tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73625289125165061702024-03-18T19:08:49.233+10:00Denise CoveyWelcome to an Aussie writers blog. Grab a cuppa, read a few stories, relaxDenise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.comBlogger713125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-745703167686642102024-03-06T10:21:00.001+10:002024-03-06T10:21:00.125+10:00#IWSG March 2024 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - DO YOU USE IT TO WRITE SYNOPSES?<p>Hi all!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatEPiSP6P-Xp9mr2q4nwy7jhXcuUz7jJG1_oVIyGkU3A0DBKtfEpxn2ZQjlRzXBCL5PwYH9q2lPTLG0MZpslSH_AVKW0L5Oy_FYYTGHqOVBcA6LT3kdjoI4OVExtd1Qow9-1yf80qbifh4UmUiG0UcJL-4Pedbjbscdj2eNKavOnfWOrhAITPGTbXO4A/s320/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatEPiSP6P-Xp9mr2q4nwy7jhXcuUz7jJG1_oVIyGkU3A0DBKtfEpxn2ZQjlRzXBCL5PwYH9q2lPTLG0MZpslSH_AVKW0L5Oy_FYYTGHqOVBcA6LT3kdjoI4OVExtd1Qow9-1yf80qbifh4UmUiG0UcJL-4Pedbjbscdj2eNKavOnfWOrhAITPGTbXO4A/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Lovely to meet again so soon for the IWSG! March already!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I love the optional question this month -</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> I'm not one to put my head in the sand when something new arrives on the scene. It seems AI has well and truly arrived and is here to stay. We've heard the stories of them </b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b>plagiarising</b></span><b> authors and so on, and that needs to be sorted. But there are helpful things about AI and I wrote a whole post<a href="https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2023/10/iwsg-october-4-2023-ai-will-it-assist.html"> HERE</a>.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">AI is still imperfect. I ask it to write a synopsis and it gives me a blurb. That's okay. So I ask it 'how do I write a synopsis' and it gives me all the correct points. So I haven't taken it a step further yet and given them the synopsis points they gave me then tell them to write a synopsis for this story...ha ha. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>I've had some great blurbs written by AI but they needed a lot of editing and I mean A LOT! They like to write in quaint old-fashioned language.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>So I always like to see examples. Here is ONE of the opening paras of a blurb AI wrote for my current WIP. What do you think of the language?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: 14.85px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border: 1pt solid rgb(217, 217, 227); padding: 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: large;">In the enchanting
city of Paris, where the aroma of freshly baked croissants fills the air,
Angelique Ravello has decided to revive her beloved cookery school after a
devastating loss. Determined to start anew and heal her wounded heart,
Angelique has sworn off men, focusing solely on her culinary passion.</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://kristinaseyes.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kristina Kelly,</a> <a href="https://miffieseideman.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Miffie Seideman,</a> <a href="http://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jean Davis,</a> and <a href="http://middlepassages-lcs.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Liza @ Middle Passages!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;"><i>Thanks for coming by!</i></b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;"><i>Denise</i></b></span></div><p> </p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-29377804788100852792024-02-01T15:28:00.015+10:002024-02-01T15:28:00.257+10:00#WEP Get Together and #IWSG February 2024 - What turns you off on writers' blogs?<p> Hi friends!</p><p>I am using this post for the monthly WEP Get Together and the IWSG. Although WEP is no longer operational, the team is tight and we're still having a meet and greet on the first of the month to share our news. Anyone is welcome to join us.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwehD5pSNXeNZMjHVt5d_2dAYh7mtQF1naoQoBLe0tJ2xiBzLntlX8GcxH0m8CB8oZ7uMesUiKVCh_X8vWpAMIPeVn5f6Q6m_sMTe3gByxCLXc0DQqpgA6f3SrE5YcJuTB5GKA1KtCOQSX2jq9id1oGsU0JZtNecqjMF3gImZxcEogCCIhZKee-rpF7Y/s900/Header_Geralt_Earth2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="900" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwehD5pSNXeNZMjHVt5d_2dAYh7mtQF1naoQoBLe0tJ2xiBzLntlX8GcxH0m8CB8oZ7uMesUiKVCh_X8vWpAMIPeVn5f6Q6m_sMTe3gByxCLXc0DQqpgA6f3SrE5YcJuTB5GKA1KtCOQSX2jq9id1oGsU0JZtNecqjMF3gImZxcEogCCIhZKee-rpF7Y/w556-h165/Header_Geralt_Earth2.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">CLICK on the WEP site</a> to read some inspiring posts!</div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWsI1Yr5w7IDJNjP_efIGFGWOKPqtmOoVFu2teuwtyUXXmk6MKa1_9xqpZsoSIiCU_0aNM1_kV65Ss1IKaeSMknrGpakjUlynXvDgzzolW4EiIpC5hNVk7TYeMo3fZtYWsGpNAB1_4p3xiropjaON-TTEhBXEXerktoVY-EMhl7dsgsXgv7QCQjmq8rhE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWsI1Yr5w7IDJNjP_efIGFGWOKPqtmOoVFu2teuwtyUXXmk6MKa1_9xqpZsoSIiCU_0aNM1_kV65Ss1IKaeSMknrGpakjUlynXvDgzzolW4EiIpC5hNVk7TYeMo3fZtYWsGpNAB1_4p3xiropjaON-TTEhBXEXerktoVY-EMhl7dsgsXgv7QCQjmq8rhE" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>How's the new year treating you? Any great successes? </p><p>So far my year has made a slow start - I watch the New York news so I know the US has been battered by snow etc. Down here, Australia is battered by floods, cyclones (I got caught in one) and a long-lasting heatwave. Not an auspicious beginning to the year.</p><p>I have struggled to write amidst the mayhem. Hot, draining weather is not conducive to writing, which is why NaNoWriMo is in the Northern Hemisphere's winter. </p><p>So my January plans of publishing two more novels has come to naught. One is ready, one is undergoing final tweaking by moi, then I'll be sending it out to betas and then an editor. Going to try a <a href="https://yolandarenee.blogspot.com/p/developmental-edit.html">great development editor, Yolanda Renee</a>. We've helped each other over the years. A great friendship which will continue even though we don't have WEP to hold us together. I'm playing back her kindness by showing her shingle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxxXyMKIH509yMfjZtWl2ti1ijEQmZB7lIFYXxXrpNRhNAo1dHH5Te06848hzHkVnYN7pbMZiLyJ-6BSgwl2mnQmoS_DTtwOgymeyy3p2_5t8QL18ulnISVb7UgVSG-IhPr5yHjNVTW11vH4TyAWY4Qw_whUIHJA1oPIGULWXVkGFBi8tyW7dwI2QrQpQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxxXyMKIH509yMfjZtWl2ti1ijEQmZB7lIFYXxXrpNRhNAo1dHH5Te06848hzHkVnYN7pbMZiLyJ-6BSgwl2mnQmoS_DTtwOgymeyy3p2_5t8QL18ulnISVb7UgVSG-IhPr5yHjNVTW11vH4TyAWY4Qw_whUIHJA1oPIGULWXVkGFBi8tyW7dwI2QrQpQ=w387-h259" width="387" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See link above.</div><br /><br /><p></p><p>So, brings me to the IWSG question of the month:</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author's website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author's books? Constant mention of books?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>I think the question underlines what we mostly know - authors are doomed if they do, doomed if they don't. We get turned off if an author tries to sell us a book, or talks about it constantly, and if they don't, we think their marketing plan is skewiff. Hmm. Can't win. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>I think my website is unassuming. I have a Page for MY BOOKS which I'm pretty sure no one has ever clicked on. Correct me if I'm wrong. But blogging makes friends, not sales. Which, along with the constant dabbling by google and co which results in people not being able to comment etc, is why some bloggers leave for Facebook and Instagram or other socials. A lot less trouble. Do you agree?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The awesome co-hosts for the February 7 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://janetalcorn.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Janet Alcorn,</a> <a href="https://sewhitebooks.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">SE White,</a> <a href="https://www.victoriamarielees.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine!</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Visit if you can!</div><div><br /></div><div>See you in March!</div><div><br /></div><div>Denise</div></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-67631007208393060102023-12-01T12:24:00.012+10:002023-12-03T14:29:54.228+10:00WEP AND #IWSG DECEMBER - WEP BREAKING NEWS - THEN 'OVER TO YOU', MY FAVORITE MOVIE - THE SONG OF BERNADETTE<p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> Hello there!</span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Welcome to my last WEP entry. What's that? </span></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">As many at the IWSG have been involved with WEP over the years I'm placing this information before my WEP entry which is below if you'd like to read it and call it my IWSG post. </span></span></h3><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy3civkZ2Ny8HZgmsAq9ePU9KpXhTam-z6aVa9511PolAwDTPm0nfdCUcrFiQjlHsuiWX3zH2zDkIp73o2xhv8_Rk__D3GKs-gdSv_uhx_t5u8iKGLh3a-ibSM51waHMJOxbdbK2h2Zp7hVQAMIqNEWUs2AxeaQH-gABDSO4IEB1pwgwIuCVOjewIy8nw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgy3civkZ2Ny8HZgmsAq9ePU9KpXhTam-z6aVa9511PolAwDTPm0nfdCUcrFiQjlHsuiWX3zH2zDkIp73o2xhv8_Rk__D3GKs-gdSv_uhx_t5u8iKGLh3a-ibSM51waHMJOxbdbK2h2Zp7hVQAMIqNEWUs2AxeaQH-gABDSO4IEB1pwgwIuCVOjewIy8nw" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I'm not insecure about closing down WEP; I think the team has done a great job, been selfless in the interests of our writers for such a long time. But all good things must come to an end, even something as good as WEP.</span></span></h3><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7b7I_ksK4XmojHw3s_TlncucKtpD2LuVsnOJVBwchRLZI-K0Rftl3NoAMVR3YnPfzlVkKcGZZ6sMRbcX9FqWAKjyLP631ysfkUfe3c5tp7qlzy1z4KfVe9sSqxg03x4tZr0VXx4SelsY7FftCTzWTHUrw8iSq-W1eboVgWZnBXNzC2A3xmyMY0cr6BY/s1934/farwell%20badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1934" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7b7I_ksK4XmojHw3s_TlncucKtpD2LuVsnOJVBwchRLZI-K0Rftl3NoAMVR3YnPfzlVkKcGZZ6sMRbcX9FqWAKjyLP631ysfkUfe3c5tp7qlzy1z4KfVe9sSqxg03x4tZr0VXx4SelsY7FftCTzWTHUrw8iSq-W1eboVgWZnBXNzC2A3xmyMY0cr6BY/w491-h169/farwell%20badge.jpg" width="491" /></a></div><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background: rgb(251, 228, 213); border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-background-themecolor: accent2; mso-background-themetint: 51; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1pt 4pt;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">This
is our final WEP challenge, as after 13 years, WEP is closing down.</span></span></span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">This
is partly due to the stressors on the team which have been relentless since
Covid and are ongoing, and partly because of the drop in the number of
participants this year. We know many WEP members are experiencing their
own stressors in the form of health challenges in themselves or family members
which impacts their writing time.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">After
much consideration, the WEP team concluded that this is the time to finish. Not
exactly on a high, but not exactly at the bottom of our game.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">For
thirteen years we have been a light for many struggling with their writing
life, and many of you credit WEP with the improvement in your writing and
confidence when submitting your work to publishers. This is what WEP set out to
do and we can be happy in that we achieved the supportive writing community we
set out to create. I know we could have done better in some areas, but due to
time constraints we could not follow every avenue we would have liked.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thank
you to all who have visited our website over the years and offered us words of encouragement
and thank you to those who took up the challenges which made the hard work rewarding.
Our wonderful judge, Nick Wilford, attests to the quality of WEP writing when
he judges each challenge, so it’s not just us.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A
special thank you to those of you who have been with us for the whole journey
and we’re sorry that closing down WEP will have a great impact, but all is not
lost. </span></span><a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">More info on the WEP website.</span></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">THE
FUTURE OF THE WEP ANTHOLOGY</span></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The WEP anthology is going ahead at this stage, for publication in May 2024, but as yet we do not have enough entries to take it
forward. The end of December is the close of submissions, but if you intend to
submit, please send Nila your information. We need at least 14 more submissions to
make the anthology viable. It will be a precious keepsake, so if you want to
see your story included for perpetuity, gain a publishing credit, send it in!</span></span></span></p>
</div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the December 6 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">C. Lee McKenzie,</a> <a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JQ Rose,</a> <a href="http://jenniferlanebooks.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jennifer Lane,</a> and </b><a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>Jacqui Murray!</b></a><b><br /><br /></b></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> Be sure to visit the</span></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">!!!</span></span></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">~*~ WEP ~*~ WEP ~*~ WEP ~*~</span></span></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Now, for Over to You, we have been asked to base our story on our favorite movie. </span></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ayj5fjo4doT0TLf7x_RCeKpk7GWk3k-xKqK4b6b94qAyJ2zoFD67c0OTTJiG7tmlB1H_CFzejfgMRDhn8CWr5YdAKdRpJZ7cZuSwoqZg9oIYibixXK_-h3SwCILKImmq_qj39UqWt8W1XDvOIPAls08bkhYZEmlWPrnGSBgg9vfaXHXI2mlAnIlmF08/s1000/dec%20badge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ayj5fjo4doT0TLf7x_RCeKpk7GWk3k-xKqK4b6b94qAyJ2zoFD67c0OTTJiG7tmlB1H_CFzejfgMRDhn8CWr5YdAKdRpJZ7cZuSwoqZg9oIYibixXK_-h3SwCILKImmq_qj39UqWt8W1XDvOIPAls08bkhYZEmlWPrnGSBgg9vfaXHXI2mlAnIlmF08/s320/dec%20badge.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">From the WEP Challenges Page: So...will it be a romance? action-adventure? family
drama? horror? Or will it be a comedy? tragedy? thriller?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I'm not absolutely sure how to categorize my entry - it's mostly fact, partly fiction, part essay with pictures...whatever...please enjoy,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A LITTLE BACKGROUND</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I watched The Song
of Bernadette with my sister when we were very young. I remember we bawled our
eyes out afterward, and to this day it’s a movie I can’t forget.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><b><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Song of Bernadette</span></span></span></i></b><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> is a 1943 American </span></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biographical_film" title="Biographical film"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">biographical</span></span></span></i></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_(film_and_television)" title="Drama (film and television)"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">drama film</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> based on the </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Bernadette_(novel)" title="The Song of Bernadette (novel)"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">1941 novel of the same name</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> by </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Werfel" title="Franz Werfel"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Franz
Werfel</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">. It portrays the story of </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous" title="Bernadette Soubirous"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette
Soubirous</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">, who reportedly
experienced </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lourdes_apparitions" title="Heavy apparitions"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">eighteen
visions</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> of the </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Virgin_Mary" title="Blessed Virgin Mary"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Blessed
Virgin Mary</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> from February to
July 1858 and was </span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization" title="Canonization"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">canonized</span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> in 1933. </span></span></i></span><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_(film_and_television)" title="Drama (film and television)"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Bernadette_(novel)" title="The Song of Bernadette (novel)"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Werfel" title="Franz Werfel"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous" title="Bernadette Soubirous"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lourdes_apparitions" title="Heavy apparitions"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Virgin_Mary" title="Blessed Virgin Mary"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization" title="Canonization"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></i><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p>
</p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The novel was extremely popular, spending
more than a year on </span></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list" title="The New York Times Best Seller list"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The New York Times Best Seller list</span></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> and thirteen weeks heading the list. The story was also
turned into a Broadway play, which opened at the </span></span></span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belasco_Theatre" title="Belasco Theatre"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Belasco Theatre</span></span></span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> in March 1946. </span></span></span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">DISCLAIMER: I am not a Roman Catholic, but I was profoundly touched by this movie. I do believe in miracles however. In these troubled times, we need all the miracles we can get!</span></span></b></span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 36pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A Song of Miracles</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;">
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 24pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Based on a true story</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 24pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEvntnuBOrWhFFTHo4a4dnIxmyHL0qaiMrMrWH4kQVdvcGLSB4jQryX1IkK-lNF7B6BhskisYRnS7FjqUE7DDPXs4-BF0nIOVIjIwPpkpCSEqewfVw1u-eZ67YfYYgnWIbxrGW8q7t-71FQoVJif1l153isYfz2bu4dt4tIr47BMJ0O4KGShj3UDo-shc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="330" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEvntnuBOrWhFFTHo4a4dnIxmyHL0qaiMrMrWH4kQVdvcGLSB4jQryX1IkK-lNF7B6BhskisYRnS7FjqUE7DDPXs4-BF0nIOVIjIwPpkpCSEqewfVw1u-eZ67YfYYgnWIbxrGW8q7t-71FQoVJif1l153isYfz2bu4dt4tIr47BMJ0O4KGShj3UDo-shc=w307-h462" width="307" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I</span></span></span></b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">n the quaint town of Lourdes, nestled amidst the rolling hills
of southwestern France, a sense of serenity lingered in the air undisturbed by
the echoes of the past that reverberated through cobblestone streets and
ancient stone buildings.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIORJlNGA42arIMQtwx336JtNx9fFNXGZbNSUdHll5A5UjrdVfxC_X1BjSKS7qSKA25kaogryQtJZrOidXxQCUFhrj8JaRPuXS82c8x5L0eMmOgfVbpVQgU2nHItWUyVcUB7NCVOeft4ErGg7filUR5onPbiuwK58AFwLmvioGmvcmmnQmfdAbNyYEI4o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="405" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIORJlNGA42arIMQtwx336JtNx9fFNXGZbNSUdHll5A5UjrdVfxC_X1BjSKS7qSKA25kaogryQtJZrOidXxQCUFhrj8JaRPuXS82c8x5L0eMmOgfVbpVQgU2nHItWUyVcUB7NCVOeft4ErGg7filUR5onPbiuwK58AFwLmvioGmvcmmnQmfdAbNyYEI4o" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Lourdes, SW France</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Amidst this peaceful setting lived a fourteen-year old girl named Bernadette
Soubrirous. She was an ordinary peasant girl, but the richness of her spirit
made her extraordinary. Little did she or the townsfolk know her life would
soon become entwined with the miraculous.</span></span><o:p></o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsSUdZjHTAFY5P5XV3OH3-_j92n6PjxyS1bwDGHRl6knBcB2rrtfsYA9HjOqYp8U72dL7qFhyABO6RP_OWanwObcEz84oN9aa-P3qcPvcGX4mTUBN0WwVNKuOUAZv2RgZZY_oiwNHk7l2nyelhq8bc1wDCkmerXRu0KLUHI3RpQzZLGwYjopgTXcyg6Oo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsSUdZjHTAFY5P5XV3OH3-_j92n6PjxyS1bwDGHRl6knBcB2rrtfsYA9HjOqYp8U72dL7qFhyABO6RP_OWanwObcEz84oN9aa-P3qcPvcGX4mTUBN0WwVNKuOUAZv2RgZZY_oiwNHk7l2nyelhq8bc1wDCkmerXRu0KLUHI3RpQzZLGwYjopgTXcyg6Oo" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette Soubrirous</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Bernadette! Go fetch some firewood,” was her mother’s cry each evening. “Stop your dreaming, silly girl.”</span></span><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette did not mind the menial task or the sharpness of
her mother’s tongue. She loved to ramble beside the river, admire the wildlife
and discover secret grottos nestled in its rocky banks.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">It was an ordinary day when it happened.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette wandered along the banks of the Gave River
collecting firewood for her family. Distracted by a strange breeze and a change
in the light, she discovered a hidden grotto. Intrigued by its mysterious aura,
she felt an inexplicable urge to linger. It was as if an unseen force beckoned
her to stay.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Before her eyes, a vision appeared. A
beautiful lady clad in white stood on a rock niche. Bernadette fell to her
knees. When she looked up, the lady had disappeared.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I will come to this magic grotto every day</span></span></i><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">, Bernadette
whispered. </span></span><i><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">As God is my witness, I will see you again.</span></span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Soon, whispers of an ethereal presence spread. Some of the
townsfolk doubted Bernadette’s visions, while others believed, but there was an
undeniable sense of magic in the air.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Maman,” Bernadette said after seeing the vision several times, “I have witnessed a beautiful lady
bathed in light by the river, who spoke to me with a voice as gentle as the
breeze.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Enough of your silliness, my girl.” Her mother tossed her
bright red hair. “Go fetch more firewood or you will go hungry tonight.” She
grabbed Bernadette’s arm. “And stay away from the river.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette, true to her vow, repeatedly visited the grotto despite her mother's warning.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The citizens of Lourdes stopped her in the streets as she made her way to the river. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Come with me. See the lady for yourself,” she told them.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">On one visit, the lady asked Bernadette to drink and wash at
a seemingly non-existent spring. Bernadette obediently dug a hole in the ground with her fingers and smeared her face with dirt.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Ha! See! A charlatan, a trickster, an imbecile!”
some onlookers cried, but their ridicule changed to wonder when water began to
flow from the hole, and later to exaltation when its miraculous healing properties
cured the sick amongst them.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Even more people flocked to Lourdes to witness these
miracles for themselves.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The news of Bernadette's visions reached the ears of the
town mayor, the sceptical Alphonse Lacade. Intrigued yet doubtful, he decided to
investigate for himself.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Do you truly see visions?” he asked Bernadette, trying to
discern the truth behind her extraordinary tale. “I see sincerity in your eyes and
you exhibit an unwavering conviction in your voice. I am truly baffled. This
tale cannot be true.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“My tale is true,” she said. “I know they say I’m just a
poor girl who has never suffered. Why was I chosen to receive visitations from the
Lady? I cannot explain. I only believe.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The mayor doubted.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Many did not.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Soon the Massabielle grotto, became a
place of pilgrimage. People from far and wide travelled to witness the miracles
whispered to occur in Lourdes.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5uypK9ghXA1YZzSx1PP2lhzTDlt7K3QGx_QV1s-PdxXBzv-nzTyHnIL4H0LUZTkt9aJYcfc7F-qS3WBYcAsnD3FOli0HBFA0JkezwzB3X5ya2GCljnZRVKGaecHzdAptAwxAfrYt64H0wJcBTLP4w_Nj4FeTrlEr_4LKwom6j2pF5J26t8dzIp1agFAc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5uypK9ghXA1YZzSx1PP2lhzTDlt7K3QGx_QV1s-PdxXBzv-nzTyHnIL4H0LUZTkt9aJYcfc7F-qS3WBYcAsnD3FOli0HBFA0JkezwzB3X5ya2GCljnZRVKGaecHzdAptAwxAfrYt64H0wJcBTLP4w_Nj4FeTrlEr_4LKwom6j2pF5J26t8dzIp1agFAc" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Help me. Carry me to the waters,” the sick and blind cried.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“I need solace,” wept a young mother, clutching her
children’s hands as she took her turn at the stream. “My husband has died. The
mysterious Lady's presence comforts me.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette watched in wonder as miracles occurred, overcoming
scepticism and scrutiny.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9dydzLhINUu65bv_ZACHFsIXy0JSu9bzego0pXhsy19-g-naX2WX-zIxaJbZXLwRT5Hb3zzx-KboVXmkKbwb4i6hj3QYivh-Z1ommx40CiKyubyjCV1DYBX2WUBzC9mRZ79DFiYU5h2PvZR0zLAiv2GCzBGWEej-8E9RAbRkDGVbcFKHcgQimyFsWsPs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="824" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9dydzLhINUu65bv_ZACHFsIXy0JSu9bzego0pXhsy19-g-naX2WX-zIxaJbZXLwRT5Hb3zzx-KboVXmkKbwb4i6hj3QYivh-Z1ommx40CiKyubyjCV1DYBX2WUBzC9mRZ79DFiYU5h2PvZR0zLAiv2GCzBGWEej-8E9RAbRkDGVbcFKHcgQimyFsWsPs" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Jennifer Jones as Bernadette</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The hoards believed what they were seeing and spoke to
Bernadette. “We have witnessed the inexplicable: the blind seeing, the lame
walking, and the hopeless finding newfound hope. Bernadette, your song is our
song.”</span></span><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The grotto transformed into a sanctuary of faith and
miracles, with countless pilgrims kneeling, praying, watching and spreading the
good news.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“The whole world needs these miracles,” they told each
other. “Look at Brother John. How long has he lay abed? Now he walks.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Soon the kneeling believers were joined by men in robes
standing behind them, watching those who could not walk, walk, those who could
not see, see. They were a delegation of priests of the Catholic Church,
cautious and measured, sent to investigate the authenticity of the young girl's apparitions.
They spent hours questioning Bernadette and examining the witnesses, and
deliberated over the inexplicable events unfolding in Lourdes.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the end, after countless interviews and miraculous healings, the Church
recognized the supernatural occurrences as genuine.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">“We cannot doubt when before our eyes we see the lame walk
and the blind see as Jesus promised. These visions are indeed a divine
intervention. Even the mayor is now humbled by the inexplicable beauty of these
miracles that have unfolded in his small town. We must see to the Lady’s
canonization and build a sanctuary to The Lady of Lourdes.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiASk5qGPqi4Xk3E1N8D-NplPTHKQ_XaHEmC0zE7ikmjAafJ2guB6ee-anpdfcYqq-B194gX4crQrbRRyjr1qbSFm2uxsMedZ8nkWNNQDWV3mvqWatH7Ax-RVHgjUU7FKZ1vn9thrB0OK-0SnEvpQUO2M9CetmVqkLsuV19ljKYKOUciGZqj_c6rWm70yo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiASk5qGPqi4Xk3E1N8D-NplPTHKQ_XaHEmC0zE7ikmjAafJ2guB6ee-anpdfcYqq-B194gX4crQrbRRyjr1qbSFm2uxsMedZ8nkWNNQDWV3mvqWatH7Ax-RVHgjUU7FKZ1vn9thrB0OK-0SnEvpQUO2M9CetmVqkLsuV19ljKYKOUciGZqj_c6rWm70yo" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Sanctuary to The Lady of Lourdes</span></span></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Song of Bernadette echoed throughout Lourdes,
immortalizing the faith and resilience of a young girl who, against all odds,
became the vessel for miracles. The grotto, once a hidden gem, now stood as a
symbol of hope, drawing pilgrims from every corner of the globe.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The priests declared she must enter a convent. “You must
spend your days in reflection and prayer with the Sisters of Charity of Nevers.” </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And so, in the heart of Lourdes, amidst the timeless hills
and the flowing Gave River, the melody of miracles continued its song, carried on the
wings of belief and the echoes of a song that transcended the boundaries of the
ordinary.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bernadette herself refused to take the miraculous waters
when a tumor grew in her leg. On her deathbed, she sorrowfully maintained that
she may never see the lady again. However, the lady appeared in her room, smiled,
and gestured to Bernadette. Bernadette joyfully cried out to the apparition
before she took her last breath.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The last words Bernadette heard: "You are now in Heaven and on
earth. Your life begins, O Bernadette."</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">According to the RC Church over 7,000 people have been cured at Lourdes ...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy7ewCcI9jVfARf9ju-XsMLFk-1sNoKjbSS62U7fcLZ70jsL4hDkbVIFebJmQdhrAVmLgMZ6aBMTcleHmomUH2rLtCeQS8KrkqK_DG2g6SZ52neBdI2pO5tIudf4j1jpwJVgHtDk1rXdD1g6AUqJjVI7u_CieLEr-rcSkRrUCOPNecXZDTHVcox_xtS_k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="225" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy7ewCcI9jVfARf9ju-XsMLFk-1sNoKjbSS62U7fcLZ70jsL4hDkbVIFebJmQdhrAVmLgMZ6aBMTcleHmomUH2rLtCeQS8KrkqK_DG2g6SZ52neBdI2pO5tIudf4j1jpwJVgHtDk1rXdD1g6AUqJjVI7u_CieLEr-rcSkRrUCOPNecXZDTHVcox_xtS_k=w214-h345" width="214" /></a></div><o:p> </o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><o:p> </o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">TAGLINE: Do you believe in magic? The miraculous? The humble
being exalted?</span></span></span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thanks for visiting!</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Lobster; font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;">Denise</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></b></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in;">
</p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-78223622029739166832023-11-01T13:19:00.033+10:002023-11-01T13:19:00.147+10:00#IWSG NOVEMBER 2023. TRADITIONAL VS SELF-PUBLISHING<p> Hi all!</p><p>Seeing comments are often not allowed on my blog, thanks Google, I nearly decided not to post. I've got to choose whether to add a new comment system, or move to my Word Press blog. Neither excites me. I'm on vacation so and have no time to fiddle. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho0QfN8tkeow56fcFc2CqlmJoSUBaKf_XnrFkTkty2huMxik-Lc_qkji1NA5Bnplvde0Hzh6C_6dLoSBUtA5Hpsjalq3nvUKBY_WSJbLFeAMNiH_ZtkMoVEifk3WongcxslSF-4BEuM8SFPLRBHBgssK4iEEjvxao6meHIv3SGGT7XuECoUsW4PKFCiU4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho0QfN8tkeow56fcFc2CqlmJoSUBaKf_XnrFkTkty2huMxik-Lc_qkji1NA5Bnplvde0Hzh6C_6dLoSBUtA5Hpsjalq3nvUKBY_WSJbLFeAMNiH_ZtkMoVEifk3WongcxslSF-4BEuM8SFPLRBHBgssK4iEEjvxao6meHIv3SGGT7XuECoUsW4PKFCiU4" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>I'm not answering the question about NaNoWriMo in full. Yep. I've done it 5 times, but I don't write that way. I choose to go slow and edit each day's work most of the time. Sure that wastes time sometimes, but I can't help myself. These days many writers have their project fully planned before Nov 1 which wasn't the original idea, but what the heck? You do what you do.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-6upM1YbPNHj9y4vHgdVPOCmKHq977PgGIqvyF1d7eWte2OftTJeGo2PbDXcbSHgXEZGO4aSwBTDvkhh6TYg5e5fC62rg6j0Ax839gxX1yNy7YdcpsAQaaWnO8wfWKbAhwJoQV5KH41RES_uW9a8nlOAoAqxXLKMq7a3evQRoogEndVhaRdXWw_qB7Ag" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-6upM1YbPNHj9y4vHgdVPOCmKHq977PgGIqvyF1d7eWte2OftTJeGo2PbDXcbSHgXEZGO4aSwBTDvkhh6TYg5e5fC62rg6j0Ax839gxX1yNy7YdcpsAQaaWnO8wfWKbAhwJoQV5KH41RES_uW9a8nlOAoAqxXLKMq7a3evQRoogEndVhaRdXWw_qB7Ag=w453-h255" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">click<a href="https://gatekeeperpress.com/self-publishing-vs-traditional-publishing/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqP2pBhDMARIsAJQ0CzpZ3tkdiMKkV6h7uWda5vEBoe_S5NwQFCWr5lZArVcnhmYo0ystQFkaAl9fEALw_wcB"> HERE</a> to read more - including a list of pros and cons for both which we probably all know. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">M</span></b>y latest book, Fijian Princess, (which I started writing in 2015! Told you I was a slow scribe). When I read it again, I liked it, so I decided to polish it up and have it edited AGAIN recently. I'd shelved it after an edit, pretty discouraged. So, about 3 editors have cast their weary eyes over it at different times and at considerable expense to moi. It looks pretty posh now and so it should. </p><p>So do I self-publish? Or do I shop around for a traditional publisher, small or big? I can't believe I'm actually asking this question - I've been on Team Self-Publish from the outset but it's a ton of work. Not that I expect an easy ride if I actually lasso a trad publisher. Just check out Damyanti's FB posts about her latest book. She puts in the hours. </p><p>My final editor says I have a great story, will attract readers around the world, so, hmmm, I'm insecure about this. I need your help.</p><p>I won't be doing anything with this ms or my Paris Cookery School until early 2024. The rest of 2023 is ridiculously busy mainly with travel. I'm down in South Australia momentarily and face a long trip home in 3 days.</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://www.pjcolando.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="http://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jean Davis,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie Collard,</a> and <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"> Be sure to visit the</span></b></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!</span><span style="color: #191919;">!</span></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #ead1dc; font-size: x-large;"><b>~*~</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><p style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Anyone want to share their experiences with self-pub or traditional? I'd be grateful.</span></b></i></p><p style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">If you have some advice and can't comment, please flick me an email ...</span></b></i></p><p style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">den.covey@gmail.com</span></b></i></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for reading/helping - </span></b></i></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Denise</span></b></i></p><div style="color: #191919;"><br /></div></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-57318084709944434982023-10-17T16:47:00.012+10:002023-10-17T16:47:00.139+10:00#WEP #October2023 - My #flashfiction, THE GHOST OF OPERA GARNIER<p> Hello all!</p><p>It's time for October's WEP challenge, based on the Phantom of the Opera. For this #flashfiction, I have retold the classic story in fairytale form, using third person omniscient, not the 'person' I usually write in, but I felt it suited this story.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllk_2AM1tsErGP0ZRsDNF15NrI1iLb77N_hxtD5rUovx5qusgNum_2w2S7_lDnKPXR4M3gylp-AC2-Kn01iOcRkgmFE7fwk4vn5kOurexPC2-rzMLBvf-pGw_wXBwM4ZAs6GPJvO8tWvLFD9syY3ORIumh2wmqDDHvr_4lCXRUj6ovzJlmMiY2ytey40/s395/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllk_2AM1tsErGP0ZRsDNF15NrI1iLb77N_hxtD5rUovx5qusgNum_2w2S7_lDnKPXR4M3gylp-AC2-Kn01iOcRkgmFE7fwk4vn5kOurexPC2-rzMLBvf-pGw_wXBwM4ZAs6GPJvO8tWvLFD9syY3ORIumh2wmqDDHvr_4lCXRUj6ovzJlmMiY2ytey40/s320/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Hopefully, my retelling of the classic suits the October thrill fest.</p><div style="border: 1pt solid rgb(217, 217, 227); mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Ghost of Opéra Garnier<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUofJjolccCZz3vtpR4_rKD5p5SDksRNl6KW2cICprYYvHEKyM-TC6iX4z73ivKCWSjS5w3KA1xAuwGFMdPXLPxYFDVl1J4EDD4wp3tvr5FYU7TSdnEJNZiPhJevATR9vKnwWshCnmnLirsgHsVrmdeMAhQiB3_LScvHDnYzGsL3Sd4cEh174lQubPFo/s1412/coupe-de-l-Opera.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1412" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUofJjolccCZz3vtpR4_rKD5p5SDksRNl6KW2cICprYYvHEKyM-TC6iX4z73ivKCWSjS5w3KA1xAuwGFMdPXLPxYFDVl1J4EDD4wp3tvr5FYU7TSdnEJNZiPhJevATR9vKnwWshCnmnLirsgHsVrmdeMAhQiB3_LScvHDnYzGsL3Sd4cEh174lQubPFo/w578-h349/coupe-de-l-Opera.jpg" width="578" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Opera Garnier showing its underground caverns</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.messynessychic.com/2014/08/26/unmasking-the-parisian-phantom-of-the-opera/">Credit</a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>O</b></span></span><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">nce
upon a time, in the beautiful heart of Paris, beneath the majestic Opéra
Garnier, lay a world hidden from prying eyes. From the pinnacles of its
rooftops to its underground caverns and lake, it was a realm of whispers and shadows.
Here passion and despair intertwined like dark strands of haunting melodies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This was
the home of the Phantom of the Opera who had lived </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">in a labyrinthine lair </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">beneath the theater for as long as anyone could remember. Shrouded in mystery and
illusion, his soul bore the weight of a thousand unspoken sorrows.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Phantom had been a
legend in the Parisian opera house for decades. He was a genius - a
composer, master of disguise, violin virtuoso. His compositions, resembling
fragments of a tortured soul, echoed through the corridors and enchanted every
soul who heard them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But the Phantom's true
genius lay in his artistry of concealment. In the decades he had inhabited the
cavernous spaces, he had never been seen by a single soul, his presence only
known through the haunting letters and cryptic instructions he was wont to write.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He was hideously
disfigured according to the rumor spread by members of the Belle Epoque society
who floated through the opera house halls in search of the next exquisite
rendition of their favorite operas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But if no one had seen
him, how did the rumor begin?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">There was but one who knew him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Her name was Christine Daaé, a
beautiful, talented young soprano, the Phantom’s obsession. She was entranced
by her mysterious benefactor, believing him to be the Angel of Music her father
had promised would watch over her when she embarked on her new career. Her
voice had drawn the Phantom like a moth to a flame. He tutored her in secret,
taking her from chorus girl to star of the opera in a few short months. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">One evening, as Christine
prepared to perform her signature role as Marguerite in "Faust," a fragrant
red rose lay on her dressing room table, accompanied by a note in elegant
handwriting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;">"My dearest Christine,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;">Tonight, the world shall hear your voice as never before.
Tonight, you shall be the embodiment of perfection. Do not forget, my love,
that you are mine, and I am yours. Let none come between us. Every note you
sing, every breath you take, is a symphony of our shared passion.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;">Yours eternally, The Phantom"</span></i><span style="font-family: "Baguet Script"; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Christine's heartbeat tripled
in speed. She knew the Phantom watched her every move, guiding her to
greatness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I will honor you with a
perfect performance, my Phantom,” she whispered, laying the red rose in the center
of her dressing table.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">She sang from the bottom of her heart;
the audience hung on to her every note. The Phantom whirled around her, a
presence guiding her to perfection. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Performance over, the
applause was one almighty roar. Over and over she was called back to the stage
to bask in the adoration of the crowd until she stood knee deep in red roses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But the only red rose she
cared about waited in her dressing room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWuDPRVHFm_hOPQr5yjrffkgSOyt0gYuKC37M2SOONVaVlWXnAOQ_P6SFeHDvnm3OFwpqYWzkHZf9pUsz3KcLFQ2t48GVAzwRHIOTHYYbIbkCpIyYR8fNaR2s5-sqfe0hfjqAgNrz768Vft0BvipL4HkQYdvVxFzlUiEhWiSk__ElgMzFinV26HPlMUE/s270/phantom%20clip%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="270" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWuDPRVHFm_hOPQr5yjrffkgSOyt0gYuKC37M2SOONVaVlWXnAOQ_P6SFeHDvnm3OFwpqYWzkHZf9pUsz3KcLFQ2t48GVAzwRHIOTHYYbIbkCpIyYR8fNaR2s5-sqfe0hfjqAgNrz768Vft0BvipL4HkQYdvVxFzlUiEhWiSk__ElgMzFinV26HPlMUE/s1600/phantom%20clip%20art.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">She rushed from the stage as
soon as the curtain fell for the final encore, her heart pounding with the
thrill of the night. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As she entered the
dressing room, the Phantom stood before her, a shadow cloaked in darkness. Here
he was, the man who haunted her dreams and shaped her destiny. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">"Christine." His
voice a mix of longing and desperation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">She approached him, hand
outstretched, curiosity overcoming her fear. "You were there," she
whispered, "with me on stage. I felt your presence. Are you indeed a ghost
as they say?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">"Yes, I cannot deny
it." His voice trembled. "My ghostly form allows me to always be with
you, my dear Christine. Your talent is a mystical gift from me, a reflection of
our love."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Christine reached out and
touched the glittering silver mask. "Why do you hide your real self?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">He hesitated, then removed
his mask. “If you reject me, I will leave his building, and you, forever.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“I will never reject you,
my Angel.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The sight that met her
eyes was beautiful and tragic. His skin pallid, his features distorted by a
cruel twist of fate. But his eyes, pools of deep emotion, overflowed with a
yearning that reached into Christine's soul.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">"You see, my love, I
am a monster as they claim," he murmured. “Unexplained deaths are laid at
my door. They declare I am a master of secrecy and horror.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Tears welled in
Christine's eyes. She gazed into his face. Placed a hand on his caped shoulder.
"Never call yourself a monster," she said. "You are a genius, a
maestro of music, a man with a heart that loves deeply."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Tears ran down the Phantom’s
ravaged face. “I expected rejection, but your words fill me with a glimmer of
hope.” He touched her cheek, his gloved hand trembling. "Christine, I have
loved you from the moment I heard your voice. Will you ever be able to love a
man as grotesque as I?"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Christine pressed his hand
to her heart. "I already do, my Angel. I love you for the music you have
given me, for the passion you have awakened in my soul as no other has done."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The Phantom could not
believe his ears. For so many years, he had hidden in the shadows, a ghost, believing
himself unworthy of love, and now, Christine offered him her heart. He kissed
her hand, trailed kisses up her arm, his lips cold, yet gentle against her
skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Their love was a forbidden
one that defied convention. But it was a love that transcended the boundaries
of the world above and the world below. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“My Phantom, together we
will face the challenges that lay ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Yes, Christine, our love is
a melody that will endure for all eternity.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">And their bittersweet
melody echoed through the hallowed halls of the Opera Garnier for all time, a
testament to the power of love and music.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNnQJoeyjAEy71EUPeMmzpteb_sfmByxTjnVrjMFgyxd7YeR6l55jBxm4g04bQf6044Kry-AEz1wWc85q2SQGe95scbZGbj-Xgb79i6KOyfZI-ovmlwwz64yF6MheSNlGYDL70Beb6sxlpOKzyg5wfzxcMFdIZjI4_f6HCOc-KKkmlnAv5hS0Mz6mhIBg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="280" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNnQJoeyjAEy71EUPeMmzpteb_sfmByxTjnVrjMFgyxd7YeR6l55jBxm4g04bQf6044Kry-AEz1wWc85q2SQGe95scbZGbj-Xgb79i6KOyfZI-ovmlwwz64yF6MheSNlGYDL70Beb6sxlpOKzyg5wfzxcMFdIZjI4_f6HCOc-KKkmlnAv5hS0Mz6mhIBg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;">TAGLINE: Love will find a way, despite exceptional circumstances.</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>For the month of December, you get to choose your own genre, story theme, whatever inspires you.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b><u>POST December 1 through to 15. </u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh254NKM6ewsvZzLWzy45K29BVUJqq6DntOTY5QJ9E0H1X-qxWNzOUpNj8G3At0zqcOc4MvVCgmLPXHVg4UMIQyFMDPoJ-o9MhLfE1G_gdqIJCxaRh7z23xhCRAbILvbFgr7MIACpdpjO4Vrax9P64zqG_GbAy07Dz1E02AigTfKaaiNCeriVLTqN75v30/s1000/dec%20badge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh254NKM6ewsvZzLWzy45K29BVUJqq6DntOTY5QJ9E0H1X-qxWNzOUpNj8G3At0zqcOc4MvVCgmLPXHVg4UMIQyFMDPoJ-o9MhLfE1G_gdqIJCxaRh7z23xhCRAbILvbFgr7MIACpdpjO4Vrax9P64zqG_GbAy07Dz1E02AigTfKaaiNCeriVLTqN75v30/s320/dec%20badge.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><i><b>WEP invites you to write an entry for their first Anthology, the theme, Gone! Gone! Gone!</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><i><b>Submissions Open! </b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><i><b>Close end December!</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_OHf8-RPHxbfILbL16JItMPMCKBityLSVeFtpb7RvluWHV-4dfCJHuS5BnwfBCqNQh8J_tIW4lkz0un3jyOBrafQD58bfsPTtaMLeVMRuNxbYOpwvGA-cN7K2-ptKIUKCv50FQSpAdqZfnH03NFO4qt3K6USPBc3_yfjolUDBEIa_5qWhNf5mZFhR2s/s2250/MOCK%20UP%20GONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_OHf8-RPHxbfILbL16JItMPMCKBityLSVeFtpb7RvluWHV-4dfCJHuS5BnwfBCqNQh8J_tIW4lkz0un3jyOBrafQD58bfsPTtaMLeVMRuNxbYOpwvGA-cN7K2-ptKIUKCv50FQSpAdqZfnH03NFO4qt3K6USPBc3_yfjolUDBEIa_5qWhNf5mZFhR2s/s320/MOCK%20UP%20GONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" width="201" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Thanks for reading,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 5pt; mso-border-alt: solid #D9D9E3 .25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p></div><br /><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-90145528046779818212023-10-04T16:31:00.001+10:002023-10-04T16:31:00.147+10:00#IWSG OCTOBER 4, 2023 - AI - Will it assist writers or replace them?<p><span style="font-size: large;">Hi all!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Time for another IWSG post. This month I'm very interested in the question:</span></p><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?</span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Like many writers, I've been following this debate for some time, well, years really. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">AI has come too far for us to stop it, or change it to much extent. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sure, there are writers suing ChatGPT for infringing copyright, but that's just a drop in the ocean. There are 18,000 Australian authors and 180,000 international authors who've had their copyright infringed as AI uses our books to teach from. This is going to mean copyright laws will need to be looked at.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I understand the negative view of AI-assisted writing, but I'm afraid it's here to stay, IMO. I've toyed with it, which is why I was interested to </b><b>read an ARC of an author explaining how to use AI to our advantage.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFQiZwIqgBIx0irSfecKT7iOxl1F_nvqOJ0owplj4a3VNsEi06Wqnm5cPi_d6NHgQ8ZnFGeExrIfkDklhi_w0mMquL0-V9OKlQ1bkmdTD0Myh9nzWEoPdC9g4RJXm3gsjDRtjwODkQneovpDA8VhjvdVJ1YO8TJEokeO_e6DcunfiP2Uu3Z7ucPOhajo4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFQiZwIqgBIx0irSfecKT7iOxl1F_nvqOJ0owplj4a3VNsEi06Wqnm5cPi_d6NHgQ8ZnFGeExrIfkDklhi_w0mMquL0-V9OKlQ1bkmdTD0Myh9nzWEoPdC9g4RJXm3gsjDRtjwODkQneovpDA8VhjvdVJ1YO8TJEokeO_e6DcunfiP2Uu3Z7ucPOhajo4=w225-h338" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Only available in paperback</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/CHATGPT-ROMANCE-AUTHOR-Procrastination-Productivity/dp/B0C9RYVY8G/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Sawid&content-id=amzn1.sym.579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_p=579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_r=138-7435967-1250428&pd_rd_wg=lDPKI&pd_rd_r=e312f7f6-4e8c-4085-ae1d-8db849417d9d&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk">link</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Here's the beginning of Nina's blurb:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="border: 6pt solid rgb(244, 176, 131); mso-border-themecolor: accent2; mso-border-themetint: 153; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1pt 4pt;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #F4B083 6.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: accent2; mso-border-themetint: 153; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span class="a-text-bold"><b><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;">ChatGPT: Your Silent Co-author for Successful Romance Novels.</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #F4B083 6.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: accent2; mso-border-themetint: 153; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"></span></i></b><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
In order to make a living as a genre fiction author, you have to create more
books, preferably in a linked series, faster than ever before.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
And that is where a tool such as Open AI's ChatGPT can save you days if not
weeks of work.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
Say Goodbye to Procrastination, Boost Your Writing Speed, and Bring Your
Romance Fiction to Life in Ways You Never Thought Possible.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #F4B083 6.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: accent2; mso-border-themetint: 153; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0f1111; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
ChatGPT is the writer's secret weapon. Shaping Bestsellers, One AI-Assisted
Story at a Time.</span></i><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div></div><br />You might be shocked that a romance author has already published this book months ago, but there you go.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Remember when mathematics was done in your head, then we developed the scientific calculator, then the computer which can solve a maths' problem in nanoseconds which would take us hours, days, months (me, forever). Taking this attitude, I can see Nina's idea of hurrying that writing along.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">It is said that AI-assisted writing is the first real change since Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440 and it was ready for commercial use 10 years later. The printing press finally democratised writing, printing texts at lightning speed instead of the beautiful, hand-styled pages laboriously created by monks and the like and available to very few. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWTzGc9ms_ElSkTduCfjyC2kFk36UzElO2BJLqnrIqYD1RuUPNk5hVTLzf8RnJHSphp1E5AOFexTuhy1rqR16hOxEgtSpwv1xnWzUarsyFLqC6tao9C6gSQXh0j2EOE98MWjKf44BJNEPLQ-JEyPPWbC2szDZqOkR7NFtbh1m9r0euPkJYT9vYAJpZ9Yw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWTzGc9ms_ElSkTduCfjyC2kFk36UzElO2BJLqnrIqYD1RuUPNk5hVTLzf8RnJHSphp1E5AOFexTuhy1rqR16hOxEgtSpwv1xnWzUarsyFLqC6tao9C6gSQXh0j2EOE98MWjKf44BJNEPLQ-JEyPPWbC2szDZqOkR7NFtbh1m9r0euPkJYT9vYAJpZ9Yw" width="186" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/mcdonald/incunabula/gutenberg/#:~:text=By%201440%20Gutenberg%20had%20established,of%20indulgences%20for%20the%20Church.">link</a></div><br /><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Haven't we all benefited from this invention?</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">So, I don't have a magic wand. Who knows how much AI will take over our writing. Amazon is onto it - you have to state if you've used AI in writing your book and you're limited to publishing 3 a day! Not that Amazon doesn't use AI - they've been using it freely to do all sorts of things data-wise. As have many other businesses.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">And AI can do much more than write books - it can write code, create artworks, write essays and non-fiction articles. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.taskade.com/templates/ai/chatgpt-novel-writing">HERE is a link </a>on how to write a novel using the ChatGPT novel template.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">MORE USEFUL LINKS:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/how-to-use-openai-dalle-3-for-free/</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>https://www.geeksmint.com/ai-tools/</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">For those who are dead against AI-assisted writing, I'll point out that it covers:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(1) PLOT AND STORY DEVELOPMENT</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(2) CHARACTERS</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(3) SETTING</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Go on. Take a peek. (I haven't used it yet, but when I get my current 2 novels published without AI's assistance, I will experiment).</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">AI-assisted writing is only as good as what you feed it. You need to have ideas on the above and ChatGPT will help you refine them. Chat will come up with ideas instantly that would take a human over a week or more.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">FULL DISCLOSURE: I have used ChatGPT to help me write blurbs. I suck at writing blubs and need all the help I can get. Once ChatGPT spits out my blurb, I can use it as a springboard to improvement. I must say, Chat is not perfect - it takes a lot of editing to produce your work.</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I'll be interested in what you all have to say. I firmly believe </b><b>AI will assist writers, not replace them.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>But I'm ready for probably the majority of writers who hate the idea.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">~*~ </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The awesome co-hosts for the October 4 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="https://fictioncanbefun.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Debs Carey,</a> <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner,</a> <a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patricia Josephine,</a> and <a href="https://www.rebecca-douglass.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Douglass!</a></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><b> Be sure to visit the </b></span><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">~*~</span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please join WEP for succulent stories for our October thrill-fest hosted by our very own horror author, Yolanda Renee Stout.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">POST October 18 - 20th.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpPTDzxZ4NzaeZtUfKuAkmUcZ6vlEzahLlY9hRnVs5ZhG4Y7IOxSwQ0zFGZK0BaxsuDq9lUPnv-7SYbp4MrfFpKeUNIlaFzdEovhRN_0PawpKVZfHtDHYkwyFtNqHBVo4HSMfQKj3a-ytPm0w9iQLtLkQShH9hsTocoTvm0GiHB0SYM7duObN04G0fio/s395/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="276" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpPTDzxZ4NzaeZtUfKuAkmUcZ6vlEzahLlY9hRnVs5ZhG4Y7IOxSwQ0zFGZK0BaxsuDq9lUPnv-7SYbp4MrfFpKeUNIlaFzdEovhRN_0PawpKVZfHtDHYkwyFtNqHBVo4HSMfQKj3a-ytPm0w9iQLtLkQShH9hsTocoTvm0GiHB0SYM7duObN04G0fio/w309-h442/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" width="309" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Question is, did I use AI to assist in writing my flash fiction?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for visiting,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-40940409134842134152023-09-06T08:37:00.001+10:002023-09-06T08:37:00.132+10:00#IWSG SEPTEMBER 2023<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Hello all!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>WEP celebrated it's 10th anniversary in 2020, so that makes us a little 'older' than the IWSG! Quite a milestone for both of our groups in this fast-moving age. </i></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the September 6 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://soniadogra.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sonia Dogra,</a> <a href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">J Lenni Dorner,</a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen,</a> and <a href="https://authormekajames.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Meka James!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>~*~</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;">Which brings me to the month's question - </span>The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?</span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">I'm number 8 on the IWSG list and I've always been a strong supporter of the monthly bloghop. Even when traveling overseas, I've usually posted and read posts. Probably missed writing 2 posts in the 12 years. I like the optional question each month which shows how amazing writers are in that each answer is so different.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">I read the posts on the IWSG site and the Facebook site. The Facebook site is great for those who no longer/don't blog. I like how it offers promotion and answers questions. So helpful for newbie writers and established writers.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">As the founder of WEP, I can't help saying I love that both WEP and the IWSG are writer-focused and offer services to many writers around the globe. WEP offers writing opportunities, while the IWSG offers so many helpful services. Writers help each other. I took note that 3 out of 5 writers helping Alex this month are WEP writers who give generously of their time and talents in so many ways. Belonging to groups like these two help writers feel included in the huge writer-verse. WEP and the IWSG are loosely aligned and I look forward to bigger and better things as we forge ahead into the future. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">Alex helps WEP by promoting our bi-monthly challenges (when we get the copy to him) and some of the IWSG admin are very supportive by writing for us when time permits. Special thanks to our unofficial liaison, C Lee McKenzie. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">Long live blogging and collaborative support!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJirgtr9MwxbzBt5e5eRXP-ERpRvMRruxzWehnaH14rEOpMJMyJQqvwTqcTYpVk_13yYbB3XIlV23NieDKe4L16CyXUJ6Io2DeBEd2pUgTVl0G5To6cKJsx_q2wzWOGk2XPXnQzs5dob7E4KexeK8Lku-novsCcEudKal1Q5FV8-a9g6BHaHzMmpZwKc/s1000/a10%20anniv%20badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJirgtr9MwxbzBt5e5eRXP-ERpRvMRruxzWehnaH14rEOpMJMyJQqvwTqcTYpVk_13yYbB3XIlV23NieDKe4L16CyXUJ6Io2DeBEd2pUgTVl0G5To6cKJsx_q2wzWOGk2XPXnQzs5dob7E4KexeK8Lku-novsCcEudKal1Q5FV8-a9g6BHaHzMmpZwKc/s320/a10%20anniv%20badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgClHNFsNVHbLElCKUj23LEIgut2qP8Xtva0GuvI4QLNkr5fx1nKSe8EZPfXGP1VmbPr3GHYl7CgU0_xlYhsfboZG417VWmG1L6e3UitfN6B5mg7ncM3F3cf0GAbVT9sBHjJ0l8RPbZJjJrqJT_RCIEULtKCLPOsU1pe413Hgxi_7fnkWnqFKHHLnqW6v8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="564" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgClHNFsNVHbLElCKUj23LEIgut2qP8Xtva0GuvI4QLNkr5fx1nKSe8EZPfXGP1VmbPr3GHYl7CgU0_xlYhsfboZG417VWmG1L6e3UitfN6B5mg7ncM3F3cf0GAbVT9sBHjJ0l8RPbZJjJrqJT_RCIEULtKCLPOsU1pe413Hgxi_7fnkWnqFKHHLnqW6v8=w266-h392" width="266" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-8582979456035390542023-08-16T14:55:00.001+10:002023-08-16T15:13:26.955+10:00#WEP August Challenge - my #flashfiction using the movie, Chocolat as the prompt.<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hello there! I'm glad you came by to read my #flashfiction based on the movie prompt - Chocolat. Those who have read my novel, Paris Dreams, will recognise the restaurant where I set the two main characters' first break up. My follow up book, still in the works, is also set in Paris, and is based on a traditional French cookery school. I've incorporated some ideas from that as well. And even the service overseas is in my new book, so I had several ideas to play with for this story. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Please enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing this.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88EGY5vNjzZbApwKJhK1zJQCL_6qq6La4YExL5RMiG4XPt8zdIA4ywCDlmgb7ID5Sox0xRQX61f7JEedE-ZfCD5Anm-99qEkwCRKnwQOAiIL_1TT8oU72EmAjR5DSqUu64Mj37iyq3jTC6M48HEc_l6pu5MUfCkVqlx9adPD7gLpaR-vQx74a0-Voqek/s399/Chocolat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="277" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88EGY5vNjzZbApwKJhK1zJQCL_6qq6La4YExL5RMiG4XPt8zdIA4ywCDlmgb7ID5Sox0xRQX61f7JEedE-ZfCD5Anm-99qEkwCRKnwQOAiIL_1TT8oU72EmAjR5DSqUu64Mj37iyq3jTC6M48HEc_l6pu5MUfCkVqlx9adPD7gLpaR-vQx74a0-Voqek/w288-h416/Chocolat.jpeg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242; font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Tastes of Love<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">The restaurant, with its
silky red walls and black chandeliers, wrapped its dark arms around me,
welcomed me home to Paris after a long absence. As a war correspondent in the
Middle East, food, any food was a bonus eaten on the run, but I can’t recall
the taste, but I recall much else I’d rather forget. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">“Concentrate on the joys you’ve
experienced, not the tragedies,” my therapist, Celeste, advised during<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our session today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">“What do you know of tragedy?”
I couldn’t help saying, raw from my latest loss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">“Pardon. You’re right of
course.” She smoothed her perfect chignon, freshened her bright red lipstick
then cooed to her pet birds in the covered courtyard of her luxurious
apartment. “But try.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m trying. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Immersing myself
in what has always brought me joy – traditional French food. Traditional French
food never changes and tonight I relished that. I’ve had enough change for now.
The meals at Le Chocolat (pronounced </span><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">show-ko-lah</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">, don’t you love it!)</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"> are typically French – plain, tasty,
inexpensive peasant's food which is what I love best. It’s never fussy with modern twists and miniscule servings which don’t
work for me. I rarely choose my restaurants by Michelin stars – I choose those
with hearty, old-fashioned meals like Maman and Grand’Mere used to cook. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Waiters here are as traditional
as the food. My favorite, Maurice, caught my eye, hurried to my table, pulled
out my chair, flicked a crisp white napkin and placed it on my lap. “Shall I bring
the mussels, Cara?” He scanned the room. “But where is your friend?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh my heart. “He couldn’t make it, désolé.
Mais oui to the mussels, s’il te plait, Maurice.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I dealt with those rattly
little mouthfuls of joy quickly, relishing the white wine and cream sauce, nectar
of the gods. I struggled to stay in the moment, sorry Celeste; I shake my head
and instead anticipate the rich onion soup, Le Chocolat's signature dish. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Maurice was already whipping
away my plate and placing a huge white bowl before me. Ooh la la. What could
beat the shot of sweet onion fragrance on a bitter winter's night? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm. <i>Concentrate, Cara</i>. That soaked
garlicky bread and long, stringy toasted cheese always sticks to my chin. Let’s
face it; there is no elegant way to eat this dense soup, but tonight no one dabs
my messy face with a napkin. But the soup; I wanted to live in the bowl, be
revived by the nourishing juices, build myself up for my next assignment,
Ukraine. Where will I find food over there?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #424242; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Maurice offered me a free cocktail. I held the tiny, jeweled glass against
the light, mesmerized by the play of diamonds and rich red liquid. I held it close to
my nose, hesitated, sipped. It tasted of rose perfume, a sweet flavor that
clashed with my morbid thoughts. Guilt crept over me; I try to push it
away, but it refuses to leave. Why should I survive to live another day, eat
another joyous meal, while my fellow correspondent, Benoit, ate his last meal
then stepped onto an IB outside the restaurant? </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I will visit his parents in
Montmartre after dinner which is why my stomach is taut and I’m forcing myself
to enjoy every mouthful. For Benoit. Benoit. We shared so many meals at Le
Chocolat and Maurice always gave us that tiny cocktail. He was performing an
act of kindness, but memories turned my taste to dust.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I pushed it aside and
ordered a rich red </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">to accompany the Beef Bourguignon</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> which Maurice has delivered to my table. The sharp aromas of tiny roasted onions, carrot,
and rich, red, melt-in-your-mouth beef...my stomach danced, relaxed a little.
How Benoit loved this dish and always reached across the table to finish mine! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I lifted my fork, speared a cube of tender
meat. The flavor of red wine mixed with onion and herbs revealed to me, if
the mussels and onion soup hadn't already convinced me, that I was back in Paris.</span></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #424242; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">It was pleasant beyond words to be drinking good wine and eating excellent
food - a bottle of wine and a plate of comforting food is always good company,
tonight, my only company.</span></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #424242; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Maurice saw I was immersed in my food and drink and left me to my joys and
sorrows, only coming by to top up my wine at regular intervals.</span> I saw in
his doleful eyes that he’d realized Benoit wasn’t coming back, and he offered
succor in the way he knew best. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">He raised his eyebrows.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I nodded. <i>Yes, please.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Chocolat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">We always finished our meal
with a platter of perfectly-created chocolat in all shapes, sizes and colors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">I reached for a dark star-shaped
chocolate with golden hearts and placed it on my tongue.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #424242; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><span style="font-size: 18pt;">“Au revoir, Benoit,” I
whispered. “I hope you’re somewhere enjoying plentiful food, my love.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>TAGLINE: Food is a memory trigger extraordinaire!</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>~*~</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">WORDS: 817</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">FCA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #424242;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 24px;"><b>BIG NEWS! A FLASH FICTION ANTHOLOGY!</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNEeTygUKjCIZRXTzWMSkOp1I1_S4i8pWnu6JGY04czgqequz6CpzOMg6mVsPiMm0FwgiR5exo1NnYgu9mT132oPNyF0l-kfe6mfLDYS_iamWTozzalGs1DL89TBvlgbeQSg6ZcaKTHmdK1OApqXvPFVcty_Ocy7gm6OSxAtQ2eaUXd6CE9YHv0wKEPE/s2250/AGONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNEeTygUKjCIZRXTzWMSkOp1I1_S4i8pWnu6JGY04czgqequz6CpzOMg6mVsPiMm0FwgiR5exo1NnYgu9mT132oPNyF0l-kfe6mfLDYS_iamWTozzalGs1DL89TBvlgbeQSg6ZcaKTHmdK1OApqXvPFVcty_Ocy7gm6OSxAtQ2eaUXd6CE9YHv0wKEPE/w285-h454/AGONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mock up cover only created on Canva</div><br /><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">If you enjoy writing flash fiction, please go <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/submit-to-weps-first-anthology-release.html">HERE </a>to read about WEP's upcoming Anthology.<b> If you've ever written to a WEP challenge, or do so before December '23, you are invited to submit.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">If you like the idea of writing to prompts, October is our next, run by our very own thriller queen, Yolanda Renee. Please think about what you could do with the Phantom of the Opera prompt. Go <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">HERE</a> for ideas to get your creative juices flowing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #424242; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuU8ARpvTg2gvDGsamywsqy8ADKV-f7eeaQ2W1d7Gm-3bF9jcgTDyD02hYiuWyLCo4W2f3rsZxcIFvkV2RmySTHgaa_W9TxeVQftUtIDfHaLN9Zj29Cpy-DuQd1YcRKYbcqfi0xHtS74iyyPqmv8vt61CVw-FsHj9LzEXBkCHjRfLMRLllerXMbpYmpc/s395/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="276" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuU8ARpvTg2gvDGsamywsqy8ADKV-f7eeaQ2W1d7Gm-3bF9jcgTDyD02hYiuWyLCo4W2f3rsZxcIFvkV2RmySTHgaa_W9TxeVQftUtIDfHaLN9Zj29Cpy-DuQd1YcRKYbcqfi0xHtS74iyyPqmv8vt61CVw-FsHj9LzEXBkCHjRfLMRLllerXMbpYmpc/w354-h506/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks again for reading! I'll visit as soon as I can.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242; font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Denise</span></p><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-34980267071568029672023-08-02T14:30:00.035+10:002023-08-02T14:30:00.146+10:00#IWSG August '23, #amwriting, #amediting<p> Hello readers!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq3khUSqNqt-q4YY2Xcwa2k4sUuyMcRutYLfsgq3tGP5H-OPPfhNJCEN3b4BWKquBQrwaCNjxHi8FYXV0Mln-cNFVrdawEz7Jh6Q3O0Dmx_pveMfErUg7jfNWP9mu8pdDtGFZoRtEnVYNpltzdfZnHJA4YMo2iUuQR_vTDjtUcFIVELMBgGpT51SW-_i8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq3khUSqNqt-q4YY2Xcwa2k4sUuyMcRutYLfsgq3tGP5H-OPPfhNJCEN3b4BWKquBQrwaCNjxHi8FYXV0Mln-cNFVrdawEz7Jh6Q3O0Dmx_pveMfErUg7jfNWP9mu8pdDtGFZoRtEnVYNpltzdfZnHJA4YMo2iUuQR_vTDjtUcFIVELMBgGpT51SW-_i8" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">CLICK </a>to read more IWSG posts!</div><br /><br /><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://katelarkindale.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kate Larkinsdale,</a> <a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a href="https://janetalcorn.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Janet Alcorn,</a> and <a href="http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Shannon Lawrence!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Down to business!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hope the month of July was a success! Thank you for those who left helpful comments on <a href="https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2023/07/iwsg-july-how-many-minuteshoursdays-do.html">my last month's IWSG post</a> asking for your writing schedules. Was great. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've been writing up a storm. How about you? So much happening - WEP challenge prepared for August 1 with Sonia Dogra, I've extended my <a href="https://bookfunnel.com/">Book Funnel </a>sub for another year, so have been preparing book samples for a women's fiction promo which included making mock-up covers on <a href="https://www.canva.com/">Canva</a>, self-editing said two novels, and sent the Fijian Princess novel to <a href="http://nasdean.com/">Nas Dean</a> in Fiji. So glad. She found a few bloopers re Fijian bures. Brilliant!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy55ndPygBhyCELGJG6PPc8mSz9vZXjHKfeo2uJmsxbbputXtv2cX26EKiOIt0EPrb-TTcRXU2eIyEgVbxRXQR21F2qHzQ0ljs854ghJR2N26H86IVV4sWrkauaivvlKzvHuGORT1gLYDiGkb_Gd7J44xvMFgqgq-ez56iYx8royJ60rd71rLg32koW4/s360/indigenous-fijian-man-dressed-in-traditional-fijian-costume-stand-outside-his-bure-hut-at-navala-picture_csp43947276.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="360" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWy55ndPygBhyCELGJG6PPc8mSz9vZXjHKfeo2uJmsxbbputXtv2cX26EKiOIt0EPrb-TTcRXU2eIyEgVbxRXQR21F2qHzQ0ljs854ghJR2N26H86IVV4sWrkauaivvlKzvHuGORT1gLYDiGkb_Gd7J44xvMFgqgq-ez56iYx8royJ60rd71rLg32koW4/s320/indigenous-fijian-man-dressed-in-traditional-fijian-costume-stand-outside-his-bure-hut-at-navala-picture_csp43947276.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can Stock Photo of Navala Village where my two main characters sort themselves out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> CSP is brilliant for images - you pay, but no sign ups etc.</div></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">And one reason I've written so much is I head off on a caravan trip to North Queensland, Townsville, to spend 3 weeks with family. Writing is pretty much off the agenda up there!</span><p></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscfKwLSrC4QGSzoZVllyCpWhutB7xCHDBZbM7238VIkyei_40aOp8z3RTaWGU5SPkQE3KJXVtKCnrRbjQIxStvg4NGTftHM03Kh0iIMoCC2HN-nos96rDw_XT-3Bxane2DVRVJgE4r8Q0WaLGdG0dnL_E3tRNpAR9F5uz-gNmjECPkxUkqG6goM7Mih8/s4032/a%20townsville%20sunset%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscfKwLSrC4QGSzoZVllyCpWhutB7xCHDBZbM7238VIkyei_40aOp8z3RTaWGU5SPkQE3KJXVtKCnrRbjQIxStvg4NGTftHM03Kh0iIMoCC2HN-nos96rDw_XT-3Bxane2DVRVJgE4r8Q0WaLGdG0dnL_E3tRNpAR9F5uz-gNmjECPkxUkqG6goM7Mih8/s320/a%20townsville%20sunset%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Lots of sunrises and sunsets</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLFF7mnI9uMxDyuclQEh2UVPQfVPjGf8GSnAt2KsysbFU0WPvRyhMcX-zrsmOOewJxhhKdTJ8dko30EhTJjfd48hk74_CwqVcAJ-DszKsmbqBkNUzyvOYyLZOantvR-oZiT24igixvJbQ1ZjtSyod37EYGFepqIJ2WO97lcZq14FXS_2JbKVRoCadL5g/s160/a%20cream%20brulee.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="160" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLFF7mnI9uMxDyuclQEh2UVPQfVPjGf8GSnAt2KsysbFU0WPvRyhMcX-zrsmOOewJxhhKdTJ8dko30EhTJjfd48hk74_CwqVcAJ-DszKsmbqBkNUzyvOYyLZOantvR-oZiT24igixvJbQ1ZjtSyod37EYGFepqIJ2WO97lcZq14FXS_2JbKVRoCadL5g/s1600/a%20cream%20brulee.JPG" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Lots of this!</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzWNjxda8OtcIKoGm2z4kusZK3iQGF9Ga4xv-QsVPVP2XX4gB-vW8rEd7AVY9vklZdp8Vn9CH0X2dVqXb3hPnwxWG_5bSJEGRbdOufNF2EUwp4aH_hYGeNMF3-Z0hVV1EXBIo46Wq1AYeWVYrKAt4jP39Sa4hAB1WDchI6U48pbqNcBy-lgIQa5VI4xg/s4032/IMG-9150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzWNjxda8OtcIKoGm2z4kusZK3iQGF9Ga4xv-QsVPVP2XX4gB-vW8rEd7AVY9vklZdp8Vn9CH0X2dVqXb3hPnwxWG_5bSJEGRbdOufNF2EUwp4aH_hYGeNMF3-Z0hVV1EXBIo46Wq1AYeWVYrKAt4jP39Sa4hAB1WDchI6U48pbqNcBy-lgIQa5VI4xg/s320/IMG-9150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hopefully some of this!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So above discussion segues into this month's question -</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919; text-align: center;">Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course. I find it excruciating to let go of my darlings. My leaning is more toward - oh I could have written that better! More pace? Did I really need that chapter? My cover could have been better...etc etc. I'm no stranger to re-writing, buying a new cover...etc, but there's only so much that is useful. When I publish my next two books, I'll have 8 books published. Then...I will go back to the beginning and pay for new covers on my vampire series and jump into promotion again. (Had a hiatus on that while hubs needed more attention). I've proved - no promo, few sales. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, have a great August, everyone!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And if you'd like to stretch yourself, here's a sweet idea. Join WEP for the August challenge!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXTZwsNL355imTQXBhw5Ss9shqNkRWeNBdyKeqsxpf02KOdg-ax8PBzqd5mGSTaFWSkVxHtBOGDsIRc48b2kGhbza7isx7QcFNO76CaBgxHK27k9Mg023YIHP8onDD0piU-Tt2oLzRIfGfaTb0PrfV0B3UFFBaHgWFot-ebQ0unDw4Zh-wsGzMo0gSFs/s399/Chocolat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXTZwsNL355imTQXBhw5Ss9shqNkRWeNBdyKeqsxpf02KOdg-ax8PBzqd5mGSTaFWSkVxHtBOGDsIRc48b2kGhbza7isx7QcFNO76CaBgxHK27k9Mg023YIHP8onDD0piU-Tt2oLzRIfGfaTb0PrfV0B3UFFBaHgWFot-ebQ0unDw4Zh-wsGzMo0gSFs/s320/Chocolat.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Who's got the sweetest story?</span></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br />Did you know that WEP is publishing an Anthology in May 2024? Now open for submissions for flash fiction of under 1,000 words. <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/submit-to-weps-first-anthology-release.html">CLICK </a>to learn more.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxXTW1t6IdP4xGn7RGEhCk2XRPssXDFtlO4y8n-ooIW8exLCXaGSjc80vD6roza-obF5vj3BcOdwHCl9lx79RBld1f01JvJdk9jPBp6k_5TZ8PWSHi8ZFaxvumwOdH2XGOPNu5dhmfYoWnlZ_Fq-orMAh0mI8nMVUPDHcgip9xFDLETuT-2MuV1EOyhQ/s2250/AGONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxXTW1t6IdP4xGn7RGEhCk2XRPssXDFtlO4y8n-ooIW8exLCXaGSjc80vD6roza-obF5vj3BcOdwHCl9lx79RBld1f01JvJdk9jPBp6k_5TZ8PWSHi8ZFaxvumwOdH2XGOPNu5dhmfYoWnlZ_Fq-orMAh0mI8nMVUPDHcgip9xFDLETuT-2MuV1EOyhQ/w238-h380/AGONE%20FLASH%20Book%20Cover.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another mock up cover made on Canva until we find the main genre in the submissions. Then Olga Godim will put her talents to work!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Have a great month. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-73130235927623511302023-07-05T12:30:00.014+10:002023-07-05T12:30:00.151+10:00#IWSG JULY - HOW MANY MINUTES/HOURS/DAYS DO YOU WRITE?<p><i><span style="font-size: large;">How are you doing? I'm glad you found your way here on IWSG day because I want to pick your brains. I'm not answering the optional question today - I'm going my own way.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhta8JOruYIQRT4kn6le0QNA2o8_JYPgMOy2Ol5AZrQ11NfuQ4HH1Wbvm8IeBlKnZ5YJaCCHkPGcFPbyoopsiKnvpDhOlL47W5U_0NlzJ0DlhFADodrL33GIuu1PurSA2qrp6-AiB4TcuKDJGJjrhyiHiUP7JFNHD8mwq49h1h_1xDGJxiCoz0b05YFB1c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhta8JOruYIQRT4kn6le0QNA2o8_JYPgMOy2Ol5AZrQ11NfuQ4HH1Wbvm8IeBlKnZ5YJaCCHkPGcFPbyoopsiKnvpDhOlL47W5U_0NlzJ0DlhFADodrL33GIuu1PurSA2qrp6-AiB4TcuKDJGJjrhyiHiUP7JFNHD8mwq49h1h_1xDGJxiCoz0b05YFB1c" width="244" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After trying for the past 10 years, I'm finally closing down my English tutoring business at the end of the senior school year. I made sure I only tutored Year 12 students this year - they'll be off to University, so I won't get tearful phone calls from mums and dads when I fling them into the big wide world without their guide by their side.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, my insecurity is - what do I do now I have the opportunity to write full time? Well, I have a big extended family, so there are never-ending demands on my time, but there's nothing new about that. Some clever clogs manage to write books with a baby over their shoulder, tapping on their smart phones. Wow. But I'm definitely going to have extra hours in the week to write and I fear I will fritter them away.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">I'm endlessly fascinated by those threads in many FB writing groups I follow. Last week there was one on </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">20booksto50k</span></span></b></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> whose focus is unashamedly</span></span><b> The Business of Being a Self-Published Author</b>. That's the crux of my problem - I don't treat writing as a business, except in my head. So on 20 books, there were the usual and stoic - "I set aside xx number of hours per day and stick to it, no exceptions" to the "I never set goals because it stresses me and I end up writing less." Hmm. Reminds me of someone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">It doesn't take much to fascinate me when writers talk about writing because I always think everyone is smarter than I am. Then I remind myself I have self-published 6 books over a couple years which sounds pretty awesome, until I 'fess I've been working on some of them since 2010, LOL. To call me a </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">slow writer</span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> is an understatement. You know, there's places to travel, holidays to take, house to clean, meals to cook, books to read, WEP to oversee and write for, research ... you know. And I just can't stop self-editing!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But I was truly fascinated by one clever writer who said, and I paraphrase, "I spend a month outlining/planning my next book, I spend a month (yes, only a month!!!) writing it, then leave it for a month, then I spend a month editing - self-editing, then send it to my editor and start the whole process again on my next book." Holy guacamole! Now if I try to emulate this clever author I'd fall flat on my face, seeing I've never finished a book in under 5 years!</span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;"><i><b>**So how about you? Are you secure in your writing career, set a business plan and follow it, or are you more like me who doesn't set weekly goals so I'm not disappointed when I can't reach them? I'd love to hear how clever you sets goals.</b></i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And this is the purpose of the IWSG - </span></span></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">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!</span></span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">So thanks in advance for your assistance and guidance ...</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #191919;">Be sure to visit the</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">!!!</span></span></span></b></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And the following kind people have taken time out of their busy writing lives to help Alex this month.</span></span></b></span></p><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.pjcolando.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">PJ Colando, </span></span></a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Kim Lajevardi, </span></span></a> <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Gwen Gardner, </span></span></a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Pat Garcia,</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Natalie Aguirre!</span></span></a></span></b></p><p><br /></p><p><i style="color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-align: -webkit-center;">~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~</span></span></i><i style="color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~</span></span></span></span></i></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICwXF7ueMz3LzIaEZGbKeW85PoCbown4OM6e_oQVWddBWEaqFV0VNaASGHArS8mWT5Jxw0DwQEf-uE0aHhCpaD-D2LLKO9KA9HdEmR2F_yHrOHbjwO_9lT4M50Qj_tlVf6-0m-AsuQSPm5rJYvibYLrmh4ysjbSxDdiaCTZe9EYrj0craHK0GJLStw5Q/s225/twitter%20image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICwXF7ueMz3LzIaEZGbKeW85PoCbown4OM6e_oQVWddBWEaqFV0VNaASGHArS8mWT5Jxw0DwQEf-uE0aHhCpaD-D2LLKO9KA9HdEmR2F_yHrOHbjwO_9lT4M50Qj_tlVf6-0m-AsuQSPm5rJYvibYLrmh4ysjbSxDdiaCTZe9EYrj0craHK0GJLStw5Q/w148-h148/twitter%20image.png" width="148" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium; vertical-align: inherit;">Would you tweet for me?</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium; vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; line-height: 107%;">Do you set
#writinggoals, #IWSG, @DeniseCCovey #amwriting #writingcareer, #writersoftwitter, #writingcommunity, </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2023/07/iwsg-july-how-many-minuteshoursdays-do.html">https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2023/07/iwsg-july-how-many-minuteshoursdays-do.html</a></span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;"><i style="color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-align: -webkit-center;">~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~</span></span></i><i style="color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~</span></span></span></span></i></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;">And I can't leave without inviting you to write for WEP in August. </span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">How about this? Sure to be a favorite~yummy~</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 15.4px; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp7DKTX_Gh_jA1NafmyjXpSTCMD6j6GoeDK2lvuKfQp7h-15nu2ia37kie-ea268-4OE3_uwZHFRw0Lo27qCLjYw_wuczfi0SvvqSrsM1rnqXDDzRZsPjXyTJXSxvBR3BIcI2r1m5zJgqGZPqI8YvJ7ashq13t-WgBDJ1XazUYsho9eKhGYyPhD9z/s399/Chocolat.jpeg" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="277" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp7DKTX_Gh_jA1NafmyjXpSTCMD6j6GoeDK2lvuKfQp7h-15nu2ia37kie-ea268-4OE3_uwZHFRw0Lo27qCLjYw_wuczfi0SvvqSrsM1rnqXDDzRZsPjXyTJXSxvBR3BIcI2r1m5zJgqGZPqI8YvJ7ashq13t-WgBDJ1XazUYsho9eKhGYyPhD9z/w290-h411/Chocolat.jpeg" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="290" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;">What could be sweeter than to write about chocolate?</span></span></div><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Post - August 16th to the 18th 2023</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Thanks so much -</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Denise</span></span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #eeeeee; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-30924292498591989732023-06-21T07:12:00.000+10:002023-06-21T07:12:10.033+10:00#WEP #JUNECHALLENGE - Close Encounters of the Third Kind. My #flashfiction, Gone in 60 Seconds<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> Hi! Welcome to the June WEP challenge, Close Encounters of the Third Kind using the sci-fi movie as the prompt. </span></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1h61o-fM26tXqOO40-WGo5vbxj4med_Vyx31nN8E_vedB7N5VAsGR3utyl984LXQ55pK4oeMU11iflSjWssBsc3lWoE9NCgS3eXAd47NWykzjdEf2Pn8wuCQr3v_FSINAlJuRTslMEJ2_VCvAlUK-Hcf9CHVozQSk5yeKm3zxV4IsmnQHo6dUq8b/s383/Close%20Encounters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1h61o-fM26tXqOO40-WGo5vbxj4med_Vyx31nN8E_vedB7N5VAsGR3utyl984LXQ55pK4oeMU11iflSjWssBsc3lWoE9NCgS3eXAd47NWykzjdEf2Pn8wuCQr3v_FSINAlJuRTslMEJ2_VCvAlUK-Hcf9CHVozQSk5yeKm3zxV4IsmnQHo6dUq8b/s320/Close%20Encounters.jpg" width="201" /></a></i></div><i><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm sharing a nail biter I wrote in 2010 and have never shared on my blog. I think it encapsulates a close encounter. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think in the comments.</span></i></p><p><b style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 28pt; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 28pt; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO_4UEuk7aZwvZ_epSPflLziy6cVHFw3asr2kdnsBUyej0IRTy9HRQnT5fvJSLpUqxHs9ogPlNrqKoLQKTpAZT89_8aGhBOKxipljPO-HDyZ0hOE96sh9dzA07gPCYz_Fi-5l_XxN95lNNcjWXxlPIaWbq0DFSV1pxXwv6YW61p0AdrqN1AJ8u0qH1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="666" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO_4UEuk7aZwvZ_epSPflLziy6cVHFw3asr2kdnsBUyej0IRTy9HRQnT5fvJSLpUqxHs9ogPlNrqKoLQKTpAZT89_8aGhBOKxipljPO-HDyZ0hOE96sh9dzA07gPCYz_Fi-5l_XxN95lNNcjWXxlPIaWbq0DFSV1pxXwv6YW61p0AdrqN1AJ8u0qH1" width="240" /></a></span></b></div><p> <i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="text-align: center;">Gone
in 60 Seconds</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I panic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">Forget everything
I’ve been taught. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">Okay, 60 seconds
of free falling has been sweet, but now the parachute is supposed to take up
the slack, but guess what? Yep. Just my luck. The shanky thing gets itself
stuck and here I go, free falling, free screaming, heading for the ground at a
great rate of knots. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span lang="EN-AU">Tug! Tug! Tug! <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">It’s stuck all
right! I lose all hope of hearing that thunderous whoosh, seeing that gentle
puff of parachute silk billowing above me. Nah, this time it’s just me, the sky
and that old enemy, gravity. I’m no longer floating. I’m dropping towards the
ground like a lead ball, faster, faster. I force my eyes open again and try to
reason with myself. I probably have another 60 seconds before impact. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span lang="EN-AU">Think! Think!
Think!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"> I manoeuvre my body back into the arch
position which isn’t easy when my limbs are stiff with terror. In training I’ve
been shown how you can direct your flight in free fall, so with a great deal of
effort I pull my arms slightly back at the shoulders and straighten my legs as
I’ve been taught. My heart begins to thump again. The adrenalin rushes through
me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"><i>I know what to do
and I do it.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I move backwards
by extending my arms and bending my knees like I’m trying to touch the back of
my head with my heels. From this position I can make a left or right turn by
twisting my upper body slightly. You might be wondering why I’m bothering but
I’d been told in training for my solo jump that you can survive a free fall
from up to 50,000 feet if you stay in control and hey, I’m only at 11,000 feet
so I must be in with a chance, don’t you think? A survival float, they call it.
Choose your drop zone. I know I’ll have a better chance of survival if I land on
a nice soft spot. Or in deep water. Or even on a car or a rooftop. Anything but
cement. God, not that…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"> My tactics seem to be working. I have slowed
my speed and am heading towards the beach. Of course I can’t hear the waves
crashing or the seagulls calling or the surfers cursing when someone drops in—all
I hear is the sound of wind screaming in my ears and my desperate prayers ‘…help
me, help me, oh God, oh Godddd...’ About 30 seconds to go. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">You know how they
say your life flashes before you as you drown, well, I’m drowning in wind and extreme
velocity. My life is flashing before me like a flickering movie in fast forward.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I see my children,
their trusting baby faces. I see my daughter’s triumphant smile smeared with my
bright red lipstick. I see my son’s joyous high five when he won his soccer
game. I flash on their birthday parties and am sorry I won’t be there to share
any more. Nor will they share mine. Today they’ll be waiting for me to come
home from ‘Mummy’s air jump all by herself’ so they can yell ‘Surprise! Clever
Mummy!’ I see my husband, his face white with shock when I told him I intend to
go solo for my thirtieth. ‘That’s far too dangerous!’ he’d yelled. ‘For God’s
sake, you have children. You can’t keep jumping out of planes! You’ll be sorry!’
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I’m sorry now. I
wasn’t then. The one time I’d been determined to do something just for myself,
look what happens! Any moment now. Yikes, here comes the ground, faster,
faster.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I’m aware of the
beach flashing by. It always lifts my spirits, gives me strength. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU">I won’t make it. The
waves, too far away, in and out, in and out, the rhythm of life. Ah, life.
Relax! Relax! More chance if you relax! Bend your knees! Aim for that soft,
billowy sand just ahead. Dip shoulder to the left, get ready for impact. Drop
zone. Drop zone. Sand dune. Yes! Careening towards me-colours
blending-whirling-blue-green-sandy-use balls of feet-point toes-swish-thwomp-roll-bounce-cover
head-arms-close-to-ears-use elbows-to-protect-head-hold-tight-grassy-knoll-coming-thump-thump-thump-that
hurt-ooh-ah-blessed blackness…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"> ‘Hey! Over here! Quick! She’s alive! Call Emergency!’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"><i>©Denise Covey 2010 – Fast Fiction – Gone in 60 seconds</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-AU"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgicCCw3nNvT04QZdQErGk-QHRQZD5Q1Rfm7JqvZYlFJ0rnUNGoHyhSppLh0Kg411hUbXq2mAL_LOkwg476iVEIgNyLbj7AzQksTzku-OQELLEOhwMWxF_AmjTMYo_4LqHC_PKRBpp9Fq5oTmcVHlPAtv3S6COvERXwwvRrR5vVhJbZkehkRSffB2JS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="123" data-original-width="409" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgicCCw3nNvT04QZdQErGk-QHRQZD5Q1Rfm7JqvZYlFJ0rnUNGoHyhSppLh0Kg411hUbXq2mAL_LOkwg476iVEIgNyLbj7AzQksTzku-OQELLEOhwMWxF_AmjTMYo_4LqHC_PKRBpp9Fq5oTmcVHlPAtv3S6COvERXwwvRrR5vVhJbZkehkRSffB2JS" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoFooter">WORDS: 705</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p>FCA</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p>Please click on the list in my sidebar for more entries in our June writing contest. A win could get you published in WEP's 2023 Anthology.</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p>WEP's next challenge is going to be beautiful! Based on the movie Chocolat. Please join us for this sensory feast!</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRuzO6U6oWNkCKW4tCfKfMr2RgaEXKIbMXz4IevCOVwD9tEi6JfMk80usxMDFaBA4IWpGReCnomH4HHS1ihRzFnN-Wi-IBLQRTu11hrbiEMQad7MbOquHXhilXrXAyoIQueSWEa43B4Iw53ljdRlJHojB1YT5-bX0UFmHCBBb4fIISAc2N6U2C0yG/s399/Chocolat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRuzO6U6oWNkCKW4tCfKfMr2RgaEXKIbMXz4IevCOVwD9tEi6JfMk80usxMDFaBA4IWpGReCnomH4HHS1ihRzFnN-Wi-IBLQRTu11hrbiEMQad7MbOquHXhilXrXAyoIQueSWEa43B4Iw53ljdRlJHojB1YT5-bX0UFmHCBBb4fIISAc2N6U2C0yG/s320/Chocolat.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-76407054475130437712023-06-07T10:49:00.043+10:002023-06-07T10:49:00.139+10:00#IWSG June 2023 - ...if I could no longer write.<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">"You are hereby sentenced to ten years' hard labor."</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">My fingers clenched into my palms. My heart hammered in my ears. What did 'hard labor' mean? Would I be roused from my bed each morning at dawn in the freezing snow and chain-marched to a field to smash rocks?</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Your imprisonment will be a warning to all those who hold seditious thoughts, who write seditious thoughts. Activists like you will be silenced."</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, silenced so dictators like you can wreak havoc on my beloved country, with no oppositional voices heard.</span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Every book you have written, every placard that bears your name, every podcast, every social media post will be eradicated in this political purge. Every dollar you have made from your heinous words will be taken from you as the spoils of crime. What do you have to say for yourself?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Nothing,"<i> What was the point? Anything I said would be twisted and turned against me. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"During your imprisonment you will have no access to pens, pencils, paper, iPad, laptop or any other writing paraphernalia. I repeat, your voice will be silenced. You will have ample time to think, to attend reinvention classes and change your ways."</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The judge's vicious words flowed over me. I was already in my head, imagining what I would uncover in ten years and write about, exposing this dictator and his henchmen to the world. They could take away what they saw as my 'writing paraphernalia' but they could never take away the most important, the thoughts in my head. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨<code style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">* •.¸¸.•*´¨</code></em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨`</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨<code style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">* •.¸¸.•*´¨</code></em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨`</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨<code style="font-style: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">* •.¸¸.•*´¨</code></em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">•.¸¸.•</span><em style="background-color: white; font-family: "EB Garamond", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">´¨`</em></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3zUHRnMXqWujRq2w058KteF-9rVpgzmEktWUanyxjp-JDyXU4vrjd9FctXtXLc1BnadfrFRkjTEAeLL_-ZQIsE5EWpBS9Ro2tH7qAHwGfaMkLnhwcuQj82BICRuuUWhWGaZkYyPviw5LtGXc0hGsZ7H-UUGZ0jgmRd-eK4oMnyXPwU-AyIPjXbuHf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="506" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3zUHRnMXqWujRq2w058KteF-9rVpgzmEktWUanyxjp-JDyXU4vrjd9FctXtXLc1BnadfrFRkjTEAeLL_-ZQIsE5EWpBS9Ro2tH7qAHwGfaMkLnhwcuQj82BICRuuUWhWGaZkYyPviw5LtGXc0hGsZ7H-UUGZ0jgmRd-eK4oMnyXPwU-AyIPjXbuHf" width="198" /></a></i></div><i><br /><br /></i><p></p><p>Thanks for visiting for the IWSG. Please click <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">HERE </a>to read more entries.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg99k5CvLVfXNm83Mkpm4qHeNLvtxSOuuI2Q12HBfZmQaLAkTiZQSE3K8AfetK46yTPn99pDP8da68AR9uUdi41b-BoDSqexciQAogD7lNB_uzTqdz5ySzqnlyhVwor2ihv1NnP8PwRecPJ4ccJYkA7MI-cb9qWzVcpgV0Fl0RLcGuDyNR_o-s10Hcy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg99k5CvLVfXNm83Mkpm4qHeNLvtxSOuuI2Q12HBfZmQaLAkTiZQSE3K8AfetK46yTPn99pDP8da68AR9uUdi41b-BoDSqexciQAogD7lNB_uzTqdz5ySzqnlyhVwor2ihv1NnP8PwRecPJ4ccJYkA7MI-cb9qWzVcpgV0Fl0RLcGuDyNR_o-s10Hcy" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patrcia Josephine,</a> <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://olgagodim.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> <a href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">J. Lenni Dorner,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b>And while you're here at mine, please consider yourself invited to write for the WEP June challenge.<a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/"> DETAILS HERE</a> on June 1.</b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b>Do anything you like with the movie challenge, <i>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</i>. Ideas <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">HERE.</a> Guidelines only.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45OUCUVB6PxQySxdMm4lISi3VcbHiKgcM2je8N9Tk37UD5UdX6XqfrVCBjWBd6LFkqenx9wChA81Gp3aZRtZ1jsAA31dQ6x4Ceb03bZEdxjuFdJLJJJPi8pT56YtYip2Xm6AWn_idc8kYJDGrXvmeKZsgs1GTFbHv3csOizhCOXu8bUB0ayuvEUnA/s383/Close%20Encounters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45OUCUVB6PxQySxdMm4lISi3VcbHiKgcM2je8N9Tk37UD5UdX6XqfrVCBjWBd6LFkqenx9wChA81Gp3aZRtZ1jsAA31dQ6x4Ceb03bZEdxjuFdJLJJJPi8pT56YtYip2Xm6AWn_idc8kYJDGrXvmeKZsgs1GTFbHv3csOizhCOXu8bUB0ayuvEUnA/s320/Close%20Encounters.jpg" width="201" /></a></div></span></span></div></div><p><br /></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-5359722503487956012023-05-10T19:11:00.000+10:002023-05-10T19:11:11.797+10:00#guestpost - May 10 - #SupernaturalCreatures in Literature - L Diane Wolfe<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Welcome!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Those of you who know me know I love my supernatural creatures, especially vampires. Today, L Diane Wolfe is going to educate us on supernatural creatures. People in times past and in the modern age, really do believe in these supernatural creatures and love to read about them. Exotic creatures such as the leviathan/behemoth, cockatrice, dragons, unicorns, satyrs, demons and others appear in the Bible, in books written by Job (the oldest in Scripture), Moses, King David, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and even the apostle John mention them! </span></p><p><a name="m_-2211997224364203257__Hlk126777558" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><b>Supernatural
Creatures in Literature</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><a name="m_-2211997224364203257__Hlk126777558" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></a></p><p><a name="m_-2211997224364203257__Hlk126777558" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGBkgX3Ef6c8WFDOChiRUZSloecqCCk3vo1jpg39pUp4n050OD3Wi22-M3wqmiXrb_MYCPqSA24EFvEdly30y0Lr1PlNNia5_7dVjJsM4HD8apNGlfY7gJPLDcBsmi_D-qakbEh8IPPDT1PksHYRc0JiTZY-VOAYz3qDRXZ0J7VIx3mAfrifECeWa/s458/240_F_85425589_S8VMevJiSVEVYCBVTmRMmrkhPNXOGvkZ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="458" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGBkgX3Ef6c8WFDOChiRUZSloecqCCk3vo1jpg39pUp4n050OD3Wi22-M3wqmiXrb_MYCPqSA24EFvEdly30y0Lr1PlNNia5_7dVjJsM4HD8apNGlfY7gJPLDcBsmi_D-qakbEh8IPPDT1PksHYRc0JiTZY-VOAYz3qDRXZ0J7VIx3mAfrifECeWa/s320/240_F_85425589_S8VMevJiSVEVYCBVTmRMmrkhPNXOGvkZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> Denise asked me to cover supernatural creatures. You would be really surprised how many are out there. If you’re writing a supernatural tale, the sky really is the limit.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">If you go to the Mythical Creatures Guide (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://mythicalcreaturesguide.com/list-of-mythical-creatures&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw13V4v3Gs_5fUFUTlGz9jvX" href="http://mythicalcreaturesguide.com/list-of-mythical-creatures" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>mythicalcreaturesguide.com/<wbr></wbr>list-of-mythical-creatures</a>) you will be stunned. I had no idea there were so many! Everything from mermaids to dragons. Many of the Greek monsters were on the list, too.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">According to Collins Dictionary (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/supernatural-creature&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw1tgVMycTWAO_JSSEKhgRoB" href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/supernatural-creature" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.<wbr></wbr>collinsdictionary.com/us/<wbr></wbr>dictionary/english/<wbr></wbr>supernatural-creature</a>) :<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><i>Supernatural creatures, forces, and events are believed by some people to exist or happen, although they are impossible according to scientific laws.<u></u><u></u></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">So, they can’t be proven, but people still believe. Or want to believe.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">Technically, only two of my supernatural creatures are on any of those lists. But I can explain why the other two qualify.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">The first book in the In Darkness series was The Vampire. Now, vampires are certainly a supernatural creature. The idea of vampirism has existed for centuries. The word itself first appeared in Europe around 1732. An eternal creature that feeds on blood has since cemented its place in our folklore.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">The third book is The Werewolf, another supernatural being. Werewolves can be traced back almost 2000 years ago. Those inflicted with lycanthropy can shapeshift into a wolf. Lycanthrope is an ancient Greek term, and it’s amazing how many words in various languages are related to werewolf.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">Now, the second book, which was just released, is The Shark. There is no shark listed as a mythical or supernatural being. The closest is the Kraken. However, I made my shark a bit supernatural by giving him the gift of speech. Yes, Clarence the great white shark from Australia can talk! There aren’t too many talking fish unless you count The Incredible Mr. Limpet or Jabberjaw.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">The fourth book will be The Alien. While they can’t be proved, they don’t exactly fall under supernatural or paranormal. More science fiction. However, I came up with a way to make my alien more paranormal. A unique ability that can’t be proven by science. Which makes it paranormal.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;">I hope I’ve given you some ideas for other supernatural creatures and the resources to build them. And remember—any creature can be supernatural with the right touches.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DpG1LbVEXyR-ahZ8Np92eMxaYbB_-YllTQvJOWqR3hhQpDOBZhbp5HGdhe8diqDmUtiNh6AScj7SABVrjYSR9WNqipF3gvCMMSLGOdj4jDjKtVaPI4jZfVRR8VgFs1Aid6GBG8-CFRDqAfCGHTHiymBE4IsvIFVmGjEuBF6ZhAz-IY8QzFLzzevO/s1200/L%20Diane%20Wolfe%20Promo%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DpG1LbVEXyR-ahZ8Np92eMxaYbB_-YllTQvJOWqR3hhQpDOBZhbp5HGdhe8diqDmUtiNh6AScj7SABVrjYSR9WNqipF3gvCMMSLGOdj4jDjKtVaPI4jZfVRR8VgFs1Aid6GBG8-CFRDqAfCGHTHiymBE4IsvIFVmGjEuBF6ZhAz-IY8QzFLzzevO/w180-h167/L%20Diane%20Wolfe%20Promo%202.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.</span></div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.spunkonastick.net/&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw3aesKYxQ8ewu_ON1UImuDS" href="http://www.spunkonastick.net/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">http://www.spunkonastick.net/</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> - Spunk On A Stick<br /></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw3UxGC_wFgD38zrHL0dj8n2" href="http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">http://www.<wbr></wbr>circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> - Spunk On A Stick’s Tips<br /></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw1JDHh6HWQ5SMhxAwwU1eHq" href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">http://www.<wbr></wbr>insecurewriterssupportgroup.<wbr></wbr>com/</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> - Insecure Writer’s Support Group</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> <u></u></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCaegxm2FPIkvyOu1v7MvWWYEdwIqDuKITlWD0jVfxc0Rkc70gUMKPxmVwVFjzMsJ8lhlAqk4gKmK1ySi12hGYAPb0lUFI7QVJAJKwfiMFbWxRDGbkhAQGJR9zjxkpOBkUzzXhFQJrWWRPJJjsyiF09hZhLQHwvLWsVyzfy3-G73D8cE9DTjtnn4Q/s987/In%20Darkness%20The%20Shark%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCaegxm2FPIkvyOu1v7MvWWYEdwIqDuKITlWD0jVfxc0Rkc70gUMKPxmVwVFjzMsJ8lhlAqk4gKmK1ySi12hGYAPb0lUFI7QVJAJKwfiMFbWxRDGbkhAQGJR9zjxkpOBkUzzXhFQJrWWRPJJjsyiF09hZhLQHwvLWsVyzfy3-G73D8cE9DTjtnn4Q/s320/In%20Darkness%20The%20Shark%20(1).jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">In Darkness: The Shark</span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">By L. Diane Wolfe<br /><br />Souls shrouded in darkness…<br /><br />Focused on her studies and duties at the aquarium, Jewels prefers her solitary life. Burned many times and short on trust, she has more in common with her aquatic friends than the people around her. But she never imagined coming face to face with a shark named Clarence…a shark who talks!<br /><br />As their friendship grows, Jewels must overcome her deep set mistrust. There are dangers, both in the Australian ocean and on dry land. Can Jewels depend on the great white or will his animal nature betray her?<br /><br />Romance/Paranormal - Fantasy/Paranormal - Fantasy/Romance<br />eBook ISBN 9781939844910 $3.99<br /><br />Buy Links:<br />Amazon - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKTLKMG4&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw1stDd7sB2Unqy30vHK7XG-" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKTLKMG4" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/<wbr></wbr>B0BKTLKMG4</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />iTunes - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6444053123&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw06Cm4mzZ1U3hI3Ajn5fqRR" href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6444053123" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://books.apple.com/us/<wbr></wbr>book/x/id6444053123</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />Barnes & Noble - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165956393&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw22pf4fVqelCIAaCWncUWl_" href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165956393" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.barnesandnoble.<wbr></wbr>com/s/2940165956393</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />Kobo - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query%3D9781939844910&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw0zaHHUjnE7ruo2tcKDvgRZ" href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844910" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://store.kobobooks.com/<wbr></wbr>en-us/Search?Query=<wbr></wbr>9781939844910</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />Scribed - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.scribd.com/search?query%3D9781939844910%26language%3D0&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw1R0kkxTzSY1ZhTfeiSPA99" href="https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844910&language=0" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.scribd.com/search?<wbr></wbr>query=9781939844910&language=0</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />Goodreads - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63208820-in-darkness&source=gmail&ust=1677806270853000&usg=AOvVaw3yyBAiGPP92qU7Q0vxc4q4" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63208820-in-darkness" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;">https://www.goodreads.com/<wbr></wbr>book/show/63208820-in-darkness</span></a><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /></span><u></u><u></u><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u> </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ-BC8TCig3UuvXochTHfJP1YdoOn7Tp8MG8DrYcQPJwYhaddvBuMyNVG8f8SdIjH1OXKFafod_3enBg4Hmq-1Vu_AvTu02dr9P3NRUSrAnQZMxpCSP8UUhV0a4z1B5jWUaJSeissfQtsJjMX3zEgr6e6uWBJ0hMsN3hei5lLc9pgHEzRqdrMD7wb/s1186/InDarknessThe%20Shark%20-%20available%20now.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1186" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ-BC8TCig3UuvXochTHfJP1YdoOn7Tp8MG8DrYcQPJwYhaddvBuMyNVG8f8SdIjH1OXKFafod_3enBg4Hmq-1Vu_AvTu02dr9P3NRUSrAnQZMxpCSP8UUhV0a4z1B5jWUaJSeissfQtsJjMX3zEgr6e6uWBJ0hMsN3hei5lLc9pgHEzRqdrMD7wb/s320/InDarknessThe%20Shark%20-%20available%20now.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BLOG TOUR STOPS</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 3</b><b><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif;"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Lynda Young<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1677808003999000&usg=AOvVaw38ZWjKI9Ku3IQ5DKiMxUYH" href="https://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://lyndaryoung.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/</a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">IWSG Anthologies<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2023/05/rapid-release-of-series.html&source=gmail&ust=1683353161939000&usg=AOvVaw1uug1Cj9fxgD6y86yQY6Dp" href="http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2023/05/rapid-release-of-series.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://iwsganthologies.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2023/05/rapid-<wbr></wbr>release-of-series.html</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">May 5<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Australian Romance Readers<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au/&source=gmail&ust=1681861308468000&usg=AOvVaw1LX51yTRVDURwuOAv_po8N" href="http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>australianromancereaders.com.<wbr></wbr>au/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 7<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">I Smell Sheep<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ismellsheep.com/search/label/Policies&source=gmail&ust=1677808003999000&usg=AOvVaw2kWWN-7A-T91Pqa3Ms8rnN" href="http://www.ismellsheep.com/search/label/Policies" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.ismellsheep.com/<wbr></wbr>search/label/Policies</a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 8<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Alex J. Cavanaugh<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/&source=gmail&ust=1677808003999000&usg=AOvVaw3Wa0ABbLu8euWviPBM4S-Q" href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.alexjcavanaugh.<wbr></wbr>com/</a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 9<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Tyrean Martinson<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1677808003999000&usg=AOvVaw3x32OWdCwDycS6jh5ldCih" href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://tyreanswritingspot.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/</a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 10<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Denise Covey<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dencovey.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1677808003999000&usg=AOvVaw36IyW8sCpLoIuzDdAWNvqq" href="https://dencovey.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://dencovey.blogspot.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 12<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Elizabeth Seckman<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://eseckman.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1679898316965000&usg=AOvVaw2yKZ6VGODQjRTN4jFwZ4jZ" href="http://eseckman.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://eseckman.blogspot.com/</a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><b>May 15<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;">Jemi Fraser<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://jemifraser.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1679898316965000&usg=AOvVaw21sRJq1O8rkPXT3-b6ReHs" href="https://jemifraser.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://jemifraser.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></p></div><br />Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-46743266268167806232023-05-03T08:30:00.018+10:002023-05-03T08:30:00.135+10:00#IWSG post - #Found #manuscript inspires me!<p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>____________________________</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A QUICK NOTE FOR BLOGSPOT BLOGGERS INTERESTED IN THE <span style="color: #cc0000;">COMMENT DEBACLE </span>WHICH MAY HIT A BLOG NEAR YOU.</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>____________________________</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>If you're not the patient type, stop reading and keep on using pop-up.</i> </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Many blogspot blogs have had problems with replying to comments due to some Google messing around months ago and the only fix was to return to the old pop-up type comment where you have to do a roll-call of replies in several sessions - ugh - hate that. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>MY FIX:</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- Go to <span style="color: #cc0000;">Settings</span> and change back to <span style="color: #cc0000;">'embedded'</span> comments.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- To <span style="color: #cc0000;">Reply individually to comments</span>, hover over 'Reply'. It will be live, but not quite - wait for the cursor to show the 'hand'. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- In a little while (this is where patience is required) you'll sing a song of joy when the little 'hand' shows up. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">(I go read blogs while I wait for this miraculous event).</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- Click on <span style="color: #cc0000;">Reply</span> again and you can then reply individually. Woo hoo!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>(You can't hurry the process but it works!) For me anyway. Check my comments! Just thought I'd share something I've discovered.</i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #424242; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/s225/download.png" style="color: #cd6636; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/w147-h147/download.png" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="147" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/s225/download.png" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/w147-h147/download.png" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="147" /></a></div><p>Hello there! Welcome to the May 3 IWSG posting. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbxkz8vnRiYmxWBDUIr5EP5XCmB-lDrarofm0Lu4Z9ITjLC5czaJdPrG9HdMPX6s_i13pgsAdC7QfX6pcb3xcZRRmrWN1v8y1ROR4YzFv3gJ6EaVJYeehviPllxCxrzM9pwYzIA5ibxhsoUMLC1nI3m9JYkhD9YFFZUYtjMFg0kRYApDRHzUTEMPBL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="3420" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbxkz8vnRiYmxWBDUIr5EP5XCmB-lDrarofm0Lu4Z9ITjLC5czaJdPrG9HdMPX6s_i13pgsAdC7QfX6pcb3xcZRRmrWN1v8y1ROR4YzFv3gJ6EaVJYeehviPllxCxrzM9pwYzIA5ibxhsoUMLC1nI3m9JYkhD9YFFZUYtjMFg0kRYApDRHzUTEMPBL=w406-h106" width="406" /></a></div><br />Love this badge!</div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;">Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!<br />Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: center;"><br />The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are <strong><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3D0946ae0a3c%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw2CZVNzwH7T0BCIpy_WC9Kp" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=0946ae0a3c&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3D842bbd7b6f%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw2jdpuJ7sqkAa8QlJa8m7Bq" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=842bbd7b6f&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3Dee3f73de05%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw0DMoMg0srQOe5BbygBXrD0" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=ee3f73de05&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Meka James,</a> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3Df68a4053e0%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw1mIZv9EsmskPeSBF-cKJya" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=f68a4053e0&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3D232a1fc664%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw18bN1L8zFbJeG5ij3PUsOZ" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=232a1fc664&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a></strong> and <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854%26id%3D0093200fee%26e%3Dbf31c4d350&source=gmail&ust=1682606887576000&usg=AOvVaw2WrbdFCCMR0Rd9tS-yUJvr" href="https://insecurewriterssupportgroup.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b058c62fa7ffb4280355e8854&id=0093200fee&e=bf31c4d350" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank"><strong>M Louise Barbour!</strong></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Here's the May question. Remember, the question is optional!</strong><br /><br /></div><p><strong style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">May 3 question - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?</strong></p><p><br /></p><p>Well, this question should be easy to answer, but I found it difficult. Each story inspires in a different way. But I'll tell you something related. In 2013 I worked on a manuscript set in Fiji after spending 6 weeks housesitting for writer friend Nas Dean. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTYWKqghutMu-UFComY02ZUr2hjzdgT80N9XWtCahkKow5-WlJEkxvxLk6LsvdVhbDDuJ_1wHqi5_RLO9ceFaVA6HdB-UsyEQW-ez6R647vvJHJIryJ5beuZcKn1lJtIGePFGnwm-4SSWHIdnoW-V2GGOi9Zr8yrcqh08iAFFcgB2vDFLxLvxyCqve" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTYWKqghutMu-UFComY02ZUr2hjzdgT80N9XWtCahkKow5-WlJEkxvxLk6LsvdVhbDDuJ_1wHqi5_RLO9ceFaVA6HdB-UsyEQW-ez6R647vvJHJIryJ5beuZcKn1lJtIGePFGnwm-4SSWHIdnoW-V2GGOi9Zr8yrcqh08iAFFcgB2vDFLxLvxyCqve=w166-h266" width="166" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Cover mocked up on Canva in 5 minutes.</span></div><br /><p></p><div><span data-canva-clipboard="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"></span></div><p>After paying for a full manuscript assessment (and cringing at the results) I was given a romance writing mentor at the Romance Writers of Australia. It all got a bit too exhausting. I felt so insecure it was ridiculous. I couldn't even finish reading the comments from my ms assistants. <i>Stop kidding yourself, Denise, you're no romance writer,</i> I told myself. </p><p>I didn't bin the story, but I left it wallowing on my computer - well, it got carried forward as I've bought 3 new laptops since then.</p><p>After telling a writer friend only recently that this manuscript was going nowhere, I was scrolling through my Kindle and by accident or design I started reading this story. Geez, I thought, this is pretty cool. Who wrote this? You guessed it, I was reading one of the iterations of my story I'd uploaded to Kindle years ago when I knew how to do that, LOL.</p><p>Long story short, I then hunted for the ms assessment and my mentor's Track Changes document. And voila! It wasn't as bad as I thought! </p><p>I'm editing this baby while my cookery school novel settles. I'll publish both this year! Fijian Princess is my only ever pure romance - most of my work is women's fiction with romantic elements. The romance tropes are there - hero and heroine meet practically on the first page - told from both POVs - Romeo and Juliet story - happily ever after ending! So as soon as it's tidied up, it's off to a romance editor. Then we'll see ...</p><p>Feeling so insecure about my writing cost me ten years with this story! But it'll be much better with what I've learned since 2013!</p><p><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i><b>- How about you? Ever come across an old manuscript and see some merit? </b></i></span></p><p>Thanks for coming by! </p><p>I'm heading off on a holiday, driving 1200 klm to North Queensland. I'll be by to comment when I can!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvP5qQbZKb8pkJo-sWzSsEQUGfMID0nWEzl5ztJFksyK5Lcr8CbpFIGHNFDY63mNXq9t6o9j7oHWfMqKbxC3J2TRiAp1wILiu7SqWX5aae4EzxQOpcCne__RHAGIsuhvRJq9x3SSpEyNlsxYYgYf4JvY5UOul3Ir5Wc-Iln_z9YeEmpAH5ncu9eGp/s320/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvP5qQbZKb8pkJo-sWzSsEQUGfMID0nWEzl5ztJFksyK5Lcr8CbpFIGHNFDY63mNXq9t6o9j7oHWfMqKbxC3J2TRiAp1wILiu7SqWX5aae4EzxQOpcCne__RHAGIsuhvRJq9x3SSpEyNlsxYYgYf4JvY5UOul3Ir5Wc-Iln_z9YeEmpAH5ncu9eGp/s1600/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We at WEP are waiting for the winners to be chosen for Life is Beautiful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next challenge in June - COME WRITE FOR US!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvfPhtCMD-1H-K9zisou_dME0BDCJFoI9B5M3JLQGDfYtQnysZQbLznAeCbD8qofFspm-G1UVTDufGfiIrdCTCrCS4J65d2UEC_uUvP2Sq18vhXgHH5asgzejzfemn327YcBwiuFU8siBKN7xJPaPSUGKOomEadD467lQoPNte40rSoOlEpufpnAA/s383/Close%20Encounters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvfPhtCMD-1H-K9zisou_dME0BDCJFoI9B5M3JLQGDfYtQnysZQbLznAeCbD8qofFspm-G1UVTDufGfiIrdCTCrCS4J65d2UEC_uUvP2Sq18vhXgHH5asgzejzfemn327YcBwiuFU8siBKN7xJPaPSUGKOomEadD467lQoPNte40rSoOlEpufpnAA/s320/Close%20Encounters.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-80850266935025535742023-04-19T08:30:00.005+10:002023-04-20T11:49:41.127+10:00#WEP #AprilChallenge - my #flashfiction - The Reunion (#fantasy)<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>____________________________</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A QUICK NOTE FOR BLOGSPOT BLOGGERS INTERESTED IN THE <span style="color: #cc0000;">COMMENT DEBACLE </span>WHICH MAY HIT A BLOG NEAR YOU.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>____________________________</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>If you're not the patient type, stop reading and keep on using pop-up.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Many blogspot blogs have had problems with replying to comments due to some Google messing around months ago and the only fix was to return to the old pop-up type comment where you have to do a roll-call of replies in several sessions - ugh - hate that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>MY FIX:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- Go to <span style="color: #cc0000;">Settings</span> and change back to <span style="color: #cc0000;">'embedded'</span> comments.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- To <span style="color: #cc0000;">Reply individually to comments</span>, hover over 'Reply'. It will be live, but not quite - wait for the cursor to show the 'hand'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- In a little while (this is where patience is required) you'll sing a song of joy when the little 'hand' shows up. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">(I go read blogs while I wait for this miraculous event).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">- Click on <span style="color: #cc0000;">Reply</span> again and you can then reply individually. Woo hoo!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>(You can't hurry the process but it works!) For me anyway. Check my comments! Just thought I'd share something I've discovered.</i></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/s225/download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/w147-h147/download.png" width="147" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/s225/download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUHSgpx4-WS3zAe0lLEk3yyY_IEu6hpGDQHo4E9K1hfA1psWnTvvk2fzG361OxhRpmI_zkLT172dgF2iM7rybQk5BtXVXS3M2s7qLojXcRkdsM9fuDYfNenZ5aV1yMa7dsH12CXWGu1u9KxR8dtVYbzOrJxfTgby135-yDVofcPfqMb6XNKpmaqi/w147-h147/download.png" width="147" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Time to publish my #flashfiction for the WEP Life is Beautiful challenge. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKxrtGWBz5zhYimOu2a5HhYLq4XyzMSNyPJYCsbtvT6Nj1RIW9gDG60Bz3RAPwTrt5iGSwCNDbxLQJbQoPf6iFnc1Jwx7PyXOcWXpxZZVx7rQe6c4VWNm-ouKE8f3MeKb1nQJdUVKT6VX_EJ73b7KBpc5AH2Awe7SsVC8sEgBcbuG6P1Ev3TXiZR5/s364/Life%20is%20Beautiful%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKxrtGWBz5zhYimOu2a5HhYLq4XyzMSNyPJYCsbtvT6Nj1RIW9gDG60Bz3RAPwTrt5iGSwCNDbxLQJbQoPf6iFnc1Jwx7PyXOcWXpxZZVx7rQe6c4VWNm-ouKE8f3MeKb1nQJdUVKT6VX_EJ73b7KBpc5AH2Awe7SsVC8sEgBcbuG6P1Ev3TXiZR5/s320/Life%20is%20Beautiful%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">POST April 19 - 21</div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> Here I offer one of my few forays into #fantasy. Written many moons ago, I think it encapsulates the theme. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Enjoy my story. Click on names in my sidebar to read more.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><br /></span></b><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxA3ym9XV52HNqxVbJoT04DtNT14mKJQJPC1wKL34oscpnbGvhOuKjZdX9-0IkAO-qKD9816kS4ZZk5ZEdN9OGFe7bFGy1c-aMnN0jxKSjQ9FlMsOp34CuJvROfoMjSK-t67v9uf2yCbR33EMiGjHDR3NniETqWrvBF_AR9m8lQjevNWf-0Il6iBQ/s711/red%20rose%20fantasy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxA3ym9XV52HNqxVbJoT04DtNT14mKJQJPC1wKL34oscpnbGvhOuKjZdX9-0IkAO-qKD9816kS4ZZk5ZEdN9OGFe7bFGy1c-aMnN0jxKSjQ9FlMsOp34CuJvROfoMjSK-t67v9uf2yCbR33EMiGjHDR3NniETqWrvBF_AR9m8lQjevNWf-0Il6iBQ/s320/red%20rose%20fantasy.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;">The Reunion</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;">C</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;">harlotte scarcely remembered the long bus ride from Sydney through
the rugged countryside, so focused was she on seeing Jack again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘We’re here.’ The driver pulled his lumbering vehicle to the side
of the road. ‘You’re being met?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Yes.’ Charlotte slashed her lips with the bright red shade Jack
loved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Slinging her black tote over her shoulder, she walked carefully down
the aisle and thanked the driver who helped her alight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Are you sure about this?’ he asked. ‘People who wander into the Australian
bush, often never wander out again.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Charlotte was the happiest she’d been for years. Her heart thumped
in her ears when she said, ‘I’ll be fine.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>The driver’s eyes roved the empty road. ‘No luggage then, love?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Not this trip.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘There’s no one here to meet you.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘He’ll come.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘But who? The houses were bulldozed years ago.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Charlotte smiled, turned away, slipped a pill under her tongue.
‘Thanks for bringing me so far out of your way, young man.’ She handed him a
tiny red rose from the posy she carried.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">He twirled the flower. ‘I’ll come back. One? Two hours?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Thanks, but no. Be on your way now.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘I really don’t mind.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘It’s fine.’ Charlotte walked away, tugging her bright red coat
around her shoulders. She was relieved when the bus’s engine ticked over.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"> </span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">~*~<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It was hard going on a track that was no longer maintained, but
she made it to Gulliriviere, the tiny settlement where she once lived with Jack
and their friends. It’d been named by Irish ex-convicts who were used to
plentiful rains in their home country. How flummoxed they were by a river that
bore nothing but gravel year after bitter year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Leaving the abandoned shacks behind, further into the bush she
trudged. Her steps slowed as she put distance between her and the desolation of
the little street where houses were sacrificed for a lumber mill that was never
built.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Logging.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Controversial even then.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>The ‘greenies’ had chained themselves to the trees and no one
could budge them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>As she passed by, the eucalyptus trees rustled their arms in
salute.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>But home had left. Only the scraggly beauty of nature remained.
Where once their cabin stood smugly, framed by the white picket fence Jack
built and the fragrant flowers she planted, there was … nothing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Jack,’ she whispered, ‘there’s no clue we ever lived here … Oh …
but I’m wrong. Look!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Charlotte creaked to her knees in front of her tatty rose bush, surviving
after all these years. She tugged out weedy grasses, revealed tiny closed buds,
then inhaled the earthy smell. ‘Not everything’s gone, darling Jack.’ She lay
the posy beside the rose bush, memories rushing through her head.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>She recalled her twenty-three-year old self following her love to
his rough-hewn shack in the Outback, two hours’ drive to the nearest
town and a light plane trip to Sydney. She loved the koalas who lived in the
trees nearby, she loved the solitude and yes, she even loved the big red
kangaroos who nibbled the green shoots in her garden, looking cheekily at her
over their shoulders as they loped away.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>She’d set her easel amongst the trees and paint miniatue bush
flora until the sun set on the faraway horizon. Her paintings would continue to hang in art
galleries in Australia and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris long after she was
gone.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Living in the bush had been good.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Leaving it had not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>After their cabin had been razed to the ground, they’d relocated
to Byron Bay. Plenty of flora for her to paint, but Jack had to fly in/fly out
to continue his work on the western Droughtmaster grazing property.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Hello, Madam Charlie,’ Jack would greet her at the airport.
Tossing his duffle bag in the trunk, he’d hurry to the passenger door, wrench
it open. ‘Come here,’ he’d growl, kissing her over and over much to the delight
of the traffic inspector.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Their only argument was over his retirement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span> ‘No, Charlotte, I won’t retire. I’m only sixty-five. Our
experiment with the new Droughtmaster breed is ongoing. Perhaps when it’s done
…’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">~*~<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Midnight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Phone call.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Frank Mangin, Jack’s co-worker.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘I’m sorry, Mrs Sandilands ... Jack’s gone ... heart attack.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>The bed caught her as she fell.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘We were working in the study.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Garbled noises from her mouth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;">Clunk!</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"> The phone hit the floor; Frank yabbered on. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Mrs Sandilands? I’m calling someone.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘No!’ No one could put her back together. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Mrs Sandilands! Jack had a message for you. He said, and I wrote
it down—um—<i>When it’s time, tell Charlie to come to the shack</i>.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Are you sure?’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Yes. I know your home at Gulliriviere is long gone. But that’s
the message.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Thanks, Frank.'</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>If Jack wanted her at the shack, to the shack she would go …</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">~*~<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Still kneeling at the rose bush in front of the shack’s
foundations, she took the gold fob watch from its pouch and let it drop into
her palm. She’d bought it years ago to give to Jack when he retired. It was a
work of great artistry, with minute patterns painstakingly etched into every
chain link. She read the inscription: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">To Jack, my wild Colonial Boy!
Yours ever, Charlie. XX</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>She brought it to her lips, kissed it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>The first pain hit.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">It's time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">~*~<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The rose bush bloomed with blood-red roses. The fragrance
enveloped her as it mingled with sweet summer smells.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>‘Charlie!’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>With the sweet fragrance of roses whirling around her, she ran
through the tall grasses, trailing her fingers over the white, silky flowers.
He’d be waiting by the creek just ahead, beyond the grey houses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>She hesitated at the stand of weeping willows, their lush tendrils
like dishevelled hair as they caressed the surface of the water.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>Then she saw him—her Jack—running through the willows, pushing
aside the graceful drapery. He hurried toward her—arms outstretched—welcoming
her home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black;"><o:p><span> </span></o:p></span>She beckoned her love.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">They gazed into each other’s light-kissed eyes, marvelled at their
sun-painted limbs, overjoyed at their reunion. He took the fob
watch from her soft, smooth hand, then they strolled away hand in hand across
the sparkling water, fading from sight in a gentle swirl of silvery mist.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Life is beautiful, Charlotte mused.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKDEdtUx6RFEOo7yRXJAwiv_2Ov8pZag2Ku1zDtoQftzl6oLmyJkXUu3LWMoi6EQNablXPOI4fzF4BA_60RwPsWGrj-Zf7euSMddnsPvqZf3CqJK38VRPRhtoEbagTuMxLmzMi4hww0_TgD1uTpbHQoQIqhge0fqcaIPUGP1xQ1_XnL7QRSKU_Dnq/s592/fantasy%20couple.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="474" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKDEdtUx6RFEOo7yRXJAwiv_2Ov8pZag2Ku1zDtoQftzl6oLmyJkXUu3LWMoi6EQNablXPOI4fzF4BA_60RwPsWGrj-Zf7euSMddnsPvqZf3CqJK38VRPRhtoEbagTuMxLmzMi4hww0_TgD1uTpbHQoQIqhge0fqcaIPUGP1xQ1_XnL7QRSKU_Dnq/w188-h235/fantasy%20couple.jpg" width="188" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><span><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>TAGLINE
– Life is beautiful, but death can be even better.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span>©DeniseCCovey2016</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> WORDS: 1049</span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">FCA</span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUfe_pIQsDF1tWWo38iIQCdqt-KMK8pul0AR3mRy6nCkAIlsT00PkJP6Ky-8hDZPGFT7xreAh0Rw5AD4ylY2plIksmkWLMQq-noTT7k5ozeIFHhn7qXJfQiwtnf1QCn9LA8C5cCDQbp36jtbULl8d-RRxlZ0qZDa04VRklYGCpSdD6UgKszM1pmDgT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUfe_pIQsDF1tWWo38iIQCdqt-KMK8pul0AR3mRy6nCkAIlsT00PkJP6Ky-8hDZPGFT7xreAh0Rw5AD4ylY2plIksmkWLMQq-noTT7k5ozeIFHhn7qXJfQiwtnf1QCn9LA8C5cCDQbp36jtbULl8d-RRxlZ0qZDa04VRklYGCpSdD6UgKszM1pmDgT" width="319" /></a></span></span></div><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Be on the lookout for the June WEP challenge -</span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkW004iEijCfkyr1X7I0dbVFhQIuclTh5WI4eWN59THBOuqR7yiSBw2M3hPeeBPMuX_1Y8Y88FUGI9GD1UoVCxM3IZcfASAGXaSsj4mfzI_K0ljHMKWJ6_C11Tlby7tCAK-OGmR984rHY9qbrOJjqGlhAQO3RfcY0V6nvAlC7bvmy3Tttvctv1K4W/s383/Close%20Encounters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkW004iEijCfkyr1X7I0dbVFhQIuclTh5WI4eWN59THBOuqR7yiSBw2M3hPeeBPMuX_1Y8Y88FUGI9GD1UoVCxM3IZcfASAGXaSsj4mfzI_K0ljHMKWJ6_C11Tlby7tCAK-OGmR984rHY9qbrOJjqGlhAQO3RfcY0V6nvAlC7bvmy3Tttvctv1K4W/s320/Close%20Encounters.jpg" width="201" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH5WxXkcf3udA5wC_cqXOV4efBeHA6Rj5eCraoATZL8cPNs4uQ5YUKwKMRTrezEiruNxym7dQAE2_8nIjdRQ_wNyERn584AEZy_LWcEkEbKDrpr_ZKNSOAkhHLbVxUr494nbGWHj791f8NAgxSnhR3JMGaSBA8F6PmuvvjEsJQI2V9GW2HiE-6lZD/s500/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH5WxXkcf3udA5wC_cqXOV4efBeHA6Rj5eCraoATZL8cPNs4uQ5YUKwKMRTrezEiruNxym7dQAE2_8nIjdRQ_wNyERn584AEZy_LWcEkEbKDrpr_ZKNSOAkhHLbVxUr494nbGWHj791f8NAgxSnhR3JMGaSBA8F6PmuvvjEsJQI2V9GW2HiE-6lZD/w202-h202/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" width="202" /></span></a></div><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-14344628192961414802023-04-05T09:30:00.011+10:002023-04-05T10:07:10.937+10:00#IWSG April 2023. My first foray into writing a book.<p> So hi again. So soon. April is a feeding frenzy with the A - Z Challenge and the WEP April challenge and all sort of other writing challenges coming our way. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPVXUgdRGXphzTuXdyclncoKl7H0-XaDrB3iowlq4SO4beojWhNraHHD4uhCAL3HY9qc5e-SSd5283icjiOt_GrJHlezZ5EPLzxa0htjKIXvNIC_uSGyZiKy-yA5GVjcHCLd2EiLiGsuNKMMq8RM1mBAM5Y1g7vsWL-WjrkaSXzoFr7xDviRU_yuCS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPVXUgdRGXphzTuXdyclncoKl7H0-XaDrB3iowlq4SO4beojWhNraHHD4uhCAL3HY9qc5e-SSd5283icjiOt_GrJHlezZ5EPLzxa0htjKIXvNIC_uSGyZiKy-yA5GVjcHCLd2EiLiGsuNKMMq8RM1mBAM5Y1g7vsWL-WjrkaSXzoFr7xDviRU_yuCS" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the April 5 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jemima Pett,</a> <a href="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nancy Gideon,</a> and <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrv5Ld22AgLO6553QJpZezFjoA08Uyy4gFbxObZcmR9P9S5H8dQ6OluUtPAqoUkZuMdvSI5RrTYkoFywXvyzxaHLSfXCeykKC0ruS2Kk5gjDkMlMqP-hVDb0FIaV_GFIYkC-vBJgan9LqyUR_iMYxtzHMd8JwPwrkje8382dJnVfPSZ7AZC7WePq7X" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrv5Ld22AgLO6553QJpZezFjoA08Uyy4gFbxObZcmR9P9S5H8dQ6OluUtPAqoUkZuMdvSI5RrTYkoFywXvyzxaHLSfXCeykKC0ruS2Kk5gjDkMlMqP-hVDb0FIaV_GFIYkC-vBJgan9LqyUR_iMYxtzHMd8JwPwrkje8382dJnVfPSZ7AZC7WePq7X" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;">I</i><span style="text-align: left;">'m participating in the A - Z Challenge as an interviewee. Operation Awesome is interviewing some authors who suit the letter of the day and I happened to be one of the lucky ones with my pen name, Silver Tree. Interviewed on April 24.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5Iu3D2__d5Gn5kS4OEv1uGoE-hvA_LsXkJgh8KZtGr5D4S8Hakr3YmPuZIHmLhCRUWsBsP4lxtTYc6yjDRdbHzQkb-WvAIbz9x-Cf6VIjCxVe3Ci4w5kDaKyL3medn4kjYnso9t5hWky3KEzUEMGyN2Q9cuANuxJvHpd54XxnF30US9-Uj8MtexE/s364/Life%20is%20Beautiful%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="242" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5Iu3D2__d5Gn5kS4OEv1uGoE-hvA_LsXkJgh8KZtGr5D4S8Hakr3YmPuZIHmLhCRUWsBsP4lxtTYc6yjDRdbHzQkb-WvAIbz9x-Cf6VIjCxVe3Ci4w5kDaKyL3medn4kjYnso9t5hWky3KEzUEMGyN2Q9cuANuxJvHpd54XxnF30US9-Uj8MtexE/w234-h352/Life%20is%20Beautiful%20(1).jpg" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Winners of WEP contests win critiques on their WIP and may be optioned to be included in our WEP Anthology, out in 2024.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fef6f6; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">So, the April 5 question - Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?</span></p><p>The April 5 question takes me back.</p><p>Writing was always a hobby. I always loved to write from an early age, but never saw it as a career. Teaching was my career and writing dovetails nicely with that, especially when you're an English teacher. But it wasn't until my kids were grown that I took writing seriously. That entailed learning my craft. Sadly, (and I've heard other writers bemoan this fact) you can't just write what you like how you like - you have to write to certain tropes in your genre/s, keep the action coming and throw stones at your protagonist. That took me ages to learn.</p><p>The question is a little confusing. First book? That was a spy-type of thing that went nowhere. Many others came and were binned. I've always loved short story writing, but my first real crack at a book was written while staying in Fiji with Nas Dean. Called Fijian Princess, it was okay, but not publishable. I might pick it up down the line. Trying my hand at these books was better than any craft book. As Ray Bradbury said and I paraphrase - you have to write thousands of bad words first ... Now that I'm on my way, there's no stopping me. After terrible trouble finding an ending, I'm currently about to hand my Paris cookery novel over to beta readers and the publishing process begins.</p><p>My first published book was Book 1 in my vampire series. I've written four books in the series now and have one to go, including a prequel (already written) for which I mocked up a cover in Canva yesterday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pTF7NyiPxjyEyZC6tb8uBnfEy-DwPwUVGPtJw8fpuo7rlKdvlh5uZu9B425gdK368TpURitK20nZ5cjcZ_lsQP2QjTsNvRRZdzakshUfq7xXrrnh39K3Y6Rz_XDsF-O_puHfhgZjuLWKgjpmgLjP4L42M4WVV509ELD6x3KhewBo1YpoZnqfrLsZ/s2250/AAAAALMOST%20A%20VAMPIRE.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pTF7NyiPxjyEyZC6tb8uBnfEy-DwPwUVGPtJw8fpuo7rlKdvlh5uZu9B425gdK368TpURitK20nZ5cjcZ_lsQP2QjTsNvRRZdzakshUfq7xXrrnh39K3Y6Rz_XDsF-O_puHfhgZjuLWKgjpmgLjP4L42M4WVV509ELD6x3KhewBo1YpoZnqfrLsZ/s320/AAAAALMOST%20A%20VAMPIRE.png" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unfortunately with free Canva, there are not many fonts. However, this will be handed over to Kim Killion soon and she'll do an amazing job like she did on Paris Dreams.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Have an amazing April writing! We at Team WEP would love you to join us for our April challenge, Life is Beautiful. Go HERE for the <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/04/wep-april-challenge-life-is-beautiful.html">POST</a> and <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">HERE</a> for ideas!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Closely following Life is Beautiful is a sci-fi (or whatever) prompt from the movie -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryKZxaLYoUQyYPxIEKvDXmoQ6x9n2c3fVCFcv1WT9XRDfkkrlSY1zyzTB2KYNZa5gO2Xwid-klXlzBJTCPyA-_DZj_4WmHs5VIZCy0FPeulIKHJ34ZUA7ZEqKF40CZeSoVnrnrZhZIG0nify6Sh1siclBrhsjYliGZPoRwi_2YxT_GAWOS1zTPm3K/s383/Close%20Encounters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryKZxaLYoUQyYPxIEKvDXmoQ6x9n2c3fVCFcv1WT9XRDfkkrlSY1zyzTB2KYNZa5gO2Xwid-klXlzBJTCPyA-_DZj_4WmHs5VIZCy0FPeulIKHJ34ZUA7ZEqKF40CZeSoVnrnrZhZIG0nify6Sh1siclBrhsjYliGZPoRwi_2YxT_GAWOS1zTPm3K/s320/Close%20Encounters.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wooo ... come on sci-fi lovers! Give it your best shot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15kx7D8R7A50y1f0kIFDv5wJYoQONldaHfdr-xz3TVe1cUJbjB74XQZiXSZtj9BcXpzKkZGt-x6J3Dm6TWikJC-WOxqtGvGFZ_Zhw9eW9Cljelpx45CfC9jauEH9N-OAoJZCjWkXsP0JnFdA4BVBs7wheA_BgCHwQ2K0rXKVKDDGuwapKmAUYe6vT/s500/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15kx7D8R7A50y1f0kIFDv5wJYoQONldaHfdr-xz3TVe1cUJbjB74XQZiXSZtj9BcXpzKkZGt-x6J3Dm6TWikJC-WOxqtGvGFZ_Zhw9eW9Cljelpx45CfC9jauEH9N-OAoJZCjWkXsP0JnFdA4BVBs7wheA_BgCHwQ2K0rXKVKDDGuwapKmAUYe6vT/s320/a%20Stack%20of%20Books%20Author%20Writer%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-54024810332818135822023-03-01T12:15:00.039+10:002023-03-01T12:15:00.266+10:00#IWSG MARCH 2023. DO YOU EVER SUFFER FROM #AUTHORENVY?<p> Hello fellow insecure writers. Is there any other kind? </p><p><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">"</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 17px;">As writers, we falter more often than not. We struggle to find narrative clarity, struggle with the purpose of </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 17px;">why</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 17px;"> we write, struggle with beliefs that writing comes easier or more naturally for others, struggle with allowing who we really are to come through in our work, or that who we are, as we are, is enough. Sometimes words from other writers offer a lift.</span><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">"</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu71FxptmSgD9xj2XvFGx82ulyRbb245mkZUFBAdH-8FQQJTfkKyyyxmqjRfm-_YHVKzzPKfJbln-JoJtDetq-i6x7Be-jnrdbWQiJiJ21WJ_1m8XRkME0u-9VLZ-MXPMHvKgd85Nd9_m-1THEoqB2zyJ-QQuY6eQRMkm_rsST6t7-0F7KUvSWkFQ3/s800/BestSellingAuthors_FeaturedPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="800" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu71FxptmSgD9xj2XvFGx82ulyRbb245mkZUFBAdH-8FQQJTfkKyyyxmqjRfm-_YHVKzzPKfJbln-JoJtDetq-i6x7Be-jnrdbWQiJiJ21WJ_1m8XRkME0u-9VLZ-MXPMHvKgd85Nd9_m-1THEoqB2zyJ-QQuY6eQRMkm_rsST6t7-0F7KUvSWkFQ3/s320/BestSellingAuthors_FeaturedPost.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>And that, my friends, is the combined wisdom of best-selling authors of the ilk of Margaret Attwood, John Grisham, George R.R Martin et al from the inaugural <a href="https://www.sfliteraryfestival.org/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f79b37; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 17px; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Santa Fe Literary Festival</a> (above)<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 17px;">. </span>If these guys struggle, what chance do we have to be secure in our writing career? (If you have advice for me to the contrary, please drop it in the comments! I'd love to hear from you!)</p><p>So, peeps, it's April already. April is so busy with the A - Z challenge where writers gamely write every day. No thanks! Used to, but those frenzied days are over. I admire each and every one of you who succeeds. If you also write for WEP, you can find a way to combine both challenges.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8o9foV0NVzZm4DWGO7Z90qkNlfD8TPi8K3mhGVQeiQBH2qMQ5IwFQ9s_hANtiUSZ2XfmWJEB67HqbIP0tCwyohfIrg_tuARKFcv4OOIXnQ-ZK5ILSIxJVyER9SrCkb2NZbtKVFrT-ArXVvZcK-taIcu1jmm5AWFqFC3VrSBTQvJlYctdwRB1B4Je6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8o9foV0NVzZm4DWGO7Z90qkNlfD8TPi8K3mhGVQeiQBH2qMQ5IwFQ9s_hANtiUSZ2XfmWJEB67HqbIP0tCwyohfIrg_tuARKFcv4OOIXnQ-ZK5ILSIxJVyER9SrCkb2NZbtKVFrT-ArXVvZcK-taIcu1jmm5AWFqFC3VrSBTQvJlYctdwRB1B4Je6" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://www.bookwormforkids.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tonya Drecker,</a> <a href="http://bish%20%20randomthoughts.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bish Denham,</a> <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/olgagodim.wordpress.com" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> and <a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JQ Rose!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></span></div></div><br /><p></p><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">March 1 question - Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?</span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><b>Are you kidding?????</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">I am a super voracious reader, and always make time for it no matter how frenetic life is and it's more than frenetic atm, so I am full to overflowing with author envy and magical words that feed my soul. Those who're waiting for a review may understand me more. Sorry. That phrase you wish you'd thought of, that word, unique, (Pat Conroy is the master!) or that plot!! I'm especially devouring thrillers atm (along with womens' fiction and vampire books) and plotting in thrillers, especially, must be sooo hard unless the author has reached the level where they appear to use a formula and repeat it with different characters and settings. Readers don't mind, do we? Well, maybe sometimes. I don't read certain authors anymore as they so obviously repeat themselves. But usually when we admire an author they can't shoot out those books quickly enough for us. I hope I'll reach that level one day! But I'm definitely a sloooow writer. How about you?</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">I don't like to just mention one author/plot twist that still has me thinking months after I finished the book when there are several, too many to mention. Oh boy! But I Let You Go by one of my fave thriller writers, Clare Mackintosh, has left the biggest impression on me and obviously a lot of people. Just saw she's got over 40,300 reviews! Crikey! I'm struggling to reach double figures). I'm shivering just thinking about her plot twists. Spoiler alert! Stop now if you're going to read it on my rec.</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1eIb_hGpv-FQdniK8_dFTUiRqGIlMHwdlmmu2kuexFgEri-HWLDa6H3nqh9xWpom-Evs72sRrX1FdSBWHYFK3vPNqnAmmnQ1UZKgQXErGiVrt3NsuDQ-OBra2VNapKcT-01tK_vMt23EGxyEvl4aiccUJThHCt8J1g8MiR5AlJ7CH9jtiZiegYDh/s236/i%20let%20you%20go.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="150" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1eIb_hGpv-FQdniK8_dFTUiRqGIlMHwdlmmu2kuexFgEri-HWLDa6H3nqh9xWpom-Evs72sRrX1FdSBWHYFK3vPNqnAmmnQ1UZKgQXErGiVrt3NsuDQ-OBra2VNapKcT-01tK_vMt23EGxyEvl4aiccUJThHCt8J1g8MiR5AlJ7CH9jtiZiegYDh/s1600/i%20let%20you%20go.webp" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Let-You-Go-Clare-Mackintosh/dp/0751554154">Amazon link</a> </div><br /><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">Somehow the author convinced the reader (or was it just dumb me?) she was talking about one person, but as the book rushes on you realize she's talking about a completely different person. (You're aware of them both.) That's pretty hard to pull off! It did me in. There is this vicious person out to kill one of these people. Shiver. Shiver. Police finally come to the starkly remote creepy beach in England where most of the story takes place. (I've noted in thrillers that the police are painted as pretty useless so the hero has to save themselves). Yeah, after a terrifying tussle she's already killed the killer by the time the cops arrive (girlpower!) - but the last line of the book has you asking - has she really? </div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">The killer has tracked her down where she's been eking out an existence writing and photographing Hallmark-type cards in the sand. Hmm. With him dead, finally she can reclaim her spot of beach without shaking in terror. So after she returns from hospital after being bashed to within an inch of her life by the killer - she finds -</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">"</b><i>Jennifer </i>- (her name of course)...</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">The sea doesn't falter. The next wave breaks over the marks in the sand, and they are gone. A gull gives a final sweep of the bay as the tide comes in, and the sun slips beneath the horizon.</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">And then it is dark.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>"</b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">I've already re-read to see where I missed the clues, but can't find it. Clare Mackintosh has done a great job. Author envy!!!!!</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBzliJdmbw1w0uLOamVGniS5ylpa8PTg997zQ3kt1ObSPDXd7JTJfpvMJpmIIl6amyUHNbGeLw2XCurUMRtqBYZ8_Des2TIFLpwtsZAQSKO4PxtP_D7IOz3SmTvzC05kOznQ2wPOg5c2-yaFtMUmSLCgezZNJBMooxwWs1vq22BhHlDg_WmhGcTB-/s225/download.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBzliJdmbw1w0uLOamVGniS5ylpa8PTg997zQ3kt1ObSPDXd7JTJfpvMJpmIIl6amyUHNbGeLw2XCurUMRtqBYZ8_Des2TIFLpwtsZAQSKO4PxtP_D7IOz3SmTvzC05kOznQ2wPOg5c2-yaFtMUmSLCgezZNJBMooxwWs1vq22BhHlDg_WmhGcTB-/w152-h152/download.png" width="152" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;">Have a great month, everyone! We at WEP have just finished our Gone With the Wind first challenge of the year. Currently on our blog <a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">the 3 winners are announced</a> and have received their Oscars - Damyanti Biswas, Beth Camp and Dolarah (formerly Donna Hole).</div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavCK_9_XBurmhabPnnG2I4TB6m6XYTzWH-tODYB16m_WXQQEvAWKepy70ZNYKOVzjWqV_sJCI2UJB8gtf4il_MvaGfmolhAnbkPGeAgP5iEsONIMWlR4dMbEE4y7tLSIyLpDumym10VJoCH5Yj9ruZmL_VmEXZ6EXstYGZ_RAETC-UQ1_Irw_h4qs/s1200/Who-has-won-the-most-Best-Director-Oscars-Awards.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavCK_9_XBurmhabPnnG2I4TB6m6XYTzWH-tODYB16m_WXQQEvAWKepy70ZNYKOVzjWqV_sJCI2UJB8gtf4il_MvaGfmolhAnbkPGeAgP5iEsONIMWlR4dMbEE4y7tLSIyLpDumym10VJoCH5Yj9ruZmL_VmEXZ6EXstYGZ_RAETC-UQ1_Irw_h4qs/s320/Who-has-won-the-most-Best-Director-Oscars-Awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You could receive an Oscar next. We'd love you to write for us in April ... check this out ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP0b95deyURqFTppeJojkn3BHtmeVVGOxgtjytLkKYUBPh5r4pbu6LN-eHSaeuZcGBh7eNKCvR_hcnmFCLMkOASx9k3maiVWdIO5mdAVBAl_WF8o2Ndev_p8v0gko1s9wUuIq1gG3A0y6xxqaqdbHRTyRidvUe4xvwgbtT5RQ31M-n6G1qzFOlFMD/s320/Life%20is%20Beautiful.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP0b95deyURqFTppeJojkn3BHtmeVVGOxgtjytLkKYUBPh5r4pbu6LN-eHSaeuZcGBh7eNKCvR_hcnmFCLMkOASx9k3maiVWdIO5mdAVBAl_WF8o2Ndev_p8v0gko1s9wUuIq1gG3A0y6xxqaqdbHRTyRidvUe4xvwgbtT5RQ31M-n6G1qzFOlFMD/s1600/Life%20is%20Beautiful.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">Get IDEAS HERE!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leave a comment and I'll get back to you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Denise <br /><br /></span></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-58796304235202458642023-02-15T08:30:00.033+10:002023-02-15T08:30:00.247+10:00#WEP #fEBRUARY POST - #OPINIONPIECE - #GONEWITHTHEWIND and #CANCELCULTURE<p> Hello all!</p><p>WEP is back! After some kerfuffle, Team WEP has come together again. We temporarily lost a team member, Laura, but gained one in Sonia Dogra. This year is going to be <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Bigger, Bolder, Better</b>!</span> We thank Alex J Cavanaugh, IWSG Ninja, for promoting our first challenge for the year and will continue to do so, and C Lee McKenzie from the IWSG for her Facebook promo posts.</p><p><a href="https://olgagodim.wordpress.com/">Olga Godim</a>, badge maker extraordinaire, has been busy since December, dreaming up badges and creating a new header for our new-look website. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYXzNQA628j1mgk5W2qfge4lmqv2RSS0M31ZUoq1GZXldvq7k2w_0kfKeg6PkaDZjKri1ZBgzygwP_GzBs6iuo50U71R6DUZoawK8g4pkpsA1ST8hZAo69Sp8ZYHqNHM09-F0ZKVyUMm2D-a41h2gZ0XTMXw8OvqM78xSEifcRlMusuzoGVvCawP7/s900/Header_Unsplash_JessBailey10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="900" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYXzNQA628j1mgk5W2qfge4lmqv2RSS0M31ZUoq1GZXldvq7k2w_0kfKeg6PkaDZjKri1ZBgzygwP_GzBs6iuo50U71R6DUZoawK8g4pkpsA1ST8hZAo69Sp8ZYHqNHM09-F0ZKVyUMm2D-a41h2gZ0XTMXw8OvqM78xSEifcRlMusuzoGVvCawP7/s320/Header_Unsplash_JessBailey10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>All team members have been involved in many creative discussions regarding how WEP will look going forward. Read all about our changes and new structure <a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">HERE</a>. </p><p>This enduring supportive online writing community contest is here to help writers hone their writing muscles by regularly writing to prompts. Bring us your WIP, your non-fiction, your poetry, your flash fiction! Get instant feedback on your writing or if you're the outright winner for a challenge, you receive a critique from an editor or published author. February's prize is a first chapter critique from IWSG's L Diane Wolf. Also, bonus - all three winners each prompt will be invited to submit to a WEP Anthology of the Best of WEP, 2023. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMs5u03DiyoId6ziSZ1vlf8ScU9cvHR0he5DwIJJR1iDf7Tj-KZ9Dh2cY0Ej-p-2Y7HsXT98OuRNbKuenf-ugMoYF0B9F15IVKqUC25CgKDoYRVFoTeUO6OPgv2Oz47bkwfMXrCuS0FykdLg1Ae7vqxQshNq4WAQ1PZgTHtlgYI9zdr8IA6LhtM82/s2100/Cover_LadaYita_healing2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMs5u03DiyoId6ziSZ1vlf8ScU9cvHR0he5DwIJJR1iDf7Tj-KZ9Dh2cY0Ej-p-2Y7HsXT98OuRNbKuenf-ugMoYF0B9F15IVKqUC25CgKDoYRVFoTeUO6OPgv2Oz47bkwfMXrCuS0FykdLg1Ae7vqxQshNq4WAQ1PZgTHtlgYI9zdr8IA6LhtM82/s320/Cover_LadaYita_healing2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>So, today we get this year-long party started. This is the Year of Movies at WEP. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17VbcOC3NzrzjZIZI6tM2S3EybVuK7ot6kpoxdqS3w4mY0UzqhSYUOzdwJrK89S2hwHTPcvFH6PBF7RP_ZzuucEWzkH_dWJ8WT6SNVw3Cl0gT9EXUXK9HRUJDQddHLSPGdM724WJZKjKpCuu8uO8xtgxLDTWGodyLTbismVumpZ8cvKKiu8NvJt2e/s400/List_Geralt_cinema_text3%20(1)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17VbcOC3NzrzjZIZI6tM2S3EybVuK7ot6kpoxdqS3w4mY0UzqhSYUOzdwJrK89S2hwHTPcvFH6PBF7RP_ZzuucEWzkH_dWJ8WT6SNVw3Cl0gT9EXUXK9HRUJDQddHLSPGdM724WJZKjKpCuu8uO8xtgxLDTWGodyLTbismVumpZ8cvKKiu8NvJt2e/s320/List_Geralt_cinema_text3%20(1)%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>As it's Valentine's month, our first prompt is based on the movie, the controversial Gone With the Wind. If you'd like to submit to the challenge, go <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">HERE </a>for ideas. You've got until February 17 to post an entry.</p><p>So, here is my entry, an op-ed, something different to my usual flash fiction. </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Milestone Free Version Script"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br /></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">From deepest darkness comes enduring light.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;">Gone
With the Wind</span></b><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"> - </span></b><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">L</span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #363636; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">ove
and loss, a nation mortally divided, a people forever changed.</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: #363636; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Children of the Starlight"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Garamond, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A</b></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> sign in my local
library says – “A truly great library has something in it to offend everyone”.
That is true of the novel, </span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tTP1TewMC7OLjdg9BJKz89LVSjPLMlQKMkAMfJSAJYKChQ&q=gone+with+the+wind&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU892AU892&oq=gon&aqs=chrome.1.35i39i355j46i39j69i57j69i60l2j69i65j69i60l2.5032j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Gone With the Wind</span></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> (GWTW). Some find it offensive, some find
it wonderful. At its core, it is</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> a turbulent love
affair between a manipulative, brave, woman, (Scarlett O’Hara) and a rogue,
(Rhett Butler) against the fiery backdrop of the American Civil War. </span><span style="background: white; color: #363636; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The author Margaret
Mitchell lived in Atlanta where at one time, 1 in 5 residents were slaves. A
journalist passionate about American history, over ten years she gathered war
stories from the Civil War. The result? GWTW. In its first year, it went
through 31 printings and sold over a million copies – that was 60 years ago. For
decades it has trailed only the Bible on best-seller lists, so it endures
like Scarlett O’Hara. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">For this WEP prompt,
we’re using the film version, the biggest grossing movie of all time (adjusted for inflation), and Academy Award winner for 1940. Producer, David O Selznick, faithfully followed the book's premise
- </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">not to yield, suffer
or be beaten down.</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2XQMmTd7zufmrPU6ldpsf8GMekOxEYgee_CsWNRogDS6Owg6cY4itIKoe67YKlTToL0TAKeiZKfRgHjSKvDqvFdNrF_30j1qnBGn13V2YG6kYo6MblRr00aOfS6VYheK0QjLcH5h2v-Q7OOhAkwcJ58sHpMK2NqCeH4aazlYTpD4plsX0PQCbyY5/s400/d00e13c9eab8ff82c9658cde2711f0a8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2XQMmTd7zufmrPU6ldpsf8GMekOxEYgee_CsWNRogDS6Owg6cY4itIKoe67YKlTToL0TAKeiZKfRgHjSKvDqvFdNrF_30j1qnBGn13V2YG6kYo6MblRr00aOfS6VYheK0QjLcH5h2v-Q7OOhAkwcJ58sHpMK2NqCeH4aazlYTpD4plsX0PQCbyY5/s320/d00e13c9eab8ff82c9658cde2711f0a8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I will survive, says Scarlett.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Getty Images</span></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">GWTW is one of my
favorite films. There. I. Said. It. A blogger once attacked me for my view, citing its
glorification of slavery. I thought, hang on, it doesn’t glorify slavery, rather it </span><span style="background: white; color: #363636; font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">has shaped popular understanding of the American
Civil War and Reconstruction. It is <i>never </i>okay to buy and sell human beings,
but the book and movie reflect a time when not everyone shared this view.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykfqqPgXambmpa-ndlHpSLymD2qm-pTlEWf0mAQ-LYVSFMqoAhrVWxaTQ1KjSBQ_7YLhmfp4r6FXSiscy_1aL3t27L2YHg5VCmHIQmVP__sqM6gEgaZSfspuG1FQuEdhOZqajmCDI2-v99Bz8gH94q5gt9zU69yPaGD3OHVBP1rAmAYd4GLr7b4UV/s3918/negro%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3918" data-original-width="2434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykfqqPgXambmpa-ndlHpSLymD2qm-pTlEWf0mAQ-LYVSFMqoAhrVWxaTQ1KjSBQ_7YLhmfp4r6FXSiscy_1aL3t27L2YHg5VCmHIQmVP__sqM6gEgaZSfspuG1FQuEdhOZqajmCDI2-v99Bz8gH94q5gt9zU69yPaGD3OHVBP1rAmAYd4GLr7b4UV/s320/negro%20sign.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A handbill advertising a slave auction in Charleston in 1769 - courtesy of Weekend Australian newspaper.</div><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That blogger wasn’t alone
in her view. 80 years after its release, the “Woke Ness Monster” arose from the
deep to announce GWTW, the movie, had given slavery a cinematic gloss-over and should be "canceled". No. We learn
from the past; we can’t just erase it. GWTW opens a window to how things were in
America at the time of writing. The North against slavery; the South
passionately for it. Generally.</span></p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Slavery. What word describes
such a blight on humanity?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Evil is one word that
comes to mind. Impossible not to make comparisons with the Holocaust which saw
over 6 million slain, yet today we have a movement denying it ever happened. Cancel
culture at work. It is believed that 12 million Africans were abducted as part
of the slave trade and few deny how hapless human beings, if they survived the trip, were used by white
settlers themselves enslaved … by greed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">But from deepest darkness
comes enduring light. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We’ve seen in movies how
the plantation slaves sang Negro spirituals, songs like </span><i><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">He's Got the Whole
World in His Hand</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> <span lang="EN-AU">to
motivate them. Life on earth sucked, but they believed in redemption. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">As did one white British slave
trader. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Did you know that John
Newton, who penned most everybody’s favorite hymn, <i>Amazing Grace,</i> was part
of this vicious trade in the 1700s? Thankfully, his carefree acceptance of
slave trading waned; his guilt led to good and his journey to redemption. He
studied for the priesthood, and in 1773, gave the first rendition of the
world’s most readily identified hymn. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that
saved a wretch like me…” he intoned in his ordination sermon. The song stemmed
from his third and final voyage servicing the Triangle Trade where he decided
without doubt that slavery was evil. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We know slaves were used
as free labor on cotton plantations, sold and put to work across long days with
avoiding brutal punishment and starvation their only motivation. Slaves on the Tara plantation were generally happy and loved their
masters. This was not altogether uncommon, with many slaves reluctant to accept
emancipation at the end of the Civil War. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV4uv7obyOpQ5IAJdl0KjFTTL6MMe9mSuKAWPAf7tk04CMHg7U1J6ehZkcduQLhD4SP_t4Bm244fPD3Mop4oO478lnjg1aF3jBxoAcdq9YKqXdXY0H2m3kxp6HnVk5jWEuQN9SFxsnxM7US03I49HDLioo8WgLEdvOTgmOOjl1YGvVGQ70RY-F3G7/s1024/14gone-wind4-jumbo-v2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1024" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV4uv7obyOpQ5IAJdl0KjFTTL6MMe9mSuKAWPAf7tk04CMHg7U1J6ehZkcduQLhD4SP_t4Bm244fPD3Mop4oO478lnjg1aF3jBxoAcdq9YKqXdXY0H2m3kxp6HnVk5jWEuQN9SFxsnxM7US03I49HDLioo8WgLEdvOTgmOOjl1YGvVGQ70RY-F3G7/s320/14gone-wind4-jumbo-v2.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Getty Images</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mammy, (<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Hattie McDaniel) </span>who won Best Supporting Actress, was certainly the boss of Scarlett!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She famously said - <span style="background: white; font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; text-align: left;">“</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; text-align: left;">I’d rather play a maid for seven hundred dollars a week than to be one for seven dollars a week.”</span> </div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Understandably, many African Americans took
offense at the image of happy slaves and brought their protests onto the streets in front of theaters where GWTW was playing. </span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="css-jevhma"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Th-smcLYSnZ_SVj_IQS9hhJKdJsmQZSTe2aqzZ_Fz1arJqXdEhwjZtGwT0tlGoloHE1_-u8yKSqQDVoa1ulI0oc13lzLXQQg5fvX8EpBN3Hsap3JsEIy9wwUEm6Db5U9-Eo4o26WU7DKENFokcU06Jkn2GftDYWMT8-LB3mqja22Yx5TWs7EjMxD/s2048/14GONE-WIND8-superJumbo.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Th-smcLYSnZ_SVj_IQS9hhJKdJsmQZSTe2aqzZ_Fz1arJqXdEhwjZtGwT0tlGoloHE1_-u8yKSqQDVoa1ulI0oc13lzLXQQg5fvX8EpBN3Hsap3JsEIy9wwUEm6Db5U9-Eo4o26WU7DKENFokcU06Jkn2GftDYWMT8-LB3mqja22Yx5TWs7EjMxD/s320/14GONE-WIND8-superJumbo.webp" width="248" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Credit - Afro American Newspapers</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Back to Newton. On his
redemptive journey, he worked tirelessly to have the slave trade abolished in
Britain. In the words of Prime Minister William Pitt, “The greatest stigma on
our national character which ever yet existed, is about to be removed!” Newton
achieved this, along with peers like Wilberforce and Pitt, in 1792.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Newton died months after
Britain abolished slavery, but his redemptive song endures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Meanwhile, in America, abolition
was not so easy. The issue of slavery drove four bloody years of Civil War. The
last Confederate slave was not freed until 1865. The Civil Rights bill was not enacted
until a century after the war, but equality still eludes many black Americans to
this day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">A dozen years after the
Civil War, Edison invented the phonograph, and <i>Amazing Grace</i> was
recorded. A thousand versions followed, unifying the music and the words, twice
reaching million-seller status.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">But perhaps the most
famous rendition was begun by Barack Obama in 2015 as he gave the eulogy for
South Carolina senator Clementa Pinckney, the youngest black man to be elected
in that state – some believed he might one day be president – who was shot
after he pleaded for police to be fitted with body cameras after the brutal
shooting of black man Walter Scott. Overwhelmed by the sadness and waste, Obama
twice spoke the words “Amazing Grace”. His mellow baritone then intoned the
five notes that make up those words and the audience rose as one to complete
Newton’s 1773 sermon. I saw it on live television and will never forget it. So recently we had the eulogy for Tyre Nichols, who, despite police body cameras, was
brutally slain, this time mainly by black police. Is equality gone with the wind? Or can we believe and hope that somehow </span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">out of darkness can come a thing of beauty.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcv-XvjEE3ThZ3-beMbecqbgLFiWTK5-lsVRhi_oMhMcjJAXaPCjtWz19XaOKkLRAtgWGfHWnw9BYxQOD-AQzcRKaAzh_HwZSZQxPpb4GPk1wLFepB2-ecwL6YQM89NNWDA3sCimqg1FylAQLPMGbX7yqyrdJ2simG9v5A-I_Ik9DfN60gNa4kmAu/s1280/god_as_my_witness_gone_with_the_wind.original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcv-XvjEE3ThZ3-beMbecqbgLFiWTK5-lsVRhi_oMhMcjJAXaPCjtWz19XaOKkLRAtgWGfHWnw9BYxQOD-AQzcRKaAzh_HwZSZQxPpb4GPk1wLFepB2-ecwL6YQM89NNWDA3sCimqg1FylAQLPMGbX7yqyrdJ2simG9v5A-I_Ik9DfN60gNa4kmAu/s320/god_as_my_witness_gone_with_the_wind.original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p>WORDS: 1009</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p>FCA - have your say!</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">FURTHER READING:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/movies/gone-with-the-wind-battle.html"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The Long Battle over Gone With the Wind</span></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> – New York Times<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/02/gone-with-the-wind-nostalgic-or-thought-provoking/"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Gone With the Wind: Is it really Nostalgic?</span></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> – The Saturday Evening Post<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Song of Redemption - the Weekend Australian, January 7 - 8, 2023</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I hope you weren't offended by my article. I'd love to have your opinion.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">If you're enjoying the February WEP, consider joining us in April. Get ideas <a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/p/challenges-2023.html">HERE</a>. If you do the A - Z, you can merge it with the day's letter. Plenty have done this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZwi-0Kusr-OyCqkzef4xsp-qBwQXpwJW5wenCaZBOT2XiziiGPtUUhVaVLiUmuFFcUdMWz003BVFmG6GhMUdhuVZjgnO2fImz5ruF3fo5HEu13SbllQZDeS0aEveIPXV6Cx652idyBU5Zeg33YeWFWNUtAmrhbrNjzHhkOBeyjtCUA1N_UHqabv7/s320/Life%20is%20Beautiful.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZwi-0Kusr-OyCqkzef4xsp-qBwQXpwJW5wenCaZBOT2XiziiGPtUUhVaVLiUmuFFcUdMWz003BVFmG6GhMUdhuVZjgnO2fImz5ruF3fo5HEu13SbllQZDeS0aEveIPXV6Cx652idyBU5Zeg33YeWFWNUtAmrhbrNjzHhkOBeyjtCUA1N_UHqabv7/s1600/Life%20is%20Beautiful.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for coming by!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><i>Denise</i></b></span></div><br /><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-64416255196575444002023-02-01T10:00:00.021+10:002023-02-01T10:10:07.371+10:00#IWSG February post - Book covers<p> Hello all!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqHaNLtgGwOJqLnammreQV6AOB3ogkOFL5vYO8dOHX7GoZfkaZKpu8HNSwuOxcoBwvrbv6dyKLmFxTykKQXaNvrUG4ZFV1d7NFZjP7N1RchAMj_wsW8iILUpZK8mNeU2e5j-WhtRvi8Wgf5C1ORHDwawV6U7XthhAWnrXd6phhD5sMzfAd1MTV_5Jd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqHaNLtgGwOJqLnammreQV6AOB3ogkOFL5vYO8dOHX7GoZfkaZKpu8HNSwuOxcoBwvrbv6dyKLmFxTykKQXaNvrUG4ZFV1d7NFZjP7N1RchAMj_wsW8iILUpZK8mNeU2e5j-WhtRvi8Wgf5C1ORHDwawV6U7XthhAWnrXd6phhD5sMzfAd1MTV_5Jd" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Our second posting for the year already. Hope you're all diving into 2023 with renewed vigour and hope.</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">February 1 question - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the February 1 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> and <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><p><br /></p><p>The question for the month of February is pretty simple - BOOK COVERS.</p><p>As a self-published author, I listen to my much-published friends who variously offer advice on what has worked for them.</p><p>Fiverr is cheap for beginning authors and a bit dodgy, so it helps to have recommendations. I admit I'm not overly happy with any of my Fiverr covers, but once I find my author feet I'll redo them all. </p><p>I settled on <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/designrans?source=order_page_user_message_inner_link">designrans</a> on Fiverr for my vampire novels.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK9g-X9oql1ejG5gXtUkUk073HM5xxezSkYjNUDUpYYr-nqZgXZc7uFMZqAT6k965Rpio7B6IISDZc03b66DZYWvX47CbIzi0M1Yg7TExj7zNUbG7QJmkIuREJlaOQaLjUFUXdX-ALUnTrTXTUOHD-uQZTrch6vD1CaXDYgP6wQNxqELGjzppIoiV/s800/a%20new%20BETRAYED%203b%20pb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK9g-X9oql1ejG5gXtUkUk073HM5xxezSkYjNUDUpYYr-nqZgXZc7uFMZqAT6k965Rpio7B6IISDZc03b66DZYWvX47CbIzi0M1Yg7TExj7zNUbG7QJmkIuREJlaOQaLjUFUXdX-ALUnTrTXTUOHD-uQZTrch6vD1CaXDYgP6wQNxqELGjzppIoiV/s320/a%20new%20BETRAYED%203b%20pb.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p>Continued with <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/pro_ebookcovers/design-an-eye-catching-ebook-or-kindle-cover-with-bonus?source=order_page_summary_gig_link_title&funnel=8a71a98c7dfecd5682b863740c69193f">pro-ebook covers </a>on Fiverr for my first three books of short stories.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjShNRjxysVZxON5BaPfxMLdQACZAHMW5YL8BnUeecpcFdD5V5mthorZSfiwlKPJwEu_gUtL9HOXlqkoS0EApSGoq7A2WDjXLPdy9f9u6joHNUXw8r87DPPFs3oUbc0TlQcjtd0XlSa2CPT5DWiGaC-a93z1QCWQ5GWMJ_dnTpQ7v0o7YWinVk0i9xu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="189" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjShNRjxysVZxON5BaPfxMLdQACZAHMW5YL8BnUeecpcFdD5V5mthorZSfiwlKPJwEu_gUtL9HOXlqkoS0EApSGoq7A2WDjXLPdy9f9u6joHNUXw8r87DPPFs3oUbc0TlQcjtd0XlSa2CPT5DWiGaC-a93z1QCWQ5GWMJ_dnTpQ7v0o7YWinVk0i9xu=w203-h325" width="203" /></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">But found it difficult to find an illustrator for my Paris Dreams women's fiction novel. Finally, through a friend, I happened upon Kim Killion of </span><a href="https://thekilliongroupinc.com/" style="text-align: left;">The Killion Group.</a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoI-Dp_0eGy02ZZA7a9ev8kZnaZ6MkksM-eMuYv90f_pNMU1jMhHrLE4JVJzxeVVIwBxlZ_USMHCXAugtS46dCBV-DNFb_rZWiMVdSX-NbtZR-O7A4Gw-dKddxRQohxAWZ9IPnLkYiWAH-cR5B7KCsH8jz0mvFF6tvLvX_eGDusXpbXRTcDGWbvjvp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoI-Dp_0eGy02ZZA7a9ev8kZnaZ6MkksM-eMuYv90f_pNMU1jMhHrLE4JVJzxeVVIwBxlZ_USMHCXAugtS46dCBV-DNFb_rZWiMVdSX-NbtZR-O7A4Gw-dKddxRQohxAWZ9IPnLkYiWAH-cR5B7KCsH8jz0mvFF6tvLvX_eGDusXpbXRTcDGWbvjvp=w198-h298" width="198" /></a></div><br />I'm super happy with her cover and will use her again for my next Paris novel with the working title - Le Petit Paris Kitchen Cookery School. And as a bonus, you can pay for a blurb. Read some examples <a href="https://thekilliongroupinc.com/designs-and-examples/?wpcp_link=JTdCJTIyc291cmNlJTIyJTNBJTIyYzhhNWYxNmY2YWY1OGI2ODE0MmIwYjMxNWQ5OTFlZjMlMjIlMkMlMjJhY2NvdW50X2lkJTIyJTNBJTIyZGJpZCUzQUFBQjgzY0R5MWpGQktfWDNFSzNZaEhsSGhZc1daWlNpR0xFJTIyJTJDJTIybGFzdF9wYXRoJTIyJTNBJTIyJTI1MkY4LUJhY2slMjUyMENvdmVyJTI1MjBXcml0aW5nJTIyJTdE">HERE</a>.<p></p><p>All my covers can be seen <a href="https://dencovey.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html">HERE</a>.</p><p>We're told ad infinitum that the book cover is super important as yes, we do judge a book by its cover. A good cover should reflect the genre. This is enhanced by the right fonts. I look for a great tagline which tells the buyer so much.</p><p>Next most important. Flip over to the blurb. Most of us find the blurbs excruciating to write. I get a lot of help with mine and am still unhappy with all of them. But the blurb needs to sit nicely on the back, whether there is an image in the background or colors to match the front cover, the text needs to be clear. At times the blurb gets lost in the back image.</p><p>Anyway I'm no expert, but I hope there is a little takeaway within my ramblings. Looking forward to reading what you have to say.</p><p>And if you lack funds for cover artists, there are free <a href="https://www.canva.com/free/">Canva</a> and other programs. I'm a little too impatient and find Canva a bit annoying, but I did rush one for a <a href="https://bookfunnel.com/">Book Funnel</a> promo of a short story. My story had hundreds of downloads which added to my newsletter list, so the amateur cover didn't put readers off too much. But I won't repeat the experience as I believe even a free book deserves a professional cover. That said, I know authors who use the paid Canva option to create amazing covers and a wide variety of clip art for formatting the inside. Go you beautiful people!</p><p><br /></p><div><span data-canva-clipboard="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"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFJi8ZimbjN4gz0kiL_nJCPWz2GaDfG0X7VLaE4YIoziERsha3cd-U7nRwpl9aIWr2gg-rZoOAqJlnOyC9rECjJNmZkKR2KrY9aBjcllXfHK8ssyBad5XCAxCDNVqeSBrNrEKjS2KHJHMndKG6rizfIC8kqO9hS3FA1tReuqpAGBxGusDjAKDKmcg/s2250/and%20then%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFJi8ZimbjN4gz0kiL_nJCPWz2GaDfG0X7VLaE4YIoziERsha3cd-U7nRwpl9aIWr2gg-rZoOAqJlnOyC9rECjJNmZkKR2KrY9aBjcllXfHK8ssyBad5XCAxCDNVqeSBrNrEKjS2KHJHMndKG6rizfIC8kqO9hS3FA1tReuqpAGBxGusDjAKDKmcg/s320/and%20then%20.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div><p style="text-align: center;">~*~*~</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">WEP (Write...Edit...Publish)</a> starts today with a bang! Please join us this Valentine's month for the first of our 2023 prompts based on a favorite movie of each Team WEP member.</p><p style="text-align: center;">February's prompt is the controversial film:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdilA95BXaha_UyLp_oXYbeR4eTOQVHN69NCQAdsDS-s3EwkNEVJjrxYWcnhkfvl_I4ItmfE26Ku55ip8jEegs9ToEoT22o3l4kKJmz0i589Xn28lT4ntcENpjiEl6YrjxuBv1fV_dQ-ZFC2yY5iRwIKUN5IiHCLI_vMvWfoIuPwkM6K3Txy0AJ2cb/s500/GWTW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdilA95BXaha_UyLp_oXYbeR4eTOQVHN69NCQAdsDS-s3EwkNEVJjrxYWcnhkfvl_I4ItmfE26Ku55ip8jEegs9ToEoT22o3l4kKJmz0i589Xn28lT4ntcENpjiEl6YrjxuBv1fV_dQ-ZFC2yY5iRwIKUN5IiHCLI_vMvWfoIuPwkM6K3Txy0AJ2cb/w271-h407/GWTW.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">Details are published on February 1 <a href="http://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com">on our new-look website.</a> Come across and have a sticky beak!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Posting of entries is between Feb 15 -17.</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Submit Flash Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Photo Essays</u></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Winners this month receive a critique from the IWSG's own L Diane Wolfe ... and ...a DRUMROLL ... place in WEP's anthology of the best of WEP in 2023, published early 2024.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Here is a mock up of a cover, simply used as a placeholder. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnq0Y2KSE6U0VA5yDwLkNBs4TURJRj4IccjvE1HMl4XwVhNqg1CmgzcyP_p6qYQIioSgwWMdpS8PEzoYUBgerFveVIpsNXADVY3aPocMy4uXoVvf-ic5CRKwXfNOI5uhXP762cquxptdUdvaKqgqEYmTkKy8cA84MdZAdoCMNketFo5Onlbo6Uass/s2100/Cover_LadaYita_healing2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnq0Y2KSE6U0VA5yDwLkNBs4TURJRj4IccjvE1HMl4XwVhNqg1CmgzcyP_p6qYQIioSgwWMdpS8PEzoYUBgerFveVIpsNXADVY3aPocMy4uXoVvf-ic5CRKwXfNOI5uhXP762cquxptdUdvaKqgqEYmTkKy8cA84MdZAdoCMNketFo5Onlbo6Uass/s320/Cover_LadaYita_healing2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Until next time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Denise</i></span></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-26887891271355305522023-01-05T11:00:00.001+10:002023-01-05T11:00:22.596+10:00#IWSG POST - MY WORD OF THE YEAR!<p> Happy New Year everyone! I wish you every happiness in 2023! May your insecurities disappear and your securities grow! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQhiACXI9NYoJIjaVS3BD4dvlyrGAafAOJXCtdcFgSL9Av9eJDInesft0NEbWWwEKH3ywBwPxzSG5h5GfzEcJ76ZB9GTYC4eK6uGb6NsTc0YknmlD4dRLMClWaR_8_iIvIwiOQjtBjcr4_Sp6LDz3FMf1e4NBCSxeSPdB5dnp0R8ljFVzhADTohTXh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQhiACXI9NYoJIjaVS3BD4dvlyrGAafAOJXCtdcFgSL9Av9eJDInesft0NEbWWwEKH3ywBwPxzSG5h5GfzEcJ76ZB9GTYC4eK6uGb6NsTc0YknmlD4dRLMClWaR_8_iIvIwiOQjtBjcr4_Sp6LDz3FMf1e4NBCSxeSPdB5dnp0R8ljFVzhADTohTXh" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>This is a short post. Don't get much time to open the laptop these days, but hoping that will improve soon!</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finished my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year is Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? Why?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div><b>The awesome co-hosts for the January 4 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jemima Pett,</a> <a href="https://fictioncanbefun.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Debs Carey,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah Foster,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> and <a href="http://journalingwoman.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">T. Powell Coltrin!</a></b></div></div><p>I saw the question and right away decided my word was - </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Persevere </b></span></p></blockquote><p>Some of you know that we had a bit of a discombobulation at WEP toward the end of 2022 where it seemed each of the team members had life issues that were impacting on their ability to run WEP. Due to life throwing me lemons, I felt I had no choice but to give up my baby, but I didn't want to see it disappear as I believe WEP serves an important purpose - a creative corner of the blogoverse where members can write 6 times a year and improve.</p><p>So when our first plan for a takeover tanked, Team WEP brushed themselves off and decided to continue despite issues, some with a lesser role, but with a strong core to ensure WEP continues to offer writers a chance to participate, to imagine, to create and to surprise themselves each challenge.</p><p>So, <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Persevere</b></span> I say. Decide what to prioritise and go for it. Life will always throw us lemons, but we can make lemonade instead of collapsing in a heap.</p><p><a href="https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-december-challenge-winner-pat.html">And I just posted an article, #How to become a novelist by our December 2022 winner, Pat Garcia,</a> at the WEP site. Her writing is going ahead in leaps and bounds.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV1BuCfTjDJM873fr94k5nO2pi-sEMSwAL-YzhernqUu7FBygSadWqIlVW1fXwL-N14n_00iLp9gGwwOEwG_-GRpkvqFo04CmKjnExC2LZ4cf0ZLi1EQfk091XgWm7tLlFIo7oUu7gE-QhS-jCdpKPQD_MU7SYS6Xbu1XT5QCkKBvMJsZhx7p41vDK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="256" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV1BuCfTjDJM873fr94k5nO2pi-sEMSwAL-YzhernqUu7FBygSadWqIlVW1fXwL-N14n_00iLp9gGwwOEwG_-GRpkvqFo04CmKjnExC2LZ4cf0ZLi1EQfk091XgWm7tLlFIo7oUu7gE-QhS-jCdpKPQD_MU7SYS6Xbu1XT5QCkKBvMJsZhx7p41vDK" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And for all past, present and future participants in WEP, here is our first challenge in February 2023.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mEvjDlDUYHW-RtOzmvG76tW9E_GkBOmU_EwM7L0uo-UZ9pf5pS-KoCCDKPwXPXtvqcgsBdcSPmFOA8oKeY-mg53078MuwkwxoLVfh5H-PzEcFgqh3LP_5vZHnfZv0B8K_SdhpOy63lGzSWm7GxF6UkegAE-spyGnxIpgTBpquQzvpMx5WwndvSIr/s500/GWTW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mEvjDlDUYHW-RtOzmvG76tW9E_GkBOmU_EwM7L0uo-UZ9pf5pS-KoCCDKPwXPXtvqcgsBdcSPmFOA8oKeY-mg53078MuwkwxoLVfh5H-PzEcFgqh3LP_5vZHnfZv0B8K_SdhpOy63lGzSWm7GxF6UkegAE-spyGnxIpgTBpquQzvpMx5WwndvSIr/w266-h399/GWTW.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fff2ce; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;">Remember, it's all about what inspires you:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fff2ce; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fff2ce; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><span face=""Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #242424; font-size: large;">GWTW can be the springboard for a million ideas- civil war, love, the definition of beauty (‘Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful but men seldom realized it..’), racism, slavery, strong women, gun violence, plantations, breaking conventions, the bond between fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, the love for a piece of land, a lament for a vanishing society…alternatively, even an essay on the stars or the film director or the author Margaret Mitchell or some aspect of the making of the film...endless opportunities for creativity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fff2ce; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: #fff2ce; clear: both; color: #5d4828; font-family: "Droid Serif"; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Post-February 15 to the 17th 2023</u></b></span></div></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH16PE8mqzF22XFDJlBaQcnwFavJWUY-5DxhjsQkKeOC8Uf2whl0oOvH4sGQBqOVgeZMXU2lfFUsxlLSAcRrhvgwOXDBs0mbALPql_BIbvA_PZuoSxGAEqgkJhZAkGUaJn_iyX_0Fg2h7IFM_XsLFuAvNB6ezzzg1QGTqALUPzZZwpWfAlCMZf-Lf5/s200/signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="34" data-original-width="200" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH16PE8mqzF22XFDJlBaQcnwFavJWUY-5DxhjsQkKeOC8Uf2whl0oOvH4sGQBqOVgeZMXU2lfFUsxlLSAcRrhvgwOXDBs0mbALPql_BIbvA_PZuoSxGAEqgkJhZAkGUaJn_iyX_0Fg2h7IFM_XsLFuAvNB6ezzzg1QGTqALUPzZZwpWfAlCMZf-Lf5/s1600/signature.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-90377031508171033842022-12-01T09:59:00.090+10:002022-12-09T13:37:15.210+10:00#WEP 2022 DECEMBER CHALLENGE - MY #FLASHFICTION - YOUR FACE, YOUR FACE, YOUR FACE.<p><span style="font-size: large;"> Hello there!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you're looking for my IWSG post, for practically the first time ever, I'm missing it. Clashes with the WEP challenge and life is super busy at this time of year, anyway. See you in January.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Seeing you're here, I'd be delighted if you'd read my meet-up with the two MCs in my latest novel...and answer my question at the end.</span></p><p>_______________________________________________________</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For the WEP challenge this month, I've edited the scene from my 'women's fiction with romantic and suspense elements' Paris Cookery School novel where my two main characters meet. It's over the limit at 1053, so sorry, but it fits the prompt perfectly, especially with reference to Roberta Flack's song. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Something has been lost in the editing process, but hey, I might use this shorter version in my WIP. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">To pre-empt comments, I'm a member of the FB group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1754530731241951">Ask a Book Editor</a>, (highly recommended) and I was told the latest preference for foreign words is to italicise the first usage, thereafter don't, as italics get annoying after a while. I drink to that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Angélique runs a cookery school. Charlie is a new student. Thus begins the romance which is the heart of the novel. </b></i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>TAGLINE: More than cooking goes on in the kitchen.</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnehk2SAwgz8Ob_KxefmJj1Gg5z0FRZwHfV5uq-vmjLI4OxwA8jjWyPDEdn-D0Ul-3Z0pmwnLJsy00IXeP2HZkLS3AS6dPe_4mSbjXJ2GRvSOTwjvie1VnnAk6OyW8AbltM0fON4q80s3t0xunJaNeZtN33dtyRYW0UNk1j7X-DOpe8m3vHEIpUa4/s320/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnehk2SAwgz8Ob_KxefmJj1Gg5z0FRZwHfV5uq-vmjLI4OxwA8jjWyPDEdn-D0Ul-3Z0pmwnLJsy00IXeP2HZkLS3AS6dPe_4mSbjXJ2GRvSOTwjvie1VnnAk6OyW8AbltM0fON4q80s3t0xunJaNeZtN33dtyRYW0UNk1j7X-DOpe8m3vHEIpUa4/s1600/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Your face, your face, your
face</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk76993271"><b><span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Angélique<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">A</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"> very
dishy dish stands at my kitchen door – handsome, tall, and very English. After
lugging his suitcase up five floors, his cheeks are flushed. And those eyes –
I’m lost. They’re the color of the sea on a cloudy day, pale green flecked with
gold. <i>Mon Dieu. So hot.</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His charcoal pin-striped suit is too dressy for my cookery school. Although with his glossy black hair, groomed
hipster beard, and devastating smile, who am I to judge?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“<i>Entrez</i>.” I sweep my arm in a gracious
lady-of-the-manor gesture. “Welcome to <i>Le Petit Paris Kitchen Cookery
School</i>. I’m your host, Angélique Ravello. You’re Charlie Byron?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His mouth is luscious and with that quirk at the
edge, he’s permanently smiling. He holds out a hand. “Yes. Enchanted,
I’m sure, Angélique.” His phone pings. “Pardon.” He reaches into his pocket,
silences it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">There's that hand again.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His fingers are long and strong like a piano player’s. If his smile turns my legs to water, what will
happen if I touch him? Sucking in a breath, I take those fingers in mine. I swear the earth moves in
my hand.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">We both laugh. Did he feel that powerful surge
of electricity? Or am I going mad?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“</span><i><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enchanté</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">,
Charlie.” Neither of us breaks the grip. His fingers tighten on mine. When did
we move so close? It’s like our bodies are magnetized. Now I can fully
appreciate his handsome bearded face with cheekbones to shame a supermodel. And
his </span><i><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">délicieux </span></i><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cologne duels with <i>délicieux</i> cookery
smells</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His smile dimples his face. “Thank you, or
should I say <i>merci</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Behave yourself Angélique.</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"> I
break the grip. Rub sweaty hands down my thighs. “English is fine, unless you
prefer—”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“English then.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His eyes rove my face. “You look like </span><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amélie from that fabulous film everyone watches before coming
to Paris</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">.” He slaps his head. “No doubt you get that all the time.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“I do.” My heartbeat whooshes in my ears. I
won’t risk my cookery school’s reputation by flirting. I’ve already disgraced
myself with my over-the-top reaction to his gorgeousness.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">He inhales rosemary lamb while he gives my
kitchen a good going over with those goldy-green eyes. “Uhmah. Something smells
good.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">And something looks good.</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"> I’m
lit up inside, my veins thrum. I haven’t felt like this since I met Alexandre at <i>lycée</i>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Everything okay?” His head tilts to the side
while I check him out with one side of my brain while the other tells me to
behave.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">I drag my eyes from his face. “<i>Oui, oui.</i> <i>Parfait</i>.”
I’m trembling like a leaf shaking in the Mistral in the South of France.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“So, what’s the verdict on my kitchen?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">He frowns like it was the last question he
expected. Well, my man, it was the last question I expected to utter.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Hmmm.” He raises a perfectly-groomed eyebrow,
no stranger to a brow bar.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Well, Charlie, you’re a BBC presenter, interior
designer, and builder of bespoke kitchens. How does mine rate?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Right.” He scratches his beard. “I’m surprised to find such a modern
kitchen here.” He drops his leather man bag on his luggage, kicks it to the
side, steps forward for a closer look.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">At me? Or the kitchen?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">He rubs his hands together. “This is one
beautiful kitchen.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Thanks.”<i> Not as beautiful as you</i>. I
let go of the counter and surprisingly don’t drop to the floor. “I couldn’t
afford an interior designer. How did I do?” That’s me, digging for compliments.
Shameless.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“You did great.” He quirks his lips in a cute
smile. “Your expansive workspaces are state-of-the-art. Those picture windows
and balcony doors let in so much natural light it’s magical. Your furniture is sympathetic to the baroque window moldings. And I appreciate what you’ve done
with color.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“You like the color?” My voice squeaks. My maman and I pored
over a thousand paint catalogues to recreate the warmth that sharing a perfect meal
brings.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“I do. To use a food reference, those walls are
raspberry macarons dipped in custard cream.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Yum. This Englishman totally gets the vibe.
“Exactly. What I aimed for.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“You achieved it. Those rosy walls are a perfect
foil to your blue and white Moroccan floor tiles, Italian marble workbench, and
top-of-the-range Lacanche cooker. Brilliant.” He’s on a roll. “You’ve achieved that lived-in, much-loved feel rarely
found in London kitchens. But I must say, those cooking smells beat all …” He
kisses his fingers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">I’d like to hug him for his generous critique,
but of course I don’t. He’s from London, I’m from Paris. Nine days of rubbing shoulders and he’ll be gone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">I smooth my chignon to keep my hands busy. “Thanks.
A welcome drink, Charlie? Champagne?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Just the ticket. Do you mind if I nose around?”
His phone chirps again. He glances at the screen, frowns, silences it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Not at all.” I lift a bottle of Champagne la Maison Garnier from
the ice bucket and am tempted to plunge my face into the chill. While he opens
cupboard doors, checks out Grand-mère’s antique china, watches the street theatre, I fill two crystal flutes. I breathe deeply to get control of
myself, join him on the balcony, hand him a frothy glass, drown in his dreamy eyes, “<i>Salut</i>, Charlie.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Salut, Angélique. Hmmm. Del-ic-io-us.” He
watches the bubbles fizz. “Like the view.” His
voice is as smooth as his silk </span><a name="_Hlk76981499"><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hermès</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"> scarf
slung oh-so-casually around his neck.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“I’m aware of how lucky I am with what I
have.” <i>And nearly lost when Maman died.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Bloody hell! Uh, excuse my French. The Eiffel
Tower.” He leans forward, eyes aglow. “How cool to have people come from all
over the world to share this view while they learn to cook. Epic.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“I agree.” I gulp my champagne faster than I
should. My head spins. Fizz tickles my nostrils. Is my frozen heart thawing like the snow which fell
in Paris this winter? No matter. My new mantra – ‘be always professional.’</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“So,” Charlie says, “who else is coming?”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Merde</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">. I’d be
happy to stand here for the rest of the night and breathe him in. “Three women - from Ireland, Australia and Alaska.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Brilliant.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">It’s a tight squeeze on my balcony and I
deliberately push my hip against his. He brings back memories of happy times
I’ve spent here with Alexandre.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">But Alexandre is gone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in; text-indent: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~*~</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">~*~</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">~*~</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">In my latest novel, out in 2023, drama,
romance, and passion are layered, flavoured, tasted and left to simmer, not unlike
the traditional French recipes scattered throughout the book.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></i></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">WORD COUNT: 1050</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">FCA</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><u>Anyone a whiz at choosing book titles?</u> I'm struggling with this one. Here is what I have so far ... can't move forward with the cover until I settle on one.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>1. Le Petit Paris Cookery School </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>2. The Taste of Love</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>3. A Feast of Food and Love</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>4. The Cookery School of Second Chances</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>5. The Recipe for Second Chances</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.6in 0in 0.2in;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>5. Other?</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> That's it for 2022. It's all over bar the shouting! It's been a great year for WEP with some beyond fabulous writing. Thanks to my wonderful team, and all who participated, either by posting entries, reading entries, and supporting Team WEP. And a big thank you to <a href="https://www.nickwilford.com/">Nick Wilford</a> for his judging expertise. </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLKI8r_FNiWLGry9T8Alcmrp-QTvKaPB4xfbPGyC3RT3yr6kaCAxkUAGQqLTy3hQd44va-Hrm_uD3Z8X_zsaTdF_ThRVy6-dQzmnlvmwugrzROy5bwj_eZONE97C2UopzbbOiAfOmHDk8BJh8nptUbVu2V2KbyzB9B0R8YK2XEj62N0Agb6sYI8MG/s1177/MACARONS%20AND%20EIFFEL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="736" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLKI8r_FNiWLGry9T8Alcmrp-QTvKaPB4xfbPGyC3RT3yr6kaCAxkUAGQqLTy3hQd44va-Hrm_uD3Z8X_zsaTdF_ThRVy6-dQzmnlvmwugrzROy5bwj_eZONE97C2UopzbbOiAfOmHDk8BJh8nptUbVu2V2KbyzB9B0R8YK2XEj62N0Agb6sYI8MG/w257-h412/MACARONS%20AND%20EIFFEL.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Raspberry macarons with custard cream - yum! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Can't wait to taste them again!</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-44108197139020599622022-11-02T08:30:00.001+10:002022-11-02T08:30:00.256+10:00#IWSG post - NOVEMBER 2022 - #NANOWRIMO - To do or not to do that is the question.<p> Hello there!</p><p>Here we are again. Another month gone by, chock-a-block with writerly activities for many of us. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3To5iwAsuaO_AmsSccqJrcN-152pMWZzZRzikrL8AGTrhnRd9gHZNQYLNznV3g0fNMeAsjXc06WSj2jmeFrN2028MFq3C_c7pSAr8sgY_F6KoC38FzEwIKePp0wHjl-F-jjme2-DR495Kl3OqrXT9ArWDxUkT7eyd7Cx9vYwz0BMd6aWKOpclwkjW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3To5iwAsuaO_AmsSccqJrcN-152pMWZzZRzikrL8AGTrhnRd9gHZNQYLNznV3g0fNMeAsjXc06WSj2jmeFrN2028MFq3C_c7pSAr8sgY_F6KoC38FzEwIKePp0wHjl-F-jjme2-DR495Kl3OqrXT9ArWDxUkT7eyd7Cx9vYwz0BMd6aWKOpclwkjW" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b>The awesome co-hosts for the November 2 posting of the IWSG are <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://douglasthomasgreening.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Douglas Thomas Greening,</a> <a href="http://nickwilford.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nick Wilford</a><a href="http://nickwilford.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">,</a> and <a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton!</a><br /><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div></div><p><br />I'm sorry I didn't get back to those who commented here last month, but unfortunately my husband had a bike accident and ended up in hospital with a broken back. Not fun. He is slowly recovering, but our lives have certainly been disrupted and will be for some time. </p><p>So, I'll answer the suggested question today - <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?</span></p><p>I was an enthusiastic NaNoWriter years ago, but no longer do it. I mean, the idea used to be that you cranked up the laptop on Nov 1st, and started writing, preferably without a plan. Since then, writers use it more specifically to finish a book, edit a book, plan a book etc etc rather that what the original expectations were. That's all fine. Many things start off one way and end up being something else.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSoClFZLIXWvh5EJ_NXTky-pDnB2bji1EngKPVzww9Ohu1ni_-ZZoOMztyx0lzntYKNBoQWdmGy2x56ZJuYmTTB7E4mi0qKx89HH1SjJXpFOd6M08jbe-HG--0pFKF56htupFpyybKbakbvkAVxJvpdF1D-sWXz1nE2dZz9DA3SMK4zYLABmQneprh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="120" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSoClFZLIXWvh5EJ_NXTky-pDnB2bji1EngKPVzww9Ohu1ni_-ZZoOMztyx0lzntYKNBoQWdmGy2x56ZJuYmTTB7E4mi0qKx89HH1SjJXpFOd6M08jbe-HG--0pFKF56htupFpyybKbakbvkAVxJvpdF1D-sWXz1nE2dZz9DA3SMK4zYLABmQneprh" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yeah, this was my whaling novel, Ruby. Had a look at it the other day ... and cringed.</div><br />I have a total of 5 rubbishy books I penned in a frenzy in my early NaNo days. I doubt I'll ever get back to them. Maybe I could take the story ideas from them, as the ideas are good, but the writing is what NaNo writing was once supposed to be - rubbishy first draft.<p></p><p>So no, no more NaNo for me. The only thing I remember fondly was it was a great excuse to hit the laptop every day and pen over 1,000 words. And connecting with other writers. But I can do that without NaNoWriMo.</p><p>Have a great month.</p><p>Oh, and while you're here, WEP finished an awesome October challenge and is primed to have their final challenge in December. Join us if you feel like following our dreamy prompt -</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2PEMNsWTCBdw8dITc1-DECCIgASgRyUTDrvF9oiyeUoUHDo7F9gzo7kyLaxCAp74H0uGwD1-oqCVpaGs9mTnXn9dFzBycLr0i4nh2604FHYkjdXtVr0ITB3XeP-V6OinNe0ug0KfhF9vC0wqIPEx2Y494bBLv5QIszgDAE1GLfYnorzq2rFA3oCh/s320/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2PEMNsWTCBdw8dITc1-DECCIgASgRyUTDrvF9oiyeUoUHDo7F9gzo7kyLaxCAp74H0uGwD1-oqCVpaGs9mTnXn9dFzBycLr0i4nh2604FHYkjdXtVr0ITB3XeP-V6OinNe0ug0KfhF9vC0wqIPEx2Y494bBLv5QIszgDAE1GLfYnorzq2rFA3oCh/s1600/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><br /><br /></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-65981951435921896532022-10-19T08:30:00.002+10:002022-10-20T10:19:16.444+10:00#WEP OCTOBER 2022 CHALLENGE - MICHAEL JACKSON'S "THRILLER" - MY #FLASHFICTION<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Hello there!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's time for the WEP October
thrilling challenge where writers are asked to respond in any way they choose
to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". The options are there for those who
resist reading or writing horror in any form, so some entries might be
'thrilling' in other ways. Myself, I'm rather attracted to vampire stories, so
of course that's the direction I took my entry. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the second half of my entry, I
incorporated lyrics from the song, mindful that there is copyright on lyrics,
so I changed them. No copyright on titles, thankfully. I also had some useable
pics in my picture folders that I hope enhance the 'thrilling' experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxwPQA6a9h86eY8GFkaSOzXVP-jDo1PcJ5Od-Kuk8U4Ub9s9EesAdAJOt1vVtMxysnHHIJDUKBA6W-PKBAXqKzBUoyb5XSGYuKYinmmlFsz0-UZ0kTHZelh9eydnNN31WNn5ei7_ISptbTg4dpy-CeYyhh37Kox3wYfb3tHqLv6p-USt2s8YdTn-B/s1000/thriller%20october.jpg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600"
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">S</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">adie slithered down the freezing drainpipe, and bam, her
ballet flats hit the ground. Creeping cold seeped through her shoes, her toes
turned to ice. She slapped her face. Got the blood flowing. Idiot! She should
have worn that ugly sheepskin coat her mother gave her, but she wanted to show
off her milky white shoulders in her red silky dress. To whom? She was about to
find out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lucretia, her BFF at her new school
had told her about a ceremony happening at midnight deep in the woods. How
could Sadie miss that?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She shivered along the snowy path
into the wood behind her house. Should have worn a cloak, not this thin shawl.
"Yes, Mom, I'm a stupid cow."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We moved here to get you away from
those weirdos in Washington State. But you never listen. Don’t whine to me when
disaster strikes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Don’t go walking in those woods at
night”, Lucretia had warned her, “especially on Halloween”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Especially under moonlight.” Her
new boyfriend Xavier added on several occasions while they made out in her
room. As he spoke, his eyes gazed at her soulfully, eyes flecked with red which
sorta scared her. “Never, never, never enter those woods.” He thumped the
pillow. “Evil lurks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadie had almost laughed. Xavier was
so quaint of speech, like he was from another age. But she wasn’t doing trick
and treating with the class like she was some stupid little girl. She was going
to be a scientist. Scientists don’t believe anything they can’t prove.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She passed an abandoned shack by a
frozen stream. She was close.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Full moon. All Hallow’s Eve. Pagan
festival of the dead. Her favorite time of year. Ghosts, vampires, ghouls,
zombies and what the heck else come out to toy with humans. She wrapped her
arms around herself; snowflakes teased her bare shoulders. Her hair whipped
into her mouth, her eyes. Was that ghosts she heard ooh-ing and aah-ing? Turn
back, freak, she told herself, but no, she was determined to see if the stories
about creepy creatures had merit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Close to a grassy glade, a circle of
trees. Then … she saw it, a sight that almost stopped her heart. Horror hooked
her between the eyes like an arrow from a gifted archer. She opened her mouth
to scream, but terror stopped her voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Black-clad figures wearing white
gloves, sang in falsetto while they gyrated, their movements strangely elegant,
“Thriller, thriller.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My God. Who were these copy-cats
singing Michael Jackson’s biggest hit? Her heart hammered so loudly her ears
throbbed. Were her weird new friends playing tricks on her?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fake-Jacksons swiveled, booed
her, like they saw through the huge tree where she hid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Come out, girl, we need your
sweetness.” They sang, clapped, made Michael Jackson moves, bodies jerking.
“You’ll be thrilling, thrilling, our lips will drip with sweet, sweet blood.”
They high-fived, smacked their lips, whirled in the air so many times it made
her dizzy. How long had they practiced to get that right?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some friends, she thought. Ugh. How
could they scare her like this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Run, Sadie, run.” A familiar voice.
A familiar touch. She spun around. No one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The dancers shot their hands in the
air, their claw-like fingers spasming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Come to us, little one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We need your sweetness.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Run, Sadie, run.” An awakening fear
nailed her feet to the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We crawl in search of blood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You are the one we crave.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A cold hand wrapped around her neck,
sharp fingernails pinched her bare shoulders. A creature. Behind her. These
creeps were real! She’d read Twilight; she knew what came next. Razor-sharp
teeth would rip her apart.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Midnight is so close at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jaws of death are in the land.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, no, no, no. Cold dread crept
throughout her body. Then … pfft … maybe … if she opened her eyes, she’d be in
her warm bed in her warm room in her warm house with her cold parents.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But no.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We demons, we’re closin' in on every
side.” Voices now deep baritone, they formed a ring around the tree, her
prison. In time to the words, they stomped their feet, flew into the air, their
robes flapping around their bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Darkness falls across the land.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thriller, thriller night.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We will take your sweetness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take you to a better world.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Woodland creatures squawked and
squawked, wolves howled, then suddenly stopped, adding to Sadie’s terror.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Deep baritone voices seared her
soul. “We will possess you.” And they did, their hands all over her, imprinted
her body with ice. “This night we'll open your eyes to the knowledge you seek.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadie couldn’t see their hooded
faces, but she smelt foul breath, felt rough tongues, teeth, huge, monstrous,
grazed her shoulders. Her knees gave way; she fell into a heap.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Your body shivers, twitches, but
your cries are feeble. Give up the fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Leave me alone,” Sadie cried,
wrapping her hands around her neck. “Go scare someone else.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Stand and face we hounds of hell.”
They tugged at her hands, exposing her neck. “Let us hold you tight. Thrill us
on this thriller, thriller night.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They hauled her to her feet like she
was made of air.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnggwvPl-FsWS1F2NxniegqCQNG_F8ps4zsovXVCfCa1UkioDNP5bJKKr0OmF0seJ3cWM7FF_Hb_TcyLwtEpazVZG1_kJwlO6eOhga6PqlVL8kU_LmGDWin7TFK1NEWXg0CjRXGUht9x04oLs6qEms_clijsFgGWizy3CkjxlS_Wp_YmsbY8JV-bk/s391/sadie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnggwvPl-FsWS1F2NxniegqCQNG_F8ps4zsovXVCfCa1UkioDNP5bJKKr0OmF0seJ3cWM7FF_Hb_TcyLwtEpazVZG1_kJwlO6eOhga6PqlVL8kU_LmGDWin7TFK1NEWXg0CjRXGUht9x04oLs6qEms_clijsFgGWizy3CkjxlS_Wp_YmsbY8JV-bk/s320/sadie.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She kicked and screamed, but fingers
tore her skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Give in. Give in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the end<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">we commend.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No mortal can resist our evil.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This mortal can.” The familiar
voice again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The foul stench screamed a
collective falsetto, ‘Ooh-ooh-ooh’, backed away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Xavier.” Relief coursed
through her. “Save me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If I don’t take you, they will.” He
stabbed a finger at the demons, their white gloves circling the darkness, their
falsetto voices creeping her out big time. “Ooh-ooh-ooh, oh Master.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WTF? “Master? Xavier?” She tried to
pull out of his arms, but they felt like iron bands.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His eyes sparkled with red flecks.
“Stay away from these woods, I said, but you didn’t listen. If I let you go
now, you’re dead. I’ll change you; you will live with me forever.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadie felt woozy as Xavier’s teeth
bit her neck. Oh the exquisite pain of discovering the truth. She heard
falsetto voices: “Ooh-ooh-ooh, please give us a go.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mom, you were right. I am a stupid
cow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wkeNddXUaEu_MjBqulqA7L1owEKDXM5wWVUf56HPh-SXGwtEPMOzOfrwuijBMngCrspIDZV9a7SMGPhHT8N5UgPJLrELQXD9zU34AG86pRD7r9jEoG4i6yqhl7Ij_HqjiuayMpdirgMqcgK-bIEVNKgijI0XG0AdLF2EtI6LHM7Cnpvu0J5T7qu1/s800/lying%20down%20red%20dress%20girl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wkeNddXUaEu_MjBqulqA7L1owEKDXM5wWVUf56HPh-SXGwtEPMOzOfrwuijBMngCrspIDZV9a7SMGPhHT8N5UgPJLrELQXD9zU34AG86pRD7r9jEoG4i6yqhl7Ij_HqjiuayMpdirgMqcgK-bIEVNKgijI0XG0AdLF2EtI6LHM7Cnpvu0J5T7qu1/s320/lying%20down%20red%20dress%20girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">TAGLINE: Mom is always right!</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">WORDS: 1039</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> FCA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> STOP PRESS!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For this challenge, WEP is
offering Amazon Gift Cards to three winners to the tune of $20, $15 and $10. If
you have a story that meets the guidelines, join us!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivzLTWLlf84yuguiwUnqT-ZqLTFIDp1NG0OYalXD4wNnQWwJL-uR-yC7vHgFLCoPaJ3ohXhcMTDZWK6W7r5my3j3Rwz87tEBa8-VFxJJYpycThUGsYp0k42QJsb0YNfGIbOiOSfBKhRCu5IQNe8OUHYEdgRLlBHsZcbdr-S6KURbYSa5fdZj3yqa-l" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="211" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivzLTWLlf84yuguiwUnqT-ZqLTFIDp1NG0OYalXD4wNnQWwJL-uR-yC7vHgFLCoPaJ3ohXhcMTDZWK6W7r5my3j3Rwz87tEBa8-VFxJJYpycThUGsYp0k42QJsb0YNfGIbOiOSfBKhRCu5IQNe8OUHYEdgRLlBHsZcbdr-S6KURbYSa5fdZj3yqa-l" width="192" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
I hope you enjoyed my ghoulish story. Please click on my sidebar to read more
entries.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPtlUZABcDBUvz61tTvrWvHh-MSrMge6AATP1K06xUGe-SiaZ5gimNj6d2E7CFn31votE9f-tCdGNHp7-KAX9QFrEUnLhi_a_i_w7FWaRKGTBqL98tilPmV72QHRoB6aNd4M2xHecMInlB9lRxXYYrdzs_fm0S-DE1vhN-vTbWprF-qU781UkVB5I/s202/MUSICAL%20NOTES.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="202" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPtlUZABcDBUvz61tTvrWvHh-MSrMge6AATP1K06xUGe-SiaZ5gimNj6d2E7CFn31votE9f-tCdGNHp7-KAX9QFrEUnLhi_a_i_w7FWaRKGTBqL98tilPmV72QHRoB6aNd4M2xHecMInlB9lRxXYYrdzs_fm0S-DE1vhN-vTbWprF-qU781UkVB5I/w141-h100/MUSICAL%20NOTES.jpg" width="141" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While you're here, I'll tell you
about WEP's December challenge. We'll tone it down a bit from this month. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJBnnsW7pTmQKB-sFoMzoqup6j2B3x8DUk3lnP2xnMndR71ensfIywmLc3yPH3sbitgDVcrvPE1V_CIzC5vfPoQorzJpBWTgz3ixswjVCfFzPM4SarTDypcZKtLl39awtbcNgb47PlGOT_UfQ0ldGWrn6gGzbQqwGRkuYQueCB_1AFGO7PBCWWXk5/s320/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJBnnsW7pTmQKB-sFoMzoqup6j2B3x8DUk3lnP2xnMndR71ensfIywmLc3yPH3sbitgDVcrvPE1V_CIzC5vfPoQorzJpBWTgz3ixswjVCfFzPM4SarTDypcZKtLl39awtbcNgb47PlGOT_UfQ0ldGWrn6gGzbQqwGRkuYQueCB_1AFGO7PBCWWXk5/s1600/the%20first%20time%20december.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">Roberta Flack said - I
think it's the kind of song that has two unique & distinct qualities:
it tells a story, and it has lyrics that mean something....Because of [its
meaningful lyrics] the [song] can be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of
different ways: the love of a mother for a child, for example, or [that of] two
lovers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Go <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7362528912516506170/6598195143592189653"><span style="color: blue;">HERE </span></a>for more inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks for taking time out of your
busy schedule to read and comment on my post.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 28pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Denise</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 28pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p><br /><p></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-54376141700339202962022-10-05T08:30:00.013+10:002022-10-05T08:30:00.239+10:00#IWSG OCTOBER POSTING - What I like about my 'favorite genre.' <p> Hello all!</p><p>Welcome to the October IWSG. Hope you've had a good month - writing, reading, collaborating, selling books, advertising books, promoting books, blogging, facebook-ing- whatever is your jam. </p><p>My month has been busy as always, what with trying to fit everything in - by everything I mean I just want to write new copy, but there are so many other demands on my time.<span style="font-size: medium;"><b> How about you? How do you prioritize your writing?</b></span></p><p>Anyway, onto the October question -<span style="font-size: medium;"><b> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; text-align: center;">What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEjnTvhp_9aAaHrsn6vVKJ8SbAwUs9ZAT-vDPp6UqClNh0xyEM_zMLV-sJVikiBn81ZvysN5U9t87ZgO7nTLMnAzCZFFwlShdhYDD7IEtVjlLGVnhSG9EpXL8eLZKGiFsW5u68VkD3VZRo7VFfxzvEX8vAvVr-ZIgIXOhUiN5zhygut1mROt5ULIL/s320/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEjnTvhp_9aAaHrsn6vVKJ8SbAwUs9ZAT-vDPp6UqClNh0xyEM_zMLV-sJVikiBn81ZvysN5U9t87ZgO7nTLMnAzCZFFwlShdhYDD7IEtVjlLGVnhSG9EpXL8eLZKGiFsW5u68VkD3VZRo7VFfxzvEX8vAvVr-ZIgIXOhUiN5zhygut1mROt5ULIL/s1600/Insecure%20Writers%20Support%20Group%20Badge.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This is a rather long post for IWSG, so just skim, pick out points of interest. If there are none, my bad, but I hope you can find something!</span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I</b></span> don't want to confuse you, but I have eclectic tastes both in books and music. Sometimes in music I'm into Beethoven and classical music, at others, U2, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams and others of their ilk, then there's my fascination with Abba which never wanes.<p></p><p>Same thing with 'favorite genre'. My 'favorite genre' varies over time. I'm a voracious speed reader who often DNF a book if it doesn't get going. If a day goes by and I don't read ... oh, well, don't think that's ever happened since I was like 6 years old. I go through phases - </p><p>* <b>Nora Roberts </b>type Romantic Suspense. Why? I like to be intrigued. <b>Jemi Fraser </b>does this well, too. </p><p>* Feel good women's fiction set in Cornwall and gentle England, but I'm done. A flooded market. </p><p>* Classic vampire tales of old, like <b>Dracula</b>. Sure, I've read the modern, sparkly ones, and those set in a modern office, but give me an old-fashioned blood sucker any day. </p><p>* Classic books by the likes of <b>Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen</b> et al which probably wouldn't be published today.</p><p>And I could go on, but I'll cut to my current 'favorite genre'...</p><p>RIGHT NOW ... and for several months, and off and on all my reading life, I choose <b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thrillers, especially Psychological Thrillers </span></b>over any other genre. Why? Along with intriguing settings, it's because the Title, the Tagline, the cover/and/or the blurb hook me in. With this genre, you always know what you're getting and you're getting a good read, a page-turner. And it's dastardly difficult to write. I know. I'm trying.</p><p>Forerunners were series like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson and standalone Smilla's Sense of Snow, by Peter Hoeg, but moving along ...</p><p>I just grabbed a few of my recent favorites off my overflowing new bookshelves my hubs built me ...</p><p>* "Can you save her? Will you survive?" - <b>Harlan Coben's Run Away </b>- he's the king of twisty thrillers. Think I've read all his books and watched on Netflix those which have become series (16 so far and more to come).</p><p>* <b>The Ice Twins, S.K. Tremayne</b> - "Unbearably gripping and suspenseful." (An understatement if ever there was one!!!). "Beautifully paced, teeming with psychological shivers." This could describe the Murder series by <b>Yolanda Renee</b> (((shiver, shiver)))</p><p>*<b> Clare Mackintosh, I Let You Go.</b> "A past you can't escape." I challenge you to ever find a creepier ending. "Chilling ... with a killer twist." Yep.</p><p>* <b>Cross Her Heart, Sarah Pinborough</b>. "...it's about three interesting women and some nasty men." Got me right away.</p><p>But when it comes to psychological thrillers, I'm reading my way through those set in Scandinavia and deep into the night when I'm too tired to write, I watch Netflix sub-titled scandi thrillers set in those frozen lands which seem to lend themselves to bleak, scary, witchy stories. Probably the best to me is <b>The Killing, </b>on Netflix and all 3 books by David Hewson (a fave writer of crime thrillers set in Rome). Let's just say, <b><span style="font-size: medium;">I love Scandi-noir at its powerful bleakest. </span></b>Currently reading my second by <b>Camilla Grebe, The Hideout</b>, "A razor-sharp, complex mystery." (I loved her <b>The Ice Beneath Her</b>).</p><p>Want to know more? Join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/983616945825132">Psychological Thrillers Readers Group on Facebook </a>where there are tons of recommendations. I hope someone recommends my first thriller one day. It's half written! Yay!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The awesome co-hosts for the October 5 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://www.bookwormforkids.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tonja Drecker,</a> <a href="https://www.victoriamarielees.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> <a href="http://playoffthepage.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mary Aalgaard,</a> and <a href="http://sandracox.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sandra Cox!</a></b></div><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b> Be sure to visit the</b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><a href="http://insecurewriterssupportgroup.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website</a>!!!</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: x-large;"><b>And talking of thrillers, WEP is about to be swamped by thrilling stories starting October 19, based on Michael Jackson's THRILLER. Can't wait! </b></span></div><div style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: x-large;"><b>You're welcome to join us! Share in the fun!</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRxJ42Nzwh2uDZE_mgiZHRotM6SD1dtKJ5Bd09fzcQ2Vpbbg1LUp9FjxGvWb95GUjQX8XlnzDipbOMU4P4OdpDQCZvU8lTTORNsCjxaC0WwK4_Zp1ImMcXLZmDF1K8GtaDcYX45kDr7dnLqSLapjYAL19hhHbcTKLG_tvqOKyps2dAcri0oX8_NyL/s1000/thriller%20october.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRxJ42Nzwh2uDZE_mgiZHRotM6SD1dtKJ5Bd09fzcQ2Vpbbg1LUp9FjxGvWb95GUjQX8XlnzDipbOMU4P4OdpDQCZvU8lTTORNsCjxaC0WwK4_Zp1ImMcXLZmDF1K8GtaDcYX45kDr7dnLqSLapjYAL19hhHbcTKLG_tvqOKyps2dAcri0oX8_NyL/s320/thriller%20october.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Thanks for visiting. I'd love to hear your comments.</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's an excerpt from my thrilling story for October's WEP - I'm definitely influenced by those </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Scandinavian</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> settings!</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">S</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">adie slithered down the freezing drainpipe, and bam, her
ballet flats hit the ground. Creeping cold seeped through her shoes, her toes
turned to ice. She slapped her face. Got the blood flowing. Idiot! She should
have worn that ugly sheepskin coat her mother gave her, but she wanted to show
off her milky white shoulders in her red silky dress. To whom? She was about to
find out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6M4krjpm0TQcWmZo6mUeBkxx2yinsq98ESjq1RynYCxNto7bGetGyb4VnO2Q4qw8DOgqcjMe9aYjvSHCS0eo6RqecgCQvQUN0mLCFk-XcSdxgGPuL21DGUFYV27wikANJnTzlHGbCmm2HlalgQ4wFWdWKNzj2ScgAlCVwHKyzA-VAYF1YtFG2yyo/s506/girl%20in%20forest%20red%20dress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6M4krjpm0TQcWmZo6mUeBkxx2yinsq98ESjq1RynYCxNto7bGetGyb4VnO2Q4qw8DOgqcjMe9aYjvSHCS0eo6RqecgCQvQUN0mLCFk-XcSdxgGPuL21DGUFYV27wikANJnTzlHGbCmm2HlalgQ4wFWdWKNzj2ScgAlCVwHKyzA-VAYF1YtFG2yyo/s320/girl%20in%20forest%20red%20dress.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: "Haunted Moon"; font-size: 32px;">Denise</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b></b></span></span></div>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362528912516506170.post-32682572053217414442022-09-07T11:40:00.003+10:002022-09-07T11:40:42.980+10:00#IWSG September 2022 - Best and worst genres to tackle - IWSG Anthology, First Love, with pictures.<p> Hello all! I might be a bit early for the IWSG post, but here I am, ready or not! I have some GREAT NEWS! (We're already halfway through Wed, 7th Sept Down Under!)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhviv46B9wjM3drhNXlpYZev7lPTwMEzPWwfwlucUSDd-a0OrmGwhNGJ4VjvHUrqHuQhkiTRre5f5vLmfLk_ygyEt6wSZMKgfU0OWHCAFUY_roAxqIsgGtUZ9jb-izkl7Z3D9R9qTailx8oeqLg0v-0N2R0ViJQTxCBRY__o9QihkV0QFXluiDyRgbq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="175" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhviv46B9wjM3drhNXlpYZev7lPTwMEzPWwfwlucUSDd-a0OrmGwhNGJ4VjvHUrqHuQhkiTRre5f5vLmfLk_ygyEt6wSZMKgfU0OWHCAFUY_roAxqIsgGtUZ9jb-izkl7Z3D9R9qTailx8oeqLg0v-0N2R0ViJQTxCBRY__o9QihkV0QFXluiDyRgbq" width="244" /></a></div><br /><b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">The awesome co-hosts for the September 7 posting of the IWSG are <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/olgagodim.wordpress.com" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> <a href="http://www.writer-in-transit.co.za/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Michelle Wallace,</a> and <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Louise - Fundy Blue!</a> Please visit them if time permits!</b><p></p><p>Welcome to September's IWSG. A pretty exciting month for some of us with the publication of First Love, the latest IWSG Anthology. The writers have been participating in blog posts on the <a href="http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/">IWSG Anthology Website </a>which has helped keep us focused while we waited for what seemed a long time to see the Anthology come into fruition. </p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">So it's related to the September 7 question - What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?</span></p><p>Ever since the IWSG Anthology was first announced by Alex J Cavanaugh back in the day, I've been waiting for a romance genre collection. There seemed to be a focus on sci-fi and fantasy which I have no interest in writing. I guess my Paranormal series is a fantasy, but it's not how I think of fantasy. That's just me. Sci-fi or fantasy would be 'the worst one for [me] to tackle'. Why? No offense, but I don't enjoy reading them as a rule, so no point writing them. I'm sure there are many who have an aversion to some genres - I'm not interested in military stories, cars (Fast and Furious) stories, erotica and so on and so forth. Which is good. Leave those to the experts in the field and concentrate on what each of us enjoys reading and writing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMdma6UbKQn3oErkO7lnj_JqTxnKmhLCbNAaseUpEbVLfRRG0WyTsQ-Gkyc1FxGTJoX-i71sUyN3EpTEU3dm0VGF78BK0f4Kk4KR_GdTJOlWVkVaKEIS0DPo9cJtaQ1u4abV4MVJUYcpPolooFVpWYPkMNf-S3gFc0ZwCX8nbRMEdFFXO5Uqq_vOe/s400/First%20Love%20The%20Art%20of%20Making%20Doughnuts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMdma6UbKQn3oErkO7lnj_JqTxnKmhLCbNAaseUpEbVLfRRG0WyTsQ-Gkyc1FxGTJoX-i71sUyN3EpTEU3dm0VGF78BK0f4Kk4KR_GdTJOlWVkVaKEIS0DPo9cJtaQ1u4abV4MVJUYcpPolooFVpWYPkMNf-S3gFc0ZwCX8nbRMEdFFXO5Uqq_vOe/w271-h411/First%20Love%20The%20Art%20of%20Making%20Doughnuts.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /><p>I always knew a romance IWSG collection would be popular. I was told it had the most entries of any of the contests. Not surprised, seeing over half the books that sell are in the romance genre or sub genres of the same. Let's hope the IWSG's First Love Anthology sells well and many romance readers find hours of enjoyment in the pages.</p><p>My story, Marmalade Sunset, was set on Santorini in the Greek Islands. I just received an email from someone who just read it, and here is an extract: </p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>"</i></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>It has been MANY, MANY, MANY years since I visited the Greek Islands and while reading your story, I was instantly transported back there again; walking up and down those graveled hills, viewing the whitewashed and blue buildings, and appreciating the bright pink bougainvillea against the azure blue skies. Sigh. I wish I was there now."</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgTLF8AKD3LBNsFWxLWrossNd_tsfCOLltmUuZzSMAQJsRB0Heh6FoOHpnicl1G2mDHDgnuHpcnUgrS_GcHP0aGN64lxPfSLBHLKpbVxDxAOKMux1w0K02N8QzM7CClRKR43NhG958Aw1m44_3BR87SMpd3q39EO3nNAJ_ZNhzIyRQzFA-im5eVus/s320/SANTORINI%20AND%20ME.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="320" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgTLF8AKD3LBNsFWxLWrossNd_tsfCOLltmUuZzSMAQJsRB0Heh6FoOHpnicl1G2mDHDgnuHpcnUgrS_GcHP0aGN64lxPfSLBHLKpbVxDxAOKMux1w0K02N8QzM7CClRKR43NhG958Aw1m44_3BR87SMpd3q39EO3nNAJ_ZNhzIyRQzFA-im5eVus/s1600/SANTORINI%20AND%20ME.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">With love from Santorini, that blessed gem of a </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Greek isle. How could I not be inspired?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>So grab yourself a copy. It's finally published!<p></p><p>I bought copies for family and friends. Here are two of my daughters proudly reading/holding their copies.</p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vons_2_BXxWQw2UgxhDW70UyQbKR2SgBjyBX9Z9YJqgItjuz2gTx61gJq7P1r0MW6Lg7OYm38q7JXUIthCIrIPvKfr1AO_TSi_dkGQ2usbibOQK4rwE5eVbb2HiL3UrdPd-vWGscogutGmTwrYtgmpEvUtNp_8s6LeLMoKxh2aRkP7B0chxHCs_7/s4032/georgia%20donuts%20lkg%20away.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vons_2_BXxWQw2UgxhDW70UyQbKR2SgBjyBX9Z9YJqgItjuz2gTx61gJq7P1r0MW6Lg7OYm38q7JXUIthCIrIPvKfr1AO_TSi_dkGQ2usbibOQK4rwE5eVbb2HiL3UrdPd-vWGscogutGmTwrYtgmpEvUtNp_8s6LeLMoKxh2aRkP7B0chxHCs_7/s4032/georgia%20donuts%20lkg%20away.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vons_2_BXxWQw2UgxhDW70UyQbKR2SgBjyBX9Z9YJqgItjuz2gTx61gJq7P1r0MW6Lg7OYm38q7JXUIthCIrIPvKfr1AO_TSi_dkGQ2usbibOQK4rwE5eVbb2HiL3UrdPd-vWGscogutGmTwrYtgmpEvUtNp_8s6LeLMoKxh2aRkP7B0chxHCs_7/w227-h301/georgia%20donuts%20lkg%20away.jpg" width="227" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfHo-QcwFqJUuj9_RMHvxotfozBt1dQe0pXULQQzmqL86vUoXckGiJrbOwfS40IRYkiZ8arUlT_Izs5IRmmCBxRp6n3s-OW4MUAwNCuFCE4A9hbZMWIeaQ1yvqH9bwrfIgWaj-ckTHYI0VFclhGGozdydVthYiwRr-Fhd5vgvU-WgQj-7Dg3sWqpO/s4032/tarrah%20donut%20reading.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfHo-QcwFqJUuj9_RMHvxotfozBt1dQe0pXULQQzmqL86vUoXckGiJrbOwfS40IRYkiZ8arUlT_Izs5IRmmCBxRp6n3s-OW4MUAwNCuFCE4A9hbZMWIeaQ1yvqH9bwrfIgWaj-ckTHYI0VFclhGGozdydVthYiwRr-Fhd5vgvU-WgQj-7Dg3sWqpO/w229-h305/tarrah%20donut%20reading.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">~*~</p><p>And of course there is a blog tour. To learn more scintillating titbits about the anthology, here is the list:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TOUR DATES:</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/1 – IWSG
Anthologies Blog, </span><a href="http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Book blurbs</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/5 - Kelly F
Barr, </span><a href="https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Interview</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/6 - Kelly F
Barr, </span><a href="https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://kellyfbarr.com/blog/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Review</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/7 – Diane
Burton, </span><a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">http://dianeburton.blogspot.com</span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Interview</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/7 - Cathrina
Constantine, </span><a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Book feature</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/9 - Sandra
Cox, </span><a href="https://sandracox.blogspot.com/2022/09/your-weekend-read-first-love-anthology.html" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://sandracox.blogspot.com/2022/09/your-weekend-read-first-love-anthology.html</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Book feature</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/12 - Elizabeth s.
Craig, </span><a href="https://elizabethspanncraig.com/blog-3/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://elizabethspanncraig.com/blog-3/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Article - Working
on an Anthology</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/14 – C. Lee
McKenzie, </span><a href="https://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Interview</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/16 - Louise M.
Barbour, </span><a href="https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><b>Review</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">9/19 - Susan
Gourley, </span><a href="https://susangourley.blogspot.com/2022/09/first-love-art-of-making-doughnuts.html" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://susangourley.blogspot.com/2022/09/first-love-art-of-making-doughnuts.html</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Interview</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Links:</span><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Amazon </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFirst-Love-Art-Making-Doughnuts-ebook%2Fdp%2FB09QH3Z28P%2F&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=Kg5Wy6oeqsyz-071GDdP5j3N_4s%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.amazon.com/First-Love-Art-Making-Doughnuts-ebook/dp/B09QH3Z28P/</a><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Barnes & Noble </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%2Fw%2Ffirst-love-insecure-writers-support-group%2F1140884369%3Fean%3D2940165751301&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=JY_lUvKzRpGyyX8r3Tws7K3fb5U%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/first-love-insecure-writers-support-group/1140884369?ean=2940165751301</a><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">iTunes </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.apple.com%2Fus%2Fbook%2Fx%2Fid1605240999&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=7KSgan_Ozur3mKcXtOFNLnuPwWs%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1605240999</a><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Kobo </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobo.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Febook%2Ffirst-love-the-art-of-making-doughnuts&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=IF85ePAdmHGONxkCzodnXdee9WM%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/first-love-the-art-of-making-doughnuts</a><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Scribed - </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scribd.com%2Fsearch%3Fquery%3D9781939844897%26language%3D0&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=gKiQ5mHbiQYXu6a0U7AUf6zAJWM%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844897&language=0</a><br style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;" /><span style="color: #b9b9b9; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">Goodreads </span><a href="https://f69e.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=63172f4150ed02628b037b14&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F60198262-first-love&w=5479f2c9e4b030244ba1acba&l=en-US&s=JhvFccuAItPK_CoR4EKWhtnT0QM%3D" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(87, 5, 202) !important; font-family: "Lucida Bright", "DejaVu Serif", "Bitstream Vera Serif", "Liberation Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60198262-first-love</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">~*~</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #888888; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">It's a far cry from sweet First Love stories, but the WEP is approaching its horror fest for Halloween, in the form of the challenge, Thriller, based on the Michael Jackson song. Everyone's welcome to join our writing contest; horror is an option only.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRksxZuZI_5FP6tI9i2gR87r2nbVxQEk34DgR7tOk9dqBXBS07EMRZ8stdpzKTqCS-H1586fF563wUem2w23BCkyG2zLOtfiCxuiAMjrbcWQO_QKM2NSW0FM9-BTWBTpFqXcT2oblxvSmN1grRx5JN28yJRRgyUaPBEcCRiA3MIVf3KY7H2FvgUbN1/s1000/thriller%20october.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRksxZuZI_5FP6tI9i2gR87r2nbVxQEk34DgR7tOk9dqBXBS07EMRZ8stdpzKTqCS-H1586fF563wUem2w23BCkyG2zLOtfiCxuiAMjrbcWQO_QKM2NSW0FM9-BTWBTpFqXcT2oblxvSmN1grRx5JN28yJRRgyUaPBEcCRiA3MIVf3KY7H2FvgUbN1/s320/thriller%20october.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b> <span style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 22pt;">Denise</span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: AquilineTwo; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br /></p>Denise Covey http://www.blogger.com/profile/07106490051555233439noreply@blogger.com24