05/1/12
by Hope Ramsay
It’s Tuesday and I’m supposed to be writing something about a great book or movie, but my plans for this blog were suddenly changed this weekend when Aunt Frances died.
Let me tell you a little bit about Frances. She was 96 years old when she passed away in her sleep. She was nearly blind, but her mind was still as sharp as a tack. Frances is my husband’s aunt, but she and I hit it off almost from the moment I met her back in 1977. Read the rest of this entry »
04/26/12
Hissy Fits are Part of the Process
In my last blogpost I wrote about process and watching Tiger Woods go through his to return to championship form. Hopes were high for Tiger at the Masters. Well, not only did he finish 40th overall, he threw what my family calls a “hissy fit.”
I wasn’t watching, but it’s been widely reported “he drop-kicked a nine iron,” or “had a meltdown.” A letter to the editor I saw in USA Today demanded ”something be done” about Tiger.
Glad I’m a writer. At least when I throw a “hissy fit” it happens in private. Although I haven’t drop-kicked my iPAD yet, I’ve been tempted. And let’s not talk about the number of pages I’ve balled up and tossed in the trash after reading them two-days later and deciding they’re total drivel instead of the glowing prose I thought I’d written. Or the chocolate and wine breaks I take when the words won’t flow.
04/11/12
Wacky Wednesday – Gardens Gone Wild
Grace Burrowes started us off this week with an ode to the beauty of a spring garden and the joy one might find toiling in the dirt. She talked of the enticing fragrances and the colorful blooms, the peaceful oasis and the pleasure given to those who viewed the fruits of her labor. But since it’s Wacky Wednesday, I decided to offer you a glimpse of the goofier side of gardening.
Not sure how they got the car in the tree, but it reminds me of the State Farm commercial. “Jerry, is that you?”
03/19/12
by Hope Ramsay
I used to belong to a Unitarian church that had a killer choir and every so often — about six times a year, they would put on an all-Bach Sunday. Not surprisingly big crowds turned out and the minister was wise enough not overdo the preaching on those Sundays. He let Bach do it for him.
It might be Monday and this is certainly not church, but it is our inspiration day. So I’m declaring an all Trisha Yearwood Monday. Read the rest of this entry »
03/13/12
by DT Tarkus
Not one to spend much time worrying about my hair, I tap the convenience of using my wife’s hair stylist. It spares me the “trainee of the month” at chain places. The stylist is cheerfully chatty, mostly about her family, which could fill a couple of novels in the romance genre. A single mom, with an ex who continues to be a wedged anchor in her life, a son just out of high school who just moved out and a tweenager girl who knows everything (who doesn’t have one of those). This delightful woman has been through the emotional mill a few times. On and off the dating scene, she espoused that men today are liars and she’d become distrustful of them. After a couple months of dating one guy, suddenly her significant other became somebody she didn’t know. Everything he sold her, a pack of lies. I can already see my fellow blog mates, pen in hand, ready for some juicy fodder in their next novel.
03/6/12
by R. R. Smythe
Books or electronic readers? So many predictions and pitting the poor creatures against one another. I, for one, think they can live harmoniously.
Why? Well, a little backstory first. No, I’m not peppering it in, you get a backstory dump right here, right now. Writers are readers. Often our reading
for pleasure begins to get way-laid as deadlines, revisions, social-networking-you-are-evil-incarnate, abound. I’ve had to be creative, but keep finding ways to study craft, read for fun and still do all the aforementioned tasks. (twitter might be longing for me lately, however. I have been a fair weather friend to it)
When I find a keeper, I order a print book. However, can I say how much I LOVE the instant gratification of ebooks? This week, I downloaded a craft book, two research books and one book-for-fun. I love that it keeps track of my place, and that I can shift between all of them, depending on my mood.
I actually read while curling my hair, (hey, every second counts. I cannot have an idle mind for 20 minutes) and the ereader is great. Click and the page turns; impossible with print.
I am a traveling pediatric therapist. Just this year, I’ve learned to play craft, audio mp3′s between patients. It helps me to keep tied into my plot on days when I have peanut butter in my hair and jello on my jeans and my fantasy fictional world couldn’t seem further away. But Voila! Pop in said audio and its a literary touchstone.
So-Thou Shalt Not Stop Reading. It doesn’t matter the form. Don’t forsake it. When a story sweeps you away, there’s nothing like it.
Wishing you words. And no peanut butter.
02/22/12
by R. R. Smythe
So…time to let the freak flag fan fly. I assume most who read this blog are romance lovers. Well, I’ve been in love with fantasy as long as I can remember. Growing up in a very small town, I can assure you I was the only girl to have STARLOG magazine delivered to her home…it made me squee like a normal girl does for new shoes.
02/3/12
by DT Tarkus
A funny anecdote on secrets to a happy relationship has been circulating the internet last couple of months. Led me to ponder how much alcohol plays a role in romance. Wine at a dinner date, wedding toasts, anniversaries, or just a quiet night to rekindle a spark after the kids are down for the night. Certainly not everyone subscribes to it, but it does seem to show up a lot.
12/16/11
by DT Tarkus
Awfully quiet this year. Kids have flown the coop, no plans to visit as they have plans of their own. Wife is down south helping aged parents. I’ve grown so used to the noise of the holidays, I’m unprepared for sudden hush. It’s hard to get in the spirit. Even the dog barking at a passing car is a welcome sound.
11/30/11
Now that the school play and Thanksgiving are over I will allow myself to start thinking about Christmas. So much decorating and shopping to do. I’ll admit, though, that with my current addiction to pinterest some thoughts of Christmas did sneak into my mind early. I found a few ideas for some gifts I wanted to make for Christmas. Now, I’ve always been crafty. It’s in my DNA, I think. My grandmother could sew like a pro, and she taught me to sew when I was young. (I’m nowhere near as good as she was.) She also taught me to embroider. Mom and I used to make plaster of paris Christmas ornaments, Dad and I used to do leather-work. I learned to knit, crochet, macrame, and do counted cross-stitch before I was out of middle school. Is it any wonder I’m finding myself itching to create my own gifts? So last night I started on my first one. It seemed so simple. Read the rest of this entry »
