Pistols, Passion & Potions

Don't despair, I'm out of action at the moment but..

2008-05-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be back!

East- West Home is best.

2007-11-18T04:48:00.000-08:00

It has been over four weeks since I left for Europe and a combination business and pleasure trip. While we had a great time and the sights we have seen have blown my mind away, it is good to be home again...
I can't believe how productive everyone has been. What with Nanowrimo, and publishing successes - I've only written postcards and with Christmas around the corner I guess the next thing I write will be my yearly revenge-- the annual Christmas letter and cards. I wasn't going to send many but it is nice to receive one in the mail so decided to boost the annual earnings of Canadian Storage,... oops make that Post.
Drop a line if you have a mo.
Cheers Robyn

Thursday Thirteen - 13 takes on Fall

2007-10-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

They say English is hard to grasp for those for whom it is not their mother tongue... take the word 'fall' appropriate for this Autumnal season and you will understand why...

Fall for - be captivated or deceived by
Fall about - be helpless - usually with mirth
Fall out - quarrel; leave ranks; airborne radioactive substance from nuclear explosion
Fall through - fail to obtain or reach a goal; unplanned descent
Fall down - not stay upright, collapse
Fall Guy - easy victim, scapegoat
Fall on - fail; assault; come across hard times; get lucky; kill oneself
Fall in - take place in line; collaborate with others; begin a conversation;lapse or revert; a specified state
Fall foul of - come into collision with; quarrel with
Fall off the wagon - take up a bad habit/vice once again
Fall short - be shortof, or not have sufficient; not reach intended target/market/goal
Fall from grace - lose favor or popular status; act in a way that loses respect of others
Fall behind - lag, tarry to the rear; slip backwards; or... the expansion of the gluteous maximus from too much sitting around after Thanksgiving.....

Happy TT

The passion found among the grief

2007-10-09T06:11:00.001-07:00

You know the old saying that Fact is Stranger than Fiction.... Not so much as stranger in this case more a parallel to it.
On going through an old metal box(yep, black painted metal old file lock box) I came across some letters (no, they weren't tied up together with a faded ribbon).
One was a small note written to my maternal great grandmother by her eldest son, Jason, as he left New Zealand for the Boer War, to "The Mother of his heart"- a hard working mother who nursed her invalid miner husband and cared for their 13 (yep thirteen surviving) children. He returned, fought with my grandfather on the Somme and came back from that.
The other a card sent to my grandmother by my grandfather from the Somme. They really did say... "Tomorrow we go over the top again, Jason and Tom are with me." (Sadly, Tom didn't return from over the top. I can still remember the sadness in my grandfather's eyes when he spoke of Tom.)
There was also a poem written in copperplate writing to my paternal grandmother from an admirer on the announcement of her "intention to marry" to my grandfather.
" Oh, the heartfelt sorrow knowing I shall not gaze upon your face
As you sit across from me at morning grace
For no grace can find the words to honor your beauty
Or mirror the depths of despair within my soul"

Tissues anyone?

"Hello God? What have you done with my mother?"

2007-10-08T03:38:00.000-07:00

Hi to those of you popping back to see if I am back and functioning. I am but on different levels at present as I am coping with being robbed of my mother.
Since I last blogged, my sister and I have been to Atlantic Canada and New Zealand.
Sadly our mother who four months ago was independent and fully functioning has had to be put into full hospital care. The cruel thing about all this is that she had no stroke, no heart attack, no debilitating illness, only a fall in which she broke her arm and fully recovered from.
So the laughing, loving mother I left in June, who at 86 was driving her own car, cooking, gardening, and caring for herself and taking an active interest in life is gone, leaving a little wizened, vague, fully dependent person in her place. After her fall it was like she folded her wings and surrendered her old life. Depression and mild dementia, and physical frailty are the medical diagnosis. Only one of which can be treated.

Sadly, another cruel twist that fate has in store for her are lucid moments. This is when her condition distresses her, panic attacks set in and she needs constant reassurance that we will leave her where she is and not make her go home. The up side here is that she loves where she is and the people caring for her. The down side, she gets upset that my brother (who lives in Australia) and I haven't been to see her. She doesn't recall either of us being there with her. Or the visit of one of my daughters and her great grandson. Luckily I had the forethought to take photos of us all with her and stuck them on her wardrobe door so she can see we were all there.

It is very distressing being told she will never return to any resemblence of her old life , then having to go into her lovely home and dismantle a life time of her memories.

My advice, for what it is worth, is make sure you enjoy what time you have with your parents. Ring them today and tell them you are thinking of them and how much you love them and appreciate what they have done for you. Tomorrow might be too late.

up and away one way or another

2007-08-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

My sister, who lives in New Zealand, arrives tonight after being out in the wilderness tracking grizzly bears and riding the transcanadian rail across the country leading up to our first trip ever away together. We booked it over a year ago, planning times etc that suit our respective commitments, we were so looking forward to it, but I have just learned that our mother who has been unwell for a while is now in hospital for assessment. Our brother, who lives in Australia, is with her .... next post could be from down under or Quebec...

PPP TT deals with Poisons

2007-08-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

One of the things I enjoy most as a writer is learning about 'stuff' that isn't in my everyday existence. I'm working on a book where poisons play a big part.... so I'm going to bore...oops share with you some of my findings.

Poisons are rated in terms of toxicity for the oral lethal dose for 150lb human.- 6 most lethal (less than 5mg, seven drops) to 1 the almost non toxic (requires 15 mg,1 quart or 2.2pounds of the stuff).
Most poisons have a bitter taste -those that don't- have no survivors to tell us.
Arsenic (5) is as toxic as rubbing alcohol containing Isopropanol (5)
Strychnine and Cyanide (6) are as fatal as a sting from an Australian box jellyfish - death in minutes
Snake and spider bite toxicity are exacerbated if the bite site is vascular.
Age, health, lifestyle of victim affects uptake, and symptoms and time to die
Tear Gas while toxic/harmful is not considered a poison (it only causes 2nd degree burns - lungs, eyes, etc painful, but it won't kill you.)
New Zealand, Antarctica, Southern Chile and Southern Argentina are the only places in the world you wont find scorpions.
First written records of poisoning are from the Roman Empire around the time of Christ - Summerians, Indians, Chinese, Greeks and Egyptians had already perfected the art of poisoning.
Cleopatra didn't like using henbane, belladonna - it caused too much pain in her slaves and prisoners when she tried it out. Strychnine left convulsed victims grossly distorted so she settled on the cobra/asp - a serene prompt death.
2C B.C. Greek king Mithradates VI ingested a minute does of every poison hoping to build up an immunity - he died. This increased small doses to build immunity is not uncommon in many cultures and has been used in fiction by Dorothy L Sayers (Strong Poison). and Alexander Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo)
Macabre I know, but history's notorious poisoners and study of poisons gave birth to modern pharmacology - without it we wouldn't have digitalis, ouabain, atropine, aspirin.
'Venin de crapaud' is made by feeding arsenic to, say, toads and when they die the juices are distilled from their bodies.

Have a great day but maybe you should watch what you eat, drink, step on, inhale, rub upagainst, touch..... maybe just go back to bed with a good book!

Tangled Tuesday

2007-08-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

Sadly my Mum is failing. You know how you dream of having a day in bed, writing, reading, sex...
Mum doesn't seem to want to do anything now but lie in bed and stare at the wall... Sort of makes a day in bed less appealing now.
Old age is a bummer.

Smoking Hot.

2007-08-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm going like a train at the moment and dread having to stop for mundane things like... life.

Brain Storm

2007-08-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Had a brainstorm for my Hero and Heroine in the wee small hours
No time for blog --- gotta go gotta write!

TT - Thirteen Ways to detect a witch in 1486.

2007-08-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Okay - lets get this straight - these were used to identify witches during the Inquisition as set out in 1486's Malleus Malleficarum - the Witch Hunters Manual a book in three parts - one- explains who dangerous witches were, and how evil. The second - types of witches and what they did usually deviant sexual practices and luring men to have sex with them. Third part was ways to 'legally' convict them of witchcraft.
It heralded the beginning of the Inquisition at it most terrifying. The last English witch trial was held and repealed in 1736
Please note - no offense is intended to any Wiccans, Pagans or Religious groups.

The Devil's Mark : scar, mole, birthmark. mole, wart, pimple, pockmark, cyst, liver spot, wen, insect bite, ulcer, blemish. If nothing is visible the witch was "pricked" (people were employed as Prickers) all over to search for an insensitive spot where the devil had given his blinding kiss.
talking to oneself or animals or being overly attached to an animal.
keeping a black animal - cat or lamb in particular
spinning around
freckles, red hair, odd eyes. Blue and brown you're a gonner.
The Witch of Newberry was executed for surfing on a board in the river.according to Allan Maurer and Renne Wright -
trail by fire - if you didn't burn holding red-hot irons you were innocent
trail by water -"swimming the witch" the innocent sank
physical impediment such as old, wrinkled, deformed, pale, too skinny, lame
any unusual behaviour that followed in the wake of calamities, illness (like getting better or go mad with grief)
"weighing the witch" - guilty if she weighed less than the massive tombs of the day
healing - anything from a septic cut to something that would normally be fatal
Money/religion - witnesses could be bribed to say an enemy was a witch and anyone who seemed to be a threat to the Church would soon be accused of witchcraft.

Basically anyone outside society's perception of normal for those times. It was easier to accuse someone of being a witch, than to prove you weren't. These people obviously hadn't heard of the Wiccan Crede in which it states: "For what you send out returns to thee times three. "

Sources: The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference, Writers Digest Books 1998
Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft (2nd Ed) Denise Zimmerman & Katherine A. Gleason Alpha Books 2003

Baseball

2007-08-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Went to my first ever baseball game yesterday - Blue Jays vs Yankees.... sitting up in the nosebleed seats (oops 500's) under the baking sun as the roof of the skydome was open, Wow! I am hooked, and want to go again, even if the Blue Jays lost 5-4 and hot dogs and soft drinks are way overpriced. I think that was my first hotdog this season too. Man they are so not good for the diet!

Success is hard work.

2007-08-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

In Dallas at the RWA National, I was with a group of multi published author friends who were moaning about their work loads... yeah like I should be so lucky.... anyway they were envious (to a point) of my unpub status... Enjoy it they said, you can write what and when you feel like it, you have no constraints, no public ready to pounce on something that they feel should not be. If you are unpub and have finished a manuscript and started another, you have success. So many don't get to type - The End. That in itself is success...
It got me thinking about success and here is what a few others think of it.

(On being congratulated on a Competition win) It is always encouraging to receive a compliment - Brenda Novak (author)

I work really hard - Tiger Woods (golfer)

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary - Vidal Sassoon (hairdresser)

Success can be wracking and reproachful, to you and those close to you. It can entangle you with legends that are consuming and all but impossible to live up to. - Gordon Parks (photographer film director)

What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. - Stephen King (author)

In all things, success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure. - Confucius (Chinese philospher and ethics teacher)

'-be happy but not satisfied' - Sensei David Kovar (6th degree black belt)

Getting there is only part of the challenge, it is how you deal with it that determines whether success continues - Anon

(on how to write a successful novel) - There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. - Somerset Maugham.

Success is counted sweetest, by those who ne'er succeed
To comprehend a nectar, requires sorest need. - Emily Dickinson (poet)

Guess it is back to the grind... and I'll take a leave out of Rita Mae Brown's book and - "pray for chance magnificence."

13 Facts and Fallacies about health and diet!

2007-08-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

1.Diet soft drinks can help you lose weight!
Only if you are substituting real sugar sodas for diet (save 100 cal approx)
NB: Rats fed artificial sweetners craved more calories than rats fed real sugar.

2. Eating late at night in unhealthy and makes you fat and lead to a poor nights sleep!

Fallacy it will only make you feel ill if you aren't used to it and consume more calories than you will burn off in the next 24 hours. Fallacy - There is no evidence to support that going to sleep on a full stomach, or the time of eating, leads to a worse nights sleep, unless of course you are not used to it.

3.Calories consumed after 6pm lead to sleepless nights and make you fat!

Fallacy - There is no evidence to support that calories consumed later in the day hang around. It is how often you consume these large amounts of calories not the time they are consumed that lead to fat deposits. Calories consumed late in the evening can have a beneficial affect on sleep - take hot chocolate for instance, or a glass of red wine.

4. Commercially prepared children's food are geared to their needs.

only 'beginner' baby foods like simple pureed fruits and vegetables that have no salt or sugar added.
Most commercial foods targeted to children are sweetened, contain artificial colors, flavors and bright appealing packaging. None of which are to do with the 'needs' of young children. Many 'regular adult foods containing less sugar and fewer additivies are far healthier.

5. When you go a long time with little food your stomach shrinks.

Fallacy. The stomach never shrinks it only enlarges to accommodate large portions of food then returns to its previous size. However the entire digestive tract can be overtaxed and overworked if it is only used to small portions and is suddenly called on to deal with a larger quantity. In stomach stapling for extreme obesity - the original (empty) size of the stomach is stapled so it wont accommodate as much food.

6. Adding salt to cooking vegetables keeps their colors bright.

Fallacy. Salt has no effect on the color of vegetables. Waters acidity and mineral content contribute to the molecular changes n vegetables and often affects their color. NB: Plunging vegetable into ice cold water after blanching will help them retain their color.

7. Searing meat seals in the juices.

Fallacy. Tests prove that seared meat and unseared meat have about the same amount of juice. Searing does however gives it better flavor due to the protein and sugar reaction to heat.

8. Cooking time for roast meat depends on its weight

Although weight is important the shape also affects the amount of time it takes the heat to reach the center of the roast thus affecting cooking time.

9. Alcohol evaporates during cooking.

It does evaporate faster than water but not all of it evaporates when cooked. e.g. something cooked in alcohol for 2 1/2 hrs will retain 5% alcohol, a flambe however retains 85%.

10. You can't deep fry in olive oil.

You can but it does smoke faster(375F/191C) than other oils. It works fine in a deep fryer and gives food flavor however it is a lot more expensive than other oils.

11. Water is better than milk in an omelet.

It might be healthier but tests have proved that an omelet made with milk is softer, fluffier and has more flavor.

12. The highest levels of Vitamin C are found in lemons.

Fallacy - per 100gms, the Barbados cherries are the highest with 3,ooomgs, then rosehips with 2,800mgs and sea buckthorn 1,200mgs. Fruits such as blackcurrants 190mgs, kiwi 100mgs; green cabbage 105mgs; and red peppers 100mgs. Oranges and lemons only contain 40-50 mgs.

13. The smell of strawberries is made from --well, strawberries.

Fallacy - the so-called fruit aromas are produced by bacteria and fungi.

Another load of useless info for you thanks the the Health and Diet section of: 1,000 Common Delusions and the real facts behind them by Christa Poppelmann, Firefly Books, 2006.

One of Those Wordless Wednesday

2007-08-01T04:25:00.001-07:00

One BIG Start and 3 BIG finishes.

2007-07-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

BIG START :- On this day 1954 - Elvis Presley made his professional debut as opening act for Slim Whitman. (Did you know that July -August are the biggest months for Elvis sightings since his death)
BIG FINISHES :- On this day 1968 - The Beatles closed their Apple Boutique on Baker Street, London UK, and gave away the contents.
1948 - UK bread rationing ended at 12 midnight (All food rationing ended in Britain on July 3 1954)
1974- Last day of presentation of the three articles of impeachment adopted by Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives against President Nixon

Okay, so I have a brain full of garbage....

Did you know?

2007-07-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

That today 29 July 1588 Sir Francis Drake looked up from a game of bowls to see the Spanish Armada in the English Channel and declared that he had enough time to finish the game before defeating the Spanish....
Also today in history poor tortured Van Gogh shot himself...

The Moon Swallowers is coming along in leaps and bounds after the Muskoka Novel Marathon up to page 180 now.
Gorgeous gorgeous day here so out on back deck making the most of it.. have great day.

Fact or Fallacy TT ###???

2007-07-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Human Body is completely renewed every 7 years. - fallacy while the body is always changing each part changes at a different pace, and the entire body doesn't change completely.
Humans only have 5 senses - Fact now a fallacy - sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing are now part of the the basic list that is being expanded to include, balance, pain, hunger, thirst, temperature - all things we have no control over that contribute to our experience of our surroundings.
Contortionists are doubled jointed - Fallacy - they have very loose ligaments and work hard to make then stretch to perform the way they want.
On the side of you head are your ears - Fallacy they are called 'pinnas'. The ear is an internal organ made up of inner, middle and outer ear.- Pinnas are cartilage and do nothing if they were to enhance sound they would have to be a s big as the palm of your hand.
The bosom is the female breast. - Fallacy - it refers to the breast, chest area of man woman or child. (it's use is oldfashioned)
All babies are born with blue eyes. - Only Caucuasian babies because not much melanin pigment has accumulated giving the appearance of blue eyes, this increases over the first three months of life and the eye color changes. All colors are based on the same pigment and differ due to the number of pigment cells and how they refract light. Dark-skinned babies usually have dark eyes.
Twins cannot have two different fathers. -Fallacy - 1996 a set of twins was born in England one light skinned the other dark and they were conceived many days apart. Several other cases have been reported and fraternal (two-egg) twins with different fathers. the interval between conception has amounted to as much as four weeks.
Breathing through the skin is vital for life - Fallacy - we only breath 1% of our air through our skin, if you were to be covered in gold paint from head to foot - aka 1994's Gold finger you would develop a fever as the body wouldn't be able to cool itself because it wouldn't be able to sweat.
Hair grays with age. - fallacy - there is no such thing as gray hair. It has a gray appearance due to it's lack of color pigment and reflection of light.
After death nails and hair continue to grow. - Fallacy - when your dead, you are dead As moisture leaves the body, the body shrinks making nails and face stubble appear.
A person's hair can turn white overnight - Fallacy - to do so it would have to contain nerves. Only newly grown hair can turn white.
Yawning increases flow of oxygen to the brain - Fallacy - if anything it makes a person take in less.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) proposed the Theory of Evolution - Fallacy - He preferred to describe his theory as "descent with modification" of "natural selection". Victorians however liked to think of humans having a more orderly progression of development and over time it became known as The Theory of Evolution.

(Taken and adapted from: '1,000 Common Delusions and the real facts behind them - Christa Poppelmann, Firefly books, 2006)

Boggle Brain

2007-07-25T00:15:00.001-07:00

Having spent 72 hours writing in the Muskoka Novel Marathon you would have thought I would be ready to sleep the next few days away... Wrong! Brain in overdrive, system coming down off caffeine overload, shoulders in spasm, and eyeballs resting on my keyboard I'm finding it hard to shut down. That is why I'm posting this at 3:15 am.

Thursday 13 #????

2007-07-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Okay so I've been slack! Here goes.
Thirteen things that happened on this day

1848 - Seneca Falls, Finger Lakes NY state - 250 women and 40 men met under the leadership of ELizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott to discuss women's grievances including the right for women to vote in the USA (women could stand for election since 1788)
1374 - Italian Poet Petrarch dies near Padua- famed for his poem To Laura. Said to be the scholar who paved the way for the Renaissance.
1799 - The Rosetta Stone was found by the French in Egypt. (takes its name from the harbor in which it was found)
1834 - French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas was born.
1870 - Napoleon III declares war to start the Franco-Prussian War (lasted into 1871)
1930 - Maurice Garin wins the first Tour De France
1817 - Readers of Jane Austen begin to mourn her death (the day before)
1861 - Confederate troops look about to secure victory at Bull Run dashing Federal hopes of an easy victory.
1942 - RAF continues it daylight raids on the Ruhr
1944 - Von Staffenberg makes bomb for 'Valkyrie' conspiracy, set for the following day to assasinate Hitler
1944 - The rumors begin about bread rationing in Britain ( goes into effect 22 July)
1954 - The second day of the Four-Power COnference in Geneva (Eisenhower, Eden, Faure, Bulganin) the first meeting of heads of power since Potsdam 1945)
AD 64 - Nero watches Rome burn and orders his troops to fire on the city. He did not fiddle as it burned but watched from the Tower of Maecenas then put on an actors costume and sang his own composition 'The Sack of Ilium'.

(Thanks to W.B. Marsh & Bruce Carrick - Great stories from History 365 for everyday of the year, Pears Encyclopedia, 1977-1978, and my High School History teachers)

Wednesday

2007-07-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to head up to Huntsville to participate in their Muskoka Novel Writathon fundraiser for Literacy- goes for three days and writing non stop... It is part of the Muskoka Arts Fringe Festival.
I had the fortune to meet JR Ward over conference and have since being 'devouring', pardon the pun, her Black Dagger Brotherhood books... wow I love them! Anyone else a fan?

Back Home

2007-07-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Arrived back home last night and full of energy to write write write! Going to something like the Nationals does that to you. At the last Luncheon we were sitting at a table with two VERY new members (of two weeks) they were practically bouncing out of their skins with enthusiasm... so refreshing. Next year it is in San Fransisco and looks to be a biggie with most I spoke to planning to go so Book Early!
Now I must stop procrastinating and get words on ??? screen? Have a great day

2007-07-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

View of Dallas from top of Reunion Tower

Me and Lisa Jackson - luncheon speaker

View of the gathering for the Rita Awards

Sadly Kim, Maureen and Anne didn't get the Golden Heart, but they're winners just the same. Kim Howe has done well with Daphne DuMaurier 'Run Silent' winning first place in category and first place in mainstream with One Shot, Two Kills. That's it from RWA Nationals 2007 in Dallas. See y'all in San Fransisco next year.

Dallas Report #4

2007-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today it rained... not that it mattered as we were work-shopping from 8:30 - 8:30.... So I now know what temperature a body is incinerated at, that I'm not only a pantser but have a bit of linear, plotter and puzzler thrown in. I heard about the differences between the Luna, Nocturne and Mira Lines and what they are looking for . I know how to embalm a body and that two sentences pitches have to catch the attention with a catchy word and get the core of the story across without too much detail. People have finally stopped talking to themselves but now editors and agents are looking cross-eyed and frazzled and will just about say send it to me to anything. Suzanne Brockmann's workshop was packed to the rafters and hilarious. That the hotel can empty out quickly when the alarms go off after midnight - even if it is a false alarm.
Not bad for 24 hours..... Rita and GH Awards tomorrow. Good Luck TRW Nominees.

Dallas RWA REPOR T # 3

2007-07-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Authors Literacy - 450 RWA Authors and over 5000 fans... a circus but fun. The queues started forming at 3 in the afternoon. J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Suzanne Brockmann having huge lines of fans and of course Nora Roberts.

As one of the supervisors of the event I was fortunate to meet many of our celebrated members and deal with the frustrations of lost books etc... Sadly too many this year... Note to self---- if EVER I get published and attend bring 6 of my own copies.

Sherrilyn K... yes that is a black swan on her head (duck as she called it.)

Next morning and breakfast with a group from TRW only thought to take photo when most had gone, Kelly Armstrong among them. Here I am with first time published TRW Member from Owens Sound - Kaenar Langord. (Elloras Cave)

Two of TRW CelebrityAuthors ... Eve Silver and Michelle Rowan caught between workshops in the lobby.
Yesterday was full and busy on my part as I am a volunteer for the Author's Literacy overseen by Angi Platt with me In charge of Author Liason and Books. I'm the one that supervises checking of books from publishing houses and getting them to the authors for signing. So I get complained to, sobbed over and ranted at when their books don't arrive. The authors were great this year even with many missing books. My heart went out to the first time authors and those who had come from overseas to find they had nothing to sign. I collapsed into bed at midnight up at 6 for TRW breakfast... this conference is no holiday.
Before I attended the PRO Retreat I looked in Robin D.Owens - Kill your inner critic workshop - it was based on Artists Way - Morning pages- it was very good.
Went to PRO Retreat - Editor Ellen Edwards NAL gave a great presentation of the life of a book from query letter to book shelf. She was followed by multi-published Author Jane Porter who gave a witty and concise presentation - the best yet. Had to take a break as my credit card and wallet was stolen. Luckily I got the wallet and card back but no moolah - c'est le vie. Card already canceled so no harm done just the annoyance of it all.
Back tomorrow with more from today...
PS: Isn't it sad to note that Kathleen E. Woodwiss passed away on Saturday. My sister gave me Ashes in the Wind one Christmas and I was hooked from then on.

Dallas Day two

2007-07-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

People come from all over to attend! (Oops Long horn stare from a long horn steer)

OUr hotel

Elm St and building where JFK met his fate

Me with Author Jackie Ivie ( Knights Lady and others)

Me with two of TRWs GH FInalists - Anne Perry and Maureen McGowan

No hot gossip yet- unless you count that the Dixie Chicks have not been played on any radio station in Texas since thier faux pas, but certainly lots of complaints about the lack of other eating places and sightseeing/things to do around the hotel.
Dragged my poor roommate Deb, all over the city yesterday in the heat. Took in the Sixth Floor Museum where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK, then down to the Pioneer Park to view the Bronze cattle men and horses. Did you know that Neiman Marcus has its original store here, her one consolation is that she found Ben & Jerry icecream on a stick is cheap here!!!!
Registered... there are still places if anyone wants to come. Our book bags are black and Lime green and this year contained a much more manageable number of books Brushed shoulders with Nora Roberts, spoke with author friend Jackie Ivie, caught up with TRW GH finalists and then went to Bill Bates Ranch.... a bit of a fizzer as it poured with rain but lots of laughs, singing cowboy and a hayride on soggy hay in the dark.
AM involved in Authors Literacy today I'm one of the supervisors... more tomorrow Have a good one.

Day One in Dallas

2007-07-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all
Well finally arrived after a 2 1/4 hr delay in TO because of thunderstorms state side then in TO. Was met at the airport by delightful Angi Platt who is co-ordinator for Authors Literacy and she took me to some restaurant BIG RESTAURANT- that had War in the title and had my first taste of deep fried pickles.... let me tell you they are delicious. If I eat all the HUMUNGOUS servings I'll go home with more than books as excess baggage.
Arrived at hotel to find it quiet as yet though some small groups gathered at the bar giggling into their drinks and sharing arrival stories no doubt. There is a fashion convention on ( rumors of Mary Kaye are yet to be substantiated... will take photos of lobby activity today and post them tomorrow and any celebs I'll try to whip out my camera for a quick pic.

Deb arrived with less hassle and we are about to hit the gym Ha ha...... maybe tomorrow or the next day.
The view is from leaning over the balcony outside our tenth floor room looking down on the lobby area and the largest inlaid floor star in Texas.
Till next time

Off to Dallas

2007-07-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

I've been busy getting ready for the RWA National Conference in Dallas and coping with my Mum who took a tumble and broke her arm. Good clean break and it is healing well but mentally the whole thing has shaken her. I don't want her to lose her confidence in walking again, nor do I want her to fall into clinical depression. She wont watch telly, read books, and resists exercising and wont go to the dining room for her meals, insisting they bring them to her on a tray -must be a lovely patient - not. At least we got a phone on in her room so she can ring people and we can ring her. So it is taking a great deal of telephone time and diplomacy balancing what is good for her, supporting the medical staff and my sister who is dealing with the brunt of her moods, as well as trying to cheer her out of her - woe-is-me, 'I wish you were closer' (she lives in New Zealand), and the clincher "I'm all right, don't you worry about me!". She's not alone, for as well as my sister, my son and his girlfriend live close by and pop in regularly - but she is my mother and is nearly 86. She is in care so every possible thing she could want is taken care of, but it is still a wrench even though I 'm aware that she is great at triggering 'guilt trips'. OMG, will I be like that one day? Scary thought.

I will be posting for the rest of this week from Dallas and will fill you in with snippets from my experience, workshops I've attended and the 'goss' on who I see and of course the latest - "RUMOURS". I'll try to post photos when I can. If you have a question fire away and I will try to find the answer.
Have a successful week and look in and say hi.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-04T06:22:00.001-07:00

Honeymoon Period

2007-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

That's what I'm calling it with Collab #1 , as we are striking sparks of each other and going great guns. Research reading and writing, full of ideas... I never realized it could be so much fun... but it is early days and I expect to hit a wall. I have taken note of everyones comments and when we next meet face to face we will go over them... everything out in the open. The other collaboration (C#2) is slower to start and is in a totally different area so there is no conflict of interest. I'm looking forward to the different dynamics - it makes interesting challenges. If you think of something I/we should watch out for or be aware of please let me know. Thanks

For those who asked, my solo writing seems to have slowed considerably, my current two major wip's follow on from two ms at present with publishers and I would like to know how they are being received before I progress.... fingers crossed. The waiting is driving me nuts. (6 months with two correspondence exchanges for one (Paranormal) and 3 months for the other (Category))

Collaboration

2007-07-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

Isn't it odd how things tend to happen all at once. Within the space of three days I have been asked to co-write two books. Both are writers whose work I have read and liked their style and like me are as yet, unpublished. Never having done this before I wonder if any of you out there have hints, suggestions or advice on what to watch out for and some of the pitfalls.

Back from Down Under.

2007-06-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Windmills a common sight outback and the uncommon waterlogged countryside

grapevines, olive harvesting and a Mudgee Cellar- white ports, daughter and g.son

Views of Bushmans Hut and the Mudgee township and sunset beyond the black stump.
It is sooo hot back here in Canada and so hard to get my nose down to write again and that for me is a first. I usually have heaps to write and can type my fingers off all day and into the night other commitments permitting. Apart from soggy weather in Sydney, we went to a place called Mudgee which is further West of the Hunter Valley, the largest wine growing area north of Sydney which got dumped on and suffered huge crop and flood damage. In Mudgee we had one of our two fine days.
Mudgee is a wine, sheep, wheat and cattle area and had their first three inches of rain in 7 years a day or so before we got there making the countryside looked green and very pretty and some vines still held their autumnal colours. So we were making frequent libation stops... came back with some yummy reds, and not so so yummy ones but those we got at the end of the day so what do you expect. Also got to sample Aussie Olive Oil Oi! OI! OI! Because of the drought it is very flavoursome, okay pungent peppery and grassy to use the lingo.
For those of you who don't understand the rain and drought situation... most of the pop of Australia is on the SE coast - east of the Great Dividing Range, most of the huge stations are west of the GDR and sadly not in the rainfall area - so technically Australia still has a drought though the critical water levels of the dams supplying Sydney have improved slightly.

Down Under

2007-06-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

G'day Possums,
Have been in Sydney, Australia for the past few weeks and enjoying???? very soggy weather. They say the drought hasn't broken down here because the rain has fallen in areas not affected by the drought for the most part - ironic eh? We are currently tying down furniture as another cyclone is about to hit us... we are at the southern end of Manly Ocean Beach and get the brunt of the Southerlies WHEN they blow - let me tell you they are blowing at present.
Writing has gone out the window though have told some fairy stories to my granddaughters and "Stellabella" has become a hit with them and now will have to commit them to paper with pictures... never thought I'd write childrens stories - lots of fun.
Hope your writing and other commitments have fallen into place for you.
Cheers Robyn

Wordless Wednsday - Biker Boy

2007-05-29T18:40:00.001-07:00

New Week

2007-05-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

I woke early this morning my head full of what I have to get done this week before going away next Sunday, with so much to do of course I couldn't go back to sleep so decided to get up, update my blog and check my emails. I read the latest TRW Newsletter and Maureen McGowan's interview with Diana Peterfreund, what a fairytale ride she had to become a published author. Maybe there is some hope after all for one who also receives the positive reject letter but no brass ring.
Still no word on my paranormal MS Witch Hunter's Moon at LUNA Books, heard it was about to be rejected then heard someone else was going to take a look at it, all promising and unusual, I just hope they haven't forgotten me and I'm back in the slush pile.
Am trying to come up with a new idea for a MS to get ready for the Muskoka Writathon Weekend in July to help raise funds for literacy. It is the weekend after RWA National Conference and I'm away most of June so hopefully over that time I will come up with something - maybe a sequel to Twisted Vines which is currently with Harlequin. As I'm a pantser I need to have a concept of what I am going after before I start or I'll just stare at a blank screen.
In the movie Miss Potter the first words are wonderful and sum up how I feel about writing.
"There is something delicious about writing the first sentence to a story, you never know quite where the adventure will take you." or something to that effect. It is so true.
Have a great day and hope you get some lines down.

Weird Week

2007-05-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday - Ontario, Canada doing Spring Planting before leaving for airport at 3pm to fly to New Zealand.
Sunday - lost day because we flew over international date line
Monday - Arrive Auckland, New Zealand. Lunch visit with son and meet girlfriend who moved with him to NZ a week and a half ago. Drop sons girlfriend at airport to go to London and Oslo. Dinner with sister and mother.
Tuesday - 8:30 Pick up son then drive 2.5hrs to Tauranga, Mt Maunganui for funeral of beloved Aunt and catch up with family, some we haven't seen in 20 odd years. (Did I age as much as they did???) Drive back to Auckland 9:PM arrive Auckland midnight.
Wednesday - Take mother shopping before flying out of New Zealand Wednesday night.
Wednesday - gain day back, arrive in LAX leave for YYZ same day Arrive Toronto 11:45pm
Thursday - Ontario, Canada - Back home 12:30 am, up 7am check on spring planting - no sign of rabbits and deer grazing. Sat and stared at computer and realized it was TT did post, usual washing etc after time away. Met friend for coffee and buy Wylie Kinson's newly released book and several others that just happened to jump into my arms.
Friday (today) - 7 am Weigh in for new diet - lost 1.4lbs......the tea and tiny sandwiches with home baking on the side didn't help - at least weight went in the right direction. But still got growled at - no fruit this weekend...sigh! I'm turning into a lettuce and will be fighting the rabbits for my hosta leaves soon.

This is one bizarre post at the end of a bizarre week. It's not even a full week!
Have a great weekend everyone.

TT - 13 Things I hate about editing my work.

2007-05-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

1. The comma you spent ages deliberating over becomes obsolete when you go back and change the sentence.
2. You think you have it right then look at it later and wonder if you had been in the twilight zone when you did the last edit.
3. Saying I'm just going to read this through and next thing, the pen is in your hand and your read through becomes a re-write.
4. No matter how many times you go over it you always find a mistake or something that could be changed.
5. Computer 'Spell check' is an editing help and a hazard.
6. Semi colon, colon, comma - no matter what the textbook tells you, Editors disagree on usage.
7. Printing it out in hard copy and then finding a mistake on the first page that jumps the all lines up a page.
8. Over editing
9. Over eating
10. Self doubt
11. Procrastination - e.g. I'll make a coffee then go through this - again!!!
12. I'll just go through this chapter - then four hours later the beds still need to be made.
13. Waking up at night and find yourself going over it and can't go back to sleep until you get up and fix it.

TT - Victorian Guide to selecting the perfect mate.

2007-05-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Better, a thousands times, the single, free, and independent maidenhood, than for a woman to trail her life in the dust, and bring poverty , shame, and disgrace on her children, by marrying a man addicted to dissipated habits." Heaven forbid!!!!!

I'm a sucker for this type of book and couldn't resist it. Here is how Professor Hill - The Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette (1994 - adapted from material Professor Thomas E. Hill wrote between 1873 -1890) suggests you go about selecting your mate!

Marry someone of similar form, complexion and temperament to themselves.
Bright red hair and florid complexions indicate excitable temperament and should marry the jet-black hair and the brunette type.
Grey, blue, black or hazel eyes should not marry those of the same colour.
Where eye color is very pronounced, the union should be with those of a decidedly different color.
The corpulent should unite with the thin and spare,
The thickset and short should choose someone with a different constitution.
The irritable with the quiet and slow, the quick-motioned, rapid speaking with the calm and the deliberate.
Impulsive with the stoical.
Thin, bony, wiry, prominent featured, Roman-nosed, cold-blooded individual should marry the round-featured, warm-hearted, and emotional.
Straight and fine haired should unite with curly.
Flat-nosed should marry the 'full Roman';
A woman who takes after her father should marry a man who takes after his mother.
But in all these cases where the type is not pronounced, but is on the contrary, an average or medium, those forms, features and temperaments may marry either. (TG for that!)

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Slacking off

2007-05-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the time goes, yet the date at the top of the last post tells me that I have been slacking. My excuse... heck I don't really have one. Gardening? Shifting soil? Working on my WIP and a travel article and finalising the last of our interior revamping... remember the wire cupboard... it is still there but not as bad TG. Still haven't received my reject letter from LUNA so fingers crossed that MT-H is looking at it - it did well in the GH even if it didn't final, boo hoo. Sent Twisted Vines off to B D-T at Harlequin so I have MS out there and hope to hear something positive in the next month or so. I never give up dreaming.
Day One of new Diet today, my stomach is rumbling maybe another glass of water will help! Hope your day is a good one. R

Florida and Back.

2007-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Palm Beach, Florida. It was as beautiful as the picture indicates.

Malta

2007-05-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you who asked 'What is Malta like?" here are a couple of photos. Above the old city of Valletta, the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, and the famous Maltese balconies - sorry about that but I can't rotate the picture for some reason.
Have a great day!

TT - 13 ways to develop your wine palette

2007-05-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

First you have to understand why some people can enjoy wine tasting and others can't - it boils down to what is in your mouth.
Humans use only a small part of the brain to interpret messages from the nose area - a Dogfish a very large one... Dogfish should be wine tasters.
In 1901 DP Hanig drew up a map of the tongue designating areas where acid, sweet, bitter and salt were tasted. This is being proved to be more complex.
According to Shari Darling -(The Sophisticated Wino:Harmony on the Palate), the nerves in our tongue and the Chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve allow us to have taste and flavor sensations- sourness,sweetness, bitterness and saltiness. While the trigeminal nerves assists us to experience harmful stimuli e.g.pain, they also respond to positive stimuli, such as spiciness, and irritations such as effervescence and carbonation.
The retro-nasal olfaction perceives odours from within the mouth - "when we chew and swallow foods the odors produced are forced up the palate into the nasal cavity."
Put a clothes/diving peg on your nose and you wont tell milk chocolate from cheddar cheese.
The tongues taste buds allow us to experience tastes - and differ according to number (few- you want things spicier, lots- a little seasoning is enough), distribution, and the amount of saliva produced.
So as Janics Robinson says - No one other than you can know how exactly a wine will strike your senses.In other words taste and flavor is individual. A novice's opinion is just as valid as an experts.
Once you have consciously tasted a few wines you like, you can build on that experience and become aware of common characteristics of other wines you like. Putting that together with the profiles of different grape varieties help you pick out wines that appeal to your palette. (Me personally I prefer a crisp dry white Savignon Blanc over a Chardonnay; and a Pinot Noir over a Cab Sav - not my husband)

First make sure you haven't cleaned your teeth - toothpaste taints wine.
To begin you need: -

a glass (it's inert and allows for appreciation of appearance) even a tumbler will do as long as it is clear
a glass of water or plate of bread cubes (neutralises the mouth - doesn't stop you getting drunk if you swallow everything you taste.)
wine

Now to taste:

Pour 1/3 to 1/2 glass of wine
hold glass by base or stem - said to stop body heat affecting wine
look at the wine (least important but necessary if trying to identfy a wine).
tilt glass away from you against a white background if possible to expose different shades of color (more is better)
study the rim of the wine - this tends to reveal the age of the wine (the browner the older it is. Reds go from deep purple to tawny; whites a pale greenish yellow - deep gold
look for a sheen to the wine - good sign; commercial, treated wine tend to look dull
Swirl the wine then concentrate and smell it. (You swirl it to release the flavor molecules.) It should smell clean and attractive, note intensity and what it reminds you of.
Take a mouthful exposing all of the tongue to the wine. Note how sweet, sour/acid, bitter, tannic/astringent, alcoholic and gassy the wine is. Roll it over you tongue
While the wine is in the mouth take in a little air (done when taking sip)- this chewing allows' mouth feel' for you to note things such as rasping, gripping or satin smooth.
Now spit it out - yeah don't drink it, this tells the taster from the player
Now close your mouth an assess the balance of the wine as a whole compare the sweetness, acidity, alcohol and any bitterness, tannin and gassiness - they should be in balance or does one dominate. In young red tannin often dominates, young white often acidic. Lack of balance could mean the wine is too old.
Note how long did the impact of the wine last after you tasted/swallowed it. A mediocre wine may leave little or no trace, whereas a fine wine can still be tasted after 30 seconds of more.

So you tip, swirl, sniff, slurp, and spit... and look thoughtful for a minute - that's all there is to it. Cheers!

Wordless Wedneseday

2007-05-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

Cliche's and Explain.

2007-05-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

I was listening to CBC yesterday to their Literary Segment and they were talking about cliches and the word explain. I found it quite interesting as we all talk in cliches without realizing we are using them... "You are driving me nuts/round the bend/crazy" , is a cliche I'm sure we have all said at one time or another.
Then they said that 'explain' means to 'lay something flat"??? Maybe I misunderstood so I decided to look up both words in my dictionaries....None of them mention the definition of explain given by the honorable gentlemen on the CBC program.
To save boring you with meanings - Websters, and Collins backed up Oxford
Cliche - n. Metal casting of stereotype of electrotype; hackneyed phrase or opinion. (Oxford )
Cliche - n. a phrase or idea that has been overused and has become uninteresting or stale. (Oxford Current English) And why writers should avoid them.
Explain - v.t. Make known in detail; make intelligible; etc. (Oxford)
Then at the end of Webster's numerous definitions of explain I found this :-
Explain means "to hammer into one's head."
Sort of cliche, don't you think? No wonder they (CBC) said that to explain means to lay out flat!
Have a great day!

Rhyme nor Reason.

2007-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have just finished speaking to my mother(86) and she used a common expression - "There's no rhyme nor reason for it to happen". The saying got me thinking as to where it came from and its original meaning.

According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable -
If something is 'Neither rhyme nor reason' - it is fit neither for amusement nor instruction. It came into being when an author took his book to Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of Henry VIII and asked his opinion. Sir Thomas told the author to turn it into rhyme. He did so and submitted it again to the Chancellor who said : "Ay! ay! That will do, that will do. 'Tis rhyme now, but before it was neither rhyme nor reason."

I know now what mother meant you see,
Her phone was dead, why would that be?

( it turns out it she had pulled it out of the wall.)

Thursday Thirteen - Wine Tasting Terms

2007-04-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Doing research for a novel set around the wine industry I came across some terms that intrigued me. They are used (accurately and inaccurately according to which expert you speak to or book you read) to describe the 'dimensions' of wine and its taste. I thought I'd share some with you. Beside some you will note a letter 'B' (negative) or 'G' (positive) - no letter is neither good nor bad. Just so as you know what the basic terms are Fruit defines the flavor and body that comes from the grape not the wine making process or aging. Body is an important characteristic determined mainly by the alcoholic strength and its extract (wine solids i.e what is left after boiling the wine). Tannic describes the tannins (phenolic preservative) found mainly in red wine and comes from the dark skins, seeds and stems and is a key management factor for the red wine maker.

Chewy - a wine contains some but not obtrusive tannins
Closed - not very aromatic - said to be due to its maturity
Dumb - no aroma/smell at all
Firm - the tannins are perceptible (G)
Flabby - too low in acid (B - no brainer here)
Hollow -lacking fruit (B)
Hard - too tannic (B)
Hot - too alcoholic (B)
Legs/Tears - colorless streams left on the inside of a glass after a relatively alcoholic wine has been swirled ( nothing to do with sugar/glycerol)
Lean - lacking fruit not acid (B)
Mature - aged to its full potential (G)
Horizontial Tasting - a comparative tasting of different but related wines of the same year
Vertical Tasting - comparative tasting of different vintages from the same provenance
Blind Tasting - an attempt to identify and assess wines with covered labels.

I find this wine firm, a little chewy, not too flabby but it has great legs! Go and impress your friends.
Next week - I'll post 13 steps to help develop your palate.

(Ref: Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, BBC Books, 1995)

Not so wordless I'm afraid.

2007-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have to thank Shelly (http://www.spinmeayarn.com and www.thiseclecticlife.com) who has just tagged me for the "Thinking Bloggers Award". I feel honored and unworthy knowing how many others do a wonderful job and are much more blog savvy than I am.
I was asked yesterday "How I was planning for my retirement?" It made me think - "Do housewives retire?"
OMG - I can see it.... knuckles swollen, eyes dimmed, chin on chest, stockings wrinkled about ankles, a walker and a retirement home.
I'm off to the gym!

Wordless Wednesday - Diving Lesson

2007-04-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Rejected writer syndrome.

2007-04-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sure RWS is a certifiable condition. Symptoms are a feeling of optimism, followed by deflation of spirit, a period of self-doubt, then 'put it down to experience. Many successful writer got rejected many times'; followed by reinforced determination and more blood, sweat and angst.
I have decided that my greatest writing success to date is that of the recipient of the 'good' rejection letter. Editors take time to write to me, make suggestions, or point out what they see as a weakness while encouraging me to continue submitting work to them. Then, today guess what.... Canada Post is sending me a cheque for the postage of a misplaced manuscript they cannot find and the publishing house has no record of receiving. Not the sort of payment for a manuscript one has in mind for writing 500 pages.
I take heart as I look out my window - the grass is turning green as I look at and my daffodils have popped open. If they can survive a winter buried under snow I too can push through this. One day the phone will ring and it won't be Canada Post saying we can't find your manuscript, and an envelope in the mail will have details of a contract.....
Well, back to my article about our trip to Sicily. The editor asked me to make some alterations and send it back to him. At least it is a step in the right direction..... R

Wordless Wednesday

2007-04-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Mountains to Climb

2007-04-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy morning racing around the house doing chores and thinking of what I still have to do, and the writing I want to get done when I logged on to the internet (a no-no if you want to get things done) and found that my query letter has been accepted and I have been asked to submit a travel article to the New Zealand Herald (a major newspaper down there) and now I'm wondering how I'm going to get everything done, when I realized - hey I climbed Mt. Etna Sunday a week ago, so I can do it!!! Here are the photos to prove it. Have a great day.

Jetlag gone and back in the saddle

2007-04-15T04:39:00.000-07:00

The Temple of Segesta, in Segesta, Sicily.

Hi everyone I'm back having had a fabulous time in Malta and Sicily after celebrating hubby's 40 years with the German company he works for.
Being a bit of a history nut wandering around ruins like this, and history steeped Malta was a real treat. We even climbed to the highest point of access on Mt. Etna - nearly 10,000 feet and as it was still cold there most of it was in knee deep snow until you hit the steaming slopes then it is black warm volcanic rock, (in the summer it is yellow and black) and while the mountain was steaming it didn't erupt while we were on it.
So now I have to get my head out of the clouds and put it down to get things polished ready for pitching in Dallas.
Attending the TRW meeting yesterday and hearing how well everyone is doing with their writing and listening to Claire Delacroix's presentation of Writing the Synopsis was the perfect place to get inspired. It was also super to meet Amy and Paula.
Inspired and ready to attack the rewrite and synopsis....Cheers Robyn
.

Wordless Tuesday

2007-03-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tutorial: Punctuation. Colon vs Semicolon

2007-03-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in medieval times the semicolon was used to indicate abbreviations and a termination in a psalm, and that the Greeks still use them today to indicate a question?
A friend was at a critiquing session a while ago and there was comment made on her use of semicolons in her work. So this tutorial will try to unravel the correct placement of both.

Colon
A colon tells the reader that what follows is significant to the preceding clause. It adds the pay- off line, in other words the answer to the clause before it.
e.g. The machine was always breaking down: it was old.
The colon means/or acts as a substitute for as follows when introducing a long list.
e.g.There were six people at the meeting: Mary Knots, Joan Long, Lucy Browne, Anne Gordon, Penelope Court, and Harriet Puller.
The colon can be used to add a single word to a phrase to add dramatic significance
e.g. She only ate one thing: chocolate.
The colon can be used to add a word, clause, or phrase to act as a substitute for as a result.
e.g. The house burned down:the vagrants left.
Can be used after a salutation at the beginning of a letter
e.g. To Whom It May Concern:
To divide time
e.g. 1:45
Bible references
e.g. Matthew 12:3
To separate a title from a subtitle.
e.g. The Classic Guide to Better Writing: Step-by-Step Techniques and Exercises to Write, Simply, Clearly, and Correctly
According to Lynne Truss (Eats Shoots and Leaves): "The colon propels the reader forward along lines already subtly laid out. It usually follows a complete sentence and indicates what is to come. "
She elaborates on this more:
"Colons introduce the part of the sentence that exemplifies, restates, elaborates, undermines, explains or balances the preceding part. They also form an introductory role. They start lists (especially those containing semicolons). They set off book and film sub-titles from the main title. They separate dramatic characters from their dialogue. And, start off long quotations and introduce examples."

Semicolon
A semicolon ties ideas together. It is the dividing point in a compound sentence.
If used properly it helps the reader 'read' between the lines and adds more significance to the preceding clause than a comma. It adds a longer pause than a comma, yet a shorter pause than a full stop. It points out the connection between two ideas without using another word.
e.g. I like Mary; she loves cats.
(If you were to use a full stop, the reader is left draw their own conclusion. Using the semicolon leaves the reader wondering if you like Mary because she likes cats, or in spite of her loving cats. ) As Lynne Truss says: " ...the semicolon propels you in any direction related to the foregoing."
A semicolon should be used when joining two or more grammatically complete clauses without a conjunction to form a compound sentence. (you can make two sentences of it)
e.g. The meeting was well underway; it should finish on time.
If the second part of a clause begins with an adverb such as accordingly, then, besides, therefore, or thus and not by a conjunction a semicolon is required.
e.g. I have never gone near there before; besides, the rain made the ground muddy.
NB: An exception here is that when the phrases are short, a comma will suit it better.
e.g. Man proposes, God disposes.
A semicolon should be used in place of the connecting word 'while', which is often substituted for and, but and although.
e.g. The office staff work on the first floor; the mechanics use the ground floor.
NB. while - should really only be used to indicate it's literal sense of 'during that time'.
A semicolon can be used to separate a long list started by a colon.
e.g. The editor wanted to cover a range of lifestyle subjects: personality profiles, not necessarily of famous people; triumph over tragedy pieces, base on real life experience; review columns of books, films, music and theater; 'how I changed my life' stories.
( Note the omission of 'and' in the last itemized subject.)
Using the colon, then the semicolons allows you to add punctuation to the list of items.

Some people use a dash to replace a semicolon. This is not incorrect though use of the dash is better employed when the connection to the preceding words is less direct. The dash then acts as a bridged between fractured comments.
e.g. I love Fruit Acids -why did they call them Sour Drops? - reminds me I didn't get my allowance-Mom!"

Now I must get on with my day: I'm off to make a coffee; have a massage, for my neck strain; run some errands; start packing my suitcase for my trip tomorrow.
Happy writing.

Answer to Question.

2007-03-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Question:
Who lives at #10 Downing Street, London, England?

If you answered Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister, you are wrong. He lives nextdoor.
It is the Chancellor of the Exchequer - Gordon Brown who lives at #10.

The reason is this, Mr. Brown has no children, Mr. Blair has 5 and #10 is too small for Tony Blair and his family so he and Gordon Brown swapped residences. Mr. Blair still comes out of #10 every morning but does not live there.

A question.

2007-03-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to modern drugs and lots of TLC from hubby I'm on my feet again. Tomorrow I go for a massage and I'm told that should finish me off - mmm is that good or bad?
I have over committed myself - nothing new about that, but usually I can scramble to get things done... it ain't gonna happen this time. So I have decided to plod along and do as much as I can and not stress out about it. Must be the drugs.... I feel kinda spacey.
I have a question for you.
Who lives at #10 Downing Street, London, England? (Not my husband in pic)
I'll post the answer tonight.
Cheers Robyn

Snapshot Sunday

2007-03-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tuggerah Lake, New South Wales, Australia.

Tuggerah Lake is about an hour an half drive north of Sydney. There is a wonderful walk along the lakeshore with lake views, picnic areas, and playgrounds. The lake is large and is ideal for all water sports, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing, bird watching.

Thanks for all the messages of support - yesterday came and went for me in a haze of drugs - truly I slept the whole day and night away - I reckon I must have the most susceptible system to pain relief as it knocked me flat, for which my back is grateful as TG today I can move, and feel halfway human again.

Getting fit is a pain the ***!

2007-03-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today I am sitting drugged and dopey as I type this., vowing never to do burpees with ten pound weights and chin ups again. Last night at torture gym I put out two cervical discs in my neck and strained all the muscles across one shoulder..... Oddly enough I felt it go but it didn't hurt until an hour later. I have scorched and ruined two towels in the microwave heating them up, and have enough pills sitting on my counter to make a pharmacist in a third world country cry. But it's not all bad... I can't feel anything at the moment... back, neck, fingers toes, - I wonder if I'll dribble when I eat.

Thursday Thirteen #9 - Rue's Metaphsyical Powers

2007-03-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

Yep, here you have it a TT about the common old Garden rue Rutaceae - Ruta graveolens. Bet you didn't know these thirteen things about it:

Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo both claimed rue's metaphysical powers improved their eyesight and creative inner vision. (An infusion of leaves is still used to bathe tired eyes)
Branches of rue were used to sprinkle holy water before high mass - hence it became known as the Herb of Grace.
It was an important strewing herb and anti-plague plant
Robbers who stripped plague victims protected themselves with 'Vinegar of the four thieves' of which rue was a key ingredient
It was the main component of mithridate - a greek all-purpose poison antidote.
Rue is shown on the heraldic Order of the Thistle. - when Ophelia, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, IV,v (1600) is distributing flowers says: 'O! you must wear your rue with a difference,' she is referring to rue in the heraldic sense.
It inspired the suit of clubs in playing cards.
It's seeds were first used in Roman cooking in 1 AD
If you crush and sprinkle it's dried leaves they are a powerful insect repellent.
By drinking an infusion of its leaves is said to induce perspiration, bring on menstruation, and stimulate bile secretion.
Herbalists use it to treat hysteria, epilepsy, and abnormal blood pressure.
Next time you have partridge for dinner, use the seeds in a marinade with lovage and mint.

NOTE: RUE SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN DURING PREGNANCY, AND ONLY WITH MEDICAL SUPERVISION.

(Main Source: The Complete Book of Herbs : A practical guide to growing and using herbs by Lesley Bremness (1988)

Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

I know it's supposed to be wordless - but....I thought you would like to see my cupboard AFTER the electrician's visit.

Tutorial Tuesday - Grammar : -izing words

2007-03-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm sorry I'm late posting today but here it is. The grammar Tut for Tuesday.
I was going to do something on when to use quotes over italics when I came across something interesting and will share it with you (whether you find it interesting or not- haha)

I was doing some research and came across this oxymoron in Strunk and White's Elements of Style (4th ed).
How often do you use the words 'prioritize, finalize, containerize' maybe not the last so much but the other two I know I use a lot... according to S & W they should not exist. By adding -ize to the nouns such as final, priority, and container you are trying to convert them to a verb and this is not correct. Words such as utilize ( a verb of noun utility) is according to S&W a 'pretentious abomination' when 'use' is more efficient and straightforward.

So I went hunting for the obnoxious - prioritize....

Oxford English Dictionary - no prioritize
Oxford Dic. of Current English - not only has prioritize but prioritise, prioritized, prioritizes, prioritizing - treat as important, arrange in order of importance
Oxford Colour Dic. & Thesaurus - prioritize - treat as a priority
Collins Australian Dictionary - no prioritize (or -ise)
Websters New World Thesaurus - no prioritize (or -ise)
The New International Websters Dictionary & Thesaurus of the English Language - prioritize v.t. (-tized,-tizing) - to arrange in order of priority: to prioritize one's goals
Askjeeves.com - prioritize - to list, arrange, or perform tasks in order of importance or priority

So there you have it even the experts disagree - ain't grammar wonderful

Now it is up to you to figure out how to utilize this list I finalized of the word prioritize!

Today's Insanity

2007-03-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Today I am a day older but no wiser! (Actually that is not true as I can actually understand hand signals of #2 below this. - who are currently outside in the snow, and it's snowing, replacing outdoor lights)
Today I am committed to write 20 pages of a new novel in Michelle's Write-on
Today I have two electricians in my house who don't speak a lot of English
Today I hope to find out what all the wires hanging out of a wall in a cupboard do... they have tags on them like 'not sure'; LHSOS; APDHU; and this one which cacks me up 'don't know!'
Today I have to finish reviewing chapters five- ten in WIP
Today I have to grocery shop or drink decaf tea instead of coffee
Today I have to finish the washing, beds etc etc
Today I have to go to bank and send money to son --- again!!! What does he spend it on? Food... books.... yeah yeah yeah.... maybe I don't want to know!
Today I must remember to ring daughter in Oz to wish her Happy 9th Wedding Anniversary (It's actually tomorrow but that will today here this afternoon... figure that out then put in daylight saving and winter time! My brain hurts!)
Today I have torture gym. (my body still hurts from the last time)
Today I lost another .6 of a pound..... 10.6lbs so far.

So what am I doing now... procrastinating!!!!!

Well done girls for CBC Test the Nation - Next time I hope to be able to join you.
OMG Elvis is on the radio.... day is looking up! (Do you really think he is dead?)
Sun is shining through the falling snow...
Hope your day is a good one.

Time Out

2007-03-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Good Luck to the girls from Toronto RWA in the CBC Canada's Test The Nation.

Toronto Islands

2007-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what I would blog about today and decided, since the fickle weather has turned cold again, to focus on summer in the city. I live not far from Toronto and this cluster of islands, which include Ward, Centre and Hanlan's Point are just a short ferry trip from the bottom of Bay St. What a treat. There are no cars, everyone rides bikes or quaint four-wheelers, okay some walk, but all shamelessly peer over fences into the charming homes of the remaining residences, as they navigate the pathways that wind through the parkland and residential areas. There are lovely swimming beaches (one a nudist beach a fav haunt of gay men), a restaurant or two and a few snack bars, boats to be rented, amusement park and play areas. While city-siders swelter in TO's summer sticky humidity, you get to enjoy the lovely cool breezes coming off the lake as you meander down the lakeside boardwalk. A side benefit is that the ferry trip affords you great city views. (Round Trip cost around $5 adults and $3 for children and seniors.)
Note: The ferries operate year round but in winter the service is limited and most restaurants,snackbars and amusements are shut. The picture looks back to Toronto from the Centre Island wharf, over one of the licensed restaurants.

Thirteen Things I bet you didn't know about Sicily

2007-03-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Apart from being the home of the Mafia, Sicily is a culture rich and diverse island.
1. It was the birth place of Archimedes ( Syracuse, 287BC) - his ingenious war machines helped Syracuse resist a Roman siege for 3 years.
2. Was ruled by Greeks,Romans, Byantines, Arabs, NOrmans, Hohenstaufen monarchs, Angevin and Aragonese dynasties, Spanish and before unification of Italy the Bourbons.
3. Mt. Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, was seen as the home of Hephataestus, the God of Fire, Roman God Vulcan, and Mt. Etna and other islands around Sicily feature in Homer's Odyssey.
4. The train ride around the bottom of Mt. Etna takes five hours.
5. It is one of the few countries in Europe were all of its occupiers have left their mark in architecture that is still visible to this day e.g. Grecian, Roman, Moorish, Norman, Baroque .
6. For the dangerous trip to Sicily, the Greeks used ships called triremes - a galley 35m(115ft) long, faster and more agile than the Phoenician vessels. They traveled about 100 km (60miles) per day, and had 200 crew. They had three ranks of oars, and all 170 oars were synchronized.
7. Home to a diverse cultural society, it was the home to writer Giovanni Verga (1840 -1922) Painter Pietro Novelli (1603-47) and composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-35)
8. Palermo's Teatro Massimo is one of the largest opera houses in Europe.
9. The Altar of HieronII was a sacrificial monument to Zeus, and as many as 400 bulls were put to death at the same time.
10. The Temple of Concord (5C BC)is one of the best preserved Doric temples in the world. (As are many temples in the Valley of the Temples built by the Carthaginians)
11. Sicily is famous for icecream - cassata
12. The city of Caltagirone is a UNESCO World Heritage site. - famous for its potters and production of ceramics from Bronze Age pots, Greek Hellenistic and roman kraters and figurines, Middle Age vases, and more recent jars and glazed vases, the 142 step of the Santa Maria del Monte Stairway built in 1608 is made entirely of majolica tiles.
13. The Sicilian Hound (Cirneco) is a breed of dog native to the Etna area, was used as a hunting dog in ancient times.

Sunset

2007-03-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

TT#7 - Slang and modern idiom

2007-03-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Ever used the words 'vice versa' , or 'varsity' - did you know their roots stem from words meaning behind, buttocks, and were once considered vulgar slang..... In researching a novel for appropriate language of the time (1700's), I stumbled over some marvelous words that we often throw all, or portions of, into our language today without thinking of their origins.... here are thirteen unusual but commonly used words and those to which they are related.

frig -(expletive meaning Gosh, God!) - was also once as unprintable as the F-word used to be. In Victorian times frig came into usage to make the F-word more genteel and fit for use in mixed company.
arse(E), ass (US), arsey-varsey,arsie-versie,arsey-warsey, vice versa, topsy-turvy, versey, varsey, - mean behind, buttocks, now more commonly used to mean upside down FYI varsity stems from here.
razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, hoop-la - showiness, jazzy, extravagant display of fuss, garishness, commotion. (c.1889)
thingamajig, figmagig, - a toy, trifle, anything that moves or works about
frigabob, frigmajig, fashizzle my nizzle (love that one)- to dance, jerk up and down, anything which dances, jerks up and down and sideways....
shagrag, shagmarelle, rabble, riffraff, tagrag, shag-me-rag - idle good for nothings, unkempt person, a mean person (I wonder if the verb (?) to shag - comes from jiggy-jiggy with a shagrag fligary?)
jig - (slang for copulation, became a common verb meaning to jerk up and down (go figure) led to jiggy-jiggy, jig-a-jig, fligmejig,frigmajig - all mean to copulate
fligmagary, fligary, frigary, flig-me-jig (c.1860) - a tawdrily dressed woman, a girl of doubtful character.
hoddy-mandoddy, haddy-daddy, hadmandad, odd-me-dod, horny-dorny - a snail, or to move at a snails pace. (As a romance writer it makes one wonder at the last one - a long lazy afternoon of horny-dorny mmmm?)
marly-scarly - a caterpillar
tittle-tattle, clish-clash, clish-ma-clash, - gossip, idle chatter, scandal
hoity-toity, la-di-da, lardy-dardy, hanky-spanky - a swell, posh person, putting on airs and graces, upper class, dashing.

So with that I leave you with this sentence - The shagrag, moved at a hoddy-mandoddy pace, entranced by the razzle-dazzle of the thingamagig as it frigabobbed in the hands of the fligmagary.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

Compounds Grammatical

2007-03-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

No, this is not something the army marches around of some scientific formula but what is meant by compounds in grammar.
Compound Adjective:
This is an adjective made up of two or more words e.g. downcast, over-the-hill.
Compound Noun:
Is a noun the consists of more than one word, used as a unit e.g. mother-in-law, redhead, passersby, boobytrap.
Compound Predicate:
These are two or more verbs that have equal importance in a sentence e.g. She washed and ironed today.
Compound Sentence:
A sentence that contains to main independents clauses e.g. I love popular music, but my interests have recently turned to opera and classics.
Compound Subject:
This is a sentence in which two or more subjects function with equal importance. e.g. Lucy and Mary loved shopping together.

When you think of it the word compound makes sense of the above, it is linking two or more things together and flows into other things... like compound fracture of the arm, chemical compound, events compounded together having an effect....

Today I have started revision number three on Twisted Vines. Hope your day is productive.

TT#6 Thirteen things about the great American Novelist - James Fenimore Cooper

2007-02-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was a seaman until he retired to become a country gentleman and write.
Didn't start writing until his early 30's in answer to a challenge from his wife when he claimed he could write a better novel than the one he was reading.
The following year (1820) he wrote Precaution which critics said was no better than other English fiction.
Challenged once again he wrote two fully American books - The Spy (1821)(a tale of the American revolution) and The Pilot (1823)
The Pioneers (1823) a tale of the frontier, became an instant best seller.
The Pioneers sold over 3,500 copies on the morning of its first day in print
He wrote the first American adventure story
The first American novel of manners
The first American novel of the sea
The first successful American novelist
Fenimore's fame rested on The Leatherstocking Tales featuring Natty Bumpoo, which consisted of a series of five novels about Natty Bumpoo.
He went on to write 28 novels over the next 30 years.
Other novels include, The Last of the Mohicans (1826), The Red Rover (1927), The Water Witch (1830), The Deerslayer (1841)His last novel - The Ways of the Hour was written in 1850. He died in 1851

Wordless Wednesday

2007-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Novel Novel.

2007-02-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

We all know about the western, YA, chicklit, historicals etc... but have you heard of Bildungsroman or trangressive fiction? If you haven't, neither did I until a short time ago and it intrigued me enough to go looking for other unusual novels. I found them in The Complete Idiots Guide to Creative Writing.
Bildungsroman - is German for "novel of development' - a fictional form of a hero's journey from his dysfunctional childhood, through his growing awareness of himself and how he changes the way he relates to the world around him - usually in a positive way. Examples - Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, Samuel Butler's The Way of All Flesh, and of course James Joyce's A Portrait of a Young Man.
Epistolary Novel - this novel uses correspondence between characters to advance the story, or diary entries, or as in the case of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a one-way letter.
Picaresque Novel - Spanish in genre - this is a novel that reads like a travelogue with a twist describing the exploits of a rogue. e.g. Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Roman a clef - uses contemporary historical figures with fictitious names. eg Joe Klein's Primary Colors thinly veiled fiction about the CLinton Administration.
Transgressive Fiction - is a relatively new term for fiction that graphically deals with aberrant sexual practice, urban violence, dysfunctinal family relationship, and drug use. Described as 'subversive, avant-garde, bleak, and pornographic" with bizarre art covers, lots of italics and undersized formats. William Burroughs and the Marquis de Sade were the forefathers of this genre.
All These examples were found in Idiots Guide to Creative Writing. (1997)

As a side note here, In the IGCW there is a little box which says " To figure out what pseudonym you should use if you decide to write a romance novel, take the name of your first pet plus your mother's maiden name."

So I sign off today as the mysteriously known - Kidney Lee.

It's the turn of the apostrophe.

2007-02-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Contraction, possessive, omission, non-standard English, all use the apostrophe. Lynne Truss in 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves' claims that the apostrophe is the frantically multi-tasking female of the punctuation world, while the full stop is the lumpen male.
The placement of this little lick has caused much debate, and humor, over the centuries.
Let's look at examples:
Contractions
In speaking we run words together and these are known as contractions e.g.
aren't - are not
can't - can not
won't - will not
let's - let us
I'd - I would
don't - do not
Then there's the trickier and often abused it's, they're, and you're.
It's - is a contraction to replace the 'i' of is. It's only used for this no other. If you're unsure put the 'is' after the 'it' and you'll soon find out if it makes sense or not .e.g. The dog bit it's tail. should read - The dog bit its tail.
The same goes for they're, which only stands for they are. Not to be confused with their(possession), and there (place).
And you're, which stands only for you are. Not to be confused with your (possessive).

Possessive Apostrophes
These fall into two categories. - Singular possessive and plural possessive.
Singular possessive
You simply add- 's to the singular noun e.g. boy's hat = a hat belonging to one boy; the baby's bib
If the singular noun ends in an 's' - modern usage add's the apostrophe alone but no - s's - e.g.
H.G. Wells = H.G.Wells' books. ( older usage is H.G.Wells's books)
Plural Possessive
You add - 's - to the plural noun e.g. The children's coats. The men's ideas made us laugh.
If the plural noun ends with an 's' then just add the apostrophe e.g.The girls' hats.
In general in writing it is acceptable to show the possessive case of inanimate objects e.g. the cuff of my pants ( not my pant's cuff); the seat of my pants (not my pant's seat)
But there are exceptions that indicate time and quantity:
thirty days' notice
a week's pay
an hour's walk
for pity's sake
a day's travel
a month's travel
three pounds' worth

And the less common- 's - after the silent 's' at the end of a word e.g. Arkansas's capital city is Little Rock.
Nowadays the - ' - is usually omitted in corporate names e.g. Barclays Bank, or Chambers English Dictionary
In abbreviations it is becoming more common to omit the possessive apostrophe (and points) e.g.V.I.P.'s vs VIPs; M.P.'s vs MPs
An apostrophe is used to indicate the plural of single letters e.g. Mind your p's and q's. He was one to dot the i's and cross the t's.
They are also used to indicate the plural of a word when they are not used to signify their normal meaning e.g. His speech was full of if's and but's. The manuscript was edited to take out all the got's.
Possessive determiners and pronouns DO NOT HAVE APOSTROPHES
determiners are: my/our, your/your, his/their, her/their, its/their
pronouns are: mine/ours,yours/yours, his/theirs, hers/theirs,its/theirs

Apostrophes of omission
These occur when significant letters of a word are left out and is often used in idiom e.g.
We can't go to Jo'burg today. "It was 'im that got the cat-o'-nine-tails, and he'd be dead if we 'adn't stopped 'im."
Words like fridge, phone, telly,pram, cello, nuke, photo, etc. no longer need the apostrophe to signify the letters absent.

Non-standard English apostrophe.
When writing old English and classical names the apostrophe is used with out a following s.
e.g. Xerxes' battles, Socrates' ideas, Achilles' heel, Archimedes' bath
The same goes for place names in modern usage e.g.Barbados' capital city is Bridgetown.
Names ending in an 'iz' sound e.g. Bridges' score, Moses' tablets and lastly Jesus' disciples.
Still, there would be little complaint if you added the 's' after the apostrophe for any of these, with the exception of Jesus.

Hope these help your apostrophe dilemma... my references were Rudolf Flesch and A.H. Lass - The Classic Guide to Better Writing; Write On by Richard Bell and Pauline Bently; Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss.

Serenity

2007-02-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Views of Japanese Teahouses in the beautiful Ukai-Toriyama, Tokyo, Japan.

Thoughts on writing

2007-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I began clearing out our storeroom, all because my heroine wants me to write her story, but something holds me back. Is it my muse, or the instinct that comes from being a pantser, that tells me I'm not ready to commit her to paper just yet?
All I know is that for me to write, I ponder shift and sort ideas floating in my head until they gel and form a pattern.
As I shifted one of the boxes in the storeroom I came across an unopened box. It has been sealed shut for over twenty years.... Okay I hear you, so the cleaning out is long overdue. Curious, I opened a box that has traveled the world in our many moves - and came across a treasure trove. It contained my earlies attempts at writing... mostly short stories... so you know what I spent the rest of the yesterday doing... reading.
It was an odd experience getting a glimpse of the ideals and thoughts of my younger self. It made me realize that not only have I grown as a person in the past twenty-two years but even though I have only focused on my writing in a serious nature for the last four years, I have been flirting with writing a lot longer and have improved my craft considerably since then - proving the writer's adage - that the more you write the better you get.
Today I am still clearing out the storeroom, and thanks to my find yesterday, my heroine has taken more solid shape and become grounded. As I shift boxes, and add to the growing pile of rubbish, the story grows in my mind.
Tomorrow, I write.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-02-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

SUMMER DAYS

Maimi Boat Show...

2007-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

These give you an idea of what was there, and how many.... there were three boat show areas - all huge!

Bingeing, Boo-ing and Boats.

2007-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

I have had an interesting few days. Well they were for me, so let me bore you with them.
Thursday - A friend and I who have birthdays close together went out to lunch... it ended up as a drive in the country and a stop at Lowville and the Lowville Bistro. It was scrummy, I even had wine and dessert and of course dreaded getting on the scales the next morning but knock me down with a feather - I lost 0.6 of a lb.... go figure. (Loss since Feb 1, -4.6lbs, is sooo slow, but at least heading in the right direction - torture gym tonight)
On Friday - Hubby and I went to the local theatre's production of "Old Time Music Hall' and despite being some of the youngest in the audience had a great time,. well done Drury Lane of Burlington.
Then on Saturday - hubby and I were up at 4 am to get to the airport for a day trip to Miami to attend the Miami Boat Show.... WHOOOOOOOOW! It is the second largest in the world, behind Fort Lauderdale, and let me tell those of you who have never been to a boat show... this is one to try to aim for... my eyes are still out on stalks... Mega Millions $$$ of beautiful boat, gleaming and polished, sitting at their owners convenience decked out in every luxury you can imagine... one boat had crews quarters for 8 crew including a chef, and the Captain's quarters were separate. (I would post a photo but for a cyber glitch.)
After I finish this I'm off to brush up on my haute cuisine skills as I think we wont buy a boat in our retirement, hubby can crew and I'll cook, and get hired on as crew and see the world that way. Think of the stories I could write in my spare time... I understand that a lot of these boats get used for a max of three months a year but are crewed full time.....(often including a helicopter pilot. One boat had an 8 seater helicopter.) How the other half lives!
Sunday - back to reality and penance for all that indulgence, I started cleaning out my bookcase.... Does anyone else find it hard to throw/give away books? I put them aside with strong resolution yet somehow they end up back on the shelf.
I'm currently listening to Eric Burdon singing House of the Rising Sun . Next up is Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell album and You took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. Oh Yeah!!!! should help get the rest of the housework done ...
Have a great Monday.

TT#4 - Aphrodisiacs

2007-02-15T00:10:00.000-08:00

I'm a romance writer and this comes under research!!!!! According to the Oxford English Dictionary and aphrodisiac is something arousing sexual desire. So with Valentines Day an' all, I asked a group of people, male and female, aged from 6 - 91 what attracted them to a person, and the older ones what 'turned them on'.

Physical features - this was unanimous male and female the first thing that they noticed about a person was something to do with appearance mostly about the head (one person it was leg length and another feet) and covers broader statements such as six yo male -" coz she's pretty", and 9y.o. female "he's sooo cool" to 23 y.o. male 'she's one hot ....". This includes hair colour/texture/length, smile, eye color, laugh, to the way a person moved.
Physical attributes - close second slightly different to #1 in that it was more personal and mostly unprintable but involved breasts, butts, shoulders, height.
Smell - once again 6 yo. male ("she smells nice) and all others agreed. This may be something applied like perfume or after shave. (FYI it is a known fact that each person gives off pheromones that are like a finger print of personal body odour (as opposed to BO), individual to that person that trigger a response from an interested partner. For females this is dominant at certain times of the month when conception is most likely to occur and when they are most receptive to sexual advances).
Attire - ranged from high heels, short leather skirts, tuxedos, leather anything, underwear, sweaty gym clothes, unbuttoned jeans (female), tight jeans(male and female), wet t-shirts, fishnet stockings, slinky dresses etc....comments degenerated into the unprintable
Candlelight
Moonlight - especially moonlight in summer, and moonlight on water
Food - chocolate came top closely followed by champagne. One guy thought pot roast was pretty cool.
Music - the range was as eclectic as the people asked, obviously songs and music is an individual/couple thing. Slower R&B, Jazz and classical being considered most romantic by most.
Warmth/Heat - ranged from tropical holidays and warm summer nights to snuggling under the covers....it is a known fact that warmth encourages intimacy (the guys had their own spin on this involving cold showers)
Firelight - relates to above, but creates it's own romantic ambiance
Satin sheets - turned into satin/silk anything
Steamy showers - I'll let your imagination do the rest with this one
The look - or as 91 y.o. said "He was such a rogue with a sparkle in his eye that I couldn't resist".

Shared sense of humor came next. Also in the top twenty were communication, shared interests, snuggling and erogenous zones -and at that spot this post is done.

Shoveling is exercise, right?

2007-02-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

God I hope so, as I can hardly lift my arms above my head and to think I have torture gym tonight. I think the weather channel has a weird sense of humor... Some drifts in our driveway are waist deep and as LOL needed to get out guess what I was doing at 6 this morning. So along with the 20cm I shoveled yesterday I feel I have exercised. I live in Burlington ON and I gather it is in the part of Southern Ontario that is getting dumped on. - I can confirm it. The novelty of snow shoveling is wearing thin - and it's still snowing.

My writing yesterday went surprisingly well. Finished my last twenty pages and even did a draft of my cover letter. Got the results of a comp back and came in 7th in my group for my paranormal,it is in the top 10 of 50 so I guess that's okay. At least its not in the sucky, indistinguishable middle. If its really bad you can always do something with it, like light a fire.

FYI I'm not an exercise freak but I want to be fit and active for my old age and to enjoy my grandchildren. Writing is so sedentary so I have to shift some of my blubber. If I was a whale I could sell it - maybe they could turn it into 'Hip Gloss'.

Procrastination

2007-02-13T06:11:00.000-08:00

I have done my three miles on the treadmill, and in my mind I have read over what I wrote yesterday, and am sitting here pouring over words in the last section of my WIP so I can put it aside for a week then re read it. But that is not happening, why?
It's snowing... nothing new in that as I am in Canada and its winter, but I happen to one of the freaky few who love the white stuff. I love the way if falls silently and looks like marshmallow or Cool Whip. I love the way it changes the landscape and hides the sleeping plants insulating them so that they will surprise me in spring. I look at the fire crackling behind me and think of curling up in front of it with hot chocolate and that book that is saying 'read me next' (An American Childhood FYI). Or that scrapbook I need to finish of that holiday we went on three years ago....
Instead -
I'm itching to get out the door with my shovel waiting for 3 cm so I can start shoveling... maybe it comes from growing up in temperate and hot climates where Christmas is a tinsel tree stuck in the sand and yelling at the kids to come in from waves for cold seafood and rum and fruit icecream cake before it get too hot or melts!
They say we're going to get hit by maybe 20 -50 cms... I wonder if I will feel the same about shoveling snow tomorrow?

A Writer's Library

2007-02-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

With the internet on hand you may wonder - "Why have a library, when everything you want is right at your finger tips?" While I would hate to be without all the wonderful information available to me on line, I often find that when I'm writing, accessing the internet is more of a distraction than a help. If you are like me and love books, you will already have a substantial library reflecting your taste. However, when it comes to books on the craft of writing I find that I am easily persuaded to look at 'so and so's' book on editing, grammar, etc.. So listed below is the general consensus of my many books on the craft of writing, and what they feel a writer should have in their library.

A Comprehensive Style Dictionary - such as an Oxford's Writer's Dictionary which provides an authoritative guide on numerous issues of style and usage such as, spelling dilemmas, names of people and places, foreign words and phrases, when to italicize, abbreviations, acronyms, capitalization and punctuation.
A General Dictionary - If you have an interest in the historical development of English Words you will also need an etymological dictionary which gives examples of historical and archaic usage , dates of first usage and obsolescence e.g. Shorter Oxford Dictionary. Collins also puts out dictionaries of current word usage for both American and English e.g. Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Slang, in Collin's Cobuild English Dictionary series.
A Thesaurus - provides lists of antonyms and synonyms of words
A Glossary of Literary Terms - to assist in identifying figures of speech, genres, types of poems, different rhyming schemes etc.
A Guide to Writing - this should be in your chosen area and the selection is limitless. Go to your library, borrow books from friends, see which author resonates with you or it will sit on your shelf and gather dust.
Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers - usually available through a government publishing service, and gives the nationally accepted ways of writing and present certain words, phrases and names on the page. From my perspective as a romance writer I have found that most Publishing Houses have very definite criteria on their submissions sites. If not read the genre and published books to get the feel for it.
Grammar Reference Book - again there are many to choose from. Lynne Truss - 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves'; Strunk and White - 'The Elements of Style' are two that are very good.
Spelling - for faulty spellers a book on spelling is a must, such as 'Spelling Made Easy' by Barbara Dykes and Constance Thomas
Writer's Marketplace - This covers every area of writing -and is published in most countries around the world and sets out the different Publishing Houses in that country, what they publish, and how to contact them. The only problem is that it needs to be updated annually and you need to check before sending things off as details can change from date of detail submission to the date the book becomes available.
Atlas -
Almanac - can be handy for pinning down that date in history - such a Pears Encyclopedia or accessing something similar on line.

These are just a few of the basics others you can include would be books on: Book of Quotations (Times); Who Wrote That (Oxford); Brewers Phrases and Fables (Cassell); Baby Names; Random Houses - Websters Word Menu - to name a few.
On Line, the options are limitless - I personally find Ask Jeeves, and Wicopedia are the best places to start. Hope this helps.

TT # 3 Chocolate - Food-of-the-Gods

2007-02-08T05:15:00.000-08:00

Over 200 years ago the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, name a tree with ugly rough, seed and pulp filled pods growing from its trunk - Theobroma cacao which translates as Food-of-the-gods cacao, something chocolate lovers would agree with. So having looked at the history of tea and coffee on the last two Thursday Thirteens, I thought with Valentines Day coming up I would stay with the theme and look at how that sinfully delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate heart arrived in its foil wrapper.

Firstly let me state that there are many varieties of Theobroma growing in the the warm tropical climates it thrives in... all are linked, but I am focusing on the Theobroma genus responsible for chocolate, namely Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.

Contrary to popular belief, the Aztecs did not discover chocolate. They lived to high for it to grow. Cacao only came into their lives when they conquered large parts of Mexico in the 14C. But they were certainly involved with its evolution to what we know today. Cacao is a native plant of Latin America, namely The Amazon Basin and south of Lake Maracaibo in the foot hills of the Venezuelan and Colombian Andes. By the end of the first millenniumBC the plant had migrated to the tropical forests of Mexico and its other Central American neighbors.
The flavour and promise of the cacao seed (bean) in the delicious gooey white interior was discovered by Mesoamericans through their systematic, logical approach to most of their food, in preparation and preservation. In other words, they dried the seeds, ground them and discovered the powder left tasted different to the fresh fruit, and that grinding roasted cacao seeds they released oils, and a fragrance as the brown powder became a paste. This they formed into cakes or balls and dried for future use. It is thought that the Gulf Coast Olmecs or the Mayans mastered this technique, including the addition of chilies and other spices, even the red coloring agent, achiote - all still used today.
This ancient drink was frothy and highly prized and used as a sacred offering and is still retains this ceremonial aura today. You may have had them in Venezuela as 'popo' or in Oaxaca, Mexico as 'tejate'. This froth is said to represent a gift of personal vigor,or essential force from the one presenting the gift to its recipient (like giving chocolate to a loved one today). There were foods associated with chocolate which is still available today, such as the Mexican 'champurrado' a rich chocolate corn gruel, or the 'chorote' from Tabasco and Venezuela, or Ecuador's, 'chocolate con machica' chocolate blended with barley flour.
Cacao beans became so prized that they took on the status of legal tender, and it was in this form that in 1502 that Christopher Columbus and his teenage son, Ferdinand, came across cacao during his 4th New World Voyage. They came across a canoe party of Indians off HOnduras and noted that the Indians made such a fuss of the nuts they carried with them stooping to get any that fell into the water. Since neither spoke the others language the reason for their care remained a mystery for the next 17 years until Cortez's armies marched into Mexico.
It was only when Cortez and his companions saw Emperor Moctezuma offer them a frothy brown drink with great ceremony, that their desire to grab anything that alluded to wealth made them look at the brown paste, and beans more closely. For the Aztecs ranked certain cacao beans with the same value as gold and gems and used a an offering to the dead.
Cacao beans were specific units of money and commodities from turkey, grains to sex had their known price in cacao.
The Spaniards noticed shoppers at the Aztec markets were very knowledgeable when choosing their beans and knew where they came from and its locale, and what quality to look for. For like all produce its environment affects it. They soon discovered cacao dulce (sweet cacao) and cacao blanca (white cacao), forestero and criollo. It was criollo that endured and went back to Spain.
Spanish Aristocrats adopted drinking chocolate and within 50-60 years the custom had spread to France, Italy, England and most of Europe. C17 fine porcelain cups were made especially for drinking chocolate. In Mexico it was still drunk in a decorated gourd, and in Caracas drinking chocolate was all the rage resulting in mid-afternoon soirees called agasajos. It was the Spanish who married chocolate with sugar. Prehispanic Mexicans used honey or the sap from the heart of the maguey plant.
It was only in the late C17 that chocolate was used as a spice or flavoring in savory dishes such as the Sicilian caponata, the Cataliam estofados and hybridized Spanish-Indian moles of Mexico. But chocolate through the C17 and C18 was a beverage. The preparation was complex, and costly so only the wealthy could afford it. Some household even employed metates skilled chocolate drink makers their name taken from the grinding stones they used.
It is only after 1890 -1900 that recipe books contained recipes using chocolate. The powder would not break down enough for baking prior to this and was unpalatable.
In the late C17 blight hit the cacao crops and the crops in Trinadad were nearly wiped out. In order to replant they took seeds from the mainland and this would give rise to a new genus of cacao trinitario. This was less bitter than farestero, and more hardy than the criollo. Because of the cross pollinations it is farestero that is what we know of as chocolate today.
1828 Conrad Van Houten of the Netherlands developed a way to mechanically extract the fat from the cacao resulting in cocao butter - this was used in soaps and suppositories, the solid mass left was sold as 'rock cocoa' which was then ground to a powder. By recombining the cocoa butter with the left over liqour confectioners developed 'eating chocolate'.
1879 Swiss Rodolphe Lindt took the cocoa sugar mix and put it in a 'conche' machine which sloshed it back and forth for hours ( a process known as conching based on the metate) which led to the silky melting confection we now consider normal for chocolate.

Through the developments of these two men the price of chocolate dropped and it became the beverage of the masses. Companies used smiling children to advertise their product to sell it, such as Fry and Cadbury in England, Menier and Poulain in France,Lindt or Suchard in Switzerland, and Hershey in North America.

SO there you have your Valentine Chocolate Heart.

Renovations that last!

2007-02-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Mermaid Hotel, Rye, East Sussex, England.
The perfect smugglers get-away.

One word,- several meanings

2007-02-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Having had the opportunity to live in several countries over the last 20 years it has never ceased to amaze me the way people view the same word. You have the widely known differences such as the word rubber - Down Under- it is something produced from a tree,or, something used to eradicate a pencil error; to an American - a rubber is a condom. So II took the words from my blog title to find out all the different meanings for them.

PISTOL-

a small firearm with a short barrel, and a stock to fit the hand, that can be fired with one hand. This can an include any of the following 'pistols' - automatic, repeating, six shooter, gat, rod, Saturday night special, cannon, six-gun, pepper pot, barker, pill shooter, iron, forty-five, thirty-eight, seven-shooter, Derringer, pocket, .22 calibre, .32 calibre, .45 calibre, Colt, Webley, Smith and Wesson, Mauser, Nagant, Steyr, Browning, modele d'ordonnance (Fr), Luger (Ger), Parabellum(Ger).
an informal adjective to describe a spunky person, usually female, with a fiery temperament and a go get 'em attitude.

PASSION -

ardent desire, especially sexual
any strongly felt, overpowering emotion can be loving, fervent, inspiring, moving, poignant,enthusiastic, tragic, thrilling, burning heated,melodramatic, wistful
suffering esp that of Christ
an intense fit of furious anger; rage
any transport of excited feeling; violent agitation
a strong impulse tending to physical indulgence
inordinate appetites; sexual desires
the state or condition of being acted upon; subjecting to external force, as opposed to acting or doing ; the philosophical sense
the endurance of some painful endurance; suffering
(obs) some painful disease

Potion

a liquid dose of medicine, or poison ( something remember when reaching in to the medicine cabinet!)
a liquid substance used in magic
a blended combination rubbed, inhaled, or ingested to bring about a desire result.
a drink, nip , dram, elixir, draft, liquor, tonic, dose, cordial, stimulant, libation, restorative, philter, spirit, aromatic, remedy

Hope your Tuesday is going well Be sure to look in tomorrow for my 'Wordless Wednesday".

Voices in my head - Interior Monologue

2007-02-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

As a writer I'm told we have the advantage over, say a movie, in that you can put the reader inside your characters head. You are able to take the reader from action to thought and back to action again, giving the reader vital information of unexpressed thoughts as to how, or why the person is reacting that way. Interior monologue allows:

disclosure of information that doesn't fitdialogue
gives the reader a feel for who the characters are
it is an intimate and powerful way to establish a characters voice and personality

So with this handy tool at my disposal what are the pitfalls?

Be cautious of IM interrupting flow of story/dialogue - constant interruptions are irritating
Use dialogue to good effect don't use IM to reinforce a feeling that dialogue has/can make clear. eg (IM)She felt herself getting angry at his intrusion and the sooner he left the better. Now in dialogue... She slammed the book down on the desk. "Get to the point and go."
Don't put IM in quotes. IM are thoughts, not spoken and should be unobtrusive and should have no speaker attributions. eg: (in quotes) "I'm about done here," he said, then mumbled under his breath, "or will be, if I'm not interrupted." Now with speaker attributions. Am I done here? I would be if you didn't interrupt me, he thought. Now without speaker attrbutions - Am I done here? Only if you stop interrupting me.
As you write a scene in one POV the reader knows whose head they are in so speaker attribution in IM is unnecessary.
A long passage of IM can have its own paragraph. If written well the reader will just slide into the persons head unaware they are doing it as they are already with that character, the seams blur.
some writers use italics to set out IM that would be hard to work in otherwise.

As a self-editing tool, Rennie Brown and Dave King suggest the following for bringing IM in your manuscript to your attention.

How much do you have? - go through and highlight the passages that occur in a person's head.
Look at it - Is it dialogue descriptions in disguise? Are you using IM to show things that should be told? Should some of your longer passages be turned into scenes?
Do you use speaker attributions that could be dropped and the speaker still remain clear?
Can you convert IM from first to third person? Give it its own paragraph? Convert it to a question? Or italicing it?
How close are your narrative and character's voice? Is the distance between your characters and your readers as much as you intended? or as much as your reader needs?

Hope this helps move your story along....

The answers to the Sunday snap photos were - The Battle of Hastings - 1066; the Norman, William the Conqueror won the battle and spoke French; the saxon, King Harold got an arrow in his eye and died on the battle field.
To those who sent emails asking where the photo of the garden was taken, it was at Rosemoor, the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden, in Devon.

Remember life is short -

2007-02-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

Take time to smell the roses

2007-02-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Snapshot Sunday Quiz

2007-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here are the photos for todays Where/What and Who? The clues are:
We are in England
On this field one of the defining battles of history was fought.
Battle Castle and an exclusive Public School overlook this field today. When the battle was fought an old monastery overlooked the blood shed.
The battle and it's date is recorded in history books.
The 'conqueror' did not speak English.
This grave supposedly 'arrow' marks the spot of the defeated's death.

What was the battle ? Who was the 'conqueror'? Who was defeated?

Extra cyber pats on the back if you can state the date of the battle and the language the conqueror spoke.

Friday Feast #1

2007-02-02T05:40:00.000-08:00

Appetizer:
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?
Wearing a jumper/sweater you had knitted with 1 inch thick needles.
Soup:
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you?
Weird accent!
Salad:
On a scale of 1 -10 with 10 being the highest, how hard to you work?
If it's grey and snowing 8-9, if its sunny mmmm probably 1 unless I take my computer outside... then it is probably 3-5. I mean who wants to sit in front of a computer on a lovely sunny day when the birds are singing, the water fountain is bubbling over rocks, and the sweet smell of flowers just make you want to lie on the grass and look at the sky and watch the clouds roll by.
Main Course:
If you were given 30 second free commercial time during Superbowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?
My yet to be published book!!!
Dessert:
Fill in the blanks. I love to------------when it is-----------.
I love to snuggle up to my honey in front of the fire with wine and our fave music playing when it is dark and snowing outside.

What is your Friday Feast?

Thirteen Thurday - 13 things about the history of coffee

2007-02-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

Coffee's origins are surrounded in legend and history. It has only been a beverage in the world for just on five centuries. Cafes, as institutions have survived monarchies, republics, governments, parliaments and wars, and have been the hotbed of plots, assignations, and socializing for centuries - but how did it all start?

1. Coffee originally came from Ethiopia, where it grows wild. It was first brewed by Abyssinian shepherds and is now the world's second most consumed beverage after water.

2. Coffee was thought to be introduced to Yemen from Ethiopia in the C15 by Ali be Omar al-Shadili - the grandmaster of the mystical Sufi sect in a tiny Red Sea port of Mocha (then known as Muza). He came to be known as the 'Saint of Mocha'.

3. An ancient legend and a tale of "A Thousand and One Tales" tells of Kaldi, a Yemenite goatherd, who couldn't sleep because the goats were frolicking about. A local monk followed the goats to discover they were eating red berries off a wild bush common in the area when they were suddenly overcome by a surge of energy. At the monastery the monks chewed the berries to keep them awake during long hours of prayer. So, coffee's power to stimulate the nervous system entered history - and legend.

4. It is rumored that Omar's monastery gave a cup of monastery coffee to a visiting Indian sea captain who had complained of drowsiness. So taken with the power of the brew, the captain took it with him to the Near and Middle East. Thus beginning the coffee trade with India.

5. The practice of steeping coffee beans in hot water began in the late C15 in the holy city of Mecca where it was used in ceremonies and rituals. This soon spread to outside the mosques and gave rise to coffee houses.

6. The first coffee houses were thought to have originated in Mecca in the mid - late C15, then spread to Medina then on to Cairo in the early C16. The first coffee houses in Constantinople were opened by two Syrians in 1554. It had taken less than half a century for coffee to spread through the Middle East.

7. C16 camel drivers in caravans from Yemen and Egypt: sailors such as Simbad and Levant, and Turkish and Syrian merchants, were the first bring the beverage 'coffee' to the notice of the world.

8. The tiny city port of Mocha (Muza) is situated on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea and the Ottoman's who controlled its exports guarded their trading monopoly. The port traded in incense, myrrh, and alabaster. No coffee had been grown successfully outside of Ethiopia or Yemen so it was coffee, which would bring great wealth to the city, but like everything it could not last.

9. In early C17 European botanists began to bring back tales of coffee leading to European Trading Companies taking an interest in the mercantile routes of the East. The London East India Company founded in 1600 was the first to send trade ships on the IndianTrade Route and stopped in the tiny port of Mocha and were not welcomed. In 1610 a company trader, Sir Henry Middleton, was thrown in jail only to escape and blockade the tiny port.

10. It was Pieter Van der Broecke in 1616 of the Dutch East India Company who gained the Ottoman's favor and while purchasing coffee beans was able to make off with some bushes. The beans from these bushes were planted in Amsterdam's Botannical Gardens where they thrived. This event however, received little publicity but was to have a major impact on coffee history as they were the first coffee bushes to be grown outside of Ethiopia and Yemen.

11. Van de Broecke's coffee bushes produced vigorous healthy bushes and were named Coffea arabia by Swedish Botanist Carolus Linnaeus giving rise to the commonly known 'arabica' coffee we know today. In 1658 the Dutch used them to begin coffee plantations in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and later southern India. In 1696 Dutch Commander Adrian Van Ommeren took berries from Cannanore, India to Jakarta and thus began the vast Dutch coffee plantations of Indonesia and the later influx of Asian coffee to the until then, Yemenese dominated, European market.

12. It was a Frenchman, Jean de La Roque, (son of the Pierre de La Roque who introduced coffee to the elite in Marseilles) who wrote about his voyages to the Port of Mocha and other lands which became hugely popular so that they inspired readers to visit exotic, faraway places, and was instrumental in triggering the vogue in France for all things "oriental". Thus began the French coffee plantation industry in the West Indies and later South America.

13. Mocha's golden age lasted until 1750 when the Dutch Indonesian and French West Indian plantations began to lure traders away from Arabia. By 1760 only one East India Trading Company ships was landing in Mocha every two years to trade in coffee. While the Egyptian, Arabs and Turks preferred to load Yemen coffee at Hodeida, they were also acquiring a taste for the new coffee from the West Indies, it was also less expensive. So the city that gave it's name to coffee, is now a sleepy, sand swept tiny desert port and the "Saint of Mocha"- patron of coffee planters and drinkers, rests in peace and is honored with a spring, a gate and a mosque built over his grave all inscribed with his name and the only truly certain thing known about him - his death, 1418.

I hope you found this little snippet of the history of coffee interesting.... I welcome your comments.
May your Thursday be full of interesting snippets of knowledge... Robyn

Getting the right Critique Partner

2007-01-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

Not everyone has Margaret Atwood, or Nora Roberts, willing to go over their work so what do you do with the best novel in the world you have just written. Seriously, before you send it away, it needs to be looked at by eyes other than your own, ones that have no blinkers (will be honest) nor should they have rose colored glasses(Mom doesn't cut it- unless she is an editor).

So, how do I go about choosing who will give me the honesty that my work needs to get to the next step of the publishing ladder. The cost of critiquing is huge can be over $2000 for a full ms critique.

If you are like me you have to rely on fellow writers. This has a positive side benefit. For if you critique other writers work you also help develop your own critical eyes toward your own work. Here are some questions that I was given to ask before selecting a critique partner.

1. Is their work similar to your own in genre, ie. comparing apples to apples? Do you want them to write in the same genre?
2. Does the writer get published consistently/or do you feel they are a competent writer? Is having a published writer read you work important to you?
3. Are you using similar themes? Do you want them to use similar themes?
4. Do you develop characters and plot similarly? Is this important to you?
5. Can I sense a clear voice in their writing?
6. Do I like this writer's work?
7. Will I get a fair reading from this person?
8. Will this writer be willing to work with me as I slog through the next draft?
9. Does the writer balance my weaknesses? eg you suck at grammar they love it.

Remember all critiquing is subjective and are suggestions or ideas of how they view your work. It is still up to you, the writer, to accept or reject the proffered criticism/suggestions.

Hope these help you decided who you want to critique as opposed to read your work. Or, maybe you have other suggestions, please feel free to add them.

Day two of Diet #1 for 2007 - My birthday today so diet will stagnate for 24 hours. So much for will power. At least I can walk up the stairs today without groaning from pulling muscles.
Be sure to look in tomorrow for my thirteen things you didn't know about coffee.

Post problems

2007-01-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

Not blog posts, but our beloved ??? Canadian mail system. I sent a full ms to New York expedited mail before Christmas... my tracking number still has it held in a local Canadian sorting office...... ring Canada Post and am told that until 6 weeks have passed they will not follow it up.....????? So much for expedited mail. I'm just pleased it didn't have to be there in a hurry.
Started First New Diet for 2007.... so far.... 2 pounds lost and body fat up 1%.... what sort of a diet is that. I can hardly move as my muscles are protesting about the exercise they are being subjected to.
Since I'm of the age where 'heat index' is not passion related and according to medical stats I'm virginal territory.... yeah I know I have 3 kids - the stork brought them. It really means that I've not had HRT /antidepressants or other chemcial aids to help treat my 'personal summers', so I have been asked to enter a trial for a new drug... Risks are out lined and appear minimal so decided to go for it. It last 17 weeks and I have a 14% chance of receiving the placebo...I also could put on weight... yeah well we know what side affect I'll get IF I get the drug.

Now the answer to my little photo comp.... the author is Charles Dickens, the building is the Old Curiosity Shop, and it is in the Temple District of London and taken last year when my husband and I did "Charles Dicken's London Walk". This walk took in all the sites of his life in that city and places he got inspiration for some of his characters and stories along with commentary and anecdotes of his life. Our guide was straight out of one of his books and a real delight and so enthusiastic. It was fabulous and I recommend it to anyone. The walking is not arduous but you need comfy shoes, it leaves from Temple and takes about 3 hours and are not that expensive - for London.

Have a successful writing day.... Cheers

2007-01-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Where have I taken you today?

2007-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm very fortunate to have traveled widely with the LOML and over the years we have taken some super pictures. (Okay so this one is not so wonderful but it is related to writing). So instead of them sitting unvisited until the whim takes me, I have decided that each Sunday I will post a picture and see if you can guess where it is, and if you feel like it, share what you know about it, or when you visited it. The answer will be posted the next day.
Today's clues - The author was a social commentator of his time through his writing
He lived (1812-1870)
His childhood was spent in poverty.
He created a character called 'Wackford Squeers'

Erksome Editing!

2007-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

According to Kate Grenville (Writing from Start to Finish - a six step guide) "editing means making your piece reader friendly...flows easily... you use an acceptable standard/form of English... such as appropriate punctuation, spelling, grammar and paragraphing".
She suggests you read it through from start to finish. Make notes in the margins where you hesitate, question or spy something, but don't stop to correct it, go back later when you have finished the whole and take your time over your corrections/alterations. It also helps to read it aloud.
I find that I need to do it in hard copy, so this applied to me. However, if you are happy with the computer, use 'track changes' on your tool bar it is easy to go back and see what your thoughts were when you hit a glitch reading it through. I can't resist altering it then and there if I use my computer and it interrupts the flow of the story for me.

Kate Grenville divides editing into three categories - style, grammar, and presentation.
Style
Is 'How' something is written. Ask yourself - Is it consistent through out? Is it in keeping with the tone (comic/serious) of the story? Is it right for your targeted reader? Does the way it is written flow smoothly? Do particular words jar you out of the story?
Grammar
Well, this is a doozie and 100's of books are out there to help you.... in brief watch out for, Fragmented sentences, run-on sentences, tense, pov, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, appropriate paragraph breaks, dangling modifiers, etc...
Presentation
Like a meal, presentation makes the experience enjoyable or a struggle to get through. Look for
spelling mistakes; consistent use of language eg. US English or UK English not a mix of both; layout inconsistencies - such as indents, margins, spacings after periods and between paragraphs,etc.. Font style easy to read eg 10 -12pt and in New Courier , Times New Roman... ; then Title... what do you want it to do, tell the reader about the story, draw the reader in.... etc.

Then reread the whole piece again..... put it aside for a week or so, then reread again.

I'm currently revising Twisted Vines... I haven't read it since December. I hope to have it ready to send off soon.
It is snowing here at present and very cold, - 11.5C this morning.

Hi! Thought I'd put in an appearance today.

2007-01-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Things about Tea and the English.

2007-01-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

For my Thirteen Thursday, I thought I'd share some history about the "English cuppa'

English drink on average six cups of tea per person/day
English rival the Chinese as the world's heaviest consumers of tea
British Poet William Cowper (1731-1800) wrote: ' the cup that cheers but does not inebriate."
"Today I had 'Tee' a China drinke I have not tried before' Diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) wrote in 1660, but not how he liked it.
Lexicographer,Dr. Samuel Johnson(1709-1784) reputed to be the biggest consumer of tea, had a 2 litre tea pot. Attending an afternoon tea party he is reputed to have drunk 32 cups of tea. On being told he drank too much tea he said to his hostess "Madam, you are insolent."
The English custom of 'afternoon tea' began in the C19 by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford.
Tea is not only a beverage but a meal taken between 3 -4 p.m. Incorporating, tea, sandwiches and cake. In the north it includes lamb chops and fried potatoes, in Yorkshire the speciality for afternoon tea is smoked fish and soft boiled eggs.
There are only 3 main types of tea - Black (eg Assam), Red (eg Oolong) and Green (eg Gunpowder). Others are infusions/tisanes ( eg Ginseng, Camomile) and flavored varieties and blends (eg Earl Grey).
First tea in Britain came from China as leaf tea imported by Thomas Carraway. Mincing Lane is the tea market in London City.
There were no 'tea houses' in C18 London, only coffee houses. Thomas Twining opened a coffee house in 1706 that also served tea.
There are few things about making the perfect a pot of tea that the english agree on apart from the fact that the tea pot should be warmed before but dry on the inside, and the water must be boiling as you pour it over the tea leaves.
Tea drinking was divided by class and became obvious in WWII - Commissioned Officers took their tea in china cups poured from a small tea pot. NCO had a mug of tea that had been brewed in a bucket, or urn.
There is an old British superstition that 'to drink strong tea with grilled steak, or slices of Sunday roast, the tea will tan the meat and turn it to leather.'

Hookers - at work!

2007-01-24T01:53:00.000-08:00

Thought that might get your attention, and I achieved my aim of this post. So now get your mind off the streets, or out of bed because I'm talking about that elusive, most fretted over first sentence to hook the reader and for us unpub's - the editor.
It's significance is the first thing a writer understands, and the reader and editor look for. It doesn't matter what you write, or what genre you write - the first sentence must hook the reader in. And that is only for starters - the rest of the scenes in the story must do also.
Here are some things that I have been told may help.

Variety - needed if the story isn't to become repetitive and boring.
Avoid the dreaded cliche - plane, a funeral or a birth, awakening from sleep most common openings used according to Bell and Bentley in 'Write On.'
Be Imaginative - that's a no brainer every writer wants to have an original twist.
Originality, imaginative, intriguing - like a headline which says read on.
Contrasts - mood, atmosphere, weather and setting.
Versatility - a bit like variety but with drama, conflict and suspense
Dialogue - but be weary of leaving the reader disoriented and not knowing where they are. It can foreshadow what is to come, build suspense and reader expectation. It also establish immediacy of action/conflict.
Raise reader curiosity with a question..
Place the reader in the scene quickly. Use of settings to establish something about the characters, who they are and the time and place quickly.
If using descriptive passage, it should be concise, vivid and dramatic and pitch the reader into the scene.
Emotion - such as anger, involve the reader early. Don't be repetitive as it leads to melodrama. Conflict - draws the reader in. Avoid bickering, try conflict of wills, or conscience vs ego, good vs bad.
Use a proverb, or a quote to provide the theme, atmosphere, conflict of the scene or story.
Use mystery to introduce a new character.
Bridging a time gap can be acheived by condensed, concise history of events; the simple use of a date; new chapter; or line drop.
Pace - short sentences build tension and increase pace, longer ones slow it down and can be more romantic (unless of course it is the ' Wham! Bang! Thank you Ma'am'.).

SO, if you're out there looking for a hooker - maybe these will help. Thanks to Richard Bell and Paula Bentley - A Desk Drawer Digest of Style and Grammar in Action Write On! (1997) pub. Writers News Ltd.

I have just finished Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper's Daughter - a super read if you happen to come across it.
Be sure to look in on Thursday for my Thirteen Things you might or might not know about the English and their famous "Cup of Tea".