Writing

star-96097_640

When someone passes away, are they gone from your life? I read about dream visits and began to notice the difference in my dreams.

A normal dream is when the person is just IN the dream. You notice them in the background or they’re part of the crowd.  You don’t interact.

If you have a conversation with them, touch them and talk with them, you’ve had a dream visit, a rare occurrence. They are supposed to be really visiting you. Cool, huh? They are few and far between and if you ever have one, cherish it.

Since I am older, of course I have people in my life that passed on. But at a young age, I lost quite a few people who were close to me…the main one being my dad. Another blow was my best friend seven years ago. Quiet unexpected at her young age.

I had a wonderful dream a few years back…one that sent me on my research. I was on a boat or ship and people were standing at a railing looking out over the sea. I saw someone walk up to the rail. She was very beautiful.  She was wearing a sky blue top with matching pants. Her hair was almost white blonde, shoulder length. I thought I knew her. I said to myself that it could be my best friend, but somewhere in the back of my mind I had my doubts. I was afraid to walk up to her because I was scared she’d disappear before I found out. I wanted the moment to last for as long as possible. Then again, I felt the need to walk up to her and see if it was her. I approached cautiously and she turned and looked at me. It was her. I asked if I could hug her and she said, “Of course”.  I did and then the dream faded as all dreams do.

When I began to write my series, I included a character that had past away. He only exists in the past and the people who travel back in time get to see him. He doesn’t know that he was part of their lives in the present but they are happy just to see him.

I wanted the character to stand for someone we all wished we still had in our lives whether it was a favorite grandmother or someone we lost too soon.

My characters didn’t have to rely on a dream visit to see their loved one. All they had to do is read their special book, fall asleep and they’d be there with him. Back in time.

Wish it could be that easy.

Read more

Time travel…earth-11015_640

In 1895 H.G. Wells wrote of it in The Time Machine and it still piques our interest more than one hundred years later. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a recent addition to the genre and even became a movie.

Waiting for Dusk slowly grew and changed into a time travel novel in my mind. My original idea included a dream world and reality. As I continued on, I thought, “Why not make this real?”

The first thing I discovered was that time travel needs rules. You definitely need them and have to stick by them. There can be amendments and add-ons but the mainframe has to be set in stone–how the character gets there and how they return.

I don’t want to give away too many spoilers but since my second book is named, Call of the Canyon, I can tell you that Katie goes back to the Grand Canyon in 1927.

Since Waiting for Dusk is a young adult romance novel, time travel becomes an important part of the story. It’s the only way she can get to see the boy she loves.

In the beginning, she doesn’t know she’s time traveling and it becomes one of the major plot points of the book. Katie slowly begins to realize she’s not dreaming and that this world she visits could be real.

Call of the Canyon continues the story of Katie and Drew.  It explores more in depth the affects of time travel on people’s lives. Their biggest worry is not to change history; just be observers. Somehow that doesn’t quite work out. It’s difficult to go somewhere and not interfere, participate or make suggestions. As soon as that happens, history changes.

Questions also arise about age and returning to the same time period over and over again. Will there be multiples of one person? Do people remember you if they met you before? Do you stay the same age? Since my characters return to only one period in time, these questions needed to be addressed.

With the resurgence of the “Doctor Who” BBC television show, time travel is becoming popular again. In my third and final book of the series, Stealing Time, there’s a shout out to the show. Fans, I hope, will chuckle at the subtle reference.

Many people wish they could travel through time. Some would choose the past and others the distant future. Although we realize this could never happen, we can’t help wonder if there’s a slight possibility. And that’s why we read. To escape. To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before. To go back in time. To see the future. To time travel.

 

Read more

balloon-84826_1280

When I began to write, I didn’t realize how much love had to do with it. You have to love what you write, love your characters with all their faults and love the genre you write for. Little did I realize, I infused the story with small pieces from my past. Most involved relationships. And love.

Most books contain something about love; it’s hard not to include it. I’m sure there are examples of books without it but I’m not on a quest to find them. But if we looked hard enough in those types of books, we might find the person’s fondness for his spaceship or the tough girl who keeps an old trinket from childhood tucked away in her back pocket.

So here’s a challenge. For the next week, look for the love in people…places…things. By the end of that week, maybe it will become a habit and feel so natural you can’t stop. Then pass that feeling along. What’s the saying? A little love goes a long way. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Read more

2013disneyprincess

I recently took one of those “Which Disney Princess are you?” tests. I know…eye roll. I don’t do those often but when something Disney pops up, it’s hard to resist. I have always loved Disney since I was a little girl.

The test revealed I was part Belle and part Pocahontas. Since I love nature and books are my thing, I’m okay with that. Still, I had to chuckle at the thought. Two polar opposites.

Maybe that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want to be a daydreaming princess.  Makes you wonder what those fairy tale princesses did in the castle all day. I like to get things done. At least I can picture Belle reading a book or shopping to buy more books to add to her collection. Pocahontas would be planting a garden, feeding the deer and running through the forest for exercise. They’d be doing something.

I couldn’t resist talking about fairy tales in my first book. Katie has just turned sixteen but the little girl inside still sees things through magical eyes. By the end, reality sets in and she realizes everything is not like the fairy tales she read long ago.

We all grow up eventually and see the world in a different way. Maybe that’s why we read…and write…and dream about being fairy tale princesses.

Read more

computer-23713_640I was watching the news the other night and found out there are words you’re not allowed to say if you’re over thirty. Since I am over thirty, I paid close attention. The newscaster informed me there would be a list and proceeded to count them down. I’m sure there are more words I’m not supposed to say but this list only had three.

I had to Google the first word, totes, because I had no idea what it meant. Oh, it means totally! Here’s the definition straight from the Urban Dictionary. A shorter more convenient form of the word: totally. This word is most commonly used by teenage girls.

The most obvious advantage of using this word is the time saved. Data collected at a prestigious university found that every syllable spoken takes approximately 0.14 seconds.

Didn’t know it was such a timesaver. I’d put it on my list but…oops, can’t.

The next word (it was really a phrase) that flashed across the television screen was You know, right? I’ve heard that many times, although I never used it myself. Didn’t know it was popular slang for the under thirty crowd. Crossing it off my list right now.

The final word was cray-cray. That one makes my head hurt. I have to admit I heard that come out of a certain reality TV mom’s mouth (mother to many girls with the first initial K) and I cringed when I heard it. That was a fine example of “leave it to the kids”. But hearing it said by anyone drives me a little cray-cray. See, didn’t you just cringe?

So there you have it, the list. Totes. You know, right? And cray-cray. Feel free to pass it along to other thirty plus members of society. If you’re underage (thirty, that is) you can ignore.

Whenever I write, I try to pay attention to words, phrases and sayings. Would she/he really say that? If a character is old, I guess they can get away with anything. I try not to make younger ones use too much slang. It can become outdated in a minute.

I hope this was helpful to the intended audience. That means you, Over-thirties. I know keeping track of the latest trends may make you a little cray-cray. You know, right? But it’s worth keeping up with what’s happening in the world. Don’t you agree?

Totes.

Read more

 

theater-show-clapping-hands-

Kudos and high praise to the bloggers who keep coming up with great topics and ideas for their blogs. I have to admit at times I draw a blank. And, no, the next sentence of this post will not be “and today is one of those days”.

Instead I want to give a shout out to all bloggers, whether I follow you or not or just read you here and there. Some of you blog daily. High fives to you. Others are consistently clever or funny. I marvel at the ability. I strive for humor once in a great while and hope to succeed.

Then there’s the group who can turn words into poetry or find great quotes to back up their thoughts. I wish I had that talent. I fumble around when someone asks, “What’s your favorite song?” To be fair, I never liked that question. Hard to have just one, isn’t it? But to be able to pull quotes from the air or write like a song is quite a gift.

Another group of bloggers I enjoy are the ones who give advice I’m looking for. Now I know we don’t like people telling us what to do but when you go looking for it…that’s a completely different matter.

I look for writing help, editing ideas, promotions that work and other nuggets that will help me in my writing endeavors. I have a special folder created for all the ones I like and want to read again.

I researched “ideas for blogs” and read all the helpful hints. Stick to popular topics, add categories and tags, blog often. It’s a lot of work. I promised myself I would try to blog once a week when I started. Will I stick to that promise? I’ll try but decided to give myself a break. There’s no real handbook for bloggers.

One thing I can say, blogging keeps me on my toes. Sometimes a phrase catches my eye or I’ll read something in the newspaper or see something on-line and think, “I have to blog about that”. I’ve been introduced to some great blogs from people who follow me. I go to their site and read their posts. So many interesting points of view in our world.

Is blogging hard work? A little more difficult than I first imagined. Will I give up? No, I don’t think so. I see it as a challenge. I’ve met new people through it. I’ve read and learned things I never would have if I didn’t start.

So kudos to you, fellow bloggers. Keep up the good work. Keep writing. Someone might find your blog one day, read it and unknowingly you may help them in some way or make their day.

Read more

Fall-Winter Nov. 12 (9)

The trees are throwing up their branches in confusion. They’re saying, “What the?”  We’ve had early snows in Northeast Ohio but rarely a late fall. When the two collide, is it Flinter?

The autumn leaves stuck around late this year. In fact, the trees didn’t show signs of changing colors until mid October. By then, we’re usually raking up the bulk of them. Even as I look out the window today there are remnants on some branches.

Imagine the surprise of waking last week to Flinter! The sun was shining and it was a glorious morning. Snow glistened on the lawns and stuck to the branches of the trees. The odd thing about this picture was most trees still had their leaves. It was November twelfth!

Our part of the state was not the only place to get snow that day. The front dropped snow on Chicago and headed east to the Atlantic coast. We all were included in this wintry blast.

Using the seasons in a novel takes a little research, especially if you don’t live in that part of the country. Accuracy, I feel, is important. I always take into consideration that temperatures can be inconsistent year after year, but still want to be true to the climate. Authors have the right to change things up. Cold climates can have a balmy Christmas. It happened here one year. We still talk about the Christmas it was seventy degrees. Other times, Spring may not appear until the first of May. Sometimes we feel it may never stop snowing. Weather is a fickle friend. You can’t always count on it. But this year, was the strangest I’ve witnessed.

Maybe a few more seasons need to be invented. Then we won’t feel so disappointed when the snow falls on beautiful autumn trees. We can just say, “Hey, it’s finally Flinter!” We could enjoy that April snow shower just a little better if it had a name. “Oh, that happens a lot. It’s Snapril.” See? Don’t you feel better already?

Now that I’ve invented Flinter, feel free to use it whenever you like. I hope one day I pick up a book, start to read and the very first line say, “It was a dark and stormy Flinter.” That would make my day.

 

Read more

IMG_2984

Today I have a special guest blogger, author Charmaine Pauls. She wrote the romance novel, The Winemaker.  Since my sister loves wine and wineries I thought the book would make a perfect gift for her birthday. (See picture above) Charmaine lives a continent away so there was no way she could sign the book. Instead I asked her to recommend a bottle of wine which she was gracious enough to do. I also invited her to blog about wines and her book for today’s entry. Enjoy!

What do wine and romance have in common? In Etán Perez-Cruz’s opinion, everything. Well, of course he will think that. He is an award-winning winemaker to whom the pinnacle of expression is his creation. No wonder he compares the best cépage of his career, a Merlot, to the unrequited love of his life, Zenna.

To Etán, people are like wine. He is a genius when it comes to taste and smell. Blending is his exceptional gift. But when it comes to expressing himself, he sadly lacks communication skills. The ever-inventive Etán therefore finds a way of telling Zenna how he feels through his wine bouquets. When he first meets her, he is overwhelmed by the fragrance of the unique chemical make-up of her skin. She is an addiction, the seduction of his senses, and although he has locked his heart away in a very deep, cold cellar, the Chilean wine maestro is soon defenseless in the presence of the Englishwoman who considers herself utterly average.

After a tequila-infused kiss in a scene where Zenna tries to drown her sorrow when her fiancé dumps her, Etán brings Zenna a bottle of Sombra 1999 Red Blend. This is one of his earliest superstar wines, and he believes it describes her perfectly.

“Showcases sweet, dark, plummy fruit. Wrapped in a cedary cloak of earth, tobacco, and cassis. Smooth and supple, framed with soft tannins. There is no need to cellar it. It should last well.”

The way in which Etán looks at Zenna when he recites the label, and more specifically where his eyes linger, leaves no doubt in Zenna’s mind what the enigmatic vintner is referring to. The analogy between the wine and the woman is like the bouquet – intoxicating and alluring.

As their relationship develops, growing physically more intense, but emotionally more complicated, to Etán Zenna becomes a Tierra de Sol 2002, a classic Bordeaux style blend.

“Cassis, forest floor, chocolate, and cedar. Notes of lemon, sage, and olive. Palate intense and well-rounded. Balancing olive with cassis, plum with wood, leather with intense berry. Dusty, soft tannins. Impeccable structure. It will only get better over the next five years and drink beautifully over ten.”

Before the season is out, Etán’s feelings for Zenna deepen to the point of a Merlot 2010, his best creation ever. This is the ultimate compliment an oenologist can bestow on a woman.

“Color opaque. Nose is tight, meaty, and earthy. The mouth offers layers of bittersweet chocolate and powerful blackberries. A tad bit hedonistic and heavy, with all sorts of overflowing fruit, but isn’t it exactly what one wants in a modern red wine?”

For reasons that cannot be disclosed without giving away the plot, Etán can’t have what he desires most. At the height of his heart-rending turmoil, admitting that Zenna is beyond his reach, Etán compares her, for the first time ever, to a wine that is not from his cellar, to his rival’s cultivar, Uvas Organicas 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Nectarines. Floral notes. Like a Riesling. Drips rather than oozes with red cherry and plum. The finish is light, dusty, and elegant. Spearmint, light leafiness, forest fern. Elegant, unforced red fruit aromas.”

Throughout the story Zenna is taken on a metaphorical winetasting tour, discovering Etán’s world where senses are all-consuming, and learning the secret to reading the man of her dreams who can only reveal his sentiments through the wine he creates.

As Zenna masters Etán’s unique style of transporting meaning, she comprehends his personifications of wine. This is why, for example, Etán dedicated his Casa Sol 2004 Syrah, which won the first prize at the international Berlin Wine Tasting competition in 2004, to his hunky bad-boy brother, Luca.

“Perfectly open and huge, with deep plum and black fruit smothering both the bouquet and palate. Big berry flavors, and excellent balancing acids and tannins. A wine distinguished as a bruiser with charm. While it shows very little in common with Rhône-style Syrah, for a Chilean version it rocks.”

Join Zenna and Etán in Chilean wine country on a journey of sensory exploration that defines people like wine, wine like lovers, and the undeniable truth of love as a drop of wine on the tongue. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or in this case, in the drinking.

Brought to you with a toast from Chile,

The Winemaker, by Charmaine Pauls

Where to buy the book:

Buy from Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Winemaker-Charmaine-Pauls-ebook/dp/B00EPXFVH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384183491&sr=1-1&keywords=the+winemaker+by+charmaine+pauls

 

Buy from Mélange Books

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/charmainepauls/winemaker.html

 

Buy from Lulu.com

http://www.lulu.com/shop/charmaine-pauls/the-winemaker/paperback/product-21131433.html

About the author:

The South African born novelist is a gypsy at heart who loves to look at the world through the lens of her camera. Connect with Charmaine Pauls on:

Author website

www.charmainepauls.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charmaine-Pauls/175738829145132

Twitter

https://twitter.com/CharmainePauls

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5161287.Charmaine_Pauls

 

Other books by Charmaine Pauls:

Between Yesterday & Tomorrow

How long will you wait for the man you love when he disappears from the face of the earth?

http://www.amazon.com/Between-Yesterday-Tomorrow-Charmaine-Pauls/dp/1456598465/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372368917&sr=1-3&keywords=between+yesterday+and+tomorrow

Between Fire & Ice

If you were the last fertile woman on earth, would you indulge a man forced to marry you to save the world?

http://www.amazon.com/Between-Fire-Ice-ebook/dp/B009WETS1W/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372368962&sr=1-4&keywords=between+fire+%26+ice

 

Read more

Donna-Noble

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who you may recognize the title of my post today.  During the 10th Doctor’s reign one of the episodes was given this title. Donna Noble was his companion at the time. For those of you unfamiliar with the BBC series, the Doctor is a Time Lord, a time-travelling humanoid alien, and rarely travels through time and space alone. He always has a companion or two come along for his adventures.

In “Turn Left”, Donna is the star of the show. Everything focuses on her and the choices she makes.  She’s sitting at a stoplight and her mother’s in the passenger seat. They’re arguing over which way to turn. If Donna went left, she would take a job as a temp at a security firm. Right would take her to a job at a friend’s business.

Watching the episode, you already know that Donna’s job is a temp. That’s when she meets back up with the Doctor—who she met once before. They’re separately investigating a revolutionary diet pill at the firm she’s working at. She’s been looking into strange occurrences hoping to run into the Doctor again, and to her delight, she does.

As you watch her sit at the stoplight, you assume you know the answer. She will turn left. Not in this episode. Her mother wins out and Donna turns right.

The course of history is now altered because of that move. Donna never meets up with the Doctor. She doesn’t even know him.  She never convinces him to leave an area that’s flooding and he drowns. The Doctor is not around to save the world anymore. Her decision creates an alternate universe with major changes in history.

The changes aren’t pretty. A dsytopian society is created after the destruction of London. Things keep going from bad to worse all because of making the wrong turn…or choice.

Think of your own life. Do you ever wish you turned right instead of left? It could create a whole new timeline and wipe out the existing one. Your life as you know it wouldn’t even be a distant memory. Would you be glad you did? Or have regrets?

Fun and somewhat crazy to think about. Left? Right? Which will it be? Well, Donna knew. She made the ultimate sacrifice to make things right again.

As I watched the show, it got me to thinking…and comparing. This story was very much like part of the plot in my second book. I asked the same questions. What would Kate’s life be like if her parents never met? Or her father stayed in the past? What happens to everyone’s lives? Would she even be born?

Philosophical questions. No one has the answers. That’s what makes it fun. Pondering over the “what ifs” in life make it interesting. With a bit of luck, we all make the right choices in the end. If not, maybe you’ll be at that stoplight one day, debating which way to turn. When you make the final decision, there may be no going back, no second chance. You’ll be on a new path in life’s journey. And hopefully, while you sat at that light, you made the right decision and turned left.

 

Read more

chairs-58475_640

Pavarotti was talking about the advice he got from his father when he couldn’t decide between teaching and singing. His father told him, “Son, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.”

I love that message. His father wasn’t rich or famous but gave great advice. Too often in this fast paced world, people want things handed to them or become an overnight sensation. The easier it is, the better.

When I first started writing my book, I kept telling myself I was crazy. I researched how many words a book should have and found 60,000 to 100,000 as the common answer. I decided if I made the commitment, I’d stick it out till the end, regardless the outcome.

I wrote, researched, and read each chapter over and over again. I had no idea how many words it was because I decided that wasn’t important. The essential thing was to get the words on the paper. Worry about the small stuff later.

I finally gave in and used the tool bar to click “word count”. Imagine my surprise when I had 55,000 words and wasn’t nearly done. I chose one chair and stuck to it. More stepping stones would come along after the book was written but I had met the challenge. As I continued on, each task needed to be handled with that same mindset. One chair at a time.

The message is clear. Stick to one thing and do it well. If you don’t love what you’re doing, try to see it through to the end. You never know what might happen and you could end up liking it. Can you change your mind and follow a different path? Absolutely. Just do it one chair at a time.

Read more