Monthly Archives: July 2017

I have visitors coming next week; I should be cleaning house. I’m finally in revision mode; I should be working on A Question of Trust.

Instead, I have been indulging in my garden. Or maybe gardens. I’ve wanted the front to look welcoming instead of abandoned, and I’ve been working on the back garden for a while. Searching for what will grow, what will overwinter. And how to make it all look posh on a very limited budget, with a goal of as much ‘found’ material as possible.

More ‘found’ material, limestone and other rock, left over from a project at my boss’s (pounded out to lay a foundation) I only choose rock I can carry myself, and I carry only one or two pieces at a time. LOTS of steps and lots of aerobic exercise.

Hmmm, I’m not finding actual garden pictures. I’ll take some more to share. Plus what I did out front, which is very exciting. Why am I writing about this little garden project? Because it didn’t happen overnight. It’s taken five years so far to get to this point. And with the exception of sinking the posts, and building the initial wall I’ve done it all myself. Little steps, a bit more every year. Kinda like writing…one word, one page at a time.

And a bit of sky to share with you.

That really is a question!

Before we go any further, this is ‘just’ a writing blog. Nothing about the dogs, no recipes, nothing about gardening, no sunset…okay maybe some sunset pictures. Mainly I’m going to muse about writing. Although, yeah, I do have some interesting garden developments.

You’ve been forewarned

I have used a prologue one time. It worked for that particular book. I worked on that

sucker for HOURS, with more input than anything I’d ever written. That prologue was intended to set up the two main characters, who would meet years later. Well, here, check it out:

Summer 2000:

It was a storybook wedding. The elite of the world’s beautiful people crowded the groom’s yacht, cruising off the south French coast. The groom’s austere face was only slightly lined, the gray at his temples adding a distinguished air. His still trim body was clothed by the establishment which had enjoyed the patronage of every male in his family since his great-grandfather. Although he conversed urbanely with his guests, his possessive gaze never left his bride.
Framed in the lens of the ever-clicking camera, the bride had the lithe slenderness seen only in the very young and healthy. Delicate curves hinted at the woman she would one day become. Her short dark hair was gamine cut by the stylist who had created the look. Her make-up had been applied by the hands of the genius whose company had taken three generations of women from beautiful to gorgeous. Her lavish bouquet was of rare miniature white orchids, picked deep in the rain forests of South America and flown in for this ceremony. The lace for her veil had been created by devout hands in a convent which had produced lacework of this gossamer perfection for centuries.
The veil was secured by a pearl crown once belonging to a medieval princess. It framed a delicate, serious face dominated by enormous, hazy green eyes and a lush, slightly trembling mouth, and billowed down to hand made, four inch spike heels. By tradition the

full length veil attested to the purity of the bride, leaving no doubt in the mind of anyone attending that day that this was, indeed, a virgin bride. The diaphanous covering enhanced her bridal outfit, personally designed by the hand of the dresser of royalty. Brilliant fire opals had been meticulously applied to the hand sewn, French cut white bikini.

The fire opals were a suggestion of friend who was a college librarian and an inveterate reader. I’d originally chosen seed pearls which she insisted were far too mundane. I’m sure she was right! This is from Teach Me To Forget, a non-hyphenated Romance. No Suspense, no Fantasy. Just male-female meeting, realizing they have a fairly difficult history, and choosing to move forward together.

In this instance the prologue worked, and was balanced by a description at the end of another, entirely different, wedding. You might want to check it out, I had a blast writing it (and later slicing out pages of driving in San Francisco!)

There’s a sequel…isn’t there always…set in New Mexico. Actually mostly written. Which I’ll get to work on after this most recent Stormhaven story.

So what were we talking about? Oh, yeah, prologues. In the case of TMTF, the prologue worked, introducing two people who would meet again later. There is, of course, a wedding at the end of the book that is not nearly so sophisticated.

In A Question of Trust, which I’m editing, I started with a prologue, and had a blast writing the first chapter. Unfortunately this chapter was all about the characters from the first two Stormhaven books. Not good if I want to write about new and different people. Cut that chapter, and move on. I might share it…anyone interested?

So I’m asking readers, before I get on with edits: Prologue? No Prologue? What works best for you?

Okay, I guess I can share sunsets. Tonight’s were particularly nice:

Next, I’ll get back to gardening. I have guests coming from a long long way and I really want the place to look good!

 

Wow, it’s been…far too long since I blogged. And to be honest that last blog was kind of a cheat, but I loved the content.

So much has happened…where to start? Do I talk about the annual trek to the Saluki

National in Missouri? How I was trying to give the dogs more air in the back of the motor home. If I could just…open…this…window a little bit more. It stuck on something and ended up in safety glass chunks all over the pavement.

 

Oops. Well at least we had a lot of air for the rest of the trip!

We made, of course, there and back again. A rough trip for sure, but always worth it to see friends.

 

 

While driving I contemplated what to write in my next blog. Should I talk about song choices for competition? WHO would think it’s right for a TWELVE YEAR OLD to sing about a party girl who wants to stay drunk all night, and swing from chandeliers? Yes a powerful song and no I don’t think children need to sing about teensy spiders. But…really folks?

 

Rant over? Maybe for now. The days marched on from June (Saluki National) into July which started with people spending money on noise making incendiary devices to irritate those of us who prefer to celebrate our country by…I dunno…reading the Constitution?

I could share the unexpected passing of one of my youngsters. In just a few far too short days He went from feeling okay to time to visit the doctor

Fucking cancer.

 

Let’s leave with something marginally more positive

While at the Saluki National we managed a quick photo of those members of the litter all together.

That’s Moochie to the far left. Then Drama Queen, Bouddicca, Fired Dragon, and Faerie Queene with some of those beloved friends I don’t see often enough. Obviously this was after I cleaned up!

And since this is July 21, I’ll share one more special photo….it is our anniversary, after all.

There, caught up and time to move on.

Hug your pets, take time to talk to your family and friends. Be well.