Violent Thunder Storms

Have been off-line all day, due to violent thunderstorms that hit this morning. Will be back with Catching UP, tomorrow!

The "Wandering Eyes" Have It -- Writing tip.

For an Eye of another kind, read Tom Glaviano's thriller!

Question: A member of my writing group constantly describes eyes as "glued to ---" whatever.... When I mentioned this as something she might want to watch, she said everybody used it that way and she'd seen it a hundred times. I seem to remember your warning me about this one.

Answer: I did! Everybody does do it that way. That's why it has become such a cliche. Not to mention that it's a rather gruesome image to glue anyone's eyes to something. Ouch!

I remember first hearing this terminology while riding an elevator at a Malice Domestic conference with a couple of editors from big print houses, who were comparing a collection of "wandering eyes" anecdotes and commenting that when the saw something like that, there was no reason to read further. "That sure helps weed out the slush pile," one said.

No, they weren't talking to me and this was not part of any writer's workshop, but it was a lesson that stayed with me and one I passed on often when I was teaching.

I have seen printed stories, where eyes "slid up and down" someone else's body, "dropped into a coffee cup," and "rolled around the floor." Good editors catch such phrases, as with few exceptions eyes, of annatomical necessity, remain inside one's head. People with little compassion and a mean sense of humor, like those two jaded editors, make cruel fun of "wandering eyes." Tell your friend that sometimes she can substitute "gaze," "glance," or "look."

Watch out for FALSE Paypal messages

I got another one that was supposed to be from PayPal this morning. It says some of my privileges have been suspended because of a customerdispute and to "click here" to resolve the issuesl

It has the Paypal logo on it. It LOOKS genuine, but I SURE DIDN'T CLICK THERE!

To do so could have compromised my Paypal business account with disasterous results.  NEVER, EVER, click on those lines if you get a message from Paypal.

ALWAYS go straight to your Paypal account and check it. That's what I did and guess what -- NO PROBLEM THERE!!

Why shouldn't I use alternate scenes?

Question:  A member of my library reading club (yes, I did let them read my mystery-in-progress) complains bitterly that I "skip around too much." The others say nothing, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. But she is adamant that real readers would just "throw the book against the wall" in frustration because the action goes back and forth between the two main characters who each have their own suspenseful (everybody agrees on that) problems to solve. I did that deliberately. I wanted to ratchet up the tension by going from one crisis to the next. Am I wrong?

Answer: I don't think so. I think you left that reader wanting to know more. That's not exactly a bad thing to do. Bet she cared enough to finish the whole thing, didn't she?

I had exactly the same complaint from a couple of inexperienced readers (family members that time) when they offered to read my novella, The Drowned Land. It is a story about a  hurricane, with the men aboard a boat in Chesapeake Bay and the women trapped in the house at home with the water rising. As soon as the men got one problem solved, I put the women in danger. If they got to a place where something worse was about to happen, I switched off and went back to the men and the storm. I did it for the same reason you did -- to ratchet up the tension. To make the reader keep turning pages because they cared what happened next.

Now, this story was the first one I ever wrote. But I had talked to men who had been at sea in a hurricane. I had, myself, survived all alone through Hurricane Hazel, that had tides 10 and 12 feet above normal high tide. So I had personal experience there.

I gave my characters a lot more problems than I ever had and I meant the readers to be scared, worried about the characters, and to gnash their teeth when the scene changed. The story did, however, collect more than its share of returns, including the worst note I ever got from an editor, "No blue chips for this stinko!"

Eventually, a member of my writers group (whose comments ranged from "too folksy" through "everybody has storms, so what?" and on to "I don't know about the sailing details. I sail, but have never been in any storm like that one!" suggested I might want to enter it in a State-sponsored contest for novellas. Surprise! It won. Later, my then publisher entered it in the first Epic Awards where it was a finalist.

So what's the point?

The point is, everyone has an opinion. The be st thing you can do is to write the story the way you want it to be. If everybody who reads it, comes up with the same criticism, then think about what they say. But if only one person complains about something, smile, thank them for their input, and go home.

Dinner Omelette -- recipe

Marie Prato’s Dinner Omelette

2     tbsp. Olive oil
1     small onion
3     medium, or four small potatoes, thinly sliced.
3    eggs, beaten
    salt and pepper to taste

In a deep frying pan or a Dutch Oven, saute until potatoes are tender.  Beat three eggs in a bowl (season with salt and pepper).  Use a pan with a tight lid and there will be no need to turn the omelette over. Pour the eggs into the pan, cover,  and cook on low until the eggs are done and the omelet rises like a pie.

Contributed by Marie Prato, author of The Statue Walked...Lying in his hospital bed, Jenny’s father warns that she is in danger .... Her mother died when Jenny was small. “That which is yours was taken from you,” her father says with his last breath. Will they kill her so they can keep it?

Catching UP

Warren Graffeo, if you see this, PLEASE contact arline@mail.com  your e-mail is bouncing and your print books are stalled in production. If anyone else sees this and can contact Warren, please let him know that we'd like to complete his books, but need his help in order to do so.

Books that went to press or back to press this week: 

CHILDREN OF THE ENEMY, by D. J. Swykert

DEATH SHADOWS, by Sharon Jordan

THE COMFORT OF THE SHEPHERD, by Barbara Garro

A CUP OF JOY: Harmony Village Series, Vol. 6, by Anna Dynowski

NIGHT SHIFT, by Lisa Marie Brennan

A DESIRE PATH, by Jan Shapin

Galleys that went out, or went out again this week:

LADY SLIPPERS FOR MY LADY: Coverton Mills Romance Series, Vol. 1 by Lynette Hall Hampton

Work began or continued on the following:

 

LIONS, KISSES AND PETRODOLLARS, by Gabriel Timar

STAR-WOLF, by Warren Graffeo

TWO FACES: TWO-FACED, by Kathryn Flatt

MURDER BY BEST SELLER, by Gabriel Timar

JUSTICE FOR CALEB: California Series, Vol. 1, by Edward Petty

POSTCARDS FROM MR. PISH : VOL 4, K. S. Brooks

GO TELL AUNT RHODY, Thornton Parsons

AGENT NIGHT’S QUICK & EASY CHILI

(also Gluten-Free)

This recipe is a delicate balance of sweet and spicy.  If you want spicier flavor, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin and red pepper.  This chili is great for freezing in individual serving containers and then heating in the microwave for a nice hot lunch!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 pounds of 93% lean Ground Beef (sometimes I substitute 50% with ground turkey)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely or nearly pureed in the food processor

16 oz Cream of Tomato Soup (please see below for gluten-free options)**

28 oz Delmonte Chunky Diced Zesty Chili Style tomatoes or equivalent

1 large can of kidney beans (2.5 pounds)

Chopped fresh parsley as desired

1+ tbsp Worcestershire sauce to taste (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free)

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese for garnish (optional)
  

NOTE:  There are two ways to prepare this – standard stove top or crock pot.  I prefer crock pot because it is maintenance-free.  Instructions for both are provided.

STOVE TOP COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown beef in large pot, drain.  Add remaining ingredients, cook on medium low until it starts to steam and bubble, then simmer for one hour.  I usually let it cool, then put it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors mingle.  The next day I heat it up and serve.

CROCK POT COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown beef in large skillet, drain.  Add beef and remaining ingredients to crock pot, cook on low for up to 10 hours. 

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and serve!

Serves 6-8 people.

Preparation time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  Stove Top – 1-2 hours; Crock Pot – 8 hours.

**I can recommend the following gluten-free soups: 

Pacific Natural Foods Organic Creamy Tomato (available in stores)

Heinz UK Cream of Tomato Soup (can be purchased online in the U.S. through the Gluten-Free Trading Company)

© K. S. Brooks 2009