter/create a pivot point. How many times have
you heard something on the radio or watched something on television and
thought, “Wouldn’t that be so great in my next novel”?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Story prompts can be anything that you find interesting,
anything that relates to your genre or area of writing interest. Because my
books are character driven, I tend to be drawn to articles that talk about the
human condition (i.e., why we do the things we do) or specific topics that I
feel relate to my particular ‘character’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#2: Story Premise Research First<o:p></o:p></div>
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When you start a new project, you must make some decisions.
What is the theme of your book? (We might also think of this step
as “what is the premise of your book?”) The answer to this question will
guide your starting research.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My third book, <i>Whisper upon the Water</i>, focused a
lot on the living conditions and societal attitudes about Native American
children. I already knew that Native American children were forced to attend
government run boarding schools after the Indian Wars, but I did not know about
the process, and how it affected the children or how they adapted. Therefore, I
began with interviews, tours of the schools still in operation and trips to
historical archives and reservations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I wrote a single word, I looked into this, and the
answers I found are what formulated my plot points. I needed
this foundation of research to create a convincing<b> plot</b>,
otherwise I would not tell the story correctly. I wanted the truth, I
wanted historical accuracy and I wanted my readers to have an emotional
connection to my characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Poor research in the beginning often results in a
manuscripts dying at the halfway point. Think of this step as the foundation of
your novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#3: First-Hand Accounts<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a rule, I set my stories in placed I have lived or
visited. However, a writer does not have to go to a city/country to get a
feeling for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Online Resources</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Travel sites, local blogs, and YouTube all have a place in a
writer’s arsenal. In particular:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Travel
Sites</b> often have detailed maps and downloadable audio walking
tours that can give you context for notable buildings and directional
substance for urban areas to include in your book.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>YouTube</b> is
a major resource, often underutilized by writers. Those seemingly normal
videos are great for providing local terminology, dialect, visual
perspective and even minor details like the amount of traffic at a
particular park or on a particular street.<o:p></o:p></li>
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#4: Details<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Using
Google Maps and Streetview</b>, for my upcoming release anthology at
BWL: <i>Gumbo Ya Ya—for women who like romance Cajun & men Hot
& Spicy</i>! I was able to get a street view of that area and I could
‘walk’ the streets as they appear in New Orleans. The Streetview
feature setting on Google Maps plops you down right at street level and
gives you a 360-degree view of everything including traffic, crowds, and
architecture. While I do have my personal photos and memories of the
city, it is always good to make certain the details are ‘just right’.<o:p></o:p></li>
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#5: Remember to Write<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can always do a fact check on the smaller items as part
of the final revision process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I am dictating or typing my story, unless an
earth-shattering event is in the works, I do not stop the process. I will
type:** research time line of Spanish Flu or ** insert the popular
song year, and keep writing. When I go back over the material, I will
have time to add the particulars.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Research is fun. Unlike may authors, research in my
favorite part of writing. Like a method actor, I immerse myself in the
process. Hobbies, Music, Books, and Food (well, not food when I wrote my
Zombie novella, “<i>Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow</i>”. right now, however, it is
shrimp Creole, pecan pie and coffee with chicory). Research need not be
cumbersome. If you are interested in your subject matter, then it is not work.
It is just another part of writing a book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe it is writing a book that is rich in
research helps to separate the writers from the multi-published authors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Readers, how do you feel about this topic? How
important is historical accuracy to you?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Please stop by and see what my writer friends have to talk about today.</div>
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Happy Reading,</div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b></div>
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http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/<br />
http://mizging.blogspot.com/<br />
http://triciamg.blogspot.com/<br />
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-79121272467189200032016-06-25T01:30:00.001-07:002016-06-25T01:30:04.176-07:00How Emotionally Involved Are You In Writing Scenes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you Robin for this month's topic.<br />
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How emotionally involved are you in reading or writing some scenes?</h3>
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"A story must engage the heart as well as the head; a story cannot just play clever games with language or structure or generic expectations but must have a beating, emotional heart at its core."</div>
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~ Stephanie Friedman</div>
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My novels are character driven. Therefore, an emotional-driven expedition.</div>
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Emotion- driven. It's not about the plot, it's about how the plot affects the protagonist. </div>
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When I read a scene in a novel, even a well-crafted scene, if it fails to have the all-important quality of 'emotional resonance,' it is a shell. Where are the emotion elements? The intensity? The responsive chord in the reader?</div>
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We read textbooks to comprehend; we read literature to feel.</div>
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To quote Gordon Lish, "It's not what happens to people on the page; it's about what happens to a reader in his heart and mind."</div>
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I strive to layer the details. Since many of my stories deal with social issues, may very intense. The reader must feel the rain and react emotionally. The key is knowing where to linger, inviting my readers into my world and allowing them time to <i>feel.</i></div>
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When writing I pay attention to things in the world that speak to me, moments that resonate with me. I take notes, often with my iVoice app. I gather those bits into a folder (physical or cyber) to later fuel my writing.</div>
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As the editors remind us: Give us characters we identify with or care about.</div>
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Happy Reading & Writing<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b><br />
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Please visit these participating authors blogs:<br />
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Skye Taylor<a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea"> http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a><br />
Anne Stenhouse <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/"> http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/</a><br />
Marci Baun <a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a><br />
Heather Haven<a href="http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/"> http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/</a><br />
Victoria Chatham <a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/">http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/emotion-in-writing">https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/emotion-in-writing</a><br />
Diane Bator <a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Beverley Bateman <a href="http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/">http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Rachael Kosinski<a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/"> http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Margaret Fieland <a href="http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com/">http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com</a><br />
Connie Vines <a href="http://connievines.blogspot.com/">http://connievines.blogspot.com/</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/">http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><br />
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com5Laguna Beach, CA, USA33.5422475 -117.783110433.330510000000004 -118.1058339 33.753985 -117.4603869tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-70253661656980527992016-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:002016-06-21T22:38:33.796-07:00Bad Boys vs Bad Girls by Connie Vines<b>Since it is Father's Day, I'm reposting one of my blog topics from Feb.</b><br />
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<b>Why do you think 'bad' boys are so popular as heroes and 'bad' girls so often reviled? In real life, can those labeled bad change (certainly 'bad' is open to interpretation), or are such fictional romances misleading?</b><br />
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There's a reason why women are attracted to bad boys, and it's not (just) their sweet leather jackets. It's science.<br />
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Apparently, people with "pathological" personalities are simply more attractive to the opposite sex. The new study, carried out by a team of researchers at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and published on<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-are-attracted-to-deviant-personalities/"> Scientific American</a>, analyzed 1,000 heterosexual men and women with a broad spectrum of pathological personality traits.<br />
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Gutiérrez believes women like deviant behavior simply because it's fascinating. “While [pathological men] are selfish, rule-breaking, imprudent, and rebellious, they are also brave, temerarious, independent, and self-reliant—and they live frantic, galvanizing lives,” he says.<br />
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This explains why bad Boys are popular in romance novels. Reading about the deviant behavior is more exciting than living with a man who is selfish, rebellious, and hell-bent on dragging you into frantic lifestyle. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marlon Brando, "A Street Car Named Desire"</td></tr>
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In contrast, Bad Girls are a rare species in romance novel. The main reason is probably that they don’t make female readers salivate the way the Bad Boys do. Another reason may be that as a reader, one doesn’t want to identify with the “bad” character, instead one wants to identify with the character who reforms him – and female readers tend to put themselves in the shoes of the heroine. And there may be a double standard at work here, in that selfish behavior on behalf of a woman is still considered less forgivable than selfish behavior on behalf of a man – in fiction even more than in real life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mae West</td></tr>
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What do you think?<br />
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Do you like a Bad Boy hero? Or are you a bit of a Bad Girl?<br />
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Hop over to the next blog and see what everyone else has to say!<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, Brede is featured as part of the Kindle Count Down -- it's free!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brede-Rodeo-Romance-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00DRPHILY?ie=UTF8&keywords=Connie%20vines&qid=1465100492&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1">https://www.amazon.com/Brede-Rodeo-Romance-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00DRPHILY?ie=UTF8&keywords=Connie%20vines&qid=1465100492&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1</a><br /><br />Happy Reading,<br /><br />Connie Vines<br /><br /><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.triciamg.blogspot.com</a> (Tricia McGill)<br /><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com</a> (Ginger Simpson)<br /><a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com</a>/ Janet Waldon</span></span></div>
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Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com6Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-88051021770728345912016-05-21T21:14:00.001-07:002016-05-21T21:31:52.635-07:00Sunday Snips & Stuff.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">U Confrontation. A noun. A hostile argumentative meeting or situation between opposing parties.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mvsf8Qwq6VI/V0E0dGEiuUI/AAAAAAAABaU/NSh7p1zQfHk/s640/blogger-image-281950957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Mvsf8Qwq6VI/V0E0dGEiuUI/AAAAAAAABaU/NSh7p1zQfHk/s640/blogger-image-281950957.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Confrontation creates powerful drama. I am am posting one scene that I've written that shows confrontation between characters in one of novels.<br><br>This scene in from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance. <br><br>There was an undercurrent of Lynx's statement that made Rachel feel like a branding iron was placed on her body. "You told your mother about Carson, didn't you?"<br><br>Lynx frowned at her. "Of course I did. Dad had already made the connection."<br><br>Rachel wrapped her arms around herself to still her trembling and stepped away from Lynx. Betrayal vibrated through Rachel's body and her voice shook with anger. "How could you? You told them without even asking me if it was okay? What else do they know?" she demanded.<br><br>"That this is important to me, that you're beautiful and sassy and--"<br><br>A bitter, sour note left Rachel's throat. She felt lightheaded and angry--angrier than she'd ever been in her life. "So everyone's putting on a good show for the poor, unwanted rodeo orphan, is that it Lynx? If you're really lucky, one of your father's friends will tell everyone about Carson's drinking binges. Should we talk about that at the barbecue, too?"<br><br>"Or how about the time Lauren left me wandering the streets of Lordsburg, New Mexico, and Child Protective Services had to pick me up? How would that be for meal time conversation?"<br><br>This scene is the dark moment in my contemporary romance novel. This is the scene where Rachel Scott must confront the man she loves, Lynx Maddox, with what she preserves as his betrayal.<br><br><br>Please follow the links and to these talented author blogs! </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><div class="separator" style="text-align: start; clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KK84PrVFhnQ/VZit6hRQW0I/AAAAAAAAA6U/ib3kFGwc3hsXLML8ADHh-YNJVQ5d6ju2gCKgB/s200/Vines-Lyxn200x300.jpg" width="133"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lynx-Rodeo-Romance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00ATSATM2?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc">"Lynx" Rodeo Romance</a></span></div><div><br></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-76970449111017615982016-05-21T00:30:00.000-07:002016-05-21T00:30:00.888-07:00Confrontations Creates Drama #Round Robin #5/21/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This month's topic: Confrontation creates powerful drama. </span>This month I am posting one scene that I've written that shows confrontation between characters in one of my novels.<br />
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Welcome everyone, and thank you Rhobin, this writing topic.<br />
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This scene in from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance.<br />
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There was an undercurrent of Lynx's statement that made Rachel feel like a branding iron was placed on her body. "You told your mother about Carson, didn't you?"<br />
<br />
Lynx frowned at her. "Of course I did. Dad had already made the connection."<br />
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Rachel wrapped her arms around herself to still her trembling and stepped away from Lynx. Betrayal vibrated through Rachel's body and her voice shook with anger. "How could you? You told them without even asking me if it was okay? What else do they know?" she demanded.<br />
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"That this is important to me, that you're beautiful and sassy and--"<br />
<br />
A bitter, sour note left Rachel's throat. She felt lightheaded and angry--angrier than she'd ever been in her life. "So everyone's putting on a good show for the poor, unwanted rodeo orphan, is that it Lynx? If you're really lucky, one of your father's friends will tell everyone about Carson's drinking binges. Should we talk about that at the barbecue, too?"<br />
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"Or how about the time Lauren left me wandering the streets of Lordsburg, New Mexico, and Child Protective Services had to pick me up? How would that be for meal time conversation?"<br />
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This scene is the dark moment in my contemporary romance novel. This is the scene where Rachel Scott must confront the man she loves, Lynx Maddox, with what she preserves as his betrayal.<br />
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Please follow the links and to these talented author blogs! <br />
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<img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KK84PrVFhnQ/VZit6hRQW0I/AAAAAAAAA6U/ib3kFGwc3hsXLML8ADHh-YNJVQ5d6ju2gCKgB/s200/Vines-Lyxn200x300.jpg" width="133" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lynx-Rodeo-Romance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00ATSATM2?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc">"Lynx" Rodeo Romance</a></div>
Happy Reading,<br />
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<br /><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Connie</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
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Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a><br />
Margaret Fieland <a href="http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com/">http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com</a><br />
Diane Bator <a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Dr. Bob Rich <a href="http://wp.me/p3Xihq-FD">http://wp.me/p3Xihq-FD</a> <br />Helena Fairfax <a href="http://helenafairfax.com/">http://helenafairfax.com/</a><br />
Fiona McGier <a href="http://www.fionamcgier.com/">http://www.fionamcgier.com/</a>
<br />
Rachael Kosinski <a href="http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/">http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/</a><br />
Victoria Chatham <a href="http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca/">http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca</a><br />
Beverley Bateman <a href="http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/">http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
Judith Copek <a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/">http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/</a><br />
Rhobin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/">http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com6Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.593108434.001240899999985 -117.7544699 34.211556899999991 -117.43174690000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-18297182134151398232016-05-15T00:30:00.000-07:002016-05-15T00:30:15.682-07:00Whisper upon the Water #Sunday Snips & Stuff #5/15/16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Welcome to this week's Sunday Snips & Stuff!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For those of you who follow my blog posts here at my personal Weblog, you may not be aware that I also post every Thursday at "Dishin' It Out" and monthly at "A Slice of Orange" (RWA's Orange Country Chapter), "Gems of the Attic" (authors of the Precious Gem Romance line) and at BWL Insider (my publisher's blog feature their authors).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course you all remember when I was interviewed by my "cyber crush" , and my crazy hair-raising interview by "Miss Lucy"!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This month I have been topics have featured <i>Cowboys</i> and the <i>West--</i>and, of course, Rodeo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I am selecting a snippet for my YA Native American sweet historical romance, "Whisper upon the Water".</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1868</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Governor of New Mexico, decreed that all Indian children over six be educated in the ways of the white man.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Indian Commissioner Thomas Morgan said: It was cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remained where the sagebrush was stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reached out into the silence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. My people and I call ourselves "Nde" this means "The People". The white men call us Apache.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE">For my buy links free reads and trailers</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Visit my talented author friends to see what snippet has been posted for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">http://triciamg.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Morongo Reservation, San Gorgonio Pass, CA, USA33.9500146 -116.817518733.739237100000004 -117.14024219999999 34.1607921 -116.4947952tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9895739.post-11260209539036198902016-05-08T01:00:00.000-07:002016-05-08T01:00:15.435-07:00Celebrate Mother's Day The Cowboy Way by Connie Vines #Sunday Snippets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today's world is one of online purchases, mass produced greeting cards, and restaurants.</div>
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There was a time when life was simpler. Moments were savored, celebrations heartfelt and home made.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s1600/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EzpZSnK5Veo/VtJ-2xxXCSI/AAAAAAAABSA/_WHOM_jiyLsuCr9DfQbOGJjIfqNh2R_TQCKgB/s200/NewBanne.Sunday%2BSnips.jpg" width="200" /></a>A time when a cowboy came home with a bouquet of r remember of fresh flowers that he had picked off of the side of the roads. He did that several times a week. His wife loved it. She felt special because he had taken the time to stop to pick them and there’s nothing like having fresh flowers around your house to liven it up. </div>
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This is also a wonderful tradition to begin in a family--for a father to pass on down to his son, or his daughter.</div>
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Or if your cowboy knows his way around the kitchen or a camp fire, breakfast will be on the Mother's Day horizon.</div>
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<b>Cowboy Hash Skillet</b><br />
Recipe type: Breakfast<br />
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 40 mins<br />
Serves: 4<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
3 large potatoes, washed and cut into ½ inch cubes (it's up to you if you want to peel them, I didn't because it gives it a more rustic look)<br />
1 medium green pepper, diced<br />
1 medium red pepper, diced<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
1 lb. chorizo sausage, casings removed<br />
4 large eggs (one egg for each skillet hash)<br />
Salt and pepper, to taste<br />
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Instructions:<br />
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/75x75/ee/e1/4d/eee14d6028e2df717179bb425065c4d1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/75x75/ee/e1/4d/eee14d6028e2df717179bb425065c4d1.jpg" /></a><br />
In a large skillet, cook the potatoes with 2 tbsp. of olive oil for 5-7 minutes until they start to get soft and the outsides are starting to brown. Then add in the green pepper, red pepper, and small onion. Cook until they're soft.<br />
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Add in the chorizo and cook until the meat is thoroughly cooked through and veggies are completely soft, about 10 more minutes. Make sure to mix and stir all the ingredients together so they get coated with the spicy chorizo. Salt and pepper, to taste.<br />
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While the chorizo is cooking with the veggies, cook an egg sunny side up or however you like it. I cooked mine sunny side up because I liked the runny yolk atop of the hash. Set aside.<br />
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<a href="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/sites/default/files/images/happy_mothers_day_drawing_card_320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/sites/default/files/images/happy_mothers_day_drawing_card_320.jpg" height="141" width="200" /></a>Once all the veggies and chorizos are done cooking, plate them in a large bowl or individual skillets (if you have them). Top the hash with your eggs.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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Happy Mother's Day everyone!<br />
<br />
Hop over to each of my friend's blogs and see what they have to say.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/">Janet Waldron</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">Ginger Simpson</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://triciamg.blogspot.com/">Trisha McGill</a><br />
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<br />Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3