In addition to the color illustrated paper back, this charming book has had great success in audio books
In book 1 of the Fabled Forest Series: Rainey, the unicorn, is a prince who has been banished, for centuries, by the warlord, Hazard. He can never return home unless Emma solves more riddles than Kodak, Hazard’s Lieutenant who ultimately reveals his secret weakness. The fable ends with a surprise twist which will delight readers young and old. While written for children, this fairy tale is sophisticated enough to appeal to adults as well. Continue reading “Emma and the Lost Unicorn…Book 1 in the Fabled Forest series”
Today is William Shakespeare’s birthday and I thought what a perfect time for dig out my old tried and true monologue that I used for 25+ years when auditioning as an actor.
When you stand in front of a director and his usual team (a stage manager, an assistant director, etc.)and you tell them your name and what monologue you will be presenting, (in my case) Lady Anne from Richard III. I always enjoyed watching their faces; knowing the inward groan…’Oh, crap! Not Anne again…“ I would smile knowing what they were thinking. Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Will Shakespeare!”
I just put a load of laundry in to my 21st century machine that wants to know my every wish for the perfect wash. What temperature do I want? hot? cold? energy saver? Or perhaps cool? One rinse or two? How long do I want to wash my semi-dirty clothes? Do I want to wash them gently or harshly?
As I loaded my machine, one sweater would not sink into the energy-saving, cool, one rinse, water and for a second I looked around my (oh so very pleasant), laundry room for my ‘stick’. Do you remember the stick your mother used to push down the clothes into the wringer washing machine? Made of wood and squeaky clean the stick was used onlyfor that purpose; pushing down clothes into the water and Tide detergent. I think ours was the old handle from a toilet plunger. And, in the case of my mother, hell would rain down if you borrowed that stick for any other purpose. Continue reading “Nostalgia…through the wringer”
When was the last time YOU received a letter, hand written, from a friend or family member? I bet it’s been years!!
I used to have a friend (passed away at 82) who did write me in long hand. My brother sends me a typed letter that he copies, but it is really being sent to his grand-daughter’s ex-husband in prison! I don’t count that. In fact I’ve asked him not to send it to me, but he forgets by the time he has written the next one! lol
Penmanship used to be graded in school. Wow! I am really dating myself, aren’t I? I still take pride in my long hand but it’s tough to slow down long enough to write!
Don’t miss Part I of this Interview! Jodi is a masterful story teller. I am a huge fan and love to sit down with her wonderful books!
Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing and for how long?
A. Of course. Harmony is as real to me as any town I’ve ever lived in. I lose sleep worrying about my characters.
My sons are afraid I’ll name one of my characters in the will.
Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment ?
A. Right now I’m writing about ranches and canyons. I’m loving going out to a friend’s ranch and driving around.
Q. When did you begin to write seriously?
A. When I was 35. I realized in five years I’d be 40 and I wanted to be a writer, but I’d never really worked at it. I turned 40 at an autograph party for my first book. There is no big secret to being a writer. A WRITER WRITES. If you want to be a writer then write. Keep a long. I do. Somedays I only get one page done, but I’m moving forward.
This author is one of my current favorites. Rich stories with believable characters, it’s a pleasure for me to be able to interview Jodi Thomas.
Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.
A. I write all over the place. I have a great office at West Texas A&M University with all my covers on the wall. I have an office upstairs in my home with one wall of bookshelves and three walls of windows and I have a tiny office out back off the garden where I’m putting together the plot for a new series.
Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)
A. No. I tend to work in two to three hour time periods. I get up to refill my drink every hour—diet coke if it’s warm, hot tea if it’s cold. I always open with what I worked on the day before. If I have to be away from my work more than four or five days, I start from the beginning. Usually spend at least half my time rewriting before I start writing.
Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?
A. I named my youngest son Cole after the hero in ASHES IN THE WIND. Don’t tell him.
Q. Do you have a set time each day to write or do you write only when you are feeling creative?
A. Hey, I could zone out of reality at any moment and write. Don’t believe in ‘feeling creative’. I think of creativity as more like a muscle than a talent. The more you use it
Another favorite!
the more creative you become.
Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?
A. Hardest part of writing is getting your butt in the chair. It’s not easy. I sometimes tell myself, “just 15 minutes tonight, I’m tired’ Three hours later I look up. Once I’m in the story, I’m in the story and don’t want to leave.
Set goals—-5 pages a day 5 days a week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! April’s author is Jodi Thomas. Coming Soon! Authors Barbara Taylor Bradford and Dorothea Benton Frank. To receive a free audio book and my sign up! On the home page, enter your email address. I love comments! Take the time to write one at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
Five out of 5 Quills (rating) ‘One True Heart’ ** A Review
This was a story that this reader didn’t want to end. I found myself rationing the pages to prolong the enjoyment. (I know some of my readers do the same when the book is just so good).
The author, Jodi Thomas, takes us back to the little Texas town of Harmony. Home!
Where people grow up, move away and then (always) return. Sometimes to heal, sometimes to hide, sometimes to reconnect with loved ones.
Captain Millanie McAllen comes home to heal the wounds of a warrior. Continue reading “One True Heart by Jodi Thomas…a Review”
My box of chocolates is a new word or two or three. My readers know how much I love the sound of words, the feel of them in my mouth, and the joy of finding out trivia about a certain word. For example:
Kerfuffle: A commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views. (Oxford Dictionary) Origin: Early 19th century: perhaps from Scots curfuffle (probably from Scottish Gaelic car ‘twist, bend’ + imitative Scots fuffle ‘to disorder’), or related to Irish cior thual ‘confusion, disorder’.Continue reading “My momma always said, Life is Like a Box of Choc….or, for me, words (part 7)”
Five out of 5 quills (ranking) A Review ** ‘Death in a Dacron Sail’
It was a real pleasure to discover a new author….well, actually she found me..and we’ve become friends. But our friendship doesn’t stand in the way of an honest review and telling my readers how much I enjoyed this story. N.A. Granger is a crisp and clean writer. In her second book she takes her readers to the coast of Maine where little girls are turning up missing and then found dead; the latest wrapped in a Dacron sail and washed ashore.
DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! April’s author is Jodi Thomas. June’s author is mega-superstar, Dorothea Benton Frank. To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. I love comments! Take the time to write one at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
In addition to the color illustrated paper back, this charming book has had great success in audio books
