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Showing posts from January, 2012

Insight From The Other Side

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Hello Fellow Fathomers Today in The Locker, I use a poem my daughter wrote today. She started writing much more when I increased my own time in Microsoft Word. My beautiful and funny 12 year old Allee, shown here at her birthday party has been the victim of bullying on several occasions. I don't know about you, but having a creative side makes me...well... a bit weird I suppose. Fortunately, my Allee inherited my weird side, and someday, life will be amazing for her because of it. However, in the present, attending public junior high, some kids are vicious, poisonous terrorists hell bent on hurting anyone who is different than they are, maybe smarter than they are, maybe more athletic than they are, maybe quieter than they are, maybe wear glasses, maybe it's a boy who seems too feminine or a girl who seems too much like a tomboy. Does it really matter? It happens all the same and kids die at an alarmingly increasing rate, usually by their own hand, when they just can't

I Love My Grandma Helen

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Today in The Locker, I honor my Grandma Helen, who introduced me to so many, many things. Without her influences, I would have missed out on several wonderful experiences. We bought her a Kindle for her birthday, and she was very excited! (See the necklace around her neck, I know it's not terribly clear, but, that is from her aunt, pretty cool huh?) The short list for which I owe a thanks to this awesome lady: 1. She encouraged my love of reading by setting the example. She always had shelves and shelves of books and spent hours reading cookbooks to Harlequin to Louis L'amour. I used to try to hide her book of the moment so she would take me fishing or swimming in the pond, and I never got in trouble for it. 2. She taught me how to cook, nothing like homestyle comfort food. Her dumplings, to die for. 3. Making us sausage gravy on a regular basis. It should have it's own food group, it is Amazing. 4. She taught me how to can and bought me my first pressure cooker.

Friday Flash Fiction

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Hello Fellow Fathomers! Welcome to FFF, the Flash Fiction Friday series. Where my friends and I have one photo prompt and write exactly 100 words to describe what we see.  Does this weeks' picture frighten you? Maybe she hides a smile beneath his clamped hand? He crept in behind her when she carried in a bag of groceries. She left the front door ajar as she took the bag into the kitchen. Unbeknownst to her, he slid snakelike under her baby’s crib and suspended himself by the bottom slats with his hands and feet. She walked into the nursery to put away diapers. It’s nice to have a few moments to myself before I pick her up from the daycare, even if it’s running errands. She reached the hallway before sensing someone behind her. She smiled without turning around, “Hi honey!” “Sorry, not your honey.” Okay, now I must fall asleep with that story in my mind. But, you can find another interesting interpretation by visiting the blogs of my friends. Some of the other blog

Excerpt From On Ellicott Street

Please enjoy this snippet from the upcoming eBook release: They arrived at the shop and Eli held his hand against Cassie’s forearm to signal her to remain seated. He got out of the passenger side and smoothly arrived at the driver’s side door to open it for her. Some feminists might take offense to chivalry, but Cassie’s opinion held fast that gallantry needed reviving. She felt secure and beautiful when Eli followed through on those small courteous nuances. They ordered chai tea and found a spot at the back of the shop. They sat next to each other on an oversized love seat and began talking once again. Eli and Cassie talked for four more hours. The topics ranged from world politics to Feng Shui to American history. Where one was deficient in knowledge about something, the other explained happily. They also moved closer together as the night blossomed into pre-dawn until they snuggled cozily in the overstuffed loveseat, dozing occasionally. "I guess I should take you home now,

The Man Behind the Story - Ellicott Street

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Meet Ellicott Street- The Man Behind the Name Good Day Fellow Fathomers! Today in The Locker, I welcome the number one fictional male protagonist in my life (at the current moment), Mr. Ellicott Street. He joins us to answer a few questions about his role in my upcoming book, On Ellicott Street. Me- Welcome, Ellicott! E- Please, call me Eli, we don’t have to be so formal in this setting. (He says this with a wink and a smile.) Me-   Ok, Eli then, thank you for joining our readers today to answer a few questions. I must ask, as I’m sure many other people do, where did you get your interesting, and how you term it “stately” name? E-   Oh, I do get that question occasionally. However, because I choose to use, “Eli”, most of the time the shorter version does not create the same interest. However, the real answer to your question is quite involved. My parents, who are both college professors, study American History extensively, as a hobby, really, more than anything. They also adore histori

On Ellicott Street_final.wmv

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Friday Flash Fiction January 6, 2012

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Hello Fellow Fathomers! Welcome to FFF, the Flash Fiction Friday series. Where my friends and I have one photo prompt and write exactly 100 words to describe what we see.  What do you think is behind her deep expression? I really don’t understand the fuss with me. I didn’t do anything heroic like save a child from a burning building, perform the Heimlich on some helpless little old lady, or donate a kidney. “Okay, now look a little to your left, I want to get your beautiful profile.” “How about this?” She turned and looked stately to her left. “Gorgeous.” The photographer appeared enamored with her. I’m here today because I refused to be ignored. I staged a sit-in at Fashion Week to represent the majority of women today, demanding a photo shoot. The fan letters just keep coming. Now that you have read my interpretation, please visit my fellow bloggers for their interpretations. Please be advised, some of the other pages contain explicit erotic content, in both writt

Does The Book Title Matter?

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Ahoy and welcome to 2012! Today in The Locker I want to talk about book titles. When I began this writing gig, I had no idea that one of the most difficult concepts would be the title of the book. We pore over the details and the blood, sweat, and tears of getting just the right words to match a scene to transport our readers to our world---in the book. We hope to maintain their attention for a few hours, and want to weave a story free of ambiguity and boredom.   We want a best seller ready to sell thousands of copies. However, what might really grab our readers’ attention is the book title. It will not matter if we rival Walt Whitman,   Jane Austen, or Stephen King- if we do not have a creative title, we risk our book being passed over in lieu of the one with a title worthy of bumper sticker or movie screen status. So, I ask you, readers, would a title encourage or discourage you to read a book? Would you even flip to the blip giving you the synopsis if the title was bland? Or is th