Category: Open Book

A Fateful Meeting In The Woods #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

August 7, 2023

What is your author origin story? (Or make one up.)

Be aware – this story may or may not be true. I will neither confirm nor deny the reality.

    At the age of seventeen, I met a Celtic god.
    I didn’t know that was what he was, of course. It took a long time for me to understand what had happened.
    Which was basically nothing. It was a late summer day, and I was on one of my strolls through the fields and woods near my parents’ home when I bumped into him. Not literally, of course,
     There wasn’t a path to where I’d wondered, a house and property that had been bought for a new park. The home had been torn down, but the old stone foundation remained. I was in search of a small spring rumored to be nearby.
     And there he was, on the other side of the overgrown lawn, the largest “deer” I’d ever seen, with a huge spread of antlers. My first thought was that I was glad it wasn’t hunting season, and I didn’t have to report it to my dad.
     We stood there for a long time, staring at each other, neither of us blinking, me hardly breathing. Then he was gone. I don’t remember him leaving. I continued my walk, forgetting to continue my search for that spring.
     It was after that encounter I started writing more. I’d experimented with essays in school, but never contemplated taking my writing further than that. After the moment, my attempts at writing poetry became more frequent and intentional.
     There was another benefit to the contact. I’d broken my collarbone in a bicycle accident a few weeks earlier. At my next checkup, it amazed the doctor how quickly it was healing. It healed fast enough that by fall, I was scaling cliffs as part of a mountain climbing class.
     What was a Celtic god doing in the forests of Western Pennsylvania, USA? I have no theories, but it makes more sense that the researcher who is convinced Bigfoot roams those hills. I keep thinking I should make a return trip to the spot to say thank you. Can someone in the comments tell me what an appropriate offering to leave behind would be?

How did the other authors in this group get started? Check out the links below to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

P.S.  Aengus is the Celtic god of youth, love and poetic inspiration. He has the ability to shapeshift.

August 7, 2023

What is your author origin story? (Or make one up.)

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sunflowers In A Full Moon #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 31, 2023

A field full of sunflowers on a bright morning? Or rolling hills on a clear, full moon night?

I hate these kinds of questions. I don’t believe in shades of black or white. Well, they exist, but answers to problems often aren’t strictly defined.

Have you ever seen a field of sunflowers in the light of a full moon? A lifetime ago, I was on a bus trip halfway across the United States when I woke in the middle of the night. I’m not even sure what state we were driving through, and it took me a while to figure the scene outside the windows, but on either side, there were fields of sunflowers. The moon was playing hide-n-go seek in the clouds, and, aided by the bus’s headlights, I’d catch glimpses of individual flowers.

It was a long trip, and before too long, I drifted back to sleep. I slept a lot on that trip, in the days before cell phones and tablets, especially thru desolate landscape of Nebraska. But I ended up in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains., so it was worth the trip.

I once came across a cluster of wild sunflowers in the mountains of Colorado after a rainstorm, their heads rotating to seek out the sunshine as the storm clouds moved away. I guess I’ve been honored to experience several versions of the answer.

Now I have returned to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, where the trees can get in the way of the scenery. I don’t do much driving at night anymore, because my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. But I love the soft sounds of the night. The quiet bird calls, the soft hum of insects, the whisper of the evening breeze. 

Back to the original question—a field of sunflowers or rolling hills? I’ve made my choice. How about our other authors? Check the links below to see what they choose.

Until next time, please stay safe. 

P.S. Don’t forget I will be at the Pleasantville PA Community Festival Aug 3-5. If you are joining the fun, stop by and say hi!

 

July 31, 2023

A field full of sunflowers on a bright morning? Or, rolling hills on a clear full moon night?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Chug Chug! Puff Puff! Ding Ding! #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 24, 2023

If you were a beloved children’s character, which one would you be?

There’s an entire world of beloved children’s characters that I know nothing about. Many have been added in the last decade. So, I am going to go old school. Really old school.

Sometimes, I’m the one everyone depends on. Getting things organized, making sure there’s food in the house, and bills get paid. Even when I’m burnt out, I keep pumping. Yep, I’m The Little Engine That Could.

The basis for the most popular version of the story was written in 1902, although the book most if us are familiar with was published in 1930. That predates even me. The story has gone through many revisions to bring it up-to-date, and I have, too.

Like the Little Engine, sometimes I get tired and want to give up, but with another Chug and Puff, somehow I keep going.

What children’s character are you? Tell us in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other authors on this hop by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

July 24, 2023

If you were a beloved children’s character, which one would you be?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

 

My Most Favorite Cover #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 17, 2923

Post your favorite cover from your books and explain why it’s your favorite.

One? Just one? I’d offer you my entire gallery of book covers because I’m in love with my cover artist’s work. (Shout out to you, K.M. Guth.) Can I pick one and a backup?

I’ve learned a lot watching her do her magic. Not enough to duplicate her results, but at least I understand what she is doing and why. I can even offer intelligent suggestions! She may shoot them down, but rarely, I come up with something worthwhile.

Back to struggling to pick my favorite. Here it is.

 

 

I love the ferocity in the model’s eyes. She looks like she could tear you apart with just a glance. It fits my main character’s personality completely. What really amazes me is that at least three different pictures have been combined to create this image.

And I’m no artist, but I love how the background colors draw attention, and how those colors are reflected throughout the cover. To my eyes, the cover is a work of art.

I will confess that Lori, the main character of Wolves’ Gambit, is also one of my favorites, and that may have influenced my choice of cover.

Here’s the blurb.

Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.

Now she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to die.

There’s still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.

Lori hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.

Because I can, I’m going to reveal my runner-up cover. It’s a totally different style. Which makes sense, because the story is nothing like Wolves’ Gambit.

 

I am going to include a gallery of covers below. While I love all the covers in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, seeing them together heightens the impact.

What are the favorite covers of other authors on this hop? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

 

July 17, 2923

Post your favorite cover from your books and explain why it’s your favorite.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Over The River And Through The Woods #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 10, 2023

What do you order from your local Chinese restaurant? Do you order it every time or mix things up?

What do I order from my local Chinese restaurant? Clutch your pearls, I don’t really have a local one. The nearest one is over the river and through the woods and down a hill; not necessarily in that order. In the year since we’ve lived here, I haven’t ordered from it.

There’s a reason for that. I drive by it on my weekly trip to the grocery store and no matter what time it is; the place is never busy, which makes me assume the food isn’t very good. Even if people were getting takeout, there’d be cars in the parking lot, and the most I’ve seen even at suppertime is two. That’s not encouraging. (And they don’t deliver to my area.)

 How does a place like that stay in business? What are they selling out the back door? And what does that have to do with the mystery the private investigator in my work in progress is involved in? I can’t wait to find out!

It won’t be the first time I’ve used Chinese food in one of my stories. There’s a pivotal scene in The Rise of Jake Hennessey that takes place over a meal of Chinese takeout. Typical stuff – fried rice, lo mein, sweet-n-sour chicken.

That doesn’t mean those are the food I would choose. I like to experiment. I may not try any of the really spicy recipes, but I’m good with anything from mild to medium. It really depends on the restaurant, but put me in front of buffet and I will make several trips. I may not leave room for dessert!

What are my favorites? Honey chicken and pepper chicken. You can’t find them everywhere. I’m also fond of a good combination fried rice.

 

Oh, as a sidenote. I don’t use chopsticks. I’ve tried, and never got the hang of it.

How about the other authors on this hop? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 10, 2023

What do you order from your local Chinese restaurant? Do you order it every time or mix things up?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

AI (Artificial Intelligence) It’s Not As New As You Think #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 3, 2023

Have you played with AI in your writing? Tell us what you think about it.

This article was not written with AI – or was it?

I read about it everywhere. How AI (artificial evidence) is writing blog posts, term papers, articles, and entire books. I’ve seen dozens of FB pasts proudly heralding the fact that a book was not written with the help of AI.

But we need a definition here. What is AI? The widely accepted meaning from Artificial Intelligence (courtesy of the website TechTarget) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.

The question becomes, how deep does this go? Does something as simple as Microsoft’s built-in spell-checker count? (Which was part of Office 2003.) How about sites like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Scrivener or a dozen more? Rytr or Jasper?

I’ve been using basic spelling and grammar checking sites for years. I’ve also used the option of looking for synonyms using the built-in capabilities of whatever document creation program is available to assist with tightening my writing. Does that mean I am using AI?

Shoot, ProWritingAid and Grammarly have added ‘suggestions’ to fix phrasing errors and bad writing into their standard functions. (I’m sure other systems have as well, but those are two I am familiar with.) Is that using AI? Will I run this entry through ProWritingAid before I post it? You bet your sweet bibby. And will I change things when it says bibby isn’t a word, or the phrase is a cliché and should be revised? Nope.

Does that mean I’ve used AI to produce this blog? Technically, yes. Do I believe this counts as an AI generated post? No. Absolutely not. I’ve poured a lot of energy into this entry. No computer wrote it for me.

What it comes down to is that I think we need new terminology. Just like a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not necessarily a square, we need terms that denote the differences between AI assisted and AI generated. And at what percentage is the dividing line? I will leave that discussion to others.

Would I consider using AI to generate a blog post? sure, I’d consider it.

.

.

It’s been considered. My magic 8 ball says it’s unlikely.

It’ll be interesting to see what the other authors on this hop have to say about Ai. To find out, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 3, 2023

Have you played with AI in your writing? Tell us what you think about it.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

My Dream Writing Space #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 26, 2023

Describe what your dream writing space would look like.

There’s a log cabin with a wrap-around porch facing a lake near the top of a mountain. The bedroom-turned-office has a picture window facing the lake, and deer and elk wander by. Two of the walls are lined with bookshelves that are overflowing. My cup of hot chocolate never goes dry-at least, when I empty it, my husband brings me more. When it snows, the roads don’t close and the high-speed internet never goes down. Of course, the words flow like water in the springtime snowpack melt..

Okay, so that will never happen. But I’m pretty darn happy with what I have right now.

We’re living in a small town- more like a village-in the hills of Appalachia in northwestern PA. I have a room all to myself as an office. It’s on the second floor, and the two windows overlook our yard and the well-maintained empty lot next door. There are no elk, but deer drop by for a visit sometimes. Then, there is a nice assortment of birds. Plus, I’ve counted over fifteen varieties of wildflowers on the properties.

The room itself is comfy and peaceful. It’s like a warm blanket I can wrap up in on a chilly day. Everything I need is handy, from a bookshelf for reference materials and whatever books I am reading,  and a stereo for background music. The two windows face east, flooding the room with light on a sunny day.

Best part is the quiet. No constant sirens. Little traffic. It’s rare to hear an airplane. I can actually hear the birds sing.

Oh, and the internet connection, while not perfect, is somewhere between pretty darn good and excellent.

(I took this picture before I’d finished decorating, but this is close to what it looks like now- just add dragons.)

Words still aren’t flowing like the springtime snowmelt in the Rockies, but I’m moving along on my WIP.

To read bout more dream writing spaces, check out the other authors on this hop. Just follow the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

June 26, 2023

Describe what your dream writing space would look like.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

What Subjects Am I Good At? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

June 19, 2023

Besides writing, what other ‘subjects’ are you good at?

Now that I am retired, there are a lot of things I don’t care as much about as I used to. Math is one of those. I used to be a math whiz – I could do fairly complicated mathematical problems in my head. Now, my needs are more basic and I rely on a calculator for most of them. Shoot, the program I use for taking credit cards at book signings will calculate sales tax for me now, instead of me having to figure it out. I prefer making my prices a round number. That way I don’t have to deal with change!

On the other hand, I am learning and relearning skills I had when I was younger regarding gardening and nature. I never knew that robins sunbathe (It’s good for their wings) or that blue jays eat butterflies. But the butterflies know, because I’ve watched them try to hide when a blue jay is nearby. Other birds don’t like the blue jays either, and larger ones will chase them off.

Spring was a joy. I spent a lot of time wandering my yard to find out what new flowers popped up. At one point, I counted over fifteen varieties of wildflowers – and then I lost track. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted them on that platform. I don’t remember seeing that many kinds when I lived in this area growing up.

But the number one subject I’m getting better at? The art of relaxation.  I’m no subject matter expert yet, but I’m learning to take more moments to just breathe.

pink forget-me-nots

What subjects are the other writers on this blog good at? Find out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe

June 19, 2023

Besides writing, what other ‘subjects’ are you good at?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

To Sit and Think #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 12, 2023

How do you keep from overthinking your story?

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”—Voltaire

Recently, I had an old acquaintance describe me as “intense.” I can’t disagree, and that bleeds into my writing. Overthinking my story? I plead guilty.

Even minor details can become sticky points as I consider whether they belong in the story.. Does it matter what posters are on the walls of the gym? They could be a nice touch to the setting, but they could also just be a distraction and slow down the pace of the action. It’s possible that I will spend ten minutes creating them, only to rip that section out and move it to my outtakes folder. Overthinking at its finest.

When I write by hand, I don’t have the same problem. I may spend more time pondering a single word, but less time trying to figure out the plot. It seems to flow more naturally. (But then editing takes more time.)

In my current work in progress, I’ve been spending energy trying to figure out the romantic subplot. When will I introduce it? I know I want there to be one, and who should be involved, but I’m not sure how to make it happen without seeming forced. Yes, I am overthinking it.

But it shouldn’t be a surprise, because I overthink life in general. Expecting overnight guests? I figure out which set of towels to wash and set out for them a week in advance. Trip planning is a whole production, and I won’t share the appalling details.

Still, I can be laid-back and spontaneous, and when I tap into that side of me I do perhaps not my best writing, but my fastest writing—the most words in a sitting. I love those times, when I can stop overthinking and just write. Sadly, I have no hints on how to achieve that state.

What about the other authors in this hop? Find out how they battle overthinking by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

June 12, 2023

How do you keep from overthinking your story?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

What Muppet Would I Look Like? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

June 5, 2023

If you were a muppet, what would you look like? Are you a person, monster, animal, something else?

There was/is so much talent in the designs of Jim Henson and his team, as well as the many folks who emulated his designs, that I can’t imagine that I could come close to their greatness. From Sesame Street to Fraggle Rock (I still have a plastic Fraggle on my desk) to the Dark Crystal, the genius lives on.

But I can tell you about my favorite, which I would design myself after. But first, the runner-up.

Janice from the Electric Mayhem band. She’s sweet and kind, a little naïve, and extremely talented. What’s not to love? There are parts of her that remind me of what I’d like to be but I could never match her amazing talent. I even named a character after her in one of my never-to-be-published books.

 

But the character I’d like to be modeled after? Animal. His overwhelming energy and enthusiasm is role-model material. How he tackles problems head-on. (Although sometimes he doesn’t get all the facts first) And he never has a bad hair day. .He understands what is important in his life and strives to honor it.  All of this while never saying a word.

I’d have to change that part to be me, of course. I’d have to have words.

What would you look like if you were a muppet? I’m curious to find out what the other authors on this hop would look like. Jin me in finding out by following the links below.

Until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

June 5, 2023

If you were a muppet, what would you look like? Are you a person, monster, animal, something else?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.