Let It Go

I recently saw Disney's Frozen.  What a wonderful sister movie!  If you have a sister, take her!  Which sister do you identify with the most?  I am more like Anna.  I am the younger sister, therefore I understood what it was like when my sister outgrew the things we once enjoyed doing together.  In my youth, I used to be more impulsive in matters of the heart; where I'd mistake infatuation for something more.  I know my sister would have said the same as Elsa did if I had made a rash decision about a man.  Though Elsa reminded me more of my sister, there was a little part of me that could identify with Elsa, especially during the Let It Go scene where she builds her castle.  I am like Elsa, where I hide my talent, yet in solitude, I create.  First, I begin by creating a character like Elsa created Olaf.  Next, she found a place to build her castle, which is the setting.  The ice castle represents the story that I'm writing; the ice walls are the structure of the plot and it grows and branches out.  If only writing went that quickly and smoothly!  My heroine in my novel The Whisperer of Storms could identify with Elsa as well.  She has kept a secret about herself, but will get the opportunity to let it go as Elsa did.  

In addition to the holidays, this month also had a Friday the 13th.  Not only that, but it was also the 13th year of this century.  Some members of my family believe in unlucky number 13!  It reminds me of researching the Romany (Gypsies) because they are very superstitious.  They believe certain objects are either good luck or bad luck.  It makes me sometimes wonder if we might have some Romany someplace in our family tree, especially with those of us who have dark hair/eyes and an intuitive nature!

Since the holiday season will soon come to pass, I am looking forward to having more time to read and write.  My New Year's resolution is to finish my novel in 2014 and hopefully get it published the same year.  Stay tuned for updates!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Veronica

The Holidays and Goodreads

The holidays are upon us!  I hope you are enjoying this holiday weekend with friends and family.  It got me thinking about holiday decorating and shopping.  My autumn/harvest decorations will most likely stay up through this weekend.  I do not believe in shopping on Thanksgiving day.  I have never gone out shopping on Black Friday, but I do shop online if I find good deals that are on the shopping list.  I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet.  I normally start on Black Friday, but didn't find a thing that I wanted nor needed this year.  I try to send out Christmas cards around the second week in December.  I usually start putting up Christmas decorations in early December, but the tree doesn't go up until mid-December and stays up through January 6th.  We celebrate the 12 days of Christmas that way.  When do you like to do your shopping and decorating?  Are you an early bird or do you wait until the last minute?

As you can see by the new gadget I've added that I've recently joined Goodreads. I have spent some time building up my book list.  It's difficult to remember all the books that I've read in my life.  If I can't remember much about a book, I'll mark it as read, but I don't rate it.  I plan to review some of my favorite books when I find time.  Check out my page.  Can you tell what my favorite genre is? 

Enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend!

Veronica  

The Stranger

Just when I thought chivalry was dead, a younger man held the door for me at a restaurant today.  He really took me by surprise and I need to learn not to judge by appearances.  He was clad in a leather Harley jacket, complete with a bandana, sunglasses and stubble.  I guessed him to be in his early thirties.  He was just shy of 6 feet in height.  He had dark hair.  I am left to wonder what color his eyes were since he was wearing sunglasses.  He was in front of me and I remember thinking as he opened the door, that he'd only hold it for himself.  Not only did he hold it open, but he held it for my daughter and I to walk through.  She was lagging behind, but he held that door open for her.  I smiled back at him and thanked him.  He seemed the quiet type and replied unsmiling with a "Yep."  As I got on the road again, I kept thinking about that courteous stranger in the leather jacket.  I wondered what his story was.  I wondered where he came from and who taught him his manners.  He really intrigued me and I'm thinking he could be an inspiration for a potential character.  Isn't it funny where inspiration can strike?

What I love about driving in the country on a nice day is being allowed time to think.  I thought about a scene that I need to change in my work in progress.  It doesn't work the way I have it right now, so I have to ax a scene and revise another one!  The discarded scene will go in my delete scenes file, since I don't like to completely delete anything.  Hopefully, I can stay awake long enough tonight after the kids go to bed to work on it without falling asleep in front of the computer!  If I didn't need sleep, I'd have more time to read and write!

Veronica

The Never-Ending Dream

I've decided to give you a sample of my writing.  I found this under "Your Weekly Writing Prompt" from Writer's Digest Week in Review Sept. 28, 2013.  I normally don't participate in the writing prompts but this one interested me.  

At an old bookstore, you find a book that helps you interpret your dreams. But something is strange about it. You fall asleep reading the book, and find yourself in a dream that you cannot wake up from. What is it? And how will you snap back to reality?

Strange enough, I had a dream like this once when I was a child.  I was able to wake up, but I kept falling back to sleep and right back into the dream.  I knew it was a dream, but I couldn't wake up!  I remember trying to open my eyes, but I couldn't.  I do not remember how I finally got myself to wake up, but I'll let my imagination take over with the retelling from an adult POV:

Autumn leaves crunched under my feet as I entered an old bookstore.  A bell on the door announced my arrival.  The scent of old books and a couple of gray cats greeted me before the wizened shopkeeper did.  He directed me to a miscellaneous section of used books.  In perusing the selection, I was able to find what I had been looking for:  A Guide to Interpret Dreams.  The book was an old, brown hardcover with black embossed lettering on the spine and yellowed pages. I paid for my purchase and gave a farewell pat to the cats before I left.   
When I got home, I changed into my pajamas and sat down in my favorite reading chair.  I held the book in my hands, studying the cover.  I had been having a reoccurring dream as of late, where I am alone on a dark night.  The only thing I could remember about the place was a courtyard with a stone fountain.  As I opened the book, I wondered if it would provide me with answers.  After reading a few pages about symbolism, I began to feel drowsy . . .   

I find myself in the dark of night, in the courtyard of my dream, wearing only a white gown.  I suddenly sense that I am no longer alone.  I am frightened because I know a man is looking for me and what he wants from me.  His seductive lure beckons me.  I cannot escape him.  Out of the darkness, he emerges.  His pale skin is a sharp contrast to his midnight black hair and cloak.  He takes a step towards me.  I back away into a hard stone surface.  I look behind me to discover it is the fountain.  I look into the water and I suddenly see myself asleep in my home with the dream book.   
It's only a dream! I tell myself.  
I attempt to open my eyes, but they feel as though they are glued shut!  I look back at my pursuer who is closing in faster than humanly possible.  Was he not just ten feet away?  He is right in front of me!  I will not run.  That will only entice the hunter in him.  Besides, I have nowhere to go.  He will catch me before I can take one step.  If flight is out of the question, the other option is to confront him.  
"Why are you keeping me here?!"  I demand.
He smiles and I can see the hint of a fang glinting in the moonlight.
I attempt to open my eyes again, but I cannot.  No, there’s another way.
He reaches out to touch me.  I tumble backwards into the fountain.

I woke up in my chair, with the dream book in my hands.  I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face.  As I stood in front of the mirror, I discovered two small puncture wounds on my neck!  
       

Just in time for Halloween and the Dracula series premiere!  I wanted to give you an idea of how I can spin a tale.  As I mentioned above, my inspiration was from a childhood nightmare.  The most challenging part for me was figuring out how to wake from the dream.  After a few days of sitting on it, I figured out that a body of water was the key, something that would show her that she was dreaming and showed the way out, thus I created the fountain.  I decided to use past tense for her conscious parts and present tense for the dream.  I would love to describe the bookstore with more detail, but we were only allowed a maximum of 500 words.

Happy Halloween!

Veronica

More Than One Baby

In a recent post from Writer's Digest, they talked about not limiting yourself to just one story and how many authors hit it big with their second and third novels.  I plan to have more than one baby, that is, I plan to write more novels after I complete my first.  These are a couple that I've been dreaming up:

Contemporary Suspense - A young homicide detective with strong instincts is assigned a high profile case.  Contains paranormal activity.

Paranormal Contemporary - This is a Twilight-inspired tale that I tentatively titled Nightfall.  It begins with the heroine crashing a funeral.  (No, I did not get the idea from Wedding Crashers.)

With working in the library recently, I had a girl ask for help finding a book for Accelerated Reader.  She said she wasn't allowed to read anything with magic in it.  This surprised me.  It's good that parents monitor what their children are reading, but to limit them that much.  I kept thinking, "No Harry Potter?  No Lord of the Rings?"  I couldn't imagine my parents putting limitations like that on me!  I wouldn't have been able to read anything that sparked my interest!  How depressing!  The only limit I put on my own children is mature content.  I guess that means I will have to hide all my romance novels when they get into their teens!  ;o)  I think it's fine to monitor what your child reads, but be reasonable!  You could be limiting them in their future endeavors!  Let their imaginations soar!

With the start of October, I've been busy harvesting the garden and working on Halloween costumes.  I am also working on a little piece from the WD weekly writing prompt called The Never-Ending Dream.  Keep watching for it.

Veronica

The Digital Upgrade and the Little Guy

Following Twitter, I got an update that Hugh Jackman was in small-town Iowa this past weekend!  What in the world was Hugh Jackman doing in a little town in the middle of Iowa???  I have to admit that I am familiar with Iowa, but I had to consult a map to find out where in the world Iowa Falls was!  With reading up on it, I discovered it was the hometown of Jackman's agent, who purchased his hometown theater and reopened it the opening weekend of Hugh's new movie, Prisoners.  Unfortunately, I found out about this the day after, which was much too late to hop in the car for a road trip.  That's typical!

The whole thing got me thinking, though.  With the dawn of digital, some of the small theaters here in the Midwest are struggling to come up with the money to purchase the digital equipment required for showing current films.  That is the case for two drive-in theaters near me.  One of the theaters has thrown in the towel and will be closing at the end of this season.  Why?  I think Hollywood should take a page from Hugh Jackman's book, and support these theaters.  A celebrity endorsement would save all of them.  You see many celebrities supporting charities because they are financially capable of doing so.  They could easily sponsor a struggling theater.  Wouldn't it be only right to give back to their fans and keep the small town cinemas open?  I am so grateful to have a local theater in our town, which has fortunately been able to upgrade to digital.  It is very convenient.  I couldn't imagine having to drive 20 miles to the closest theater.  I think I would miss seeing many movies if that was the case.  In addition to a higher priced movie ticket, I would also be paying for gas, and it would take extra time for driving.  With my local theater, I can go to the 7 PM showing and be back in time to put my kids to bed.  I think if more stars realized this, they would gladly contribute.

I recommend that if you live by or know of one of these "endangered" theaters, to write to your favorite stars and bring it to their attention.  Who better to help than the people who sell the popcorn?
Edited to add:  Better yet, write to a representative, like an agent.  That way, your letter doesn't get buried under a ton of fan mail, and they usually have several clients, so you would be reaching more celebrities with one letter. 

Autumn days are on the horizon.  It's time to start decorating!

Veronica
   

The Wolverine

What a busy summer it has been!  At least I can say we've had plenty of family time in the past month with short trips and family gatherings.  Now that school is starting, I hope I will have more time to read and write.

One place I haven't been to very much this summer is the movies.  I took the kids to a couple of family movies, but I hadn't been out to one by myself until this weekend when I saw The Wolverine.  From what I saw from the previews, it didn't look like it would interest me, except for Logan's nightmares about Jean.  Since Wolverine is my favorite character from X-Men, I wanted to see this movie.  It was in fact, the only movie I really wanted to see this summer that wasn't in the family genre.  I am happy to say that it exceeded my expectations.  The first scene of the movie starts off with Logan witnessing the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.  It was a horrible part of history, but it was amazing how they recreated it.  That was the hook for me.  Knowing that Logan had a past in Japan snagged my interest and I was ready to journey back there with him.  In addition, he had to resolve his inner conflict with destroying the woman that he loved.  Ah, the tormented hero!

One of my college roommate's biggest complaint about me was how I analyzed movies.  I now believe it was because I was thinking like a writer.  I am now going to analyze this movie (sorry, my old roomie!)  In the last movie, which was the Wolverine prequel, Logan lost all his memories.  Since he dreamed about Nagasaki, apparently his memory of it returned.   I didn't understand how he could remember Yashida but not his first love, Kayla.  Did it mean that his memories were gradually returning through dreams since the subconscious never forgets, or that the writers made a HUGE error?  I am thinking that it's the former since he dreamt about Japan in the beginning.  Regardless, it really caused the gears in my head to turn. 

People might think that I got some ideas for my novel from this Wolverine movie, but I will say here and now that it was already written (my manuscript is currently over 62,500 words) when I watched the movie.  I may get a little inspiration from Logan's dreams, but that's it!

I see that X-Men's next movie Days of Future Past is in post-production and that Anna Paquin returns to play Rogue.  I've always secretly hoped that when she came of age that she and Logan would get together!  It's probably wishful thinking, but hey, he's immortal!  He's been robbing the cradle through the whole series!  Why stop now?

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Veronica

Concept Graphics

 

Here's a couple of really cool concept graphics of my work in progess, The Whisperer of Storms.  A big thank you to Dragon Slayer for working so hard to make them for me.  You can check out her portfolio here:  Dragon Slayer's Portfolio  You can tell she's a Gerard Butler fan, like I am.

 

More Concept Siggys/Wallpaper

 

Veronica

On My Own

Unrequited love.  I think it's one of the saddest things in the world to love someone who doesn't love you.  That's what the song from Les Mis is talking about.  I've been there, done that.  A part of that experience has influenced my novel.  Fortunately, my heroine, who happens to be around the same age that I was at the time, does not suffer the same fate.  She's too busy looking out for others to be concerned with matters of the heart. But, I do tend to make my male characters suffer on occasion.  Come to think of it, it is quite a bit. But, make no mistake, I do still love them as their creator.  That's the fun of being a writer.  It's like playing God in your own little world.

I hope you're enjoying summer.  During this heat wave, I'm looking forward to the cooler days of autumn.  That is my favorite season.

Veronica

Storms, Traveling and the USB Drive

Wow, we had quite a storm this past month.  The sky was as dark as midnight and the thunder rumbled like there was a bowling tournament in Heaven!  The wind blew the rain against the windows like a car wash.  I made sure to grab my USB drive, which has a backup copy of my novel,  before heading down into the basement.  Whenever the weather radio goes off during this active storm season, I grab the USB drive.  Leaving it behind would feel like leaving one of my children behind.  I've told my hubby many times that I feel like this story is my baby.   If I don't bring my laptop along on trips, even day trips, I like to bring along a copy of my manuscript on my USB drive.  What if there was a fire?  What if there was a tornado that relocated my house?  It's always good to be prepared.  I couldn't imagine all the time and effort I put into it being gone, like it never existed.

I'm currently a little over 61,000 words on my manuscript.  Since I like to read books 300-375 pages in length, that's the size I'd like my novel to be.  Normally, that's about 85,000 to 90,000 words.  That means I have 2/3 of it written!  I still have plenty of revising to do, as well.

I'm currently reading Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick.  She doesn't provide a year for the setting, so from my research, I was able to determine it took place after 1829 when she mentioned Scotland Yard.  She also mentioned traveling by train, which the first passenger trains in England began in the 1830s.  The telegram also became a method of communication in the 1830s and 1840s.  It's good to know these things, so I don't try to incorporate them in my own novel, which takes place in 1820.  I haven't decided if I'll include the year, or make the reader guess like Ms. Quick does.  If you're ever looking for a good mystery, I recommend reading one of her books! 

I hope you have a safe and Happy 4th of July!  It looks like we will be having our backyard picnic again this year.

Veronica 









I Dreamed A Dream

I saw Les Miserables for the first time last week; the 2012 movie with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway.  I'm not really a fan of musicals, but I made it through this one thanks to subtitles.  I loved the opening scene with the ship being pulled in.  That was quite some cinematography. 

One thing I always enjoy about films with a historical setting is the costume design.  I especially paid attention between 1815-1823.  I love the empire dresses and that trousers were replacing breeches.  I've never been much of a fan of knee breeches.  Men used to wear them with white or black stockings covering their calves, with buckle shoes and it doesn't look masculine to me.  Now, if he were to wear a pair of knee-high boots such as Hessians or Wellingtons, well that's a different story.   It was interesting to see more of the poor in this film, as we normally see the wealthy dress in historical films.

Some of the songs were familiar to me from college.  I had a friend who loved Les Mis.  I can remember "On My Own" and "Castle On A Cloud".  "Do You Hear The People Sing?" has been stuck in my head since I first heard it.  "I Dreamed A Dream" was so familiar to me, that it took me a while to realize that was the song Susan Boyle sang in her first audition when she blew the world away with her talent.  Now, that's the lesson in the old saying that you cannot judge a book by it's cover!  I loved this verse in the song, "But there are dreams that cannot be.  And there are storms we cannot weather."

Something I discovered from the DVD extras was that Victor Hugo, the author of the original novel, was born the same year as my protagonist; in 1802.  I hadn't even planned that.  I should see what other historical figures were born in the same year.

I've been busy updating my web site, so check it out when you can.  Just keep in mind that I'm new to this and I'm learning as I go.

Hope you're enjoying the start of summer.  It feels like April here!

Veronica

Website

I finally have a website: My Website.  I also placed the link over to the right of this page with my other links.  It's a very basic site at this point, but it will give you more of an idea of what I'm about.  As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Happy Memorial Day!

Veronica

Dreams

I know of a few published authors who got ideas for their novels from dreams.  Stephenie Meyer who wrote the Twilight series is one of those writers.  She dreamt about the meadow scene, which compelled her to write the story that would forever change her life.  I'm not one to remember my dreams very often.  If asked what I dreamt about last night, I couldn't tell you.  The other night was an exception.  I dreamt of a hostage situation, which I won't disclose the setting because it was just weird!  It involved a mother trying to protect her children and considered doing things she normally would never do in order to protect them.  There were two men who were her captors.  One she didn't like, but the other she did.  She sensed good in him.  He was the one that interested me and I wish I could have found out if he helped her, but I woke up before he did anything!  I've never kept a dream journal before, but I made sure to write this one down for future reference.  I'd like to learn more about this fellow my subconscious dreamed up.  I'll just have to let my imagination take over.

I started reading Amanda Ashley's latest novel As Twilight Falls last night.  I read the first eight chapters and didn't want to put it down, but I really needed sleep.  It's kind of a Twilight Zone hostage situation story.  (Now, had I started it a few nights ago, I would have thought it triggered my dream.)  Can't wait to pick it up again.  That's what I love about reading; the anticipation of a good tale.

I saw the movie "42" a few weeks ago.  What a wonderful movie.  Even if you're not a baseball fan, I recommend it.  Harrison Ford was at his best.  I remember learning about segregation in elementary school, but it is unbelievable how racist "the greatest generation" was.  Just imagine their reaction if they could see our day and age!  The sad part about it is most of those people were probably Christians.

This may be a little early, but have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Veronica 

Empathy

This was a post I made on a different site with a writer's group.  I've decided to post it on here because it's easier to access. 

I consider myself to be empathic. Seeing someone else cry can make me cry. That is why I can't watch mourners at a funeral. I can easily put myself in another person's position and I feel that I'm more considerate of a person's feelings because of this. I think my empathy aids me in writing because it helps me imagine how my characters are feeling and how they would react. This really comes in handy with writing in third person.

I'm curious about the rest of you. Do sad stories make you cry? Do love stories give you the euphoria one feels with new love? Does someone else's joy bring you joy? Have you ever felt fear that wasn't your own? Do people consider you someone easy to talk to? Have you ever disliked someone for a reason that you couldn't explain? I'm just curious if it's just me or if the rest of you writers are sensitive to emotions, too.

Veronica

The Tragedy of Darth Vader/Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Parallel

One aspect in life I find by being a Lit. person is finding the similarities between real life and the arts. I think many of you remember literature class in high school, where you would look for the author's inspiration or compare a character to a real person.  Due to recent events, I found myself comparing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev life to Darth Vader's. Has anyone else noticed the parallels?  I think the idea started when I thought of this wavy-haired boy being a killer.  I kept thinking, "He's just a baby!"  And I began to think about another young man in a tale that took place a long, long time ago. 

Look at the two: 

• Vader (then known as Anakin Skywalker) was born into slavery, then freed and brought to a new world when he was about 9 years-old.  Hmmm . . . Jahar's (as I'll refer to him as it's easier to spell) family left their homeland due to persecution and came to America when he was 9 years-old.
• Anakin became a Jedi apprentice;  Protector to the Republic.  Jahar was a lifeguard and I thought I heard that he was thinking about pursuing medicine.
• Anakin's mentor and friend, Palpatine, influences him to go down a darker path.  Jahar's brother plots against the U.S. due to wars in the Middle East.  He influences his brother.
• Vader leads the attack on the Jedi temple.  He kills Jedi younglings (children.)  Jahar helps his brother place bombs at the Boston Marathon.  His bomb was responsible for killing a child and injuring many other people.   
• Both betray the democracy that offered them a better way of life.
• Both end up seriously injured shortly after the attacks.  Both are taken away on a medical gurney and require oxygen.  Vader is burned after a duel with his former Jedi master.  He's left scarred and requires a life-preserving suit.  Jahar has multiple injuries due to engaging with law enforcement.  What is interesting is Jahar has an injury to his throat and is unable to speak at this time.  Who knows if he permanently damaged his vocal cords.  I wonder if he still requires oxygen?  I don't think his respirator would be quite as pronounced as Vader's, but the similarities are almost eerie.   

Here the parallel ends.  Vader redeemed himself by helping to destroy the Empire that he helped create.  I don't know if there's any way that Jahar could ever redeem himself.  Unlike the 9/11 terrorists, Jahar is able to see the results of his actions.  And will be held accountable for them.

George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, when discussing his character of Darth Vader claimed that no one who is evil thinks of themselves as evil.  They think they are doing the right thing.  He must have done his research.  I think he must have studied the Nazi's judging from the scripts that he wrote.  I think it very well applies to the Jihad extremists/terrorists.

Even though Star Wars is science fiction, it really has to do with the human spirit.  Under all that CGI and alien worlds, it's really about ourselves.  I'll leave you with a quote from Yoda but it's really George Lucas' words,

"Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering."

How very true it is.

Veronica

Edited to add:  Discussing Vader and his breathing reminded me of the teaser trailer for Ep. 3.  That breathing (:47) still gives me goose bumps!  Star Wars Ep. 3 Teaser

Life Finds A Way

A baby boom in Boston in approximately 38 weeks due to Friday's lock down.  Life finds a way. 

This was my tweet/FB post this morning.  I have to admit that it was my husband who thought of it.  He said to me yesterday afternoon while we were watching the news coverage, "I bet they are going to have a baby boom in January."  So, it got me thinking.  The plan of the terrorists was to kill Americans, not make more of them!  And I'm sure that's what happened with Friday's lock down.  Stuck in the house together all day.  What to do???  What to do???  So, thanks to the younger brother trying to elude law enforcement most of the day on Friday, the chances are favorable for a baby boom come mid-January in Boston.  Imagine after all that planning to take life, they inadvertently created more!  Oh, the irony of it!  Granted, nothing can replace the lives that were lost, but this goes to show that we will prevail.

I followed the manhunt through most of the day yesterday through the media.  I couldn't remember ever seeing a whole city shut down for most of the day.  I have to explain a little about me so you don't take it the wrong way about what I'm going to write.  I consider myself to be an empathic person.  Seeing someone else cry can make me cry.  I can't watch mourners at a funeral because of this.  I think my empathy aids me in writing because I can put myself in another's position.  This comes in handy with writing in third person.  As a reader/writer, I like to look for redeeming qualities in the villain.  As I watched the standoff last night, I started to feel a little sorry for the perpetrator.  Now, don't throw stones!  I haven't forgotten about what he's done!  I haven't forgotten about Martian Richard nor the rest of his victims.  I just started to think how he hit the ultimate low.  There he was, hiding in a boat, wounded and bleeding,  surrounded by an army of law enforcement.  His brother was dead, he probably hadn't eaten anything all day, he probably hadn't slept in days.  Maybe the guilt was starting to wear on him?  If his brother had convinced him to take part in the plot and now he was the only one remaining to take the full responsibility for the terror they inflicted on others.  I was relieved to see him taken alive into custody, so his family didn't have to lose a second member that day.  My hope is that everyone finds the answers that they are seeking and will eventually find closure.

It was wonderful to see the residents of Boston back out on the streets last night.  And to watch them cheer the members of law enforcement and emergency services as they left the scene.  We have to remember there are more good people out there than the bad.

My thoughts and prayers are with Texas as well during this trying week. 

Have a safe weekend!

Veronica

The Temptation Of Your Touch

I recently read the latest novel by Teresa Medeiros called "The Temptation Of Your Touch."  It is the second book in the Burke Brothers series and I have to say I enjoyed it more than the first book.  It could have something to do with the setting in Cornwall, England over the desert setting in the first.  It could also do with the eldest brother being tall, dark, handsome and brooding.  There is also mystery and a taste of the paranormal in this tale.  I love Ms. Medeiros' descriptive writing and I find her storytelling to be quite clever.  In fact, her B&B inspired book, "The Bride and the Beast," influenced me to start writing again.

As far as my own writing, I have most of the crucial parts of my WIP written.  Now it's time for descriptive writing.  I think that is what truly builds a story and fills in the pages.

I am now on Twitter:  VRWinters Twitter Page .  I haven't been very active with tweeting yet, but I do enjoy getting updates on some of my favorite celebs.

Even though the calendar says it's spring, it sure doesn't feel like it!

Veronica

Some Good Advice

Candice Accola who plays Caroline in The Vampire Diaries, shared some advice that her father always told her:

"No doesn't mean never, it means not now."

Ian Somerhalder (also from VD) shared his experience auditioning for the part of Damon.  You can watch his story on Hulu:  Ian Somerhalder's Audition  It just goes to show that people do get second chances and a little determination can take you a long way.  It's advice that writer's can take to heart as well.  Or anyone, for that matter.

Veronica

Classic Tale Part 2

I just finished reading the deluxe edition of Beastly, which includes Lindy's Diary.  Lindy is the heroine in the tale, so the second book is written in her POV.  After reading the novel, I have to say I liked the book over the movie.  I liked how Kyle/Adrian was really a beast in the book.  With the movie having him bald and tattooed, it just didn't seem right to me.  Maybe that's why I put off seeing it?  In the book, I liked how he give Lindy a real Christmas and how he took her to a house up in the mountains rather than a summer lake house.  In the movie, it seemed like they were at the lake house for about 5 seconds.  That's what happens when they take a 300 page book and condense it into a feature length movie.

Speaking of movies, I finally got to see Chasing Mavericks, which came out on DVD on Tuesday.  It was quite an emotional film; not all about surfing, but examining emotions.  There's no stereotypical "surfer dudes" in this movie.  It's actually based on a true story.  I didn't think the trailers did it justice.  I recommend it.  Have Kleenex handy.

I'd love to sneak off to a writer's retreat for a week.  I told my hubby there's too many distractions here.  He suggested a writing room upstairs.  Yeah right, they'd still be able to find me!

Veronica 

A Modern Adaptation of a Classic Fairy Tale

I hope you are all staying well during this nasty cold/flu season.  I was under the weather myself last month.  Remember to take your vitamins.  I am and I'm feeling much better!

I recently saw the movie Beastly.  When I saw the previews, it didn't really strike my fancy, since "the Beast" was bald and tattooed.  I caught a clip of it one day, and decided I wanted to see it.  I enjoyed it.  It stayed true to the original tale for the most part.  One plus to watching the DVD was the alternative ending.  I predicted the movie was going to end that way, if it were to follow the classic tale.  I can't say I was crazy about the theatrical ending, since I felt that it left some loose ends.  There were aspects to both endings that I liked.  I do recommend this film for Beauty and the Beast fans; but make sure to watch the alternative ending, as well.

After seeing the movie, I decided to read the novel, which I'm about halfway through.  In the book, he really is a beast.  He's hairy with claws and fangs.  One thing I loved about the movie that the book didn't have was the tree tattoo on his wrist, which changed with the seasons.  So far in the book, he hasn't had much interaction with Beauty.  The plot will thicken when she is brought back in to the story, which means I will read faster.

They say writers should always be reading, as well.  It seems I'm always able to find inspiration from reading.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Veronica

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Sorry it's been a while since I last posted.  The holidays kept me quite busy as usual.

Santa brought me a Kindle Fire this year.  Though the new toy is fun and easier to read an eBook on than a laptop, I still find that I enjoy reading an actual book.  It could be because the kids wear the battery down playing apps, so when I'm ready to read, the battery is low.  I find my eyes tire easily also.

One of my new purchases for the Kindle was a Phantom novel.  I've been having a hard time keeping with it.  The first book I read by this self-published author was Phantom inspired, so she came up with her own characters and setting.  I feel that this author has really grown as a writer, especially since she made this story into her own. 

That brings me to today's discussion.  I've never really understood copyright.  My understanding was that a writer should create their own characters and if they dare use someone else's characters, it was copyright infringement if they didn't have special permission.  In recent years, I learned it was okay to use another's characters if the original author has been deceased for 100 years.  I can understand that, but now there's fan fiction.  How does that play into the whole copyright scheme of things?

When I was a child, I used to make up stories in my head using TV or movie characters.  I still do it, but it's in my head.  When the concept of my novel began to form in my mind, I was afraid to write anything down on paper because the characters were not my own.  I pondered how I would get the permission I needed to be able to write my story.  Time passed with no solution to my dilemma.  Finally, one day it dawned on me.  I had enough to make my own story!  To create my own characters.  To make my own setting.  To this day, it still baffles me how a little inspiration has brought me to where I am today with writing.  I still ask myself how I got from there to here.  And I wonder if readers will be able to determine what inspired me.  I feel that I chose the right path for me.  Sometimes, I wish others would go the extra distance to create their own characters.  It can open up whole new worlds and the possibilities are unlimited.

Veronica