C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Hats Off Corner Welcomes Stephen Tremp and a few Bad Girls

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Thanks Lee for hosting me today. And thanks everyone for stopping by. As a writer, you can find inspiration anywhere and everywhere. My wife belonged to a Bible study group and one of the books they went through was Bad Girls of the Bible. I flipped through it a few years ago and sure enough there were some really Bad Girls doing really bad things. Some were repentant while others met a terrible death. I thought this would be a good topic as the thirteen antagonists in Salem’s Daughters are all Bad Girls. 
Potiphar’s Wife: Her name doesn’t appear in the Bible but this wild woman was bad news for Joseph. Sold into slavery by his brothers, Potiphar bought Joseph to be a household slave. Potiphar was ‘Captain of the Palace Guard’ and his title giving reference to butcher or executioner. 
And his wife had the hots for Joseph.
She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Genesis 39:12 
Joseph ended up spending many years in the dungeon on her false accusations he came on to her before being released and rising to second in command in Egypt. 
Delilah: She betrayed her husband Samson for money and he ended up a prisoner of the Philistines who blinded him. Samson did get his revenge by collapsing a stadium full of Philistines. 
Rahab: A prostitute, she helped the Israelites capture the city of Jericho she lived in. In exchange, her life and those of her family were spared for her cooperation. 
Jezebel: Often the measuring stick for bad girls everywhere. She incited her husband King Ahab to worship false deities, persecute the true prophets, and brought false witness against common folk and had them killed. Her ultimate demise: she was thrown off the top of a tower by members of her own court and ended up in a big splat where wild dogs ate her. 
Mary Magdalene: She had seven demons cast out of her, was repentant of her sins, and followed Jesus. She is commonly portrayed as a prostitute but her lifestyle was never spelled out specifically. She is mentioned twelve times in the Gospels, more than most of the disciples. 
Sapphira: She and her husband Ananias were killed suddenly after lying to the Apostles about money. 
Jael: She was actually a good person as she killed Sisera to deliver Israel from the troops of King Jabin. She was more of a bad-ass than bad. 
“Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness.” Judges 4:21. 
Well done, Jael. Well done, indeed. 
Question: Do you have any favorite ‘Bad Girls’ regardless of the source? 
Short Blurb: A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast. 
Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and write one of a kind thrillers. 
Me with Spawn Number Two
You can read a full synopsis and download Salem’s Daughters by Clicking Here. 
Stephen Tremp posts weekly blogs at his website Breakthrough Blogs. 
Next Stop: Wednesday November 11th with Michael Di Gesu at In Time.

My Schedule for October-November

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Hi Everyone! I have to pull the plug on this blog for a while. Sometime life happens, and so this is when it happens for me.

However, because I have some IMPORTANT PEOPLE and IMPORTANT HOPS  and it my favorite HOLIDAY MONTH that I said yes to, these are the days I’m  here.

The WEP was here on Oct 21, and my contribution is HERE. 
The IWSG will be here on Nov. 4. I’ll be late in my comments, but I’ll be around.
Stephen Tremp will be here managing things on November 9. Hat’s Off to Stephen!

A Little Dab of Horror in Honor of Halloween

If all goes well, I’ll be back December 7. Sooooo if you are launching a new book or want to do a special giveaway in December, email me and I’ll put you in the Hat’s Off Corner.


******

My Quote for the Week: “The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” Barbara Corcoran, Real Estate Mogul
 

Why Blog and Hats Off Corner Welcomes Stephen Tremp

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Why I Blog
by 
C. Lee McKenzie


Photo Source

I started blogging because my publisher told me to, and back then I did everything my publisher told me to do. The interesting thing that happened is this: I liked it. So why?

I learned a lot of new stuff for one thing, and that’s always a motivator for me. I had to figure out which program to set my blog up on, and then how to use it. Blogger worked for me because it didn’t have a long learning curve. I quickly     learned where the undo button was, so what could go wrong?

Photo Source

I quickly learned that, too. A lot could go wrong if I didn’t have content that was of value. What was valuable content anyway? I wasn’t a marketing guru. I didn’t have hot tips for writers. What was my platform? What was a platform? See? I had a lot to learn, so I kept going.

Then I discovered things like Awards and Hops and Groups. Yay! Now I was on a roll because more than the family cat was reading what I posted.

Then just as I had this blogging thing down, I burned out. Yep. Dry as a summer hill in California, and it happened overnight. I was quitting. I was burrowing into my writer’s cave and blowing off all this blogging business.

So why didn’t I? Why did I take a break and return? Here’s one reason: I missed the contact with the people I’d connected with. I missed knowing when they had new releases or rejections or a great new WIP. 

Was there any other reason? I thought about that and decided that without blogging I might have continued to read within my preferred genres. I wouldn’t have sampled books that I usually passed up. Because I was curious about what writer friends had created and I wanted to support their work, I found myself reading much more widely. 

And that thing about showing up to the blank page? Well, blogging taught me a lot about doing that every single day.   

So why blog? I guess those are three compelling reasons for me. 


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Here are the followers who won books in this month’s Back to School Special Offer. 
I had this idea to share books I’d read, enjoyed and reviewed with people on my Mailing List. I love to recycle, but reuse is even better. So congrats to: 
  • Bish Denham gets my ARC of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
  • Beverly Stowe McClure gets my signed copy of Woven
  • L.L. gets my signed copy of Shooting Kabul. 

I’ll need your snail mail people, so email me that and I’ll send your books on their way!  I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did.

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Hats Off Corner Welcomes Stephen Tremp

Stephen Tremp writes speculative fiction and his fourth novel, 
Salem’s Daughters, 
is supernatural thriller. 
A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when souls of the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast.
For a full synopsis and to pre-order a copy of Salem’s Daughters for $2.99 (price goes up to $4.99 soon after release) 

Click Here.

Visit Stephen at his BLOG.

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Quote for the Day: “The different and the novel are sweet, but regularity and repetition are also teachers.” Poet Mary Oliver

Why do you blog? Ever think of giving up? Does Salem’s Daughters look interesting?

Pros Part 3, Elizabeth Seckman’s Hop, and I’m A NotSoAccidental Blog Tourist

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Part 3: The Pros Give Us Some Advice and Happy Launch Day to Me

I’m back to enjoying this series that features writer friends who have some excellent books out. I asked them to send me their latest book, their tagline and a short piece of advice they wanted to pass on to writers, especially those still seeking publication. Last time YVONNE VENTRESCA visited with PANDEMIC. Today we have Michelle Zink, an author I debuted with and one great person to know.
AVAILABLE NOW AT B&N
Tagline:

Voodoo… Secrets… Revenge. 
Advice for YA writers:

Read everything in the genre. Everything. Not just the big commercial hits or the ones everyone is talking about. Look for books outside your comfort zone, books that have been shortlisted for awards or won them, books about characters with which you wouldn’t normally identify, books you’ve never heard of but that have good word of mouth from a friend. It’s easy to get in a rut and think the genre is derivative (and that you have to be derivative, too), but reading widely will remind you how much is possible, and inspiration will strike you in the most unexpected of places.
Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy
A Temptation of Angels
This Wicked Game

Lies I Told (Spring 2015))

by Michelle Zink
www.michellezink.com

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 Availble at Evernight Teen
Double Negative’s visiting some more blogs. 

7/27 Beverly Stowe McClure 
7/27 Jess and Stephanie–Author Tracker blog
7/28 Alex Cavanaugh
7/28 L. Diane Wolfe–Spunk on a Stick and Circle of Friends 
7/30 M. J. Fifield
7/30 Julie Musil
7/30 Crystal Collier


If you haven’t entered to win the giveaway, it’s still open. Jump in.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And Now My Contribution to ELIZABETH SECKMAN’S
Totally Imaginative HOP–The Year Was 1865

I’m excited to join in the celebration of the release of Elizabeth Seckman’s new historical novel, Bella’s Point. While the canons were exploding, and the North and South were asunder, a man out here in California was busy with something literary, so my snippet is a bit tangential. Hope nobody minds. 

The Year Was 1865. . .

The ghost didn’t scare Hazel, but it rattled her while she was working because it disrupted her routine. It wafted here and there while she tried to polish the library floor or dust tables, and, while she tried to ignore it, it distracted her from getting her job done. She’d no sooner tidy a row of book spines so they lined up flush with the edge, than a cold finger would hook one book and tug it off the shelf. Then the ghost fluttered away, thumbing the pages, then dropping the book anywhere when it had finished reading.
Rita Baum was already getting ready to fire her. Hazel could tell by how the librarian squinted her direction while re-shelving those errant books. Rita blamed her for the mess the library was in. That ghost had to leave, and Hazel was going to see to it. 
The problem was she had no idea about how to banish ghosts. She knew mops and cleansers and not much more. But she wasn’t a woman who gave up once she set her mind to doing something, so on the next Monday night when the library closed early, Hazel planned to deal with her ghostly problem. She arrived just at dusk and waited until the white cloudy form plucked the first book, fluttered its pages, then stuffed it back almost where it belonged.
As the ghost moved down the row, Hazel retrieved the book and read the title. Short Story Crafting. She put it in its correct spot and followed the ghost’s route, reading each title it selected. The Modern Short Story. How to Write Good Short Story. Grammar and Style.
When she reached the end of that row, she peered into the next, but it was empty. Usually, when the ghost was near she could feel it. The chill. The wisp of vapor. But now she felt nothing. Maybe trailing after it had frightened it away. She returned the last book to its proper shelf and brushed her hands together, satisfied and very pleased that it had taken such a short time to free herself from that pesky intruder.
She finished the floors in the non-fiction section and made her way to fiction. For a change, her job was nearly done tonight on time. And as she ran the mop along row PQR, she imagined that hot bath and TV show waiting for her at home. Then that familiar chill sprang along her arms. When she walked into the next row, STU, the ghost stood not a few feet away. The worst part of its return was that it was tearing pages from a book. That would mean her job for sure. Before she thought better of it, she lunged for the book and yanked it away. 
The ghost stood as still as a vapor can, and stared at her. “That was rude.” While the voice was all about mist and particles, it was a man’s voice.
“Not as rude as you. You can’t tear pages out of a library book!” She held out he hand. “Give me those.”
He shook his head. “These are mine.”
“Not likely. They belong to Angels Camp Public Library.”
“See here, young lady, I wrote this.” The ghost waved the loose pages in the air.
Hazel glanced at the book in her hand. The Collected Works of Mark Twain. She shifted her eyes back to the ghost. “Who are you anyways?”
He pointed at the book she held. “That is me. Or who I used to be before this terrible and permanent affliction.” He waved a hand over his ghostly form.
She opened the book to where several pages were missing. “So what is it you’re here to do?” Hazel liked things simple and tidy, and a book with missing pages annoyed her terribly.
“It has come to my attention that my prose is out of date. I have a Pass to visit for a sufficient time to make modern at least one story.”
“That seems kind of weird,” Hazel said. “Sort of like changing history.”
“Perhaps, but I intend re-writing this one about the jumping frog.”
“I can’t see the reason—”
“Listen to this.” The ghost cleared his throat, then began to read from the papers he clutched. “‘In compliance with the request of a friend of mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and inquired after my friend’s friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append the result.’” He looked up at her. “Well?”
“Hmm. Kind of high and mighty sounding,” Hazel said.
The ghost agreed with a grunt. “No one’s likely to read it written the way it is. Not in this century. The year was 1865 when I wrote that. Things have changed a bit in storytelling. I’m here to set this right, but I don’t have much time left on my Pass.”
Hazel considered the problem. Rita Baum would toss her and her mops right out the door if she found this book shredded. But that writer ghost wasn’t about to budge. He was one stubborn haunt. She could tell by the way he held tight to those pages. “Look here. How about I get you some paper and a pencil, so as you can do your re-writing, but you give me those pages. I’ll lose my job if you don’t.”
Mr. Twain hesitated, then handed the pages to Hazel. “I can’t be causing a loss of a job, but I’d appreciate it mightily if you’d give me that paper and pencil.” 
He wrote for over an hour, then he gave Hazel what he’d written. She tucked the new version into the book with the restored pages she’d carefully taped back into place, then re-shelved the book in exactly the right spot.
“I thank you kindly, “ the ghost said and vanished.
A few nights later, when she’d finished mopping row STU, she opened The Collected Works of Mark Twain and took out the loose pages. Curious, she sat and read the straight up and down strokes of the handwritten lines. “‘A friend of mine wrote me from the East and ask me to visit old Simon Wheeler. My friend wanted to know what ever happened to a guy named, Leonidas W. Smiley. When I found Wheeler, he had quite a tale to tell.’” 
She turned her face to the ceiling, thinking that Mr. Twain might hear her clearer that way. “Not so highfalutin now. Much better.” 

******

Thanks to Dianne Salerni for asking me to be on The Not So Accidental Blog Tourist Hop. (Eat your heart out Gary!)
Dianne’s credits are impressive. She’s the author of The Eighth Day MG fantasy series (HarperCollins) and YA historical novels, The Caged Graves (Clarion/HMH) and We Hear the Dead (Sourcebooks). Dianne was a public school teacher for 25 years before leaving the profession to spend more time hanging around creepy cemeteries and climbing 2000 year-old pyramids in the name of book research.

I’m about hopped out, but here’s my contribution to this HOP. 

1.What am I currently working on?

I’m just wrapping up two projects. One is another young adult and I’m back to my female protagonist with this one, and my usual older character with issues. The second project is the sequel to Alligators Overhead, my middle grade fantasy/adventure. I’ve sent it to a to publisher, so I’m in the waiting room.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

You won’t find a lot of romance in my books, so don’t buy them if that’s what you want to read. My characters do love and they do have romantic moments—a few—but as you’ll see from my covers, my characters are the ones mostly on the outside, looking in or dealing with some hard life issues. There’s not a ball gown in sight. Maybe one of these days I’ll write something so I can have a beautiful girl and a beautiful dress on the front of my book.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

One reason I write “gritty” stories for young adults is that I want them to connect with my characters–the loners, the abused, the neglected, the seekers who have only a dim light to guide them. I want them to see they aren’t alone and that others, maybe the author, have experienced and understand what they’re going through. 
4. How does your writing/creating process work?
I wish I knew. If someone could see inside my brain and explain what’s going on, I’d pay a lot of money to them. Each book comes to me in a different way. Sometimes I write the end first. Sometimes I write all kinds of scenes, in no particular order. Sometimes I doodle for hours, walk, pout and give up being a writer because I’m sure I’m not one of those.

Now be sure to check out these two fine writers next Monday, August 4 and see what their answers to these questions are.
CARRIE’S BLOG
CARRIE BUTLER
Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.Her passion for New Adult fiction led her to co-found NA Alley—one of the first websites dedicated to the category. A year later, she started a design business specializing in graphics for the publishing industry, called Forward Authority. Her Mark of Nexus series has appeared on Amazon bestselling, top-rated, and hot new release lists in various genres.

STEPHEN TREMP 
Stephen Tremp lives with his wife and two daughters in Mission Viejo, CA. He has a B.A. in information systems and an MBA degree in global management. Stephen has a background in information systems, management, and finance and draws from this varied and complex experiential knowledge to write one-of-a-kind thrillers.
His novels are enhanced by current events at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and other scientific research facilities around the world. These potential advances have the ability to change the way we perceive our universe and our place in it! You can email Stephen at stephen.tremp@yahoo.com and visit him at his WEBSITE for more synopses, reviews, and links to purchase or download his books from Amazon. 

A To Z Blog Challenge: The Letter Z

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The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014
Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 2013 A to Z Challenge .
All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.
The last winner will receive a signed copy of The Princess of Las Pulgas 

(If you already have one this, I’ll figure something else out!)BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 
TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.

Earl53


Mystery Blogger Z’s 2013 theme: “My theme for the challenge this year is Alaska, the setting of my novel. . . .”

Z is for Zarnowksy

A Russian, Zarnowsky has a dubious claim to fame, as he is known for unwittingly selling half of the richest gold claim on the richest gold creek in the Alaskan Far North for a sack of flour and a side of bacon.
Zarnowsky believed he was too late to strike it rich with his claim, which was along a small stream known as “Bonanza’s Pup.” That small stream would eventually become known as Eldorado Creek, which was the most valuable placer discovery in history.
Alex McDonald, who bought Zarnowsky’s claim for that bacon and flour in 1896, later became known as the “The King of the Klondike,” and made a fortune during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898.
Who is it? HINT: I already gave you one. Take a look at the theme.
SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:
Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good
Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs
Jeremy @ Being Retro
Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post

A to Z Blog Challenge: The Letter Y

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The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014
Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 2013 A to Z Challenge .

All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.

The last winner will receive a signed copy of The Princess of Las Pulgas 

(If you already have one of the prizes, I’ll figure something else out!)

BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 

TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.

Y is for Yeth Hound

Mystery Blogger Y’s 2013 theme: “This year will be all things supernatural…. those beings and creatures we all know and love/hate. And, because I’m a glutton for punishment, there’ll be a poem added to each post as well.

“Yeth Hound— one of the incarnations of the “Black Dog” myth, this one located specifically, in Devon, England.

“Black Dogs” appear in myths across the world, most are associated with death and bad omens… i.e. Hell Hounds.

The Yeth Hound is said to be the spirit of an unbaptised child that takes the form of a headless black dog. The Hound wanders the woods at night making pitiful wailing sounds (though, I’m unclear as to how it makes wailing sounds without having a head).

The Black Dogs were possibly one inspiration from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ghost dog in The Hound of the Baskervilles– “an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen.”

HINT: This blogger’s a book seller by day. A book writer by night.

Who was it? 

SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good

Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs

Jeremy @ Being Retro

Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post

A to Z Blog Challenge: The Letter X + A Special Hop I Almost Forgot

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The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014
Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 
2013 A to Z Challenge 


WINNER WEEK FOUR
TA DA

 THE CAPTAIN WINS THIS ROUND. ALEX GUESSED EVERY ONE OF THE MYSTERY BLOGGERS THIS WEEK, AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE DAY, DID IT FIRST. NINJAS ARE NOT ONLY STEALTHY, THEY NEVER  SLEEP.

email me and the ebook of The Princess of Las Pulgas  is yours.
https://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/contact.html
Week Four Answers: 
U: Mooderino 

All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.

Week 4) a signed copy of The Princess of Las Pulgas 

(If you already have one of the prizes, I’ll figure something else out!) 

BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 

TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.

I loved this motivating post last year. Hope you love it in this deja vu 2014.



Mystery Blogger X’s 2013 theme: “Promo and other tips for writers”


X is for Xtra Mile

(Yes, extra begins with an E – just go with me on this one!)

What is the xtra mile?

It’s doing more than what’s required.

It’s going out of your way.

It’s taking the initiative.

It’s stepping past the masses.

It’s being your best toward others.

It’s doing what others are not willing to do to succeed!

Are you going the xtra mile to fulfill your writing dreams? 

Hint: This blogger is always full of spunk.

Who is it?

SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good

Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs

Jeremy @ Being Retro

Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post

Pardon My Process


My Writing Process. 

Look out! It’s another HOP.

I was tagged by BETH FEHLBAUM for this post, so here ’tis. 
1) What am I working on? 
I can’t believe it, but I’ve just wrapped up a sequel to my middle grade book, Alligators Overhead. And I was sure I didn’t have a sequel in me. I’m calling this second book The Great Time Lock Disaster. 
I just wrote The End to two young adult stories and am starting to think how I’ll get them out into the world. Double Negative and Secrets have been in the works for a couple of years, so I’m glad to see them done.
So I guess the answer to this question is almost nothing right now, but I’m kind of glad. I need a short break after managing three projects at the same time. 
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
While my protagonists are the usual age (sixteen or seventeen) I always love to include an older character who acts as someone for my teen to oppose or bounce off of. 

  • In Sliding on the Edge, the grandmother takes this role and I let the reader see that while teens struggle to find their own path, so do adults. Adults have made mistake. They’ve often lost their direction and need help, too. 
  • With The Princess of Las Pulgas, Carlie’s mom has as many problems adjusting to her new lifestyle as Carlie does. I wanted readers to see the two women searching for ways to heal and start a new life. Each do things differently, but both have a difficult time of it. 
  • Double Negative has a teenaged boy who is headed for disaster unless he grabs the lifeline a retired school teacher tosses him. But as this teacher tries to save Hutch, she slowly loses her battle with Alzheimers. The question becomes who will need more help? 
  • Secrets is a story about a young girl who is supposed to keep her baby sister safe and doesn’t. When the child dies, Cleo can’t forgive herself. The older character in this story is Beleza, a high fashion model from the sixties whose secret has driven her into seclusion. When these two come together, they change each others lives dramatically.


3) Why do I write what I do? 

I write contemporary, realistic YA because I used to look for characters in books that I could relate to, someone who floundered around, trying to sort out who they were and where they were going. I went to adult books because when I was a teen there were few books with teen characters as protagonists. Those that did have teens as lead roles, were outdated, and those kids didn’t deal with the same issues I was dealing with. As for writing middle grade, I love to write fantasy adventure stories for that age. And these give me a break from my young adult topics of suicide, loss and abuse. I treat my middle grade stories as my sorbet.

4) How does my writing process work? 

I get ideas from music, or a news article or a conversation. I often tuck these at the back of my head until I hear a character. They pretty much come full born, kind of like Venus from the froth. I see them, their voice is clear and they can be downright bossy unless I start writing their story. The most I do as far as planning is concerned is to write a sentence summary—never more than two sentences. That summary I put in the header, so it appears on each page. I tweak it as I go or I tweak the story so it stays true to that summary. Then I write as long as the words come. When they stop, I take a break or print out and go outside to read what I’ve put down. I don’t always do that right away. I often let the day’s work alone until the next day.  
One thing I’ve found helpful for starting again is to write a sentence or two that describes where I think the story should go next. Sometimes I even list things I want in the next scene. When I come back to the story, I have a place to start.
I’ve tagged DONNA MCDINE to post on May 1. Donna is an award winning author of so many great books for young reader. You must check her out.

A to Z Blog Challenge: The Letter W

By 48 Comments

The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014

Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 2013 A to Z Challenge .

All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.

Two visitors (one each week) can win: 
Week 3) an ebook of The Princess of Las Pulgas 
Week 4) a $10 gift certificate from Amazon
 (If you already have one of the prizes, I’ll figure something else out!)

BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 

TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.

Cover of The Shining [Blu-ray]

Mystery Blogger W’s 2013 theme: “The films that I’ll be listing in my April postings will not necessarily be films that I’d call my favorite films, but they will be favorites in the genres I’ll be naming.   The A to Z genres are very specific micro genres as opposed to the broader genres like action, romance, or comedy.”


W is for Writers In Movies: Here are some of this bloggers favorite movies about writers. It made a great list of TO SEE MOVIES

8 1/2 (1963)–Okay, I know I already used this film in my post Movies about Making Movies, but that’s how much I like this film.  This is one of my top ten films.  If you are a serious writer you should see this film and take it to heart.  A masterpiece of the genre of thinkers’ films.  Forget this one if you’re an action fan unless you’re in the mood to just sit, listen, and learn.  I’ll warn you that it’s in Italian and you’ll have to read the subtitles if you don’t know the language.  I just can’t rave enough about this film.  Oh, and did I say it’s good?


The Shining (1980)— Jack Nicholson stars as a writer who gets more than he bargains for when he secludes himself and his family so he can get some writing done.  Chalk up another hit for Stephen King.  One writer’s nightmare is another writer’s dream. A shot of Red Rum anybody?


Misery (1990)–Famous novelist crashes car and is rescued by his “number one fan”.   Fans like this we don’t need.   Stephen King strikes again.

Shadowlands (1993)— Based on the true relationship between author C.S. Lewis and poet Joy Davidson, this one’s a weeper.  Grab the popcorn and the Kleenex.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)— A liberal dose of poetic license results in a lot of fun with one of the most famous writers of all time.  This film won a few awards as well.

Adaptation (2002)–Great cast of actors in a curious tale.  This is one of those films that I rewatched as soon as I had watched it the first time.  Great film.

Secret Window (2004)–Johnny Depp as a writer suffering from writer’s block.  But it doesn’t end there. Now he’s being accused of plagiarism and it only gets worse.  Oh yeah, and Stephen King is in on this one too.

Sideways (2004)–If the writing career is not working, you can always go get drunk.  The focus of this film is wine, but it’s really about a writer and writing.



Freedom Writers (2007)–Brand new idealistic English teacher gets assigned to tough class of inner city students.  She gets them involved in journaling and they in turn fall into the writing life.  Inspirational film about teaching and the power of words.




Midnight in Paris (2011) — In one of the best films directed by Woody Allen, a writer vacationing in Paris time travels back to the 1920’s and meets famous authors and others.   Doesn’t matter if it’s a dream, a fantasy, or what–it’s fun.




Hint: This blogger juggles a lot of online activities.

Who is it?

SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good

Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs

Jeremy @ Being Retro

Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post

A to Z Blog Challenge: The Letter V To Celebrate

By 49 Comments

The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014
Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 2013 A to Z Challenge .

All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.

One visitor (one each week) can win: 
Week 3) an ebook of The Princess of Las Pulgas 
Week 4) a $10 gift certificate from Amazon
 (If you already have one of the prizes, I’ll figure something else out!)

BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 

TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.
Mystery Blogger V’s 2013 theme: “I’m posting on my favorite villains and/or settings. . .”

V is for VILLAIN

“And I’ve been pushing them at you all week. What makes a good villain? We’ve seen they need purpose,sympathetic credibility, and to believe they’re doing the right thing. Add in some troubled backgrounds to explain their villainy, and of course, throw in a side of charisma to keep them intriguing.

From what I’ve gathered from your comments, readers and movie-goers LOVE to HATE great villains. And I’m no different. Many of my favorite characters ARE villains. They’re so much fun to live vicariously through.

Speaking of villainous V characters, here’s one of my faves:

                                        photo credit fanpop.com




Hint: This blogger has silent letter in the last name. 

Who is it?

SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good

Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs

Jeremy @ Being Retro

Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post

Thanks VIKLIT
V for Victory. 

I only have 4 letters to go and then I can forget how to spell anything for a while. 

  • I’ve loved doing this. 
  • I’ve been exhausted doing this. 
  • I celebrate doing this.

A to Z Blog Challenge: The Letter U

By 53 Comments

The Write Game’s Theme 
AtoZ Blog Challenge
2014

Stuff I Learned or Laughed at from Bloggers in the 2013 A to Z Challenge 

All you gots to do is identify the Mystery Blogger each day. I’ll give you hints when I can. I’ll post the answers and the winner each Monday.

One visitors (one each week) can win: 
Week 4) an ebook of The Princess of Las Pulgas 
Week 5, almost) a signed copy of The Princess of Las Pulgas


(If you already have one of the prizes, I’ll figure something else out!)

BY

1) identifying the most bloggers correctly=2 points.  
2) leaving witty comments=1 point or more depending on glibness
3) adding to the information and making it more valuable=2 points 

TIES WILL BE BROKEN BY MY CAT. SHE’S FAIR AND IMPARTIAL.UNLESS CATNIP IS INVOLVED, THEN SHE GOES WITH THE BEST SUPPLIER.

Mystery Blogger U’s 2013 theme: “Unified Theory of Writing”

U is for a Unified Theory of Writing

“It’s important to know that no matter how obvious and sensible a piece of writing advice might be, there are always going to be circumstances when it won’t hold true. Or when there are other, equally as effective ways to tell the story. . .An unmitigated disaster in the hands of one writer may be an unqualified success in the hands of another.”

Who is it?  This blogger has some moods, but regardless of those moods always informs the readers.

SIGN UP or VISIT the others who are on this AtoZ Challenge and check out the HOSTS:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Tina @ Life is Good

Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs

Jeremy @ Being Retro

Nicole Ayers – The Madlab Post