There's all this stuff in my head...: Meet my Latest Guest - Connie Vines! http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com/2015/02/meet-my-latest-guest-connie-vines.html?spref=tw
Connie Vines' Fragrance for Love Series
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Bucket List by Connie Vines. #Round Robin
Topic: If you have (or even if you don't have) a bucket list, what top priority thing(s) do you want to accomplish?
“Every man dies – Not every man really lives.” ~ William Ross
“The only people who fear death are those with regrets.” ~ Author Unknown
Thank you Rhobin for inviting me to be a part of February's Round Robin Blog Hop.
Traveling — it’s the single best activity that exposes you to new cultures, broaden your mind, move out of your comfort zone, allow you to meet new people, and experience the wonders of the world.
While I have traveled extensively all over the United States, I have yet to experience an European vacation. My bucket list would include a river cruise that would include Prague and Bohemia in the Czech Republic.
And, obviously, number 1am on my bucket list, would be mastering a certain degree of the Czech language. (My Czech language skills currently include several nursey rhymes--spoken by my grandmother--and the names and ingredients of recipes.)
Many of the items on the usual, and often read, bucket lists are those I have experienced. What I believe is the most important addition to everyone's bucket list is learning to experience joy, love, and laughter like we did as young children. And, for me, writing and weaving magical words into completed novels, novellas, and short stories is a way of remembering those emotions and sharing them with others.
Lepši jedno dnes, než dvoje zítra.
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/- English equivalent: One today is worth two tomorrows.
Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog. I encourage to visit the blogs of the wonderfully talented authors listed below.
Happy Reading!
Connie
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.webs.com/
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Rachael Kosnski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com
Geeta Kakade http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
My Favorite Time and Place to Read? How About Writing Time? #Round Robin
Life keeps getting busier, and
finding time to complete daily tasks is difficult, but I always, always find
time to read.
This month’s question:
What is your favorite time and
place to read? How about writing time? Do you have to make time?
Do you have a ritual or is your plan helter-skelter? What's your method?
Do you have a ritual or is your plan helter-skelter? What's your method?
As a child it was hiding beneath
my covers with a flashlight long past my prescribed bedtime. Today, it more of a snatch of time here and
there. While preparing dinner (e-reader/ iPad /paperback
on the counter), 10:30 p.m. wrapped in a woven throw on the couch listening to
Slacker Radio on my iPad (when I should be sleeping), or with a grand-baby
snuggled in my lap. Reading is a
pleasure, an escape, a way to share stories with others.
I make time to read, I make time
to go to the gym, and I make time for family and friends. These day-to-day activities weave, in my
opinion, the fabric of a well-balanced and enjoyable life.
Writing Time—the second part of
today’s blog topic.
My method of writing?
I make it a practice to study the
master of successful fiction. Hemingway
never wrote a treatise of the art of writing fiction. He did, however, leave behind letters,
articles and books with opinions and advice on writing. Some of the best of those were assembled in
1984 by Larry W. Phillips into a book Ernest
Hemingway on Writing. While I do not rigidly follow these steps, I
always keep them in the back of my mind.
1: To get started, write one true sentence. One simple declarative sentence.
·
Charlene hadn’t told Rachel that she’d fixed her up
with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the “Wild Cat” of the rodeo circuit.
(Lynx, Rodeo Romance)
·
“You and Elvis have done a great job on this house,”
Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen
where the tour began. “Sorry I couldn’t get over, until now, but I’ve been sort
of. . .well, busy.”
(Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow) Sassy & Fun Fantasy
Series.
·
Audralynn Maddox heard her own soft cry, but the pain exploding inside
her head made everything else surreal, distanced by the realization that
someone had made a mistake.
(Brede, Rodeo Romance Book 2)
My
exception: my YA historical novel is
told in the first person. Since the
novel focuses on the emotional and life altering events of a young girl, I used
historical facts and events to form the plot of my award-winning novel, Simple declarative
sentences are applied to the Prologue and Introduction. However, emotional impact was needed to make
the story ‘real’.
·
Prologue: The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children
over six be educated in the ways of the white man.
Indian commissioner Thomas Morgan said: It was cheaper to educate the
Indians than to kill them.
1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries
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.
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.
(Whisper upon the Water, Native American Series).
2: Always stop
for the day while you still know what will happen next. I find this to be a key for me. When I do not follow this step I find myself
flirting with writer’s block the next day.
3: Never think
about the story when you’re not working.
I carry this to an extreme, I do not talk about my work-in-progress. The only exception being when I have research
questions or trying to plot a continuing series.
4: When it’s
time to work again, always start by reading what you’ve written so far. The only problem, I am sooo tempted to
make revisions. For most part I beat
back the urge (with a stick, if necessary ;-).
Otherwise, I’d never progress beyond chapter one.
5: Don’t
describe an emotion–make it. Watch and
listen closely to external events, but to also notice any emotion stirred in
you, or others, by the events and then trace back and identify precisely what
it was that caused the emotion. If you can identify the concrete action or
sensation that caused the emotion and present it accurately and fully rounded
in your story, your readers should feel the same emotion. When I am uncertain as to whether I’ve conveyed
too little, or too much (insert: whiny), I ask my BF and fellow BWL writer,
Geeta Kakade. Geeta is the master of
writing emotion (just ask Debbie Macomber).
6: Use a
pencil. A mechanical
pencil, please (multiple selection of refill sizes and colors available online). I do not like to conduct an unproductive
search for a pencil sharpener—or heaven forbid, be reduced to whittling a semi-acceptable
point with my dull paring knife.
7: Be Brief. To quote Hemingway:
It wasn’t by accident that the
Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as
those of flight, of mathematics, of physics. Therefore, I revise ruthlessly,
use strong verbs, and avoid adverbs, and always, always step away from the
keyboard when it is time to type: The End.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. For upcoming releases, contests, and links to
interviews, recipes and more! Visit my website: www.novelsbyconnievines.com
Please take a moment to visit, and comment, upon view other writers participating in this month’s Round Robin Blog.
Happy Reading,
Connie Vines
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Geeta Kakade http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rita Karnopp http://www.mizging@blogspot.com
Rachael Kosnski http://the-doodling-booktease.tumblr.com/
Helena Fairfax http://helenafairfax.com/
Heidi M. Thomas http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/
Ginger Simpson http://www.cowboykisses.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Geeta Kakade http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rita Karnopp http://www.mizging@blogspot.com
Rachael Kosnski http://the-doodling-booktease.tumblr.com/
Helena Fairfax http://helenafairfax.com/
Heidi M. Thomas http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/
Ginger Simpson http://www.cowboykisses.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/
Saturday, December 20, 2014
In The Spirit #Round Robin
In the Spirit of Christmas giving--a gift for my readers.
An excerpt from my novella, set in the mountains above Forest Falls, California.
It began snowing at one in the afternoon on Christmas Eve day, but Meredith hard at work in front of her computer screen, barely noticed it.
At the rate she was going, she could expect to be finished with the final draft by New Year’s Eve. Funny, she had really expected to be distracted by Viktor’s presence in the cabin, but instead it had given her peace of mind, a comfort she’d almost forgotten.
It made her think of their first year of marriage when she was still writing short stories and Viktor was at work on his second doctorate.
They’d turned the second bedroom in their Upland apartment into an office, and every evening after pizza or Chinese or the occasional home-cooked one dish meal, the two of them had worked at the writing, working from card tables pushed together in the center of the room. Now when she thought about it, Meredith realized those had been the best times.
It was the sweet scent of roast turkey that finally brought her out of the den around four o’clock. “I thought you were saving the bird for tomorrow’s dinner,” she said, admiring the table setting.
Considering that she only had mismatched plates and cups here, Viktor had managed to create a nice effect. He had sprinkled red and green paper circles created with a paper punch on the tablecloth and a vibrant red poinsettia graced the center of the table. It looked like he hadn’t been kidding about acquiring some skills after their breakup. He had certainly never made himself handy in the kitchen before then.
“I thought we’d celebrate early,” he answered, setting a covered dish next to her plate. “I hope you like it. There’s turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry dressing, green beans and cherry pie for dessert.”
“I hope it tastes as good as it sounds,” Meredith said, sliding into the chair across from him. “I’m famished.”
Viktor would probably never win any cooking awards, but judging by the aroma, the meal was almost as good as if Pippa had cooked it. Meredith insisted on helping with the dishes and they went into the living room to unwrap the presents.
He seemed generally pleased with the inkwell and Meredith exclaimed repeatedly over the red sweater he’d given her. After a while, Viktor switched on the Christmas tree lights, and she selected a mix of Christmas music on her iPad.
Wine glass in hand, Meredith lounged on the couch, feeling more relaxed and content than she could remember feeling in a very long time. Viktor, sprawled comfortably on the couch next her, said, “I’m really glad to be here, Meredith, I’m not a sentimental guy, but spending the holidays alone—let’s say I’m glad I didn’t have to do it.”
“I know,” she agreed, and her hand slipped readily into his. “I’m glad, too. I thought I it would be easy to tune out the world, but the idea of being alone for Christmas was just too bleak.”
She turned to him with a sad little smile, “Who would’ve thought we could get along after all that has happened that we could talk, be friends, even live under the same roof and not spend every waking minute fighting?”
He placed his index finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him. “Or maybe we both still care a lot more than we are willing to admit.”
Everyone has experienced a broken-heart during his or her lifetime. And everyone should have a second chance to rekindle, or find, a new true-love during the Holiday Season. Even if that very special someone is a Zombie.
My current release: "Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow" features Meredith Misso (newly reanimated and still adjusting to her not so vegan world), **INSERT THE NAME OF MEREDITH'S PET A COMMENT ** (her pet teddy-bear hamster), and Viktor ( her soon-to-be ex-husband, who has secrets of his own).
** The 1st reader with the correct response, will win a FREE copy of "Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1! ** (download a free sample/ or purchase my novel to locate the answer).
For more on "In the Spirit" gifts check out the blog postings of the following authors:
Marci Baun
A.J. Maguire
Fiona McGier
Diane Bator
Beverley Bateman
Skye Taylor
Ginger Simpson
Victoria Chatham
Margaret Fieland
Rachael Kosnski
Anne Stenhouse
Helena Fairfax
Kay Sisk
Connie Vines
Rhobin Courtright
Lynn Crain
An excerpt from my novella, set in the mountains above Forest Falls, California.
It began snowing at one in the afternoon on Christmas Eve day, but Meredith hard at work in front of her computer screen, barely noticed it.
At the rate she was going, she could expect to be finished with the final draft by New Year’s Eve. Funny, she had really expected to be distracted by Viktor’s presence in the cabin, but instead it had given her peace of mind, a comfort she’d almost forgotten.
It made her think of their first year of marriage when she was still writing short stories and Viktor was at work on his second doctorate.
They’d turned the second bedroom in their Upland apartment into an office, and every evening after pizza or Chinese or the occasional home-cooked one dish meal, the two of them had worked at the writing, working from card tables pushed together in the center of the room. Now when she thought about it, Meredith realized those had been the best times.
It was the sweet scent of roast turkey that finally brought her out of the den around four o’clock. “I thought you were saving the bird for tomorrow’s dinner,” she said, admiring the table setting.
Considering that she only had mismatched plates and cups here, Viktor had managed to create a nice effect. He had sprinkled red and green paper circles created with a paper punch on the tablecloth and a vibrant red poinsettia graced the center of the table. It looked like he hadn’t been kidding about acquiring some skills after their breakup. He had certainly never made himself handy in the kitchen before then.
“I thought we’d celebrate early,” he answered, setting a covered dish next to her plate. “I hope you like it. There’s turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry dressing, green beans and cherry pie for dessert.”
“I hope it tastes as good as it sounds,” Meredith said, sliding into the chair across from him. “I’m famished.”
Viktor would probably never win any cooking awards, but judging by the aroma, the meal was almost as good as if Pippa had cooked it. Meredith insisted on helping with the dishes and they went into the living room to unwrap the presents.
He seemed generally pleased with the inkwell and Meredith exclaimed repeatedly over the red sweater he’d given her. After a while, Viktor switched on the Christmas tree lights, and she selected a mix of Christmas music on her iPad.
Wine glass in hand, Meredith lounged on the couch, feeling more relaxed and content than she could remember feeling in a very long time. Viktor, sprawled comfortably on the couch next her, said, “I’m really glad to be here, Meredith, I’m not a sentimental guy, but spending the holidays alone—let’s say I’m glad I didn’t have to do it.”
“I know,” she agreed, and her hand slipped readily into his. “I’m glad, too. I thought I it would be easy to tune out the world, but the idea of being alone for Christmas was just too bleak.”
She turned to him with a sad little smile, “Who would’ve thought we could get along after all that has happened that we could talk, be friends, even live under the same roof and not spend every waking minute fighting?”
He placed his index finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him. “Or maybe we both still care a lot more than we are willing to admit.”
Everyone has experienced a broken-heart during his or her lifetime. And everyone should have a second chance to rekindle, or find, a new true-love during the Holiday Season. Even if that very special someone is a Zombie.
My current release: "Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow" features Meredith Misso (newly reanimated and still adjusting to her not so vegan world), **INSERT THE NAME OF MEREDITH'S PET A COMMENT ** (her pet teddy-bear hamster), and Viktor ( her soon-to-be ex-husband, who has secrets of his own).
** The 1st reader with the correct response, will win a FREE copy of "Lynx" Rodeo Romance, Book 1! ** (download a free sample/ or purchase my novel to locate the answer).
For more on "In the Spirit" gifts check out the blog postings of the following authors:
Marci Baun
A.J. Maguire
Fiona McGier
Diane Bator
Beverley Bateman
Skye Taylor
Ginger Simpson
Victoria Chatham
Margaret Fieland
Rachael Kosnski
Anne Stenhouse
Helena Fairfax
Kay Sisk
Connie Vines
Rhobin Courtright
Lynn Crain
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Remember "Lynx" Rodeo Romance is available in trade paperback at your local Barnes and Noble Bookseller. Books are wonderful stocking stuffers, too!
I snapped this photo at The Montclair Plaza, Montclair, California.
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow
Featured at Amazon.com
Log on and read for free!
Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow by Connie Vines Reply w/ #AmazonCart for a free sample http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OA25GJY/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_-C9Fub16CF3ZH via @amazon
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