Thursday 3: Busy Hands

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

For this week's Thursday 3, I present three scarves I've knitted.


I can't resist a Michael's craft store coupon. I'm one of the people they make those evil coupons for in the first place. They KNOW it's physically impossible for me to go in there and buy just one thing. But I digress.

I also can't stand to just watch TV with idle hands. Hence, the scarves. So I love making scarves because they're one size fits all. If I keep this up, I'll have enough to give everyone in my family a neck warmer for Christmas.

Do you knit?

Proof of my Silliness

So fierce is my expression that other manly men cower in fear, even though my shield is made of cheap plastic. And those are not leg warmers! They are gauntlets for protection against...snakes. Yeah, that's it, snakes.

Imagine Your Ink

I haven't posed a question in a while, so here goes.

If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you put it?

I would never get a tattoo, but if I did, I think I'd emulate my friend Eden Bradley's example and get something in Chinese calligraphy put on the back of my neck. Maybe the word "creativity" or "gratitude".

I tried to find a picture, but found this website, Chinese Tattoos Designs, instead. This woman does beautiful work, some of which looks like she does the actual brush calligraphy and then translates it to the skin. Some of the tattoos look more stylized. I especially like that she cautions people about mistakes easily made, like character reversal (which sounds like a problem that might come up in fiction writing. LOL)

What about you?

Story: A Clean Sweep

What follows is an analysis of a Woman's World story with suggestions/observations for people who want to sell stories to WW, peppered with some personal opinion, too. :) To get the most from this, it's best to have a copy of the story in front of you. (And no, I don't get a kickback for pimping the magazine here!)

Story: "A Clean Sweep" by Diane Crawford from the January 7, 2008 issue.
Tagline: Joel never imagined that a nasty bike accident could have such a pleasant outcome...

In A Nutshell: Joel broke his leg and his apartment is a mess. His friend suggests a cleaning service. The woman who comes to clean is cute and friendly. Upon finding they both like Scrabble, they make plans for her to return that evening to make dinner together and play a game.

Teaching Points: As I've mentioned before, novels will always have a "black moment, when you think all is lost and wonder if things will work out all right for the characters. WW stories tend to have gray moments, or sometimes no moment at all. In this story, the gray moment comes when Cammie has to confess she is only a so-so cook. Uh oh! What if the hero points his crutch at her and says, "Lord! You can't cook? Then why are you wasting my time, loser?" LOL. Of course, that would never happen in a WW story (or in any romance, really.) But still, you worry a little.

Also, Diane Crawford does a great job building the basis of a relationship between them, something that's tough to do in less than 1000 words. Here we see he's attracted to her: He picked up the thriller he'd been reading, but could't keep his eyes on the page. He kept looking up, watching for glimpses of Cammie. Then, via dialogue, we discover they both like Scrabble. And finally, she laughs at his joke and we see Joel liked a woman with a sense of humor. Voila! Great start for a budding romance.

Best Part: I liked the interplay between Joel and his brother. It was funny and believable.

Artist: Pam Carroll

I saw Pam Carroll's work first in the Artist's Magazine that I've subscribed to. I was really drawn to the whimsical items she includes in her still lifes. The stark background here makes me focus more on the details of the toys and that beautifully weathered chest. In the magazine, it showed her process, how she puts down the layers, building the depth and color. It was so interesting.

I got a C in painting in college. I think it was because the instructors gave us a supply list and assignments. That was it. No actually technical instruction. I can't believe they get away with that. Thankfully, the rest of the art department was more on the ball. Anyway, I'm digressing.

If you'd like to see more of Pam Carroll's work, visit the Snow Goose Gallery or go here.

Thursday 3: Furniture Dreams

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

I recently went furniture shopping with my cousin. Boy, was it fun. My husband and I want to redo the house in the Arts and Crafts style, exemplified in the Gamble House in Pasadena.

Here are three gorgeous pieces of furniture I can't afford.





To buy all three of these items would cost $18,600, not including tax or shipping.

*sighs* It's nice to dream.

A Bummer Balanced

Roberta Brown will not be representing my Shibari book, as I'd hoped.

But I got a nice write up today on ALL IN on A Writer's Wandering Mind blog.

Funny how life sometimes throws good and bad at you at the same time like that.

Admiration Abounds

I adore Eloisa James. She's such a lovely person, friendly, generous, willing to share her knowledge with her fans on an individual basis. She's a fabulous and very witty writer. She is a savvy defender of the romance genre, amazingly able to successfully balance life in the academic world as a professor with that of a romance writer, a feat that I heretofore thought was impossible.

The literary elite are notoriously narrow-minded. I don't blame Eloisa for staying in the closet for so long. After all, she writes romance. I really can't think of any genre that is as despised as romance. If she had written mysteries, I think her colleagues would have been fine with it. Westerns, okay. Even graphic novels they might not have pooh-poohed. But "bodice rippers"? Uh-uh. No way. However, she managed to come out grandly.

I was browsing the Barnes and Noble website and happened upon an article of hers. It's the latest example of how she strives to educate the public on the literary value of the romance genre.

I applaud you, Eloisa. Thank you for all you do for the sake of the genre.

(Incidentally, one of my very first blog entries was about Eloisa.)

Story: You Never Know

What follows is an analysis of a Woman's World story with suggestions/observations for people who want to sell stories to WW, peppered with some personal opinion, too. :) If you truly want to learn, it's best to have a copy of the story in front of you. (And no, I don't get a kickback for pimping the magazine here!)

Story: "You Never Know" by Lela Chesson from the January 28, 2008 issue.

Tagline: Sometimes extraordinary things happen under the most ordinary circumstances...

In A Nutshell: A woman reminisces about going to the grocery store with her mother. She meets a man there who enjoys the same simple pleasures she does. Luckily, the two little girls he's shopping with are his nieces.

Teaching Points: This story has a quasi-surprise ending. I say quasi because the last scene doesn't include the hero at all, but you still see the soft Happily Ever After in the form of a date they've planned.

Woman's World Standbys: The good old grocery store setting, children who are mistaken for offspring, advice from a family member.

Best Part: The little girls' dialogue was realistic.

Discussion Question: This story follows a three act structure. What are the three acts that you see?

Artist: Elena Feliciano

OMG!! Can you believe how cool this is???? I LOVE this artist, Elena Feliciano. When it comes to shoes, I appreciate great design, just not when it's torturing my feet. Feliciano paints all sorts of stuff, but this shoe series kicks serious ass. These are watercolors, all about 9"x12". This painting is called Red Poppy Stiletto.



Here's another called Girls Having Fun.



And lastly, here's Orange Blossoms. What I love about this one is it's just the flowers. There is no shoe structure.



If you would like to view more of her work, go here.

Thursday 3: Caffeine Rush

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

I love Starbucks, which is a good thing, because I work there. Here are three drinks that are "off menu," so to speak, as in not your normal Mocha or Vanilla Latte. Try them if you'd like something different next time you wander into one of our gazillion stores.

1. Do you like Captain Crunch Crunch Berries cereal? Do you like Frappuccinos? If so, try this "Captain Crunch" Frappucino.

To order it, say, "I'd like a Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino with toffee nut."

2. I like my coffee a bit on the creamy side, but strong. I also want a drink that doesn't have too many calories. Those lattes can add up. So, I like espresso with white mocha syrup. The syrup makes it seem like you're getting cream and sugar and cuts the acidity of the shots. This drink is about 60 calories.

To order it say, "I'd like an Iced Venti Americano, no water, three pumps white mocha."

3. To open the store we have to report to work at 4:30 a.m. Yeah, it's early. So, after I get the pastry case set up, I pull three shots, add a Splenda, a splash of hot non-fat milk and top it with whipped cream and caramel. I love that initial yummy caramel whipped cream, and then the coffee hits my tongue, intense and hot. Yum!

To order it, say, "I'd like a triple espresso, one Splenda, a splash of non-fat, whip and caramel sauce on top." Yeah, it sounds complicated, but we baristas are used to taking orders like these.

Love Is: Just a Game

Love Is is a feature on my blog in which I offer ways to add a dash of romance to your life. Who couldn't use a little more romance? I sure could!

Make a list of suggestive actions, e.g. kiss.... massage etc. Write them on index cards. On another set of cards, write body parts. The more unusual the suggestions, the better! Keep the two piles separate. Each partner takes turns to choose one card from each pile, and whatever combination they get they have to perform what it suggests on their partner. This game, though very sexy, can be very funny too! Have fun!

Recipe: Roasted Carrots and Shallots

I made this at Christmas because it was easy and sounded delicious. It was both! Sorry I don't have a good picture of the dish cooked.

Serves 4

2 pounds carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths, thick pieces halved lengthwise
12 ounces shallots (about 10), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, shallots, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Add parsley and lemon juice; toss to combine.

Story: The Treasure Hunt

What follows is an analysis of a Woman's World story with suggestions/observations for people who want to sell stories to WW, peppered with some personal opinion, too. :) If you truly want to learn, it's best to have a copy of the story in front of you. (And no, I don't get a kickback for pimping the magazine here!)

Story: "The Treasure Hunt" by Serena Miller from the January 14, 2008 issue.

Tagline: Molly's nephew had helped her find her heart's desire...

In A Nutshell: A woman goes geocaching on the suggestion of her nephew. She meets a professor while she's at it. He's geocaching, too, on the suggestion of one of his students. Turns out, the nephew and student are one and the same.

Teaching Points: Since the word count was recently reduced even more to 800 words, if you want to include physical descriptions of the characters, you have to do it succinctly. Here's how Miller did it:

She tucked her red hair into a loose knot to keep it out of her eyes.

He sounded as excited as a young boy, although he looked to be in his early forties, like she was.

Woman's World Standbys: Matchmaker relative

Best Part: ...Molly fell into the warmest brown eyes she'd ever seen. How sweet!

Artist: Adele Gregory

This is "Koi Pond," by Adele Gregory. I think it's so cool how you get the impression of the fish with just these seemingly random blobs of color. I wish I could paint like this. Koi fish are so calming. I'm also often drawn to blues and oranges together.

Here's what she has to say about her art: What I try to capture in my work are the small moments when you stop and notice that something is beautiful. They are very still moments, when the rest of the world world seems to disappear and you're only aware of line, form, colour and contrast.

If you would like to see more of Gregory's work, click here. Have a koi-calm weekend!

Thursday 3: Blog, Buy, or Knit

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

I wanted to bring to your attention a little girl whom I admire. Katelyn Mulcahy is only ten years old, but unlike other ten year olds, she thinks a great deal about people other than herself.

When she saw a knitting device at a craft store, she got an idea and, with the help of her parents, created Caps for Cuties.

Here's Katelyn's mission statement:

I want to save as many premature babies as I can by knitting caps for them. The babies need heat to grow and the hats help stop any heat that escapes from their heads.

To date, she's donated (Holy Toledo!) 91 caps to the neo-natal ICU at her local hospital. I think that's so amazing.

Here are three ways you can help her out:
1. Donate yarn.
2. Knit caps.
3. Spread the word. List her in your blogroll and/or blog about her.

Check out her website for more information.

Love Is: A Warm Towel

Love Is is a new feature on my blog. Who couldn't use a little more romance? I sure could! So, I'll be sharing ideas you could try!

While your mate is in the shower or bath, take his towel and pop it in the dryer for a few minutes. Greet him when he gets out of the shower with the toasty towel.

"Hopelessly Capitvated"

Here's the newest review on ALL IN, first in my Be-Wished series. Boy, did I need this. In the past two weeks, Ellora's Cave rejected two of my submitted manuscripts.

Fairies and magic wishes don’t really exist – do they? When the little woven wish bracelet Mariah bought with her friends in Cabo falls off her wrist, the Fairy Davina appears in her life, promising fulfillment of the wish she made that drunken night in Cabo and handing her a brochure detailing the terms of the wish fulfillment. Now the very man she wished for is back in her life and seemingly can’t get enough of her. But Mariah soon realizes that one short fling with Tucker will never be enough and knows her heart will be hopelessly broken when the wish expires…

I absolutely LOVED this book! Kate Willoughby left me utterly delighted with her whimsical tale of love and magic in the first story of her Be-Wished series, All In. From page one, I was hopelessly captivated – not that I minded one little bit. Mariah was just adorable. Sweet and guileless, it was no surprise to see Tucker fall completely in love with her. Likewise, it was just as easy to understand why Mariah has never been able to stop thinking of Tucker since that one night they spent together years before. He is kind, fun, and thoughtful – and still as sexy as a man can get.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that this is only the first book in a series. I will be first in line when the next magical story in Willoughby’s Be-Wished series comes out!

I'm doing my darndest to finish the second Be-Wished book. I'm at the end, but struggling with how this one scene will play out.

Shamefaced

I wanted to publicly apologize to Dr. Jeanne E. Stoughton and the Jennmaur Gallery of San Francisco for posting photographs of some sculpture without permission or credit. In Dr. Stoughton's stern email to me, she said, "AS a 'WRITER' YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!!"

She is absolutely right.

I feel horrible. Suffice to say, I will be more diligent from now on in providing links back to artists and galleries. I used to do this as a matter of course, but got lazy, which is a ridiculous excuse.

Today I will be systematically sifting through all my art postings and adding attributions to those that have none.

Artist: Catherine Lall

I adore this photograph, titled New Year's Eve. Maybe it's because the cork is slightly phallic. LOL.

I apologize for not blogging Monday or Tuesday. I was under the weather, and writing up a storm.

Have a terrific weekend! I'll be back on Monday with another WW story review/critique.

Thursday 3: Teasers

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time or the inclination for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

Here are three chapter endings from my work-in-progress, tentatively titled, A WOLF AT HER DOOR. It's the second in my Be-Wished Series. I hope this whets your appetite.

1. “I, ah, liked Number Three.”

Paige couldn’t remember which one Number Three was. Intense curiosity made her snatch back the paper and scan it. Her face burned when she realized which scene she’d quoted from. When she looked up at him, he had a knowing look in his eye and heat in his expression.

“Are you okay with acting that kind of thing out?”

Her heart pounded in excitement and apprehension, but she nodded. “Yes,” she said in a small voice.

“There’s not much there on the paper, but I’m willing to improvise.”

“Sounds good.” Remembering how he’d thrown her onto the bed, she expected Adam’s improvisation to be an erotic thrill-ride.

“So on your scale from one to five, how rough do you want me to be?”

Taking a deep breath, Paige stepped up to the plate. “Five.”


2. “A fashion crisis?” Davina exclaimed with alarm. “Not on my watch.”

3. He smiled at her, and God, it turned her heart over. This was happening too fast. She knew she was falling in love with him, even if falling wasn’t a strong enough word. It was more like bungee jumping. But the trouble was, with bungee jumping, you got yanked back up. Telling herself to slow down didn’t help. Her feelings went barreling on ahead heedlessly and there didn’t seem to be any brakes on them whatsoever. Hopefully all that was ahead was a nice, romantic sunset, but with her luck she’d just crash and burn.

Story: 'Round Midnight

What follows is an analysis of a Woman's World story with suggestions/observations for people who want to sell stories to WW, peppered with some personal opinion, too. :) If you truly want to learn, it's best to have a copy of the story in front of you. (And no, I don't get a kickback for pimping the magazine here!)

Story: "'Round Midnight" by Lauren King from the December 31, 2007 issue.

Tagline: There's no better time for a new beginning, thought Cassie, than New Year's Eve.

In A Nutshell: Cassie works as an activities director at a retirement home. Mrs. Mackey and Mr.Randall, two of the residents, chide her for spending New Year's Eve with "a bunch of old folks" instead of with a guy, but Randall's grandson shows up and they hit it off.

Teaching Points:
1. If you're looking for a formula for a WW story, this is one option. Start with a single woman, a bit lacking in self-confidence. Put her in a situation in which meets someone. At the end of the story, show her taking the initiative and making the first move.

2. Another WW tried and true technique is to repeat an idea or line of dialogue at the end of the story. In this case, Mrs. Mackey demands a kiss from her fiance, and he says, "Well, aren't we forward?" Her reply is, "Sometimes you must seize the moment!" Then, at the end of the story, Cassie, "seizing the moment," asks her new love interest out on a date. He repeats the line about being forward.

Woman's World Standbys: Quasi-matchmakers, older characters with advice, a retirement home

Best Part: I was pleasantly surprised, as were the characters in the story, by the engagement announcement.

In My Humble Opinion: I thought the dialogue sounded a little stilted, even if the characters were elderly. I don't think even my 93 year old grandmother would use the word "beau" in conversation.

Discussion Question: A good story will often have one or more turning points, events that greatly alter the plot. after which the entire story changes course. What turning points do you see in 'Round Midnight?