Monthly Book Review

I was given this from a close friend to read. It reminded me of the books i used to read about the wild frontier, devouring the information liberally spread throughout the story that depicted what life was like way back when, following their struggle with life and love...and this book didn't disappoint!
With 4.5 stars on amazon it is highly deserved. Rich with description, vivid in the emotions you feel along with the characters, the pages just fly by. And, *spoiler alert* i loved how the author didn't just kill of Clementine's husband so she could have the man she wanted!
I really appreciated the depth of emotion Ms Williamson put her characters through to get to where they did, and me along with it. Read it, you won't be sorry!

Here is the back blurb:

Clementine Kennicutt, a ladylike New Englander, aches to leave her home and her oppressive father. So when Gus McQueen, a cowboy with laughing eyes and big dreams, presses her to elope with him to his Montana ranch, she is ready. But nothing has prepared her for the harsh realities of frontier life, or for the unpredictable hankering of her heart--and least of all for the fact that almost from the first moment she sets eyes on Zach, Gus's dashing, ne'er do-well brother, she knows he's the one she was destined to love. Brought up to be a lady, Clementine determines not to let the frontier--or her marriage--defeat her. She devours life, befriending the town prostitute, defending Indians, and suppressing her heart's desire, until Zach forces her to face him and make her choice. 

What have you been reading that has evoked strong emotions in you?

Editing - love it or hate it?

Found this wonderful blog post in my inbox yesterday and it puts a whole new spin on editing, and loving it!

Check it out here!

Thanks Larry Brooks for letting Therese share this with us :)

Writing Tip today

Sorry, this weeks tip is short and to the point. I'm swamped with impending assignments and readings!

Just keep writing!
If you have hit a road bump in your story; just keep writing. It will come back to you.
If you don't have any inspiration; just write, you will soon find some ;)

So with that VERY short tip, i'm off and will hopefully get time for my own writing later tonight!

Just keep writing!!

eBooks and self-publishing are the way to go!

Wow, one author recently turned down half a million dollars to self publish!

Check out this discussion with Joe Konrath for the details.

Really makes me want to go ahead with my vague idea to self epublish!
What do you think??

Sunset in Fiordland

Sun Set in the west - Photo by Chris Hishon. This photo is taken at the entrance of the fiord from the M.V. Mariner doing its over night cruise of Milford Sound. Chris Hishon is the skipper.
http://www.fiordlandlocalnz.com/gallery/photos-of-milford-sound.aspx

Okay, sorry about the pic quality, but you get the idea :)

I'll start off with my description, please share yours!!

Proudly glowing just behind the jutting mainland, the golden orb sets the sky alight with a burnished light, it's rays creating shafts of yellow and gold through the dimming sky and casting a dazzling light on the gently rolling water. 

Inner Dialogue

For Wednesday's Writing Tip i am again prompted by the fantastic K M Weiland (see left side blog roll to find her website).

She lists five ways that internal monologue are great for your story;
1. Lets your characters think
2. Shows personality through word choice
3. Shows personality through how the character views the world
4. Illustrates character arc
and she cautions to do these by
5. Choosing the best way to punctuate thoughts without stopping the reader flow.

I love internal monologue, this is one of my writing strengths, and weakness. I get so into my characters that i find it difficult to get them talking, to pace the story and make it more alive through their spoken voices and conversations.
But this helps me get to know them deeper, to great that page turning quality we all want. I just have to learn to pepper it in with speech!

What do you think of internal narrative? What is your writing strength or weakness?

Describe this

A day late, but i think i can be excused!

So today's image is of a beautiful little Lane, here in my hometown of Hamilton, New Zealand.
Have a go at describing it and i'll post a random description on thursday!
Sorry, after making the image bigger, it isn't all that clear! But have a go anyway.

Here's mine:
Terracota paved pathway in a quaint little alley. Wrought iron posts with hanging signs depicting the stylish and gorgeous wares in their stores. Like a whole new country in the middle of a busy city district this is a place to spend time and waste time. Charming hanging baskets of flowers and old school oil lanterns on the walls, now electric.

Well, i suck at descriptions so show me your best!

Broken Heart blogfest

My first blogfest, and amidst reading for my diploma if thought this would break up the pace nicely!
So here is my entry with a scene of less than 1,000 words:

"the basic idea is to write about a heart breaking or one that is already broken. Show us the wretched emotions, the anger, depression, fear, whatever happens after the happy honeymooon lovey-dove V-day stuff is over and all that is left is a broken heart."


He'd used her. To gain access to power, he'd actually done as she'd asked, changed her world, her whole perspective on sex, love, everything. And he'd had another agenda all along.
The pain in her chest was crushing and she bent over clutching her heart, gasping for air.
How could she have been so stupid? She'd let down her guard, let him in and he wasn't what she'd thought.
But it had all seemed so real. The looks, the touches, the words. But that's all they'd been. Shallow reflections of what she'd always been looking for, wondering, and had thought she'd found.
But her first theory had been right. Fairytales were for books, not real life.
It crushed her, devastating her with the sharpness of his betrayal. With the discovery of the world's biggest lie.
How could he do this to her? He'd said he cared for her. Every look, touch, every time he'd spoken to her his eyes had been filled with... oh she was a fool. She'd probably imagined the soft affection in his eyes. He'd taught her that sex could be fantastic, mind-blowing. But for him it had been a means to power. And for her? For her it had been everything. She'd given him her heart and he'd taken it, enmeshed it in his lies and now she was broken.




Well, when i'd started this i'd hoped it would be something separate from any of my three WIPs. Turns out my Princess story just won't be banished, even for a blogfest!
Hope you've enjoyed my snippet!


Have fun with yours if you have joined!!

when inspiration strikes

I have a love hate relationship with inspiration.
When i have the time to sit down and write i don't seem to have that inspiration and it turns into a hard slog until i finally get into the groove, and then my precious time is up!
But when i've got that inspiration it's just as i've gotten into bed and think i can finally sleep, or i'm in the car on the way to school drop off, or watching a movie spending some quality time with my husband... I love that inspiration because i can get a few thousand words down with a minimum of fuss, but it's always at the wrong time!

I did maximize my writing word count in January by having three WIP's on the go. Yep, 3! When inspiration struck it was for either of the 3 and i just went for it, and got the most word count (collectively) that i have ever.

What do you do with your inspiration? Do you have more than one WIP on the go? When does inspiration usually strike for you?

Authorial Voice

Do you get confused or totally bewildered when you read/hear the comment "voice"?


What is this "voice" other authors and those in the industry keep talking about?


How i understand it, it is the way you put sentences together, the emphasis you put on certain parts of writing, the total overview that is totally "you" whenever you write.
You know your writing is fake when you are trying to emulate someone else, but when you have it right, the words just flow and are all from you. This is your voice.

From Wordplay, K.M Weiland tells us:
"Sometimes an authorial voice is something we consciously produce, but usually it’s just a natural manifestation of our inner voices. Everything we write—whether we’re crafting a text message or trying to mimic a foreign dialect—naturally occurs in our own unique voice."


From her fabulous book 12 point guide to writing romance, Kate Walker says:
- it's your own particular style, the way you tell your story
For more tips visit her blog




How would you describe your "voice"?


Mine is quite intense, i seem to thrive on the characters deepest darkest fears/emotions and making them live/voice them. Yep, my writing it kind of intense but that is where the passion comes from!

Describe this

I thought it may be an interesting feature to test our writing skills by trying to describe pictures.

I think we'll start with this one, the heroine of my story is called Billie, played here by Catherine McCormick.
I've chosen this one because i am having a hard time describing her hair do.

So, let's have some fun and see how creative you can be! I'll post some of the descriptions on thursday for you all to comment on!

Making your Characters Suffer

From a blog i follow, Word Play by KM Weiland, i thought you may like to read this post.
It shows how evil we are - and have to be - to our characters to create page turning quality in our stories.

It's all about conflict and frustration and not giving our characters what they want until either they have grown, or you are at the end!

Have a read here! and let me know your thoughts!!