A Year Is An Ocean by Veronica Jorge
December 22, 2022 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as beginnings and endings, End of year, Veronica Jorge
As the year draws to an end, preparing to close its final chapter, I think of the beach.
It might seem perfectly normal to those of you living in sunny climates, or to snow bunnies hastening away from the cold. But to those of us in areas that have already seen our first snow, it might sound strange.
To me, beginnings and endings can be like the ocean.
Like a rushing tide, every New Year, we rush toward new goals and hopes.
Sometimes shrinking back in fear, or drifting away into distant doubts and difficult memories.
Sturdy ocean rocks, like strong foundations, enable us to stand secure. And even walk on water, like faithful friends that make us believe we can do the impossible.
Our footprints in the sand are washed away like our past failings and errors. While a merciful new year, grants us another chance at life.
The 1960s song, Try to Remember, written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, plays in my mind. Emotion tightens my throat. My heart forms a prayer for the coming year.
May no one weep. Not even the willow.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on January 22, 2023!
Dianna Sinovic, Featured Author
December 21, 2022 by Dianna Sinovic in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Dianna Sinovic, Featured Author of the Month, Quill and Moss, Short Stories
Author of the Month: Dianna Sinovic
Dianna is a contributing author in the last three anthologies from The Bethlehem Writers Group, An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny and Strange Tales of Intrigue, Fur, Feathers, and Scales, Sweet, Funny and Strange Animal Tales and Untethered, Sweet, Funny & Strange Tales of the Paranormal. She has also contributed stories for the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable ezine, including “In the Delivery.”
Born and raised in the Midwest, Dianna has also lived in three other quadrants of the U.S. She writes short stories and poetry, and is working on a full-length novel about a young woman in search of her long-lost brother.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Horror Writers Association, The American Medical Writers Association, and The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC.
Dianna also has a regular column here on A Slice of Orange, titled Quill and Moss, in which she frequently includes short fiction.
Below, you can also listen to Dianna read her short story, “Cold Front” from the GLVWG Writes Stuff anthology.
Other books by Dianna Sinovic
Folk Around and Find Out Now Live on Audio
December 20, 2022 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Spotlight tagged as audiobook, booksofinstagram, Penny Reid, romanticcomedy, romcom, spiceyromance
★★Now Live on Audio★★
Folk Around and Find Out, a standalone contemporary romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is now LIVE on Audible! Narrated by Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley, we’ve got your next great listen right here!
★ ★Grab your copy TODAY★ ★
He needs to get her out of his system. Just once….
★★Blurb★★
Hank Weller doesn’t help people. He leaves that do-gooder nonsense to his best friend, Beau Winston. Hank does what he wants, when he wants, with whomever he wants—and Hank does not want to hire Charlotte Mitchell to be an exotic dancer at his club, The Pink Pony. Sure, he can’t help noticing the dips and curves of her, how shrewd, smart, and funny she is, the fire in her hazel eyes. He’s always noticed. She’d probably draw a crowd and entice the regulars. But after Charlotte’s messy, public divorce made Hank’s club out to be the culprit—and made her the single mother of four kids—he doesn’t need or want any additional bad press courtesy of Charlotte Mitchell. Or the distraction. Unfortunately for him, the town’s prettiest charity case doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the words nope, no, and never.
Charlotte Mitchell doesn’t much like Hank Weller. Once upon a time, she used to. Years ago, she liked him a whole heck of a lot despite other folks in town labeling him as “eccentric” and “nonconformist”, which were polite Southern alternatives to “filthy rich” and “self-centered douchebag”. Her opinion of him changed dramatically after he volunteered to be her date to junior prom and then promptly stood her up. They haven’t so much as acknowledged each other in more than a decade. But a sudden family emergency means Charlotte needs access to Hank’s club ASAP. Unfortunately for her, the narcissistic fancy-pants doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the words help, generosity, and compassion.
But he’s about to find himself schooled. Charlotte is going to teach Hank a lesson once and for all about basic human decency, whether he likes it or not.
Spoiler alert . . . he likes it.
#illustratedbookcover #romcom #booksofinstagram #romanticcomedy #romance #romancebook #bookworm #bibliophile #bookstagram #IGreads #bookseries #spicyromance #audiobook #audiobooksofinstagram
Creating a Living Setting
December 18, 2022 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Online Classes
Creating a Living Setting
Presented by: Jeannie Moon
Date: January 21, 2023, Saturday, 9AM PT
Registration Closes: January 22, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $5
Non-A2P Member fee: $10
About the Workshop:
Settings are more than time or place to plop down your book’s characters. A setting can be a living, breathing entity, whether it’s a small town, big city or a brand new world. Settings limit or expand possibilities for your characters, are a catalyst for change, act as a pain trigger or provide comfort. The possibilities are endless.
About the Presenter:
Bestselling, award-winning author Jeannie Moon will take you through the intricacies of creating a setting that will transport your readers to a world of your creation and make them want to return again and again. This is a deep dive into the craft of using time and place to enhance the story’s depth and give readers a true sense of what your characters are experiencing.
Scene-by-Scene Writing
December 17, 2022 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Online Classes
Scene-by-Scene Writing
Presented by: Sally J. Walker
Date: January 2 – 31, 2023
Registration Closes: January 16, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $15
Non-A2P Member fee: $30
About the Workshop:
Learn the building blocks of fictional storytelling through Sessions filled with definitions, explanations and examples leading up to writing exercises with instructor analysis. In this eight-session workshop, you will see how to plan story and prevent pitfalls, one page at a time. You will discover the magic of successfully juggling main plot and subplot, Point of View, and the crisp pacing demanded in today’s fiction market. You will learn the “how to” of analyzing and achieving “Scene-and-Sequel,” the fundamental logic of story events.
Course Outline
Session One: Principles of Storytelling
Session Two: Scene as a Unit of Time
Session Three: Writing Scene
Session Four: Analysis of the Parts of Scene
Session Five: Sequel as Logical Links Carrying Forward
Session Six: Writing Sequel
Session Seven: Analysis of the Parts of Sequel
Session Eight: Plotting through Scene-and-Sequel
About the Presenter:
Sally Walker’s published credits include literary, romance and western novels, a nonfiction essay collection, several creative writing textbooks, stage plays, poetry, and many magazine articles on the craft of writing, including staff contributions to two international film magazines for 10 years. Sally has written 33 screenplays, sold 1, and has Hollywood representation.
In addition to long time active memberships in such national writing organizations as RWA, WWA, and SCBWI, she was president of a state-wide writers organization 2007-2011 and is active in the Nebraska Film Association. While keeping to a strenuous writing schedule, she worked as Editorial Director for a small publishing company for 18 years. Besides being an adjunct professor of screenwriting at a local community college, Sally has taught writing seminars, both on-site and on-line, for over 30 years and is the facilitator for the weekly meetings of the Nebraska Writers Workshop in Ralston, NE.
Featured Books
FALL OF BLAZE
The Darkworld turns ever more slowly, and its skies grow bleaker by the hour.
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UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS … AND THE LIFT IN BETWEEN
She crosses and ocean to take the holiday of her dreams at an English country estate ... where he works below stairs.
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