In An Alternate World #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

March 3, 2025

If you had to become one of your characters, which one would you choose?

It isn’t who you think.

No, it isn’t Harmony Duprie From the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Or Annie McGregor from The Edwards Investigations. Or even Jake Hennessey. I’ve put those characters through hell and back, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone (including myself.)

Now, I’d love to sit and chat with Harmony on the steps leading to her apartment. Or take a seat in Jake’s bar and drink a beer and shoot the breeze with the regulars. But the moments of peace that either have are limited. Plus, despite his outgoing nature and broad circle of friends, I see Jake as a lonely person. He has to hide who he really is, and has no one to confide in.

I don’t want to overlook my Free Wolves series. It’s fun to write a shapeshifter story, but I wouldn’t want to live that way, dealing with a patriarchal pack structure. Although I love my main characters in those books, I don’t want to be one of them.

And Annie McGregor from the Edwards Investigations? No, thank you. Now, it might be interesting to spend a day as Mike Edwards, her business partner. But I haven’t figured out his entire backstory yet, so I’ll wait.

I’ll take the safe route.

And pick one of my secondary characters. One of Harmony’s dearest friends, Janine Janson, is also a trained librarian like Harmony, and was hired as the chief librarian of the Oak Grove Public Library. She lives a quiet life, surrounded by books, friends, and as a respected community leader. I can see myself fitting into that life. In fact, there was a short time during which I pursued a similar career path. But I don’t see her ever writing books; she’s happy reading them.

Which characters would the other authors on this hop become if they had to? Find out by following the links below. 

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

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March 3, 2025

If you had to become one of your characters, which one would you choose?

 

A Letter To My Readers #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 24, 2025

Write a letter to your readers.

Dear Readers,

I knew this prompt was deceptively simple as soon as I saw it, but I’ll take my normal stab at it, and start with the easy stuff first.

Thank you.

A million times, thank you. (Although there aren’t a million of you. I wish.) I value every one of you and love meeting you at events and having the opportunity to talk with you, see your smiles. Each time another book is sold, I still get a thrill. It keeps me motivated to write the next one.

Toni Morrison advised authors they should write the book they want to read.

Which may be true, but I write for you, my readers, too. I want you to be entertained by my stories, and maybe even create the story you would write if you could.

But I should note that some of you aren’t reading my books, but are reading this, my blog. I see some of the same names show up in my likes week after week. (I see you, DirtySciFiBuddha and Esther.) I’m glad that my weekly meanderings continue to draw you back.

What else would I like to say? I want to ask y’all a favor. If you haven’t done it already, leave me a review on your favorite platform. Even a few kind words would go a long way. And maybe, just maybe, tell your friends about my books, if you’re comfortable with the notion. Maybe they’ll buy one.

But no matter what, thank you.

I appreciate you, I really do. It doesn’t matter if you’ve bought one of my books, or most of them. (Or none of them!)

How about the other authors on this hop? What are they saying to their readers? Find out by following the links to their blogs.

And, until next time, please stay safe.

Feb 24, 2025

Write a letter to your readers.

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Click here to enter

I Can’t Be Good At Everything, Right? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb. 17, 2025

What has been the hardest format to write in for you?

Feb. 17, 2025

What has been the hardest format to write in for you?

I broke my writing teeth on historical essays.

Sure, they were for school projects. An essay on Molly Pitcher that won an award from the local Daughters of The American Revolution. A young teen’s understanding of the Mafia. Another one about the Gulf of Tonkin.

But until I immersed myself in writing poetry, I didn’t feel like I was writing for myself. I played with many forms, but found my voice in free form. It nurtured me for many years.

Eventually, I found my way into writing fiction. I’ve told that story on my blog before, so I won’t repeat myself now and bore you. My effort to integrate poetry into my stories didn’t go well, but, now and then, I slip in a phrase that “sings.”

But then I decided to try my hand at a short story.

It would be a reader magnet, the pundits degreed, a way to draw new people to my books. So, I wrote a story about the initial meeting of Harmony and Jake. It was supposed to be from Jake’s point of view, but he wouldn’t cooperate, and it ended up being from Harmony’s. Long story short, it didn’t work. (But I ended up using part of that work when I wrote The Fall of Jake Hennessey, which was from Jake’s viewpoint.)

But it wasn’t easy. Short stories were a new format to me. I’ve written several since then, two for collaborative efforts with other authors. (Those collections are no longer available, but the stories are hosted on this website.) What the experience taught me was how hard it is to write short stories.

I’ve never written epic-length books. The longest one I’ve published in The Ranger’s Dog Tags, which is just over 90,000 words. But trying to fit a complete story into 10,000 words has taken me as long to accomplish as finishing a whole book. After all, a short story had all the same elements – setting, plot, characters, conflict, theme. Fitting them all in is tough.

But I’ve committed to another one, this time for an anthology to support K9s for Warriors. I’ve started it, but am putting too much effort and too many into the setting. (I think.) It might work for a full book, but I need to tighten it to fit the short story format. The plot I’ve envisioned needs tightened, too.

At least I’m aware of my weaknesses.

In writing, anyway. Like I can’t write a decent romance, but that’s a different discussion.

What format is the hardest for the other authors on this hop to write? Find out by following the links to their blogs below. (Remember, most links will be posted throughout the day on Mondays.)

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

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Rules:

 

Finding New Sources For Research #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 10, 2025

Kelly’s daughter asks: How did you find the facts (that inform your book)?

We’ve talked about research before.

For my recent book, The Rimer File, my normal sources of research didn’t work. The time frame the story was set in was not quite historical, but at the same time, pre-internet. Sure, the songs of from those years are well documented, but it surprised me how much information I tried to discover but couldn’t find.

For example, I wanted to know what color the uniforms of Pittsburgh police were in 1985. I couldn’t find it on-line. It has been suggested I call the police museum, but there doesn’t seem to be one. But if I called the main police station, they might be able to direct me to someone who knew. Instead, I wrote around it. (It was a minor reference and didn’t make a difference to the plot.)

I also put a lot of effort into trying to find a walkthrough of the old Civic Center of Pittsburgh. I found snippets, but none of them covered what I what I was looking for. There is a recording of a walk up the stairs to an upper level, but no peek into the skyboxes, where I was hoping to set a scene. So, I reached out to family who lived in the area, and they reached out to friends. But none of them had ever been to the skyboxes. I ended up ‘fudging’ the background for the scene based on other arenas.. No one has complained. (yet!)

There are other places to dig for information.

There are these things called books with a subset known as encyclopedias. (Do they exist anymore?) They were filled with all kinds of facts. The trouble with them is that they were hard to keep up-to-date. I can’t tell you the last time I opened one, but I used to spend hours browsing the articles in the set we had at home. Then there are also non-fiction books of all sorts.

But especially in the area of firearms, I always end up depending on the internet for basic information and then on knowledgeable people for details. (Guns of various sorts show up in all of my books, and I’m no expert.)

One source of research that isn’t usually considered is personal experience. Writers are often told to write what they know. And I’m old, y’all, and have seen and done lots of things in my life. That information finds its way into my stories.

 

Do any of the authors on this hop have other sources of information? Find out 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

Feb 10, 2025

Kelly’s daughter asks: How did you find the facts (that inform your book)?

 

 

Revisiting An Old Manuscript #IWSG

  By IWSG

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is enjoying its monthly blog-fest invented by Alex J. Cavanaugh. IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds.

The awesome co-hosts for our February 5th posting of the IWSG are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!

QUESTION: Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

I’ve done this!

The first draft of The Edwards Investigations was written over a decade ago. Back then, it was called The Edwards Agency. I knew it held promise, but it just wasn’t there. I attempted several times to revise it, and I even started a second book, but I never made a commitment to the changes.

And I knew what the problem was. The book was ‘dated’ but wasn’t old enough to be historical. It just felt like it was something I’d pulled out of a box and presented to the world.

But it bugged me. I’d fallen in love with the characters, and didn’t want to abandon them.

 So, I started over.

First thing I did was to pinpoint what years I wanted the book to be set in. That helped define the settings. I didn’t even open the old manuscript, except to verify the main characters’ names. But I didn’t need to. The story had taken up a permanent residence in the archives of my brain. And stayed there. It became no more than a background for the new plot.

Still, it took me over a year to complete the new and improved product. (Partly due to personal issues I won’t go into here.) But when I finished it, it came with a sense of accomplishment. I’d finally done justice to the original premise without replicating it.

Now, I’m working on a second book in the series. It’s slow going, but it’s going to take time to weave together the threads I envision.

That’s it for me. Hope you’ll check out some of the other authors who are part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group

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

My Favorite Hot Beverage #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 3, 2025

What’s your favorite hot beverage?

And how do you prepare it?

My beloved mother, when we were young, would occasionally make hot cocoa the old-fashioned way. You know, mixing sugar, cocoa, and milk in a pan on top of the stove. (Although she used powdered milk to make it more economical for a large family.) It was a rare treat, and hot chocolate remains my favorite beverage.

But thanks to modern technology, it’s a lot easier to make now. I simply grab a pre-packaged envelope of mix from the cupboard and go about my merry way. With some slight updates.

First, I will name names. I use the Swiss Miss brand. I haven’t tried another type I like as much.

But I make a slight upgrade. I add a little milk in with the water before I heat the liquids. (Call it two splashes worth of milk.) If I think about it, I might add a dash of cinnamon. The standard mini-marshmallows add nothing special, in my estimation.

I’ve got a runner-up,

that I probably drink more often than hot chocolate. It’s hot tea. Peach tea, to be more exact. No sugar, no milk, just a good quality teabag steeped in hot water for however long I let it sit. It’s a no-calorie, no-fuss, no effort, no guilt treat. Oh, and no caffeine, so I can drink it in the evenings without worrying about it keeping me awake. (Although I sometimes think a little caffeine at supper helps me sleep better. Weird, I know.)

What’s  your favorite hot beverage? Perfect for a snowy day like today? (Or any day, really.) How about the other authors on this hop? You can find out by following the links below.

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

Feb 3, 2025

What’s your favorite hot beverage, and how do you prepare it?

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Who Is Your Favorite Artist? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Jan 27, 2025

Who is your favorite artist? (Painting, photo, sculpture…)

You know what’s coming.

At least, if you have hung out with me for very long, you might figure it out. This artist is multi-talented. She practices painting, sculpture, and music, as well as other forms of art. Her followers find inspiration for their photos and poetry in her work. She is known worldwide, but can be found in your neighborhood.

She’s as old as the hills, and as young as a snowflake drifting from the sky.

I’m talking about Mother Earth, of course.

She’s the original.

And the one all other artists borrow from, but she willingly shares. Thanks to digital photography, although I’m an amateur, I have thousands of pictures I’ve taken from all over the US, from many years, stored on various drives. (and copies of copies). Trying to pick just one to share was an impossible task. But here is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

I took this out my back garage door when I lived in Wyoming. (several years ago.) It’s all snow. I don’t know what the science is behind the formation, I just think it’s weird and amazing. If I remember correctly, it was created in an April snowstorm.

These are redwoods. (Not huge ones, as redwoods go.) But I wanted something to contrast with the snow picture.

One more. This one to share some of Mother Earth’s glorious colors.

Oh, if anyone asks about the music part. Have you ever listened to the wind whistling through the trees? Or water rushing down a mountainside stream?

There you have it. Mother Earth is my favorite artist.

How about the other authors on this hop? Follow the links below to find out. (By the way, if you’d like to add your own blog on the topic, use the InLinkz setup.)

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


Jan 27, 2025

Who is your favorite artist? (Painting, photo, sculpture…)

Learning Something New Every Day #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Jan 20, 2025

What new learning do you have on your list for the upcoming year?

I don’t have any grand plan.

Instead, I’m playing it by ear. I’m never sure what my characters are going to throw at me and what I’m going to need to learn to make it happen. For example, for my current plot point, I need to know the difference between normal makeup, stage makeup, and the makeup people use for costumes and disguises. (And any other kind of makeup that might spring up.) As I don’t wear makeup, it’ll all be new to me.

And that issue came up in the first chapter and a half. Along with the need to know how accurate a handgun is when fired at a specific distance. (And also depends on what kind of ammunition is used.) The characters sprung that on me. So, I have to be prepared for other surprises that might show up.

There’s also my personal life.

This is an old house. It surprises me all the time. According to neighborhood lore, it was built in two sections. And it’s clear when looking at the details. That means when doing repairs and upkeep, I have to deal with two types of issues and resolutions. So, I am forever learning new things about home maintenance. (We actually have two electrical panels in the house. One runs the front of the house, one the back. Keeps life interesting.)

Then there’s the constant battle to grow flowers. The local wildlife isn’t predictable. The flowers they ignored for two years were targets this past summer. I ended up putting a fence up around the apple tree, and putting pots of flowers where they couldn’t be reached. (Put it this way – I have a red geranium I’ve had for over 15 years, and an orange one I just bought. The deer ate the orange one and ignored the red one. Some critter (deer, rabbit, squirrel, who knows?) snapped the electrical wire leading to a solar panel for a small string of lights. I’ll have to try something different this coming spring.

Learning is a constant adventure.

It can happen when you least expect it. It’s a joy and a challenge having my two grandsons living with us. I sometimes help them with homework before my daughter gets home from work. A few of the concepts they are learning surprise me. Have you ever heard of a controlling r in spelling and pronunciation?

So, even without a plan, learning happens. 

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they have plans for specific learning? Find out 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

Jan 20, 2025

What new learning do you have on your list for the upcoming year?

 

Changing Paths On The Fly #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Jan 13, 2025

How do you deal with a change in ideas halfway through your book?

Or do you save it for a sequel/prequel?

Those of you who have followed me know I am a pantser. That means that I don’t plot the storyline out ahead of time when I write. I start with a premise, and let my characters tell me where the story is going to go. After all, they are the experts.

One of my favorite examples of this is the romance subplot in Wolves’ Knight. I’d planned a sweet little courtship for Tasha, my main character. I’d even started writing the scene where the first kiss between the characters would happen. It was a beautiful setting. Deep in the woods, at the top of a waterfall, late at night, with a full moon overhead. It never made the book, because Tasha started yelling. She wanted nothing to do with the suiter I’d created for her, having other idea about what should happen.

On the other hand, there’s my work in progress. I’d written a great first chapter, putting Annie’s life in danger in the first few paragraphs. But it doesn’t work as Chapter One. I’m hoping to use it later in the book, but we’ll see. The new chapter I wrote is sending the story in a different direction. Shoot, Detective Myers showed up, and I hadn’t planned for him to be part of this story.

 Or maybe the original attempt will end up in a later book in the series. 

It’s a game my characters play.

They let me sweat over my slow to non-existent progress and then hit me with the reason I’m having issues. Often, I go back to what I’d previously written and find out the clues were there, I just didn’t recognize them.

It’s not just the subplots that it happens with. I didn’t realize how fitting the title “Wolves’ Pawn” was until I was three quarters way through the book. I can’t talk too much about that without revealing more than I want to.

So here’s a taste of the next Edwards Investigations book. I don’t even have a title for it yet. But I wonder where this snippet will lead me.

“I’ll ask you the same thing I asked before and didn’t get an answer to.” Annie shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Was he undercover?”

“Not one of ours. I heard about your observations and understand your conclusion, but it’s not true, as far as I can find.” Myers grinned. “But the guys over there think you must be.”

Which at least partly explained the way she’d been treated. Hell, they hadn’t even confiscated her weapon. “Did they drag you here just to deal with me? You’re out of your precinct, Detective.”

So, how do the other authors on this hop handle abrupt changes in their plots? As always, follow the links below to read more great posts and find out.
And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

Jan 13, 2025

How do you deal with a change in ideas halfway through your book? Or do you save it for a sequel/prequel?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood Heroes #IWSG

  By IWSG
January 8 question

Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

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! Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the January 8 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Beth Camp, Liza @ Middle Passages, and Natalie @ Literary Rambles!
January 8 question – Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?
That was a long time ago! I would say that most of the people I admired were my teachers. I had some great ones. They gave me the direction and guidance I needed to be successful in my studies.
But I lost track of all of them once I went away to college. Far away. Like 1500 miles away with only infrequent trips back home. So I didn’t keep in touch with any of them. (That was in the Dark Ages, before email or the internet.)
So, for this post, I’m going to talk about a celebrity I followed as a young adult. I was introduced to the music of John Denver after high school. In a way, his songs are what led me to move to Wyoming, where I met my husband.
It wasn’t until I was older that I delved into his life story. I was saddened at finding out how human he was. His cheating, possible abusive behavior, potential but unproven prescription drug misuse.
But his faults were softened by the good he accomplished. His work for the environment and ending hunger. Adopting two children.
So now, I am able again to appreciate his music. The quality of his voice, the depth of feeling he shares, the pure artistry of his singing. It was a journey through a spectrum of feelings to come full circle to admiration. Indeed, I often use his recordings as inspiration to write by.
To check out other authors on this hop, please visit of a few of them in the links below.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.