Posted August 01, 2010 at 15:59 (General)
Welcome to the heat of August! 99 degrees today here in NW FL and the heat index is over 110!!!! The perfect day for hibernating in my air-conditioned home office and blogging, writing, etc.
My first order of business is to give credit where credit is due - and that is to my wonderful cousin Bob K. Not only is Bob a terrific friend and cousin he is the guy who snapped the photo that is on the cover of my book: Oak Cliff. The photo is of the actual, real-life Oak Cliff Cemetery in Derby, CT. Yes, there truly is such a place and it has been there since the Civil War. It can be such a peaceful place during the day but becomes a whole other world after dark. Just sort of spooky and creepy, you know? Bob has taken many photos of places for me when I've needed a visual reminder of what someplace or something looks like and without his kind assistance I would be hard-pressed to describe some things in a manner that makes sense. So a great big THANK YOU to Bob for all of his photographic skills and well as his PR skills - this guy always mentions my books when in and around the Naugatuck/Housatonic Valley. If you're out and about in The Valley, please give Bob a shout-out.
Next on my list is my upcoming book launch party. Believe me, I would love to invite each and every one of you but, space and funds prevent me from doing that. So, at the end of August a select few friends will join me in the 'official' launch of Oak Cliff. I hope to be joined by a couple of other authors, some very supportive neighbors and friends, and none other than the man who inspired Chef Jacques! We're just doing a couple of hours of socializing. I've invited the local press (I hope you attend Navarre Press). I promise to take photos and hope they turn out well enough to post. I've got a couple of new hors d'oeuvres recipes that I'm going to try - Chili-Rubbed Shrimp, and Wrapped Asparagus. They both sound delightful and easy to make in this hot weather.
Work is progressing on Book #4 -Follow The Sun. Our main characters Millie and Mona are having a few minor adventures as they begin their adjustment to retirement. Believe me, I'm having quite a few laughs with these two.
That's all for the moment. Please remember to enter my contest for a signed copy of Oak Cliff - rules are on my Facebook Page.
Till the next time, Sunshine & Hugs!
Posted by Marion at 15:59 2010-08-01 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Vamps, Weres, Supes, and Things That go Bump
Posted June 16, 2010 at 10:44 (General)
Have you read the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris? You haven't? Well, if you're into the Twilight Saga or watch TrueBlood on HBO then you really need to read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. And read them in the order they were written please.
I just completed the entire ten book series - from Dead Until Dark to Dead in the Family. I must say that this series of books is one of the most delightful reading events that I've had since Alexander McCall Smith's #1 Ladies Detective Agency.
To give you some insight, Sookie Stackhouse is a barmaid in a place called Merlotte's (sounds like Merlot wine). She is a telepath who doesn't date because she can 'hear' what others think and that makes for a really uncomfortable situation. But when Bill Compton walks into the bar she is immediately drawn to him because his mind is like a black hole - no noise. That's because Bill is a vampire.
Throughout the series there is much to be learned about the supernaturals we share this planet with. In addition to vampires, there are wereanimals (not just werewolves), shapeshifters, witches, telepaths, and a few other creatures to become acquainted. Who knew we weren't alone?
This series contains everything: romance, adventure, crime, forensics, business lessons, and a good dose of humor liberally sprinkled throughout. A true mix of several genres. I thoroughly enjoyed this series of books and anticipate the next one in the series. Kudos to Charlaine Harris for providing us with such great entertainment.
Posted by Marion at 10:44 2010-06-16 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Point of View
Posted May 02, 2010 at 17:04 (General)
The general concensus among novelists is to be a storyteller. By that I mean, to tell a story as a narrator seeing all aspects of an event or story. My dad was the best storyteller during my childhood. He would sit me down and start off with, "Do you know the story of....?" When I'd shake my head in a negative manner he would proceed with "Then let me tell you about..." That is what a storyteller does. That is what comes easily to almost everyone.
In order to tell a story you don't need to be a very creative person or an eloquent one. You just need to be able to relate events in a reasonable order and work your way to the end. There really is no need to hold a degree in English or Literature or anything like that. Seriously, when you were telling bedtime stories to your children did you stop to think how you were phrasing your sentences or if your grammar was correct? I didn't think so.
Well, I'm definitely someone who goes against the trends. That's why I've chosen to write my stories using the first person point of view. Yes, it's a bit more difficult since the story is only told according to one person (or place, or thing) but once I got down the basics it wasn't really all that difficult. It simply becomes a matter of thinking as the narrator or becoming one with your character.
This is so simple that it shouldn't need to be explained. Think back to a time when you were asked by someone, a parent perhaps, to explain something you did. Didn't your answers go something like this: I took my bike and rode over to Johnny's house. After he got his bike we rode to the park and played ball. We saw a few squirrels and threw acorns at them then got on our bikes and rode back to Johnny's house. You see? That wasn't difficult at all. In fact every time a witness to a crime is asked to give their accounting of what happened they are being asked to tell the story using the first person point of view - what he or she saw and did. That and only that.
Why then, is it so difficult for some editors to say that they simply get confused by first person point of view and would rather read a novel told from the narrator (third person) point of view? This brings me to my question of you, dear readers:
Which do you prefer - reading a story from the narrator or third person point of view or from the first person (crime scene witness) point of view? I would love to hear your comments.
Posted by Marion at 17:04 2010-05-02 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Part 8
Posted April 04, 2010 at 16:19 (General)
There hasn't been much activity on Book #4 these past two weeks as Oak Cliff has become the center of my attention once again. The manuscript has returned from an editorial evaluation and is now in developental editing. This means that there are a couple of spots that are weaker than the rest of the story and I'll need to address those. So for the next couple of weeks or so this will be the main thrust of my efforts. Overall though the manuscript for Oak Cliff is receiving editorial praise and this makes me happy.
Happy Easter - Happy Spring!
Posted by Marion at 16:19 2010-04-04 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Weeks 4.5 through 7
Posted March 18, 2010 at 18:46 (General)
Okay, so I've been away from this blog for a while but lots of things have been happing. Oak Cliff (book #3) has been through my final edit before going off to the publisher. Lots of work getting that package ready but now it is in the hands of the professionals and I only need wait to see what happens next (book cover design, proof work, etc).
Book #4 though hasn't been out of my thoughts or development process. I've decided that my mellow-voiced crooner to front for the Saturday night band at my dance hall will be named Mason "Sonny" Banks. The band is Richie Marks and the Marktones (I know it sounds kind of corny) but the band name may yet change.
I've decided that Sonny shouldn't be the only one singing so I've decided to run a contest where the band will audition for a female singer. Maybe try out one new girl each week. I put out the feeler for name suggestions and was pleasantly surprised when one of my Facebook fans gave me not only one but the entire group of ladies who would be vying for that coveted singer spot - looks like we'll have five beautiful, spirited young ladies giving old Sonny a bit of competition.
Since I've put Oak Cliff to bed I'll be starting the actual writing of Book #4. I'm anxious to get this one going because I've had an inspiration for Book #5. Yes the ideas keep coming and my notebook is filling up with ideas. Some I'll use in Book #4, others to be used in later books.
I'll try to be more conscientious about blogging but please bear with me. As my hubby as been known to say, "Caution, author thinking".
Posted by Marion at 18:46 2010-03-18 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Week 4.5
Posted March 02, 2010 at 14:47 (General)
This past week and a half has been kind of crazy. Finished the family tree for my main characters and this has proven to be quite interesting. As the names begin to take on the characteristics of the person being portrayed the players are beginning to flesh out. They have begun hinting at their individual stories and a few have even suggested a scandal or two along the way. (We'll see about those.)
In a departure from my other books I will be creating main sections for my story to parallel the lives of my main characters - Youth, Middle Age, Golden Years, etc. Of course the actual names of the sections may change but those are what I'm working with right now.
The dance hall narrator has begun speaking to me and I've jotted down some pertinent facts that will help to guide my story. In all a productive period even though I didn't get to devote as many hours to writing as I would have liked.
Almost finishing up with the polish work of Oak Cliff; received another rejection from a publisher in the UK. Really had high hopes for them but guess they aren't as open minded as I had assumed they would be.
So there we are - with only a half week until my next update - guess I'd better get to work.
Have a sparkling week!
Posted by Marion at 14:47 2010-03-02 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Week Three
Posted February 22, 2010 at 14:15 (General)
Well, here we are into week three and don't you know my mind was so uncomfortable with trying to find a name for my male lead that I've decidedd to switch things around completely. Instead of having our patriarch be of Italian heritage I've decided to have our matriarch be Italian. So many pretty female Italian names to choose from should make my naming process easier, right?
My favorite Italian name for a girl is Francesca - thus our new leading lady is Francesca Gardella. Easy to pronounce, easy to write, and literally flows off the tongue. I love it!
Now for our patriarch - what is more British sounding than Charles? British surnames are easier for me too so our new leading man is Charles Foxwood. Has a nice strong sound to it, doesn't it?
I can still use some of the earlier character profiles that I created just moved some things around and voila! We have an entire new cast of characters.
Research on music and dance halls of the early 1900s continues and I'm getting a good picture of what I want to portray. Now for the naming of our main character - the dance hall itself. This one needs to be just right. There are so many to choose from that I'm not sure what I want. I want to convey elegance, entertainment, fun, and the lure of romance. I've got the names I like on a short list and hope to narrow it down by the end of this week.
Next on the list is creating the band/orchestra that plays at said dance hall each week. Something mellow and light-hearted - I already know who the male vocalist/crooner will be. He's a very debonair fellow with a smooth baritone voice - always wears a jazz-bow with his dinner jacket and dark trousers. He's going to be one very interesting fellow to work with.
So, that's where we're at right now. Looking forward to working with these characters this week and hopefully producing at least an introduction to the actual story.
Hope your week is sparkling!
Posted by Marion at 14:15 2010-02-22 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Week Two
Posted February 13, 2010 at 16:13 (General)
This week hasn't seen too much progress on Book #4. Mainly because I've been dividing my time between polishing to near perfection the manuscript for Oak Cliff and working on the new book.
Since I've decided that this story will pretty much follow the multiple generations of one family, I have diagrammed a basic family tree for my central core of characters.
To do this I first needed to determine when my matriarch and patriarch should meet - 1920s, 1930s, etc. Having determined that I needed to then figure out how many generations we will have that will bring our story up to the present day. Then came the task of naming all of those family members.
I originally wanted my patriarch to be of Italian heritage and so I thought the name Carlo would be nice. But I had to discard that because it is too close to the name of a family friend who would rather I didn't use his name. Not a problem, I thought. There are lots of good solid Italian men's names. Well, I considered using the names Enzo, Giorgio, Sebastiano, Ricardo, Gino, and Alberto. For the moment I've settled on Giancarlo but that may change as the character takes on the story.
Our matriarch is of English-American ancestry and my first thought was to use the name Isabella. Two problems with that name - if we call her Bella that would harken to the character in the Twilight saga of books; if we call her Izzy that would be reminscent of the character on Gray's Anatomy. So scratch the name Isabella. I tried out thenames Edie, Ella, Roberta, Joan, and Holly but settled on the name Olivia even though it calls to my mind one of my soap opera characters. But Olivia is a nice, Anglo-sounding name and so my matriarch is Olivia Anne Winthrop.
Now I need a surname for Giancarlo. The easiest way for me to find a surname is to look at a map and use the name of a place or region, especially for a European surname. I think I've seen every city or town name in Italy and tried each one as a surname for Giancarlo. At last I've settled on the name Fiore. So now we have Giancarlo Fiore.
I have completed the backstories for both Giancarlo and Olivia, constructed their family tree, given them five children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Thankfully I won't need a backstory for all of the grandchildren and great-grandkids but I'll need to at least outline the five children and their major offspring.
So, all things considered I guess I did better than I thought this week. Next week I'll be doing more research on the music of the different eras and dance halls of the 1900s-1940s since that is where I've decided that Olivia and Giancarlo will meet for the first time.
Hopefully next time Olivia and Giancarlo will have begun to tell me their story and I can set down the key points in a plot guide.
Posted by Marion at 16:13 2010-02-13 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
The Telling of a Story - Week One
Posted February 04, 2010 at 13:28 (General)
Since I am beginning the work on a new book (novel) I thought it might be fun to share the progress with everyone. Plus I'll have the advantage of documenting my progress (and pitfalls) as I move along. I hope that you, dear reader and/or fan, will follow along and gain a better appreciation of the work that goes into the book that you read through so quickly and hopefully clamor for the next one. Without further ado, I begin.
Before actually setting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) I needed an idea. Since my books deal with houses or buildings that tell us their stories, and since I've written about three houses already, I had decided a few months ago to write about a different kind of structure. Ah, but what structure should that be I asked myself. Firehouse, no; church, no (although there would be all kinds of stories here); general store, no; banquet hall, getting warmer; dance hall, aha!
Next step for me is to get a visual of the place that I'd like to write about. Last week was spent in browsing the internet for pictures of old dance halls, dance pavilions, banquet halls, anyplace where dancing is the norm. One picture doesn't quite do the trick - at least not for me. I need to see a few pictures or sketches from various time periods in order to put together an historical concept. I finally found three pictures that put it together for me.
Late last week I put together the time line for my story. Based on my research dance halls were at the height of their popularity from the turn of the century (1900) through the late 1950s. So my story will begin shortly after 1900 - at least that's what I'm thinking now.
So, you say, now the story begins. Not so, say I. Who are our characters? How will they interact with each other? Will I follow a main character(s) throughout the story or will I need a series of vignettes with new characters for each? Should there be a common thread that binds all of the characters?
The answer to those questions lies in the backstory for each character. This past week I have created a profile for two of my characters given them names, a family history, a physical description, how they come to be involved with our dance hall (still need a name for the dance hall, though) - basically, everything you'd ever want to know about a character goes into their profile. Some of it won't be used in the story but a lot of it will. This creates for me, the author, an in-depth knowledge of the characters who will be working with me for the next year or so. Of course there will be new characters as work progresses that will be suggested by the main characters but I'll deal with those as they appear.
These things are merely the groundwork for Book #4 - I hope you'll enjoy following along with me as I undertake this writing endeavor. I would love to hear your comments or suggestions. Happy researching!
Posted by Marion at 13:28 2010-02-04 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Thanksgiving 2009
Posted November 25, 2009 at 12:50 (General)
It's been a while since I last blogged about anything and I truly hope you'll forgive my absence. There doesn't seem to be a good reason why time gets away from me but it certainly does.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I simply want to express my gratitude for a few things. First and foremost is for my wonderful husband without whom my life would be incomplete and a total mess. His love and support is what keeps me going.
I'm also grateful for living in the USA where we get to have this special holiday. Even with all of the governmental politics and messes that swirl around us this is still, to me, the greatest nation on this planet. I have traveled a bit and met folks from other countries and while I think Europe or Asia or Australia or other places and marvelous there's just something about coming home to the USA that tugs at my heartstrings.
Even though my extended family (cousins, uncles, in-laws, etc.) are in other parts of the US they are always in my thoughts and prayers as are my close friends.
I am thankful once again for the support of my readers and fans - without you my budding career would be nothing but an aging woman telling stories.
I hope to blog again soon. In the meantime feel free to follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
Posted by Marion at 12:50 2009-11-25 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
A Small Milestone
Posted September 22, 2009 at 12:52 (General)
Writing my current manuscript has taken longer than I would have expected. Don't know why this one gave me so much trouble at the beginning - maybe it was because I knew how it would end but couldn't see the right place to start the story. I've had lots of input from friends and relatives and that has helped immensely.
I think perhaps it is because of the 'dark' nature of this story that I kept holding myself back from tackling certain scenes. Finally, the time just seemed right and I was able to forge ahead.
This past weekend was the breakthrough that I'd been waiting for. The past five days have seen the climax and the end of the story unfold very quickly - of course my characters gave me a jolt at the end like they always do. There was a twist that I hadn't foreseen to go along with all the twists and turns that I had already incorporated.
So it is with a sense of satisfaction that I was able to type the final paragraph of Oak Cliff late on Monday. Now that the rough first draft is finished it is time for the real work to begin. Edit, revise, and edit some more. It's been a long road for this one but I think the outcome will be worth the wait.
Funny thing, though - my mind is already racing ahead and trying to choose which story of the six currently in my 'to write' pile I should write next. I feel like we need something with pirates - what do you think?
Posted by Marion at 12:52 2009-09-22 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
What Happens When You Drive Through a Rainbow
Posted September 17, 2009 at 18:44 (General)
On my drive home from work today I drove along the beach road as I sometimes do. Although the sun was brilliant there were some of those very light showers that Hawaiians refer to as Pineapple Juice.
Off in the distance I could see a large lovely rainbow arching over the two sides of the road - the left side disappearing into the trees over on the mainland while the right side seemed to extend out over the Gulf of Mexico. I drove along in pure bliss as I watched the scenery unfold around me. On the south side of the road the sea oats have already turned brown and in some cases the seed pods have already dropped their precious cargo into the sand. As I approached one of the larger dunes and drove around it I wasn't quite sure if my eyes were deceiving me.
There, straight ahead of me, and partially covering the roadway was the end of the rainbow. I blinked a couple of times to be sure I wasn't seeing things. Even then I discounted what I was seeing because rainbows never seem to end in a visible place. I was sure it would shift back out over the water (a mere 25 yards to the right) at any moment.
I kept my eye on the rainbow. I kept my car at a steady pace afraid that if I sped up even the littlest bit I would scare the rainbow off. (Silly, I know.) And in a matter of seconds my car was moving through the prismatic colors of a rainbow. I was in total awe! The inside of my car fleetingly reflected the rainbow's dazzle.In a matter of less than five seconds it was over and the rainbow was behind me.
Had I really done that? Yes, I had.
Had it somehow physically changed me as a person? I certainly didn't feel any different.
Had I entered into another dimension? No, I'm sitting here at home and blogging on my compter.
Had it altered my life in some way? Absolutely!
I truly don't know of anyone who has driven through a rainbow. I'm sure someone has, besides me. I felt so totally at one with the universe, as though Mother Nature/God had decided to grant me a special priviledge reserved for only a few. I certainly don't know what I did to deserve this gift but I will cherish it all the rest of my life.
ALBINO SQUIRREL HUNTERS: Check out these websites
Posted by Marion at 18:44 2009-09-17 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Looking for Something?
Posted September 16, 2009 at 08:14 (General)
Welcome to the Hunt for the Albino Squirrel!
Don't forget to check out these other websites:
Posted by Marion at 08:14 2009-09-16 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Monday Monday
Posted September 14, 2009 at 15:30 (General)
Isn't is amazing how quickly a week goes by? And why is it that the older I get the more quickly the weeks flash past?
Actually, I'm quite relieved to have it be Monday since I've spent the past four days nursing a malady of the digestive system. Now isn't that a fancy way to say I had a tummy bug? This one was a doozy! Started with tummy cramps (like I ate something bad), progressed to dizziness (I think Gloria, my guardian angel, guided my car home from work last Thursday), and finally topped out with nausea. That was a real trip.
So for three days I didn't eat much - just those old bland things that our moms would feed us when we were sick: saltine crackers, dry toast, ginger ale, tea with honey. I'm here to tell you though that those remedies do work with the added bonus of dropping about five pounds in the process.
Today is the first time I've gotten back to real food. Nothing more wonderful than chicken noodle soup and a baked potato. The dizziness is gone as is the nausea. Just teeny, tiny twinges in the tummy but hopefully they'll be gone by tomorrow.
Hope you all are staying well. Don't forget to wash your hands and eat some soup!
Posted by Marion at 15:30 2009-09-14 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Well Here We Are Again....
Posted September 07, 2009 at 11:54 (General)
There's a wonderful song by Cher that starts with those words. And how appropriate those words are for almost any situation.
Today being Labor Day means that we are at an ending/starting place for lots of things. For example: the official end to summer and the start of back to school; the end (hopefully) of really hot temperatures and the start of cooler nights.
For me Labor Day signals the unofficial beginning of autumn. Autumn is my very favorite season. As we get into cooler temps it almost feels like nature is letting out a deep breath. With students heading back to classes life falls into a routine once again. Everything takes on an orderly sequence.
I wish for all of you a lovely, peaceful Labor Day and end of summer.
Posted by Marion at 11:54 2009-09-07 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
.....To Drink Cheap Wine
Posted August 27, 2009 at 20:19 (General)
There's an old adage that goes, Life Is Too Short To Drink Cheap Wine.
I enjoyed a nice supper this evening with my friend LaPlage (we have names for each other). After work we headed over to Ruby Tuesday's with the intention of having the salad bar - yes we were going to be good. But somehow our work day got the better of us and we decided to treat ourselves. We don't do this often enough - you know?
So yes, we ordered the salad bar but we also ordered dessert - with instructions to bring the dessert first. What a wonderful, guilty pleasure to start with something sweet! LaPlage ordered their Blondie (a white brownie with a scoop of ice cream) while I had the Chocolate Tallcake. Let me be the first to say that we got plenty of looks from the other diners who probably felt we were setting a bad example for their children. Who cares? says I. At my age I believe I've earned the right to have dessert first. And those other folks can always point to us as a 'bad' example. I should point out that we did truly have a couple of passes at the salad bar and that made us feel virtuous indeed.
So the next time you're feeling stressed, go out and eat your dessert first; just don't make it a habit. You'll feel so much better.
Posted by Marion at 20:19 2009-08-27 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Assistance from My Dad
Posted August 21, 2009 at 16:02 (General)
The current story line I'm working on is based in part on long-past family members. Much of it I recall from things I learned as a child but there are parts of it that I was never told for various reasons. As I approached the telling of certain events I figured I would have to be creative at filling in the blank spots. Once I began, however, things took quite a different turn.
I found myself writing without hesitation about events I should have not had first hand knowledge of. Only when my fingers had produced six typewritten pages did I stop. Reading back over 'my' work I realized that the only person who had knowledge of the scene I was creating would have been my dad.
Now, my dad received his angel's wings back in 2001 but I know for certain that he has been around whenever I write. I can feel his presence and there are times when I've heard a whisper saying, 'no, it didn't happen like that at all' or 'what your thinking of didn't happen that year' and things like that.
So, for me to write what I did yesterday I know it had to come from my dad. No question about it. It almost felt as though he was writing this part of the story through me. It gave me a feeling of comfort to know that he is around and that he is interested in what I write.
Posted by Marion at 16:02 2009-08-21 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Welcome!
Posted August 20, 2009 at 11:06 (General)
At last I can welcome everyone to my 'official' blog. I've been trying for over a year to blog in various places and connect them to my old website. Always had a problem doing that. But now that I have a real webmaster who has granted me these things like a story-book godfather, it is all in one place. I hope you all enjoy the look and feel of my website as much as I do.
For those of you on Facebook, please click through (see the Links page) to my page on Facebook and become a fan. I know, its a real challenge to admit that you're a fan of my writing but it would mean so much to me.
I am still hard at work on Oak Cliff. This book means a lot to me because some of the characters are based on family members. By no means is this an easy book for me to write and I can only handle a small amount of writing each day. This book will be dealing with some serious issues, among them dementia. So please be patient - I hope you'll think the wait was worthy of the outcome.
Valley Memories gives me so much joy to write. If you've missed the column, or live in an area outside of the Naugatuck Valley, we've added previous columns here on the website. I would strongly suggest, however, that you subscribe to The Valley Times since my columns are accompanied by old photos of the Valley that you won't want to miss.
God bless all my readers!
Have a sparkling day!
Marion
Posted by Marion at 11:06 2009-08-20 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (0)
Blogs Coming Soon
Posted August 18, 2009 at 19:15 (General)
New blog posts will be coming soon. Stay tuned!
Posted by Marion at 19:15 2009-08-18 | Trackbacks (0) | Comments (1)
