A good story can be a real killer & Your Monday Fortune Cookie, 12/30/13

What doesn't kill us usually makes for a good story.

SNARKY RESPONSE:  And afterwards, it's best told with copious amounts of alcohol.

What doesn't kill us usually makes for a good story.

Isn't it strange how often the sad stories, the difficult issues, and the painful episodes are the ones that we harken back to the most? Tragedies are infinitely more relatable than comedies. And, if you look closely at any comedy, you'll find the funniest things are built around a moment of pain, be it slapstick or satire, someone's hurting in there somewhere. The difference is that experiencing tragedies is more often private while comedies are public. We withdraw with sadness, but we fling ourselves outward with laughter. This is my observation and my experience.

As writers, we are lucky to be expected to break with that pattern and outwardly share both the sorrows and joys of our characters. Only if we convey the emotional depths properly can we hope to bring our readers the connection they need and desire in a good story. So, we hoard every experience, good or bad, recording the stimuli and response so we can remember it for the page. And what we don't or can't actually experience, we delve into our imaginations, building on the closest proximity, and creating the best facsimile we can.

So, writers and readers, take heart and this advice, when life hands you lemons, yes, you can make lemonade, but be sure that  you also take notes. Someone, somewhere, somewhen is gonna ask you how you did it. Trust me.

Kisses, poetry, and your Monday Fortune Cookie, 8/5/13

KISS IS NOT A KISS WITHOUT THE HEART.

SNARKY RESPONSE: No, a kiss is not a kiss without the lips, the hands, the arms.

Kiss is not a kiss without the heart.

Why don't I ever get fortunes like this when I go to the local restaurant? Aome of the fortunes I've been receiving lately have been so bland as to require salt and pepper.

One piece of advice that writers receive is to read, and not just in their chosen genre. Well, I would add reading other mediums - poetry, plays, lyrics, essays. I've been attending local poetry open mics and the variety of styles, themes, and presentations have been inspiring on many levels.

Another piece of writing advice is to write tight, and poetry is a perfect example of that advice. The trick is not quantity but quality. If you want to learn how to tighten your writing, read or listen to poetry.

All this pondering and listening to poetry has led, inevitably, to my attempting some poetry of my own. On facebook, I've "liked" several art pages, and when the image inspires, I write a story snippet. Now, I've even begun a few poetry snippets. Here's one image and the poem snippet it inspired.

Artwork by Tzviatko Kinchev

She turns aside to deflect his glance,

hair blowing forward to shadow her face.

Artful or artless,

the movement captures him,

holds him hostage.

Her hand, fingers long, nails short,

reaches blindly to curl around his hand,

lying supine against his thigh.

Her dark gaze slides up his arm to linger

in the curve of his throat,

then rises to meet his waiting stare.

"Hot out today, isn't it?"

MONDAY FORTUNE COOKIE, 3/11/13

Don't dish it out if you can't eat it.

SNARKY RESPONSE:  But if you sit down to my table, you'll jolly well eat what I put on the plate.

Don't dish it out if you can't eat it.

Also don't ask me why, but today seemed like a good day to do a couple of long overdue reviews,  and I'm sharing them here. I enjoy Goodreads, but frankly, I read so many books and so fast, that I forget to go back and update. So today, I spent some time doing my Goodreads duty and here's what I "dished out."

BOOMERANG BRIDE
By Fiona Lowe

I downloaded BOOMERANG BRIDE expecting a fun, fluffy bit of reading. An intriguing hook - Matilda Geoffrey leaves Australia to marry the man of her dreams only to discover that he doesn't exist. Or at least, not the man she thought he was. I'm thinking something like Runaway Bride in reverse. However, BOOMERANG BRIDE proved to be so much more. Yes, Matilda's crash course in broken dreams is there. Yes, discovered romance with Marc Olsen is there. However, there is much much more to discover about both Matilda and Marc, their families, and the community of Hobin, Wisconsin. Multiple plots weave seamlessly, realistic characters inhabit the page, and all the tropes you want in a romance are presented with a refreshing voice. I don't believe in spoilers, but I do believe in recommendations, and I recommend BOOMERANG BRIDE!

FRONT PAGE FATALITY
by LynDee Walker*

FRONT PAGE FATALITY introduces a determined crime reporter, Nichelle Clarke, who is pursuing her dream to become an investigative reporter by paying her dues at the Richmond Telegraph in Richmond, VA. Smart, dedicated, and competitive, Nichelle works hard to build her byline and keep her stories on the front page. You just have to admire a character who can do all this while wearing designer stilettos. FRONT PAGE FATALITY is a well-crafted mystery filled with fun quirks, unexpected turns, and a cast of characters in all meanings of the term. I encourage you to read FRONT PAGE FATALITY.

*LynDee Walker is a local author and a delightful person. The buy link is to a wonderful local bookstore, Fountain Bookstore, who, I'm told, also has autographed copies.

I hope you'll consider these two books, and if you do (or have), please let me know what you thought.

Currently, I'm in the throes (sometimes quite literally) of reading ILLICIT IMPULSE by another local author and besty, Alexa Day. I plan to share a review of this steamy read in the very near future.

And finally, a personal note. Authors live and die by sales and those sales are often driven by reviews. If you've read my latest release, COLLECTOR'S ITEM, I'd appreciate it if you'd share a review on Goodreads or Amazon.com.

If you haven't downloaded it yet, here's the link:
www.collectorsitembook.com

Thank you!

A Fable for Read An E-Book Week, March 3 - 9, 2013

A fable...(or at least my attempt at one)

Once upon a time, a different form of publishing was launched upon an unsuspecting world and the Traditionalists in the publishing industry said, "it'll never catch on." Readers came to the Traditionalists for their daily reads and authors sought validation of their worth in the form of the rare jewel, The Contract. However, the authors who saw opportunities in this brave new world of Epublishing weathered scornful looks and hurtful words as they took their shot and staked their claims on this new vista. And the readers took notice.

The mighty publishers in their castles, high above their authors and readers, looked down on the constantly shifting sands of this newly discovered land and pronounced it "unstable and destined to failure." And yet, the pioneer Epublishers and authors held firm to their beliefs, discovering and discarding until they began to establish a headland, a foundation on which to build. And build they did, story by story, book by book, success by success until they not only carved out a place for themselves, but began to encroach upon the less carefully tended perimeters of the Traditionalists lands, where the disenfranchised lived in daily supplication to the great and mighty Traditionalists. And the readers read.

These neglected edges, these hopeful authors who could not gain the ear of the mighty, found acceptance among the brave pioneers and the world of Epublishing broadened daily. At long last, the Traditionalists, hearing the mighty roar of change, realized they would have to discover a way to reclaim their lost footholds on the public and began their own Epublishing houses. The Epublishers and authors watched the Traditionalists adapting to their new formats and knew their faith had been vindicated.

And the readers rejoiced.

Celebrate Epublishing and Read An E-Book this week!

Thank you to my epublisher, The Wild Rose Press for giving my novellas, Collector's Item and The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and the Scholar a home!

I hope YOU'LL consider giving them a home on your ereader as well!