tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10800483105313821072024-03-23T03:17:59.041-07:00Diana Wilder ...about myself, by myself...Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-85601159586172904472021-01-25T06:27:00.000-08:002021-01-25T06:27:39.033-08:00<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A review of A Time to Change</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Callie Langridge</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiet6sQliLqrSRg6Bqaoms_PaTviORXBrTyRPkHH_Hyl3dS7DDElBFSzgXlUJhkfX607FGGCZZULlxpWufhZygAnAQF9KFyRvsfx8MjKl27n3Zh2KDu2miUc5Ib5CIDCLhGmJZP6AybPtqE/s1829/a+time+to+change+-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1829" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiet6sQliLqrSRg6Bqaoms_PaTviORXBrTyRPkHH_Hyl3dS7DDElBFSzgXlUJhkfX607FGGCZZULlxpWufhZygAnAQF9KFyRvsfx8MjKl27n3Zh2KDu2miUc5Ib5CIDCLhGmJZP6AybPtqE/s320/a+time+to+change+-.jpg" /></a></div></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">“I would rather love passionately for an hour </span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">than benignly for a lifetime.” </span> </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Lou's life is a shambles.
Lou was supposed to run an errand, got caught up in her own
business. Time passed, her mother went
to run the errand, and was killed in an accident. And Lou blames herself for the death, the
grief, the loss of energy, and the wreckage of her relationship with her
brothers. She is living with her two
brothers, caught in self-blame for their mother's death. </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is close to Christmas, and the contrast between the
season of celebration and the season of grief and self-blame in her heart is
expressed beautifully. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">At loose ends, she visits a derelict old 'stately home'.
Hill House, once owned by the Mandeville family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While roaming the wrecked stables and
grounds, she meets an old man, the child of servants there, who looks at her
with knowledge and says, mysteriously, 'one out, one in'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She moves through the corridors and is
suddenly transported to 1913, when the First World War was a roaring on the
horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a guest in the house,
welcomed by the Mandevilles, and she is caught up in their life even as she
knows that Hill House and its family will fall into ruin. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">She catches threads of danger to the family, threads that
she must unravel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she falls in love. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The story progresses very well to an ending that ties up all
the loose ends, both past and present. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I will not 'give away' the ending: read the story for
yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won't be hard to suspend
your disbelief, and you will be happy with the ending, even though you may find
yourself shedding tears.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><o:p> </o:p>What is good:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The author did her research into the historical period.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The author writes believable characters, though the villain
of the piece is very dislikeable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The author handles what I will call 'fantastic' elements and
people deftly and believably.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><o:p> </o:p>What is not so good:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The villain’s villainy is revealed to the heroine rather
abruptly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This really isn’t a black
mark, simply a matter of taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others
might disagree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As villainous as the
villain was, I confess that it would have been lovely for one of the men of the
Mandeville family to give him a bloody nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The twist(s) at the end were unexpected, but were in full
accordance with the story, and surpassed my expectations about the resolution.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To be brief:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The story line was compelling.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The characters were believable and engaging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villain was also believable, and one wished,
believably, to see that he is foiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was he?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read it and see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The historic points were pretty much spot on. The behavior of the servants and the
Mandeville familyfit well with what we know of the norms of behavior during
that time. The story line did allow for some flexibility.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The fantastic elements (there weren't a lot of them) worked
very well. No 'creaking' events.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The characters, of all kinds, were true to themselves and
the situations and parts that the author assigned to them.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And the ending surprised me. (I generally read the ending
first. I didn't do it this time, and it
was worth it.)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p>I highly recommend this book. ...</o:p>But don't sit down to read it if you know you are going to have a busy
day with a lot of distractions.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-36488714161807703192019-04-20T05:09:00.001-07:002020-02-17T06:42:51.637-08:00ResearchResearch is one of those indispensable features of writing that either drive you mad or make you waste an entire afternoon saying "Wow! That's <i>neat</i>!" For me, at least, one bit of information makes me look for another, and by the end of it, I am far, far away.<br />
<br />
Anyone who writes historical fiction knows how crucial research is to the finished product. If the information is available, it needs to be heeded. If it is not available, then some careful thought is required. Even if you are inventing worlds, or countries with their own histories, you have to have some notion of the flow of time and the development of the civilization that you are dealing with.<br />
<br />
Sometimes you can get tripped up rather spectacularly, as I discovered while I was writing the first book of my French series, THE ORPHAN'S TALE, set in Paris of 1834. I love maps, and I consult them very carefully when I am writing. I had some beautiful maps of Paris, which I pored over as I wrote.<br />
<br />
...and then I discovered that all was in vain. First of all, it seems to be the normal thing in Paris to rename streets on a regular basis, depending on which person the government wishes to honor. As a result, I had Paul Malet, the hero of the series, crossing a square that led to the flower market, named for a Parisian Prefect of Police who served around 1890. In one scene, baffled and embarrassed, he stormed across the Place Andre Honnorat, named for a politician who lived between 1858 and 1950.<br />
<br />
Add to that the fact that Napoleon III effectively tore Paris apart in the middle of the 19th century, altering the courses of streets, tearing up structures and making it difficult to figure out what was where during the time I was writing about.<br />
<br />
And then I found this map. It was a fold out map of Paris, current as of about 1830. Someone had owned this map around that time, and it had been preserved to now. Streets, an idea of the sizes of the buildings. Indispensable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_map_of_1830_published_by_Goujon_and_Andriveau_-_Gallica.jpg#/media/File:Paris_map_of_1830_published_by_Goujon_and_Andriveau_-_Gallica.jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_map_of_1830_published_by_Goujon_and_Andriveau_-_Gallica.jpg#/media/File:Paris_map_of_1830_published_by_Goujon_and_Andriveau_-_Gallica.jpg</a>Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-39778710791326718322019-04-20T04:44:00.002-07:002019-04-20T04:44:22.223-07:00Delightful - A Review of I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38502471-i-d-rather-be-reading" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522239360m/38502471.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38502471-i-d-rather-be-reading">I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6537850.Anne_Bogel">Anne Bogel</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2714428320">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
A delicious book that combines the best parts of philosophy, description and humor. Rather like sitting down with the author and asking about her reading habits, preferences and observances and listening with a smile as she obliges. And you feel that she would make a good friend (and you want to go raid her shelves and renew your library subscription).<br /><br />This is not a novel. There is no 'plot'. It's just listening to a chat about books, reading and things connected to those two.<br />
<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/67112626-diana-wilder">View all my reviews</a>Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-42105711205310272782018-02-19T06:27:00.000-08:002019-12-04T09:55:40.088-08:00Catching the Echoes - An observation About Love, Loss and Memory<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have owned Burmese cats for years, starting in 1980. They are a lively, affectionate, intuitive and very smart breed. Burmese originated in and around Thailand and Myanmar, and spent centuries hanging around people - generally in temples.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvWEqXg8-GSfVz71_qN3-HkdvvdgiZmFf2Y3ce6reoKwGRp4ZQwYPi5yS17x7OZxaVI5Qefm2YPCSB-QZIF-L3kDB6zplMU0wVU0ZYdyzeGfpN4i6Rct-6qtQVx4ytCRRtIX4MM0pVauE/s1600/Merlin+Morgan+repaired.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvWEqXg8-GSfVz71_qN3-HkdvvdgiZmFf2Y3ce6reoKwGRp4ZQwYPi5yS17x7OZxaVI5Qefm2YPCSB-QZIF-L3kDB6zplMU0wVU0ZYdyzeGfpN4i6Rct-6qtQVx4ytCRRtIX4MM0pVauE/s320/Merlin+Morgan+repaired.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlin and Morgan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first two Burmese cats were a pair of brothers named
Merlin and Morgan. They were <i>supposed</i> to live to their mid-twenties. Or
so I thought. I did wake up when they were fifteen and realized that they were
old, but they were with me, they were fairly healthy, though the one boy's
kidneys were iffy, and we would all continue as we were, unchanging. Or so I
thought. The first one died in my arms
of a heart attack on August 28, 1996. I
was stunned. His brother died one month
later to the day of kidney failure secondary to a severe hantavirus that his
old body survived, but which threw him into a decline. I hadn't wanted him to
go, but I had realized that I was fighting against his best good, and I told
him that I wouldn't insist on his living and would let him go if that was what
he wanted. It was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tls4-0GeKDRBMsRuVXeoZHGfkFf0Yq7DtRbaHoUbT_KtBGGvj8hibhoxIS9EFZULLvcLoqVx80kvmQ8U41y-J6Kv2_ZrWwjMotUK5_Lc2TaqAopqtiO09eI5RcGZg54hYwaelKwYJns8/s1600/Merlin+2017+0508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1600" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tls4-0GeKDRBMsRuVXeoZHGfkFf0Yq7DtRbaHoUbT_KtBGGvj8hibhoxIS9EFZULLvcLoqVx80kvmQ8U41y-J6Kv2_ZrWwjMotUK5_Lc2TaqAopqtiO09eI5RcGZg54hYwaelKwYJns8/s200/Merlin+2017+0508.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no 'back to the drawing board' when love has
touched you. Whether you believe in
forever or not, the very fact that your life has intersected and run together
with another's has changed you. You are not the person you were before you came
to love the one who has departed. You have an altered perspective, you have a
part of you that grew in response to that other one. You have a way you would
respond to the other's voice, jokes, antics, love. You can't go back to what
you were before you loved the other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But life does go on, and grief must be dealt with and
resolved in one way or another. I didn't expect to 'replace' my boys, but I
needed to have pets in their places, so Boomer and BJ came to me. Boomer is a
Burmese. BJ's father was a Burmese (a particularly nice one!), so though he's a
Bombay and black, he looks, through the face, like my first Burmese. That is
when I encountered the echoes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeNGp0rjc2tDHBbT0PDXouJRhtTF0n0xMyKNOTiYEJ2aMROGTOSTMELSgdWU0g1WKE2BRO0XwlL95fpdhAf2r8AD04IDy0yZdol-VpcASp6g521YoMe7rs3TtjRfhJhKV-UuD5mMPtKOo/s1600/Dad+Penn+Yan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="711" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeNGp0rjc2tDHBbT0PDXouJRhtTF0n0xMyKNOTiYEJ2aMROGTOSTMELSgdWU0g1WKE2BRO0XwlL95fpdhAf2r8AD04IDy0yZdol-VpcASp6g521YoMe7rs3TtjRfhJhKV-UuD5mMPtKOo/s320/Dad+Penn+Yan+1.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started catching hints, sometimes faint, sometimes very
strong, of my old boys. A way one of the
kittens reacted to being stroked. A way of tilting the head. Finding one curled up on a pillow and raising
its head to blink at me in a familiar way.
The sound of a voice. It was not
as though the lost ones had come back as those two kittens, but as though,
somehow, I was given back the part of me that had loved them. As though I had
been given a chance to re-live their kittenhood, to revisit memories I had
forgotten in the rush of the years, to have the hurts, the sad memories somehow
smoothed away, and the memories of the young, strong, lively ones returned to
me, fresh and clear, unspoiled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeNGp0rjc2tDHBbT0PDXouJRhtTF0n0xMyKNOTiYEJ2aMROGTOSTMELSgdWU0g1WKE2BRO0XwlL95fpdhAf2r8AD04IDy0yZdol-VpcASp6g521YoMe7rs3TtjRfhJhKV-UuD5mMPtKOo/s1600/Dad+Penn+Yan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have experienced this with all lost loves, memories that touch my shoulder and remind me that love still exists in me. I recently opened a book and found a folded slip of paper with a note from my father saying that he believed in me, and enclosing a check to 'keep the wolves from the door'. Driving through Vermont one autumn afternoon, seeing a hillside with a familiar slant behind a yellow house... My grandparents' old house, which they sold decades ago, now repainted. Landmarks had changed, but I remembered.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Those memories, touching our experiences, are a part of us, a reminder. Something to be embraced.</span></div>
Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-7682913800803479472018-01-03T02:00:00.000-08:002018-01-03T02:00:39.012-08:00IWSG for January, 2018 - Plans and Dreams<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the January entry for </span><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">The Insecure Writer's Support Group</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Blog Hop.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The hop takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. All are welcome to sign up and participate, and visit the blogs of the other participants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The co-hosts for the January 3 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4;" target="_blank">Tyrean Martinson,</a> <a href="http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4;" target="_blank">Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,</a> <a href="https://meganmorganauthor.com/blog/" style="color: #3e62b4;" target="_blank">Megan Morgan,</a> <a href="http://jenniferlanebooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4;" target="_blank">Jennifer Lane,</a> and <a href="http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4;" target="_blank">Rachna Chhabria</a> Go visit their blogs</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The question for January's blog hop is: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tempus Fugit...if you haven't noticed.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Speaking as a writer who had not written anything substantive or published anything at all in three years for a lot of very good reasons (there: I've said it!), even thinking of writing was a step in the right direction. But that was only the first step. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY1vI0D2jaK5Iqtcg9JcFsZtRx9U0pfQZ2mGwvHhiT8pM0b5-K-Ks3p1h_PTrOAtzG4PEUFWc_I6W079c6J03ta5fM94tmiL7qpx3OhWcrUoBlthHwfxbgOcXKSaEh17eRsI1WyePWUBD/s1600/write+reminder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY1vI0D2jaK5Iqtcg9JcFsZtRx9U0pfQZ2mGwvHhiT8pM0b5-K-Ks3p1h_PTrOAtzG4PEUFWc_I6W079c6J03ta5fM94tmiL7qpx3OhWcrUoBlthHwfxbgOcXKSaEh17eRsI1WyePWUBD/s400/write+reminder.JPG" width="221" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I read a man's blog where he mentioned an app that reminded him to write 1,000 words per day. It was on his iPhone, he couldn't avoid seeing it, and it was a nice reminder for him. I sat back, blinking. That was what I needed! A reminder, rather like getting jabbed in the ribs with a thumb, rather than a rather muzzy, wistful 'Gee, I should really be writing...' thought I.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went hunting for the app and discovered that it is an older one and unavailable right now. Apparently it is not mainstream and is undergoing an overhaul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After some searching, I found a similar one for iTunes: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/momentum-habit-tracker-routines/id946923599?mt=8" target="_blank">Momentum Habit Tracker</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUre3pi1pp1O7oZ5GxCmmn3g8Io5vgiOroy7UiBDE612TRjp62F2SAkqpPN1b3-tWfzmtM_QZk4PHzBj7Zqn5oA2_H5zyepoHvjIGvnKVeODczZVFwaovVPjsRn9GCh7NFDu7fiupCBF8/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="648" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUre3pi1pp1O7oZ5GxCmmn3g8Io5vgiOroy7UiBDE612TRjp62F2SAkqpPN1b3-tWfzmtM_QZk4PHzBj7Zqn5oA2_H5zyepoHvjIGvnKVeODczZVFwaovVPjsRn9GCh7NFDu7fiupCBF8/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have set it to remind me to (1) write 1,000 words per day; (2) READ (amazing how you can stagnate if you don't read other peoples' work...), and SCOOP (my cats' litter box). Hey, what's good for writing is good for cleaning. It also offers to 'discuss' any issues with you. I haven't taken it up on that offer just yet, since I am not sure how to address my iPhone. I'm sure I will learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So far, so good. I get pinged around 8pm if I haven't set up my writing time. Or reading time, or scooping time. I've enjoyed getting reacquainted with other writers like Georgette Heyer and Tolkien.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once writing, I have to keep up with it. There is a nice (?) little app called 'Write or Die' (by Dr. Wicked), which I encountered during NaNoWriMo:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TxGmo3XpDRPHz2hRq9JFm5k75VarbS2ylTiCyviRZKVaQHo-_kw1Se6WtkR9EyMBUeLeF5YZAIZixJAMWXeWf0Ooa6a_1e9SOKJdQLOQdC2qdUAYh1aItMFVuC8xY0_9WX8DAGb1Ieqb/s1600/Write+or+die+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="553" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TxGmo3XpDRPHz2hRq9JFm5k75VarbS2ylTiCyviRZKVaQHo-_kw1Se6WtkR9EyMBUeLeF5YZAIZixJAMWXeWf0Ooa6a_1e9SOKJdQLOQdC2qdUAYh1aItMFVuC8xY0_9WX8DAGb1Ieqb/s400/Write+or+die+1.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRMzm8-843GAiETpnns4kk-8xiwCjJzCrrLTTuAvPB8dPJIMRq5EURGMQ8ylbHd6swxeptxjYrSRFQArYTv0s4pfnQxuuM8ZqfFGPh_86wX5jrb8-k1hYLdnJRoiOFOKnDagED5j7Shtx/s1600/write+or+die.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="650" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRMzm8-843GAiETpnns4kk-8xiwCjJzCrrLTTuAvPB8dPJIMRq5EURGMQ8ylbHd6swxeptxjYrSRFQArYTv0s4pfnQxuuM8ZqfFGPh_86wX5jrb8-k1hYLdnJRoiOFOKnDagED5j7Shtx/s400/write+or+die.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the dashboard. You set the time (in this case, 60 minutes) and the output (1,515 words in this case - attainable). You can select the screen background - white works for me - and any deterrents or incentives that will keep your nose to the grindstone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are levels of motivation, including one where the program starts erasing what you have written if you don't write fast enough to suit it. This was a little too harsh for me, so I selected different motivations and rewards.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If a certain amount of time passes with no output (I selected two minutes), an alarm sounds and I am treated, so to speak, with an alarming image - in this case, it is Grumpy Cat, superimposed on my typing and scowling at me. It is hard to be alarmed and buckle down to slave at the keyboard while laughing like a fool, but it does help. The beep is more effective than Grumpy Cat's scowl, but the grin is helpful at any rate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9cg1l68CkJfFH4Go6mCauSnPn5Lw2t8vHJNTwzKgLFeEw6iisPBwN8KnmUl-io0R-qZx5hSLx8lMtUbjsOt06qHzwFimlYmxYzUfAzVRZB1pYq5Ez2R7Xkhloc5GcelYutytBvdCTirW/s1600/cute+puppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="673" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9cg1l68CkJfFH4Go6mCauSnPn5Lw2t8vHJNTwzKgLFeEw6iisPBwN8KnmUl-io0R-qZx5hSLx8lMtUbjsOt06qHzwFimlYmxYzUfAzVRZB1pYq5Ez2R7Xkhloc5GcelYutytBvdCTirW/s400/cute+puppy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you manage to meet your goal, you are treated to a rewarding image. I chose a cute puppy wearing a birthday hat, which appears behind the text that I have typed after I have reached my goal. If I am cooking along at a great rate, it is a little startling to see that I am scattering text over the face of a cute puppy in a party hat, but it makes me laugh and continue typing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have I written every day? Well, no. But I'm reading more and writing more and thinking more and jotting more, and the cause of the blockage, a combination of work, eldercare, health issues and exhaustion, is now beginning to crumble. The momentum is back, and while it may be a bit of a struggle, I am going to commit to having my most urgent WIP, an eagerly awaited (by my readers, at least) installment in my Egyptian series, in a state to be published by September. I can do it. Besides, I don't want to have Grumpy Cat mad at me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How about yourself? Do you need to do something to get going? It's a common problem, and not just with writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Read the other entries in this hop and see what they say - I will be reading them, too!</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-58639698658338737012017-07-05T08:48:00.000-07:002017-07-05T08:48:26.020-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is the July entry for <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">The Insecure Writer's Support Group</a> Blog Hop.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The hop takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. All are welcome to sign up and participate, and visit the blogs of the other participants.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This month's co-hosts are </span><span style="qtext-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.tamaranarayan.com/" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Tamara Narayan,</a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://rhymetime24.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Pat Hatt,</a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://www.patricialynne.com/blog" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Patricia Lynne,</a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://www.junetakey.com/posts/category/blog-life-happens/" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Juneta Key,</a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> and </span><a href="http://doreenmcgettigan.com/" style="color: #990000; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Doreen McGettigan</a><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Go visit their blogs, and join in!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><b><i>What is one valuable lesson you've learned since you started writing?</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">That one is easy, though I find I have to cut my way through various good lessons I have learned in my writing path. You know: setting the scene correctly, keeping your characters straight, avoid cliches, allow for development, let the plot unfold skilfully... Lots of good lessons that will help you to write better, keep your stories unfolding properly, clarify characters...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEYAzENiOjq0qhWZ59IpYgu1XPHcLPhba9SuXQZQV7js6ngk_6OBHwLpgg4UCGRrou4rsVObR9KiEf_KPZ-2GMGX1KAItIhGXqNW6xgb3Hlcmk3PUmrwWEuAXKl8RWCFmusAJDcpnYCmH/s1600/blog+notebooks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEYAzENiOjq0qhWZ59IpYgu1XPHcLPhba9SuXQZQV7js6ngk_6OBHwLpgg4UCGRrou4rsVObR9KiEf_KPZ-2GMGX1KAItIhGXqNW6xgb3Hlcmk3PUmrwWEuAXKl8RWCFmusAJDcpnYCmH/s400/blog+notebooks1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of my notebooks</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">But the valuable lesson that underlies all of that, without which I, for one, can't write, is easy and embarrassingly basic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Write it down. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">To expand: if you get an idea, preserve it in a form that you can retrieve. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Have access to something that will help you capture the ideas. Carry a pen and a notebook. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2MlX0w_pGU6m6rWQIkimnc2yfUBN2jmSsdlYOtYAkbLiZPV_v782Qn-CwWjsrRQ_JmEK9PdIuXZzKmoTTrQE7lLDyyrbOXfq6Ad8ekAjh2n45y6RSPoql4dr-KTNb1ELihQ4T5JtzTV/s1600/wax+tablet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="570" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV2MlX0w_pGU6m6rWQIkimnc2yfUBN2jmSsdlYOtYAkbLiZPV_v782Qn-CwWjsrRQ_JmEK9PdIuXZzKmoTTrQE7lLDyyrbOXfq6Ad8ekAjh2n45y6RSPoql4dr-KTNb1ELihQ4T5JtzTV/s320/wax+tablet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wax tablets and stylus: the past never leaves us</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Wax tablets and a stylus are rather cumbersome, but they have served over the millennia. And if you are writing about the distant past, you can get a feel for how they worked. (Some stores actually still sell them, like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Scribalworkshop?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">this one...</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Enable the dictation feature on your iPhone (if you have one). Or call yourself and leave yourself a message. (But do tell your family not to delete such messages until you have had a chance to listen to them.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">The important thing is to capture your thoughts. I have had too many times where I had a brainstorm - a plot twist, the answer to something that had been puzzling me - and thought <i>'Oh, yeah. That is perfect! I'll write it down when I get home.'</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAALEgy0kFAuJqM7SukRsdrxjRcX9f9s7MUcLpvGmG4qVyhUTsA39GtKy5Pzhnxn_MLMQUH51S_ujmfxcBr-dGlxW7Q_HH1kYIUsd7_5yOBNBo0BtyJJqtXpg79E80bGyVjuB0OD_UGmV/s1600/notebooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAALEgy0kFAuJqM7SukRsdrxjRcX9f9s7MUcLpvGmG4qVyhUTsA39GtKy5Pzhnxn_MLMQUH51S_ujmfxcBr-dGlxW7Q_HH1kYIUsd7_5yOBNBo0BtyJJqtXpg79E80bGyVjuB0OD_UGmV/s400/notebooks.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of my notebooks</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">The thing is that I often get busy and forget to write that scene when I get home. In fact, I find myself trying to recall what scene it was, what story line, and what characters. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">We all have a lot going on, whether or not we are writers. Things that snag our attention, and we're all to willing to succumb to a lovely distraction. Or a disgusting one. Sometimes we get tired. And sometimes life <i style="font-weight: bold;">really </i>gets in the way and we lose our focus while dealing with concerns like death, unemployment, friends' celebrations and scooping litter pans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I started carrying a notebook around with me and jotting down whatever I thought. Over the years I developed a system with notebooks that were dedicated to whatever I was working on at the moment. I would date the note, jot whatever it was that I thought and then, once I got around to transcribing it, making a line across the entry. But what if you are working on, say, a story involving the Cat Show world and you have an idea for something a French veteran of the Napoleonic wars might say? Write it down as you can. Or... Get a notebook with different sections and jot it in there. It doesn't matter, so long as the idea is captured.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A3lwjGnuiGBsWbE_ALeI2Nj2h_FOLIanCafUiIM6NrgKjx3rWe1b7sBuh3u0NOsuzyRGGDJ8YGl3Ji-EPHDxf9yeoA3UTHIXKbA1ebtPxrhVSqOhzvqmtK2AEr7dbZvNFKwGHPawf9TB/s1600/napkins1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="470" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A3lwjGnuiGBsWbE_ALeI2Nj2h_FOLIanCafUiIM6NrgKjx3rWe1b7sBuh3u0NOsuzyRGGDJ8YGl3Ji-EPHDxf9yeoA3UTHIXKbA1ebtPxrhVSqOhzvqmtK2AEr7dbZvNFKwGHPawf9TB/s400/napkins1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper towels work, too...</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I worked for a clothing store, part time, a few years back. I had long stretches where I had to monitor the store's dressing room. I was working on one of my Egyptian stories at that time, and ideas were coming thick and fast. I had no way to carry in a notebook, and I needed to capture the ideas/ clarifications/ brainstorms as they occurred... So I used paper towels. I wrote a post about it a few years back. Here's a photo of the notes. Some are crumpled from being shoved into my pocket. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Sometimes, if I am at loose ends with a story, I will leaf through my notebooks. For me, it helps to rekindle the ideas, the sense of adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">That is one of the most important practical lessons I learned when I started writing. Other lessons? There were plenty.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I'm off to read everyone else's insights.</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-14976508047046620792017-06-07T10:14:00.004-07:002019-12-04T09:52:32.209-08:00I Quit! (Or do I?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today is the first Wednesday of the month, which is the date that the</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Insecure Writer's Support Group</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;">holds its monthly blog hop.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you haven't heard of the IWSG, you need to look into it:</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Purpose</b>:</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. It's a good place to go to for advice, reassurance and a lot of enjoyment.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today's question is:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Did you ever say “I quit”? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This month's co-hosts are:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jhmoncrieff.com/" target="_blank">JH Moncrieff,</a> <a href="http://madelinemora-summonte.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Madeline Mora-Summonte,</a> <a href="http://jenchandlerwashere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jen Chandler,</a> <a href="https://meganmorganauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">Megan Morgan,</a> and <a href="http://hmgardner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heather Gardner</a> </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Go visit their pages!</span><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">So... Have I ever decided to quit writing? </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">No, I can't say that I have. I have been discouraged, I have wanted to burn whatever story I was working on, and call various people idiots for various reasons, but I haven't decided to quit. How can I? I'm a writer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">...But I <i>have</i> trickled to a near-halt. Inertia. I wrote about it, obliquely, <a href="http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/2016/08/today-is-iwsg-day.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/2015/07/crossing-doldrums-iwsg-july-1-2015.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I've been in dry spots, as you see. Sometimes they seem to stretch on forever, and you wonder if they will ever stop.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I am in one right now. I haven't published anything new in three years. I have followers, people have read my work, but I haven't put anything out. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sales are falling off. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I have a number of works in progress. The second book in my <i>Orphan's Tale</i> series is nearly complete. It was delayed, in part, by a plot revelation that required an internal rewrite. But it is nearly finished...and I haven't touched it in a year. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I have a fable, a 'short' (say, 45,000 words) that is nearly done. Nearly. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There are several stories in my </span><i style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Memphis Cycle</i><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> that were coming along.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So what happened?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Life. Eldercare issues. Work issues. Money issues. (It costs me nothing to write, thank goodness). And I have been very tired. <i>Very</i> tired. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It's hard.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A friend told me of a time that she was discouraged. She was at a show, and was talking with the man who had been mentoring her. She recounted children problems, worries about her husband's job, illness, disappointment. It was all so <i>hard, </i>she said. Her mentor, who had been busy jotting notes about the things that were going on at the show, said without looking up, "Quitting is easy." </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-NOePXzCZSzIQwFGNHuL48ywl5oZndmshiA2riLZBwcSXxrzSxdfbhITiiDVpW47mEZ993uEinOIAvarIMO50_FX_CetYw9jReEl7WaH-XaTqNPKi0b0N7n9rW0tb6U8EtVbd5SvM0n0/s1600/Quitting+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="486" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-NOePXzCZSzIQwFGNHuL48ywl5oZndmshiA2riLZBwcSXxrzSxdfbhITiiDVpW47mEZ993uEinOIAvarIMO50_FX_CetYw9jReEl7WaH-XaTqNPKi0b0N7n9rW0tb6U8EtVbd5SvM0n0/s320/Quitting+4.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My friend stopped speaking. Quitting is easy. But it was not an option those ten years ago. She moved past that point and is doing well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As for me, quitting is easy, I suppose. Except that I can't quit. I am a writer. I write stories. I have stories to write. I can't go back. I don't want to. And I have been through this before and may well go through it again, all things being equal. I'll survive.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So... What can I do to get out of this particular situation?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I can wake up. My job issues are behind me, along with that job. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I will set my timer for, say, half an hour. And during that half hour I will write. At my desk. On my laptop. No internet. Just write.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sales are down? I'll finish the various books, half an hour at a time, and get them out there. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Writing doesn't need to be lonely: I have begun to participate in writing activities. Joined groups (including rejoining IWSG). Maybe go on a retreat.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And I will get more sleep. That's more important than I realized.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The blog hop is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3C!--%20start%20LinkyTools%20script%20--%3E%3Cscript%20src=%22http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=103850%22%20type=%22text/javascript%22%20%3E%3C/script%3E%3C!--%20end%20LinkyTools%20script%20--%3E" target="_blank">here</a>. Check it out!</span><br />
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<br />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-10042863100084416162016-10-28T07:01:00.000-07:002019-12-04T09:54:25.945-08:00In Memoriam: Pets<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We call them 'pets', and we pamper them and fuss over them and sometimes think that they are in some way a status symbol. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They love us unconditionally (though perhaps even more deeply when food is involved) and ask in return only that we be their Alpha dogs or -cats and provide them comfort, protection and affection.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In almost all cases, we are the gainers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The worst thing about them is that they have such heartbreakingly short lives, and the puppy or kitten that rolled across the floor and hurried clumsily to you is suddenly the white-muzzled dog who lifts cloudy eyes to you and thumps his tail on the floor.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dogs or cats? I have both. They both give love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And they both die too soon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last night I bade farewell to a boy I have owned and loved and laughed at for nine years. It was hard, but he was surrounded by those who loved him as he slipped away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You never get used to it, but truly, it is a small return for the unquestioning, generous love they give us.</span>Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-37029194259907493042016-10-05T06:20:00.003-07:002016-10-07T11:30:05.541-07:00IWSG October 5, 2016: Getting started<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Today is IWSG day. Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the other writers who support each other, make us all smile and think in this monthly hop. No one is mocked or sneered at. All are welcome. We have all been there.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; text-align: center;">Please be sure to visit our host Alex J Cavanaugh, and this month's co-hosts: <a href="http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beverly Stowe</a>, <a href="https://meganmorganauthor.com/blog/" target="_blank">Megan Morgan</a>, </span><a href="http://homelesschroniclesintampa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Viola Fury</a><span style="color: #333333;">, </span><a href="http://madelinemora-summonte.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Madeline Mora</a><span style="color: #333333;">, </span><a href="https://angelawooldridge.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Angela Wooledridge</a><span style="color: #333333;">, and </span><a href="http://susangourley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Susan Gourley</a><span style="color: #351c75; text-align: center;">.</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Visit the website and look around: </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">http://</a><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/</a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">When do you know your story is ready?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My answer is that it is never ready. Or, at least <b><i>I</i></b> *think* it is never ready. I was just reading one of my published books, one that I am really happy with, that expressed what I wanted to express and told, I thought, a good story. The fact that it features two of my absolute favorite characters is an added treat.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I opened the paperback copy I had printed for myself, read a section and thought, "You know, it would work better if I expanded the various contractions and changed a couple words."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had to put on the brakes, hard, and admit that the story is set. Too much fiddling makes the story stale. (This does not mean that I won't fix the odd mistake that I find). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And now, I am going to reveal what insecurity has me by the throat at the moment:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><strong>It has been too long since I published.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...or, come to that, since I wrote anything really new.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a series of books set in New Kingdom Egypt (think Ramesses the Great) with a great many stories that can come off that. I have my notes: the stories just need to be written. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a short piece, a fable about a crocodile, that is nearly finished. I just have to finish it:</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orphan's Tale #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmJAoKBksFFt2UxEcs-OOgat9UpYPTwBXtuUmQJBBp3TxQN86L9YxBHeAEF88GglNrGgmvD_g5nNhiV_CD4vZlLsfLhc8gp0PWKuzDFNF8HO_EekR23WUNlPrQFNAQ9pgfL4O-siPF4XF/s1600/larouche+green+2016+0701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmJAoKBksFFt2UxEcs-OOgat9UpYPTwBXtuUmQJBBp3TxQN86L9YxBHeAEF88GglNrGgmvD_g5nNhiV_CD4vZlLsfLhc8gp0PWKuzDFNF8HO_EekR23WUNlPrQFNAQ9pgfL4O-siPF4XF/s320/larouche+green+2016+0701.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orphan's Tale #2</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a series set in 1830's Paris with one completed, another nearly completed and the final one well underway.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have other stories in varying stages of being outlined...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But I have published nothing in over three years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why? Well, my father died in 2012. That was a terrible blow. My delightful mother's health took a downward spiral. She had been caring for my father and now she was dealing with her own issues. She needed surgery, she needed to be moved to a better place. And she was far away from her family.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Work issues, travel issues (my mother lives 250 miles away) money issues. I was, and am, very tired. But I can feel things moving, stirring. I have ideas.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">...and I received some notes from readers: </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><em>I really enjoy your Memphis Cycle stories. I have all of them in paperback. I know you have one in the works: is it coming out soon?</em></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I replied, and they replied enthusiastically. It made me smile. And it started me thinking. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">It could be done. The fable is about 40,000 words, the cover is finished. I have some 'shorts' on the Egyptian stories that could be put together. Something to please those kind people who wrote me and follow me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I have some vignettes from the Paris story that I could put out. Something to read.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4cluN087Gu9IUt3IR7eR_cCD4Ra8ntLn_rWnbkL0YzQ7Hot2qndEUkpCMIbsfu4Z4SjKKzjKgIm4xU52SCJtT6jGP2rGq2dcNo7MqaLLQlixcLJP3jf4oYz2fXHOkxBiebYXpMnnYfw0/s1600/Daffy+kadesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4cluN087Gu9IUt3IR7eR_cCD4Ra8ntLn_rWnbkL0YzQ7Hot2qndEUkpCMIbsfu4Z4SjKKzjKgIm4xU52SCJtT6jGP2rGq2dcNo7MqaLLQlixcLJP3jf4oYz2fXHOkxBiebYXpMnnYfw0/s400/Daffy+kadesh.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramesses the Great never looked better...</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">And, things having eased up a little, I can set the Paris story aside for a bit to let the edits sink in. I could take up some kind friends on their beta-read offers and put the manuscript out for review.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">...and I could get to work on the full length novel that fits after the second book of The Memphis cycle. Heck, I have a cover:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><em>...errrrr.... Maybe I need to work on that...</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">(You aren't down for the count if you can find something to laugh about, you know...)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Check out the posts on this hop. Read, comment, enjoy. I'll be doing the same this evening.</span></div>
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBrvvEAu65CR9XwILRr7vu1P1O6oVTpQ_gxIs16iqB68odn1l0tgu3SVBHa0jlk9WEv-Nvd_wvhcCa7XRyepz7vIWTzXxZxlCg7aXmeqguq5NZe5o7JILFopNNuJIpRdpy2YWFi6Pmcnl/s320/30+cubit++Croc++2016+0306+final+smaller.jpg" style="left: 675px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 951px;" width="63" />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-42420942820912962042016-09-10T20:25:00.003-07:002016-09-11T16:49:03.662-07:00Where were you when the world stopped turning...?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbenu3GzdcdXfAG97ND4wCrxM0vPTFmiNm_q_vkNb85SpQVMfr3dgib2BTZ7Aukv-Bqe56TABF5T1JDAjkNZ5M64ESsHxJlPu0aNCjAO46BPhbmr_JQIKUTdjil5EYyKD_r-zbW-3-89fw/s1600/9-11BrooklynBridge-IP_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbenu3GzdcdXfAG97ND4wCrxM0vPTFmiNm_q_vkNb85SpQVMfr3dgib2BTZ7Aukv-Bqe56TABF5T1JDAjkNZ5M64ESsHxJlPu0aNCjAO46BPhbmr_JQIKUTdjil5EYyKD_r-zbW-3-89fw/s320/9-11BrooklynBridge-IP_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. I saw a headline that likened the day to 'History Just Like Pearl Harbor.'</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, that is certainly true. It <i>was</i> history, just as our births, deaths, celebrations and actions are history. And yet, for all the significance of our day to day activities, 9/11 somehow stands out as an especial time in history.</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was the day people realized that their 'homeland' was not immune from attack.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was the day people learned of needs and incidents far greater than their own daily heartaches and activities.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was the day that we learned what it is to be truly helpless.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And it was the day that we learned that we could survive, and that heroes really existed.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ugGU8bZ4j_GXxigoXKzFJ2Iwyl4LZo2-wW7alwRPTlUaxKFDiw3rQhJTI2LhOxqOsmJbFo2A16fVOieecyPtgkTFFyDf5VCgTZEb7pEWZGn3kLEpEY5Uw-t4bbJWZ8PKKIXD8jNSBl0b/s1600/300px-Tearsofgriefbayonne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ugGU8bZ4j_GXxigoXKzFJ2Iwyl4LZo2-wW7alwRPTlUaxKFDiw3rQhJTI2LhOxqOsmJbFo2A16fVOieecyPtgkTFFyDf5VCgTZEb7pEWZGn3kLEpEY5Uw-t4bbJWZ8PKKIXD8jNSBl0b/s320/300px-Tearsofgriefbayonne.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian 'Tears of Grief' memorial</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(It was also a day I learned that some people are too stupid to live and need to be devoutly ignored:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A woman from Canada on a message board:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Americans need to think, sincerely and without offense, what they did to cause this attack.'</span></b></i><br />
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I don't generally get nasty in public. You don't put out there on Facebook or message boards things that you wouldn't want printed on the pages of the great newspapers of the world. But my response that time reduced the poster to tears. And I don't regret a word.)</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I heard the tales of heroism, of the firefighters and rescue workers toiling up the stairs in the Towers against the tide of fleeing people. Going ever upward to serve and protect and rescue. Giving their lives.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I never saw the footage of the plane striking the towers. I missed it, somehow In later years I decided not to seek it out.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some months after the attack, I was talking with my father, a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. I was saying how humbled I was by the heroism we saw on 9/11. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dad frowned thoughtfully. "We saw heroes," he said. "They were everywhere that day, and after. The people lining up to give blood, to help however they could... But, you know, if I had to say who the real heroes were that day..."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He fell silent.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"The police and rescue workers?" I suggested.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dad shook his head. "They were heroic," he said. "But you know, that was the purpose for which they pledged their lives. To serve, protect, fight if necessary... And they did it beautifully. But those people on the plane in Pennsylvania, possibly headed for the U.S. Capitol... They were everyday folk with the backgrounds they had, caught up in a situation. And they took action. They were true heroes."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe so. Probably so. Everyone seemed to step beyond their own needs and turn to others' needs...</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was a day to remember. One that should not be forgotten or belittled, any more than the other great watersheds of history.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where were you then?</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPHnadJ-0hE" width="560"></iframe>Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-20704169911877578392016-09-07T04:50:00.001-07:002016-09-07T07:16:12.741-07:00Valor in Action and in Remembrance: an interview with Terry Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJMJjtGDAKIvXfxsbFZb4AhWBsBsbMhN_4yJlM0OsmLycna7sSveY8BxglDV-HS2SgDigIWN8qmEf0okyXQ39gmSaL4mXCvxzsxGN0-cpNUIf1QL3Iw8wPwd0fu1SRGDEfIzOfQWccgA-/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJMJjtGDAKIvXfxsbFZb4AhWBsBsbMhN_4yJlM0OsmLycna7sSveY8BxglDV-HS2SgDigIWN8qmEf0okyXQ39gmSaL4mXCvxzsxGN0-cpNUIf1QL3Iw8wPwd0fu1SRGDEfIzOfQWccgA-/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first Wednesday of the month is IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) started by </span><span style="line-height: 20.28px;"> </span><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Alex Cavanaugh</a>. Please visit the <a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">IWSG site</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, and this month's co-hosts: </span><a href="http://writegame.blogspot.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">C. Lee McKenzie</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, </span><a href="http://www.rachelpattinson.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rachel Pattison</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, </span><a href="http://eseckman.blogspot.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Elizabeth Seckman</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, </span><a href="http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Stephanie Farris</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, </span><a href="https://lorilmaclaughlin.com/" style="line-height: 20.28px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lori MacLaughlin</a><span style="line-height: 20.28px;">, and Elsie Amata</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am always insecure when I encounter a gifted writer. Today I am happy to interview him: Terry Wilson.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am pleased and honored today to present my interview with Terry Wilson, a man of wide experience, with a sense of humor, a knack with a pen, and an understanding of conflict, courage and resolution. I 'met' him through the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award fora, and always enjoyed his contributions.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I learned that Terry had written a book (at that time) set during the Kent State Massacre: <b><i>The Blanket Hill Insurgency</i></b>. Over the next several years he produced another also set during the Vietnam war but looking back to another war: <i><b>Breaking Liberator's Shackles .</b> </i>The Vietnam war was the event, as it was going on, and then afterward, that seemed to hang over my generation and form my society afterward.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Terry's third book, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Tarnished Valor</i>, touches upon the Vietnam one more time.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am happy to present my interview with Terry. Enjoy the excerpts from his books. I have inserted geotargeted links to his books (they will take you to whatever Amazon site you use) as well as links to my reviews. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: 21.33px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You have done a great many things in your life -combat veteran, writer, devoted husband (you’ve done a lot of other things: what are they?) Which of them did you find the most challenging?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because of my respect for 58,272 men and women who died in Vietnam, I must make a clarification related to this question. I served, but I did not see combat. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m no different from any other human being who has lived for many decades. As a child and teenager I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where my faith was nurtured and ethics were stressed. My father was a high school coach who taught me the rewards of hard work. I participated on the football, wrestling and track teams. I held my high school’s record for the 880 yard run. My dreams were to either become a pastor or an architect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Following my time in the Army, I became an architect. Millions of children have been educated in school buildings I had a hand in the design and construction of. I’ve served on the boards of a number of non-profits, and I enjoy fishing and golf.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As with everyone, I’ve been faced with problems. In the early Nineties a striving architectural practice I built was wiped out by a default judgment from the court when my attorney failed to respond to motions for sanction brought against me associated with what was a nuisance law suit. All of my resources were wiped out, and this led to a divorce from my first wife of twenty years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Being able to hang on to my belief in the Lord and conduct my life with ethical principles has been the greatest challenge I’ve faced. When things go bad, it’s hard to not want to seek revenge, but I have been able to move on. These challenges have helped me renew who I am. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You have written three books that touch upon hope, despair, renewal high hopes, faith and love. What inspired you to write them?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would add humor, ego, self-doubt, conflict, loss and ethics to the descriptors of this question. Humans are forced to deal with all of these on a daily basis. I strive to portray every character as a complete person. None are perfect, and none are all bad. I want the reader to feel empathy for each…. even for an antagonist. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now I’ll address the inspiration for my novels. Finishing my enlistment in the Army in 1970 I returned to Kent State to continue my education. The University was a different environment from the one I left three years prior. The culture changed. The once patriotic campus, steep in tradition, exploded into a battleground of unrest and revolution. I witnessed the tragedy of the shootings that rocked our nation and the world. The change and clash of cultures that occurred at Kent and elsewhere were in need of telling, and to tell the story I wrote </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01B26LJFU" target="_blank">The Blanket Hill Insurgency</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">The following excerpt is from the 41<sup>st</sup> Chapter of <i>The Blanket Hill Insurgency:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Six were seated around a large round table in Ray’s Place. Because of his shortly cropped hair, Jim stood out from others in the campus town tavern even though he wore civilian clothing. Richard, Linda, Jed, Ruth and Ann all agreed to spend the evening before the start of classes for the Winter Quarter having pizza and beer. It was something Jim had missed doing, in a campus tavern, since he graduated from Ohio State. Having just arrived, the conversation was mostly light and dominated by the upcoming weddings. Ruth was intrigued by the conversation, and Jed acted as though he didn’t notice her interest to everyone’s amusement.<br />
It was revealed to Jim that Linda and Richard had become god parents. This led to Ann starting a more serious conversation.<br />
“Their godson has parents who protest against Vietnam,” Ann said abruptly. “I can’t believe the lying they do to make our being there sound wrong.”<br />
“Like what?” Jim asked.<br />
“Kelly, the kid’s mother, said we intentionally destroy farmer’s crops. She said it has forced whole communities to move to city slums so they won’t starve.”<br />
Jim reached out and grabbed Ann’s hand and said, “She’s not telling a lie. We are, but there’s a legitimate reason for it.”<br />
Ann was shocked as she asked, “What?”<br />
“The country has political divides, and there are large rural areas sympathetic to the North Vietnamese government. Many living in these farming communities are farmers during the day and grab weapons at night… sometimes during the day. They are the Viet Cong.”<br />
Jim had everyone’s attention.<br />
“The Cong have killed and wounded thousands of our soldiers. We target these communities by dropping a chemical on their fields. It’s called Agent Orange. It’s very effective in killing the crops, and without food, the people, rather than starving, move from the area, mostly to cities where slums have sprung up. I feel sorry for the people, but it has probably saved thousands of American lives.”<br />
“There’s no other way?” Ann asked.<br />
“Short of our leaving, I doubt it.”<br />
“So we should leave?” Linda asked.<br />
“No Linda… that’s not what I’m saying. A majority… most of the South Vietnamese people support their government. If we left, they could not stop the country from falling to communist rule. I agree with our being there, and I would hate to see us pull out before we complete our mission. Three men in my platoon died for the cause. I’d hate to see their sacrifice go in vain.”<br />
“Couldn’t we just find the farmers that are the Viet Cong?” Ruth asked. “Why should whole communities have to suffer?”<br />
“Most of what my platoon did was called search and destroy missions. Our job was to find the Cong. We’d search hamlets and farms looking for signs of enemy activity. We’d look for stashes of weapons and ammunition along with tunnels they would conceal themselves in. We were successful in identifying some of the Cong, but we never knew if the next person, be it a man, woman or child would be the next to aim a weapon at one of us.”<br />
“Child?” Ruth exclaimed.<br />
“Yes. Hundreds… maybe thousands of children fight with the Cong. Following the firefight where two of my men died, we surveyed the Cong that were killed. Along with twelve men there were three children probably between ten and twelve years old. All were clutching A.K. Forty-Sevens.”<br />
At that moment one of two coeds who were seated at an adjacent table walked over to Jim and slapped him across his face as she screamed, “BABY KILLER!”<br />
Jim simply looked at her and did not say a word as the bartender raced to the table from behind the bar.<br />
“What’s going on here?” he barked at the coed.<br />
“He’s a baby killer.”<br />
Looking at Jim the bartender asked, “What’s she talking about?”<br />
“She must have overheard part of our conversation. I’ve just returned from Vietnam, and I was…”<br />
“You don’t need to say another word,” the bartender said to Jim. He addressed the coed. “You… young lady… get out of this bar. I don’t need your kind of trouble in here.”<br />
The coed and her friend left without arguing.<br />
The bartender shook Jim’s hand and announced, “Welcome home. This table’s tab is on me.” He lowered his voice and continued, “My brother was killed in the Iron Triangle.”<br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.2in;"> Jim stood up and embraced the bartender, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a child my hero was my Uncle Kirby. During the Second World War, he endured the horror as a prisoner of war held by the Japanese. He would never talk about his ordeal, but when I was able to watch an old Japanese Army Newsreel showing the capture of him and his bomber crew, I decided to write </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breaking Liberator’s Shackles.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The novel is based on his experience, but the bomber crew is fictional characters…. after all, my uncle never talked to me about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> The following is an excerpt from the 1</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">st</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> Chapter of </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://bookgoodies.com/a/B019XYOR8Y" target="_blank">Breaking Liberator’s Shackles</a>:</i></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> My excitement was intense. I couldn’t wait to see Doug. Since he was inducted into the army, this was only the second time he came home. He had a two week leave the past Christmas holiday. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.2;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.2;"> The drive into and through Cleveland to Hopkins Airport seemed to take forever. Traffic was very slow moving because of road congestion caused by a rare Saturday Cleveland Browns’ game. This was actually my first trip to the airport. At Christmas Doug traveled by bus, and when we dropped him off the day he entered the army, he left on a train from the Terminal Tower station. We could see the tower dominating the skyline as we crept along on the crowded inner-belt of the expressway.</span><span style="line-height: 1.2;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Eventually we arrived about a half hour before the scheduled arrival of Doug’s plane. </span> Emma and I found our way to a gate on Concourse A where Doug’s plane was scheduled to unload. We waited, with a handful of others for a United flight from Washington National Airport. I was surprised that what was referred to as a gate was a second story waiting area with regular doors identified with gate numbers. Between these doors were large expanses of windows through which we could watch the commercial jets as they arrived or departed. It amazed me how aviation had advanced since my days in the Army Air Corp. I watched as a jet taxied to an adjacent gate.<br />
I pointed to the jet as I addressed Emma, “Look at that.”<br />
We watched a motorized enclosed and moveable telescoping ramp that was connected to the building being moved into position at the door of the jet. The passengers were provided direct access into the terminal while protected from outdoor weather conditions.<br />
About a minute later a much smaller aircraft pulled up outside of the window. Rather than a jet, it had a single motor and propeller mounted on each wing. My mind screamed at me. Except for the porthole windows to the passenger cabin, it was the same type of aircraft I flew on during my return trip to the States following my imprisonment. The plane was a DC-3, a commercial version of a C-47 Skytrain, a military cargo plane.<br />
Rather than connecting with a movable walkway, a set of steps was wheeled into position at the cabin door of the plane. I watched in anticipation as passengers exited and descended the stairs to the pavement and walked toward the terminal. It wasn’t long before Doug appeared.<br />
“There he is,” Emma stated. Tears of emotion were trickling from her eyes.<br />
“That’s our son,” I replied. “He really looks sharp.” It wasn’t an exaggeration. The way he wore his uniform was a sight to see. The khaki uniform had what appeared to be razor sharp creases. The pants were neatly tucked into the tops of highly polished black leather boots. Sergeant stripes dominated the short sleeves of his shirt, and a deep-green beret crowned the top of his erectly held head.<br />
Doug disappeared from sight as he entered a door to the terminal building, and I noticed those who exited the plane in front of him started to enter the waiting area through the door labeled with the gate number. I grabbed Emma’s hand and led her toward the door. I felt lumps in my throat, and I was filled with pride when Doug appeared. Emma raced to him and engulfed him with a passionate hug. The smile on Doug’s face was electrifying, and then he leaned over and kissed his mother’s forehead. I wished I would have brought a camera with me to catch the moment.<br />
Once Emma released her hold on our son, Doug extended his hand to me and stated, “Great to see you sir.”<br />
I accepted his firm handshake and responded, “Great to have you home Doug.” I then took my other arm and wrapped it around him in a hug. “You don’t need to call me sir. Dad is fine.”<br />
Doug laughed and stated, “It’s my military training.” He quickly looked around and asked, “Where’s Mary?”<br />
Emma answered, “Someone had to milk the cows. She wanted to be here.” Emma then realized Doug left the plane without any baggage. “Don’t you have luggage?”<br />
“We’ll have to pick it up at the baggage claim area. I was told it will probably be about a half an hour before it’s there.”<br />
“So…” Emma stated. “We have some time to kill,”<br />
“Let’s catch a beer,” I offered. “I saw a small tavern along the concourse on our way in.”<br />
“Sounds like a great plan,” Doug stated.</span></blockquote>
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(My review is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R2HN52VUI4VHQE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00UD6040C" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the ugliest periods for my generation was the War in Vietnam. The ugliness continued for veterans who returned, and it continues to this day for many. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tarnished Valor</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 21.33px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is my tribute to all of the men and women who served during Vietnam. It focuses on the aftermath of the War that still haunts many veterans years following return to “The World”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> The following is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of <i><a href="http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01DT1Q6HM" target="_blank">Tarnished Valor</a>:</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I have just arrived in Philadelphia at the Thirtieth Street Station. Following the hassle of getting myself off the train and to the taxi stand in front of the terminal… had to negotiate barriers with my chair… I feel the chill of an early morning wind. I am cold. My field jacket doesn’t have a liner, and I left my sweater with Judy.<br />
I roll my chair to a taxi, and I can see the driver look at me, but he doesn’t seem interested in giving me a ride. I tap on the passenger side window, and he takes his time lowering it.<br />
“Yes.”<br />
“I need a ride to Carver High School.”<br />
He stares at me. I have the impression he’s about to refuse me a ride.<br />
“Do you have twenty dollars?”<br />
“I do.”<br />
“You’ll need to pay me up front.”<br />
I take a twenty-dollar bill from my wallet and hand it to his outstretched hand. He gets out of the car and helps me into the back seat and hands me my crutch. He folds my wheelchair and places it in the trunk along with my knapsack. Once he returns to the car and pulls away, he asks, “You’re sure you want to go to Carver this early in the morning? I doubt if it’s open yet.”<br />
“I do.” I decide to take a verbal jab at him for his rudeness. “This is my first time in Philly. In almost every other city taxi drivers collect after reaching the destination. It’s different here.”<br />
“Can’t be too safe. I’ve been burned once by a vagrant, and I’m not about to be burnt again.”<br />
“I’m not a vagrant.”<br />
“Can’t tell that by looking at you.”<br />
I rub my face with the palm of my hand and realize I need a shave. I’m wearing an old Army field jacket and trousers with a dirty knee caused by yesterday’s crawl up the Capitol steps. I’m minus a leg, and I realize I probably look like a vagrant. I haven’t had a shower, so I probably smell like one too.<br />
“Yeah… I probably look pretty bad. I’m from Cleveland and flew to D.C. yesterday. I planned on being back home by now, but my plans changed. I didn’t pack a change of clothing, a razor or toothbrush.”<br />
“Why were you in our nation’s Capital?”<br />
“I joined a large number of other disabled to crawl up the Capitol steps. It was a protest to encourage Congress to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.”<br />
“I saw that on the news last night. They showed this little girl…”<br />
“Jennifer Keelan. She was amazing. I crawled up just behind her.”<br />
“Watching her choked me up.”<br />
“She’s an amazing kid.”<br />
The traffic is fairly heavy, and I’m amazed to see the flow of vehicles blocked by trucks making deliveries by double parking on the street as they are unloaded. Back in Ohio this would never happen without tickets being issued by the police. What’s even more interesting is how traffic will get by these temporary roadblocks. Cars, where they can, quickly drive over the curbs onto the sidewalks to pass.<br />
We pass areas with large numbers of people wrapped in blankets sleeping on sidewalks. This leads me to comment.<br />
“I’ve never seen so many homeless. Is it like this during the really cold nights?”<br />
“Always. You’ll notice some of them are lying where steam is rising from under them. They have the warmest location on top of manhole covers to the city’s steam pipe tunnels.”<br />
After we pass Temple University, we turn off of a wide boulevard onto a side street, and the driver comments, “Carver High School is just a few blocks ahead. Why are you going there?”<br />
“I’m looking for a good friend I served with in Vietnam. I thought he was killed. After I finished the crawl up the Capitol steps, I visited the Vietnam Memorial. His name wasn’t on the Wall.”<br />
The driver is silent until he stops the car in front of Carver High School. “We’re here. I hope you find your friend.”<br />
“I do too.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My review is <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R3MWBH1KKR0I15/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01DT1Q6HM" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What started you writing at all?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was a high school student, a fantastic English Teacher dropped a bombshell on my class. We were all assigned two novels to read and write a literary comparison. The novels assigned to me were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of Human Bondage</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by William Somerset Maugham and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Citadel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by A.J. Cronin. Following my initial alarm, I read and (to my surprise) thoroughly enjoyed both books. I was awed by the ability of each author to hold my attention and rip at my emotions, so the writing of the literary comparison became a labor of love. I also wondered, “Could I also write a story as potent as these?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fast forward a few years. I was in the Army, and during my free time I found that always getting drunk with the guys was not for me. I started to write, and by the time I completed my military service the first draft of a novel was also complete. The novel dealt with the struggles of a young man in college (at a fictional university) and his time in the Army during the Sixties. Following my service I returned to Kent State University to continue my education. I was there to witness the horror when National Guardsmen fired into a mass of students…. killing four. At that time I knew my novel would need to be reworked incorporating Kent State. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The novel remained dormant until I retired from the practice of Architecture. I did conduct research for it during those years. I needed to understand the cultural changes and events at Kent during the three years I was away in the Army. They were dramatic. I retired, dusted off my old manuscript and wrote. One could say it took me forty-seven years to write </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Blanket Hill Insurgency.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know that a storyteller tells a story, and you do. But what is the ‘core’ or ‘kernel’ of your story? Aside from keeping your readers engaged, what do you hope to convey to them?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I describe my writing as, “Novels of significant cultural and historic events wearing a costume of fiction.” The events I write about need to be remembered. They are part of the fabric of who we are and the changes in our cultural norms. I have noticed many young people today have little understanding of the world their parents and grandparents grew up in. What were highly offensive words have become common in conversations (such as “bitch”). It is my sincere hope the stories I write may help younger generations appreciate where we were and those who lived it to remember a time that has been lost.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you write, do you put yourself in your work, somewhere? Perhaps in disguise? (If so, I’d like an illustration of the character that really is you.) Do you express your hopes and dreams?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many of the experiences I have had are molded, following modifications, into scenes depicted in my novels. As an author I find this essential to create stories capable of evoking emotional conditions a reader will believe. I also, not often, have inserted myself into the work. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Blanket Hill Insurgency</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a collegiate cross country race provides a back-drop to a scene. I actually was one of the runners in the race. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tarnished Valor</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a scene takes place in a building where I operated an architectural practice. My name is mentioned in a short dialog between two of the characters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I asked you to send me excerpts of each of your books, which I post now. -Which one do you, yourself, like best? Why?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This question is like asking, “Which of your children do you love the most?” While writing a novel, I become so engrossed and attached with the work. They all are very much a part of me. Having said that, my most recent novel, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tarnished Valor, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I consider the most important. It focuses on a tribute to a generation of veterans who gave their all and returned home to face ridicule and problems that haunt many until this day. It’s a story that had to be told.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you had something to tell someone who is considering reading your stories or writing, or just facing life, what would it be?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe my novels are a good read for any age. They honestly depict who we were by placing characters into historically accurate times and events from our not so distant past. They cross a multitude of genres including historical, romance, tragedy, faith-based and military/war. Offensive language is only used where necessary to properly depict an action, and words selected are never based on political correctness (it’s the way it was).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Related to life, due to medical conditions I may be nearing the end of mine. If I make it, I’ll be seventy my next birthday, and looking back I know life is short. We are on this earth only once, but while we are here, we affect the lives of many. Live life to the fullest, but live with integrity. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m often asked about the photo on the back of my books. The dog with me is Rascal, and he’s a bit older now. When I write, Rascal is always on the floor at my feet. When I finish writing a section, I’ll read it aloud. Rascal is attentive. His tail wags as I read happy passages, and he whimpers as I read emotionally sad passages. He probably reacts to the tone of my voice, but Rascal has become my first critic.</span></div>
<br />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-25108508287458376132016-08-03T06:32:00.000-07:002017-06-07T09:28:35.224-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Today is IWSG day. Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the other writers who support each other, make us all smile and think in this monthly hop. No one is mocked or sneered at. All are welcome. We have all been there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">This month’s hosts are <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.tamaranarayan.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Tamara Narayan,</span></a> (have you read her new book???) <a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Tonja Drecker,</span></a> <a href="http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,</span></a> <a href="https://pensuasion.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Lauren @ Pensuasion,</span></a> <a href="http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Stephen Tremp,</span></a> and <a href="http://julieflanders.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Julie Flanders!</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">The twitter hashtag is #IWSG </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Visit the website and look around: </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">http://</a><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/</a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">This month's question is:</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><strong><em>What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?</em></strong></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">My very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer was a fantasy trilogy that I titled <em>The Snowhawk</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started it in grad school with an idea about a group of Healers, headquartered in The Temple of Healing in a world I created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also created the names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a story line with them, specifically one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All planned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then a fellow stepped in and ran away with the plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">then</i> the villain stepped in and really ran away with the plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote, rewrote, fiddled – all this before I had a computer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I researched agents and sent out queries and was amazingly arrogant when I received rejections.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">A woman for whom I babysat learned that I was a ‘writer’ and put me in touch with her cousin, who was an editor for one of the NY publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She read my manuscript and told me it was too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did not say it was bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I had other interests in writing, and <em>The Snowhawk</em> in its final three volume typewritten and saved nowhere form was shelved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had better stories in the works.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Interestingly, I still have that manuscript.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t use it now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have to retype it, for one thing, since it was a few decades ago and I only became computerized in 1986.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the big floppies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that universe had spiraled away from my original concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was writing the stories of <em>The Memphis Cycle</em> and <em>The Orphan’s Tale</em>, and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was passé.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArpM1YRUumQhK3VNS5g84eBTgQEQTRVxpj4dcQQARS-FUIVY1cwu79BlKpuHG_YcIvHTxt00LOtlO-Qw9m8D3D81OscvJ0F-h2ra4t3bPxTNrODQWb8xDJ0xZsUi1QdIP17QWPOedzv9H/s1600/pippo+spano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArpM1YRUumQhK3VNS5g84eBTgQEQTRVxpj4dcQQARS-FUIVY1cwu79BlKpuHG_YcIvHTxt00LOtlO-Qw9m8D3D81OscvJ0F-h2ra4t3bPxTNrODQWb8xDJ0xZsUi1QdIP17QWPOedzv9H/s320/pippo+spano.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Snowhawk</i> wasn’t finished with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit a huge dry spell due to a combination of things – crooked agent, job issues, family health, The Recession…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stumbled across <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Snowhawk</i>, which I had completely forgotten, in a box on the top of some shelving in my garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took the box inside, opened volume 2 of the manuscript and began to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I frowned at the passage, thought I could fix it – and the Monsoon hit, blasting through the inertia and dryness.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">And suddenly I was writing again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned to my real Works In Progress and got cracking.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">You can read about it in <a href="http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/2014/10/ending-dry-spell.html" target="_blank"><strong>this post</strong></a>.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I will never get rid of that manuscript.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the reason that I am still writing and publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may never be published, but it helped to save me.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So... How about you? Go visit the Blog Hop - and sign up!</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-45935760315991644772016-07-29T03:30:00.003-07:002016-07-29T05:23:12.716-07:00July 29, 2016 - Celebrating Heat Waves and Teething Puppies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Celebration Friday!!!</b></span></div>
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<span 22.4px="" c75="" georgia="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;" times=""><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span 22.4px="" c75="" georgia="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;" times="">Friday is the day we observe the 'Celebrations' blog hop founded by VikLit and now ably managed by </span><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"> (Go visit them!)</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">So... What am I celebrating?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">After about two weeks of above 90 degee weather, the heat wave is breaking! Temperatures in the eighties and then the seventies.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I thought New England was supposed to be a cool area...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62djg8-m5uF6nhox7eV_Az_rfdsREIT7XaQPIGIKaoozq0OUx3PmtnJVA_OLEmkIcw2B7EgjksWr6mvuoGH68if_bMF6DIQftbzNsMjWCWtdZq2o2LnCEwWACuESVgxS5G4zgjAFSh8lw/s1600/chester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62djg8-m5uF6nhox7eV_Az_rfdsREIT7XaQPIGIKaoozq0OUx3PmtnJVA_OLEmkIcw2B7EgjksWr6mvuoGH68if_bMF6DIQftbzNsMjWCWtdZq2o2LnCEwWACuESVgxS5G4zgjAFSh8lw/s320/chester.jpg" width="248" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Chet, small and cute</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;">I am also celebrating the fact that my teething puppy appears to be lightening up a little. Although at four months - approximately 5 years old in human age - he wants to romance anything on four legs at the dog daycare he goes to for training twice a week. We are hoping for an Alpha Female to arise and knock him into the middle of next week. That just might straighten him out.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xGeBAki4SbFNEw2fMa1yXlvJAs5AVacl2KfNqjiLNMOpmrCtsVS_pxDnOGRvmgmZ4BDE5l3ebpxfKFJaCsfdWE1mon6yvwDRD1XNGHEptXRukeaC8wls4viGRZpp0QHkXGZC5Pu12GLN/s1600/chester1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xGeBAki4SbFNEw2fMa1yXlvJAs5AVacl2KfNqjiLNMOpmrCtsVS_pxDnOGRvmgmZ4BDE5l3ebpxfKFJaCsfdWE1mon6yvwDRD1XNGHEptXRukeaC8wls4viGRZpp0QHkXGZC5Pu12GLN/s320/chester1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Chet The Nuisance</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Someone commented that it might traumatize him. I suspect that smart, stubborn puppy is about as easy to traumatize as a U.S. Army Humvee...</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsQFLpgpSyHNRBl-lIzfVT4uu3jkPs89yOYc_CupaEwvutfeD3sxy3khjTHX17hZJVCCbKIMaWlR-PSRFMGTb6IBHsEVC6_SmDKKmRkK3EGm0UT4eM30TCJ5xJtJHEjzZpm-lgp2hF8Tt/s1600/battlefield-4-humvee-real-life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsQFLpgpSyHNRBl-lIzfVT4uu3jkPs89yOYc_CupaEwvutfeD3sxy3khjTHX17hZJVCCbKIMaWlR-PSRFMGTb6IBHsEVC6_SmDKKmRkK3EGm0UT4eM30TCJ5xJtJHEjzZpm-lgp2hF8Tt/s640/battlefield-4-humvee-real-life.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The U.S. Army's replication of a teething Labrador Puppy</span></td></tr>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-88709440850114497172016-07-14T21:19:00.000-07:002016-07-15T05:30:58.865-07:00July 15, 2016 - Celebrating A Wonderful Writer's New Offering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s320/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" width="262" /></a><span 22.4px="" c75="" font-family:="" georgia="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times=""></span></div>
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<span 22.4px="" c75="" font-family:="" georgia="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times=""><span 22.4px="" c75="" font-family:="" georgia="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">As many bloggers know, Friday is the day we observe the 'Celebrations' blog hop. It has been a joy and an inspiration (and, often, a smile-maker) for several years: you can</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">visit </span><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> for more information.</span></span></div>
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are always things to celebrate - you just have to look.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And today I am celebrating the arrival of a new book by a talented author who graces several blogs that I frequent and who, further research uncovers (well... Not research, exactly. She told us about this and it sounded wonderful the sort of thing to share) Anyhow, after a number of pieces in anthologies - the sort of pieces that have interesting twists to them, stories that make you think and wonder and, perhaps, glance over your shoulder, she has </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">he has published </span><b style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;">HEART STOPPER and other Stories. </b><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This collection of stories will send shivers up your spine and make your imagination work. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is not sledgehammer blood or gore, but the sort of tantalizing, slowly building tension that will send you groping for another pillow and eyeing your alarm clock to see if you might be able to read to the end and not be too impaired in the morning at work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In her own words:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22.4px;"><b><i>Heart Stopper and Other Stories</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22.4px;">By Tamara Narayan </span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">One collection, four stories, 171 pages of suspense...</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><b>Heart Stopper:</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.4px;">The disappearance of random household items baffles Dallas Radner and his eleven-year-old daughter, Tessa. Ten plastic bags, nine ballpoint pens . . . what's next? This odd countdown should end on November 1, The Day of the Dead. That's also Tessa's birthday and the one-year anniversary of her surgery, the day her heart stopped on the operating table.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Dallas almost lost Tessa once. On November 1, one thing will vanish forever. Will it be his daughter?</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><b>Detour:</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Fed up with her abusive boyfriend, coed Chloe Langley takes off in a borrowed car for the safety of home. She'll never make it.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><b>One Step Away:</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Acrophobia has ruined Darryl James's marriage and stolen his son. To get Andrew back, Darryl undergoes desensitization therapy. Just as success is within his grasp, a relapse occurs with shocking consequences.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><b>Monitor:</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Perched on a mountain with a view to die for, Laura and Paul Alderson have it all: new house, new baby, and new challenges. But urgent whispers from the baby monitor about her infant son and the garage threaten to turn Laura's American dream into a nightmare.</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Purchase these on Amazon</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22.4px;"><a href="http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01GVKZBJW" target="_blank">Heart Stopper</a> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 22.4px;">(click to go to the book page) </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">(this is a geotargeted link - it will take you to your own Amazon store):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Four tales I present to tingle your spine </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Four seasons of suspense to let you unwind. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Lives at a crossroad, a breakdown of order </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Between life and death, it’s a tenuous border. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;" /></span> <span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Halloween comes, and the Day of the Dead </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">For one man this custom brings heartache and dread. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">As belongings disappear, a child makes her shrine </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Is it a ghost? Perhaps. Or a shattered mind? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;" /></span> <span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">A couple spars, and fear invades </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">An abused coed flees on a spring escapade. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Across Florida’s searing and pocked landscape </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Sinkholes will assume many a shape. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;" /></span> <span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Another dreams of feathers, wings of might </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Yet experiences terror at a meager height. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">This phobia takes every dear thing away </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Then, in a brutal twist, saves a dark summer’s day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Peppermint, mice, and a cold-as-winter voice </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">A mother must make a desperate choice. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Heeding her instincts to save the child </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">What’s lost instead, the pain won’t be mild. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;" /></span> <span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Four tales I present to tingle your spine </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Four stories of suspense to let you unwind. </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Read on to learn more before you order </span><br />
<span 22.4px="" font-family:="" line-height:="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" times="">Between art and madness, it’s a tenuous border. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can visit Tamara at her blog <a href="http://www.tamaranarayan.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And you can find her Author Page <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tamara-Narayan/e/B00IRQL224/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-28063292375669551602016-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:002016-07-19T04:31:29.079-07:00Do Fabulous Writers Make You Nervous?<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In keeping with IWSG day, I am happy to host Helen Hollick, writer of engrossing historical fiction, luscious series set in far ago times and fascinating places. Her creativity is only matched by her encouragement and support of other writers. She is the sort of person who makes insecure folks nervous. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...and tomorrow she is releasing the latest book in her swashbuckling seafaring <b><i>SeaWitch </i></b>series! I am happy to host her here - and am looking forward to reviewing <i style="font-weight: bold;">On The Account</i>. (You see, I have a Reader's Copy and I am deep into it. You will enjoy it, too!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Anticipation Of The New Book</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">By<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Helen Hollick</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">You would think that after more than twenty years as a published author
and with (quick count-up) eleven books behind me and two more ‘on the boil’,
that I would be confident about my next title’s release.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not a bit of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am as excited about the fifth adventure in my Sea Witch Voyages as
when the very first book was published. That one was The Kingmaking, the first
of my Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy. But I am also just as nervous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the early eighties I had achieved a small success with a children’s
‘keep yourself safe’ book called Come and Tell Me (now, alas, out of print) and
was accepted for publication by William Heinemann a week after my 40 th
birthday in 1993. What turned out to be the first two books in the trilogy had
taken me over ten years to write; I had not expected anyone to actually want to
publish my scribblings. I did not think I was clever enough to be an author. I
had an ordinary secondary school education, which in the 60’s meant a second
class education. I did, however, have a very good English teacher, a deep and
immense love of books and reading – and, when I discovered it by accident, a
passion for history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">History at school had been a very low priority because it was so
boring. In fact, I used to do my geography homework during the history lesson.
I left school and went to work as an assistant in the local library in the
London suburb of Chingford. There, I rediscovered Rosemary Sutcliff and found
Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave and Hollow Hills. She had an author’s note which mentioned
that if King Arthur had existed he would have been alive around the end of
Roman Britain, circa 440 AD. That interested me. I started researching (hooray
for library books!) and then, dissatisfied with novels about King Arthur and in
particular his other half, Guinevere, I decided to write my own version. My
trilogy is a ‘back to basics’ story, using the earlier Welsh legends, not the
later Medieval tales. There is no Lancelot, round table, Holy Grail or Merlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instead, Arthur is a warts an’ all warlord who has to fight hard to
gain his kingdom, and fight even harder to keep it – and Gwenhwyfar as I call
her. The trilogy led to my next two novels about events that led to the 1066
Battle of Hastings, Harold The King (titled I Am The Chosen King in the US) and
A Hollow Crown (titled The Forever Queen in the US). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmBpPLB1RFBpTXhLrdsQqu6UcS_jDa_HdIjTXePYFMet8FXSGQGhKXjMbleyAy-1UVbreAFlVp40AnXIsLhm-fRAM4_t4akRHd2Q-kVkxKEW7Wx1EE5_KuRK90nSOewPUsh-qdCOJ-UtU/s1600/Harold+Chosen+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmBpPLB1RFBpTXhLrdsQqu6UcS_jDa_HdIjTXePYFMet8FXSGQGhKXjMbleyAy-1UVbreAFlVp40AnXIsLhm-fRAM4_t4akRHd2Q-kVkxKEW7Wx1EE5_KuRK90nSOewPUsh-qdCOJ-UtU/s320/Harold+Chosen+King.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A lot of water has flowed under the bridge between then and now. I was
simultaneously dropped by Heinemann and my (ex) agent so went into Indie
publishing instead, (sharp learning curve there, I can tell you!) Subsequently
I was picked up by North American publisher, Sourcebooks, I’m about to have
several of my books translated into Turkish, Italian and German, and I have
been commissioned to write a mainstream non-fiction book about pirates. I guess
I could say I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and written, not just read,
the book. (Yes, done that as well: Discovering the Diamond is a modest little
book giving a few useful tips to new and novice writers.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So here I am on the eve of my next book setting sail and I am still
biting my fingernails and worrying.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will readers like it?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Have I missed errors despite several edits?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Will I get some decent reviews?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Will the Amazon #ranking read more like a
light-year mileage figure than a reasonable sales indication?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Why do I write?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Why not take up knitting?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Why is the rum gone…?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p> </o:p>Of course I want the book, this latest adventure of my charmer of an
ex-pirate Jesamiah Acorne, to do well. I’ve worked hard on this nautical
adventure series that is a cross between Hornblower, Patrick O’Brian’s books,
and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, with a splash of James Bond, a dash of
Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe and a smattering of Indiana Jones.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uzYh7WXUDaKFnz_vHyRISTRp0rSDp9IbYEHet0CkYK_YSureyhcDb4jn6SuTiMy8CtCroXlImR8tzS7tFXEG2Ms2bm-4oBwrqs5S71goWqAAVApAElrqc69Z4KPqgsJr6TIThJP4Pt2C/s1600/OTA+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uzYh7WXUDaKFnz_vHyRISTRp0rSDp9IbYEHet0CkYK_YSureyhcDb4jn6SuTiMy8CtCroXlImR8tzS7tFXEG2Ms2bm-4oBwrqs5S71goWqAAVApAElrqc69Z4KPqgsJr6TIThJP4Pt2C/s400/OTA+1.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course I want sales, of course I want it to scramble up to somewhere
near the top of the sales list – even if it is only on Amazon, where no one
actually knows how the ranking works anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But none of these are my top concern. My greatest worry is not letting
my readers down. For the past few weeks
I have been inundated (well had a few…) emails from followers wanting to know
when On <b><i>The Account</i></b> will be available for pre-order/sale. ‘Soon’ has
been my cheerful answer: 7 th July is the official date. It has been wonderful
receiving these supportive emails as they show there are people out there eager
to sail-away on the Sea Witch with Captain Acorne for another adventure. They
have been patiently waiting since Ripples In The Sand, Voyage Four, which left
Jesamiah arrested for smuggling contraband, his mistress in labour, and his
ship, Sea Witch aground on England’s North Devon coast. But trouble follows
Jesamiah like a ship’s wake: in this next episode he has to find a missing box (valuable),
and a boy who has also gone astray (possibly with the box). He would like to be
rid of a mysterious Night-Walker love-rival (who is annoying him) while dealing
with a boatload of Barbary Pirates who have kidnapped his wife, Tiola… (Oh, and
he is in trouble with her as well.) Meanwhile, Tiola herself has her own battle
to fight – keeping herself and Jesamiah alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That’s the gist of the plot, but will my eager readers enjoy the
adventure?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is my biggest worry. I don’t want to let them down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">LINKS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.helenhollick.net/">www.helenhollick.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blog: <a href="http://www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/">www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HelenHollickAuthor">www.facebook.com/HelenHollickAuthor</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Twitter: @HelenHollick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Author Page on an Amazon near you: <a href="http://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick">http://viewAuthor.at/HelenHollick</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-8979562058305159932016-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-05T07:26:36.595-07:00IWSG July 7, 2016 - The Best Thing Someone has Ever Said About Your Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtk95wHXEX-9DaNmpeyYGhMUVF6zkopDxU102X0ZmEy1xcEIopv1igUx0-GbCqHufsPD-vWuxbXtD9Ov0TXWZ_h5stTMZmB9k-pjm8iW29vB4jrfYIMuyWIAC81yw2opsqC89V6Nv7TQUZ/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtk95wHXEX-9DaNmpeyYGhMUVF6zkopDxU102X0ZmEy1xcEIopv1igUx0-GbCqHufsPD-vWuxbXtD9Ov0TXWZ_h5stTMZmB9k-pjm8iW29vB4jrfYIMuyWIAC81yw2opsqC89V6Nv7TQUZ/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today is IWSG day. Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the other writers who support each other, make us all smile and think in this monthly hop. No one is mocked or sneered at. All are welcome. We have all been there.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">The awesome co-hosts for the July 6 posting of the IWSG will be <a href="http://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Yolanda Renee,</a> <a href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tyrean Martinson,</a> <a href="http://madelinemora-summonte.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Madeline Mora-Summonte ,</a> <a href="http://musingsonfantasia.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LK Hill,</a> <a href="http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rachna Chhabria,</a> and <a href="http://jeffreyascott.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">JA Scott!</a> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit the website and look around: </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">http://</a><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This month's question is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What's the best thing someone has ever said about your
writing?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was lucky enough to receive two new reviews on one of my books this past week. They were both good reviews, not too long, but each one 'got' the core of the story, expressed its connection to his or her enjoyment and said that they were eagerly awaiting the next installment (which will be coming out sometime early next year.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">That was a wonderful surprise, since I don't haunt my listings looking for reviews, and since I have been out of circulation for two years due to family concerns. But the best thing someone said about my writing happened over twenty years ago. I was fresh out of college, had been working for maybe two years, and had started writing what would become <i><b>A Killing Among the Dead</b></i>, the last book in my Memphis Cycle. It is based on a great tomb-robbing scandal during the last dynasty of the New Kingdom, and edges into fantasy in some areas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr-rMpGb5tWq-NV2a5ZBAm3U0Ih-Uh1uNwKzstPu4UpkitOorRbUw0OQ0AoHIEb97swJEP0YmHvOIMZKwZxQ3hUPae5Xc0qQF7bD4Zax60SKIJfb6_GoW5LRNw27lbgFRfXIAjr5lntUi/s1600/A+Killing+Among+the+Dead+2015+1213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr-rMpGb5tWq-NV2a5ZBAm3U0Ih-Uh1uNwKzstPu4UpkitOorRbUw0OQ0AoHIEb97swJEP0YmHvOIMZKwZxQ3hUPae5Xc0qQF7bD4Zax60SKIJfb6_GoW5LRNw27lbgFRfXIAjr5lntUi/s320/A+Killing+Among+the+Dead+2015+1213.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have written since I was nine years old. This story, however, which came to me during my ancient history studies, was my first serious attempt with an eye to publication. I was polishing (and polishing and polishing) it, and I took it with me on a vacation to my family's cottage in the New York finger lakes. My father's cousin, Sally, was visiting with her children.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I liked Sally. She was a fun person, though sometimes pedantic, being a teacher of sorts - a professor, actually. That's about all I knew about her, except that she had written a book about growing up in the fingerlakes. She learned that I was 'writing a book', asked if she could look at my manuscript, and (surprisingly) I handed it over and went off to enjoy sailing, fishing, driving through the upstate New York. Several days later she handed back my manuscript, which she had marked up, and told me that she enjoyed reading it, but she had a few suggestions, and hoped that I didn't mind.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think at that point I had begun to realize that my flying fingers did not automatically put out fabulous writing, and this story, which I had overhauled, was in need of more work. I thanked her, chatted with her and her kids, enjoyed the rest of my vacation, and looked over her comments when I had a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sally had some suggestions: 'Instead of 'digging your own grave' you might want something more in period such as 'carving your own tomb'. There were others, but her notation at the very climax of the story actually blew me away. The hero, thought to be dead, has returned to his command after spending several weeks in a tomb hunting the robbers and, finally, destroying them. He dreams of the gods and the Land of the Blest. And when he returns, his men are taken aback. He has changed...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sally noted in the margin that I wasn't quite saying what she thought I meant. That maybe I should read T. S. Eliot's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Return of the Magi</i>, especially the last stanza. She thought it maybe expressed what was in my mind:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">but set down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This set down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This: were we led all
that way for<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Birth or Death? There
was a Birth, certainly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">We had evidence and
no doubt. I had seen birth and death,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But had thought they
were different; this Birth was<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Hard and bitter agony
for us, like Death, our death, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">We returned to our
places, these Kingdoms,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">But no longer at ease
here, in the old dispensation,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">With an alien people
clutching their gods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I should be glad of
another death.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a sentence or so she had put her finger on what was at the very heart of my story, at the change in my main character, the change that he undergoes in the course of his struggle and his ultimate victory. She 'got' the story and she was able to unlock it for me. I now know that it was very rough - and she saw the gem within it and helped me to shape it. It was a magnificent gift.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I learned years later after her death that she had been the coordinator of the Syracuse University Creative
Writing Program for many years while Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff were in
residence. Her credentials were very impressive... And she had spent her time on my little effort. She had 'gotten' the point, and she had shown it to me. And she had enjoyed the story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That was the best thing anyone has said about my writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> He walked past the
bodies without another glance and continued toward the tomb entrance, waiting
for the echo of the warning trumpet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The echo never
came. Instead, faces appeared at the
tomb entrance and people stepped out into the sunlight to watch his
approach. He could hear excited
whispers, and then his guardsmen came forward, their bows in their hands. They, too, were staring with a mixture of awe
and fear, and some of them raised their hands to shield their eyes, though the
sun was behind them. </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Wenatef could see
Ramses standing high on the hillside.
The young man raised his hand in greeting and then hurried down to the
tomb entrance.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Wenatef paused to
look up at them and note their expressions, then squared his shoulders and
began to ascend the hill toward the opening.
Several of the men fell to their knees, their hands about their
protective amulets.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Wenatef saw the motion
and paused. <i>They don’t know,</i> he thought with a sudden lurch of his heart. <i>They
will never understand, even if I explain...</i> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you, Sally.</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-10041246556845971612016-07-01T04:05:00.002-07:002016-07-01T04:50:54.408-07:00Celebrations July 1, 2016 - Choices, choices...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is my post for the 'Celebrating the Small Things' blog hop.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">T0day is the first day of July, which means that we are that much closer to the end of the really hot days and the beginning of autumn, my favorite season.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things are settling at last. My mother is in her new home and is, somewhat against her own expectations, rather happy. People greet her, ask her to play bridge, come by to chat... And she is walking better, as well. I can't ask for more than that for her.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jaws of Death</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For myself, I'm getting used to a new puppy:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Chester (or 'Chet' for short). He is now four months old. I had become spoiled by my old fellow who died three months ago. I had forgotten how manic puppies are. I think they could power a medium-sized city for a week on one day's energy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Based on Chet's dentition and propensities, I'm thinking that he could be best depicted as a set of dentures that bounces around the house trying to 'nom' everything from food set near the edge of tables to used paper tissues (thought to be safely) discarded in the trash..</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For Labrador Retrievers, apparently, the world is their trash bin.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, I have a long weekend coming up. Five days away from work. And as it happens, I have to choose between three manuscripts to actually finish and set out for Beta-reads.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been too long since I published anything, and while I have some good excuses for standing idle, it is time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This means that I have to make a choice:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">---Fantasy/Fable novella that fits in with my 'Memphis Cycle' o</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">r the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Second installment of my </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Orphan's Tale' trilogy.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fable set in Egypt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second installment, Paris 1834</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The third one is a collection of shorts from different projects. Vignettes, chapters. Something of a smorgasbord. I have one piece in which an elderly High Priest tells of the day that Akhenaten (Tutankhamun's father, who shut down the worship of the various major gods) comes to the great temple of Amun in Thebes (you can say 'Opet' or 'Waset' if you prefer) with the aim of destroying the great gold cult statue of the god. This scenario lies behind one or another of the Memphis Cycle stories.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Decisions, decisions... But it's nice to have options and a good, long weekend to mull them over.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...Now, do </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">visit </span><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">,</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-67775225063414263772016-06-16T21:26:00.001-07:002016-06-16T21:26:24.266-07:00Celebrating the Small Things. June 17, 2016 - Fireflies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_bOZr8qNkx-cbYpPaQXSnW6lOgQscKCZcG2PNeLifSQU70Dgm_ZL-v3i-aZyl1wbnlnbQmjGyyh21tOXy6LL2IzhP9JVtKPqmlyICWle4ngUOlel2jlAMXQ0F8ybIRN8z152_h2ZVBbj/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Welcome to the Celebrations Blog Hop.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">It is a good way to pause, take stock, and see that your world is actually a fairly nice place to live.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">A time to focus on the small things that you tend to overlook.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today I am celebrating fireflies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhe_M3fyqltFHeJNSbv83WGkK9dWDN-ao_rSfBXc-IJt2Oy7FnLYGi_8oG6CLwC9XKgOpKbC-xzvPFpbl1M8mlyVDQJb1aPTHAAr_ii8wdgDMrQhOXQig2gZHz_elaq0jk-L5AZ-YdQuG/s1600/tumblr_m9dijo2t0g1rn3s3zo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhe_M3fyqltFHeJNSbv83WGkK9dWDN-ao_rSfBXc-IJt2Oy7FnLYGi_8oG6CLwC9XKgOpKbC-xzvPFpbl1M8mlyVDQJb1aPTHAAr_ii8wdgDMrQhOXQig2gZHz_elaq0jk-L5AZ-YdQuG/s400/tumblr_m9dijo2t0g1rn3s3zo1_500.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I just stepped outside holding a leash which had, on its other end, a three-month
old puppy named Chester. Night had
fallen, but a glow remained to the west.
The moon rode high in the sky, still bright from the vanished sun. A breeze, still carrying a touch of early
spring coolness, stirred my hair.
Chester was snuffling in the grass and deciding whether he wished to ‘do
his business’ or just sniff the wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYTLQAts7bwdCNTLBqQ0_uuwwhdX6bAeqiR9Ep-sUxxG5y0rfTDkDRtjxtiOlS0a-K1e4_jhn-Ajvjlix_b4DcxwaRwG1JO16cc93l1BPEPcWeuL9kFmnoXqvJRT6b-rxrWDiZU92hvKB/s1600/U222P1T1D930163F9DT20140612173502.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYTLQAts7bwdCNTLBqQ0_uuwwhdX6bAeqiR9Ep-sUxxG5y0rfTDkDRtjxtiOlS0a-K1e4_jhn-Ajvjlix_b4DcxwaRwG1JO16cc93l1BPEPcWeuL9kFmnoXqvJRT6b-rxrWDiZU92hvKB/s320/U222P1T1D930163F9DT20140612173502.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chester’s preoccupation with sniffing the wind was a good thing, I
thought, savoring the scent of still-tender grass and flowers. It was a perfect evening, the stars beginning
to glitter in the sky’s zenith, mirroring the fireflies that sparkled below
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had forgotten fireflies. I
forget them every year only to remember them in the spring with a sense of
finding an old friend that I had once thought lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I remember driving through a summer night heading toward my
grandparents’ house in rural Vermont, seeing the woods so alive with the pale
light of fireflies, they seemed to be full of tiny fireworks. The woods were a sea of flickering light, and
if I looked up into the sky I could see them trailing upward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My father liked to watch the fireflies with us… Like any child, I tried putting them in jars
as night lights. I stopped after perhaps
the third time. They always died, and
they were so beautiful and so harmless, how could I put them somewhere that
they could die? Later, I learned more
about them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For example, male fireflies flash in flight, seeking females while
females return the males’ flashes from the ground on the on vegetation. Well, that may be the case. Propagation of the species is always
important, but as the years pass I become more convinced that things are often
done because they are enjoyable. The
glitter of fireflies is a joyous sight for me, and I would not be surprised to
learn sometime,, somehow, that fireflies enjoy flying and flickering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are in Florida during firefly season, you can visit a park that features
them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.floridarambler.com/central-florida-getaways/firefly-season-blue-spring-florida/">http://www.floridarambler.com/central-florida-getaways/firefly-season-blue-spring-florida/</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">,,,and d</span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia;">o visit </span><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">,</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-16936412932560044442016-06-10T09:20:00.002-07:002016-06-10T09:22:31.909-07:00<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Good morning (North American time) and welcome to the Celebrations Blog Hop.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Do visit <a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">,</span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">It is a good way to pause, take stock, and see that your world is actually a fairly nice place to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A time to focus on the small things that you tend to overlook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What am I celebrating?</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, my mother has moved to her new home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is no longer isolated, but is in a sort of condominium housing arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a lovely apartment, lots of air and light, things to look at and very kind neighbors who greet her every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them have been good friends in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had been somewhat careless over meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now she gets twenty meals a month in her choice of dining rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said some of the cooking is not to her taste – the way they handle vegetables, for example – but overall, she says, it has been very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is glad she moved. </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(The downside is that she downsized and I am currently housing some ‘treasures’ I hadn’t really wanted, though they are lovely:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Royal Crown Derby handpainted service for twelve, and various other items of bric-a-brac that I don’t have room for.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she is happy that that the things are safe, and that is all that matters.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The weather has taken a cool turn here in the northern hemisphere, in the northeastern United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been enjoying the wind tossing the trees chasing the clouds across the skies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Two nights ago, letting my new puppy out to powder his nose, I happened to look up at the sky in time to see the tall maples swaying before the wind, and Orion’s constellation, striding across the sky, covered by rags of swift-moving clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was well before midnight, and the sky still held a touch of dark, dark blue with the clouds glinting against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love spring.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh – and tomorrow I pack up my cat and attend a show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He enjoys it, and I like rosettes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I lose?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what is everyone else celebrating?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do tell!</span></div>
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<br />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-52237768969164547442016-05-04T04:42:00.000-07:002016-05-04T10:43:27.655-07:00IWSG - May 4, 2016<div style="border-image: none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdcO4-_qUAIeskuru-3gabUR2Xx-OHXaI-NEWam6gZvrSdG-POX6Wvj64QE22EbDdSlLiuLiVF2l0dE9oKQPUP_xRjzis-X1n7Zpi4-fp4XVKPl7xb9pL5PbKTCiGI7sMEa0W3wdVQ-8K/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdcO4-_qUAIeskuru-3gabUR2Xx-OHXaI-NEWam6gZvrSdG-POX6Wvj64QE22EbDdSlLiuLiVF2l0dE9oKQPUP_xRjzis-X1n7Zpi4-fp4XVKPl7xb9pL5PbKTCiGI7sMEa0W3wdVQ-8K/s320/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today is IWSG day. Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the other writers who support each other, make us all smile and think in this monthly hop. No one is mocked or sneered at. All are welcome. We have all been there.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The awesome and very nice co-host for this month is <a 18.4px="" href="http://www.writewithfey.blogspot.com/" none="" target="_blank">Chrys Fey</a><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visit the website and look around: </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">http://<a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/</a></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And v</span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">isit the other posters in this blog hop, enjoy the thoughts and the advice and most of all (for me, at least) the realization that everyone has insecurities, and we can enjoy them, work with them, and understand that at times they motivate us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY8ngk51UKahffprwDzZ-6lHp0mcCT8kfGW7pr17NL9Iq9SRD6oOPL5kGGYwOLrvBC_14hZMuJ3IHWqZRSXh2OG2HLRiHwnaOaQK6ao3NE7wHiKJl2wf9pYiZHdOzxYg5sK0cIZxbfkFy/s1600/strong+but+tired.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcY8ngk51UKahffprwDzZ-6lHp0mcCT8kfGW7pr17NL9Iq9SRD6oOPL5kGGYwOLrvBC_14hZMuJ3IHWqZRSXh2OG2HLRiHwnaOaQK6ao3NE7wHiKJl2wf9pYiZHdOzxYg5sK0cIZxbfkFy/s320/strong+but+tired.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My post this month deals with something that I certainly feel. This graphic expresses it beautifully:</span></div>
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't we all feel that way? We write, we think, we plot, we agonize over characters, we feel angst over whether we are promoting our published work, polishing the work that we hope will be published, smarting from a rejection, worried about whether our beta-readers will like the story, and whether they will tell us to scrap it, worried that no one will be willing to read our manuscript, and wondering whether we still have the spark, since it has been over three weeks since we set pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We know that this is all part of writing, and we try to hold our heads proudly (those of us who have been beheaded... No, wait! I am trying to express something profound and normal, and humor is out of place... Or is it? Hm. I'll leave the wisecrack in.) and soldier on.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what can we do? Realize that there are a lot of us soldiering on, accept that the feelings are going to arise no matter how fabulous you are. Sarah Bernhardt, the great actress, had terrible stage fright before any performance of a part that people loved. So we can acknowledge the worries, smile at them, and soldier on. ...And maybe share our worries with our nearest and dearest, whether friends, family or co-writers.</span><br />
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-79016985192097055192016-04-22T03:32:00.000-07:002016-04-22T03:32:11.809-07:00Celebrations, 22 April, 2016 - getting back into things<div style="border-image: none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s200/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" width="163" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">22 April, 2016 Celebrate The Small Things</span></div>
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</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is my first post in over a month. I took a 'repairing lease' and unwound. We all have times where we have to sit down and catch our breath, clear the cobwebs from our minds, and try to gain a little peace.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It helped, and I am glad I bowed out for this time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And now I am back and celebrating.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am celebrating the literally hundreds of blog posts I missed in these past two plus months. And I must admit that returning at the height of A to Z gives me a lot of good things to read. Since I will be with my mother this weekend, I'll be doing some catching up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am celebrating a book I picked up to read, which led to some truly wonderful moments, and gave me an author to admire.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will be working on a review for it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am celebrating the fact that my mother has decided, with no pushing from her children, that she will move into a condo-type place with other people, many her friends, where she won't be isolated, will have activities, and won't be lonely. I could wish that she were closer to me than 250 miles, but if it allows her to stay where she is accustomed to be, with people she knows, I can certainly drive 250 miles to see her.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The move will cause headaches, of course, but she will be in such a better place that I can't object at all. She said "I feel so badly that you have to drop everything and come down here." And I say, "I seem to recall you and Dad doing the same for me." It gets the point across.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Treasure your nearest and dearest. Time passes too quickly, and it's best to say the things you want to while they are here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now to go off to work and to read other posts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Do visit </span><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Lexa Cain</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"> and Tonja Drecker @ </span><a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;" target="_blank">Kidbits</a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">,</span><br />
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-6881778632740312012016-03-17T20:59:00.000-07:002016-03-18T06:31:13.658-07:00Celebrations March 18, 2016<div style="border-image: none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s200/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" width="163" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">18 March, 2016 Celebrate The Small Things</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon a time, a lovely lady and writer and blogger named VikLit had the idea to start a blog hop commemorating the little things that make our lives (or weeks or days or moments) something to celebrate. After some years, she turned it over to </span><br />
<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/">Lexa Cain</a> and her two delightful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ <a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a> and Tonja Drecker @ <a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kidbits</a>,</span><br />
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<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am celebrating the close of another week, the prospect of a (nearly) spring weekend, and the opportunity to get a little reading and writing done.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJkr8lCADZhbjbbWHwtxsoPEKNDSG4tkA_qRNzk4nTUVq_sdOZYTrCfOw2PJCaicamTBtQpEzo7GplyOv-Ha7aCjTr8eSPkhnGwwejjTGY1AASFMnkMF2YDdblzeuR3keZ6qMXsYYCZnu/s1600/daffodils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJkr8lCADZhbjbbWHwtxsoPEKNDSG4tkA_qRNzk4nTUVq_sdOZYTrCfOw2PJCaicamTBtQpEzo7GplyOv-Ha7aCjTr8eSPkhnGwwejjTGY1AASFMnkMF2YDdblzeuR3keZ6qMXsYYCZnu/s320/daffodils.jpg" width="320" /></a><span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" "this is the celebrating the small things blog hop" , "run span span style";"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u9HUfLkqPcLb69a2RC8kFTt5N6WJ_gFrPn1pYwH0kCK0-Q4vLmkDgV9qjNRx6mUXN83YdPs2LLxmTBBvztFI2qE_9FoVRHBK-mU15VRVC05rPwi9h3W2Gj-J0DrFMXzBgs7l2MUMO3q8/s1600/blue+white+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></a><span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spring is an important celebration, and it was heralded by 0the sudden appearance of a line of daffodils, just about ready to bloom, near the door to my garage. They pushed up through last year's leaves and moss and there they are, like gold-tipped spears.</span><br />
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<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course, Friday's appearance is a wonderful thing to celebrate. It is not that I grudge my day job, I simply like the time to step back and catch my breath. Sleeping in on a Saturday morning is a prospect to celebrate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u9HUfLkqPcLb69a2RC8kFTt5N6WJ_gFrPn1pYwH0kCK0-Q4vLmkDgV9qjNRx6mUXN83YdPs2LLxmTBBvztFI2qE_9FoVRHBK-mU15VRVC05rPwi9h3W2Gj-J0DrFMXzBgs7l2MUMO3q8/s1600/blue+white+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u9HUfLkqPcLb69a2RC8kFTt5N6WJ_gFrPn1pYwH0kCK0-Q4vLmkDgV9qjNRx6mUXN83YdPs2LLxmTBBvztFI2qE_9FoVRHBK-mU15VRVC05rPwi9h3W2Gj-J0DrFMXzBgs7l2MUMO3q8/s320/blue+white+quilt.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is nearly time to break out my quilts, one made by a very dear friend, the others heirlooms of various 'importance'. I have a very old one, made in 1843, of blue-dyed and white cotton muslin, celebrating the marriage of two people, their names embroidered in red cross stitch on the corner.</span><br />
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<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Incidentally, if you have an old quilt, don't store it folded with the backer out. The quilter friend told me that that strains the backing. Always store quilts with the patterned side out.</span><br />
<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now you have something to celebrate! (The way to store quilts that won't strain them.) and I can lose myself in the memory of the scent of laundry drying on a clothesline.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" "this is the celebrating the small things blog hop" , "run span span style";"><i style="font-weight: bold;">And </i> the arrival of Spring!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are </span><i style="color: #351c75; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">you</i><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> celebrating?</span></td></tr>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-46999720993341614622016-03-11T00:30:00.000-08:002016-03-11T06:46:36.415-08:00Celebrating, 11 March, 2016<div style="border-image: none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s1600/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_5Y5cI8_QpQMQ3jFFsepU7cauuPtdc2HUPrKO8DNnPdXnvno1lY9jaSb0Eex6_WoLlHvlu0xM3NUuY30s1xDQtkt7S0iTy_RYRSNzm1VGULNlPGklxgJgcJ_ga9UtpK5PkiNB90NwNyV/s200/vik+-+small+things+2.jpg" width="163" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">11 March, 2016 Celebrate The Small Things</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Welcome to this lovely blog hop, started by VikLit, bless her!</span><br />
<span black="" georgia="" imes="" new="" quot="" roman="" serif="" style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" "this is the celebrating the small things blog hop" , "run span span style";"><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/">Lexa Cain</a> and her two wonderful co-hosts L.G. Keltner @ <a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a> and Tonja Drecker @ <a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kidbits</a> are presiding.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Check them out and be prepared to smile!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What am I celebrating? Well, changes, comings and goings. I spoke of Jesse James (my darling old dog) earlier. He's left quite a hole in my household, but lots of smiles, as well. And it appears that we may be having a new little presence in a couple months in the form of a puppy. Jesse's wisdom and humor linger. We learned a lot from him, and the puppy will benefit from the years we had him. Meanwhile, we're remembering and smiling.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On another front, I am finishing two stories, a full-length novel set in Paris and a fable that I've mentioned before... Or, I will be once I start up again in April. I've been beta-reading (VERY enjoyable!) doing this and that.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And fiddling with things.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large male saltwater crocodile, Australia</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which brings me to my celebration. I have a cover nearly finished for the fable. I've posted a version of it before. It prominently features a magnificent crocodile that is a major force in the story. The photo I found was perfect... It had been printed in a newspaper. If you are using photographs or other images, you <i style="font-weight: bold;">must</i>, if you are honest, verify that they are in the public domain and, if not, secure a license to use them. As an amateur photographer, I understand what goes into taking what your eye sees and turning it into a work of art.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, the crocodile. I searched for the photographer...and I finally found him. Or, rather, his name. I looked him up by name and located his website. At his website, I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The man was a superb photographer. He did work for the National Geographic Society. He was as good as Galen Rowell (if you know photography, you will know the name). I couldn't possibly afford him.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But one must ask. I wrote to him, told him what I wanted the image for, explained how I had tracked him down, and inquired whether I might purchase a license to use the photograph. Knowing his quality and my budget, I also started looking at stock images...</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I received this response:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;">
Hi Diana<br />
Thanks for your enquiry. I can confirm that the image of the crocodile is one I took in 2005. The Courier Mail published it without my permission (which is far from unheard of). I have full copyright over the image however I preference how I license images depending on the status/capacity of the use, and the user etc.<br />
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I would like to provide you use of this image as a courtesy, since I appreciate the demands on writers in bringing their work to completion. I also appreciate the obvious effort you have gone to contact me.<br />
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I have attached a higher res version of the image to assist you.<br />
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If you are able to publish your work it would be great to receive a copy.<br />
Good luck.<br />
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Kind Regards<br />
Kerry</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I looked at the image he had attached and reread the note. The book will be published and he will receive a copy as well as credit for the image.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...and I am celebrating the nearly finalized cover that I can use now that I have cleared permissions:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Stars are very important in the story)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are <i>you</i> celebrating?</span></div>
Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-42767123013658261522016-03-05T10:27:00.002-08:002016-03-05T10:27:47.091-08:00Jesse James - To All Good Dogs<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today I said hail and farewell to my dog, Jesse James, who lived to the grand old age (for a large Lab) of nearly fifteen years. It was hard to say goodbye.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse James August 9, 2001 - March 5, 2016</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What purpose did they serve, all the good dogs that once ran through the world and wait now in the shadowy quiet of the past? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> They lightened our burdens and drove away our enemies and stayed when others left us. They gave aid and comfort, protection and security. They held a mirror wherein we might see ourselves as we long to be. They gave us a glimpse of the world beyond the narrow confines of our own species. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although we make dull students, slowly they help us learn how to command and to protect with wisdom and justice and imagination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They taught and still teach us the joy of giving generosity and kindness and love - without the thought of gainful return. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now - all the fleet hounds, the staunch mastiffs, the loyal shepherds, the dancing toys, the fumbling puppies, pets on silken pillows, workers plodding at their tasks, the special ones you loved best, those of ours we still miss. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To all the good dogs, goodbye</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until on some brighter day, in some fair place, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You run out to greet us again</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span 13px="" font-size:="" sans-serif=""><br />
</span> <span 13px="" font-size:="" sans-serif=""> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George and Helen Papashvily </span></span><br />
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<br />Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080048310531382107.post-4796278926957757182016-03-02T00:30:00.000-08:002016-03-02T07:40:49.933-08:00IWSG March 2, 2016 - Admitting That You Are Good<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmM3Rnr8me3R2-3mTe4GxGXPyfKDLGqvSa0yPC-hleffUwyeESf1dAbkxEcRencdmxgT2Mtu99b5R_EaqtRYMZJ9BQQ2PKG2-wYIWSB_jx13WLfK45rgEkXY6EXlBdSvaCMT57tnJWZdH/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmM3Rnr8me3R2-3mTe4GxGXPyfKDLGqvSa0yPC-hleffUwyeESf1dAbkxEcRencdmxgT2Mtu99b5R_EaqtRYMZJ9BQQ2PKG2-wYIWSB_jx13WLfK45rgEkXY6EXlBdSvaCMT57tnJWZdH/s200/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today is IWSG day. Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the other writers who support each other, make us all smile and think in this monthly hop. No one is mocked or sneered at. All are welcome. We have all been there: </span></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">http://</a><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com</a>/</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span 16px="" 22.4px="" center=""><span style="font-size: medium;">The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG will be <a href="http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lauren Hennessy,</a> <a href="http://celticadlx.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard,</a> <a href="http://pavingmyauthorsroad.wordpress.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lidy,</a> <a href="https://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Christine Rains,</a> and <a href="https://maryaalgaard.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mary Aalgaard!</a> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The 2016 Ossian award, named for the legendary Seannachie of Finn McCool, will be awarded this night to one of the finalists in the year-long contest.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> It is the night everyone has been awaiting. One hundred and twenty-five authors have gathered, along with two thousand people, to learn who will be the winner… You see the happy fans crowding at the border of the red carpet... The flash of cameras...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ossian Award</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Who will it be? The entries have been read and shared and judged.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The Master of Ceremonies, resplendent in an Irish kilt with the O'Shaughnessy tartan (Shaughnessy being the Irish name for 'Seannachie' or 'Bard')</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The name is announced... The sudden silence is shattered by waves of cheering as the winner steps up to the podium.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">She </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">exchanges a ceremonious embrace with the MC, takes the award, a bust of the Seannachie, Ossian, looks at it, sets it down, and steps up to the microphone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> “Ladies and gentlemen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span> It is with great pleasure that I accept the Magical Words award!" she says as a wave of applause fills the amphitheatre. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">She continues, "There were so many entered in this contest, seeking this prize, so many years of dreams and endeavors, reams of printer paper and gallons of ink, ballpoint or otherwise…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> The sheer work that lies behind all those who entered this contest, whether or not they made the final few…” </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The audience murmurs appreciatively as the winner takes the award between her hands, looks deep into its eyes, and says, “And it’s about time that you came to me!”</span> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She said What???</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">The murmurs stop as though they have been cut off.</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> People stare, papers rustle, frowns begin to deepen. ...And she stands, the statuette in her hand, smiling imperturbably while various people resolve never to read a thing she writes, ever again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">So… what’s wrong with this picture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> Too brassy? Demeaning?</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> In what way?</span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> Was she speaking the truth as she knew it? And if she did, what was wrong with that?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Well, there are ways and ways of saying things. Arrogance is never a good idea, but it is as big a lie as overdone modesty of the 'Gee, it wasn't any good at all' sort.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I remember once hearing a talk that moved me profoundly. When next I saw the professor who was the speaker, I told him, shyly, that his talk had meant very much to me, that it had given me much pleasure and comfort, and made me think of things in a different way. All of this was earnestly sincere.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I remember that he stared and said, "Well, it really was not one of my better presentations..." (Did that make me a liar, or simply tasteless?)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";"> This is my thought for this month’s IWSG:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span> Are we wrong to acknowledge our own abilities?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">I don't think so. We shouldn't be shouting about how great we are, but by the same token it is fine to admit that maybe we are good enough for someone to entrust hours of his precious time reading our work. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #351c75; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it isn't such a bad thing to be happy with ourselves even as we continue to try to improve.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia";">Right?</span></div>
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Diana Wilderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074083771067857127noreply@blogger.com33