Posts

#Fi50: Countdown

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Fiction in 50 is a regular feature in the last week of every month and I invite any interested composers of mini-narrative to join in!      What is #Fi50? In the words of founder Bruce Gargoyle, "Fiction in 50: think of it as the anti-NaNoWriMo experience!" Pack a beginning, middle and end of story into 50 words or less (bonus points for hitting exactly 50 words). The rules for participation are simple : 1. Create a piece of fictional writing in 50 words or less, ideally using the prompt as title or theme or inspiration. That’s it!  But for those who wish to challenge themselves further, here’s an additional rule: 2. Post your piece of flash fiction on your blog or (for those poor blog-less souls) add it as a comment on the Ninja Librarian’s post for everyone to enjoy.  And for those thrill-seekers who really like to go the extra mile (ie: perfectionists): 3. Add the nifty little picture above to your post (credit for which goes entirely to ideflex over at acrossthebor

YA Spotlight and Guest post: Ronel Janse van Vuuren

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I'm happy today to be promoting Ronel Janse van Vuuren's YA novella, Dark Desires. Title: Dark Desires Author: Ronel Janse van Vuuren Publication Info: June, 2019. 5000 novella Publisher's Blurb:  Iron and fae aren’t friends. But Tasha has no choice but to be in the human realm: her very life is at stake. High School isn’t much safer than Faerie, though. Cliques, falling in love and navigating day-to-day activities are dangerous enough without the added dread of being unmasked as being otherworldly. But when something happens and everyone reveals their true selves, Tasha has a choice to make: will she save them from the curse upon them and reveal her true nature, or will she let them die and stay safe?   My Review: Ronel was kind enough to send me an electronic copy of the book to review, and at 5000 words I was able to find the time for it (longer works are causing me trouble, so this was perfect!). Dark Desires is a YA romance, which puts it rather out of my usual area,

Book Review: Michelle Obama's Becoming

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Title: Becoming Author: Michelle Obama Publisher: Crown, 2018. 426 pages Source: Hardback given me by a friend Publisher's Blurb: An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States. In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare. In her memoir, a work of

#Fi50 Heads-up

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ust a reminder that it's Fiction In 50 time again! And what is that? Read on! Fiction in 50 is a regular feature in the last week of every month and I invite any interested composers of mini-narrative to join in!      What is #Fi50? In the words of founder Bruce Gargoyle, "Fiction in 50: think of it as the anti-NaNoWriMo experience!" Pack a beginning, middle and end of story into 50 words or less (bonus points for hitting exactly 50 words). The rules for participation are simple : 1. Create a piece of fictional writing in 50 words or less, ideally using the prompt as title or theme or inspiration. That’s it!  But for those who wish to challenge themselves further, here’s an additional rule: 2. Post your piece of flash fiction on your blog or (for those poor blog-less souls) add it as a comment on the Ninja Librarian’s post for everyone to enjoy.  And for those thrill-seekers who really like to go the extra mile (ie: perfectionists): 3. Add the nifty little picture

#WEP: A Gilded Cage

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Note that the rules have changed a little. Since we now have a posting window that ends on the 3rd Wednesday and we don't sign up on the list until the post is live, I'm aiming for the 2nd Wednesday, which I didn't make, but I'm close. 1.  CREATE  your entry for the JUNE  challenge – CAGED BIRD . 2.  EDIT  your entry, making sure 'WEP' is in the TITLE 3.  PUBLISH  your entry onto your BLOG or FACEBOOK page by the date shown - state feedback preferences 4.  SUBMIT  your name to the list below when your entry is live 5.  READ  other entries, giving feedback as requested 6.  SHARE THE CHALLENGE  on social media. PLEASE NOTE: ENTRIES CLOSE JUNE 19 ALL GENRES WELCOME  except erotica - 1,000 words maximum FURTHER ENQUIRIES VISIT  www.writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com and leave a comment or: email: laura.gene.walker@gmail.com or olgagodim@gmail.com I had a little fun with this one. When I started putting the story together in my mind I was driving, and couldn't chec

Photo Friday: Nelson Lakes National Park

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Somehow the computer is trying to tell me that this is Saturday already. I guess it may take a while for me to get back to knowing what day of the week it is! I also found that I never edited these photos, so it was more work than expected to put together even this quick and dirty photo post. Hope you enjoy it anyway! Our trip to Nelson Lakes National Park was a 2-night, 3-day outing pulled together somewhat at random as we needed to get out of our Christchurch rental (it was a long-term AirB&B rental, but at the time we booked someone else already had those days). We found a description of the Angelus Hut hike somewhere, it looked good, and we were able to book it, so off we went. The drive up from Christchurch was fairly long, so we didn't try to hike that  day. Instead, we booked into a site at the DOC (Dept. of Conservation--kind of like the US Forest Service) campground at St. Arnaud on Lake Rotoriti. Weather and sand flies were both mild enough to allow for outdoor cookin

IWSG: What's your favorite genre?

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Purpose:  To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!  Posting:  The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!  Be sure to link to the IWSG page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! If it links to Google+, be sure your blog is listed there. Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back. The awesome co-hosts for the

Flashback Friday:

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  Flashback Friday is a monthly meme that takes place on the last Friday of the month . The idea is to give a little more love to a post you’ve published on your blog before.  Maybe you just love it, maybe it’s appropriate for now, or maybe it just didn’t get the attention it deserved when you first published it. Thanks to Michael d’Agostino, who started it all, there is a solution – join Flashback Friday! And thanks to Jemima Pett , who has kept it going--visit her blog to add your name to the list ! Just join in whenever you like, repost one of your own blog posts , including any copyright notices on text or media, on the last Friday of the month. *** I found this one from 2015, and it made me laugh, because we just crossed the Rocky Mountains during the May 20 snowstorm, which might have made us think we were lost. We've also gotten a GPS unit, which has led us astray at least twice, insisting that vague tracks in the dirt are roads. This was from 2015, written for the lette

#Fi50: Sweet Home, Alabama

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Fiction in 50 is a regular feature in the last week of every month and I invite any interested composers of mini-narrative to join in!      What is #Fi50? In the words of founder Bruce Gargoyle, "Fiction in 50: think of it as the anti-NaNoWriMo experience!" Pack a beginning, middle and end of story into 50 words or less (bonus points for hitting exactly 50 words). The rules for participation are simple : 1. Create a piece of fictional writing in 50 words or less, ideally using the prompt as title or theme or inspiration. That’s it!  But for those who wish to challenge themselves further, here’s an additional rule: 2. Post your piece of flash fiction on your blog or (for those poor blog-less souls) add it as a comment on the Ninja Librarian’s post for everyone to enjoy.  And for those thrill-seekers who really like to go the extra mile (ie: perfectionists): 3. Add the nifty little picture above to your post (credit for which goes entirely to ideflex over at acrossthebor