Michael Murphy Joins Us Today

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 You can do it. Get started. Until you write the following two words, you’ll never write a novel:


Six tips to get you started, keep you going and finish a novel
One of the most frequent comments I get when people learn I’ve had seven novels published is “I’ve always wanted to write a novel, but I could never do it.” People who like to write often are intimidated by the thought of writing a 75,000 word novel. 

This led Toby Heathcotte and I to develop a novel writing workshop called “You Too Can Write a Novel.” The workshops have been conducted at bookstores and libraries around Arizona.  More are planned for the near future. Stop by my website, www.mjmurphy.com for further details.

The workshop stresses writing scenes, the basic component of a novel.  If you can write a 500 word scene, you can write three or four and suddenly you have a chapter. If you can write twenty chapters, you can write a novel!

The workshop offers the following six tips that have worked for me, for Toby and many other novelists; W-R-I-T-E-S.

W. Write your novel with the end in mind, but give you characters room to grow.
R.  Rake your characters over the coals of personal and professional and professional conflict.
I.   Ignore advice to write what you know. Write the type of novel you love to read.
T.  Take your reader to exotic locations or scary places you’d never go yourself.
E.   Edit later, take writing classes later. Just get started.
S.  Start with a bang. Grab the reader in the opening line and don’t let go.

These six steps will get you started, but often a novel will sag a third of the way through.  Some writers give up and never finish. How to keep going?   There are two things to remember to keep you going.  Every scene needs emotion and conflict. If your scene lacks these elements, get rid of it and write a new scene.

If you manuscript sags at any point, analyze the source of the conflict and emotion.  Add to your main characters conflict and sources of emotion.  These two elements will propel you forward and keep you going until the end.

You can write a novel. The most important step is to get started. There are two words that you’ll have to write, or you’ll never write a novel: Chapter One.   

Weddings on your calendar this spring and summer?

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Weddings on your calendar this spring and summer? Not to worry, celebrity stylist, host of the Style Network’s show “How Do I Look?” and Yoplait Light Two Week Tune Up spokesperson, Jeannie Mai, provides her expert advice on how to prep for a wedding this season.

Color and cuts: When it comes to being a guest at a wedding, think about the colors of celebration. Bright jeweled colors of turquoise, royal blue, purples, or even pinks are gorgeous, and create an inviting ambiance towards the family and friends around you. Because weddings can run long, and you're never sure how long you'll be standing or sitting, make sure what you're wearing is comfortable. Fashion forbid you wear anything that's going to have you fidgeting or adjusting and not focusing on the festivities!

Day vs. Night: Day weddings give you that perfect excuse to wear a fabulous frock. Think breezy, hemlines that end above, at, or below the knee - they can all be appropriate. The only day don't? Thick lycra or opaque tights. Unless you're a 9 year old girl hunting for Easter eggs. Night weddings are definitely a reason to vamp up your look. Dresses can be flirty and fun, but makeup should definitely be enhanced for the lights. Be brave with a bolder lip, play up those eyes with false lashes, dare to go there! A wedding is just another word for a party :).

Cooler/ Warmer weather: For cooler weather, think layers. If you're wearing a dress, it's essential to have accessory pieces to keep you warm like a cashmere wrap, shawl, capelet, or cardigan. Blazers look great over dresses with the sleeves rolled up, and leather jackets can totally play up a cute frock. For warmer weather, think open toed or strappy sandals to keep your look cool, and definitely wear your hair up. The worst is feeling your hair stick to beads of sweat running down your back. Ick!
Tune Up ahead of time: Everyone wants to look and feel their best before attending a wedding, so think a few weeks ahead to ensure you feel your best on the big day. For example, the Yoplait Light Two Week Tune Up plan a quick way you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks (find more details on the plan at Yoplait.com) for that added boost before attending any big event. You can also find a coupon for Yoplait Light at www.Yoplait.com/TwoWeekTuneUp.

You can find more of Jeannie’s fashion tips at Facebook.com/Yoplait.

Dialog Vlog.....NY via NC via VA via PA

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I'm stealing a blog from Lorie that she got from MamaDweeb. I do have to say that this is an interesting vlog. I don't have to think too hard or type too much. Forgive the verbal typos. Here's my video:



~ Pin & Pen – do you same them the same or different?
~ What do you call a place you go that serves mainly alcoholic beverages?
~ What is the grey tape that can fix any broken object?
~ What do you call someone that isn’t “cool”?
~ A phrase your grandparents always said?
~ What do you call a girl that acts silly and unintelligent?
~ Slow as ______
~ Quick as _________
~ Happy as a ________

 That's my vlog for this time, if you'd like to see my Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.... check them out by clicking on the links. This is really a ton of fun.
 
 
Now, once you've loaded your vlog, head over to Annie's blog, MamaDweeb and link up, then visit the other participants because they really are fun to see.... OH, and PLEASE, don't forget to leave a comment, we all love them, and blog hops are for making friends!

Hanging out with Sherry Gloag

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When Trudi Delaney first introduced herself to me the initial scene was so dark and menacing, I wondered how the book was going to pan out. Regardless of my reservations I decided to just keep on writing and see where my heroine took me. In a heartbeat she morphed from downtrodden to feisty; from driven by fear to motivated by love.
In later drafts I restructured the opening chapter sequences so Trudi’s growth develops more gradually and adds depth to her character.
  
I couldn’t keep up with the ideas racing through my head.  The unexpected presence of the American stranger/hero, Rafe Hawk, re-ignited her ire, torched her need to escape from her brutal husband, and led to life-long consequences she has to face more than a decade later.

I’m often asked whether I’m a plotter or a ‘pantser’.  While there’s a little bit of both, I am mainly a ‘pantser’.
The advantage of letting your characters lead the story means it often goes off at the most unexpected tangents.  This is often a blessing, but equally brings its own curses.
If you are not careful those tangents can destroy the integrity of your plot, resulting in major edits further down the line.  While this didn’t happen in Duty Calls, several requests not to reveal the back-story too soon meant I completely changed the opening scene of the book.  Initially it opened with a poker game between Trudi’s husband, his body-guards and Rfae, the hero.


While out shopping a few weeks after completing the first draft of Duty Calls, I noticed a small ornamental clock with playing cards and poker chips surrounding the clock face.  Generally I’m not an impulsive buyer, but I really couldn’t walk past that clock!  Thanks to the skill of Pepper O’Neal, the talented cover artist, my poker clock made its way onto the cover of Duty Calls.

To learn more about Duty Calls: http://www.sherrygloag.com/blurb-and-excerpt-for-duty-calls.php
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7U6jOH9DiA
Reviews: http://www.sherrygloag.com/reviews-for-duty-calls.php
To Buy Duty Calls:-
http://tinyurl.com/5vujr53
http://tinyurl.com/6zts6hg
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NBZL10 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NBZL10 http://blackopalbooks.com/wordpress/?page_id=222 http://www.blackopalbooks.com/bookstore/ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/41432
My Website: www.sherrygloag.com
My Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/

Thank you very much, Tami, for inviting me to join you today on your blog.

Review: Henrietta the Dragon Slayer by Beth Barany

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Henrietta, the legendary Dragon Slayer of the Kingdom of Bleuve, can’t stomach the thought of one more kill. Yet, in order to save her dying mentor, she must go on one last quest. But will the quest for the healing stone be derailed by misfit companions, seasickness, and an egomaniacal king? And will she be able cut past her conscience and kill the dragon?

*****

Reading about Henrietta and her three unusual companions gave me pause for laugh and contemplation. Their bond went from unsure to friend so seamlessly I nearly missed it.

I truly enjoyed Henrietta learning who she was and how that fit into how people saw her now.

Franc became the hard headed male you love to love and you don't even know why.

Paulette truly scared me for a while. I didn’t know what to think of her and her fire-talent and rage.

Jaxter, always the glue that held the group together, was a joy to learn and get to know.

Beth Barany has made a world where unlikely friendships rule and being a friend means more than you can know.