"All Great Writers Begin with a Good Leather Binder and a Respectable Title." by Connie Vines #Sunday Snippets

"All great writers begin with a good leather binder and a respectable title," Johnny Deppp (speaking as J.M. Berrie) said to Peter in the film "Finding Neverland".

When I teach workshops, or am a guest speaker at local literary events, I am often asked, "Have you ever met a real-life character?

Living in SoCal, and due to the nature of my work, I do come in contact with actors, writers, public speakers, and others involved in the entertainment industry.  However, the person who was 'bigger than life' was not someone involved in the entertainment industry.  This person is someone who provided inspiration for the Lynx Maddox, the hero in the first book in my Rodeo Romance Series.

I often 'freelance' when I am working on a novel for better insight into a character, to learn a particular skill or obtain inside knowledge (slang, general impressions, etc.) that only someone living that life-style would know.  Sometimes all it takes is a conversation with the owner of a small town Nebraska cafe.  I might be invited into her kitchen where a family recipe is divulged, or local gossip is shared.  Another time, I'll serve on committee and strike up conversation with a person whose humanitarian work takes her to Romania.

In this particular case, I was attending school and working as a part-time 'appointment only' fragrance consultant in a exclusive perfumery.

Enter: one cowboy. 

From outward appearances he was of average height, a bit on the lean side (but well toned), dark-haired, green-eyed, early-to-mid thirties; just an average man.  However, there was an unmistakable 'aura' of energy when he entered the room.  His drawl resonated, his expressions were intense (but not threatening): a lifted eyebrow, a smile pulling a the corner of his mouth.  After a couple of minutes, I discovered he wasn't average at all--I'm not talking about wealth, personal fashion sense, or anything tangible--he just claimed all your attention without really doing anything.  I found this completely amazing.  (And no, it wasn't love at first sight! He was shopping for his wife's birthday gift and purchased a designer fragrance and art glass).

I wondered what it would be like to have a hero who's personality was 'a force of nature'.  And, so, Lynx Maddox was born!
.
Connie

Sunday Snippets 12/20/15 #SundaySnippets

For today's Sunday Snippet is from "Brede" Rodeo Romance Book, 2.
This is my Romantic Suspense and this snippet features my heroine, who left for dead, has no memory of the trauma--or who she is.

"Remember your name and everything else should fall back in place." Her head pounded and her chest felt tight.  Physical excursion brought on a coughing spell and she wondered if crawling across the room might not have been a better course of action.

All of her discomfort receded into the background when she found herself standing in front of the bathroom mirror.

She was staring at a woman's reflection.  She touched the cold glass with her fingertips, as if the contact could trigger a forgotten memory.

Surely, the tall, thin woman sporting a nasty purple bruise on the side of her face had a name.

She ran her trembling fingers through her shoulder-length dark read hair and traced the cut above her left eyebrow.

Funny, she never imagined she'd be so attractive.  She swallowed and did a second take.

How could this possibly be real?

If this was really happening to her, she'd be short and average looking; that was how fate was, fickle and capricious.

Instead, she found the woman before her possessed an almost hypnotic beauty, intense and alluring.  Was it also they type of beauty that kept women at arms' distance?  She glanced at the bruise that marked her cheek and jaw.  But what about the men?

Did her looks bring out the best or worst in the men she encountered in life, or had a jealous boyfriend been the one who injured her?

She looked into the green eyes shadowed with fatigue, and her entire being filled with sorrow and hopelessness.  Something terrible had happened, but she was terrified that the perpetrator would come back and hurt her again.  Or maybe, this next time, he'd succeed in killing her.

If you have enjoyed this snippet and find out how the story end, please click through to you fave ebook vendor.

Also, please visit my friends blogs and enjoy more snippets.

Happy Reading!

Connie

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/  (Janet Waldron)

http://mizging.blogspot.com/  (Ginger Simpson)

http://triciamg.blogspot.com/  (Tricia McGill)


KOBO                          Smashwords             AllRomance     Amazon.com           Barnes&Noble

Sunday Snippets #2 ~ Gumbo Ya Ya by Connie Vines~ #SundaySnips

Thank you Ginger for including me once again in Sunday Snippets.
As promised last week, I've included the final two snippets from my Cajun anthology.  Gumbo Ya Ya--for women who like romance Cajun!  Five stores, five times the fun.

Ooooh, La La!

A Slice of Scandal

“Hey, now, ‘dis key lime pie’s like de one I serve at my restaurant. Simple to make and good ta eat!  Key limes perk up de mouth and makes you hoppy.”

Producer/Director, Julia Kincaid focused on her monitor and adjusted the mike of her headset. “Camera One, tighten that head shot.”  She watched as the camera feathered over the chef to capture the best angle. The camera should have loved Franklin. His height was average, his black hair, short and curly and his skin took on a polished bronze color under the harsh camera lights, but the camera didn’t like Franklin. There was something about his eyes: like dark agate, forbidding and expressionless that was difficult to erase.  

“Okay. Now hold it, while Chef Franklin pulls the second pie from the refrigerator. Follow him back to the island. Good.”

When the chef stood on his mark, Julia said,  “Cue the music. Okay, Two, scan the

audience. Back to Franklin.”

“It’s best to serve ‘dis chilled, a twist of key lime on the top. And, boy-oh, boy, does dis taste gooood!”

“Camera Two, pan the audience. . .focus on the pie. . .Camera One, close-up on the chef. . .Hold it.”

Julia heard the studio audience applause.

“Now, pull back. He cuts the pie. . .he puts it on the plate. . .now wait for the whipped cream and. . .okay . . .he’s got the fork. He’s taking a bite.”

The studio audience uttered a collective sigh.

“Let’s call it a day. . .” Julia said, pulling off her headset and allowing it to dangle around her neck. “Hey, hey, what’s he doing, now?” she asked. “This is where he says goodnight. What’s he doing?”  Snagging the mike that was clipped at her waist she barked, “Someone cue Franklin. He’s off his mark.”  It was times like this she questioned her sanity at trading a career in Hollywood daytime T.V. for that of the Good Eats Network in Orlando, Florida.

“What’s going on now? Why’s he grabbing his throat?”

From her left she heard J.D. groan. “Damn, Julia. Harvey’s gonna boil all of our carcasses in a stockpot for this one!  Franklin must be hitting the booze again. Jeeze, look at him!  Franklin’s spitting out the pie. Hell, there go the show’s ratings.”

1-800-FORTUNE

(T.A.R.A. Award, Paranormal) 

The moon was full tonight; huge in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza felt the conscious energy feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.

            There are seventy-eight cards in a Tarot deck. Four suits of fourteen cards each. Swords, Cups, Wands and Pentacles, and twenty-two picture cards called the major arcane, the mysteries.

            Enza’s mother had told her she would learn to associate the picture cards with people she knew, and during her travels, she had met nearly all of them.

            The Juggler was a boy she’d loved and lost. The Hanged Man ran a mission on Canal Street, The Pope ran numbers for the Wiseguys. Of course, she’d married the Fool in an arranged gypsy marriage. Enza didn’t know where he was today, but she was certain he was still a fool. She’d never met Justice, nor had she ever met the Devil.

            She knew mean people, lairs, schemers, and cheats. But it takes more than being mean to make a person the Devil. The Tarot’s Devil is a special horror. He is the genius of evil. He is willful and proud, vengeful, greedy and cruel. The card also had another meaning. Yes, the Devil can come after you, but you can also go to the Devil. The Tarot is very clear in its meaning.

            Not for spells and chants are you damned but for the ordinary abuse of extraordinary things.

            Enza glanced out the window and into the moonlight washing across the cobblestone street outside the French Quarter. The Roma, through they traced their roots back to ancient Romania, never considered themselves twenty-first century gypsies.  They displayed no red palms upon the carts they set up on Canal Street nor did they dabble in the black arts--they followed the old rules, and the old ways.  Even though they prescribed to the art of making love potions and arraigning marriages, they did not cheat or scheme for excessive monetary gain.

             Clients who came to Enza purchased customized charms, scents, and herbal remedies.  In the past, Enza’s clairvoyant abilities amounted to parlor tricks; harmless indulgences, an innocent way to pass an afternoon for a tourist, but all of that had changed at Winter Solstice.

            Enza shuffled the cards, mentally saying a protection prayer, then extracted ten cards, placing them face down to form the ancient Kabalah Tree of Life on the table.

            She turned the first card face-up. 

            The Moon.

            Enza knew that the Moon was the unluckiest card in the entire deck, worse than Death.

***

Please stop by and visit the other authors participating in this event.

Happy Reading!

Connie

Tricia McGill

Jamie Hill

Vijaya Schartz

Ginger Simpson

Outlander Series aka Men Wearing Kilts

For those who turned "Outlander" into an international bestseller, seeing the characters brought to life, with Scotland as the backdrop,  will be a 'must, watch. For me, the resulting series a snooze -- beautiful Scottish country side, but and too flaccid to make hearts go pitter-pat. 

"People disappear all the time," says Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a British army nurse introduced at the end of World War II delivering a novel-esque voiceover that runs throughout. Weary of bloodshed, she seeks to reconnect with her husband, Frank (Tobias Menzies), as the two embark on a scholarly search (think Ancestory.com) through the countryside.

Developed by "Battlestar Galactica's" Ronald D. Moore from Diana Gabaldon's book, the premiere certainly takes its time before getting to the main event -- namely, Claire being inexplicably whisked back in time, where she finds herself under the protection of the brutish MacKenzie clan. (It's not till the second episode that we learn the date is 1743.)

Claire's keepers include the imperious war chief Dougal (Graham McTavish), who's only one of the bearded ruffians who think about raping her; and Jamie (Sam Heughan), a clean-cut Adonis who endeavors to protect Claire's honor when he isn't exchanging meaningful glances with her. Menzies also lingers in a dual role as Frank's ancestor, a sadistic British officer who has a yen for the ladies.

Still, "Outlander" meanders along so slowly that it needs to immerse viewers in its atmosphere and rhythms -- something that might appeal to ardent fans of the book, but my the attention span and patience was sorely tested.

The principals are perfectly fine, and the period touches have been assembled with care (and filmed in Scotland), the long speeches in un-translated Gaelic have a way of yielding diminishing returns.  I may sit through an episode or two, but I won't be a fan of the series.  Sorry Starz.  I'll be viewing reruns of Longmire, with the beautiful backdrop of Wyoming. The scrips are rather uneven, and a bit sketchy at times, but the story moves along and the heroes are a Bonny match for the men of the Scottish Highlands.

Round Robin Blog Topic: You Loved the Blurb--What Happened?

April's Round Robin Blog topic:
You loved the blurb. First page sounded interesting. You bought the book. What makes you throw the book you're reading against the wall, stomp on it and go find another?

The blurb on the back cover or the inside sleeve of a book is supposed to draw you in and make you want to buy the book. It is supposed to be intriguing, giving you a flavour of the novel. 

Catchy Blurb: "One of the best-known horror stories ever. Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss scientist, has a great ambition: to create intelligent life. But when his creature first stirs, he realizes he has made a monster. A monster which, abandoned by its maker and shunned by everyone who sees it, dogs Dr Frankenstein with murder and horrors to the very ends of the earth . . ."

Deciding to read Frankenstein was a bit of a whim. I wanted to see how different it was from the twentieth-century film versions, and since I loved B Stoker's "Dracula" i expected to add this classic to my "keeper" shelf.

I can't blame Mary Shelley for some of the things I disliked. I find early 19th century fiction to be strangely peppered with sensitive, high-born protagonists who suffer nervous fits. But these delicate lords who require six months of recuperation try my patience. And Victor Frankenstein has so many nervous fits -- and spells of madness -- that it's a wonder he ever gets a chance to build a monster in the first place.

II can't excuse Victor Frankenstein's justifications for his actions. I could see it if Shelley were ultimately condemning Frankenstein for being such a lazy, selfish, ineffectual, and cold-hearted but she isn't. The only thing Frankenstein did wrong was to play God by delving into the secrets of nature.

The fact that he totally abandoned his "monster" is not seen as irresponsible. And when that monster found itself alone and terrified, spurned by all humans, unable to find companionship even from the man who created him-- Victor Frankenstein doesn't think this is particularly sad. When the monster decides to get revenge of those who rejected him -- Frankenstein (and Shelley) both label the monster as "cruel" and "bloodthirsty."

Almost half of the book is about the monster's good deeds and his heart-wrenching attempts to join a society that will never accept him. The other half is about Victor Frankenstein running away from every responsibility he has.

 When describing geography, Shelley entranced me. When it came to characterization, however, I could only care about the monster...and I don't think she intended it that way.  (The book gave me nightmares.  Not because of the monster but because of the "abandonment").  

Thank you for stopping by to view my blog post today.  

Next on the blog tour: Beverley Bateman - http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Happy Reading,

Connie

A complete list of this month's guest bloggers:

* Anne Stenhouse athttp://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
* Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca
* Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com
* Margaret Fieland at http://www.margaretfieland/blog1/
* Ginger Simpson at http://mizging.blogspot.com
* Geeta Kakade at http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/ 
* Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/
* Beverley Bateman - http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
* Rhobin Courtright - http://rhobinleecourtright.com

My Interview at Books We Love

http://bwlpp.blogspot.com/

Stop by an see my interview.  Surprising questions! And even More surprising answers!

Excerpts from my novels will be posted starting tomorrow.

Remember to sign-up for he contests and giveaways Books We Love run each and every month.

E-books Gifts and Holiday Deals!

Also, "Lynx" is FREE on Amazon.com from November 8 - 13!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0coq4YPAR3k&sns=em

Two FREE downloads of Two of my Novels during October! Yay! A Read Fest

http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/2013/10/brede-by-connie-vines.html

Book 2 of my Rodeo Romance, "BREDE",  is FREE until October 15th!  

Please download to your Kindle, or via the free kindle app.

Readers almost pushed "Lynx" to Amazon's top 100 list!  Please keep clicking for a 

FREE download of "BREDE".

I will keep you posted as we edge closer to the goal.

Remember, I am blogging on Rhobin's Ramblings Blog on October 26

(the same day as my Spooktacular Dinner Event).  And, as always, my menu, 

photos, and recipes will be posted on my culinary blog before Halloween.

🎃👻🔮

http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/2013/10/brede-by-connie-vines.html

Cut and paste this link into your browser, or go to Amazon.com and type in Connie Vines.

When I Grow up I Want a Pony

        After a few inquisitives nuzzles at my pockets to make certainall the carrots pilfered from the garden were gone, Tulsa rested her chin on mybare shoulder. The bristles under her muzzle were thick and warm, tickling my skin.

   I watched her nostrils twitch, and her breath was white in thecold mountain air. She gave a soft whinny, patting her long lashes fringing herdark expressive eyes. I glanced over the wooden fence and out into the distance.

#

     I have found women and horses have a connection that most cannotexplain. It often begins when we are little girls and grows and grows. I recallan old quote, "The falling hooves are my heartbeat and free my soul tofly."
     Yes, this explains the way a girl, or woman, feels when sherides her horse.
     And sometimes, in the stillness of a warm afternoon, I willrecall those sun soaked days and long for the comfort of Tulsa's warm breathupon my neck. Or the soft nickers she made when she watched me toss alfalfainto her stall each morning.
     I remember. And I smile.

     Thank you for blogging with me.  Cassandra G, Ontario Canada was the winner of my Coffee TimeRomance Contest!

     Watch for Brede, Romance Book 2.

      Happy Reading,

      Connie Vines