tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89154230259177853752024-03-18T02:48:35.746-07:00Dishin' It OutDishin' It Out:
Weblog of Connie Vines, who resides deep within the suburbs of SoCal.
Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.comBlogger2860125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-27440006985188741502024-02-16T22:53:00.000-08:002024-02-16T22:53:54.094-08:00Goal, Motivation, and Conflict--How it Keeps the Reader Glued to your Story By Connie Vines #RR, WritingTips<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghweM-ijcu7afW3JLiCFex140Kz7ipjsCVGqRMkTQ3rNc4YElY7qIYp0d9Amhs8q5UPR8e9RYipfF9oNY992K4matKB2CbWgiNz6vSYnQ2kuN10dqfYPulg2UYxMteJeBys2smjPAoZYjwfXkonQ6bFK6bQiGptP7Hf50TQxDmiDtmFBZVW3MA8OkyP2I/s400/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghweM-ijcu7afW3JLiCFex140Kz7ipjsCVGqRMkTQ3rNc4YElY7qIYp0d9Amhs8q5UPR8e9RYipfF9oNY992K4matKB2CbWgiNz6vSYnQ2kuN10dqfYPulg2UYxMteJeBys2smjPAoZYjwfXkonQ6bFK6bQiGptP7Hf50TQxDmiDtmFBZVW3MA8OkyP2I/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="yiv2873489481gmail_default" style="outline: none !important;"><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, Skye, for this month's Round Robin Topic."</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><br /></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Goal, Motivation, and Conflict - The difference between inner and outer conflict and how it keeps the reader glued to your story.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lwUqRr35GtfGIjeC-ICviAGjGqvmrnto3BIKumyHNibWaw7GYGINPHTWxVkqgh8ZmMwej5hT6JxUmkGu5gdapKnkxiLYTUEX-96EBy4JRM4Y0z7l555v4Yhj-41RpnpGuH4S5hIGqQnPBUimX0zYGiMtWi8MQ3tyK8t9PRMO_PDiF_cG626PLnSSgIY/s500/storyteller%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lwUqRr35GtfGIjeC-ICviAGjGqvmrnto3BIKumyHNibWaw7GYGINPHTWxVkqgh8ZmMwej5hT6JxUmkGu5gdapKnkxiLYTUEX-96EBy4JRM4Y0z7l555v4Yhj-41RpnpGuH4S5hIGqQnPBUimX0zYGiMtWi8MQ3tyK8t9PRMO_PDiF_cG626PLnSSgIY/s320/storyteller%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>As a member of Romance Writers of America and the Orange County Chapter, I found Debra Dixon's workshop on this topic incredibly helpful. Her book, Goal, Motivation & Conflict, is my go-to reference when plotting my novels.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Debra recommends using 3 x 5 cards and sticky notes to keep track of these elements and placing them on a paper sheet to move them around if needed. Personally, I tend to scribble on scraps of paper or dictate into my iPhone and send it to my email. </b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>I'll add it to one of my six Steno Pads if I'm at my desk. It may not be as tidy as Debra's way, but it keeps me from losing my ideas.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Remember, the goal is what your characters are all about. </b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Recommended movies to watch: <i>Wizard of Oz</i>, <i>The Fugitive </i>(Harrison Ford), </b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">📌</span><span style="font-size: large;">Active Goals/Sense of Urgency.</span></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>📌Motivation is the Why.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>📌Conflict is often the character's emotional roadblock. The strength of your book is the conflict.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i>LadyHawk</i> defines romance conflict/active goals for me.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">While I could go into more detail on why I find this book a must-have for every writer, my best suggestion is to order a copy for your library.</span></b></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Debra Dixon's book is also available as an ebook and listed at Barnes and Noble. </b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you for stopping by today.</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please visit the marvelous writers participating in this month's Blog Hop :)</span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><br /></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><br /></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><br /></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><br /></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Dr. Bob Rich<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-37G" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; outline: none !important;" target="_blank">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-37G</a> <span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Anne Stenhouse<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Victoria Chatham<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Connie Vines<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/?m=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; outline: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1; outline: none !important;">http://mizging.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="outline: none !important;">/</span><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Helena Fairfax<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv2873489481MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Diane Bator<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span></span><span style="outline: none !important;"><a href="https://escapewithawriter.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; outline: none !important;" target="_blank">https://escapewithawriter.wordpress.com/</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; outline: none !important;">Skye Taylor<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></span></div><div class="yiv2873489481gmail_default" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><br clear="all" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; outline: none !important;" /></div><p> </p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA32.8328112 -117.27127174.5225773638211564 -152.4275217 61.143045036178847 -82.1150217tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-23338104162964379792024-01-20T01:00:00.000-08:002024-01-20T01:00:00.125-08:00Book Promotion Ideas for Authors. What Works and What Doesn't? #Round Robin, #Author Tips, Author Promo ideas<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz-9oK0h0rE-95t7qmLuUhOhV6_M8SPdetVvbEti7g4DoS4mNDLDAY4wETayJ6T652KFUmAL1inDqfM4QbmkLIv0O6DbL893gNouTw-IGe5LXTyMYb4_oVgqXvxSZp-SzM1ht7pdtcBkJ52IcEiKPjjqo2BwT3EXYhXOZcf-uYcyTPBOltNJlL0TWk3Q/s300/RRBlog_logo_marcie2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz-9oK0h0rE-95t7qmLuUhOhV6_M8SPdetVvbEti7g4DoS4mNDLDAY4wETayJ6T652KFUmAL1inDqfM4QbmkLIv0O6DbL893gNouTw-IGe5LXTyMYb4_oVgqXvxSZp-SzM1ht7pdtcBkJ52IcEiKPjjqo2BwT3EXYhXOZcf-uYcyTPBOltNJlL0TWk3Q/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_marcie2023.png" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 8px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: medium;">Thank you Sky for this month's topic.</span></b></div></div></div></blockquote><p> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Figtree; font-size: large;">Book marketing tips: What works for me and what doesn't.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Figtree; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; margin: 0px; outline: none !important; padding: 8px;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have found my marketing sucess depends on: the book's release date, the book's premise, great reviews, and "<i>what's hot and what's not</i>"</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> 😄.</span></span></div></div></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> Summer books sell well because it is vacation time. Everyone loves a great beach read.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Halloween is the perfect time to showcase a spooky or goth story.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Holiday stories are always a relaxing reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Since I write in multiple genres, I try to avoid competing with myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This year, I will have a RomCom book for a winter release.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">*Often, a reader likes a particular TV show or movie and is looking for the same type of connection in a book. (Yellowstone = Cowboy Romance, NCIS = Action/Military heroes.) I prefer to write what I wish to read or what catches my attention. After all, I will live with my fictional people for months and months.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">What hasn't worked for me:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Free book giveaways.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Swag giveaways.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Facebook ads.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Merchandise (mugs, totes, etc.) is on my website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Streaming a live video event (Connie doesn't like to read aloud to adults. Though story hour is fun with children).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhnzQsAUAGAVO12uxP6GEZZFNLttwA2i-miqZ3gFIY1CZcW397is0-hDMYhILdc0vPfTO3XFYAcF1ifWu5Bw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">What works for me:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Book Awards.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Discounting the first book in a series.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Promo on other blogs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Utilizing my blog(s) connection with my readers/new readers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Facebook author page.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Publisher's Author Insider Blog, FB page for readers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Theme promotions with other authors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Coffee Time Romance (which closed its doors last year).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Guest appearances on other blogs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And, of course, nice reviews from readers :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Participation Events, which sadly are no more:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Young Author Events, Judging YA Writing Contests.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Guest Speaking at schools and libraries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Book Signing Events at local and family-owned bookstores.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Please stop by the other authors participating in this month's Blog Hop. I bet they are sharing their secrets, 😉too!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">XOXO</span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Bob Rich<a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-36L"> https://wp.me/p3Xihq-36L</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Victoria Chatham<a href=" http://www.victoriachatham.com"> http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA32.8328112 -117.27127174.5225773638211564 -152.4275217 61.143045036178847 -82.1150217tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-78750274884749790572023-12-29T01:30:00.000-08:002023-12-29T01:30:00.133-08:00Spotlight on Author J. Q. Rose By Connie Vines #Author Spotlight, Friday Author Interview, #Writing your Spiritual Memoir #Christian Faith<p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light Two; font-size: large;"><b>Welcome, Author J. Q. Rose</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwmRoJBdIYThwm-VnvOGKRYv06IEQouvnGqKAo8Cx6xJJlgwz8rBRX6BymL48SeA7cscDg8kaiiEZ9eDRMPG8K8QfeaCB5INjrg3uqExdjweLaX_DNDyevGlfBP8eoRZrwpx9iwW3P8RcEz2doJprHPT_zavqvTEde1BGQY3uU4FBBcBLF2PiQQ52Ahw/s501/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="501" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwmRoJBdIYThwm-VnvOGKRYv06IEQouvnGqKAo8Cx6xJJlgwz8rBRX6BymL48SeA7cscDg8kaiiEZ9eDRMPG8K8QfeaCB5INjrg3uqExdjweLaX_DNDyevGlfBP8eoRZrwpx9iwW3P8RcEz2doJprHPT_zavqvTEde1BGQY3uU4FBBcBLF2PiQQ52Ahw/w200-h200/download.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">During your last interview, we talked about a fiction novel; today, we are venturing into another genre: writing a spiritual memoir.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please tell us about your current release.</span><span style="color: #c27ba0;"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Thank you for the
opportunity, Connie, to tell you and your readers about my latest release<i>,
Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir</i>,
a Christian-based how-to book. My passion is to encourage folks to write their
life stories. The second book in the series, Book Series for Life
Storytellers, inspires and encourages readers to write their spiritual memoirs.
When offering workshops on life storytelling, I discovered that
people do not write their stories because they can't remember their life
experiences. So, in the book, I suggest
many ways to spark memories, and I offer tips on writing a memoir/life story that
will keep readers engaged. The last part of the book includes over forty topics
to write about, a Bible verse that fits the topic, and writing prompts for
inspiration to get you started.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What
was the inspiration for this story/book?</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I le</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">d workshops on life
storytelling, so I created a book, <i><b>Your Words, Your Life Story</b></i>, with the
lessons I taught in my presentations. With a book, I could engage with a larger group of people who needed help getting their story out of their heads and onto paper, computer screen, or video. After I wrote that book, I felt
a nudge from God to author a book on how to write a spiritual memoir. The
nudging would not go away, so I committed to writing and finishing the book. I'm glad I did. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Please
tell us about your life experiences that led you to become a stronger Christian</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;">.</span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> In </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">creating
the book about spiritual memoirs, I grew in my faith as I studied Bible verses and new and familiar ones and researched to discover the meaning of the verses and
the stories behind them. Another life-changing experience in maturing my faith
occurred over the weeks we volunteered to do mission work with a wonderful
group of people. After selling our flower shop and greenhouse operation, my
husband and I joined the NOMADS RV group-Nomads
on a Mission Active in Divine Service. Our winter mission was in the country's sunny, warm areas. We worked together painting buildings inside
and outside, repairing roofs, cleaning
and fixing up older people's homes and trailers, and clearing brush and weeds.
Those with experience worked on installing electricity and plumbing. At a
Habitat for Humanity project, my husband installed at least ten toilets in the
new houses. Working with such a group of Christians dedicated to
helping others was fun. They were generous, kind people who made up the teams. The
light of Christ shined through them. Not only did they profess to be Christians,
but they also actively lived a Christian life.</span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What,
in your opinion, makes a good writer?</span> </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Fo</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cus. When authors focus in
on a fiction or non-fiction story/topic, their writing engages the readers. Once
they get off the subject, the reader becomes confused and loses interest.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><b><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">Were
there any <i>bumps in the road</i> while drafting this how-to book?</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Yes</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">,
imposter syndrome. I am not a Bible scholar. I am not a minister, ordained or
not. I have no glowing credentials to convince folks I should take on selecting
verses in the Bible that will prompt readers to write a life experience. When I
questioned if I should continue, which happened throughout the book's writing, I had to have a business meeting with God. Taking time to pray as I
walked, got ready for bed, or opened my laptop to write gave
me the strength to persevere and make imposter syndrome disappear. I have
never felt more committed to any book than this one. I want to get
it into the hands of readers and writers so they can share their stories with
the world.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b> <span style="color: #800180;">How Do </span></b></span></span><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">you use Social Media as a promotional tool?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"> <b>What
works for you/what doesn't work?</b> </span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I r</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">eally love connecting with folks on
Facebook. I have my personal and business pages with my pen name J.Q.
Rose. I enjoy creating images with Canva or choosing photos from Pixabay to accompany
the post. I shout about my books, new releases, and books on sale, e.g., the
Smashwords 75% off sale on my books through January 1, and I also promote friends
with new releases and sales. I use Facebook groups for promoting books, such
as the Smashwords page and Kindle pages. I use keywords to discover book
promotion pages and post on my publisher's Facebook pages. I do not post
constant reminders to buy my books because it annoys readers.</span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I h</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ave been
poking around Instagram, but I don't feel comfortable with it. And those seas
of hashtags are overwhelming. I do leave cute pics and announcements and
promotions infrequently. I need help getting my JQ Rose FB page to connect to Instagram, as promised by the companies. And there is no one to call for assistance. So, I
only get a little promoting done via IG now. I love blogging and have
been writing my blog, Focused on Story, for about 12 years! Wow, I just
realized that. I love blogging, not much for promoting but for connecting with
readers. When I finish this blog tour for promoting Your Life with Jesus, I
plan to begin adding articles to Substack in 2024 as soon as I know what topics
I want to cover. Life Storytelling will be one for sure. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Do you
have a favorite Christmas song and/or movie?</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> On</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">e of my favorite
Christmas songs, and I have many, is <i>Mary Did You Know</i>. One of the lines
in the song asks, "<span style="background: white; color: #444444;">When you kiss
your little baby</span><span style="color: #444444;">, <span style="background: white;">You've kissed the face of God</span></span>?" That line takes my breath
away. My favorite movie is <i>The</i> <i>Christmas Story</i>. A young boy,
Ralphie, is the main character in the story about a family living in a small
town in Ohio. I love watching it every
year and laughing at the contest prize in the enormous box delivered to
the family. Dare I spoil it and tell you what is in the box? Nope. I could
never explain it well enough to make you laugh or wonder! If you haven't
watched it, please do. And, of course, if you watched it, watch it again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What childhood
memory still influences your life?</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hen I was 6 years old, I overheard
my mother talking to my dad before Christmas. I asked Santa to bring me a
ballerina doll for Christmas and a toy pistol in a holster. Yes, I loved cowboy
movies and was quite a fan of Roy
Rogers and Rex Allen. When Mom asked Dad about buying the ballerina, I was
crushed. At that age, I suspected there was no Santa Claus, so her question confirmed
my suspicion that he was not real. I was so sad when I saw the beautiful ballerina doll under
the Christmas tree. I never liked that doll because she reminded me that Santa Claus was a fairy tale. That was the first massive,
life-changing moment for me. However, the experience prepared me to manage disappointments in my life rather
than to be defeated by them.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b> Is there anything you'd like to share with the
readers?</b></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Please wish your readers a Happy New Year 2024 from J.Q. Rose!</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Please follow these links to purchase her current release or learn more about her fiction books.</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Universal link eBook </span><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bx6qJo"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://books2read.com/u/bx6qJo</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.15pt;"><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Your-Life-Jesus-Spiritual-Storytellers/dp/B0CN6P86PN">https://www.amazon.com/Your-Life-Jesus-Spiritual-Storytellers/dp/B0CN6P86PN</a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">BN paperback <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144335967?ean=9798223368113">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144335967?ean=9798223368113</a></span></span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews:</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"</span><span style="background: white; color: #242424; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">well-organized,
easy-to-understand writing guide"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #242424; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Biblical references with
prompts are excellent."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">"topic aimed at women from a Christian
perspective"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">"content engages the reader to recognize the
power of her own stories."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Best-selling
author and workshop leader J.Q. Rose guides you through the elements of
storytelling to keep readers turning pages. With her wit and warmth, she offers
clear explanations, examples, and exercises to discover how to draft your
story.</i></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i>This book will
open your heart to know God is speaking to you as you pray, plan, remember, and
compose your stories.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBn8mjUjZ8s8XDPnwUuSF-nnZwyddslyiaSnQDRqYxpn4xJEFHnEKplYFkjKVsOERi8ZYqEq8St8QSvg3ey3zfH-VpbveNOPjoRSpiartBUUtsyE0ORfccgnu-BjTNgWTTRJGQmtixzhCxOycT_Hhv3FjiHeeI0JetrK1L-PUAj6PezD-k0e9WQ9VGsA/s2250/YWYLS%20%202%20new%20content%20red%20roofs%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBn8mjUjZ8s8XDPnwUuSF-nnZwyddslyiaSnQDRqYxpn4xJEFHnEKplYFkjKVsOERi8ZYqEq8St8QSvg3ey3zfH-VpbveNOPjoRSpiartBUUtsyE0ORfccgnu-BjTNgWTTRJGQmtixzhCxOycT_Hhv3FjiHeeI0JetrK1L-PUAj6PezD-k0e9WQ9VGsA/s320/YWYLS%20%202%20new%20content%20red%20roofs%20(1).jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYuwzaMXec0nJ_Eed560rzOiQk7a55Kut-zpc0PjHwcGn-phfo-2Y7j8fqKzSr0uN9G1SRmRsm4xKnO8ig2oNRaie4PbQGyEl6rxInhb0tWVt1z1wpqNzaMlvqEF99zYwtG5V7pU_JPAp4I7zwC8tA3Mc50NyHt98Ep6GHUCEzVbOMFgxrATpwiF3EU0/s480/YOUR%20LIFE%20STORY%20JOURNALcover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="301" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYuwzaMXec0nJ_Eed560rzOiQk7a55Kut-zpc0PjHwcGn-phfo-2Y7j8fqKzSr0uN9G1SRmRsm4xKnO8ig2oNRaie4PbQGyEl6rxInhb0tWVt1z1wpqNzaMlvqEF99zYwtG5V7pU_JPAp4I7zwC8tA3Mc50NyHt98Ep6GHUCEzVbOMFgxrATpwiF3EU0/s320/YOUR%20LIFE%20STORY%20JOURNALcover.png" width="201" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href="https://www.jqrose.com/">https://www.jqrose.com/</a></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: The Girl Next Door; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you for visiting with us today. J..Q...</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: The Girl Next Door; font-size: large;"><b>I've read J.Q..'s current release and found the writing guide and prompts enabled me to recall nuances of my life, which now have a deeper meaning... ⛪</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Connie</span></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>XOXO</b></span></p>
<p><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-84883135215493977362023-12-23T01:30:00.000-08:002023-12-23T01:30:00.145-08:00Surprise Saturday! Today it's: How to Watch a Classic Noir Movie and Not Feel Bad About It By Connie Vines <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEblIWD17m0vLbpBgMouXT3apmk00ApZ8kNuMNRr5SxHJIYbmoWohmS8OYGi1CLGN71ahJCjnzqL3PbjJ4Qcg2ER3s7-jM91rvyukaLxs1Fm87Vk8fujdzAelxn4LwLbDP9fqFoFJk9rpiWgwt-OgZNICAmAfNWtT069PsIWOBjspI5WILh48UsJ9/s500/Add%20a%20subheading.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEblIWD17m0vLbpBgMouXT3apmk00ApZ8kNuMNRr5SxHJIYbmoWohmS8OYGi1CLGN71ahJCjnzqL3PbjJ4Qcg2ER3s7-jM91rvyukaLxs1Fm87Vk8fujdzAelxn4LwLbDP9fqFoFJk9rpiWgwt-OgZNICAmAfNWtT069PsIWOBjspI5WILh48UsJ9/w400-h400/Add%20a%20subheading.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">Aaaaaah, the weekend. You survived another week of working, commuting, and remembering everything required to stay alive. </span></b><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">Congrats. </span></b><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">Now it's time to relax, right?</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">I hear your hysterical laughter and snorts of disbelief because you think it isn't possible. Well, it is possible. Really.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">Perhaps not EVERY single Saturday. However, you can free up one or two Saturdays a month.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">How? I chose my most dreaded chore: laundry. I washed, folded, and put away several loads of laundry three evenings this week.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display";"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, I didn't lounge on the couch all day or cloister myself in a dark closet with my tablet to watch a movie. I placed a DVD 🎥in the player and plopped on a wingback chair. Where my iced espresso and bowl of popcorn were within reach. 🍿 </span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display";"><span style="font-size: large;">The Trailer is posted on Wikipedia. </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_(1944_film)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_(1944_film)</a></b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Red Hat Display"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Noir: </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Film noir (French: "dark film") style of filmmaking is characterized by such elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy. The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post-World War II era.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Movie: </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Laura, an American film noir released in 1944, is considered a classic of the genre. The movie, directed by Otto Preminger, is notable as a suspenseful mystery and a compelling account of obsession.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Plot:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>In one of the most celebrated 1940s film noirs, Manhattan detective 🔎 Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Madison Avenue executive Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) in her fashionable apartment. On the trail of her murderer, McPherson quizzes Laura's arrogant best friend, gossip columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), and her comparatively mild fiancé, Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). As the detective grows obsessed with the case, he finds himself falling in love with the dead woman.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>My takeaway:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>I enjoyed the movie. Made for a viewing audience in the 1940s, it is slower-paced, and social norms of the time will not compute to those who have no concept of "accurate portrayals of history." The hero is arrogant but a gentleman. Everyone smokes cigarettes, and clothes are very formal.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>It is a thinking person's movie. The pauses. The shadows. The twists and turns. The intensity. The dark moments. The perfect way to spend an overcast or rainy afternoon.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>The music leaves its haunting melody on your soul.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light Two; font-size: large;">Wishing you a wonderful week, </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light Two; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;">Connie</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0La Jolla Cove, San Diego, CA 92037, USA32.8503895 -117.272943532.8485864900983 -117.27508926721191 32.8521925099017 -117.27079773278808tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-76845960209611159452023-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:002023-12-16T00:33:43.873-08:00Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses #Free Read. #Flash Fiction Story for My Readers By Connie Vines #Holiday Story, #Free Read #Sweet RomanceHe <p><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;">A Holiday Gift to My Readers</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4VdhAXvJ4QwV2a_uUbooGDGCllpoHIlMmsFvM3rTu4cI5g_JgzXw4FI2tGejdZzsAPqDyzMUmNiyEaeEaCvgy-iq_Zl5aMMnt2M2qPx9_V_eaiFZvzfjzuVrt3HruCQfhimnRFJ-TFfKOzz0wfzvPGw6PeJrOrvo9daa7y0w9RcWo2DvZi-lcfk6iXo/s400/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4VdhAXvJ4QwV2a_uUbooGDGCllpoHIlMmsFvM3rTu4cI5g_JgzXw4FI2tGejdZzsAPqDyzMUmNiyEaeEaCvgy-iq_Zl5aMMnt2M2qPx9_V_eaiFZvzfjzuVrt3HruCQfhimnRFJ-TFfKOzz0wfzvPGw6PeJrOrvo9daa7y0w9RcWo2DvZi-lcfk6iXo/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></b><p></p><p><b> </b></p><p><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: x-large;"><i>Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses</i></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>By © Connie Vines</i></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b>He always ordered a slice of gingerbread and black coffee. Hearing his voice through the headset made my morning, which was why I volunteered to work the drive-thru.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b>Was it his southern drawl, his friendly smile, or the way G.B., the Irish setter, rested his chin on Mason's shoulder so adoringly that won me over? I'm not certain. I only know I developed an i<i>mpossible-to-hind crush</i>.</b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;">Mason finally asked me out, and now we're engaged.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;">We're perfect together, like hot chocolate with whipped cream or gingerbread cookies and milk.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;">We are planning a small winter wedding. Our family organized a potluck reception. My dad will walk me down the aisle of the church. And G.B. (AKA Gingerbread Boy) is excited to be our ring bearer. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbG5A1Pswoj7ZaA8AonDwp3DvQbwwEuAMuKAhIHtBuc8KeqmYFtxqfiwzMCa83aYY2_lol7TRbfKYFkLt0Gg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope you enjoyed my Flash Fiction Story. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">🎅🎄🎁</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Please click on the following author links for more gifts to you, our readers:</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>XOXO,</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-35i">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-35i</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Diane Bator <a href="https://dbator.blogspot.com/">https://dbator.blogspot.com/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Judith Copek <a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/">http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Victoria Chatham <a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-45617322986279476622023-11-17T22:30:00.000-08:002023-11-17T22:34:09.656-08:00Setting the Scene By Connie Vines #Round Robin Blog, #Writting Tips, #BWL Author<p> <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: x-large;"><b>Setting The Scene </b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"> Setting for a story is important, exciting, and often challenging.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: xx-large; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkjTzBMfXsmgauBe3bEE1f5ls5LwnORIUdy4r5YbvBrZOzd-Z6LQ0XDewQWnFp9dsAegnFHaX-5VSm_1j_Z8sARNW1ThuVHCRZSgYCX4Ud-7vq_6LhyphenhyphencUK2iIGXPRp_7l3JlBpqQ2ry_QswddSgRMXnM11jUAr1qs9RVdIoepoP7DRt_4lZ7sdRm21p4/s375/roundrobin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkjTzBMfXsmgauBe3bEE1f5ls5LwnORIUdy4r5YbvBrZOzd-Z6LQ0XDewQWnFp9dsAegnFHaX-5VSm_1j_Z8sARNW1ThuVHCRZSgYCX4Ud-7vq_6LhyphenhyphencUK2iIGXPRp_7l3JlBpqQ2ry_QswddSgRMXnM11jUAr1qs9RVdIoepoP7DRt_4lZ7sdRm21p4/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"></span></b></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">While I endeavor to give my readers a vivid sense of where and when events occur, I struggle with what is essential versus what "I" wish to highlight.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Sensory details are essential.</b></span></li><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Show what is surprising or strange to the main character.</b></span></li><li><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Introduce emotional qualities of the 'place.' Tragic, Cheerful, Nostalgic, or another emotion.</b></span></li><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>How does the character feel about the place?</b></span></li><li><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Is the story set in the city, the desert, or an imaginary world?</b></span></li><li><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>What are the key details that make your story's setting interesting?</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>While my stories may be fiction, I have lived in or vacationed in the town or area I chose as a setting. This is important to me. It's my way of making the scene come alive for my readers.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I set up a picture storyboard for reference.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I study the regional dialect. Example: Porch, Stoop, Patio. In California, it's a patio; in Texas, a porch; and in Chicago, Illinois, it's a stoop.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Your readers will point out your mistake.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>If you are writing a historical novel, research is a must. Libraries, Historical Societies, original documents, and personal diaries are essential. However, Wikipedia or www search acquired historical information is <i>always</i> suspect. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>My opening settings/hooks:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1kJInB_34D4_qmBDQQVSO-g9Qn7OxYfNoyZpi3sKmv2jaLeGdJFEcqlTq7GCjtbODSh55LMQUnYJyq6gN7GiyHl7al9wbforsF1D0ATFTCIOCn1Q82rSpU76tzv_2KP-gitO54g3tPc3B3p69XegOje3gjvZ4MAI_uJsNmr9_CqYyIJ4fs5V_W2d154/s225/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="150" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1kJInB_34D4_qmBDQQVSO-g9Qn7OxYfNoyZpi3sKmv2jaLeGdJFEcqlTq7GCjtbODSh55LMQUnYJyq6gN7GiyHl7al9wbforsF1D0ATFTCIOCn1Q82rSpU76tzv_2KP-gitO54g3tPc3B3p69XegOje3gjvZ4MAI_uJsNmr9_CqYyIJ4fs5V_W2d154/s1600/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Charlene hadn't told Rachel she'd fixed her up with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat" of the rodeo circuit. Rachel sighed. She should have known. After all, Charlene only dated men who wore booths and Stetsons.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTwPEI3gtUpa5JrLdYNp_rtjI1iSyGzUB4v1xEb1PLD4VDxUGKXvIAwSBtZwAYIFA1byicTuiurg7dawhUo8mBgWxxDD-FuwQIZBg_kNujK3o8p3b0HADWsuzqbMJ-zYJrF_rJM4IBUDPnpHdrAGvK4Wpt17Q-SswDbR4YcoSkbwsG8K8lQ9mmbv8nFA/s300/Vines-Brede2018update-web.small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTwPEI3gtUpa5JrLdYNp_rtjI1iSyGzUB4v1xEb1PLD4VDxUGKXvIAwSBtZwAYIFA1byicTuiurg7dawhUo8mBgWxxDD-FuwQIZBg_kNujK3o8p3b0HADWsuzqbMJ-zYJrF_rJM4IBUDPnpHdrAGvK4Wpt17Q-SswDbR4YcoSkbwsG8K8lQ9mmbv8nFA/w133-h200/Vines-Brede2018update-web.small.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><span style="color: red;"><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span></div>Thunder rumbled across the remote New Mexico sky as an unforgiving wind shoved somber gray clouds against a craggy mountaintop. Brede Kristensen tugged the brim of his Stetson lower of his forehead. The threat of a storm didn't faze him; nothing fazed him anymore. The worst had already happened.</span><br /></b><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPz3CZ0-3uDjWEO_jGW5RSyPS9kEOnW7N4aNiEnlqV0WkxJ8FrJCy2r39UJXOjwQ1vzWvPBUvHMkDeHNsLVJS3jiillpEGSjOv3boE8C1k9BBAJu9V9IkTyzLubdPBrmhpZr44UDurRE32adJtQeTKQxLR0HNGbBXuiyC2FNMCVOEGCkv70LZjE5fHy4/s300/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPz3CZ0-3uDjWEO_jGW5RSyPS9kEOnW7N4aNiEnlqV0WkxJ8FrJCy2r39UJXOjwQ1vzWvPBUvHMkDeHNsLVJS3jiillpEGSjOv3boE8C1k9BBAJu9V9IkTyzLubdPBrmhpZr44UDurRE32adJtQeTKQxLR0HNGbBXuiyC2FNMCVOEGCkv70LZjE5fHy4/w133-h200/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><b>"You and Elvis have done a great job on this house," Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen, where the tour began. "Sorry I couldn't get over until now, but I've been sort of...well, busy. " She hoped her sister didn't ask her to define busy. Becoming a zombie and dealing with the entire raised from the dead issue over the past six months was not a topic easily plunked into casual conversation.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfisZ6_HutYhOWZlj__hzEtCZsRNkgZfOZc63SgiSSUgmZAjwEptRbwubalFDgjC1XwZbYiDR24UfpMbxBpMVHqpobzFPJrkiIJL6oCYBa89qMVfWjPNvtX33pz3qzTWmlDZ4VouoqOcDyfQ6p0wFOoforOCfIxDIeB4i4JiG5iPy6wXiI0g6jVxqBtio/s1000/3DVines.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfisZ6_HutYhOWZlj__hzEtCZsRNkgZfOZc63SgiSSUgmZAjwEptRbwubalFDgjC1XwZbYiDR24UfpMbxBpMVHqpobzFPJrkiIJL6oCYBa89qMVfWjPNvtX33pz3qzTWmlDZ4VouoqOcDyfQ6p0wFOoforOCfIxDIeB4i4JiG5iPy6wXiI0g6jVxqBtio/w253-h320/3DVines.png" width="253" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">5 stories in one book</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Marring Off Murphy</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Settling into his office chair, Professor Murphy Flynn glanced at the copy of OP News. "I Want to Get Married," the headline read. He upended his coffee mug when he realized the grainy photo was of him, sending the liquid perilously close to a six-inch stack of ungraded papers.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Love Potion N. 9</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>"Don't shake your finger at me, Simone Basso. I know what I'm doing," Persia Richmond said, holding a pipette to fill a crystal half-ounce atomizer with perfume.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>A Slice of Scandal</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>"Hey, now,' dis key lime [</b></span><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;">pie's like de one I serve at my restaurant. Simple to make and good to eat! Key limes perk up de mouth and makes you hoppy."</b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;">Producer/Director Julia Kincaid focused on her monitor and adjusted the mic of her headset. "Camera One, tighten the headshot." She watched as the camera feathered over the chef to capture the best angle. The camera should have loved Franklin. His height was average, his black hair was short and curly, and his skin took on a polished bronze color under the harsh camera lights, but the camera didn't like Franklin. There was something about his eyes: the dark agate, forbidding and expressionless...</b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">1-800-Fortune</span></b></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>The moon was full: giant in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>There are seventy-eight cards in the Tarot deck. Four suits of fourteen cards each. Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and twenty-two cards call the major arcane--the big mysteries.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>If you found my examples helpful, please post a comment on my blog.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Please click the links below to visit the talented authors participating in our Blog Hop this month. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div><div><b style="font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #ffa400;">Warm Wishes</span><span style="color: red;"> and </span><span style="color: #990000;">Gingerbread</span><span style="color: red;"> Kisses, </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Connie</span></b></span></div><div><br /></div><p> </p><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; outline: none !important;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div class="yiv8250959361gmail_quote" style="outline: none !important;"><blockquote class="yiv8250959361gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; outline: none !important; padding-left: 1ex;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><blockquote style="outline: none !important;" type="cite"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div class="yiv8250959361gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div class="yiv8250959361gmail_default" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;">Dr. Bob Rich<span style="outline: none !important;"> </span><a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-33K" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; outline: none !important;" target="_blank">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-33K</a><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></p><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Diane Bator </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a></span><u style="outline: none !important;"><span style="color: #0563c1; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></u></p><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Anne Stenhouse </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Connie Vines </span><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/?m=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; outline: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1; outline: none !important;">http://mizging.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="outline: none !important;">/<span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Helena Fairfax </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8250959361MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.8px; margin: 0in; outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;">Skye Taylor </span><span style="color: windowtext; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span><span style="outline: none !important;"><span style="outline: none !important;"></span></span></p></div><div style="outline: none !important;"><div class="yiv8250959361gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><div style="outline: none !important;"><br style="outline: none !important;" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-34224999463592620452023-10-28T01:27:00.000-07:002023-10-28T01:27:29.664-07:00The Dreaded Sagging Middle of Your Story. Is there a Quick Fix? By Connie Vines #Writer Tips, #Halloween Stories, #Story Structure<p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Rock Salt;">Sagging Middles, We All Have Them; We All Hate Them.</span> </b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>So, what's a writer to do?</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYAtrsse_iANDe1vXmE1w2ym2v5N-JWLAnzGs1889SedOEkIYqIQjAKnipoaM-QurIpWP-g9NETSB-p9VMbQeSDwQmgdm52R-TPwasBFPy2rhNBMjd4nyilVvO83lYHMFNkRgLxehh_mIjKj0g7uqXOFBytNJShuyzkrSWhAlH6b8YG_cX5yJ6hP9Hn8/s375/roundrobin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYAtrsse_iANDe1vXmE1w2ym2v5N-JWLAnzGs1889SedOEkIYqIQjAKnipoaM-QurIpWP-g9NETSB-p9VMbQeSDwQmgdm52R-TPwasBFPy2rhNBMjd4nyilVvO83lYHMFNkRgLxehh_mIjKj0g7uqXOFBytNJShuyzkrSWhAlH6b8YG_cX5yJ6hP9Hn8/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: red; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">What we have been taught in workshops, lectures, and writing tips:</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">#1 Prevent a Sagging Middle by Increasing Tension.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">In the move towards the climax, your characters should face increasingly bigger obstacles and challenges. Things should get more complicated – never less. Characters should have more at stake as events unfold. The emotions should run higher and deeper.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">Was that helpful? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I discovered, by trial and error (mostly error), that I needed to plot my novel first.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Usually via the standard W-plot line. This is my starting point. Why? Because I can immediately locate my 'sagging middle'.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Then I write my important scenes. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I always have too many characters, too many problems, and the dreaded sagging middle. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>This is when I write the final scene of my novel.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Then I go back and set up the pivotal points of my novel.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>When I write my first draft of a novel, I write 3 chapters (1-3, 4-7, etc.) Then I go back and revise. While it doesn't eliminate problems in the middle of the story, it does make me catch-pacing problems.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>I began my writing career writing in magazines for children/ YA readers. This is probably why this format works well for me.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Since it's almost Halloween, I have a RomCom Zombie novella, with quick passing and 'no sagging middle'.</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwr8tz-i0balmGjdNOQqp0HE9Qy6GSo9yBuuyS424hkctOuB-rBHwgUnN6-v-2Pz-_2Z0LqQnEJN8jqi6wWtw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>https://www.amazon.com/Today-Zombie-Tomorrow-Connie-Vines-ebook/dp/B00OA25GJY</p><p>🎃</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b>This month's participants:</b></span></p><p>Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-322">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-322</a></p><p>Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></p><p>Connie Vines <a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></p><p>Diane Bator <a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a></p><p>Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></p><p>Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></p><p><br /></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-50917482732925353852023-09-15T21:30:00.016-07:002023-09-16T09:06:47.398-07:00Hooking Your Readers--Fantasy, History, SciFi, Paranormal (Making the Unfamiliar Feel like home). By Connie Vines #writing Tips, #Hooking Your Reader, #BWLPublishing IInc<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyTScFvgmUOpNCSr0vUjEIgykbFtlHYauPBrC9jNbsi_B6D0S60VUOvP2blsLsOTYbQ1hVDbod0lDQbJbPMvRNVHzsH01BGtn2aQHVnvBuAnUWKTWhQY8c16ZoGpbM-sNOy7rIwQIbvD5cgCwAiKh_TTwaQ5pihYUaOAa8poNBAo9O1BdbMYz9hTh6ZI/s375/roundrobin.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyTScFvgmUOpNCSr0vUjEIgykbFtlHYauPBrC9jNbsi_B6D0S60VUOvP2blsLsOTYbQ1hVDbod0lDQbJbPMvRNVHzsH01BGtn2aQHVnvBuAnUWKTWhQY8c16ZoGpbM-sNOy7rIwQIbvD5cgCwAiKh_TTwaQ5pihYUaOAa8poNBAo9O1BdbMYz9hTh6ZI/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: The Girl Next Door;"><b>While I can't promise to </b></span><b style="color: #800180; font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">make your visit to an alternate world feel like home. </b><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-family: The Girl Next Door;">I </span><span style="font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">can promise you will </span><i style="font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">b</i><i><span style="font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">elieve </span><span style="font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">you are there.</span></i></span></b></span><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "The Girl Next Door";">--Connie Vines, author</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This month's topic is hooking your readers into your character's alternate reality. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I write in multiple genres. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Since our topic is hooking your reader, I will showcase the opening paragraph(s) of my "unfamiliar" worlds.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv3_OMJe18zGCBfqUMyQn_9cpha8k4BIsvrPWFSjF4UmcdToe5Rtjd_xVXDWaN9lDauiFmttsvVNgPGD664l5sGBm0n-8nd7LZokusbRQSiQVCD7yFvHsAHSeaFebuDFywRUr4Xff7yOSavo_MVtYyN1GvjlqWeetyuEMPLDV3hvkDT2x0oO2322mSNA/s1000/3DVines.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv3_OMJe18zGCBfqUMyQn_9cpha8k4BIsvrPWFSjF4UmcdToe5Rtjd_xVXDWaN9lDauiFmttsvVNgPGD664l5sGBm0n-8nd7LZokusbRQSiQVCD7yFvHsAHSeaFebuDFywRUr4Xff7yOSavo_MVtYyN1GvjlqWeetyuEMPLDV3hvkDT2x0oO2322mSNA/w253-h320/3DVines.png" width="253" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">Gumbo Ya Ya is an anthology; I will share opening hooks from several stories.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Love Potion No.9 </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>It is said the sense of smell is the most intimately linked of all our senses to memory, and I believe it to be true. One whiff of a familiar scent, even one we have not encountered in years, can transport us to a time and place long forgotten, even before we consciously recall the memory.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>1-800-FORTUNE</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The moon was full, huge in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There were seventy-eight cards in the Tarot deck. Four suits of fourteen cards each. Swords, Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and twenty-two cards called the major arcade--the big mysteries.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSoHUIxTiB1vFbMzI7XoxH3SSGJtiqNOQrKeRWu8RWKNaQrG4aATWrXf8Or0VL0XbaPX3Ny4BeCjGmc2GDJY1em0nGLeMrBkw1bkbgGiunwI0eSuG-EpBUbuM05cw1E_JY5zcmGxO_tI9ZPv-i80lroIroU3XyNdKm-bW6A0OhKt7JpKZKqJOc1-XE00/s300/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSoHUIxTiB1vFbMzI7XoxH3SSGJtiqNOQrKeRWu8RWKNaQrG4aATWrXf8Or0VL0XbaPX3Ny4BeCjGmc2GDJY1em0nGLeMrBkw1bkbgGiunwI0eSuG-EpBUbuM05cw1E_JY5zcmGxO_tI9ZPv-i80lroIroU3XyNdKm-bW6A0OhKt7JpKZKqJOc1-XE00/w213-h320/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"You and Elvis have done a great job on his house, Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen where the tour began. "Sorry I couldn't get over until now, but I've been sort of...well, busy." Slipping her Juicy Couture tortoise-shell framed sunglasses into a bright pink case, Meredith crammed them into her black Coach handbag. She hoped her sister didn't ask her to define busy. Becoming a zombie and dealing with the entire raised from the dead issue over the past six months was not a topic easily plunked into casual conversation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfXLGrHwVQnW5xW0C1XRyrarYb1W15EDlu0tHAUZYDZbeLCucx2BdONjmKZdY_3icWvVR98gll2hy2KaK5Y7UfqPJdVsj9LDLJAkvgDJ-B5v13_dpzoZEwVpatSDyzfG-3CvBK-c2J76QpZss9wzT3_gGspWRCUVG2Cd0A77yxEiSYFsRGKBWZ9uMA6c/s1000/Vines_Connie_Tanayia_L-B_789x1000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="789" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfXLGrHwVQnW5xW0C1XRyrarYb1W15EDlu0tHAUZYDZbeLCucx2BdONjmKZdY_3icWvVR98gll2hy2KaK5Y7UfqPJdVsj9LDLJAkvgDJ-B5v13_dpzoZEwVpatSDyzfG-3CvBK-c2J76QpZss9wzT3_gGspWRCUVG2Cd0A77yxEiSYFsRGKBWZ9uMA6c/s320/Vines_Connie_Tanayia_L-B_789x1000.png" width="252" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">1868</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over six be educated in the ways of the white man.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Indian Commissioner Thomas Morgan said, "It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1880, Apacheria, Season on Ripened Berries</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Isolated bands of colored clay on the white lime-stone remains where the sagebrush is stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reach out into silence. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world, I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves N'dee. The People. The white man calls us Apache.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflsZVJR_vWMrPGM6OIpMpnIYso9Kz9tccxdfzbyb7kfQfTvMHNNJmdoDT4Wfb_0_B0dLoVnpG96D-DKu64-Yu8dqMWCizZbWcjt6V_4LCsjzAQVARQpDE2Pcnr2A5lfKrl4K_mS_YyOJN7PJdS_HXMGw1Sya-vmSdZU4MkstMhyeflu17poTZET2wTDw/s346/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflsZVJR_vWMrPGM6OIpMpnIYso9Kz9tccxdfzbyb7kfQfTvMHNNJmdoDT4Wfb_0_B0dLoVnpG96D-DKu64-Yu8dqMWCizZbWcjt6V_4LCsjzAQVARQpDE2Pcnr2A5lfKrl4K_mS_YyOJN7PJdS_HXMGw1Sya-vmSdZU4MkstMhyeflu17poTZET2wTDw/s320/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">For those unfamiliar with the sport of rodeo or living in a small Montana town, my Rodeo Romance, Book 1, would be considered a different world.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Charlene hadn't told Rachel that she'd fixed her up with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat" of the rodeo circuit. Rachel sighed. She should have known. After all, Charlene only dated men who wore boots and Stetsons.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(I don't wish to spoil the scene at the Honky Tonk, so I'll end it here 😉)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Did I draw you into my stories? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Did you believe you were there, in the thick of things?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you wish to continue the adventures, feel free to go shopping.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My ebooks are available at your favorite online stores, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and my publisher's website.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Please visit the writers participating in this month's Round Robin Blog Hop. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Reading,</span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">XOXO</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Participants for September:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Bob Rich - </span><a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2023/09/16/nonhuman-is-not-inhuman/"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2023/09/16/nonhuman-is-not-inhuman/</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Connie Vines - http://mizging.blogspot.com/</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Skye Taylor - <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: The Girl Next Door; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span> </p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1Buena Park, CA, USA33.8674044 -117.99813875.5571705638211526 -153.1543887 62.177638236178844 -82.8418887tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-1319970875999435562023-08-24T01:30:00.035-07:002023-08-24T01:30:00.142-07:00Spotlight on Author Deirdre O'Dare By Connie Vines #Author Spotlight, #Author Interview, #Iditarod Race <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dVHrBKYIaTklORP0j86xKPLHriVum6ZwjFkZEDhTRlf7kXkagQLv7kZvRd8SH_n7icEF0JAb8JNKDWn6aULWPGOh0CHXxFkAfYlFnyxkXmBkASl3lgsvlTITE65L9j-0_KW7DGKZBsw-4BBWYAyWZHwuHxtAE39x22GccYKvpdzzjam--nsjVNcwvnM/s501/download.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="501" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dVHrBKYIaTklORP0j86xKPLHriVum6ZwjFkZEDhTRlf7kXkagQLv7kZvRd8SH_n7icEF0JAb8JNKDWn6aULWPGOh0CHXxFkAfYlFnyxkXmBkASl3lgsvlTITE65L9j-0_KW7DGKZBsw-4BBWYAyWZHwuHxtAE39x22GccYKvpdzzjam--nsjVNcwvnM/w200-h200/download.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>Welcome to </b></span><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b>'Dishin' It Out' Author Spotlight!</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">This month's guest is Deirdre O'Dare.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">*Deirdre and I have been friends for decades. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">We met while serving on the International Outreach Chapter of Romance Writers of America board.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Flashback Moment: When I stood up and introduced myself at the writer's conference in Anaheim, California. Deirdre kept staring at me, then blurted, "I thought you were a blonde." 🤣🤣</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsmrYB-4A_Chv9R2YJewW3JAkAtJBG9RRqSTSw1jE3IF_mZ9Wv3DsgYNkaWrnBAhu6UT4-Jx0JR9TIjp_fMG6aSbx1nHSiAMnqrpTH8A0zkURayPFxj_9xcsDktiBCWHIR70RP4Fz888MSuDJdUgO2TxUlKshyvdQVxs1MyvNd9PuMLQeqzaKcF4nJrg/s779/908E4007-24E1-431D-96E5-E5094CED7971.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="686" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsmrYB-4A_Chv9R2YJewW3JAkAtJBG9RRqSTSw1jE3IF_mZ9Wv3DsgYNkaWrnBAhu6UT4-Jx0JR9TIjp_fMG6aSbx1nHSiAMnqrpTH8A0zkURayPFxj_9xcsDktiBCWHIR70RP4Fz888MSuDJdUgO2TxUlKshyvdQVxs1MyvNd9PuMLQeqzaKcF4nJrg/w176-h200/908E4007-24E1-431D-96E5-E5094CED7971.jpeg" width="176" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gwen Morgan, AKA Deirdre O'Dare</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Now, on with the interview 😀</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;">1. Please tell us about your current release </span></b></div><div style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Relative Dangers</i> is a romance novel with plenty of action and adventure. My characters are people I know and I understand. Just regular folks with unusual jobs and who live in rural or remote places may seem exotic to some readers. </span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I have also written a few historicals, some sci-fi and fantasy, and police procedurals. The only area that I really avoid is horror. The heat levels of my books are all over the spectrum, from Sweet Tales to NC-17. <b><i>Relative Dangers </i></b>was initially published under my Gwen Morgan synonym.</span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Relative Dangers</i></b> is mildly spicy, with a couple of realistic love scenes. </span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYpbuxob-bfmfknrbsRDvjjbL0fpFa4QNPxrwOst54naZWUDhRdIgnxj4l8yrH75TSNV9HGjh77aMl2CvpLmEIInyLrtu0VTYQPpwWndbIIlrWkfARQt6aO9n_4Zq1uZf9yr-wrba3wCIziA_hIK5U3_MT6bQycNFIYfKPawZkRZY89BBLseSHP5zKvE/s600/thumbnail%20(26).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYpbuxob-bfmfknrbsRDvjjbL0fpFa4QNPxrwOst54naZWUDhRdIgnxj4l8yrH75TSNV9HGjh77aMl2CvpLmEIInyLrtu0VTYQPpwWndbIIlrWkfARQt6aO9n_4Zq1uZf9yr-wrba3wCIziA_hIK5U3_MT6bQycNFIYfKPawZkRZY89BBLseSHP5zKvE/s320/thumbnail%20(26).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;">2. What was the inspiration for the story?</span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In my younger days, I was a semi-professional horse trainer. When I started creating the story, it seemed to be my heroine's natural lifestyle or career. In some ways, she is the avatar of the girl I was. A girl experiencing her first love. Only time, life would deal them a happy ending.</span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The plot in the main events is strictly petitioners, but the horse work is real, totally based on what I know. Another pattern of my writing is to have current or relevant issues in today's life and world and find other ways into the plot's challenges, conflict, and progression. In this case, the development of a remote area and environmental issues become very significant. Several f Gwen's romance novels do this for various issues, such as Reservation casinos, women in the military, and law enforcement. </span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"> 3. What would you like to see more/less of in your genre?</span></b></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Erotic and explicit romance has moved into the mainstream, with the heat levels once limited to Indy and e-press firms like Ellora’s Cave now found in many lines and publishers. While I do not take issue with this, I find that too many books I pick up are basically “sex stories” with a bit of emotion and action. I have always said I write love stories. While a lot of hot sex is perfect and realistic for some couples, for others, not so much. I want to feel the emotions and have the people cope with real life in the real world in which they, like I live. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Recently I have read more Inspirational Romances, not so much because I prefer the sweet or clean portrayal of relationships but because I feel those authors pay much more attention to making their characters real and appealing, to development of a solid plot--say mystery, danger, or struggles, and overall the product is just better fiction and more absorbing. It is ‘easy’ to go from bedroom to back seat to back in the bushes with a couple while we do not know them very well, and hardly anything else happens! Authors must put more effort into their story while keeping it as sexy as they wish or their couple fits. Now I will say this is JMHO--and probably does not work for all readers-- but that is where I am in my reader hat.</span></p></div><div></div></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;">4. What, in your opinion, makes a good writer? </span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">First and foremost, the fiction writer must be a good storyteller. Yes, the experts say show, don’t tell, and it is generally correct, but if there is no story, no key characters you can identify with who face a variety of challenges, complex, and obstacles, they must somehow brave and strive their way through to win their goal or reward, why bother to read it? Beyond that, a deep understanding of human nature, a curiosity about people and what makes them tick, a special sense to visualize and create a world where those characters abide with century details, then let the reader feel she he is there, and perhaps most of all, in the imagination that find stories in most everything And then the compulsion to tell details characters bring to you. My characters just appear out of the universe and begin to nag at me until I let them share their tail, which I transcribe from their images and put into words for others to experience</span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"> 5. Do you have a favorite paragraph/line in this novel? </span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This is hard. Several scenes resonate when I re-read the book some years after the original writing. Mari’s struggle with Mitch (the dangerous relative) and then her anguish over her little dog being hurt. Perhaps when she asks the hero, Dusty, why he is trying to help her and being very kind. She shocks him with part of her speech which I excerpt here. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">“Maybe I’m paranoid or too suspicious or something…but, well. Everybody is out for what they can get, you know? So I don’t understand why you are doing things for me. I mean, well, I know all about sex and stuff. So if that’s what you want, you don’t have to buy me things and take me places. If you just asked, I’d probably let you.” He realizes then that she has been oddly sheltered and is far from naïve or innocent and is hard-pressed to answer her!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"> 6. If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters, who would it be?</span></b></div><div><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I have loved almost all of my heroines, but Mari in this book and Melissa in The Man in Black probably feel the most like a person I could be. I have had a few secondary characters that I identified with too, but hey, we all want to be the heroine of our story, don’t we? So I can see myself as Mari, although she is much younger. Melissa, by birth, is almost edging into the “upper crust’ class in her background, but she becomes an ordinary woman living an ordinary life which fulfills her deepest wish. </span></div><div><p style="font-size: large;"><br /></p><div style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Bubblegum Sans; font-size: large;"> 7. What are your hobbies? Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? Do any of your hobbies play a part in your novels?</span></b></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Oh. I am a super dabbler! I enjoy almost anything creative, so over the years, I have done a lot of sewing, made jewelry, sketching and watercolor painting, photography, and written poetry, to name a few. Although my work with horses--and mules--was hardly a hobby, I have always deeply loved animals, and there are not too many pieces of my fiction that do not feature horses, dogs, or even a whole menagerie. I have always loved the outdoors and hiking, camping, exploring, and such, which find a way into most of my tales. I’ve had characters write poems, be ‘rock hounds,’ be an artist or a crafter, and most women are at least tomboys at heart.</span></p><p style="font-size: large;"><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Thank you, Connie, for having me as a guest at "Dishin' It Out!". </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>It has been so much fun, and I hope the readers enjoy it too. I hope other readers, like me, are more intrigued by the guy next door or down the street than a Middle Eastern Sheik, a Greek tycoon, or a sexy version of Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos!! If there are, you are who I write for. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>So I hope you will check out the potpourri of fiction by Deirdre O’Dare at Amazon or, preferably, directly at JMS Publications.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://www.jms-books.com/deirdre-odare-c-224_244/"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.jms-books.com/deirdre-odare-c-224_244/</span></a></span></p></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">An avid fan of the sport of Sled Dog Racing, she was also fortunate enough to visit Alaska during the Iditarod.</span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Thank you for sharing your interesting writing life </b><b>and leaving us with a poem inspired by lady mushers.</b></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div></span></div><div><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Iditarod</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Iditarod: far, distant place.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A dream. A myth. A trail. A race.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Beneath aurora blazing bright,</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Through cold and wind and long, dark night.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Cheering crowds at start and end</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But in between, rare is the friend</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Who braves the wild to aid or say,</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They’re with you in spirit along the way.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Out on that trail, just you and your team</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The elements battle to chase this dream.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Those dogs on which your life depends,</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Now closer and dearer than kin or friends.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Together, such trust and faith you share</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For only true teamwork will get you there.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are no losers; only winners complete.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Your goal you’ve reached and it feels so sweet.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Despite the pain and the tears you spend,</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Somehow you hate to see it end.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Iditarod: far, distant place.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A goal, a dream, a test, a race.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">© GMW 25 Aug 14</span></b></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;">Thank you, everyone, for visiting "Dishin' It Out'" today</span><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;">.</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;">Happy Reading 📕📖📗📚📱</span></b></span></p><p><b style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;">Connie </span></b></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;">XOXO</span></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-81111882979640728372023-08-18T21:47:00.000-07:002023-08-18T21:47:17.178-07:00 My Favorite POV (point of view)? to Write? By Connie Vines. #Writing Tips, #POV, #Round Robin Blog #Dark Winds<p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>This month’s topic: What is Your Favorite POV (point of view) to Write? Why?</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">My favorite POV is a first-person narrative. It works best when writing YA/MG fiction or a RomCom novella.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Why? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Because it builds a rapport with readers by sharing a personal story directly with them. Bringing the reader close like this makes a story—and storyteller—creditable. I find this especially so when writing a historical novel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwaTVrnYAoRu3ed58pTys84LnKhc4TqG4NfxoA9isS3b-A_xaR98c-U1uo1zeWe6XtttXAJuxFoR19yVoTkcbDE5z_3z21fGwYaWYwKDyxrB3oraoRJJ2_o8cTtvvNY7XVLszOTbvq-be6h_lt3uEiQLpCAJkOfU3nJSEVMJuVXavSNcMK2rG4D0K-AI/s2048/Vines-Tanayia1500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwaTVrnYAoRu3ed58pTys84LnKhc4TqG4NfxoA9isS3b-A_xaR98c-U1uo1zeWe6XtttXAJuxFoR19yVoTkcbDE5z_3z21fGwYaWYwKDyxrB3oraoRJJ2_o8cTtvvNY7XVLszOTbvq-be6h_lt3uEiQLpCAJkOfU3nJSEVMJuVXavSNcMK2rG4D0K-AI/s320/Vines-Tanayia1500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Excerpt from <b><i>Tanayia: Whisper upon the Water,</i></b><i> </i>First Peoples Series.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Prologue</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>1868</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over six be educated in the ways of the white man.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">I<span style="font-size: medium;">ndian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said, “It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them.”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><b>1<span style="font-size: medium;">880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remain where the sagebrush is stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reach out into silence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves N’dee, The People. The white man calls us Apache. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b>Chapter One</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Only a soft light from the east lit the dirt path I soon would walk. I rose from my blanket and dressed in my favorite buckskins and moccasins. After combing my hair, I stepped from my wickiup and walked toward the center of camp. Women from neighboring Apache bands, dressed in their best clothing, squatted around their campfires, patting tortillas and fry bread. My relations traveled great distances to share my coming-of-age ceremony. I am proud and happy. I smile and call out my morning greeting, <i>ya'atche</i>."</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">"Many blessings, my child," several replied as I passed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">The sharp scent of crisp dough and the bitter scent of acorn stew floated in the cool air. My stomach grumbled in hunger. Large feasts, such as the one my people prepared today, are no longer common. Grandmother, <i>Ligai</i> <i>Tlenaai</i>- White Moon, however, remembers the long-ago days when her band feasted at each change of season. She told me of times when food was plentiful.....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEEwhugEhaoe_WRSUKeREBP8W6DCnR9p45R_NwW3XQ9nocEfbI7AvMz9UgvhJZgTHVfl6bvD9fUriJPkVTRUiGenClw-pytjhj0pJaQBEblCl2UspxYCULYHeDHyfznj3kQB4JVAxXtatTc6yEc54VHSVHsu4FXgICfzV_aDt_2V9U3cKiWzTZ83H6lw/s2000/Sunrise.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEEwhugEhaoe_WRSUKeREBP8W6DCnR9p45R_NwW3XQ9nocEfbI7AvMz9UgvhJZgTHVfl6bvD9fUriJPkVTRUiGenClw-pytjhj0pJaQBEblCl2UspxYCULYHeDHyfznj3kQB4JVAxXtatTc6yEc54VHSVHsu4FXgICfzV_aDt_2V9U3cKiWzTZ83H6lw/s320/Sunrise.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ldgj36hnhuELytl7jTyQWG_2396tm1MGQrB6oqZavA0WgghCTGOZd-A0u2s9-SUvUfpnNIwSem-czn6dPzpsPiYMKqVLaqJ-Y4SlWh11meuYBMOQY01oWLaEW8Q0RPwqytNjI75s5pwaDmCM375wbO9PozQo25pevkabD6juzZPSUL9y-RZMMpsatyI/s2000/Preparing%20for%20a%20ceremonial%20feast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ldgj36hnhuELytl7jTyQWG_2396tm1MGQrB6oqZavA0WgghCTGOZd-A0u2s9-SUvUfpnNIwSem-czn6dPzpsPiYMKqVLaqJ-Y4SlWh11meuYBMOQY01oWLaEW8Q0RPwqytNjI75s5pwaDmCM375wbO9PozQo25pevkabD6juzZPSUL9y-RZMMpsatyI/s320/Preparing%20for%20a%20ceremonial%20feast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing for feast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyV3qDDM0rIwdqgVJe26BeRvwMRkI2BiQNlA70c9BiB5Rrw7dAyClGODoUeHu_-eAh7lvCZhsUe_r-OLZwjsnPrIHMdL4uBhLEL_CQ7DCc61NlqqX7sLEwx7zIH44uCsGM8Z8w2soJGf9Nhx7sCFrxS8ygGwr90zI2mETavfYt_fC0hHPPmUDBhwJN8U/s2000/Wickiup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyV3qDDM0rIwdqgVJe26BeRvwMRkI2BiQNlA70c9BiB5Rrw7dAyClGODoUeHu_-eAh7lvCZhsUe_r-OLZwjsnPrIHMdL4uBhLEL_CQ7DCc61NlqqX7sLEwx7zIH44uCsGM8Z8w2soJGf9Nhx7sCFrxS8ygGwr90zI2mETavfYt_fC0hHPPmUDBhwJN8U/s320/Wickiup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wickiup</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRT0W_u97pevqKJhmOLYWoDOD06W-sJP5dmYwwxB3hD9rbK5kBpwbPPhJj5QJjo8D-YGhDFpAaY_2rgZir_tdWdumRe9b61yaa6qTye-MaWZDwqbCggOrpKbIDLXccSjPMLHe3eV9rfKVDki4zCzRC72HkQdYZk2Ua_uDv-dkstbx3JN9O9jt9QvGDUBk/s2000/Geronimo,%20Chircahua%20Apache%20warrior.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRT0W_u97pevqKJhmOLYWoDOD06W-sJP5dmYwwxB3hD9rbK5kBpwbPPhJj5QJjo8D-YGhDFpAaY_2rgZir_tdWdumRe9b61yaa6qTye-MaWZDwqbCggOrpKbIDLXccSjPMLHe3eV9rfKVDki4zCzRC72HkQdYZk2Ua_uDv-dkstbx3JN9O9jt9QvGDUBk/s320/Geronimo,%20Chircahua%20Apache%20warrior.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geronimo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle-rGhO4unvViJOyOnty8WzAeCUWuWN8xfLXjSBcYc4ONlyh6X9e1UliNUdtzu5tqllro4ID0982JePL5sNTzIvNm-C1oEfHCeUMqX-mFafEWLgh_1_4avcKLOjNLrbbbQ56SxD3yUAb6CqWtPLdyGaYLpY9Fvl8Lxs0t8RZY7kJCFBYs1-Bci4y4rKQ/s2000/Native%20American%20Boarding%20School.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle-rGhO4unvViJOyOnty8WzAeCUWuWN8xfLXjSBcYc4ONlyh6X9e1UliNUdtzu5tqllro4ID0982JePL5sNTzIvNm-C1oEfHCeUMqX-mFafEWLgh_1_4avcKLOjNLrbbbQ56SxD3yUAb6CqWtPLdyGaYLpY9Fvl8Lxs0t8RZY7kJCFBYs1-Bci4y4rKQ/s320/Native%20American%20Boarding%20School.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Native American Boarding School</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDoWyYVGNmrYmjpO9DmpZyDf_ODene8A1kW1vOzlbPVPDc89ThoMjjN3VXJnncDIPvjscTpPQQh31ikIdjdIYB2wLtY9JNU0MAi5Xijg6xwyuOowsxRGOCIPdrypsRNttrhZAqEyte_JO_2iYS1DzoZS3Q5h0FjSJPAeeNH1SbleHF6F7GV4MyBP1q2Y/s2000/The%20world%20they%20returned%20to%20as%20adults.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDoWyYVGNmrYmjpO9DmpZyDf_ODene8A1kW1vOzlbPVPDc89ThoMjjN3VXJnncDIPvjscTpPQQh31ikIdjdIYB2wLtY9JNU0MAi5Xijg6xwyuOowsxRGOCIPdrypsRNttrhZAqEyte_JO_2iYS1DzoZS3Q5h0FjSJPAeeNH1SbleHF6F7GV4MyBP1q2Y/s320/The%20world%20they%20returned%20to%20as%20adults.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life before San Carlos Indian Reservation</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYzcV9ubWYAotg3Qgia9ZJn7MZ9rukTkSO6FRrccjZve3GxmO1hR2i4W-HL50XOGhHC-lMIf81cWJm5k2aDjwWF9w5KcOIxzPojctQ2eg2IC6BxwKHCzQ1VVx-6f_07j73ayxcZLtwAKb1mMVwYAgXs0LhI-5FfHCAjiftHDpSS7Un4EUJmdwG3Blb4Oc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="320" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYzcV9ubWYAotg3Qgia9ZJn7MZ9rukTkSO6FRrccjZve3GxmO1hR2i4W-HL50XOGhHC-lMIf81cWJm5k2aDjwWF9w5KcOIxzPojctQ2eg2IC6BxwKHCzQ1VVx-6f_07j73ayxcZLtwAKb1mMVwYAgXs0LhI-5FfHCAjiftHDpSS7Un4EUJmdwG3Blb4Oc" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>The link will go live on August 23, 2023, at 8:00 AM Eastern Time.</b></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The permalink is <a class="yiv3960237080gmail-in-cell-link" href="https://www.longandshortreviews.com/guest-blogs/lasr-anniversary-scavenger-hunt-tanayia-whisper-upon-the-water-by-connie-vines/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: Arial; outline: none !important;" target="_blank">https://www.longandshortreviews.com/guest-blogs/lasr-anniversary-scavenger-hunt-tanayia-whisper-upon-the-water-by-connie-vines/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;">These amazing authors participating in today's Round Robin Blog:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;">💃🎉🎉🎉</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="yiv3566172244gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/">Anne Stenhouse </a></div><div class="yiv3566172244gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">AJ Maguire</a></div><div class="yiv3566172244gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;">Connie Vines</div><div class="yiv3566172244gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">Helena Fairfax</a><br style="outline: none !important;" /></div><div class="yiv3566172244gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">Skye Taylor</a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b>Purchase links:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><b><a href="https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia?_pos=1&_psq=tana&_ss=e&_v=1.0">https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia?_pos=1&_psq=tana&_ss=e&_v=1.0</a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Spanish version: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><a href="https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia-un-murmullo-sobre-el-agua-spanish-edition?">https://bookswelove.com/products/tanayia-un-murmullo-sobre-el-agua-spanish-edition?</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwRsgcarYm23pCTo6HTPv7stU9kpIEPK3HxARBga7O7LZbkP3bHbYVe9bUsIDgd6gaB1fPCvAhE8-ZoKYpO5Ugr51t2KfuYAKlGl6iyyjdFDDG2fIA0RBfED6ad2xTNJnYfnMrO4WQnus1CLZkuin7vLsKf_TpyaJvdYFHBD0dp9wrfpno6bQYQepP0M/s500/51bYf2Ob8aL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwRsgcarYm23pCTo6HTPv7stU9kpIEPK3HxARBga7O7LZbkP3bHbYVe9bUsIDgd6gaB1fPCvAhE8-ZoKYpO5Ugr51t2KfuYAKlGl6iyyjdFDDG2fIA0RBfED6ad2xTNJnYfnMrO4WQnus1CLZkuin7vLsKf_TpyaJvdYFHBD0dp9wrfpno6bQYQepP0M/w133-h200/51bYf2Ob8aL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3San Carlos Reservation, AZ, USA33.3833876 -110.10064675.0731537638211535 -145.2568967 61.693621436178844 -74.9443967tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-61777557113217121332023-07-21T23:28:00.006-07:002023-07-21T23:28:00.125-07:00Character Arc and How it Ties into Your Story Plot By Connie Vines. #RR, #Round Robin Blog Hop, The Call to Adventure<p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><br /></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYAFl3474APt82_9jstCgW-HaGrBUzDeuRiBYSBODOJkD97-fPyTXKnOBF6kuDl8eZ4mWT1zAzLFfzqRVQFYWwvytZspGdVEbqYJNEupmnNgqcrIj4PrmRb-6uaQo1ygYKVMeioe5k-e-XOnr5EeAiPsTVq0M6774QiJ1Lf38dm4GwaTh5mX9yJ926D4/s400/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYAFl3474APt82_9jstCgW-HaGrBUzDeuRiBYSBODOJkD97-fPyTXKnOBF6kuDl8eZ4mWT1zAzLFfzqRVQFYWwvytZspGdVEbqYJNEupmnNgqcrIj4PrmRb-6uaQo1ygYKVMeioe5k-e-XOnr5EeAiPsTVq0M6774QiJ1Lf38dm4GwaTh5mX9yJ926D4/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="yiv0552493053gmail_default" style="background-color: white; outline: none !important;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The topic for July</span><span style="color: #1d2228;"> is the significance of Character Arcs in stories and their connection to the plot or story arc. Do you allow some time and narrative to character arcs for secondary characters?</span></span></div><div class="yiv0552493053gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; outline: none !important;"><br /></div><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP8Pvn8p9_IBoI5zKgJ9x0I2VuWsWsc3l5-PHIyg-6Bpryi-eWPe8zUtBT3fQGkcd46oUqw2YbCCp6wGE_9ZeKQPCJd4hU3alVpI7T8aikWhN1_ACLJCGZMcYTPOUaaFTsU11UQ-t3bAUNHdLUyRT-Rk64vTOE4EZPEj8Sf9K6OtUWnw46T0z-68vR_0/s500/storyteller%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP8Pvn8p9_IBoI5zKgJ9x0I2VuWsWsc3l5-PHIyg-6Bpryi-eWPe8zUtBT3fQGkcd46oUqw2YbCCp6wGE_9ZeKQPCJd4hU3alVpI7T8aikWhN1_ACLJCGZMcYTPOUaaFTsU11UQ-t3bAUNHdLUyRT-Rk64vTOE4EZPEj8Sf9K6OtUWnw46T0z-68vR_0/s320/storyteller%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; outline: none;">One of the first writing classes I attended was a screenwriting class based on Chris Vogler's <i>The 12 Stages Of The Hero's Journey. </i></span></div><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; outline: none;">Since I was already acquainted with Joseph Campbell's work in comparative mythology and comparative religion (the power of the Myth), I discovered this was comfortable for me to plot my novels.</span></div><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The Ordinary World (Where the Hero/Heroine exists before the present story begins.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Call to Adventure</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Refusal to the Call</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Meeting the Mentor</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crossing the Threshold</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tests, Alles, Enemies...</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Approach to the Innermost Cave</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ordeal</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The above can be if you analyze the original Star Wars movie. </span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This boils down to A protagonist embarking on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you are writing a romance, YA/MG novel, or historical, the plot and character arcs' development remains the same.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Romance</b>: they start with one perspective, confront challenges that force them to face their fears and weaknesses, and ultimately change for the better.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>SciFi:</b> Here, you may be writing a negative arc where the character changes for the worst.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I develop character arcs for all of my characters. The main characters have the most detailed character arc. However, each character in the story must come across as a person. Different rules apply to the 'bad guy,' of course. </span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Both plot and character arc are equally important in my stories.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The plot is the device that moves the story forward, and the character emparks on their journey through these plot points--experiencing challenges (both external and internal) and obstacles along the way.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These novels have the most intense character arcs and plot arcs.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gY-JtTNFeuCWbgALk02LtSfnhsiClI7JugBBuOCyZQkh7VJlD9sIbctlCZyF0oIbFpD34-e6pN5Ou6ijS34TNokeieB1GnS1HEfxf0QBypUDS9hpJ7rZDaAMYAwGouCzJVQB_QNsbVfNI8yEWfM2-1pDzCkVGCjou3Z3PlC4Jey6TeqKvFgZKdEWvHU/s1024/Tay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gY-JtTNFeuCWbgALk02LtSfnhsiClI7JugBBuOCyZQkh7VJlD9sIbctlCZyF0oIbFpD34-e6pN5Ou6ijS34TNokeieB1GnS1HEfxf0QBypUDS9hpJ7rZDaAMYAwGouCzJVQB_QNsbVfNI8yEWfM2-1pDzCkVGCjou3Z3PlC4Jey6TeqKvFgZKdEWvHU/s320/Tay.png" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYecoRRMpAiFF9lKaYsUEF_Yp8A_97Mjs-CySlOcF4Z6PAFjTS3ajksJqSyUUkOFzmbQpmOh8dv8XLBiOyFikuHMOxSfwL5lm97w9SVfsh3qhL_QnCBUVu8Dq0QhALIy6cujPD2v7MQXhJhgM-jAZOh3jc2Yy2_5LYw-QCbaaRMWJzN0ojQv9mqHivYk/s346/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYecoRRMpAiFF9lKaYsUEF_Yp8A_97Mjs-CySlOcF4Z6PAFjTS3ajksJqSyUUkOFzmbQpmOh8dv8XLBiOyFikuHMOxSfwL5lm97w9SVfsh3qhL_QnCBUVu8Dq0QhALIy6cujPD2v7MQXhJhgM-jAZOh3jc2Yy2_5LYw-QCbaaRMWJzN0ojQv9mqHivYk/s320/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Character and plot are inseparable because a person is what happens to them. Without a clear sense of who a character is, what they value, and what they're afraid of, the reader will be unable to appreciate the significance of your events, and your story will have no impact. </span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><br /></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Please visit the talented writers participating in this month's Round Robin Blog Hop.</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">See you next month 😎,</span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><br /></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">A</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; outline: none;">nne Stenhouse </span><span color="windowtext" style="font-size: 11pt; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">Connie Vines </span><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/?m=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: #0563c1; outline: none;" target="_blank"><span style="outline: none;">http://mizging.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="outline: none;">/<span style="outline: none;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">Diane Bator </span><span color="windowtext" style="outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a></span><u style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span></span></u></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span><span style="outline: none;">Helena Fairfax </span><span color="windowtext" style="outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></span><span style="outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">Marci Baun </span><span color="windowtext" style="outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a></span><span style="outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">Victoria Chatham </span><span color="windowtext" style="color: #0563c1; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></span><span style="outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">A.J. Maguire </span><span color="windowtext" style="color: #0563c1; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a></span><span style="outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;"></span></span></p><p class="yiv8236635063MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; outline: none;"><span style="outline: none;">Skye Taylor </span><span color="windowtext" style="color: #0563c1; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-82487115191328706082023-07-18T21:38:00.018-07:002023-07-18T22:36:50.910-07:00J.Q. Rose "Bites 'n Books" Is Celebrating Christmas in July! I'm Sharing Recipes and a Century Old Family Secret!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcvqCT2-PK7SCRFGgQMWxTiYohQC7vHVGB8MzJBV2X_TQOBkqtJn0-ZQZNAJUNhhHZlcuudQdm3zhNCKwcJHS1qPGH0t7CBTRDrdouk6f9kt71lMRxxoZXxFd4ig_4ydEldxjQh3f4iqd-d8ZADkiMeu3pydiJpLPp8oKC8RV0if18Qs_spYWFp7gFYo/s214/BITES%20N%20BOOKS%20%20BLOG%20photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="214" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcvqCT2-PK7SCRFGgQMWxTiYohQC7vHVGB8MzJBV2X_TQOBkqtJn0-ZQZNAJUNhhHZlcuudQdm3zhNCKwcJHS1qPGH0t7CBTRDrdouk6f9kt71lMRxxoZXxFd4ig_4ydEldxjQh3f4iqd-d8ZADkiMeu3pydiJpLPp8oKC8RV0if18Qs_spYWFp7gFYo/s1600/BITES%20N%20BOOKS%20%20BLOG%20photo.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.jqrose.com/2023/07/recipes-n-reads-series-christmas-in.html">https://www.jqrose.com/2023/07/recipes-n-reads-series-christmas-in.html</a></span></b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L-9qiLEynHoMteA56MJGGlh8SwIjAodEgtFYyIvjbc7U1wze_ZJfyL_uZ_JWUzSsbWB7RtoGom9EZPC5b6GC6s0sIhRNOceRzYczs_GRiJGMC3xIzjDH8gsyayNjlF9TuhBnL0IfpvTx2zGVnqzL1TAGmcNTaGyrXrAuj4kszcOhSwA-m3bZnMi9G7U/s500/Connie's%20Cookies%20July.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L-9qiLEynHoMteA56MJGGlh8SwIjAodEgtFYyIvjbc7U1wze_ZJfyL_uZ_JWUzSsbWB7RtoGom9EZPC5b6GC6s0sIhRNOceRzYczs_GRiJGMC3xIzjDH8gsyayNjlF9TuhBnL0IfpvTx2zGVnqzL1TAGmcNTaGyrXrAuj4kszcOhSwA-m3bZnMi9G7U/s320/Connie's%20Cookies%20July.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Beat the Summer Heat with a good book and a sweet treat!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Connie </b></span></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-26775922693231045422023-05-20T01:30:00.013-07:002023-05-20T01:30:00.128-07:00Emotional Wounds for your Protagonists By Connie Vines RR, #Round Robin, #Writing Tips, #Character Development<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkwmr6Y4AroEs0lYxYeKU5fRO-_YhWhdMvySe3g2dIC5teRjdp3aX-ocZN737Mhqz6wgbuEhxjXx3rxzILl6qiZjzloEPiG9YqVNv-ihDWPdj3r5bjb71FUqf3E3Rb9chwtk6AmgDxCwUNlrL3mGG1eqCLNl5l4yl7g3O-GcB8pI_JHaWZomRRP26/s400/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkwmr6Y4AroEs0lYxYeKU5fRO-_YhWhdMvySe3g2dIC5teRjdp3aX-ocZN737Mhqz6wgbuEhxjXx3rxzILl6qiZjzloEPiG9YqVNv-ihDWPdj3r5bjb71FUqf3E3Rb9chwtk6AmgDxCwUNlrL3mGG1eqCLNl5l4yl7g3O-GcB8pI_JHaWZomRRP26/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;">Emotional Wounds for Your Protagonists - And how to help them learn to cope/accept</span></b></p><div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How Do You Discover Your Character's Wound?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When I begin plotting a novel, I have a clear idea of my main characters' likes/dislikes, physical descriptions, and sense of time and place.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">However, the motivation is in Blurb form when I begin writing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I believe a character's subconscious motivation (emotional wounds) falls into these categories: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Traumatic Events</b>. These are the ones that most readily come to mind because of their dramatic nature. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Misplaced Trust and Betrayals.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Childhood Wounds. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f7f8fa; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Disillusionment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Injustice and Hardship. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Isolation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Crime and Victimization. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Disabilities and Disfigurements. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Failures and Mistakes.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My stories feature the first section on choices in romance novels. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Crime and Victimization in romantic suspense/mysteries. While Failures and Mistakes are universal issues and would color everyone's reality.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How do my characters cope?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Of course, they struggle with this subconscious issue (as do we all). My characters must work through the emotional wound(s) before I type THE END.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This process is often painful for my characters, as well as myself. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wBU75TwtCg3ieo3_I0QIzpHoP_z94_yC4aFgvs5pk2z836cXCibARKygIxrx62PvM-LYOG2IVuVKcSw5HZRmIqhroNMozOAXn6EzINJLcbHzwB9bbHwQhyD--KhRp7OcxDI76TDTHPydBmQMhWj1jZvDQZFHENPkPHk5X4W3DUo28u1f2TxnFvvu/s225/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="150" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wBU75TwtCg3ieo3_I0QIzpHoP_z94_yC4aFgvs5pk2z836cXCibARKygIxrx62PvM-LYOG2IVuVKcSw5HZRmIqhroNMozOAXn6EzINJLcbHzwB9bbHwQhyD--KhRp7OcxDI76TDTHPydBmQMhWj1jZvDQZFHENPkPHk5X4W3DUo28u1f2TxnFvvu/s1600/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The blurb must give the reader a hint at the motivation and hint at the emotional wounds without 'telling all.'</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">With a dangerous reputation for taking chances and tempting fate, rugged cowboy Lynx Maddox had one goal in life--to win the coveted Silver Buckle rodeo championship. but when he sets eyes on lovely Rachel Scott, he becomes determined to capture her as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Rachel traveled the circuit with her famous rodeo rider dad until his fatal accident in the arena. Now, she wants nothing to do with that world--or the men who risk their lives for one brief moment of glory. But her attraction to Lynx becomes too powerful to deny...and his unexpected gentleness is too seductive to resist...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The blurb doesn't tell the reader the emotional wounds the characters are still working through. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Research is the key.</b> Even if you have personal experience, your experience is colored through your reality, not your character's.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Lynx has dealt with the recent death of his brother. Lynx is now the eldest son and is coming to terms with the new reality. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Rachel's father was an alcoholic; her mother was emotionally distant. Her grandmother was the only stabilizing factor in her life.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The backstory is backstory. I do not paint the character's past with a heavy brush.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I simply drop in information during a conversation and internal thoughts. Just enough information to let the reader know there's more to be uncovered. And the reader expects to feel the emotions. After all, that is what romance is all about.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Interested in reading more of my blurbs? Or, perhaps, reading the story...click on the provided links:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/author/connie-vines/id624802082">APPLE BOOKS / Ebooks</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/"><span style="font-size: medium;">BooksWeLovePublishing</span></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Connie+vInes&ref=nb_sb_noss">AMAZON</a><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/connie%20vines">Barnes and Noble</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Or any of your favorite online vendors :-)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Thank you for your visit. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Please follow the links to the wonderful authors participating in this month's round Robin Blog Hop!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Connie Vines<a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/"> http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2W9">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2W9</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Fiona McGier <a href="http://www.fionamcgier.com/">http://www.fionamcgier.com/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Marci Baun<a href=" http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/"> http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Victoria Chatham <a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></div></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA32.8328112 -117.271271731.921319194602276 -118.3699045125 33.744303205397728 -116.1726388875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-39414123945611634662023-04-22T00:30:00.001-07:002023-04-22T00:30:00.237-07:00Breathing Life into Your Characters By Connie Vines #Round Robin, #Writing Tips, <p> <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Today's blog topic: Breathing Life into Your Characters</span><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span></b></span></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Architects Daughter"; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOys9F6k9D6zo-pfxG3GQbidE86QQXOS23YsUka5YXsFpsR8TKozFsEtu1dLD4lRxlIqDNbGDvg9hE5jGYsW0D6No_JKbFkBx81VUlI8wx9wiQzkjGuY7l8F3C46BFE41uk2xEEzK7MnsAP5gLetDgmSus5sdu9Ubk8jSaaKxDwv8YXictMtiYd8x/s400/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOys9F6k9D6zo-pfxG3GQbidE86QQXOS23YsUka5YXsFpsR8TKozFsEtu1dLD4lRxlIqDNbGDvg9hE5jGYsW0D6No_JKbFkBx81VUlI8wx9wiQzkjGuY7l8F3C46BFE41uk2xEEzK7MnsAP5gLetDgmSus5sdu9Ubk8jSaaKxDwv8YXictMtiYd8x/w200-h200/RRBlog_logo_2023.png" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Thank you, Skye, for this month's topic</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;">.</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>When I am nudged into a new writing project, I've heard snippets of dialogue in my head. Which is followed by a sense of place and time. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>Some writers see their stories unfold in a movie format. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>Other writers say their 'characters' guide them.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>I say, "That must be wonderful' for you.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">My characters could be more helpful. 🤣</span></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>My life is chaotic. Therefore, it's no surprise my writing process follows suit.</b></span></p><p><b style="font-family: "Architects Daughter";"><span style="font-size: large;">I do have glimmers of sensory details as I write. Not a visual movie, but I'll catch the scent of bales of hay, hear the creak of a leather saddle or feel a horse's breath against my cheek. All of these trigger an emotional response that breathes life into one of my story's characters. </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmAly4P2DW7MpcgrW5wIZtL-ael_sQItZvaj0TANtCOnksp6zbGeyy8jwxXv9tXmcYGwZ0X3_rC3RFDrDh2MsX-w0mQiy5Qy_SHpML5XNu4_NxMJb3cJAEn48aRNVUokJB-hxtPmLn7nmHXHb_islrsEn8DHM4UwIWfEeNyemusQsC-YaMe8W1u28/s497/horses.1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="497" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmAly4P2DW7MpcgrW5wIZtL-ael_sQItZvaj0TANtCOnksp6zbGeyy8jwxXv9tXmcYGwZ0X3_rC3RFDrDh2MsX-w0mQiy5Qy_SHpML5XNu4_NxMJb3cJAEn48aRNVUokJB-hxtPmLn7nmHXHb_islrsEn8DHM4UwIWfEeNyemusQsC-YaMe8W1u28/s320/horses.1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From days past, Tulsa and Midnight<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>As the story progresses, the scenes I've written often replay in my dreams--with a theme song. This drowns out any dialogue which may have been spoken. Oh, yes, a thunderous theme song--which plays (in a loop) all night long. And I woke up with a pounding headache the following day. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>Of course, bits of my personality does come through in each story. My life experiences color the story on some level., too.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>🚢Because I suffer from seasickness (I had to lie on a bench during our trip on a Mississippi River paddle boat), my characters won't be vacationing onboard a ship.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>But my characters will be drinking coffee...lots of delicious coffee. </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY_XyYXXPxLl2Ze_jbe9S8uxMK9ws_xm-zfZ733f8JeeyIZeRKmubarpEeuE6bxZ6mgwCiLS0XvYDH4FImDCagh6tzAnfBCAwoIrpOqYWIWLjk5QXDQMyFxEZKEhoB6z9UZiz2qdzba_kZX7FGjS0K9q4n5Oa_CNBFfK7jsp1GP_ib7Llj16jcvkS/s200/images%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkY_XyYXXPxLl2Ze_jbe9S8uxMK9ws_xm-zfZ733f8JeeyIZeRKmubarpEeuE6bxZ6mgwCiLS0XvYDH4FImDCagh6tzAnfBCAwoIrpOqYWIWLjk5QXDQMyFxEZKEhoB6z9UZiz2qdzba_kZX7FGjS0K9q4n5Oa_CNBFfK7jsp1GP_ib7Llj16jcvkS/s1600/images%20(4).jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyvszkMzx2TIDiauTKaTsgN5qkjGZ2UMwAIsfF4NcBFUmsB4LcAI21h5cNrOSrjMfI04yPbuiMF3W5mOmihpw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Visit this month's participating bloggers; they have great stories to share. 😊😊</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Connie Vines <a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Diane Bator <a href="https://dbator.blogspot.com/">https://dbator.blogspot.com/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2TY">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2TY</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Fiona McGier <a href="http://www.fionamcgier.com/">http://www.fionamcgier.com/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Marci Baun <a href="http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/">http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Victoria Chatham <a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">A.J. Maguire <a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Judith Copek <a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/">http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/</a></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></b></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com4Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-82725591792248938712023-03-18T00:47:00.041-07:002023-03-18T01:20:52.458-07:00How to Share a Backstory/History with Your Reader By Connie Vines #Backstory, #Round Robin, #Sharing with Readers, #Writing Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnh3zl4QDsoSnY8tQNF6GbDd9Ptj0Y_Gkw2AmImcgZ8-aN1xHf-LlRFT814DNeRFfyRXK60FRFkrFasnN1qPZvT2lc4HBzDeTF97oTuwlar8jIrCFjM5Rewdh8hlXmjCQ6K-lpadFtSmw3Q1M9j2G0ytqR4J20iD9PcgcoB4TXNwukmq-vVvrVU6q/s375/Round%20Robin%20Logo%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="375" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnh3zl4QDsoSnY8tQNF6GbDd9Ptj0Y_Gkw2AmImcgZ8-aN1xHf-LlRFT814DNeRFfyRXK60FRFkrFasnN1qPZvT2lc4HBzDeTF97oTuwlar8jIrCFjM5Rewdh8hlXmjCQ6K-lpadFtSmw3Q1M9j2G0ytqR4J20iD9PcgcoB4TXNwukmq-vVvrVU6q/s320/Round%20Robin%20Logo%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;">This month's topic:</span><div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><b>The Importance of your character's backstory/history and how to share this with the reader without an info dump that stalls the action.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">My preferred method is to utilize my blurb</span><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: large;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Example: Lynx (Rodeo Romance, Book 1)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>With a dangerous reputation for taking chances and tempting fate, rugged cowboy Lynx Maddox had one goal in life--to win the coveted Silver Buckle rodeo championship. But when he sets eyes on Lovely Rachel Scott, he becomes determined to capture her as well.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Rachel traveled the circuit with her famous father rodeo rider dad until his fatal accident in the arena. Now she wants nothing to do with that world--or the men who risk their lives for one brief moment of glory, But her attraction to Lynx becomes too powerful to deny..., and his unexpected gentleness is too seductive to resist.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrcrxMRDmsZcCtFRCwlJQkc8uBGV-YahqxF88hYRhomolU1JIRq5oQmca6aTJG02mi8l_8C11aaYSfcc1gc9be_JF_20hCGlnDRcrYZtS71yhyqrHoIOBQtHC6J0QeuDm1SzjC27vK7I3VJYiim0YBqi-7mBLrjLXXyH921Be8AGbwIon35tW_L2a/s346/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrcrxMRDmsZcCtFRCwlJQkc8uBGV-YahqxF88hYRhomolU1JIRq5oQmca6aTJG02mi8l_8C11aaYSfcc1gc9be_JF_20hCGlnDRcrYZtS71yhyqrHoIOBQtHC6J0QeuDm1SzjC27vK7I3VJYiim0YBqi-7mBLrjLXXyH921Be8AGbwIon35tW_L2a/w133-h200/VINES_Lynx_3D.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">However, this month's main topic is introducing backstory/history into the story. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Internal dialogue is useful, but a conversation with a friend/confidant or having an event trigger a memory creates more substantial reader involvement in the scene.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Rachel stalled to no avail. Charlene planted herself on the arm of the couch, "Dan told me Lynx left for Lubbock without you. Why?"</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Rachel squirmed.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><b>"I couldn't do it. Lynx kept talking about his family. He kept telling me about the ranch and planning how we'd spend our days. The more he planned, the more frightened I became. When it came to the final day, I couldn't do it, Charlene. I pulled my suitcase from the closet and remembered all the times I'd picked up and moved...I just couldn't do it again."</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Example 2: Brede (Rodeo Romance, Book 2)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">In this story, I utilized a prologue. I seldom implement this device (except in my historical novels); however, because this is romantic suspense, this moves the reader into an action sequence.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyyVfm4mO5qX8hzwCsBuolAhZepPUKmzT3XdjySDJ34usDvm3btLy8jgrx39rpdKsgYYCq1ICmDIDfSP9v3eNU2o1yiJf8cPWsTAbuQBiu6lBUG45KULqx4CKsbHZz43RY0g77mb1lYsHyZVBavHcG8rI5emJ7xQBLTqwfgjbW9NEb5upkOC4sheJ/s300/Vines-Brede2018update-web.small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyyVfm4mO5qX8hzwCsBuolAhZepPUKmzT3XdjySDJ34usDvm3btLy8jgrx39rpdKsgYYCq1ICmDIDfSP9v3eNU2o1yiJf8cPWsTAbuQBiu6lBUG45KULqx4CKsbHZz43RY0g77mb1lYsHyZVBavHcG8rI5emJ7xQBLTqwfgjbW9NEb5upkOC4sheJ/w133-h200/Vines-Brede2018update-web.small.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">Example 3: Tanayia: Whisper upon the Water (Historical)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Prologue</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>868</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over six to be educated in the ways of the white man.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said," It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them."</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remains where the sagebrush is stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. Al and made of barren rocks and twisted paths that reach out into the silence.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><b>A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves <i>N'dee. </i>The People. The white man calls us Apache.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWsYdnRVQZpqsa1mP8ZHQaU0KNjGek8kMHIWRrcuRf56pY5IqUy4PfvYEve_exVjhC_q80PNmAWpm00E4gKh3OuZLfE1d7CvrNHUex_mR94noBxS9NIxinPFuRSFHLxevRW4OpJoo-tQSJnkCOZwOZ8Wz4DPV-XytsljOU3128TrJnCo-eTJ36zdK/s1000/Vines_Connie_Tanayia_L-B_789x1000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="789" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWsYdnRVQZpqsa1mP8ZHQaU0KNjGek8kMHIWRrcuRf56pY5IqUy4PfvYEve_exVjhC_q80PNmAWpm00E4gKh3OuZLfE1d7CvrNHUex_mR94noBxS9NIxinPFuRSFHLxevRW4OpJoo-tQSJnkCOZwOZ8Wz4DPV-XytsljOU3128TrJnCo-eTJ36zdK/w158-h200/Vines_Connie_Tanayia_L-B_789x1000.png" width="158" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>https://books2read.com/Tanayia</u></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><i>Everyone has great tips on sharing a character's backstory with the reader.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Emilys Candy; font-size: medium;"><i>Please visit the participants:</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Connie Vines <a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">A.J. Maguire <a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2023/03/18/where-to-hide-the-time-machine-backstory/">https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2023/03/18/where-to-hide-the-time-machine-backstory/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>Connie</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;">Link to my publisher's website: <a href="https://www.bookswelove.com/vines-connie/"> https://www.bookswelove.com/vines-connie/</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">(eBook and print)</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">Happy Reading! 📖📚📱</span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-26019856493607894052023-02-24T22:54:00.001-08:002023-02-24T22:54:48.228-08:00How Can Contemporary Fiction Keep Up With A Changing World? #Round Robin #WriterTips<p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">How Can Contemporary Fiction Keep Up With A Changing World?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy9LoZeJJNKiJiU-Q5hkqgH0ttLIFyvD5x_gL2L243FvsWqO0pFTq7AeIPC7WncCmkU7z5DZN786ROhLi0SG8lBu_nrqAdb95KUMENixyvk_nlMneu27cfoOUywQR5MLv8alInkNFl4ueaS8O9A93R3setxu_60B3XO14tgWktIh-eGAXVccuVf-F/s290/RR%20connies'%20designl%20(26).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="290" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy9LoZeJJNKiJiU-Q5hkqgH0ttLIFyvD5x_gL2L243FvsWqO0pFTq7AeIPC7WncCmkU7z5DZN786ROhLi0SG8lBu_nrqAdb95KUMENixyvk_nlMneu27cfoOUywQR5MLv8alInkNFl4ueaS8O9A93R3setxu_60B3XO14tgWktIh-eGAXVccuVf-F/w200-h123/RR%20connies'%20designl%20(26).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Thank you, Dr. Bob, for this month's topic.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I write in multiple genres. For obvious reasons, history takes place in the past, and technology isn't an issue. However, accurate historical knowledge (especially by YA) readers, perhaps should be discussed at another time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa5JxOKmxOLEZpSTG4IoH-l80eaKEOxp2uiHYGSYMmZkNt_LMv-geG3fnMosbKfxYGLbo0NLIb6jcEZEYE0C92N_jZnDqgUs3vFMoXngDhw0T-8T1uaoD7W-9PBcsv9ocXCGgqmin9OnRBWnVSxjs7fe4b1b6tsMcU_UMmTHp3X0IdJO03iIM-ouB/s2048/Vines-Tanayia1500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa5JxOKmxOLEZpSTG4IoH-l80eaKEOxp2uiHYGSYMmZkNt_LMv-geG3fnMosbKfxYGLbo0NLIb6jcEZEYE0C92N_jZnDqgUs3vFMoXngDhw0T-8T1uaoD7W-9PBcsv9ocXCGgqmin9OnRBWnVSxjs7fe4b1b6tsMcU_UMmTHp3X0IdJO03iIM-ouB/w133-h200/Vines-Tanayia1500.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Contemporary Stories</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I find to keep up with tech, climate, and social focus (coffee pot vs coffee pods; someone should be a vegan; changes in fashion, etc.) I need to update my novels every 3 to 5 years unless I wish to market them as 'vintage'.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This isn't a real problem with my Western stories or my RomCom Paranormal stories.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My urban/big city stories often require revisions after the book is completed and ready for submission.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AI (artificial intelligence) do I need to mention its possible impact on selecting an employee for a position?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If I'm building a series, my choice will have a longer reach than if it's a stand-alone novel.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I try to avoid 'hot buttons' in contemporary novels because the focus is on "the romance', 'the humor', or 'life in a small town'.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjZCra6vnTXhxJy0vqIfmTyr1xTv7NJNP5ZcmT5N8xlJGMe6K2GJWeAHVkZiv6lGa3zTrjMfDR7Ocfrhth_AIk7YpqMMQpfMH8lsO9F9A-xwiofnt34oa4Vzjm7gz6y8lWjq350nYshSKjfH4WUwS2jIvUauQSok80ZTsFUrFQQCk9vnaGn9UnuzW/s225/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="150" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjZCra6vnTXhxJy0vqIfmTyr1xTv7NJNP5ZcmT5N8xlJGMe6K2GJWeAHVkZiv6lGa3zTrjMfDR7Ocfrhth_AIk7YpqMMQpfMH8lsO9F9A-xwiofnt34oa4Vzjm7gz6y8lWjq350nYshSKjfH4WUwS2jIvUauQSok80ZTsFUrFQQCk9vnaGn9UnuzW/s1600/Vines-Lynx2018update-blog.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Paranormal/ SiFi</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I believe it's much easier to slide contemporary (hot-button) issues into this genre.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Not as a pro/con on the part of the author; observation and possible outcome of a misstep </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhsEO3Qe4r4egbjuh7NpK4lf2sWGi5TAp7HT98U40FyXmfY4ZfabiawlJYAZn9PIKAjGA_0R5EhbfRnWWQwtrGTvKLqCQpMKs9Y3NFnNmPVgJ2xvRPA70kXWPWYIPDR4yTGl3rzHU4HDvp4LvBHFczn4tzqpLHkfVHR0axCxAxCaYwoNy6WcjIgc0/s300/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhsEO3Qe4r4egbjuh7NpK4lf2sWGi5TAp7HT98U40FyXmfY4ZfabiawlJYAZn9PIKAjGA_0R5EhbfRnWWQwtrGTvKLqCQpMKs9Y3NFnNmPVgJ2xvRPA70kXWPWYIPDR4yTGl3rzHU4HDvp4LvBHFczn4tzqpLHkfVHR0axCxAxCaYwoNy6WcjIgc0/w133-h200/Vines-HereTodayZombieTomorrow200x300%20(2).jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you for stopping by today. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm working on my laptop with limited WiFi here in SoCal.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Weather conditions in the burbs are unexpected this week: rain, 60 - 85 mph wind gusts, hail storms, blizzard warnings in the nearby mountains/ passes, and a small tornado that ripped out a 50 ft pine tree. (all fodder for a future novel or two 😆 .)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;">Connie</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Please visit our Round Robin blog participants: </span></div><div><p> Victoria Chatham <a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com">http://www.victoriachatham.com</a></p><p>Connie Vines <a href="https://mizging.blogspot.com/">https://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></p><p>Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2QS">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2QS</a></p><p>Anne Stenhouse <a href="http://wp.me/31lsq">http://wp.me/31lsq</a></p><p>Helena Fairfax <a href="http://www.helenfairfax.com/blog">http://www.helenfairfax.com/blog</a></p><p>Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/">http://www.skye-writer.com/</a></p></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com2Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-49070490216770971532023-01-20T23:30:00.002-08:002023-01-20T23:59:23.338-08:00New Beginnings: How to Jump-Start Your Writing By Connie Vines #Round Robin Blog #Writing Tips<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><b>Round Robin Blog Fest, January 21, 2023 </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMOUHxF9KSYPQ19sGrkiJlK2yA28NNojFjPBT2hJvtMogjZwBpVPuhlZSJBdtSDM3QannUDOrdhBU_ceAxK5w5bgh9573j4cBjpjamHzpKwNmq_PqhsZ5NBbc7xUSP7pLXOM07DUkGcwsojhGCXC3Y9eEfXtQKl6tHKi6OVKIDkH04W6GCJ3fhRmu/s290/RR%20connies'%20designl%20(26).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="290" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMOUHxF9KSYPQ19sGrkiJlK2yA28NNojFjPBT2hJvtMogjZwBpVPuhlZSJBdtSDM3QannUDOrdhBU_ceAxK5w5bgh9573j4cBjpjamHzpKwNmq_PqhsZ5NBbc7xUSP7pLXOM07DUkGcwsojhGCXC3Y9eEfXtQKl6tHKi6OVKIDkH04W6GCJ3fhRmu/s1600/RR%20connies'%20designl%20(26).jpg" width="290" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While increased personal responsibilities have forced Rhobin Courtright to retire as the leader of our monthly round-robin, Skye Taylor has volunteered</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> t</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">o oversee the Round Rhobin flock. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: trebuchet; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This month's topic</span><span style="font-size: medium;">:</span></b><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b>New Beginnings</b> - how do you motivate yourself to get back to writing when </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Life has interrupted your flow, and/or how do you begin a new writing challenge?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">The holiday season and the winter weather prompt me to reassess my life and goals for the incoming year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I'm ready to start a new project upon January's arrival.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: xx-large;">What works for me?</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">My local writing chapter offers monthly online workshops. I participated in several during the holidays. Penny Sansevieri taught one workshop. I also participated in a workshop led by Allie Pleuter. Both of these workshops were interactive, informative, and fun!</span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTQKViRU0mPFSx0WhWwkQp1WyS-nL-WMGQmn-kYnZWur5zKlTl9LZuxEnhehAOBa6wjT5jYNXb_kqz8NXTqb_tP9FWt4OkWYRn20akx06KFlYtsLRU1dhsa1Ad28lAc8My97IPaCEypMkWIwO2PYQFofFDWKM3SXW0yfJGE2-r6B-hC0bQzP_--NC/s509/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="509" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTQKViRU0mPFSx0WhWwkQp1WyS-nL-WMGQmn-kYnZWur5zKlTl9LZuxEnhehAOBa6wjT5jYNXb_kqz8NXTqb_tP9FWt4OkWYRn20akx06KFlYtsLRU1dhsa1Ad28lAc8My97IPaCEypMkWIwO2PYQFofFDWKM3SXW0yfJGE2-r6B-hC0bQzP_--NC/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I read and study some of the novels I have stacked in my office. 1 non-fiction, 1 NY Times best-seller, a favorite classic, and a book my mother sent me: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (a pristine 1945 hardbound copy ) and genre fiction. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I still keep my daily journal, but I enabled the mic feature to switch it up a bit this time. I will return to the pen-and-paper method as it feels like a diary. Speaking my thoughts verbally seems...less intimate.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I also spend time with family members (2 winter weddings, holiday celebrations, children's birthdays, etc.). Change of location, interaction, and ensuing chaos, always gives one a new idea/ slant on life.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"> I also tried new recipes and ordered take-out/delivery meals with unfamiliar (to me cuisine). Why take-out? I was noting my sensory response from a character's POV. Tonight I chose from the Japanese menu: Okonomiyaki (an eggy pancake) and Shoyu (Raman Soup with veggies, protein, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and noodles). I expected the soup to taste salty, but it wasn't. The flavors were unfamiliar, and some of the textures were unexpected. </span></li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYST9FRs-NIEMJ0Oj1oRNkavrZqEO_tI944zWkhUPaS_5039um4HWJgk43sF5BoJzqWgC3tH6mWNtbZhoAzImWRMmfeoLV1qoZCd5PoSbQrPSFzCvK74oRS7xav6aHn-mSSQoHu_TjN4IBrR6NQpxSYwxtzZCnK0GtvnjHIHo8yYJHVimzvF4INEH/s320/thumbnail%20(25).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYST9FRs-NIEMJ0Oj1oRNkavrZqEO_tI944zWkhUPaS_5039um4HWJgk43sF5BoJzqWgC3tH6mWNtbZhoAzImWRMmfeoLV1qoZCd5PoSbQrPSFzCvK74oRS7xav6aHn-mSSQoHu_TjN4IBrR6NQpxSYwxtzZCnK0GtvnjHIHo8yYJHVimzvF4INEH/w200-h150/thumbnail%20(25).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKYvznxYB5UBpaVf0s1g2S9XFFk5FcGjLm_LPJfChZIakpoJvK6hhx186X9-JquomVCOhL8kTfs_y9CPtVOvQgo_nyxksqYSjXh2B6aiPzmw2Cn-MkGLDJrTZionAGjzLgIENDKwLpzCLU_2WCq1uSOH64kcBj_Cv5Ar95l1MoI0RrMlMJqcqEwEt/s320/thumbnail%20(24).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="320" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKYvznxYB5UBpaVf0s1g2S9XFFk5FcGjLm_LPJfChZIakpoJvK6hhx186X9-JquomVCOhL8kTfs_y9CPtVOvQgo_nyxksqYSjXh2B6aiPzmw2Cn-MkGLDJrTZionAGjzLgIENDKwLpzCLU_2WCq1uSOH64kcBj_Cv5Ar95l1MoI0RrMlMJqcqEwEt/w200-h198/thumbnail%20(24).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">And lastly, I varied my writing routine. I wrote 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours after dinner. I've been a night owl since birth. Therefore, this was a challenging change in my way (it required additional cups of coffee while a bit of snarkiness embedded itself into my easy-going temperament).</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The other Round Robin Blog Hop members have tips and ideas to get you writing in 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5mvvCMkn2pf5hvKOzJ8yOrplplvf6pZS_Ju8z4ZMk5L1l_ELE0mz6kINm5W1LRVRHnCH3sB4H_pY2hYqkWBwqRzvodrVFe9Ce_ZbUPpQWWIEJ0JCXIycsOsUBcGwyi4SaEMvzVEOu3WBi1BIph6-QNHR18LSaJfqMe7PSWJDgVjABqtkFw-q0Zy5/s576/IMG_0015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="576" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5mvvCMkn2pf5hvKOzJ8yOrplplvf6pZS_Ju8z4ZMk5L1l_ELE0mz6kINm5W1LRVRHnCH3sB4H_pY2hYqkWBwqRzvodrVFe9Ce_ZbUPpQWWIEJ0JCXIycsOsUBcGwyi4SaEMvzVEOu3WBi1BIph6-QNHR18LSaJfqMe7PSWJDgVjABqtkFw-q0Zy5/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2OQ" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1155cc;">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2OQ</span></a></span></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Anne Graham <span> </span><a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2Fh4DtKv&data=04%7C01%7C%7C3810702ebaa84e45fa3008d93fc485b9%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637610935555787876%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=4dsLu27tLZtAeCOgYJcFRcZS8zvI%2BGlLm5%2FeqK7l%2B48%3D&reserved=0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank" title="Protected by Outlook: https://goo.gl/h4DtKv. Click or tap to follow the link."><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://goo.gl/h4DtKv</span></a></span></p><p style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Connie Vines <span> </span><u><span style="color: #0563c1;"><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/?m=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://mizging.blogspot.com</a></span></u>/</span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Diane Bator <a href="https://dbator.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://dbator.blogspot.com/</span></a></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A.J. Maguire <u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</span></a></span></u></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Victoria Chatham <span> </span> <u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="http://www.victoriachatham.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">http://www.victoriachatham.com</span></a></span></u></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="yiv7610903289MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Fiona McGuire <span> </span> <u><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a href="http://www.fionamcgier.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">http://www.fionamcgier.com/</span></a></span></u></span></p><p style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Skye Taylor <span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</span></span></a></span></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com3Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-36341660542575788332022-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:002022-10-21T20:36:28.210-07:00 Villainous Characters and Redemption. Yes or No? By Connie Vines #RoundRobin 100, #Writing Tips, #Villians, #RR100<p> <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: medium;"><b>Have any of your villainous characters reached redemption for their actions? How would you go about it if you were going to do this?</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrxck2j_3P2ii2d7mob7UZEjWCN4dn7pcE2X8kDbWG749Ss9Q8l62He_uQ6_k5BypWipztkXj4gMvSoQCcPjwvFGVJnKcgamV0xxugQtp7zsjkRVJQCgOXppZfEZDO2Km2Co9Eq4stAIgCs6MLq2p5LAVxkoixEFVEPJii4kL--XYRuDmugLSpwD7/s375/roundrobin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrxck2j_3P2ii2d7mob7UZEjWCN4dn7pcE2X8kDbWG749Ss9Q8l62He_uQ6_k5BypWipztkXj4gMvSoQCcPjwvFGVJnKcgamV0xxugQtp7zsjkRVJQCgOXppZfEZDO2Km2Co9Eq4stAIgCs6MLq2p5LAVxkoixEFVEPJii4kL--XYRuDmugLSpwD7/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Since I also write YA and MG stories</span><span style="font-size: medium;">, I try not to make any character 'purely evil' and beyond redemption.</span></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>That's not to say that there are no evil or self-serving people without a conscious residing in our world. However, such a story would be too dark and depressing for me to write.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>My YA and MG novels explain how/ why this person changed over time. I do not justify evil actions/mistakes. I provide an avenue for the reader to assess and make decisions appropriate for his/her age/ability level.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b>Romance/Romantic Suspense/Historical Novels</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I usually have a villain or two in all of my storylines.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I've yet to send any of my villains on the road to redemption. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Why?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I have little sympathy for my villains.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I don't like my villains.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I don't want my villains to be happy.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>I really wish for my villains to suffer.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>My points of reference:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Wizard of Oz </span> - the evil witch tried to kill Toto and Dorothy! 👠 (yes, I know the house killed her sister, but still..)</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;">Dracula </span>(Bran Stoker's classic novel). This novel is a love story. Not your typical happily ever after, but a love story never-the-less. <span style="color: #2b00fe;">In this case, I could provide the original man (the count) redemption; however, the evil being he became would be beyond redemption here in the earthly realm. Profound sympathy on my part, perhaps.</span></b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>As a reader, how do you feel about the 'bad guy' returning as a future novel hero?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Is a villain always a villain?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Or is a villain in the 'eye' of the reader?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Thank you for stopping by for our 100th Round Rhobin Blog Hop!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Please visit the talented authors of our group for their take on reforming the<i> bad guys.</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>Happy Reading</b></span></div></div><div><b style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: x-large;">Connie </b></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>XOXO</b></span></div><div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Participating:</span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Diane Bator </span><a href="http://dbator.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</span></a><u><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></u></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Skye Taylor </span><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Judith Copek </span><a href="http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Connie Vines </span><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/?m=1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">http://mizging.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">/</span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A.J. Maguire </span><a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Dr. Bob Rich </span><a href="https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2KA" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2KA</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Robin Courtright <a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.rhobincourtright.com<br /></a></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #ffa400; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">*</a><span style="color: #ffa400;">* All of my novels/novellas are on sale </span>(50% off) <span style="color: #ffa400;">at the</span></b></span></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b> Smashwords site through Halloween!</b></span></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl</a><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></p><p class="yiv8788062061MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rhobincourtright.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></p></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-84417694472031623022022-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:002022-09-23T21:48:03.222-07:00Characters, Reader's Intuition, and Deep-Dark Secrets By Connie Vines, #Round Robin99, #Writing Tips, RRBlog,<p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;">This Month's Round Robin Topic</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">: </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">What do you define in your writing about your</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> characters and what do you leave to the reader’s intuition? Is there anything you never tell about a character?</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9d_YQuTpSEF05vFMWO-gNl2vnB1LKthoZZfLB9BL6R-1ZfzsJR3Wb0fzyiyVGs5wd1I_jCtYddOkJyDWfLXsJdl9tlJj0zr6KFaGcHbw5iG-5afdTOicCQx4Qn9P2P1xoqvAebV1vwh9dNb9qr0BsoVJ8B09McpnOpS2lX5vOmit3il0gQ26mtdR/s375/roundrobin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9d_YQuTpSEF05vFMWO-gNl2vnB1LKthoZZfLB9BL6R-1ZfzsJR3Wb0fzyiyVGs5wd1I_jCtYddOkJyDWfLXsJdl9tlJj0zr6KFaGcHbw5iG-5afdTOicCQx4Qn9P2P1xoqvAebV1vwh9dNb9qr0BsoVJ8B09McpnOpS2lX5vOmit3il0gQ26mtdR/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;">This topic will require a bit of pondering...</span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">👦👧👪📚</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: Red Hat Display; font-size: large;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">When writing YA/MG fiction,/non-fiction I define my characters, my plotting, and characters' histories and backgrounds down to a "gnat's eyelash" so to speak. In historical fiction, there are many events, though historically accurate, a young reader is not equipped to process. I address this in the note from the author, and the Q and A at the end of the novel.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">🤠👢👩💝</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">As for romantic fiction, I still research career backgrounds, (my setting are towns/states I'm familiar with (residing or numerous vacations in the area). In the past, I interviewed my characters and kept detailed notes about family histories, etc. I no longer do this before writing my stories. Why because halfway through the book, my characters defined a different pathway--which led to revisions. I detest plot revisions three-quarters through a 60,000-word novel 😭.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">So, now I've become what is defined as a Panster: W-plot outline, scribbled notes about my characters, a title, and away I go.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">㊙🔎😮📂</span></b></p><p><b style="color: red; font-family: "Architects Daughter";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Secrets and mysterious background.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">Don't you love secrets/hinted-at but not revealed mysterious background? I know I do.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">Everyone has a chapter in his/her life they'd like to keep hidden. Or it may be a secret that would blow the socks off a person. Double O-7's life sounds romantic and exciting until you <i>really</i> think about what he does for a living.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">A cowboy, rancher, or banker may see run-of-the-mill-boring until you discover a past event that defined him as a man of honor and courage; or an act of sacrifice and kindness that makes you weep.</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>Visit my Round Robin band of authors, they have great stories to share!</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>Happy Reading, everyone</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: large;"><b>XOXO</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Skye Taylor <a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</a></span></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Diane Bator<a href=" http://dbator.blogspot.ca/"> http://dbator.blogspot.ca/</a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Dr. Bob: <a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/?p=10492">https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/?p=10492</a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">A.J. Maguire <a href="http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/">http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/</a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;">Robin Courtright </span></b><a href="https://www.rhobincourtright.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;"><b>https://www.rhobincourtright.com/</b></span><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial;"></span></b></a></p><p><br /></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1Palm Springs, CA, USA33.8302961 -116.54529215.5200622638211527 -151.70154209999998 62.140529936178844 -81.3890421tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-83834315491731304792022-08-30T01:30:00.008-07:002022-08-30T01:30:00.262-07:00Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: It's Never too Early for Brownies! By Connie Vines #Brownies, Brownies for pennies, #Connie's Kitchen, #connievines-author.com, #BWL Publishing Inc, #BWLAutorInstider Blog<p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: x-large;"><b>We are all budget conscious right now. With a box of brownie mix upwards of $4.00, it makes "cents" to keep a Ziploc storage bag containing your "homemade" dry mix in the pantry.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Dry ingredients:</b></span>:</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1 cup sugar</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2 cup flour</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3 cup cocoa</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LCp_hssffctZfer-Dr90Hdibvo3h8-tO6_3oEMHa8d1r-fbdOgxljvWd0095mPOxkRjPpiJnlnEYZGpl-ngaNNLfZZjJ2qXD8nWl12Ii5jOIuIHqm19yJVSA671U2GEtRLpG2snu3itSBf8C-MhleppyW64_VVGooWz7YbJL_Jt6nakf7APm2LW_/s432/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LCp_hssffctZfer-Dr90Hdibvo3h8-tO6_3oEMHa8d1r-fbdOgxljvWd0095mPOxkRjPpiJnlnEYZGpl-ngaNNLfZZjJ2qXD8nWl12Ii5jOIuIHqm19yJVSA671U2GEtRLpG2snu3itSBf8C-MhleppyW64_VVGooWz7YbJL_Jt6nakf7APm2LW_/w200-h200/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4 teaspoon baking powder</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Spoon into a large Ziplock bag /or other air-resistant containers</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Store in your pantry until needed. </span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">What you will need to add to your dry mix before baking:</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">2 eggs</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes / 176 degrees Celsius<br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>The temperature may vary depending on the type of pan (nonstick/glass/aluminum)</b></span></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1jCAOuZGi17EDx1jqoiV9hqCqZnhemimyXchJEh-nMg7cXdz5zKRj0J_n3ApTHsQsxeqgVL3EmN26CsxU-A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;">I always have a few candies/ marshmallows/ broken cookies/ or other items (like pretzels that can be broken into small pieces) and added to a dessert to provide a crust/crunch/or a decorative topping<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: xx-large;">😍</span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Often asked questions:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><div style="font-weight: bold;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #660000;">How do you make brownies chewier?</span></li></ul></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Substituting melted unsalted butter for the oil recipe will make for a richer and chewier brownie as well. Just melt the butter and use it instead of the oil to get a rich and chewy brownie.</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: #660000;">What happens when you add marshmallows to brownie batter?</span></b></li></ul></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b>The brownies are fudgy, and the marshmallows are gooey, and even more indulgent. If you like brownies and marshmallows, you'll be making this dessert every time you want something sweet. </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: #660000;">How do you make brownies better?</span></b></li></ul></div><div><b>Use milk instead of water. Milk contains more fat and flavor than water so the brownies are even more moist, gooey, and delicious.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #660000;">Can I add chocolate chips to my brownie batter?</span></li></ul></div><div style="font-weight: bold;">Definitely! Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of add-ins. Such as chopped nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mint pieces, caramel bits, Reese's pieces, Toffee pieces, flaked coconut, etc.</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #660000;">Or Swirl in Some Good Stuff to make your brownies stand out</span></li></ul></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b>A dollop of cream cheese, fruit jam, pumpkin🎃 puree, peanut butter, or caramel over brownie batter. Spoon it into the pan, then cut through the batter to create this wow-worthy effect. Your dessert will be prettier and tastier for your effort.😋</b></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Let your imagination guide you. Pinching pennies doesn't mean you can't make a healthy meal or a delicious dessert.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b>May your kitchen be filled with<span> </span><span style="color: #783f04;">Gingerbread Hugs</span><span> </span>and<span> </span><span style="color: red;">Peppermint Kisses,</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><p><b style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b></p><div><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connie</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: large;"><b>XOXO</b></span></div><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0VPCH+WX San Diego, CA, USA32.8722679 -117.270044532.84342991053316 -117.30437677539062 32.901105889466834 -117.23571222460937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-37802264600514106942022-08-26T21:30:00.007-07:002022-08-26T22:46:51.375-07:00How Do You Create Characters? Are you an Instinctive Writer or Not? By Connie Vines #RR, #Round Robin, #Creating Characters?<p> </p><div><p style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fb5e53; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0DlrLh4P-hyxiLgjSKjwMjk4C3FCm49kFj0J1ROjCEdPFdyz-f1dvC_f6ckzk28oIMOAA-AQgFfx9sRNdJq60iDm3Py4cSFUovFT1pyTzxU7_iisVOKkxCaqYgwLqccqTubA7Sizzz-F86IDvNWqBQI81x6Tutj2RPlXAEQuYZo7_rVYAowwUnt-/s375/roundrobin.png" style="clear: right; color: #2198a6; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0DlrLh4P-hyxiLgjSKjwMjk4C3FCm49kFj0J1ROjCEdPFdyz-f1dvC_f6ckzk28oIMOAA-AQgFfx9sRNdJq60iDm3Py4cSFUovFT1pyTzxU7_iisVOKkxCaqYgwLqccqTubA7Sizzz-F86IDvNWqBQI81x6Tutj2RPlXAEQuYZo7_rVYAowwUnt-/w200-h200/roundrobin.png" style="border: none; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></b></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Round Robin August topic:</b></span> </span></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;"> </span><b style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></b><p style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">How do you create your characters--their quirks, habits, values, and what part they will play in the story, etc.? Do you have a process, or do they come to you instinctively?</span></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister";"> </span></b><b style="font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister";"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thank you, Rhobin, for this month's topic</span><span style="color: #666666;"> 📓</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">💭👩</span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Over time, my writing process has evolved.</b> When I first began writing, I published magazine articles, educational materials, and nonfiction. All relied heavily on research, hands-on, and often extensive on-site impressions (visiting a Reservation, historical archive, or site, speaking with those who lived the life, so to speak). This resulted in 3 - 5 years of research for my YA/MG novels.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">I had also published in romantic fiction during this time. My first contemporary romance was published by Kensington/Zebra (under a pseudonym) 💎 Precious Gems imprint.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">When I accepted a part-time position as an acquisitions editor 👩for an </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">e-book publisher (during the infancy of this market) and a part-time job in public education 👦👧🏫🚌 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I realized my writing had become instinctive. I no longer <i>interviewed my characters</i>. I simply <i>knew them</i> and heard snippets of dialogue in my head. Of course, plot/pacing/goals/conflict were left-brain skills and can never be ignored :-)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Quirks! I adore character quirks.</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Now habits are often defined by the position held in life, the physical environment in which one is raised, and personal likes/dislikes. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A rodeo bull rider's habits 🐴🐮 will differ significantly from a corporate executive's 🗽✈. Of course, there may be someone who grew up on a spread in Montana who had a burning desire to work on Wall Street...but what are the odds? </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">But quirks are so much fun to discover. So unexpected.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">💭Do these quirks come from the writer? Or the character of the story?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><u>Likes and dislikes, I believe, come subconsciously from the author.</u></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Do I have research to substantiate this assumption? No.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">I do not like mint ice cream. To me, it tastes like toothpaste 😬 . However, when I was expecting my first child, I ate mint ice cream<b> daily</b> as part of my lunch. 🍨🍦 So, if my heroine was expecting, she<i> might </i>eat mint ice cream. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">I love coffee; my characters seem to love coffee ☕ and animals, too. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;">Personality Quirks</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">high levels of enthusiasm</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">likes to be the center of attention</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">makes assumptions about others’ motives</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">tendency to react emotionally</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">tendency to respond objectively</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">tendency to take things personally</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">tenderhearted nature</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">tends to be argumentative just for the sake of arguing</span></p><h2 style="--tw-border-opacity: 1; --tw-ring-color: rgba(33, 150, 243, 0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty, ); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; border-color: rgba(163, 178, 186, var(--tw-border-opacity)); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.75rem; margin: 2.1875rem 0px 1.5625rem; padding: 0px 0px 0.625rem;"><span color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588235294118)" face="Helvetica Neue, -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Behavioral Quirks</span></h2><div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">always wants to sit facing the door</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">bites lip when thinking or trying to remember something</div><div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">uses air quotes when talking</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">very distinctive laugh noises</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">whistles the tune to songs</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>Quirks Related to Eating and Drinking</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">always orders the same food in a restaurant</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">brings snacks everywhere</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">counts the number of chews before swallowing</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">drinks coffee or tea very frequently</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">eats while driving the car</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">Well, you get the picture</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;">.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #25e5df; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">My (Daily) fan club members:</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div></div><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyvbsnBL_uqR5S5Qc7h3TrTFmnsjhTlvGpqKvNDtKzI0DkCGRI5vfYjySDR0qoRK0SCbeUGk04676dchOIaXA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>I'm a night owl forcing myself to crawl out of bed at sunrise:</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzHW9k5N_XvJ42XuIRLwd-x2UkaXx_U1eXjpN-Tm356d90O0kl2Skitpu-GCRyAfLJfgVT4h08t9mKk7DNxbiiEDCPeYHdhBOJgfFzpVBdes40R-NN0zrhoR2lUEmhQcN6HAdQaMEp38m4wGT6uH9FR9e4cTdf476tkKZ8P7nYJ7prVr7CR5D7pH/s360/duncan%20pumpkin%20spice.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutzHW9k5N_XvJ42XuIRLwd-x2UkaXx_U1eXjpN-Tm356d90O0kl2Skitpu-GCRyAfLJfgVT4h08t9mKk7DNxbiiEDCPeYHdhBOJgfFzpVBdes40R-NN0zrhoR2lUEmhQcN6HAdQaMEp38m4wGT6uH9FR9e4cTdf476tkKZ8P7nYJ7prVr7CR5D7pH/s320/duncan%20pumpkin%20spice.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I erased the typo!<br />🎃🐓🌞⌚<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates";"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>Click on my <i>book covers </i>to make a purchase or on my website link to learn more about my novels!</b></span></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #444444; font-family: "Montserrat Alternates";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please visit these fabulous authors' websites. I'm confident they have delightful stories to share!</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></b></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #444444; font-family: "Montserrat Alternates";"> </b></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><b style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple";"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Reading,</span></b></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple";"> </b><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie</b></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple";"><span style="font-size: medium;">XOXO</span></b></p><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span><span><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Montserrat Alternates";"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Skye Taylor </span><a href="http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" face="Arial, sans-serif">http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea</span></a></span></div><p style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;"></p><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Connie Vines </span><a href="http://mizging.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://mizging.blogspot.com/</a></p><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;">Fiona McGier <a href="http://www.fionamcgier.com/">http://www.fionamcgier.com/</a></span></span><br /><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Anne Stenhouse </span><a href="http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0563c1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com</a><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Dr. Bob Rich <a href="https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2022/08/hatching-people/"><span style="color: #2198a6;">https://</span>bobrich18.wordpress.com/2022/08/hatching-people/</a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Rhobin Courtright <a href="https://www.rhobincourtright.com/">https://www.rhobincourtright.com/</a></span></p></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><p class="yiv3832106100MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; line-height: 15.4px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><br /></p></li></ul></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com4Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-8307491338088863302022-08-23T01:30:00.002-07:002022-08-23T01:30:00.274-07:00Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: 5 Easy Crock Pot/ Instant Pot Dinners that are Easy on the Budget! By Connie Vines<p><br /></p><p><b style="color: red; font-family: "Nothing You Could Do";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's the saying?</span></b><b style="color: red; font-family: "Nothing You Could Do"; font-size: x-large;"> "Winner, Winner. Chicken Dinner!"</b></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: Nothing You Could Do; font-size: large;"><b>Five Family pleasing meals that are easy on the budget 😍🥰 and the family will love!</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcp-nyxu8VyRvh33aSnB6_h-5zpWe7GSnvQm9yEQTgXVtFkHvsd8nKt4PLpWJMmFG2vbt1jt51ACokegUUwKcJU3p8OHvjsTOkk3rcFMF7WT1gc_onNtCxYbbAJ28DKZ8sHEeedg1kKqKSf4mED3OT0WLtSqi4RUi8fpcUVyNdO_rH-ztiJbnyrR7/s320/BBQ%20chicken%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight from Connie's Kitchen🍽<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYcp-nyxu8VyRvh33aSnB6_h-5zpWe7GSnvQm9yEQTgXVtFkHvsd8nKt4PLpWJMmFG2vbt1jt51ACokegUUwKcJU3p8OHvjsTOkk3rcFMF7WT1gc_onNtCxYbbAJ28DKZ8sHEeedg1kKqKSf4mED3OT0WLtSqi4RUi8fpcUVyNdO_rH-ztiJbnyrR7/s640/BBQ%20chicken%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></b></a></div><p> <span style="font-family: Mountains of Christmas;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">BBQ Chicken :</span></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3-4 Chicken breasts/tenders</b> (boneless, skinless).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>16 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce</b> (whatever I have in the fridge).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1/4 cup brown sugar</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Put in the crock pot and chicken. Mix together ingredients. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Shred with a fork and serve on buns for yummy BBQ chicken sammies. Leave them whole and serve with some garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. For a twist during hot weather: serve as I did this week: french bread that had been buttered and toasted under the broiler, shred the chicken and add a side of broccoli. 😋 </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebw8AD8_x2OVRg-S6Tyrky3-orgowMgYcddyonm47QtgAtojRvhtmwahsb8xFHR0yolna1ftP3Wvh6C9tfz94s92mGot6ohUoRldtFEM13WFzZMRaGqyrcjjq-zzq-kT3-mb6SJAEBjEdiyw2aDx4j8tqRjYnrRGKV_5MhuNab7yn-c4RWhwZy5R/s432/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhebw8AD8_x2OVRg-S6Tyrky3-orgowMgYcddyonm47QtgAtojRvhtmwahsb8xFHR0yolna1ftP3Wvh6C9tfz94s92mGot6ohUoRldtFEM13WFzZMRaGqyrcjjq-zzq-kT3-mb6SJAEBjEdiyw2aDx4j8tqRjYnrRGKV_5MhuNab7yn-c4RWhwZy5R/w200-h200/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. Orange Chicken :</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3-4 Chicken breasts</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 cup BBQ sauce</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 cup Orange Marmalade</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1-2 tsp soy sauce (optional)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cut chicken into cubes and put it in the crock pot./Instant Pot Mix ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Serve this with a side of homemade fried rice and add a ton of veggies, or rice noodles/low-mein noodles and veggies! Beats takeout every time! 🍽</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. Creamy Ranch Chicken</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">3-4 <b>Chicken breasts</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 can Cream of Chicken (I prefer low-sodium)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 packet Ranch dressing mix</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 packet Italian seasoning packet</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 package of cream cheese (4 oz) </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mix together the cream of chicken soup, ranch, and Italian seasoning. Place chicken in the crock pot and pour mixture over. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Once done, shred with a fork and add the cream cheese to add thickness and make it creamy. Serve over egg noodles or rice.😋</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #e39a9a; font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. Salsa Chicken</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3-4 Chicken breasts</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 jar of salsa</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 can of black beans</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 can corn (Usually do not have canned corn and substitute frozen)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mix all ingredients together and put them in the crock pot. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Shred with a fork. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Serve over rice,🍚 use as filling for burritos 🌯🌯, or toss on top of lettuce for a fun taco salad 🥗.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;">5. Ranch Chicken Tacos</span></b></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3-4 Chicken breasts</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 can of chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 packet ranch mix</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1 packet of taco seasoning</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Put everything in the crockpot/Instant Pot and let it do its magic! Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Shred with a fork when done; serve in a taco shell with your favorite toppings! Super fun and easy for Taco Tuesday! 🌮🌮🌮🌮</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If there are leftovers, you will have a take-to-work lunch for tomorrow. 🚗🚌</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b></p><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #fb5e53; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><b>May your kitchen be filled with</b><span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Gingerbread Hugs</b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;"> </span><b>and</b><span style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Peppermint Kisses,</span></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div><div style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: x-large;">Connie</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div></span></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-41224744323224701682022-08-12T01:30:00.004-07:002022-08-12T01:30:00.243-07:00Friday Featured Author Interview: Spotlight on Eden Monroe By Connie Vines #Cowboy Romance, #BWLPublishing Inc, #Eden Monroe, #Writing, #Rodeo, #Romance<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Rock Salt; font-size: medium;"><b>Today's</b></span></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large;"> Spotlight Interview is with the author Eden Monroe.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMrSQvQyspPgqQSWTHrCpuYZwOEmn3Qw8PHVOAT1fDdgGTG3mZDOcT4iyEnKxfRk5qvr86bwSwXqDJLupWFDF-S_L7k7tbBdRl-pyJ8rBpDA9lNMAZd7ww43A4ywpzWM0ms5ya32w39jHUyn6Jn-HWZMmKD0xqAQevj07SgoMGoUj0EikTo9uFA_U/s320/thumbnail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="320" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMrSQvQyspPgqQSWTHrCpuYZwOEmn3Qw8PHVOAT1fDdgGTG3mZDOcT4iyEnKxfRk5qvr86bwSwXqDJLupWFDF-S_L7k7tbBdRl-pyJ8rBpDA9lNMAZd7ww43A4ywpzWM0ms5ya32w39jHUyn6Jn-HWZMmKD0xqAQevj07SgoMGoUj0EikTo9uFA_U/w200-h195/thumbnail.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Welcome to Dishin' It Out! </span></span></b><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large;"> </b></span></p><p style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-weight: bold;">Connie: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Montserrat Alternates";"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eden,</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;"><b>please tell </b></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium;"> us about your upcoming release from </span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">BWL Publishing Inc.</span> (Books We Love) </span></span></span></b></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Eden</span>::</b></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Montserrat Alternates"; font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span style="color: #783f04;">Sidelined</span></i><span style="color: #666666;"> is a romantic suspense about a champion bull rider, Tate McQuaid, who was forced out of the sport following a spectacular wreck. Tough, sexy, and daring, Tate is a fan favorite. 👢 </span></b></span></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red;"> <span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Connie:</span></span></span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">. <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">What was the inspiration for this story? </span></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT15JtNseNFwQnZ1NEACTCyPpk_6bYbwWtVEetNT-TNzRezwaUwfg6A8g40mjTsekCqXQp7RvP2oIvyuXnPiO4A9bIN8Nszd3Bt47tvnuGPYMuxot8zDovR8R61ePS3ILiV-qIi3sdl6DK44kXR-AGQCkkdUVT0CdDxRR5dJgNnKUwPKh3Qvfwnfoh/s501/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="501" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT15JtNseNFwQnZ1NEACTCyPpk_6bYbwWtVEetNT-TNzRezwaUwfg6A8g40mjTsekCqXQp7RvP2oIvyuXnPiO4A9bIN8Nszd3Bt47tvnuGPYMuxot8zDovR8R61ePS3ILiV-qIi3sdl6DK44kXR-AGQCkkdUVT0CdDxRR5dJgNnKUwPKh3Qvfwnfoh/w200-h200/download.png" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">While traveling around the Mediterranean, I fell in love with the old Venetian harbor of Chania, a city on the north coast of Crete, reputed to be the oldest site of western civilization in Europe. What a setting for fiction! What plots might have unfolded here, given the island's fascinating history? Why not a contemporary one?</span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Inspired by ubiquitous mythical signage, but especially by Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet and John Fowles' The Magus, novels I was reading at the time, I began sketching out believable characters of varying backgrounds, foremost among whom, Steven Spire, a young ex-pat as narrator and central character of artistic temperament in need of purpose. Bar and café conversations led to hints of foreign intrigue. Ancient ruins gave way to Nazi runes. Crooked laneways led to mountain retreats and buried secrets. Hydra-headed truth demanded a place on the table along with the ouzo and artichoke hearts. And love, naturally, raised all expectations with the birth, mirroring Aphrodite's rise from the sea, of Magalee De Bellefeuille.</span></b></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is your best virtue as an author? </span></span></b></span></p><div><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><b style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">D</b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><b>iscipline maybe, paired with a vivid imagination. I love to daydream</b>.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /></div><div><b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> <b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie: </span></span></b></span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>What is your most quirky habit?</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden:: </b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Lately, it's nonstop Gunsmoke, all 20 seasons. Loving the "Matt and Kitty drama." </span></b></span><b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 🐴⭐🤠</span></b></span></div><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie: </span></span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>What is your favorite quality in a protagonist? Why?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b></span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>An upfront, ballsy, take charge kind of guy because that's what I would be attracted to.</b></span></p><div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /></div><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is your favorite quality in an antagonist? Why? </span></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden:</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">I don't place any limits on my antagonists. I let them be as outrageous as they want to be and enjoy the ride.</span></b></span></p><p style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"> </b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you have this novel's favorite paragraph/line of dialogue?</span></b></p><div style="background-color: white;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Y</b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">es, this between Tate and his ex-father-in-law, Briden Hatcher:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">"And don't you try me," he said, taking a step toward Briden, who stepped back reflexively. "I'm not a scrawny seventeen-year-old anymore, in case you haven't noticed. So I'll get off your precious property, but you keep your nose out of my life, and you so much as point a gun in my direction, you'd better be ready to pull the trigger because if I get past it, you won't be very happy."</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who would it be if you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters? </span></b></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><b style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">I'd</b><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"> have to say Chloe from <i>Dare to Inherit.</i> She was funny and gutsy and enjoyed being who she was.</span></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?</span></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;"><b>Twenty-one (four in line for future publication dates). My favorite is Book Two of the Emerald Valley Ranch series, <i>Storms in the Valley.</i> Still waters run deep, and I loved taking Martin Parker to his absolute limit.</b></span></span></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Homemade Apple";">Connie:</span><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"> </span></span></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? </span></b></p><p><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Eden: </b><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates; font-size: medium;">I love everything about storytelling, and the fact that I get to share it with you, my readers, is definitely the icing on the cake. Thank you so much for your support.</span></b></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>BLURB:</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>In eight seconds, Tate McQuaid's rodeo career was over. A superstar in one of the most dangerous extreme sports on the planet, his journey back begins after waking up from a coma.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>There's a lot to be made right from his reckless lifestyle, both inside and outside of the arena, and that includes reconciling with his ex-wife, Erica, although she's now married to another man and wants nothing more to do with him.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Never afraid of a challenge, he intends to win her back despite the odds stacked against him. But Tate doesn't know any other way than to saddle up and tackle whatever needs tackling, head on, and hope he's still standing when the dust settles.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUs1O5q4Vcc3PDZOx8DHhB_RWRPuZV0FjdITCJzqy3Wq-54BA-SaH9OowOoXv1pXwPbT246s5DauEMIuQfdUiXPrC5Ofo6i5LIEnOXXZ9o5rmeQxz1-wVPcedebxwu_n8wd7OTfWIWQkaYnFPvDCf3QyT1uS3l6zgr0fouo-4vNd-7pIWvH057vV2/s640/Monroe%20banner(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="640" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUs1O5q4Vcc3PDZOx8DHhB_RWRPuZV0FjdITCJzqy3Wq-54BA-SaH9OowOoXv1pXwPbT246s5DauEMIuQfdUiXPrC5Ofo6i5LIEnOXXZ9o5rmeQxz1-wVPcedebxwu_n8wd7OTfWIWQkaYnFPvDCf3QyT1uS3l6zgr0fouo-4vNd-7pIWvH057vV2/w200-h117/Monroe%20banner(1).png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Love Ya Like A Sister"; font-size: x-large;">Current Release:</b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_4rTAX9aMnZi0ETt9jY6BXnIGGk5PznQdNRK5gQhYJYDOh-pZs7XcRDx341nN9KWr9NpTtmTVnYF8Az73VQGQ40IgclbKgcNpIZrG5cm3JmVu4zVbiN6b7WoVbaMdjEjJA9iZRmF_jGDf-BNJCP07ea9S7C5DV0bzrc6qcyxW53Co29ScF-vGuA8/s640/sidelinedl%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_4rTAX9aMnZi0ETt9jY6BXnIGGk5PznQdNRK5gQhYJYDOh-pZs7XcRDx341nN9KWr9NpTtmTVnYF8Az73VQGQ40IgclbKgcNpIZrG5cm3JmVu4zVbiN6b7WoVbaMdjEjJA9iZRmF_jGDf-BNJCP07ea9S7C5DV0bzrc6qcyxW53Co29ScF-vGuA8/w266-h400/sidelinedl%20(1).png" width="266" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Website/social media sites to discover more about Eden Monroe:</b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.edenmonroeauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.edenmonroeauthor.com/</span></b></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ebook.com/AuthorEdenMonroe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">ebook.com/AuthorEdenMonroe/</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Buying points:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://books2read.com/Sidelined-Monroe" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://books2read.com/Sidelined-Monroe</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">Eden, thank you for sharing your writing 💻life with us 😀 today.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;">I can't wait to read your newest release! (I love those rough-and-tumble cowboys).</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Montserrat Alternates;"><br /></span></b></div><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: large;">Happy Reading, and thank you for stopping by!</b></p><div style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple";"><span style="font-size: large;">Connie</span></span></b></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: medium;"><b>XOXO</b></span></div></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-10616734184006962272022-08-09T01:00:00.002-07:002022-08-09T01:00:00.281-07:00Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal By Connie Vines #Overnight Breakfast, #InstaPot, #CrockPot, #Healthy Breakfast, #Take to Work Meal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Love Ya Like A Sister;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">Does Chaos Rule Your Morning?</span></b></span></h2><h3 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_2u8SkTJ4M4SybWniM2cDyWPsdHwZlZUzQUOLmQCUNIj5iARoOJjNzw14vFpoOABz4LSXEL--n-Y7BxGisw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKThJvYXTuDQOH9_4qBmsYXWxWfVEA91eYjSPshC-RLNcUtK-xjkqz_wn8pkMKsPxcXhWM1muG2Q-b3nV9DuthJ95rH1p6x8TvOEBL6-u81t9nAM2aF0Jojcye4zejb7iCf8S0vh6JvDkdiwLY6nt1mbZWlJPtO5AuOnjiYzmXp8nHKnHy7z6lrWBf/s432/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKThJvYXTuDQOH9_4qBmsYXWxWfVEA91eYjSPshC-RLNcUtK-xjkqz_wn8pkMKsPxcXhWM1muG2Q-b3nV9DuthJ95rH1p6x8TvOEBL6-u81t9nAM2aF0Jojcye4zejb7iCf8S0vh6JvDkdiwLY6nt1mbZWlJPtO5AuOnjiYzmXp8nHKnHy7z6lrWBf/w200-h200/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgqTqY2_mHSn7QdgSobnzm_0m9GTSwVG3sB4vETB8OvX9w1B_6iyPxgNKERhD2P3hxdM_gdHTD6Yi-lyvxhw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><b>Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><b>is my go-to Breakfast solution!</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>2 cups of steel-cut oatmeal (store brand is fine).</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>7 cups of water or (3 cups milk + 4 cups water). Vegan milk is acceptable using the same ratio. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/4 cup brown sugar.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>If using an <u>InstaPot,</u> spray PAM or rub the bottom of the pot with butter to prevent sticking.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>For traditional <u>Crockpot</u>, line with foil.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>Mix the ingredients after adding to InstaPot/Crockpot.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b>Temp. and time: </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>InstaPot: Medium setting, for 6 - 8 hours.; 3 - 4 on HIgh.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>Crockpot: Low setting, 6 - 8 hours.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b><u>After Cooking:</u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>You may add any of the following: 1 - 2 scoops of Protein Powder, 1 cup of plain Yogurt, nuts, or fruit as toppings.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>I will add vanilla extract, almond extract (If I plan to top with peaches), and spices during the holidays/seasons.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>Examples: Gingerbread 🎄spices, Pumpkin Spice 🎃, etc.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>Store in a sealed container for 5 days in the refrigerator; up to 3 months in the freezer. Simply add additional water/milk and reheat in the microwave.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>Calories: 210 (plain), 9 g. of fiber, 6 g. carbs., 2 g. protein. 😋</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: "Mountains of Christmas"; font-size: x-large;">May your kitchen be filled with<span> </span><span style="color: #783f04;">Gingerbread Hugs</span><span> </span>and<span> </span><span style="color: red;">Peppermint Kisses,</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><p><b style="background-color: #fb5e53; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></b></p><div><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: x-large;">Connie</span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: medium;">XOXO</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51I2t2UCxDEb80e1YhHl7kcCbLrHmtz_fGesPUNHkJYAh-orRQxq7zNo8f-GXkepZZQ7cvzTnep5Mi3KmYbqgooZjM2vRRJ3gj19-5l7uLSLIVMUZ_QlkCZ8-tGiH72wl7L3DZZ60enReqbjzgNm-RUkZgZCpEZDwnvhDbf-dzDRsmb3xo7_n5tkz/s427/Instant%20Pot%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51I2t2UCxDEb80e1YhHl7kcCbLrHmtz_fGesPUNHkJYAh-orRQxq7zNo8f-GXkepZZQ7cvzTnep5Mi3KmYbqgooZjM2vRRJ3gj19-5l7uLSLIVMUZ_QlkCZ8-tGiH72wl7L3DZZ60enReqbjzgNm-RUkZgZCpEZDwnvhDbf-dzDRsmb3xo7_n5tkz/w240-h320/Instant%20Pot%20(2).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 😋 Overnight was too long a wait 😋<br /> 7:00 AM in the Instant Pot and ready for Brunch!! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915423025917785375.post-84912336049025691892022-08-02T01:30:00.034-07:002022-08-02T01:30:00.235-07:00Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: Zucchini Onion Quiche By Connie Vines #Zucchini Onion Quiche, #Connie's Tuesday Kitchen<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZkrcjfRBLe3_wX1XfacZEYl32G0X-1F--etCBkW2gn2BHYe9rh-_II-Ga7WnPQvCwonvxevM5IWs099Kqznteu1OS648s-K8BAT_DqtfUeeheHEuZWNy4ALnGWbPA3HsLi9nGyxPHMO9xQsHR7MFwae8fwKeGoGhwGFTR7e4h2r8hPlBlthBYe9K/s432/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZkrcjfRBLe3_wX1XfacZEYl32G0X-1F--etCBkW2gn2BHYe9rh-_II-Ga7WnPQvCwonvxevM5IWs099Kqznteu1OS648s-K8BAT_DqtfUeeheHEuZWNy4ALnGWbPA3HsLi9nGyxPHMO9xQsHR7MFwae8fwKeGoGhwGFTR7e4h2r8hPlBlthBYe9K/w200-h200/8fabcd137f8ed18038ca386c52329add--sewing-aprons-baking-quotes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAYGcdJO8R-sIBkUa36VZpSQf8jGfqVkkNH3nk1W9E697dkdNICozXH0AdEbaxiRWjycgWZ2bEwYatKRDqUFAXde9A6kTL-vQioFCoiHYcB1Z5e4aF-8eqxtBzdlovl1UVzHcII775O3JEmjZlI74kQR9YKwwo5DTP2viP2gD7yOV8nqkwhC_H2m0/s480/thumbnail%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="480" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAYGcdJO8R-sIBkUa36VZpSQf8jGfqVkkNH3nk1W9E697dkdNICozXH0AdEbaxiRWjycgWZ2bEwYatKRDqUFAXde9A6kTL-vQioFCoiHYcB1Z5e4aF-8eqxtBzdlovl1UVzHcII775O3JEmjZlI74kQR9YKwwo5DTP2viP2gD7yOV8nqkwhC_H2m0/s320/thumbnail%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie's Zucchini Onion Quiche<br />Hot from the oven <br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>3 cups zucchini (thinly sliced or shredded unpeeled)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 cup grated cheese (your choice)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1 cup Bisquick (Omit for gluten-free)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 cup chopped onion</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 tsp. oregano</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>2 tsp. Chopped fresh parsley</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 tsp. Seasoned salt (optional)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1 clove of minced garlic</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>1/2 cup oil (I sub low-fat milk)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>4 beaten eggs</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b>(cooked and crumbled bacon/sausage may also be added.)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi-o-OxRrVGxQLaTyfwOYUL1q9ITUA4sSI3mlxaYUxVeEYYSgTE6towI4CKdO12eZ5QToO64We3Nb0hz8tohhOBZmJpmGS-Gs3rPuXKAgdm4n0KXNmaB8wzgst7e9e5yNbV7izNDD6ufZRlyTZaEd22v_EJx89D1V2oxifURqdeln3B10vl2BgWXT/s640/thumbnail%20(21).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi-o-OxRrVGxQLaTyfwOYUL1q9ITUA4sSI3mlxaYUxVeEYYSgTE6towI4CKdO12eZ5QToO64We3Nb0hz8tohhOBZmJpmGS-Gs3rPuXKAgdm4n0KXNmaB8wzgst7e9e5yNbV7izNDD6ufZRlyTZaEd22v_EJx89D1V2oxifURqdeln3B10vl2BgWXT/s320/thumbnail%20(21).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I place my pie pan on a baking sheet.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Instructions:</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 350°.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Mix all ingredients. Bake in a 13x9 greased dish for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. (I prefer a deep dish pie pan). For gluten-free, line with parchment paper and omit the Bisquick mix.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;">Notes:</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Cooking times may vary depending on ovens, so test doneness before stated cooking times.</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Baked Zucchini Onion Quiche</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Amount per Serving</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Calories</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">265</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;">Leftovers may be frozen and warmed up in the microwave 😋</div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Quicksand; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqcn57ZJ4PXqitTTEL-tCidoNZh-eWXE27iOzN44e0ZclJsynUdDvmge7ahWm6YVtAfxouKWDkSYkEizGj8Vd_x1Ptf8r9-Loghky9p0-s0jp6uLGETRP8B68LNNYSTkNuGaj-XaJHRkTCLiWQowCdxmGbSgwurl49TRdyJk0_3kemmtnDulKkhrK/s640/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqcn57ZJ4PXqitTTEL-tCidoNZh-eWXE27iOzN44e0ZclJsynUdDvmge7ahWm6YVtAfxouKWDkSYkEizGj8Vd_x1Ptf8r9-Loghky9p0-s0jp6uLGETRP8B68LNNYSTkNuGaj-XaJHRkTCLiWQowCdxmGbSgwurl49TRdyJk0_3kemmtnDulKkhrK/s320/thumbnail.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Mountains of Christmas; font-size: x-large;">May your kitchen be filled with <span style="color: #783f04;">Gingerbread Hugs</span> and <span style="color: red;">Peppermint Kisses,</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: x-large;">Connie</span></div><div style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: large;"><br /></div></b></div><p></p>Connie Vineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835205487088200480noreply@blogger.com0Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA34.106398899999988 -117.59310845.7961650638211424 -152.7493584 62.416632736178833 -82.4368584