I've been reviewing a lot of books lately, and I want to mention some of them that might be overlooked in the mainstream media. One of them is "Hitless Wonder, A Life in Minor League Rock and Roll" by Joe Oestreich.
The book is basically a metaphor about succeeding in life. It doesn't matter which field a person wants to pursue, whether it's business, medicine, motherhood or like Oestreich, music, all people want to succeed no matter what fate befalls them.
There are hills and valleys. Few people ever sail smoothly from birth to heaven, but it's the fight in each person that determines success. Oestreich tells of the treks through blizzards to reach a club on time. He relates the mechanical problems with the aging Econoline packed with the band and their equipment. He recounts the dashed hopes and promises that were never fulfilled, and the months in Manhattan when they “almost made it big” with Epic records.
All people have setbacks and difficulties they have to overcome, or at least try to overcome. It's the personal satisfaction that determines success.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
"Seducing an Heiress" by Judy Teel
“Seducing an Heiress,” the first in Judy Teel’s ebook Cinderella Heiresses romance series, introduces Dakota Jamison as an independent woman who wants to achieve success on her own merits. Her domineering father needs her to promote the family business, but Dakota defies him and flees New York without leaving a trace.
She reappears in Harts Creek, Ohio as Dakota Johnson where she opens a small restaurant. The people embrace her and her recipes, but eight months into her new role, her father’s trusted employee, Trey Peters, tracks her down and intends to reunite her with her father. The dynamic, physical attraction between the two is in conflict with their individual goals. Despite their urge to fight this attraction, they cannot ignore it. Both are likable characters because they help other people as shown in their various encounters, yet they must make decisions that either cement or sever their relationship.
Teel has hit on a niche that has large appeal. Do wealthy heiresses want to develop a persona of their own? Teel takes the spoiled, rich girl image out of Dakota and shows that wanting to achieve success through your own efforts can be a universal truth. At the same time, Trey’s humanitarian goal shows that money doesn’t always solve a problem.
The clever twists in the story and careful weaving of subplots show that Teel is a creative novelist. Anyone with apprehensions about graphic sex scenes can skim those to get to the meat of the story. Cheers to Teel for creating memorable characters who are role models in romantic fiction.
She reappears in Harts Creek, Ohio as Dakota Johnson where she opens a small restaurant. The people embrace her and her recipes, but eight months into her new role, her father’s trusted employee, Trey Peters, tracks her down and intends to reunite her with her father. The dynamic, physical attraction between the two is in conflict with their individual goals. Despite their urge to fight this attraction, they cannot ignore it. Both are likable characters because they help other people as shown in their various encounters, yet they must make decisions that either cement or sever their relationship.
Teel has hit on a niche that has large appeal. Do wealthy heiresses want to develop a persona of their own? Teel takes the spoiled, rich girl image out of Dakota and shows that wanting to achieve success through your own efforts can be a universal truth. At the same time, Trey’s humanitarian goal shows that money doesn’t always solve a problem.
The clever twists in the story and careful weaving of subplots show that Teel is a creative novelist. Anyone with apprehensions about graphic sex scenes can skim those to get to the meat of the story. Cheers to Teel for creating memorable characters who are role models in romantic fiction.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Free online writing courses available
With college courses costing as much as a person’s lifetime number of automobiles, consider taking free online courses. It’s an advantage, especially if you’re not aiming toward accumulating college credits or working toward a degree. Bob Rankin at askbobrankin.com has a three-part series covering free online courses.
My search of “free online writing courses 2012” showed a list of 10 universities offering courses. Actually, it’s the same list in Bob Rankin’s first post about free college and university courses. I scanned the list and saw that UCLA has an offering. Best-selling writer Steven Barnes has a 9-week writing class available at his Website, www.lifewrite.com. Others schools on this “10” list include MIT, Utah State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts and Stanford.
Another way to find courses you want to take is to choose a school you’ve dreamed of going to or a school that sounds intriguing. Don’t disqualify any college or university because dozens, including Yale, Notre Dame, and University of California at Berkeley, have available free online courses. Once you make that decision, see if the school you want to take a course from offers one you want to take.
Free courses are available in all writing genres: essays, short stories, novels, poetry, screenwriting. Want to learn to do research or academic writing? Want to learn to edit? It’s possible without spending a dime. It just takes time and energy.
My search of “free online writing courses 2012” showed a list of 10 universities offering courses. Actually, it’s the same list in Bob Rankin’s first post about free college and university courses. I scanned the list and saw that UCLA has an offering. Best-selling writer Steven Barnes has a 9-week writing class available at his Website, www.lifewrite.com. Others schools on this “10” list include MIT, Utah State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Tufts and Stanford.
Another way to find courses you want to take is to choose a school you’ve dreamed of going to or a school that sounds intriguing. Don’t disqualify any college or university because dozens, including Yale, Notre Dame, and University of California at Berkeley, have available free online courses. Once you make that decision, see if the school you want to take a course from offers one you want to take.
Free courses are available in all writing genres: essays, short stories, novels, poetry, screenwriting. Want to learn to do research or academic writing? Want to learn to edit? It’s possible without spending a dime. It just takes time and energy.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
"The Season" in Brunswick County, N.C.
Coming from the Chicago area, I never knew about "the season" in coastal beach areas. We vacationed in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. for several years, but our purpose was to be with family. The beach was an added benefit. We moved to Ocean Isle Beach a dozen years ago and then I learned about "the season."
Here in Brunswick County, N.C., Memorial Day ushers in "the season" with services honoring the military who fought for our freedom, black bike week across the border in South Carolina, primarily in Carolina Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach, and a host of activities to occupy the hundreds of thousands of vacationers who come and go throughout the summer until Labor Day.
A big hit is live entertainment. Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Shallotte, Southport and Leland have popular bands perform. Shallotte, Southport and Leland also have a movie schedule geared toward children. Schedules are posted throughout the area, and local town halls and real estate offices have the information.
Museum of Coastal Carolina and the Ingram Planetarium offer programs for children, teens and adults throughout the summer. A big hit at the museum is the fish feeding tank where docents explain what the variety of fish in the tank eat and other details about them. The planetarium offers free programs for children but charges for the SciDome shows.
As writers we can find nuggets of stories in these activities. What was important where you grew up? What would attract the attention of visitors? What is different about your hometown?
Write from the heart.
Clear. Sincere. Superb.
Here in Brunswick County, N.C., Memorial Day ushers in "the season" with services honoring the military who fought for our freedom, black bike week across the border in South Carolina, primarily in Carolina Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach, and a host of activities to occupy the hundreds of thousands of vacationers who come and go throughout the summer until Labor Day.
A big hit is live entertainment. Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Shallotte, Southport and Leland have popular bands perform. Shallotte, Southport and Leland also have a movie schedule geared toward children. Schedules are posted throughout the area, and local town halls and real estate offices have the information.
Museum of Coastal Carolina and the Ingram Planetarium offer programs for children, teens and adults throughout the summer. A big hit at the museum is the fish feeding tank where docents explain what the variety of fish in the tank eat and other details about them. The planetarium offers free programs for children but charges for the SciDome shows.
As writers we can find nuggets of stories in these activities. What was important where you grew up? What would attract the attention of visitors? What is different about your hometown?
Write from the heart.
Clear. Sincere. Superb.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Peter Senftleben, editor at Kensington Books, speaks from the heart at HCRW meeting
One of the advantages of belonging to a writers' organization is the contact with others in the field. Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, which meets in Raleigh, N.C. the second Saturday of the month, makes a point of providing meaningful information at each meeting.
In April Peter Senftleben of Kensington Books in New York gave tips on how to get your work read.
He said what dedicated writers know, yet he reminded them to store these hints in their memory banks:
* Keep voice in one person's head per scene or chapter.
* Keep the same tense. Don't jump from past to present and vice versa.
* Make sure there's conflict. There's no story by playing "nice" throughout.
* Grab interest in the story immediately.
Peter expressed dedication to his job, hunt for good stories and sincerity in his suggestions. What came across more clearly, sprinkled along with his humorous asides, was his interest in helping writers get published. He cares! He really does! He talked of the overwhelming amount of manuscripts he receives, as all editors do, yet he pays attention to them.
Those rejection letters have more meaning from Peter because after listening to his presentation and suggestions, we know he wants the best books to be published. He's one of the good guys!
In April Peter Senftleben of Kensington Books in New York gave tips on how to get your work read.
He said what dedicated writers know, yet he reminded them to store these hints in their memory banks:
* Keep voice in one person's head per scene or chapter.
* Keep the same tense. Don't jump from past to present and vice versa.
* Make sure there's conflict. There's no story by playing "nice" throughout.
* Grab interest in the story immediately.
Peter expressed dedication to his job, hunt for good stories and sincerity in his suggestions. What came across more clearly, sprinkled along with his humorous asides, was his interest in helping writers get published. He cares! He really does! He talked of the overwhelming amount of manuscripts he receives, as all editors do, yet he pays attention to them.
Those rejection letters have more meaning from Peter because after listening to his presentation and suggestions, we know he wants the best books to be published. He's one of the good guys!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Joanne Zerkel, former Features Editor, passes away
I received word today that Joanne Zerkel, an editor from my early days in journalism, passed away. She hired me as a freelancer when I was first starting out and was instrumental in helping me succeed as a writer.
I had sent a story to my local paper, The Star in Chicago Heights, IL, and that editor passed it on to Joanne, who was features editor. She called me, said they would publish the article and asked if I would like to write more stories for the paper. That was my entree into journalism.
The first assignment I got was to write a story about autism. I had no idea what autism was, but I learned with Joanne's guidance. Over the 13 years I wrote for the paper, three of them on staff, I interviewed school children, medical professionals, local residents who had a story to tell, and any number of other people Joanne considered newsworthy.
The most fascinating story I ever wrote was about abdominal aortic aneurysms! That's because I was able to enter two operating rooms to witness the operations. Since Joanne hired me, I have written more than 1,000 articles for various publications.
The irony is that I never wanted to write for newspapers. My forte, however, has been feature writing. Joanne fostered that. She encouraged me and never criticized. She guided me to be a better writer. My dream as a writer is to get a novel published, a goal I continue to pursue, but writing features articles is where I started.
Joanne is responsible for introducing me to National Federation of Press Women, an organization of which I've been a member for nearly thirty years. She was an advocate for women and was active in organizations that assisted women. She started several programs that helped the underpriveleged.
She will be missed, of course, and I will always remember her as the person who thought enough of my writing to hire me to write feature stories for a legitimate newspaper.
I had sent a story to my local paper, The Star in Chicago Heights, IL, and that editor passed it on to Joanne, who was features editor. She called me, said they would publish the article and asked if I would like to write more stories for the paper. That was my entree into journalism.
The first assignment I got was to write a story about autism. I had no idea what autism was, but I learned with Joanne's guidance. Over the 13 years I wrote for the paper, three of them on staff, I interviewed school children, medical professionals, local residents who had a story to tell, and any number of other people Joanne considered newsworthy.
The most fascinating story I ever wrote was about abdominal aortic aneurysms! That's because I was able to enter two operating rooms to witness the operations. Since Joanne hired me, I have written more than 1,000 articles for various publications.
The irony is that I never wanted to write for newspapers. My forte, however, has been feature writing. Joanne fostered that. She encouraged me and never criticized. She guided me to be a better writer. My dream as a writer is to get a novel published, a goal I continue to pursue, but writing features articles is where I started.
Joanne is responsible for introducing me to National Federation of Press Women, an organization of which I've been a member for nearly thirty years. She was an advocate for women and was active in organizations that assisted women. She started several programs that helped the underpriveleged.
She will be missed, of course, and I will always remember her as the person who thought enough of my writing to hire me to write feature stories for a legitimate newspaper.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Scrapbooking and Writing
It wasn’t until I covered a story on the hobby of scrapbooking that I considered composing a scrapbook of my own. The 25 people who attended a semi-annual event titled "Scraptacular" in Myrtle Beach, S.C. convinced me scrapping was worthwhile. They, however, did traditional scrapbooking. I thought I'd go in a different direction, so I bought My Memories Suite, a digital scrapbook program. I love it! The program isn't intuitive, but a bit of practice and frequent references to its "Help" pages will produce a professional-looking book.
Another way I'm not a traditional scrapbooker is that I have limited my scrapbooks to travelogues. My first one was on our vacation to the New England states and Eastern Canada. I'm compiling my second one on our trip to Eastern and Northern Europe.
How does this help me in my writing? I have instant information about all the places we visited. I don't always have the exact name of the buildings or museums or highlights of the places we visited, but the Internet has them all. A picture I had of a lovely building in Aarhus, Denmark proved to be the city's theatre. Another of a huge pink building turned out to be the Toompea Castle in Tallinn, Estonia. I can include a specific location in one of my stories with first-hand references to any number of sights, buildings and other attractions.
The best result is a life-long keepsake and a sense of accomplishment--just like writing a book.
Another way I'm not a traditional scrapbooker is that I have limited my scrapbooks to travelogues. My first one was on our vacation to the New England states and Eastern Canada. I'm compiling my second one on our trip to Eastern and Northern Europe.
How does this help me in my writing? I have instant information about all the places we visited. I don't always have the exact name of the buildings or museums or highlights of the places we visited, but the Internet has them all. A picture I had of a lovely building in Aarhus, Denmark proved to be the city's theatre. Another of a huge pink building turned out to be the Toompea Castle in Tallinn, Estonia. I can include a specific location in one of my stories with first-hand references to any number of sights, buildings and other attractions.
The best result is a life-long keepsake and a sense of accomplishment--just like writing a book.
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