Sweet Milk Biscuits

2 c. flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 baking soda
5 tbsp shortening
1 c. buttermilk

...and something only referred to as "PIE."

PIE

2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
vanilla
butter
3 tbsp cocoa

Boil milk. Combine other ingredients and stir in. Add butter and vanilla. Then the recipe ends. I'm guessing you pour it all in a pie crust and let it cool?? This recipe is so old and mysterious, I just HAVE to try it!

In the quest to write something that is marketable, it's all too easy to slip into bad habits. Using plots that are too contrived, meaning they aren't natural, will no doubt blow up in your face later down the road. You might think that if it worked for others, then it's sure to work for you, but that isn't necessarily the case. If one person breaks onto the scene with a plot that is farfetched and manages to sell it to a major publishing house, it doesn't mean that others can put their spin on it and achieve the same grandeur. In the world of publishing, what works for one person won't necessarily work for another. Editors are finnicky. Send them something that's too contrived and they may think you're insulting their intelligence. And you have to think about your readers, too. You have to give them more credit than that. Readers and editors these days are looking for real plots. It's fiction, but the situations could really happen. They want extensive research. They want your characters and plot to be believable.

The problem that a lot of writers run into is that they want their characters to go from Point A to Point B. Now the quickest way from Point A to Point B is a straight line, but what if that doesn't work with your story? All too often, writers will jerk the plot around in an effort to achieve what they want to achieve in the way they want to achieve without regard for what happens naturally.

The thing you have to remeber is that when something happens, there is always a reaction. Sometimes there is only one specific reaction, and sometimes there are several. Humans are notoriously predictable. If you write a scene in which the characters react in a way that is not natural for the sake of your plot, readers and editors are gonna know it. They're going to say, "He wouldn't do that." Or, "She would never say that." Or "That would never happen."

How many times have you found yourself thinking those exact words while reading a book or watching a movie?

You may justify it because you feel like it's the only way to get from A to B without destroying the carefully-laid plan for your characters.

Here's my challenge for you: next time you want to take the easy way out so you can get from A to B without breaking any of the plot bricks you've carefully laid DON'T! Go for what is natural and see what happens. This is a lot easier for pantsers than plotters like me. I know.

Think about this:

A plot that is too contrived requires a certain amount of coincidences to make it happen. Coincidences lead to weakness in the plot because both are blended with an abundance of willing suspension of disbelief.

This ain't bad in small doses. As with alcohol, it should be in moderation.

So you've gotten your plot laid out just the way you want it. There are a few coincidences in there and at times is seems a bit contrived, but you managed to get the characters from A to B. That's all that matters, right? WRONG!

True, you made the journey. You got them there, but the plot is now weakened and worse for the wear.

I urge you to take the road less traveled and forego the easy way. Take your time. Do the research. Make it real. Make your characters real. If you do, it will be no coincidence when I see your novel on bookstore shelves!

I can't believe I just won the National Novel Writing Month writing challenge. 50,000 words in 30 days!!!

My novel "The Yard Sale" is in 1st place in Round 2 of the Romance Junkies First and Favorite writing contest! I need your help to keep it there by voting for me on the Romance Junkies blog. You don't have to sign up to vote. You can only vote once per computer, so vote on every computer you can find and spread the word. Here's the link:

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/?page_id=461

Thanks Everybody!

DeLyn

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground meat
1 pkg onion soup mix
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp mustard
water

Brown meat, drain. Add all other ingredients.

* This is not a typical sloppy joe, like the sauce you buy in the store. It takes more like a loose meat sandwich to me. But it had zip from the ketchup and mustard. It sounds weird, but it's actually quite tasty. *

with Jillian (aka Juliet) Burns at the Barnes and Nobles bookstore in Hurst, Texas. She write for Harlequin Blaze.







Jillian was such a sweetie and so approachable. She talked to my children, and she gave me her card so that I can email. I'm still working up the nerve for that. What do I say? What do I show her?










And here I am with Cindy Dees. She writes romantic suspense for Silhouette. I like her! She's a talker. Quiet people make me nervous...even though I am generally a quiet person.






She told me a story about how a man emailed her to complain that his wife didn't make dinner that night because she was reading her book. How did retaliate? She sent the wife an advanced reading copy of her next book and tucked a pizza coupon inside! Hahaha! You gotta love her creativity.

At the signing, I also saw Celya Bowers, Jax Cassidy, and Candace Havens. I didn't get pictures, because I didn't buy their books. When they sign in big groups like that, I can't afford to buy all the books. I will give them a little promotion, though.

www.julietburns.com
www.cindydees.com
www.celyabowers.net
www.jaxcassidy.com
www.candacehavens.com

I spend so much time writing romance that it's nice to be able to meet other writers, buy a book, and be the reader/fan for a change.

Oh, who am I kidding!?!

I'm really hoping that some of their genius will rub off on me! Hahaha!

Stay tuned...

In a quest to locate legitamate writing contests, I stumbled upon Stephie Smith's Contest Chart for Writers. It's current, and is set up in a wonderful spreadsheet. Check it out:

http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html

I've been blinking at a blank page for days now, so I decided to do something creative to get the juices flowing. I have created a totally original accessory. Please, please, please check it out on my new blog:


http://www.blinkingatablankpage.blogspot.com

Thank You!

Jayna

There are hundreds of meatloaf recipes on the web, claiming to be "simple" and "easy" but they really aren't. Well...I FOUND ONE THAT REALLY IS!!! And it tastes DELICIOUS, too. Even my husband and kids approved.

Here it is:

Meatloaf Muffins
(posted by www.simpledailyrecipes.com)

http://simpledailyrecipes.com/quick-and-easy-meatloaf-muffins/
This is the link, if you want to see pictures and all that.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs ground beef (I used 1 and it made 12 muffins)
12-14 crushed crackers (I used my electric chopper thingy to make them like powder)
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix (I just used a little onion powder and a little garlic powder)
1 egg per pound of meat
1/2 cup water per pound of meat
1/3 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir it up with a spoon. NO MESSY HANDS FOR THIS RECIPE! Spray muffin cups. (No liners) Spoon meat mixture into cups evenly. Top with a little ketchup. Cook for 30-40 mins. YEAH, HALF THE COOKING TIME! While it's cooking, whip up some creamed potatoes and a vegetable or salad. Set the table. My muffins were ready by the time the potatoes were, so it all came together beautifully. Enjoy.

This is my talented - AND BEAUTIFUL - cousin, Rachel. Here she posing with her prize-winning art piece. It's the one on the bottom right , the bonfire.

I found a great Depression Era recipe online. Thought I would share it.

Poor Man's Supper

potatoes (1 medium per person), peeled and cubed
hot dog weiners (1 per child and 2 per adult), sliced thin
1/4 - 1/2 onion, depending on size
salsa
water
butter
oil

Peel and cube potatoes. Make the cubed very small. Put in a skillet with some oil and butter. Cook on medium heat until tender. Add several tbsp salsa and the hot dogs weiners. You will also need to add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to distribute the salsa. Cook only a couple of minutes to heat the weiners. Serve.

This recipe sounds bland, and I thought it would need ketchup. But it is actually quite tasty without ketchup. You may want to add a little salt and pepper to taste. But the salsa does most of the work.

In my ongoing journey to get the most bang for my buck at the grocery store, I stumbled upon a fantastic website called The Hillbilly Housewife.

www.hillbillyhousewife.com

On that site, she has an emergency $45/week menu. Here's the menu:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

The problem is that most items are made from scratch. And there are a lot of things that my kids don't eat. Soooo....

I've created a similar menu, that uses pre-packaged items.

Monday:
breakfast - Pancakes; juice or milk
lunch - Soup & sandwich; tea
dinner - pinto beans & rice; tea

Tuesday:
breakfast - Toast & oatmeal; juice or milk
lunch - Sandwich; macaroni & cheese; baby carrots w/ ranch dressing; tea
dinner - Bean & cheese burritos; tea

Wednesday:
breakfast - Eggs & toast; juice or milk
lunch - Tuna fish or chicken salad sandwich; chips; tea
dinner - Spaghetti; tea

Thursday:
breakfast - Biscuits; jelly or honey; butter; juice or milk
lunch - Soup & sandwich; tea
dinner - 10 can soup; tea

Friday:
breakfast - Cereal; juice or milk
lunch - Hot dogs or chili dogs; tea
dinner - Spam casserole

Saturday:
breakfast - Pancakes or muffins; juice or milk
lunch - Ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese; tea
dinner - BBQ weenies; whatever side is in the pantry; tea

Sunday:
breakfast - Eggs & bacon or sausage; juice or milk
lunch - Nachos; tea
dinner - Sloppy Joes; French fries; tea

All snacks are fresh fruit or fruit cups!

Please note that this menu reflects 3 cooked meals per day. In my household, the kids have cereal Monday-Friday, and my husband and I skip breakfast. I pack a lunch for my daughter, and I eat in the cafeteria at school because it's cheap. This kind of menu is best for the summer months, when I'm off, and holiday vacations. I'm a teacher.

If you prefer, just make a breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack menu and leave off the days. Then go through and cross off as you use each block. Then start over.

There is also an everyday $70/week menu on the Hillbilly Housewife site:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/70dollarmenu.htm

This menu features more meat and a bigger variety.

AND...there is a section on school lunch box food with some neat ideas:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/lunchboxfood2.htm

My daughter wants PB&J every single day, pickles spears, chips, fruit snack, pudding or yogurt, fruit to go with it - a combination of these. And a juice box for a drink. We don't qualify for free or reduced lunches, so this is less expensive than purchasing a lunch every day. She eats cereal or muffins for breakfast at home. That saves money, too.

Hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to visit the Hillbilly Housewife site.

Yesterday, I embarked on a mission to find the perfect way to save money at the grocery store. How did this all start? Well, over the past month, our grocery store ran a promotion. They gave you a % off coupon depending on how much you spent at the store. If you spent between X amount and X amount, you got a 10% off. Yada yada. Well, we spent a little over $500 for our little family and received the big 20% off coupon!!!!

Okay, great that we got the coupon, but I was astounded at how much we spent at the grocery store. I've never done a tally, so I had no idea how much we were spending. $500 for a family of 4 is waaa-aaay too much! -especially considering that the Duggars, with their 18 children, spend only $2,000 a month on food.

So...

I searched the web trying to find a site that had frugal menus with shopping lists. I was led to a site called The Grocery Game. It costs a $5/month fee, but the system sounds awesome. I researched to see how it works. Here's what I found out:

1) You choose which stores you shop at, and each week they list the specials for those stores. This saves you the job of having to gather store fliers and compare yourself. If a special requires a coupon, you can print from the site or they'll tell you where to get it. They even tell what day of the week to go to the store and how to get some stuff for free with rebates.

2) From the list, you select what you want to buy, and they'll make a list that you can print and take to town with you.

Sound good?

Well, I found the same thing at www.mygrocerydeals.com for FREE! I registered there, selected my stores, and immediately all the store specials appeared. I clicked on the products that I wanted, and I created a list for me. What was neat about this list is that keeps a running total for you and let's you know how much you saved. Then you can print the list or email it to yourself and/or others.

I'm not ready to go to the store yet, but I went ahead and made my list to see what it would be.

My running total is $102.62
My total savings are $59.15

That's over 50% savings!!!

My list included pasta sides, fruit, meat, vegetables, cereal, juice, snacks, fixings for school lunches, bread, pickles, biscuits, pizza, and can pizza dough. Enough food for the month, though I will have to make a few trips for milk and eggs and stuff like that.

My advice is go check out the website and sign up. It's FREE! I believe I'm going to cut my grocery bill in half or more by using this program of eating only what's on special. It's the grocery game, only free.

Happy Eating!

It SWEET to know that someone reads my blog...and LIKES it! My friend, Delia Latham, nominated DAILY DOSE OF DELYN for The Lemonade Award.

I'm puckered up with joy. Thank you, Delia!

Delia is a Christian writer, mother, and grandmother. She's just crazy enough to drive halfway across the country to meet me...hehehe! Be sure to visit her blog, THE MELODY WITHIN at this address:

http://www.themelodywithin.blogspot.com

Here's how the "When Life Gives You Lemons, make Lemonade" Award (The Lemonade Award) works:

1) Link back to the person you received the award from.

2) Nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

Here are 10 blogs that I follow that I feel are more refreshing than a glass of lemonade on a hot day. In no particular order:

1. Wanna Be Published - http://wannabepublished.blogspot.com/

2. Romance Bandits - http://romancebandits.blogspot.com/

3. The Lily Notepad - http://thelilynotepad.blogspot.com/

4. Writing Fiction Right from Novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin - http://writingright-martin.blogspot.com/

5. Yankeedrawl - http://yankeedrawl.blogspot.com/

6. The Writings of kassy Paris - http://kassyparis.blogspot.com/

7. Jules Bennett Blog - http://www.julesbennetttalks.blogspot.com/

8. The Write Calling - http://thewritecalling.blogspot.com/

9. Plot Whisperer - http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/

10. Anne Carrole - http://annecarrole.blogspot.com

When life hands you a lemon...write a story about it!

~DeLyn~

I'm happy to report that I received a rejection letter from The Wild Rose Press today for partial manuscript, The Choir Girl.

Here's the many reasons why I'm actually happy about this:

1) I told my critique partner, Kassy, about a week ago that I hoped TWRP rejected this manuscript because after re-reading it before sending it in, I felt that the writing was horrible. I think I described it as, "thirty-two thousand words of crap." Anyway, I didn't think that I would actually get that far when I submitted the query. The fact that an editor of a BIG NY publisher asked to see my manuscript was amazing.

2) I'm also happy that the editor sent me a genuine rejection, rather than a form letter. That's another first. In this rejection letter, she went into detail about what was wrong with my manuscript. Let's break it down:

3) There's too much narration that focuses on the past, rather than the current story. TRUE. When I murdered this novel a few months back, I mentioned that the entire story was based on something that happened in the past, how they were currently dealing with the past, and how the past will effect their future. PAST x 3 = YUCK. You can't create a story with past in the past, past in the present, and past in the future. It just doesn't work. Too much drama.

4) The dreaded POV shifts - head hopping - run rampant. I try really hard. I really do. But POV kicks my ass! I'm writing this beautiful scene with so much emotion, and I can only show you one side. Who's side do I show? And if I don't let the readers see some movement or facial expression on the other person, then it comes across as though they have no emotion. Both characters have to be involved in the action and emotion, but only one can have thoughts. I've been working with Kassy on POV for years. I don't know if I'll ever get it.

5) Christian fidgets too much. I'm going to have to go back and re-read the scene she mentioned, but I think I know what she meant. This is most likely one of those unintentional things. This is why it's good to let many people read your work before submitting because a scene can read one way to one person and another way to another person. I had to re-write chapter one because a member of my critique group said he disliked Ima because she snooty and self-absorbed. This is totally not the impression I wanted to give my selfless, church social director.

6) The progression of the romance needs work. This is most likely because the manuscript is not finished. Several chapters needed to be added in the middle to show this progression.

All in all, I think this was a very well-written rejection from an editor who cares about unpublished writers. How are we supposed to know what we're doing wrong if no one tells us? Thank God for TWRP!

Now I can lay this novel to rest. I murdered it. I resurrected it. But after receiving such a rejection, I feel that I don't have the passion for the characters that I once had. They aren't talking to me anymore, so anything further that I wrote about them would be strictly my words. I don't like my words. I like to let the characters do the talking.

Farewell, Christian Hogg.
Farewell, Ima Rayburn.

On to new projects. There are new characters in my head that need to have their stories told.

Jennifer Tilly

Romi Dames

Romi Dames

I've been watching episodes of Disney's Hannah Montana with my daughters. Actually, they watch and I'm held captive. There's a character on there sometimes named Tracy Van Horn, a celebrity friend of Hannah's. Every time I see her, I think it's Jennifer Tilly. But Jennifer Tilly's been around for so long that I figured she would be much too old to play a celebrity friend of a fifteen year old girl. Finally, my curiosity prevailed and I looked it up. Jennifer Tilly is 50, making her look FABULOUS for her age and does not play Tracy Van Horn on Hannah Montana. The character is actually played by Romi Dames, a Japanese actress. I was guessing that if it wasn't Jennifer Tilly, then it was her daughter...but no relation. I guess I'm wrong and they're just celebrity look alikes.

What do you think? Do they look alike?

Scratch my weight loss resolution. I can tell you now...it ain't gonna happen!