Spooky Stories for the Season By Connie Vines #Halloween Stories, #Round Robin, #Here Today Zombie Tomorrow

👻💀🎃🍫

Thank you, Skye, for this month's topic.

As I've stated before, I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to frightening stories, movies, etc.

My contribution is a portion of a current release, Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow.

I realize I'm not adhering to the rules, but I did try...and failed miserably in writing a SCARY story.

Opening Scene 

“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."   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. 

Pippa waved the comment aside. “I'm glad you like it. We had such fun decorating. Of course, we couldn’t do it all at once, but it's more satisfying putting it together treasure by treasure."

Meredith glanced from Pippa’s impish features and short spiky black hair to the perimeter of the room.  Taking in every detail and nuance of Pippa’s decorating talent, she let her gaze rest on a collection of figurines by fantasy artist Jasmine Beckett-Griffith crouching at the top of the ebony-stained cabinets.  A black arch-top fireplace mounted against the wall, flames flowing from a bed of clear river stones, and HOME SWEET HOME embroidered on a sampler with a tiny vine of blood-red roses tangling through the letters completed the focal point of the room.  

Even though Meredith was on the best of terms with her sister, she couldn't help but feel a sharp nip of jealousy.  It hadn’t been so long ago that she’d had her own happy home.  Unfortunately, she’d filed for divorce from Viktor, and then there’d been that bizarre little accident where she’d ended up dead, and then undead. 

While Pippa’s two kids, Ethan and Emma, played in the living room, to the accompaniment of a 1960s rock-and-roll musical on cable TV, Meredith sat in the kitchen with her sister, fiddling with the end of the tea bag that dangled from the rim of her China cup.

Since her sister was contemplating the contents of a tin filled with Danish cookies, Meredith found herself cataloging the events that led up to her ‘accident’.

A charter member of the SoCal Arts Association, she’d been participating in the annual Zombie Walk Festival in Long Beach when it ‘happened’. Crowds always made her uncomfortable, but this particular event was to raise money, so she was obligated to attend.   And it only made sense; this year’s participation broke all past records.  

Twelve thousand gleeful ghouls stormed Long Beach’s renovated Promenade.  The crowd became so large that it spilled out over Pine Avenue for an all-out downtown invasion.  Meredith didn’t recall much about the accident, nor who or what reanimated her.  She remembered overhearing a security officer informing a pungent-smelling zombie that he couldn’t purchase an alcoholic beverage (apparently, he didn’t match the photo ID). Within moments, a shoving match between the two men ensued, quickly escalating into zombie chaos:  shouting, running, and chomping. 

Chomping?

At the time, Meredith thought it was all part of the festivities, perhaps a little odd and definitely crazy.  Just like the cornstarch-based zombie vomit and fake blood, everyone had globbed and smeared on themselves, but hey, it was an Arts event. Even after finding herself wedged in the center of the zombie mob, lunging and bumping along until they were in sight of the pier, Meredith wasn’t overly concerned.

In hindsight, she may have been highly concerned.  Because the next thing Meredith knew, she was in a zipped body bag, feeling entirely not like herself.

No.  She wasn’t going to dwell on the past.  Again. She’d just keep muddling on with her life and try to focus on the bright spots.

Pippa and her family were a definite bright spot in her life.

 “I wish you would let me help with dinner,” Meredith said, pulling herself back into the present.  “I feel guilty just sitting here doing nothing while you do all the work.”  Being a vegan, Meredith found her transition to zombie-hood particularly exigent.  Brains, human or otherwise, had never been on her menu—now, protein, in fowl or bovine form, was a requirement of her reanimated state.  Difficult though it was, she had to come to terms with the change.  After discovering an underground support group that met monthly in a banquet room of a coffee shop near the I-10, she was thankful she didn’t require human protein like most of the other Zombies.  However, she discovered that consuming tofu with herbal tea (her lunch before reanimation) had unfortunate and unexpected side effects.

Pippa, turning from the stove with the pecan pie captured between two oven mitts, shook her head.  “Meri don’t even think about helping me with the meal.  When Elvis’s mom and dad decided to take a paddleboat cruise up the Mississippi, I thought I wouldn't have anybody but my own offspring to fuss over on Thanksgiving Day.  You just sit there and relax."

 "I really appreciate the invitation," Meredith said, glancing out the window to catch a Monarch butterfly pick its way along a lipstick red hibiscus blossom.  "Cooking turkey for one just isn't my style."

Pippa did a double-take at Meredith’s statement, but didn’t comment.  Instead, she said, “You’re welcome to come for Christmas dinner too, you know."

"Thanks, Pippa, but Christmas is out.  I have to finish the new book by February, so I'm driving up to Forest Falls tomorrow.  I'll be staying there for a month or so."

"Christmas at the cabin," Pippa mused.  "That sounds nice.   Are you sure you want to be up there all by yourself?"

 "I’m not hiding,” Meredith replied.

 "I know.  You’re healing. . .” She left the words: and licking your wounds, unspoken.  “I just don't want you to be lonely." 

"I won't be,” Meredith reassured her.  “I'm taking Gertie with me."

Pippa laughed indulgently and shook her head.  "A hamster doesn't count."

"Don't say that when Gertie’s within earshot.  She follows me all around the house in her exercise ball.  We’re BFs."

 “Well, I'm glad you could join us for Thanksgiving," Pippa said.

            ***

As Meredith surveyed the beautifully decorated dinner table, irony struck right between her eyes.  A lot had happened in the six months or so (being reanimated unexpectedly), and then there were all the hidden expenses.  Body moisturizers, specialty make-up loaded with anti-decay properties, hydrating beverages, bimonthly injections—to keep the virus semi-dormant so that she didn’t partake in some zombie flash-mob; or worst, (morph into a Hannibal Lector type wearing red stilettos, roaming the suburbs).  While she still had a lot to be thankful for, it was difficult adjusting to the significant changes in her life.

Her career, however, was something Meredith gave her stamp of approval.  After seven years as a struggling advertising/blog writer, she’d finally gotten her big break!  Not only was The Isis Factor published, but it was also a huge success!

 There were book signings, press parties, interviews, and even an e-book launching cruise.  Not bad, for a girl who worked her way through college waiting tables and writing nonfiction articles on spec.

The Luxor Papers, published a few months later, had been an even greater success.  Who would have ever thought that Meredith Misso, author of quirky short stories and nonfiction articles, would've found her niche in the Steampunk market (Steampunk: Victorian science fiction/fantasy—circa 1850 to pre-World War I, often set in London, England)?

“I really wish you'd reconsider and spend Christmas with us,” Pippa said later.  As she and Meredith took turns rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher, they worked efficiently. “I like the thought of you all alone in that cabin during the holidays.”

Meredith smiled, touched by her sister’s concern.  Same-old Pippa. It was reassuring that one part of her life hadn’t changed.  “Don't worry about me,” Meredith told her, readjusting her thick plastic gloves. “I'll be just fine.  Being alone is what every writer hopes for—a writer’s mantra, in fact.  Without interruptions, I can finish the book and maybe even start the next one.”

“Glad to see you’ve lost none of your ambition,” Pippa remarked, fitting a casserole dish on the top rack of the dishwasher.  I can't even imagine wanting to work right up until Christmas.”

Meredith shrugged, feigning indifference.  "It's just a day like any other," she said.

"Have you thought about calling Viktor?"

"No way, Pippa,” she snapped, yanking off her plastic gloves and placing them on the edge of the sink. 

“Touched a raw nerve, did I?”

Meredith looked down at her manicured fingertips, a small, sad sigh escaping her pale lips.  “It's over.   The divorce will be final soon, and that will be that.  Hopefully, I'll never have to deal with Doctor Viktor again." 

"I always thought Viktor was kind of sweet.  You know, reserved, serious—“

“Arrogant,” Meredith added.

“Not to mention smart,” Pippa countered, with a wink.

"That's because you didn't have to live with him, Pippa.  Trust me, there's nothing more irritating than a guy who knows everything from who flew the first paper airplane to what Genghis Khan had for breakfast the day he invaded Transylvania!" (Yes, Genghis Khan really did invade Transylvania. Meredith triple checked.)

"He couldn’t—“

“Pip—“

“I guess he could be,” she backpeddled. “But he sure is good-looking." 

Meredith gave a nod of agreement.  There was no arguing there.  Viktor was the most attractive and, unquestionably, the sexiest man she’d ever known.

Pippa watched her sister’s expression soften as she gave Meredith a questioning look.  "So, who's vying to replace your professor?" 

"Nobody," Meredith answered emphatically.  "For the time being," she grinned, "and you can quote me on this. I'm done with men."

Pippa, with her natural talent for meddling, shook her head.  "Meri, I don't know what to do about you!  At only 32 years old, you don't look a day over 25.  You should be out having fun!”

Meredith resisted the urge to finger-comb her caramel-highlighted ‘surfer-girl’ hair.  Viktor had said she was his angel.  That was why she’d been blessed with her shining halo of golden hair, his reminder to keep on a heavenly, albeit somewhat boring, path.  She’d laughed, but she melted into his embrace, his deep, slightly accented baritone a loving rumble against her ear. The beginning of their relationship was magical.  Then everything seemed to change... 

 “You’ve got this marvelous career and money and everything that you could possibly want,” Pippa continued, jarring Meredith out of her thoughts, “and there's nobody in your life to share with."

"You mean I should have a couple of kids by now?" Meredith responded.  That was so not going to happen.

"You need a man to have kids, little sister."

 She almost said, "Zombies can’t reproduce," but stopped herself just in time.  Instead, she managed a convincing comeback. "Well, right now I'm not in the marriage market.  Believe it or not, I'm perfectly happy just the way I am."

Pippa’s expression shouted she seriously doubted that, but she allowed the topic to rest.  "If you say so,” she replied, good-naturally.  "How about a second cup of coffee to go with a slice of pecan pie?"

“It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it," Meredith agreed.

#

I hope you enjoyed my "Halloween" teaser. The novel is available in an ebook via your favorite online book seller (Kindle, Apple, Smashwords, Amazon, etc.)

Currently, I'm in the rough-draft stage of "Bell, Book & Gargoyle," Book 2, in my Fun and Sassy Fantasy Series.

Happy Reading, my Halloween goblins :)

Please hurry on over to the next blog post for more spooky stories!

Sally Odgers

Helena Fairfax

Connie Vines (me)

Bob Rich

Skye Taylor

Who doesn't love a cowboy?

New on Audible: Lynx, Rodeo Romance Book 1
 https://www.audible.com/pd/Lynx-Audiobook/B0FK6K51HF?

It's free! Click for a listen!

Writing in a Whole New Genre- (Pros/Cons) My Personal Experience By Connie Vines #Writing Tips, #Round Robin, #New Genre vs Established Readership

 Topic:  The Wisdom and or Experience of Trying a Whole New Genre    

Thank you, Skye, for this month's topic.

I began my career writing nonfiction, short stories, and preschool games in magazines (Humpty Dumpty, Jr. Medical Detective, etc.). So, it was only natural to branch out into Y.A. historical fiction.

I assumed it would require extensive research, travel, and interviews.  

The challenge was adding more. More descriptions, additional characters, multiple plot lines, plot twists, etc. In other words, a storyline that was not linear. 

Historical documents, interviews with tribal storytellers, and interviews with those who attended Native American boarding schools.

This also required adapting my story to the reading levels of the Y.A. readership and their understanding of what I was explaining: the sensory details, the harshness of life, and the meals prepared. Was the information relatable to a child who watched television and had a microwave oven? 

I was blessed with beautiful book reviews and student letters.

I was proud of the book and its recognition: awards for historical accuracy, "Teen Read Selection" in Public Libraries, the G.A.T.E. program, and speaking engagements in Southern California.

Will I attempt another Y.A. historical novel? Probably not. 

This project was a five-year journey. The most discouraging part was the shrinking of the hardbound/paperback publishers. I signed a contract for a hardbound novel, but the editor pulled it when he learned the company was being sold. (I discovered later that he did me a huge favor).  

   

Spanish Version

English Version

The next growing market was women's fiction. I selected Contemporary Romance.

Did I hesitate? No, I decided to dive in. 

Setting? 

I have all this Western research material. My father's people were Texans, and I enjoyed Bull Riding events. My hero was a cowboy. My heroine lived in Montana; her late father was a Bronc Rider.

My plot, characters, subplots, setting, etc. I'm at the keyboard after the kids are in bed, writing chapters one, two, and three.

I reread and reread the chapters.

Something needs to be fixed.

This was the kicker. I knew something was wrong but did not know precisely what it was.

Was the flow? Word choices? Pacing? Or was it the tone?

I was residing in "The-Land-of-in- Between." And I need an intervention! 

Fortunately, I joined a critique with members of my local R.W.A. Chapter. We wrote in multiple genres (though I was the only one who started out in children's). We read each other's chapters, made suggestions, and brought revisions the following week.

I garnered a few rejections, made changes, and sent the story out again.

Then I received that "Phone Call" in February, and the book was released in July!

This book received multiple awards and excellent reviews.

Will I change genres again? I've branched out into Romantic Suspense, RomCom/Paranormal. At the moment, I'm writing several novellas, and I've begun another romance series. I may write a Cozy Mystery novel or a Western Gothic (only if I don't cause myself to experience nightmares!)

The emerging genres seem to be Worldbuilding, Horror, "Bad Mothers," Science Fiction, Western Gothic, Foodie Romance, and Fratito. However, this could change next month.

If you want to write in a new genre, look into it. Examine the market and see what is trending. If you are selling novels and have a following, you're good. 

If you still want to change, consider a nome-de-plum. And see how it goes.

Good Luck & Happy Reading,

Connie 

XOXO

Follow the links! These Talented Authors have much to share!!

Dr. Bob Rich: https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3jJ 

Anne Stenhouse: annehousenovelist.wordpress.com 

Connie Vines (you are here)

Skye Taylor: https://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

  

 

What is My Favorite Point-of-View to Read and / or Write By Connie Vines #Round Robin Blog, Writing Tips, #Tips for Authors

 My Favorite and My Not-So-Favorite Point-of-View.

Thank you, Skye, for this month's Round Robin Topic.

Omniscient, 3rd person, or 1st Person, What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Reading:

The omniscient POV allows you to enter the heads of multiple characters, but you will act more as an observer than a reporter.

As a child (and even today), I enjoyed reading the Greek myths and Homer (author of the Iliad and the Odyssey)

The Odyssey is uniquely arranged in that the narration is split between a third-person omniscient being and a first-person narrative by Odysseus himself. The omniscient point-of-view is present in excerpts at each chapter's beginning generally.

 In terms of gods, the Greek pantheon consists of 12 deities who were said to reside at Mount Olympus: Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon.

Writing:

While I might consider this POV in a Nior-type crime story (short story or novella), I do not believe it would be widely accepted in a contemporary story.

Reading:

First Person POV

In first-person narration, the narrator is a person in the story, telling it from their own point of view. The narration usually utilizes the pronoun I (or we if the narrator speaks as part of a group).

Writing:

I write in the first person when writing Young Adult contemporary and Young Adult historical novels.

I remain in the main character's point of view. At the beginning of each chapter, I may insert information using a quote, historical fact, etc. I also include an Epilogue.

Reading:

3rd Person POV

In the third-person point of view, the author narrates a story about the characters, referring to them by name or using the third-person pronouns "he," "she," and "they." The other points of view in writing are first person and second person.

Writing:

3rd Person POV

My contemporary novels (excluding YA) are written in the third person. While I may change POV (heroine/hero), I strive not to head-hop. 

First and foremost, this mode of storytelling comes most naturally to me when writing a romance. The third-person narrative is as old as time.

Third-person subjective:

From this point of view, you can get into the characters' thoughts and perspectives. It goes beyond narrating the character's thoughts by telling the reader "she thought" or "he wondered." It lets you really be in their head the way first-person POV does.

My excerpts from "Gumbo Ya Ya," An anthology for women who like their romance Cajun Style!

(Opening Teasers from my anthology)

Marrying Off Murphy

Settling into his office chair, Professor Murphy Flynn glanced at the faxed copy of the OP News. "I Want to Get Married!" the headline shouted. He upended his coffee mug when he realized the grainy photograph was of him, sending the liquid perilously close to a six-inch stack of upgraded papers.

He snagged the papers with one hand, using the other to dab at the puddle with his tie. His gaze locked on the name of the submission's editor: Sylvie Dupree. The memories hit him hard and fast, leaving Murphy to feel like he'd taken a direct blow to his solar plexus.

Love Potion No. 9

"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. The top notes of peach blossoms, bergamot, and mid-notes of gardenia, honey, and tuberose tanalized. Meanwhile, the tuberose, the most carnal of the floral notes and the high-ticket natural essence for her fragrance compound, merged with peony and orange blossom to temper the intoxication properties. The base notes linger, while a hint of something unnamed and mysterious beguiled and skimmed across the narrow processing room, saturating her senses.

A Slice of Scandal

"Hey, now, 'dis key lime 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 happy."

Producer/Director Julia Kincade focused on her monitor and adjusted her headset's mic. "Camera One, tighten that 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.

1-800-FORTUNE

The moon was full and 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.

The tarot deck has seventy-eight cards, four suits of fourteen cards each, Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles, and twenty-two cards called the major arcane—the big mysteries.

Enza's mother told her mother told her she would learn to associate cards with people. She knew this was true. Because through her travels she had met them all...

I hope you've enjoyed this month's post 😀. 

Please click on the links to each member's blog. 

(I'll be doing the same in a few minutes!)

Amazon and Barnes and Noble. also available at your favorite online vendor. 

Happy Reading, 

XOXO

Connie

Bob Rich - https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3aE

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Diane Bator https://escapewithawriter.wordpress.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Book Promotion Ideas for Authors. What Works and What Doesn't? #Round Robin, #Author Tips, Author Promo ideas

 

Thank you Sky for this month's topic.

 Book marketing tips: What works for me and what doesn't.

I have found my marketing sucess depends on: the book's release date, the book's premise, great reviews, and "what's hot and what's not" 😄.

 Summer books sell well because it is vacation time. Everyone loves a great beach read.

Halloween is the perfect time to showcase a spooky or goth story.

Holiday stories are always a relaxing reading.

Since I write in multiple genres, I try to avoid competing with myself.

This year, I will have a RomCom book for a winter release.

*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.

What hasn't worked for me:

Free book giveaways.

Swag giveaways.

Facebook ads.

Merchandise (mugs, totes, etc.) is on my website.

Streaming a live video event (Connie doesn't like to read aloud to adults. Though story hour is fun with children).

What works for me:

Book Awards.

Discounting the first book in a series.

Promo on other blogs.

Utilizing my blog(s) connection with my readers/new readers.

Facebook author page.

Publisher's Author Insider Blog, FB page for readers.

Theme promotions with other authors.

Coffee Time Romance (which closed its doors last year).

Guest appearances on other blogs.

And, of course, nice reviews from readers :-)

Participation Events, which sadly are no more:

Young Author Events, Judging YA Writing Contests.

Guest Speaking at schools and libraries. 

Book Signing Events at local and family-owned bookstores.

Please stop by the other authors participating in this month's Blog Hop. I bet they are sharing their secrets, 😉too!

XOXO

Connie

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-36L

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Setting the Scene By Connie Vines #Round Robin Blog, #Writting Tips, #BWL Author

 Setting The Scene 

 Setting for a story is important, exciting, and often challenging.

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.

• Sensory details are essential.
• 
  
• Show what is surprising or strange to the main character.
• 
  
• Introduce emotional qualities of the 'place.' Tragic, Cheerful, Nostalgic, or another emotion.
• 
  
• How does the character feel about the place?
• 
  
• Is the story set in the city, the desert, or an imaginary world?
• 
  
• What are the key details that make your story's setting interesting?

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.

I set up a picture storyboard for reference.

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.

Your readers will point out your mistake.

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 always suspect. 

My opening settings/hooks:

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.

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.

"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.

5 stories in one book

Marring Off Murphy

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.

Love Potion N. 9

"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.

A Slice of Scandal

"Hey, now,' dis key lime [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."

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...

1-800-Fortune

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.

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.

If you found my examples helpful, please post a comment on my blog.

Please click the links below to visit the talented authors participating in our Blog Hop this month. 

 

 Warm Wishes and Gingerbread Kisses, 

Connie

 

Dr. Bob Rich  https://wp.me/p3Xihq-33K

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Hooking Your Readers--Fantasy, History, SciFi, Paranormal (Making the Unfamiliar Feel like home). By Connie Vines #writing Tips, #Hooking Your Reader, #BWLPublishing IInc

While I can't promise to make your visit to an alternate world feel like home. I can promise you will believe you are there.

--Connie Vines, author

This month's topic is hooking your readers into your character's alternate reality.  

I write in multiple genres. 

Since our topic is hooking your reader, I will showcase the opening paragraph(s) of my "unfamiliar" worlds.

Gumbo Ya Ya is an anthology; I will share opening hooks from several stories.

Love Potion No.9 

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.

1-800-FORTUNE

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.

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.

"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.

1868

The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over six be educated in the ways of the white man.

Indian Commissioner Thomas Morgan said, "It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them."

1880, Apacheria, Season on Ripened Berries

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. 

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.

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.

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.

(I don't wish to spoil the scene at the Honky Tonk, so I'll end it here 😉)

Did I draw you into my stories? 

Did you believe you were there, in the thick of things?

If you wish to continue the adventures, feel free to go shopping.

My ebooks are available at your favorite online stores, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and my publisher's website.

Please visit the writers participating in this month's Round Robin Blog Hop.  

Happy Reading,

Connie

XOXO

Participants for September:

Dr. Bob Rich  -  https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2023/09/16/nonhuman-is-not-inhuman/

Connie Vines  -  http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Skye Taylor - http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

 

Friday Featured Author Interview: Spotlight on Eden Monroe By Connie Vines #Cowboy Romance, #BWLPublishing Inc, #Eden Monroe, #Writing, #Rodeo, #Romance

Today's Spotlight Interview is with the author Eden Monroe.

Welcome to Dishin' It Out!  

Connie:  Eden, please tell  us about your upcoming release from BWL Publishing Inc. (Books We Love) 

   

Eden::  Sidelined 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. 👢 

 Connie:. What was the inspiration for this story?  

Eden: 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?

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.

 Connie: What is your best virtue as an author? 

Eden:  Discipline maybe, paired with a vivid imagination. I love to daydream.

 Connie: What is your most quirky habit?

Eden::   Lately, it's nonstop Gunsmoke, all 20 seasons. Loving the "Matt and Kitty drama."  🐴⭐🤠

Connie: What is your favorite quality in a protagonist? Why?

Eden:  An upfront, ballsy, take charge kind of guy because that's what I would be attracted to.

Connie: What is your favorite quality in an antagonist? Why? 

Eden: I don't place any limits on my antagonists. I let them be as outrageous as they want to be and enjoy the ride.

 Connie: Do you have this novel's favorite paragraph/line of dialogue?

Eden: Yes, this between Tate and his ex-father-in-law, Briden Hatcher:

"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."

Connie: Who would it be if you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters? 

 

Eden: I'd have to say Chloe from Dare to Inherit. She was funny and gutsy and enjoyed being who she was.

Connie: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

Eden: Twenty-one (four in line for future publication dates). My favorite is Book Two of the Emerald Valley Ranch series, Storms in the Valley. Still waters run deep, and I loved taking Martin Parker to his absolute limit.

Connie: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? 

Eden: 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.

 BLURB:

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.

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.

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.

Current Release:

 Website/social media sites to discover more about Eden Monroe:

https://www.edenmonroeauthor.com/

ebook.com/AuthorEdenMonroe/

Buying points:

https://books2read.com/Sidelined-Monroe

Eden,  thank you for sharing your writing 💻life with us 😀 today.

I can't wait to read your newest release! (I love those rough-and-tumble cowboys).

Happy Reading, and thank you for stopping by!

Connie

XOXO