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With the end of September comes the end of our Fall Blog Blitz journey. Thank you to everyone who joined the fun. Many of the participating authors will be choosing their comment giveaway winners on October 15, so there’s still time to to participate. One copy of DRIVEN will also be given away, the winner will be chosen using random.org and the commenters from every blog we visited, so please feel free to comment using the blog tour list (click here). Good Luck!

October 2, marks the October Event on NextGenWriters. Ben Erlichman will talk with us about your writing as an author under twenty and your finances. Should be cool. Watch for that at noon Sunday, Oct. 2.

Watch for a really cool announcement. I’ll give you a little hint…what do you think about an online youth group? Just wait to see the digital fun God creates.

This or That?

 Cookies or cake? Cake. Particularly carrot cake. Every birthday we have carrot cake because everyone knows it’s my favorite. I also like Red Velvet, Black Forest and cheesecake (although it’s not officially cake).

 Jelly or jam? Neither. I prefer preserves because I like the bits of actual fruit. My favorite is Orange Marmalade, then Strawberry. But, I also love Guava Jelly or Apple Jelly and Apple Butter. Apple Butter and Peanut Butter make a delicious sandwich, by the way.

 Bright colors or darker colors?  Both. In my decorating, clothing and any time color is a choice, I prefer any shade of red, then bright yellows and dark purple.

 Travel by train or travel by bus?  Train travel is definitely preferable, but even so can be rather tedious. About 15 years ago we took our 4 young children from Jacksonville to Savannah, Ga on the train. It was a LOOOOOOOOONG ride with 4 little ones. But we all remember it, and that’s what counts.

 Art museum or science museum?  Science Museum. When my kids were little we had an annual membership to the Jacksonville Science Museum where they could play, or we’d attend the Planetarium and watch the laser lights played to rock music. They especially enjoyed the Dinosaur exhibit. We went to the Orlando Science Museum one time. They had a travel exhibit about the body that was outstanding.

 Socks or bare feet?  Bare feet for sure. Growing up in South Florida I grew up barefoot and never got out of the habit.

 Go for a walk or go for a run? Walk. I can’t run anymore. When I was in my twenties my hubby and I would jog at an exercise park near our apartment in Orlando. I developed shin splints. Ever since, if I don’t stretch well, or go too fast before my muscles warm up, I can hardly even walk. It’s very frustrating.

 Dresses or pants?  I’ve always been one for skirts or dresses. I guess I enjoy feeling feminine. I wear pants and jeans when necessary, but I love all of the full-length, flowing skirts available these days and pretty much live in them with embroidered or crochet-enhanced peasant tops. I’m so happy styles from the ‘60’s have become popular again.

 Dance or sing? Dance. When I was in college, and dating my hubby, we went ‘clubbing’ every Friday night. There was one night we got into a battle between the drummer and us dancing. Everyone left the dance floor at the end of the set, but we kept dancing and the drummer kept going. It lasted at least another 30 minutes before we finally gave up. The whole club cheered us on. It was so much fun. I miss dancing since we moved into a Victorian house with wooden floor and a crawl space. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

 Celebrate with a small group or celebrate with a large group?  I’m definitely a small group gal. I’m quite shy and have trouble connecting with too many people at once. That’s why the Internet is perfect for me. Whenever I’m in a large group, like at a Writing Conference, I always choose the rear corner table and sit in the far corner of the room. The irony is that I was a Middle Grades teacher for 14 years. Talk about being front and center and with the most opinionated age there is.

Rebecca is a multi-published author with Muse. Check out her books when you can.

Who is That Character?
By Christine Verstraete

From the mundane and ordinary daily activities, to special interests or tastes, it’s often the little things that help define a character and make them real to the reader.

But that doesn’t mean we need to know every-single-thing that person eats or does. A character isn’t a list. They should be doing something to achieve their goal and solve their problem.

Yes, ordinary activities can be touched on, but keep it light and move on. A line or two showing the character eating breakfast, for instance, or their lack of it, if touched on briefly, can do a lot to show the type of person they are.

Consider: are they a breakfast skipper? They could be someone who is nervous, doesn’t like to waste time, is anxious, or just hates eating in the morning. A hearty breakfaster can be someone who likes to mull things over as they eat, or who is leisurely, calculated, patient, etc. More can be learned by the character’s food choices: eggs vs. Captain Crunch cereal, fruit vs. pancakes. You get the idea.

Other ways to bring your character to life:

* Give them a hobby, a special interest, or collection.

Does it tie into the crime or main story? Does the character’s involvement put them in danger or can it serve as a distraction? How does it further define their personality?

* Make them a pet owner, animal hater or have them fear a certain animal.

* How does an animal define them? How does it define how they do their job or impact their personality?

For instance, their love, fear or hatred of animals can put them at a certain advantage or disadvantage. It can show a different side of their personality, whether good or bad, nice or mean.

* Have their belongings and home, or lack thereof, reflect their social standing.

A lot can be revealed by showing how someone dresses, where they live, and what they own, don’t own, or choose not to have.

* Don’t forget to use the five senses to make the scene and character more alive.

While most of this may seem typical to the writer, as you get involved in the story it is easy sometimes to overlook or gloss over the smaller details.

The sneer of a lip, a smirk, a lowering of the eyelashes, all are actions that combined with a strong plot and a quick-moving story can make that character into someone memorable – a person the reader despises, fears, maybe even adores, but most importantly, wants to know more about. It is then you as a writer have succeeded.

** Christine Verstraete’s latest stories include “The Killer Valentine Ball” from MuseItUp Publishing.

She also is author of the dollhouse collector’s book, In Miniature Style II, and a children’s mystery, Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery.

A bit about Lawna…

I have always believed in fairy tales and when I got tired of the old ones I made up my own. Each story would have a hero and heroine, but they were anything but typical.

I devoured my first romance novel when I was a teenager. I couldn’t read them fast enough. Years later I stumbled across my first paranormal romance…an injustice would be done if I tried to explain my joy when I found this genre of romance. My passion was finally in print.

Now, with the help of my bizarre dreams and crazy imagination, I have started to write and intend to share my stories with you. I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

I am truly blessed. My husband is my inspiration and soul mate. We live on a small acreage in Didsbury, Alberta, with our most beloved companions, Dozer, Daisy and Mandarin.

Happy reading everyone and please stop by to visit me.

IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD – December 19, 2011 released through Liquid Silver Books http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com

ENCHANTMENT – January 13, 2012 released through Muse It Up Publishing http://museituppublishing.com

 Now on to the interview…

We have a new character for you to meet today…and a very interesting character at that.

Welcome, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, and where do you come from?

Hello everyone. My name is Threeo and I’m a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl from the world of Enchantment.

Well Threeo, that’s quite a mouthful. Exactly what is a Hippo-Dog-Burrowing Owl?

I resemble all three earthly creatures. I have a small hippopotamus body, and fluffy dog tail, and my head is the burrowing owl. I was created by magic.

I see. Can you tell us a little about your world of Enchantment?

Enchantment is a great world, or at least it was until she arrived. I have visions, so I knew she would come. Enchantment doesn’t allow foreigners of any sort. My master is the Enforcer for the world and he was supposed to get rid of her.

Oh my! That sounds harsh. How was he to “get ride of her”? And who exactly is she?

Meeka came to Enchantment from earth. She fell in the water and some how managed to cross the dimension and into Enchantment. Most creatures die. Kerrigan, my master should have sent her back, but he was scared she’d perish. What he didn’t know at that time was that she is a very powerful sorceress.

Tell us more about your life Threeo.

Okay, well, like I said Kerrigan is my master, I’ve been with him for a very long time. Oh…I also have babies. Baby Threeo’s! They are born in glass tubes and I raise them. When they are old enough they go to live with others like Kerrigan. The babies really like Meeka. Kerrigan’s parents Todd and Paddy Beaver are my favorites to visit. Paddy always has treats for Threeo.

“Beaver” you almost make that sound like they are Beavers?

Yes, they are beavers, but not like your human beavers. They adopted Kerrigan as a baby. Kerrigan is actually a dragon.

So what is happening in Enchantment these days?

{He shakes his head} It’s very scary in Enchantment. I’ve had a dream that Meeka kills Kerrigan, and she destroys the world.

Really? Is Meeka tha

Today’s Blog Blitz guest is Meradeth Houston. She is finishing her degree-to-end-all-degrees in anthropology. Don’t ask her how long she’s been in school . She is also an instructor at her university, and spends most of her time working in a laboratory. Please drop by her blog or website! She can be found at http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/ & www.MeradethHouston.com. She’s also on facebook and google+, links for both can be found on her website!

Now, let’s check in with Meradeth…

Meradeth, tell us about your book.

Colors Like Memories is set to release in May of 2012 (I know this is a ways off, but I’m already getting excited!). It’s a story of love, loss, and learning how to live. I had a blast writing this story, so I hope people enjoy reading it! (Here’s the blurb if you’re curious: Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of. In order to save her best friend’s life, she’s going to have to face her past, but her ghosts won’t make it easy. Especially his.)

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

In my “other” life, I am a scientist, which is what I do full time. I love it . My writing life does balancing things nicely, allowing for more creativity, which I think is healthy. Or, well, I hope it healthy. Sometimes I wonder…

What is your working environment like?

I’m looking around at my desk and realizing it’s pretty crazy at the moment. Maybe I should use this as a good excuse to clean it off. I probably won’t though. I just have a lot of things going on, so things are organized (to an extent), I just have a lot of things!

(That’s my desk—yikes!)

What are you reading right now?

Right now, I’m reading and enjoying Possession by Elana Johnson. I have a stack of books to read that is a mile high though—there’s nothing better than a good book to curl up with!

Hi Shellie,

Thanks for having me on your blog today. I’m happy to say the MuseItUp Publishing young adult and middle grade authors are getting lots of exposure on each other’s blogs this month.

My novel, Wounds, falls into the middle grade category. I think this book will be of interest to youngsters who have ever done anything they have felt guilty about and didn’t know how to go about rectifying things. And doesn’t that cover just about all of us?

My main character, Craig, tries to cut down an old oak tree that is venerated by the greater community. And this is where other readers might find this book of interest. The harm done to the tree brings the community together. Various people who become involved are the newspaper,  the police, the school principal, teachers, a Juvenile Court Judge, a state officer of the Department of Children and Families, a doctor, a kid’s club, and the city arborist.

It makes Craig realize how connected everything and everyone are, but he has a hard time seeing this fact apply to himself.

I personally like the arborist who comes to take care of the wounded tree. Craig is ordered by the judge to assist in the care of the tree. We get to see some natural science that pertains to trees in general and to grafting in particular as it applies to this tree. I kept the details to a minimum so as not to get bogged down. But teachers could use this as a starting point to teach students some science out in the field. My arborist is described as “a big man with a big love of big trees.” He is enthusiastic, optimistic, and a hard worker.

I would not presume to compare my book to anything by Eve Bunting. But her book, Blackwater, also deals with guilt and influenced me.

If my book were turned into a movie, I think the boy on the cover would be good to play the part. He has a brooding expression that seems to hide the hurt inside. Don’t know who he is, though.

I have many, many favorite fiction books. (Don’t know if that’s possible, but it’s hard to pick just one). But one in particular that stands out for  me is Who Really Killed Cock Robin? by Jean Craighead George. And another, non-fiction, is Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. They share a common theme of pesticides. I guess that shows you where my greatest concern is.

I recall that my favorite book in the third grade was Pegeen by Hilda van Stockum. I think I identified with Pegeen because she was a country girl who loved storytelling and she was an orphan. I wasn’t an orphan but I had lost my dad in the War and I was a country girl. Now I’m a storyteller.

Shellie, it’s been fun for me to share some info about Wounds. You have an interesting bunch of questions—sorry I couldn’t get to all of them.

Thanks for inviting me to talk about Wounds, my upcoming Muse middle grade e-novel. It is going to be available starting September 16 on these sites:

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/

And this is my buy page: 11 Comments on A Visit with Barbara Bockman, last added: 9/8/2011