Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Author Update #Reviews – Judith Barrow, Jane Risdon and Christina Jones, Teri Polen

Three authors with fantastic reviews Judith Barrow, Jane Risdon and Christina Jones and Teri Polen.

Welcome to Friday’s edition of the Cafe and Bookstore and the first author celebrating a recent review is Judith Barrow for the sequel to her trilogy about the Howarth family – A Hundred Tiny Threads which I can also personally recommend.

About A Hundred Tiny Threads

It’s 1911 and Winifred Duffy is a determined young woman eager for new experiences, for a life beyond the grocer’s shop counter ruled over by her domineering mother.

The scars of Bill Howarth’s troubled childhood linger. The only light in his life comes from a chance encounter with Winifred, the girl he determines to make his wife.

Meeting her friend Honora’s silver-tongued brother turns Winifred’s heart upside down. But Honora and Conal disappear, after a suffrage rally turns into a riot, and abandoned Winifred has nowhere to turn but home.

The Great War intervenes, sending Bill abroad to be hardened in a furnace of carnage and loss. When he returns his dream is still of Winifred and the life they might have had… Back in Lancashire, worn down by work and the barbed comments of narrow-minded townsfolk, Winifred faces difficult choices in love and life.

One of the recent reviews for the book

via Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Author Update #Reviews – Judith Barrow, Jane Risdon and Christina Jones, Teri Polen

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Dragging my plot uphill like Sisyphus

Jessica Norrie, entertains and informs by sharing her experiences with novel number 2 known as NN2 which is doing the round of the publishers and NN3 which is in a transitioning phase between narrators and genders. Familiar ground for most of you who write but always interesting to watch someone else go through the motions and uphill challenge ( explained eloquently) with nose pressed against the windowpane. Please head over to enjoy and commiserate…

Novel Number Two, The Magic Carpet, has been well received at the publishers – the rejections are very kind and positive. Here’s a typical one from last month:

I thought the ensemble characters were great and all clearly had their own well thought out narratives, and it was really interesting to see a novel not sit in a typical middle class setting. Unfortunately however, that being said, I am going to pass on it for the moment, purely as I feel it doesn’t quite sit in a specific genre, and as such it might make for a tricky sell in the commercial fiction market.

Do I care? I’m pretending I don’t. I read Camus as a student, and took his retelling of the Sisyphus lesson to heart. (In brief: Sisyphus annoyed the Greek gods. He was punished by being made to roll a boulder uphill for the rest of his life. Every time he got it to the top, it rolled straight down again.) My agent will just have to go on bowling Novel Number 2 (NN2) uphill at the publishers and catching it when it rolls down again.  KDP/Amazon can have it in the New Year if we’ve had no joy by then.

I’m concentrating on Novel Number Three (NN3). I’m at that stage of a first draft when I have 90k words of material (picture Sisyphus aka me heaving my boulder optimistically uphill). I know I’m going to cut at least 20k words and add some other bits as yet unknown (boulder rolls about a third of the way down). I know what the end is – in fact I have several possible endings – up we climb, Sisyphus! But I can’t decide which scene should form the beginning (watch out below, boulder coming down). Different characters keep pushing to the fore and shouting “I’m important too!” (Broadly speaking, this is good news, so up goes Sisyphus with a boulder that seems lighter today.) But there are also some characters, who meekly admit: “I know I’ve taken up a a lot of your time and energy over the last few months, but actually I’m really, er, boring. Why not delete me?” Crash! Boulder hits base camp. Injuries reported.

Notes weighted down by basket of random oddments that arrive on my desk from places unknown. But look! There’s a small boulder of fools’ gold. How apt.

Although all I’m actually doing is copying, pasting, cutting, repasting, rewriting  chunks of prose on a keyboard, I do feel as though I were pulling a boulder up hill. My ms has a  weighty quality, just as it would if it were a paper copy. I’m tempted to print out the whole lot and move it around physically. I’m sure it would reveal both structural weaknesses and restructuring answers. The only reason I don’t is my moody printer, which bears a grudge against me worthy of any Greek god. It rattles out union rules if I so much as change the settings and 350 pages would end our negotiations for good.

via Dragging my plot uphill like Sisyphus

The Curse of Time

A double treat today on Donna Parker’s blog Yadadarcyyada as she celebrates two of our community’s authors with reviews.. One for Marjorie Mallon for The Curse of Time and the other for Teagan Geneviene for The Glowing Pigs. Those of you who love Donna’s imagery and delivery, will love this post… Here is a snippet and I hope you will head over and read the lot.

 

Posted on October 17, 2018

Time shambles forward, clumsy, cumbersome cogs crushing us beneath its graceless bulk. At least that’s what it feels some days. Other days it feels like “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” (Groucho Marx?). We just have to hope for the best as the big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff (thank you Doctor Who, you always have right wordsies for every situation) drags us along on its universal joyride.

Spending time reading M.J. Mallon’s first book in the series, “The Curse of Time: Bloodstone”, I must warn you, could fill you with magic and mystery, intrigue and imagination, romance and possible fear of ruination and the worst part, you may not be able to put it down. Start reading only when you have time (hint: make time).

 

via The Curse of Time

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Music Column – 1988 – Plane Drama, New Zealand, Kylie and request from Adele Marie Park

Welcome to my series where I share our adventures on a year by year basis and the music in the charts that are still on my playlist today.

I am also taking requests and all you have to do is either put the artist and track in the comments or the link to the music on Youtube..

1988 – Plane Drama, New Zealand and I Should Be So Lucky!

For the first few months of 1988 both of us were working hard at our individual jobs and getting know the people we worked with as well as our neighbours. I was promoted to Advertising Sales Manager at the paper where I worked which was gratifying, but added an element of pressure to the job. I enjoyed that and set about building the classified sales team for the weekdays and introducing a telephone sales team in the evenings and weekends for cars and property.

It was the end of the summer before we knew it and we both felt we needed to go for a really good holiday. We had spent time in the Alps both in summer and winter and loved it, but we suddenly realised that we had a huge amount of air miles accumulated with Continental Airlines. It was coming up to our anniversary so we decided to go as far as our air miles could take us first class.

Believe it or not we could go to New Zealand and back first class for free!  We decided that it was too good an opportunity to miss and duly booked our flights to coincide with our Wedding Anniversary in November.

via Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Music Column – 1988 – Plane Drama, New Zealand, Kylie and request from Adele Marie Park

Conversations With Colleen: Meet Author, D. G. Kaye, (aka Debby Gies)

A lovely interview with D.G. Kaye at Colleen Chesebro… Although a well known member of our community, Debby Gies still has some new topics to share with us… I hope you will head over and enjoy the post as much as I did…

Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer

Hello everyone! This week I’m happy to share with you, my dearest friend and Canadian author, D. G. Kaye, (Debby Gies) as my guest. Debby puts up with my silliness every day, so when I begged asked her to pick three or four questions from my huge list HERE she was willing to give it a go.

We all aspire to be successful authors and the best way to learn some of the tricks of the trade is to ask questions. Debby has answered so many of my questions about book publishing that between us, we could write a book!

As many of you know, Debby also shares her goodwill through our blogging community by sharing our posts across the web and in the various Facebook groups, she belongs to, and by always cheering us on. I don’t know what I would do without her love and optimism that she…

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Smorgasbord Poetry – Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 106, “Ghost & Hollow,” #SynonymsOnly

It is that time of the week again, when Colleen Chesebro challenges us to get our syllables and synonyms lined up… and I am going out on a limb today with my first Etheree….You can participate Colleen’s Tuesday Poetry Challenge 106

Etheree The Etheree poem consists of ten lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables. Etheree can also be reversed and written 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The trick is to create a memorable message within the required format. Poets can get creative and write an Etheree with more than one verse, but the idea is to follow suit with an inverted syllable count. Reversed Etheree Syllable Count: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Double Etheree Syllable Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

And here is my effort with synonyms for Ghost and Hollow – Ethereal being and empty.

How you can participate..…

For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below.

HAIKU IN ENGLISH 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Haiku is written about seasonal changes, nature, and change in general.

TANKA IN ENGLISH 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure. Your Tanka will consist of five lines written in the first-person point of view. This is important because the poem should be written from the perspective of the poet.

HAIBUN IN ENGLISH Every Haibun must begin with a title. Haibun prose is composed of short, descriptive paragraphs, written in the first-person singular.

The text unfolds in the present moment, as though the experience is occurring now rather than yesterday or some time ago. In keeping with the simplicity of the accompanying haiku or tanka poem, all unnecessary words should be pared down or removed. Nothing must ever be overstated.

The poetry never tries to repeat, quote, or explain the prose. Instead, the poetry reflects some aspect of the prose by introducing a different step in the narrative through a microburst of detail. Thus, the poetry is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected.

Cinquain ALSO: Check out the Cinquain variations listed here: Cinquain-Wikipedia These are acceptable methods to use. Please list the form you use so we can learn from you.

Senryu in English 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Senryu is written about love, a personal event, and have IRONY present. Click the link to learn the meaning of irony.

To find out how to participate in this challenge, head over to Colleen’s: https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/10/16/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-106-ghost-hollow-synonymsonly/

I hope that you have enjoyed my etheree and will go forth and gather your own syllables.. thanks Sally

Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 13

It is time to catch up with Copper, The Alchemist and the Woman in Trousers… the escapees from the debacle at Copper’s house are taking refuge and keeping out of the way local inhabitants including a mass of frogs. There is some argy bargy going on between Cornelis and ‘Mina’ which results in some ruffled feathers… but then a noise is heard from the river and the three of them gather to find out if it is friend or foe… to find out who you will have to head over and check it out.  This will get you started.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 

It’s Hidebound Hump Day, and another episode of Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers.  There was not a Straightlaced Saturday chapter last week, so today we pick up where we left off a week ago.

Remember I’ve mentioned that this serial was originally presented as a “culinary” mystery.  All of the random “things” that drove this spontaneously written chapter were food related.  How do you think I used all those food things to create a story?

Previously with Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers

Chapter 12. 

The alchemist’s head cold continued to wreak havoc with magical sneezes.  However, that didn’t keep our heroes from noticing that someone or some thing was headed their way.  Felicity and Cornelis argued about whether or not they should make a stand. Then the woman in trousers noticed that Copper wasn’t there…

All aboard!

Copper, the Alchemist, and the Woman in Trousers

13 — Pâté, Profiteroles, Olives

Public Domain Image

Where could she be?

“Copper!” I called, trying to keep the urgency I felt from showing in my voice.

“I’m over here,” a small sad sounding voice said from the other side of a stack of wooden crates.

She came out from her hiding place, doe-eyed and most unhappy looking.  I felt horrible when I realized she had been listening to us fight.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.  “I didn’t mean to be such a bother,” Copper said but her perplexed expression told me that she didn’t know what else to do about being a burden.

With a deep sigh I shook my head.  Copper had heard me argue with Cornelis about whether we should make a stand and confront the parties chasing us, or continue running.  I felt terrible that I had gotten angry in front of the child.

“No, this is for us to worry about, Copper,” I told the girl.  “It’s just part of what we’re supposed to do ― to discuss what is the best alternative.  Sometimes discussions get rather heated…  You, on the other hand, are only supposed to be young.  You aren’t supposed to have to worry about such things,” I told her and made sure I smiled.

I tousled that hair the color of a new penny when she looked up at me.  The honking noise escalated.

“Is that a goose I hear?” I asked.

I hadn’t seen any sign of people living anywhere near the abandoned church and its buildings.  We were still in the large one with a missing wall, where the road locomotive was hidden.  How would a goose come to be in such a place?

When I voiced the thought, Cornelis was sure a goose could do perfectly well on its own.  Copper said that it was chasing some of the frogs.

“Did you ever see what the frogs did with that eggplant they carried off?” I asked her, still curious about that strange spectacle, but Copper shook her head negatively.

My inquisitive nature took over and I went outside to investigate the commotion.  Apparently, the tables had turned from when Copper saw the goose chasing the frogs.  Row upon row of frogs lined up to confront the fowl.  The goose honked furiously at them.

via Hidebound Hump Day — Cornelis Drebbel 13

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Cookery Column with Carol Taylor – #Halloween Party Food

Carol Cooks Halloween Food.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Carol’s cookery column well we are halfway through October and those of you who celebrate Halloween probably already have your porches and front gardens decorated…I am here to help you with the food but not just for Halloween as I have seen and heard that a few of you are already experiencing flurries of snow…and only October whereas here it is hotting up as our high season is coming…

The potato is ideal Halloween and cold weather food a simple food that can be elevated into something quite warming and special.

Before we get to the fillings we need to bake them…

How to bake…Simply select your potatoes and scrub them clean, dry them and poke a few holes here and there…I am sure many of you have witnessed the mess when potato bursts its skin in the oven…

I oil my potatoes very lightly and pop straight onto the shelves of a preheated oven… Cook on 400 F/200 C and cook for about an hour or until soft and the skin is crispy …I turn mine a couple of times to ensure they crisp evenly.

via Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Cookery Column with Carol Taylor – #Halloween Party Food

Monday Funnies…

If you missed Aunty Acid with her command performance at the Monday Funnies on the Story Reading Ape.. panic ye not.. you can still be insulted on a Tuesday….

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

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Eat Smart, Eat Healthily, Eat to live…

Carol Taylor with more news on her ongoing weight loss.. impressive… and also another of her recipes for a delicious pork dish served with sticky rice (gluten free). Mu Nam Tok ( Waterfall Pork)

Retired? No one told me!

Healthy eating should be the priority and the habit of a lifetime…No fads, no weighing every day or week and then beating your self up because you haven’t lost anything.

It is about being aware of what you are eating and knowing if what you are eating is improving your health. It is not about removing whole food groups from our diets we need a healthy well-balanced diet to be at our optimum health.

What really matters is Our well-being, Our Blood Pressure figure, Our cholesterol, Our blood sugar, Our inflammation markers.

This week my exercise has stepped up big time we have little Lily staying with us for a couple of weeks and she loves riding her bike and swimming…

Sunday it was a romp in the park feeding the duck, fish and birds and then realising that the boats were way over the other side… I had forgotten…

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