Sunday Snippet “Gumbo Ya Ya” (Soon to be Released) by Connie Vines

September 2017 is the release date of my anthology, Gumbo Ya Ya, by my publisher BWL Publishing.  And, as always, BWL’s art director, Michelle Houston, has designed a spectacular book cover for  me—with just enough heat to pepper every woman Gumbo!

Here’s a little teaser from, “A Slice of Scandal”, the third story in my Cajun anthology!


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

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

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

When the chef stood on his mark, Julia said, “Cue the music.  Okay, Two, scan the audience. Back to Franklin.”

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

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

Julia heard the studio audience applause.

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

The studio audience uttered a collective sigh.

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

From her left, she heard J.D. groan.  “Julia, Franklin’s spitting out the pie!  Harvey’s gonna boil all of our carcasses in the stock pot for--”

Julia hopped down from the camera and took off at a full run toward Franklin, the sound of clanging pots and pans crashing to the floor barely registering.

Gone was the applause.  People jumped to their feet.  People screamed.

“He’s on the floor!” J.D. bellowed.

Julia could see that!  Kneeling down beside Franklin, her fingers felt a faint pulse. “J.D. call the medics!  Franklin must be having a heart attack.”  


I hope you enjoyed this little snippet from my next release.
More anthology snippets to come!

Happy Reading,

Connie

What is a Writer's Natural Temperament? by Connie Vines

What is a writer’s ‘natural’ temperament? 

An image  of a novelist as a melancholy, moody artists who dons black as penning books during fits of insomnia or alcoholic inspiration pervades much of our society’s view of writers. No doubt some writers are like this, and the fact that some of the most famous were – the existentialists and the beat writers typically wore black while Hemingway drank continuously – has no doubt contributed to the stereotype that writers are restless and unhappy. 

Unfortunately, this also has led many budding novelists to believe that they can’t be successful unless in a state of “discontent.” 

If there is an overarching temperament that is important to all fiction writers, curiosity about life and others arguably is paramount. Should that curiosity lead to discontent and anxiousness, then the author can write the kind of stuff of that discontented writers like to read. Hopefully that curiosity instead leads to a sense of self-improvement and love of craft so that one can master – or even influence – the genre that you write in.

I have found the best writers aren’t necessarily the smartest, the smoothest, or those with the biggest vocabulary. The best writers are those that possess an unforgettable personality.

A writing personality is just as real, unique, and nuanced as your personality in everyday life -- except you only release it when you create content. And if you can create content that brims with personality, I guarantee that people will love reading it. They’ll come back to it again and again. They will share it.

Your personality becomes your authentic signature, a trademark that appeals to your target audience. Not to mention, it'll serve as a source of incredible brand power and potential. 

1) Embrace your (writing) personality.

The problem with a writing personality is that most people don’t realize that they should have one. Instead, they try to follow the rules and regulations handed down to them by a well-meaning 10th-grade composition teacher. Or, if they do realize the importance of a writing personality, they try to mimic someone else’s personality.

You have to discover and shape your own personality in your writing. It takes time and effort, but it’s possible. Each of these tips will help you do just that.

2) Pick a focus and stick to it.

To have a consistent writing personality, you need to start by having a consistent area of focus. This can be something broad like marketing or more specific like social media. The important thing is that you're not all over the place. 

Food blogger Ree Drummond is a great example of a writer who has a clear topic. She could write about anything and do a darn good job, however, she uses her writing personality to focus on one topic, and one topic only.

 Break grammar rules.

Some people are inveterate rule breakers. And that’s okay. While we don't recommend you throw grammar out the window, breaking a rule every once and a while can serve as a great way to amp up your personality.

What kind of grammar rules should you break? It depends. Here are some common ones:

Sentence fragments: “Seriously. I mean, people, really.”
Punctuation: “I. Just. Can’t. Even.”
Starting sentences with conjunctions: “But I’m okay with that.”
Using “like”: “It’s not like you’ve sinned.”
Using a preposition at the end of a sentence: “You’ve got to get your traffic up!”
Again, be careful with rule-breaking. If you’re frivolous with your grammar, people may start to suspect your intelligence rather than respect your personality.

Get to know your audience better.

The principal group of people who should shape your personality is your audience.

Why? Because they are the ones consuming, accessing, and subscribing to it. Make sure that your personality does not cross their boundaries of proprietary, offend their sensibilities, or rub them the wrong way.

5) Highlight a personality trait that you have in real life.

Your writing personality isn’t exactly the same as your real life personality. Writing and in-person interactions are intrinsically different. However, there is usually some overlap.

If you’re known as a smart and serious individual in person, then your writing can convey that. If people know you as “the funny guy,” then let your humor shine through in your writing.

It’s your personality. Own it.

6) Talk about yourself on your blog posts.

To truly own your personality, you have to talk about yourself. Many successful bloggers and writers aren’t afraid of using “I,” “me,” and “my.” It’s not self-centered. It’s just a natural way of communicating.

7) Write like you talk.

Writing like you talk is generally a good idea. Obviously, you want to cut out useless filler words. “Um” and “uh” aren’t necessary in writing.

At the same time, your style of speech is a mark of your personality. If you’re sarcastic, gentle, incisive, crude, bombastic, or use outrageous expressions, shake a little bit of this into your writing.

8) Stay organized in your blogging and the writing of your novels.

Don’t allow your personality, whatever it is, to throw off your organization.Good writing is inherently organized. If you have a disorganized and scatterbrained  personality in real life, don’t try to import this into your writing. People don’t like to read scattered and disorganized content. Create an outline and stick to it.

10) Write in a way that you enjoy.

When you enjoy the way that you write, you know you’re hitting a personality stride.

11) Be authentic.

12) Commit to your style.

Once you get into the groove of your personality, don’t change it. Your audience expects you to be a certain way, write a certain way, and convey information in a certain way.

Ready to let your personality shine?

You are you, and your writing needs to have your fingerprints, timbre, voice, and personality all over it. Unleashing that personality in your writing starts with knowing it, owning it, and not being afraid to let it loose.

What’s your writing personality? How does this impact your writing?

Please visit the other members of today's Sunday Blog Hop!

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/

http://mizging.blogspot.com/

http://triciamg.blogspot.com/

http://connievines.blogspot.com/

Connie

Snippet Sunday - By Ginger Simpson

Chapter One
Sparta, Tennessee
1860

“Doggone men,” Roselle Fountain muttered under her breath. “By the time they get done with breakfast the cattle will have strayed all over the place.” Not in the mood for a heavy meal, she pushed away her empty plate.

No one at the table paid her any attention.

She’d awakened extra early to assure that the men didn’t leave without her. They were moving cattle to a new pasture today, branding some new arrivals, and she aimed to be part of the work team. Roselle refused to allow Tyler Bishop, the ranch foreman, to outshine her in her father’s eyes any longer.

He draped an arm over the back of his chair and said something that brought a chuckle from the men…including her pa.

Ellie’s jaw tensed.

The way Pa idolized Ty galled her, and she was bent on doing something to change it. But what?
She fidgeted in her chair, feeling invisible. Smoke hazed the air over the hired hands who puffed on rolled tobacco. She wrinkled her nose at the smell and glared down the long kitchen table at the men hunched over their coffee cups. She rolled her eyes in disbelief. They hung onto Ty’s every word. Some boss he was. Shouldn’t he be ordering everyone to work?

“Are ya’ll almost done?” She raised her voice to be heard.

“What’s your rush?” Ty drawled, not even turning to acknowledge her. “Keep yer britches on. We’ve got plenty of time.”

Ellie stewed at his dismissive attitude and grew tired of listening to the endless prattle. She grabbed the last piece of bacon and a biscuit from the nearest serving plate and left unnoticed through the back door.

On the porch, she paused to lick away the oily sheen left on her lips by the crispy piece of pork. Her disdain with Ty still rumbling in her belly, she finished the last bite of bread and gazed to the east.

For a moment, she forgot her anger. A brilliant variegation of oranges and reds stretched across the horizon and mirrored matching hues in the pond adjacent to the house.

She walked down the steps while eyeing the glassy pool, and feeling child-like, bent to pick up a small flat rock. With perfect pitch, she skimmed it across the water. The resulting ripples disturbed the sky’s reflected image and sent a flock of ducks scurrying up the far bank. Within seconds, the pond’s surface calmed, and the downy birds slipped back into their morning bath, as if nothing happened.

The sun peeked over the distant mountains and highlighted all the shades of green in the landscape. At that moment, Ellie held her breath and wondered what the rest of the world looked like. Certainly, Tennessee had to be the most beautiful place, even amidst all the rumblings of a possible war and the call for volunteers to form Confederate regiments.

What was it about men that made them want to fight?

She didn’t know much about government issues, but she’d listened to the men talk over supper about some

fellow called, Abe Lincoln—who vied for the presidential nomination. She wasn’t quite sure what they meant about his “rail-splitting” attitude, but some felt it contributed to the growing unrest in the south. A recent article in Pa’s weekly paper, written by a Mr. Horace Greeley, strongly suggested Mr. Lincoln would be a much better leader for the country than his rivals, Seward and Douglas.

Of course, she had no idea who they were or why they wouldn’t be suitable, but it didn’t matter what she thought anyhow. Such boring matters were better left to the men folk.

Pa usually picked up a newspaper each week, but Ellie steered clear of reading the depressing stories and bad news that filled it. She wondered why a person couldn’t find something good in the world to write about. Who wanted to read the graphic details about John Brown’s hanging for raiding a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry and giving the weapons to Negroes? She only knew about it because Pa choose to read that story aloud at the breakfast table, saying it was just one more thing made public to fuel the growing discontent about owning black folks.

When first hearing about the story, a horrid image seized her mind. That same mental picture returned and made her shiver again. Her hand flew to her throat, and she swallowed hard. What a horrid way to meet one’s end.

She walked to the water’s edge, pondering why one person should be allowed to own another. She thanked God that Pa, like most in the area, didn’t believe in slavery.

Plucking a cattail, Ellie shook it, and watched the compacted brown flowers come apart and sail away. It made her mindful that people should be just as free to drift wherever the wind blew them. Her gaze followed the last fluffy piece as it wafted to earth before she walked back toward the compound. Patience with nature came easy, but not with malingering ranch hands.

If you'd like to continue Ellie's story, you can find the book available on Amazon in both download and print.