Like All Good Cajun Fairy Tales, It Began Harmlessly Enough..." By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor #MFRWAAuthor #Gumbo Ya Ya #Rodeo Romance Series

New Orleans city offers beautiful architecture, great food, great seafood, and it can even titillate the minds of those who love a scary story or two. NOLA, The Big Easy, the birthplace of jazz, N'Awlins. New Orleans can go by so many names but one thing is for sure, the city is more than just partying in the streets.

New Orleans is more than a city; it is the fragrance of chicory coffee, a breeze off Lake Ponchatrain, the sound of jazz music in the French Quarter on a warm and humid night. Pirate Tales, Haunted Cemeteries, Trolley Rides, Magnolia Trees, and Food.  Oh, my goodness. Food is everywhere you look!  

This is why I wrote my Cajun Anthology:  Gumbo Ya Ya.  

Some adventures must be shared!

Cajun House in a Bayou (Swamp)

Listen to Cajun Music Cajun Music

What's The Difference Between Creole And Cajun Cooking?

Cajun and Creole food are both native to Louisiana.  One of the simplest differences between the two cuisine types is that Creole food typically uses tomatoes and tomato-based sauces while traditional Cajun food does not.

Crawfish Boil

CAJUN FOOD

Cajun food is robust, rustic food, found along the bayous of Louisiana, a combination of French and Southern cuisines. It was brought to Louisiana by the French who migrated to the state from Nova Scotia 250 years ago and used foods, right from the land. Think of meals with lots of smoked meats as well as meat-heavy, one-pot dishes like jambalaya or the rice-filled, spicy pork sausage known as boudin. The backyard crawfish boil is also another byproduct of Cajun culture. Though delicious Cajun food can certainly be found in New Orleans, the true heart of Cajun country lies northwest of the city in areas like Breaux Bridge and Lafayette.

The Historical French Quarter

CREOLE FOOD

Creole food is cosmopolitan food, created in New Orleans with European, African, and Native American roots. The French influence is strongest, but vestiges of Italian, Spanish, German, and the even Caribbean can be found in some dishes. The essence of Creole is found in rich sauces, local herbs, red ripe tomatoes, and the prominent use of seafood, caught in local waters. It is associated with the old-line kitchens of New Orleans, where generations of traditions are carried on today. Think of rich, roux-based gumbo, shrimp creole, grits and grillades, redfish court-bouillon, and more

HOW ARE CAJUN AND CREOLE FOODS SIMILAR?

Both cuisines make liberal use of what New Orleanians call the "holy trinity" of cooking: chopped green peppers, onions, and celery. The most common misconception is that both foods are spicy, fiery hot. Both Creole and Cajun cuisines have a depth of flavor, borne of a loving blend of local herbs and (quite often) roux and may or may not be spicy. But one thing is definitely true - you’ll never go wrong adding a few shakes of Louisiana hot sauce to either. In New Orleans, Creole and Cajun dishes can be found at many of our 1,400 restaurants at any time. Explore more of the differences.

Hummingbird Cake

I've added a host of recipes to my anthology.  Some classic dishes, some rustic, a few are my own, and others are family recipes passed down in my husband's family.

 And speaking of Gumbo Ya Ya: an Anthology for women who like romance Cajun style:

Here are teasers:

Marrying off Murphy: A match-making columnist promises to turn a stuffy professor into a charming prince. So, why does this confirmed bachelorette, suddenly wish she was dressed for the ball?

Love Potion no. 9: What happens when you mix a traditional Creole woman with a fun-loving Cajun Man? Throw in a little Voodoo love potion and stand back!  The Louisiana Bayou an't never gonna be the same.

A Slice of Scandal: A producer finds herself embroiled in a mystery as hot as her Cooking Show. When a Bayou cop turned chef dishes up more heat than a bottle of Louisana chopped peppers. Can she prove her innocence before the killer kills her? Or will she become the main course in a murder trial?

1-800-FORTUNE: Garlic hangs from the rafters but this Cajun werewolf isn't looking for trouble or a cure for what ails him. That is until a determined Gypsy woman shows up with mischief on her mind!

Smashwords :  Big, Big Sale! 

Remember all of my books are available via your favorite online book/ebook seller.

Link To my BWL author page: 

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

Thank you for stopping by :-),

Connie

Mardi Gras and Gumbo Ya Ya by Connie Vines

 Last month's blog post focused on the art of perfuming. This month I'm focusing on the Cajun experience and giving you a sneak-peek into my next BWL release, Gumbo Ya Ya; an anthology for women who like Cajun romance.

Key points about Cajun Country:

WHAT DOES MARDI GRAS MEAN?

In French, Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. (Mardi is the word for Tuesday and Gras is the word for fat.)

This name comes from the tradition of using up the eggs, milk, and fat in ones pantry because they were forbidden during the 40-day Lenten fast, which begins the next day (Ash Wednesday) and ends on Holy Thursday (three days before Easter Sunday).

Therefore, a big part of Shrove Tuesday is eating an abundance of delicious fried food—especially donuts and Shrove Tuesday Pancakes!  YUM.

In England, where the day is also known as Pancake Tuesday, festivities include flapjack-related activities. 

WHAT DOES GUMBO YA YA MEAN?

everybody talks at once

It means “everybody talks at once, which, if you've been to any meeting, political, social, PTA or otherwise [in New Orleans], you know what gumbo ya ya means.”

Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans soon after the city’s founding in 1718. The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837. Now a major metropolis, New Orleans is the city most known for its extravagant celebrations with parades, dazzling floats, masked balls, cakes, and drink.

American Cajuns:  Cajun, descendant of Roman Catholic French Canadians whom the British, in the 18th century, drove from the captured French colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia and adjacent areas) and who settled in the fertile bayou lands of southern Louisiana. The Cajuns today form small, compact, generally self-contained communities.

And now, to the good part!

Five Reasons to Marry a Cajun Man (Just ask one):

1. CAJUN MEN COOK

Don't like spending all of your time in the kitchen working over a hot stove? Don't worry your pretty little face about it, chèr. Cooking for you is exactly what we want to do. As a matter of fact, it's what we think about doing when we wake up. Not only do we want to do the cooking, but we do it well. We get it from our mom. Oh, and we even come complete with our own cookware.

2. CAJUN MEN DANCE

Do you always find yourself wishing your man would dance with you? Well, if you land yourself a Cajun, you'd better get your dancing shoes dusted off. We love to dance, and it doesn't matter where or who's watching. Wedding reception, night club, grocery store...it doesn't matter to us. We even have our own unique way of doing it. If we really like you, we'll teach you.

3. CAJUN MEN ARE HANDY

When you marry a Cajun man, you can forget about having to make a "Honey Do List". If something needs fixing, we got that. I mean, like before you even notice something needs fixing we've already noticed it and are on our way with our tools to take care it. We even figure out how to fix things we have no business trying to fix. Cajun men are extremely resourceful that way. The only problem here is, we'll also fix our neighbor's porch, our buddy's trolling motor, our cousin's shrimp nets, our Parrain's blender and so on...You'll have to tell us to stop and come home.

4. CAJUN MEN HAVE A GOOD TIME

You won't find a Cajun man moping around complaining about things. It's not that we aren't serious, we just don't see the need to let things drag us down. We're extremely resilient in pretty much every way. Cajuns don't wait for other people to fix our problems, whatever they may be. We figure it out, put some dirt on it and move on. Why would we want to be all mopey and boude when there's cold beer to be had?

5. CAJUN MEN LOVE THEIR MAMA

People say that if you want to know how a man is going to treat you, watch how they treat their Mother. Well, inside of 5 minutes of seeing us around our moms, you'll want to run off to Vegas on a red eye flight to get hitched immediately. Our worlds revolve around our mothers and will revolve around you as well. We're mama's boys and damn proud of it. She's the woman who gave us life and taught us how to make a roux, and we'll always be eternally grateful for this and so much more. The same rules also apply to our grandmother. Also, be warned, your own mother may like us more than you.

        

Here are a few Cajun words and sayings you may hear when visiting Louisiana.

Cher [sha]: A term of endearment usually used with women, similar to ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart.’ “Would you like another cup of coffee, chèr?”

Cocodril (ko-ko-dree): Alligator/gator.

Envie [ah(n)-vee] A longing or hunger to do or eat something. Other Southerners might use the word ‘hankering’ where a Cajun would use ‘envie.’ “I’ve got an envie for some boudin.”

Fais do-do [fay doe-doe]: A Cajun dance party. (Also, an expression adults use when they want children to go to sleep.) “Will we see you at the fais do do?”

Laissez les bons temps rouler [Lay say lay boh(n) toh(n) roo lay]: Let the good times roll. With more than 400 festivals each year, this saying embraces the fun-loving nature of Louisiana.

credit: Pinterest

EASY CAJUN DANCE STEPS    A link to a university website to teach you easy dance steps. 

AIR BOAT SWAMP TOUR!         A link to a swamp tour--yes, you will see a gator!

CAJUN MUSIC--Old School !      A link with Cajun Music which will have you dancing the Cajun                                                                     two-step!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Cajun Bayou Country!

 Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Connie Vines

My vacation photos (pre: Pandemic).:

Trolley in New Orleans

My Favorite Coffee Shop: Café du Monde with a mug of café latte and beignets. 

Shrimp and Grits

And then there was my run-in (runaway from) the swamp gator!

MY BWL website link

books2read

BOOKBUB

HAPPY READING!

Guess Who Brought Home a New Puppy? by Connie Vines

Yes, it was I! 

As most of my readers know (via my Blog posts, Twitter, and Instagram feeds), I have a 4-year-old Poodle-Caviler King Charles Spaniel mix, named Chanel.

Her 4th B-Day Pic

We are best buddies.   I run my plot-lines and dialogue past her.  She smiles and gives me that, "I love it!" look. 

She has her beds, toys, and routine. She carries her favorite toys in my office to play with while I write.  Life is good.

But something is missing. 

I'm on dead-line (always) and working on multiple novels and stories (no change here), however, there was one major change in my routine.  This summer I retired from the field of education. 

Wow!  I am no longer forced write from 9 PM to 1:00 AM.  I can actually write during the daylight hours every week day.

Sidebar:  So, for the past several months I've been keeping an eye-out for a suitable dog-friend for both of us.  With the stay-home order, the task has required a little-jumping-through-hoops.  (Probably a little like an online dating app.)  Search the Humane Society/Shelter postings, daily.  Make phone calls (because there is a phone interview and then a scheduled meet-and-greet).  Send follow-up emails.  After several not-a-good-fit meets, I spied a l year old, 14 lb Westie Terrier Mix who was brought in as a stray and listed on Adopt-a-Pet.

I completed the paperwork/ had a phone interview' and went down to meet him at the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter. I loved him, he loved me (I loved him more because he was completely potty-trained).  So, Chanel had her own appointment with him at 2:00 PM.  He followed her around.  She eyed-him (he was scruffy looking and not up to her grooming standards) but he met with everyone's approval. I christened him with a nice Scottish name:  Gavin.

Gavin before grooming

Gavin groomed

Gavin and Chanel are adjusting to each other. Gavin is still wearing his Elizabethan collar and bumps into everything and everyone. He has kennel recovery/rest time; Chanel has supervised 'Gavin' time.

Are you wondering, "What was she thinking?  She disrupted a perfect routine!"

Well, maybe. 

But it seems to be working out fine.  I like activity.  I appreciate 'controlled' chaos. And, more importantly, I loved dogs (and horses and goats).

I'm trying-out several dictation apps on my iPhone. This way I can enjoy the Southern California sun shine and a cup of coffee while dictating a chapter or working out my plot-structure.

So mixing up your routine is a good thing!

It gives you a new outlook.  You explore new pathways.  And you get to spend money on puppy toys (only three).

I'm still cooking.  Ya'all.  This week it was Shrimp and Cheese Grits.  I've gotta keep that New Orleans' vibe going!

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

 Connie's Website and Links

Life Keeps Getting More Complicated--Why I don't Like Puzzles by Connie Vines

memebase.com

While we are all hunkered down during the Pandemic, everyone is discovering hidden strengths, honing new-skills, discovering new hobbies, or in my case--discovering tasks they really, really dislike.

Adulting is difficult and tiring, even in the best of times.
Now, we--well, me anyway, are entering a new dimension--frustration.

When I leave my home, masked, gloved, and careful to observe social distancing--I can't decide if I'm slightly agoraphobic, feral, or simply confused because I'm in the great out-doors.

Did I lock the door?

Did I turn off the oven?  Since I wasn't cooking this morning, odds are the answer is, yes.

I'm concerned about others during these uncertain times.  I worry about family, friends, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.  I also recall, in a time before vaccines were perfected for measles, whooping cough, mumps, and chickenpox.  My parents spoke of  families self-quarantined when a loved one contracted the deadly virus, polio.

Somehow, we are emerged from those difficult times and I trust we will again.

So, I'm blogging, writing, baking, and visiting with my youngest grandson, a second-grader, who is being home-schooled.

Of course, I wish to be supportive.  I listen as he pencils Mandarin characters and explains what he's learned.  At his age, I was fascinated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs so we 'share' information.  He also loves puzzles.  I have no problem looking at puzzles online, finding the puzzles he wants--those with zillions and zillions of pieces.  Mount Rushmore--with 4-presidents faces carved in the granite, The San Francisco Bridge over the blue bay and fog-engulfed sky, and other challenges.  Which I happily give to him with a joyous heart.

Sweetie that he is, my grandson is worried that I'm sad, "Grammie, I don't have a puzzle".

Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I really, really don't like puzzles.  Oh, I understand the concept.  Find the corners, then fill in the boarders, separate by color then by 'what you think it is: nose, eye, snowman's hat'--whatever.

Perhaps, because I'm the eldest of five-siblings, I'm unfamiliar with the concept of 'personal space'.
My Barbie dream-house couch was stepped and broken by brother number 1, about two-seconds after I pulled it from the box.  My sister (at the age of 4), would systematically pull out every Oreo cookie from the package, eat the frosting and skillfully reassemble the cookie before placing it back in the package. Brother number 2 and brother number 3 would race to the door whenever the doorbell rang.

Please note: A trajectory is the path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time. Hence, a complete trajectory is defined by position and momentum, simultaneously.

Which means:  Connie, walking the the door to greet her date, was in the trajectory path.

And to add to the daily chaos: 

We had two dogs residing in the household.  My sister's well-behaved Lab/Shepard mix.

And my AKC champion purebred miniature poodle. Smart, trainable, loving, and master of Covert-Ops.

Jacques, ate marbles, crayons, and snagged biscuits to hide under couch cushions..

I hope I've brightened you day with my blog post :-).

I'm thrilled to share my "cover-reveal" for my next BWL release:

an anthology for women who like romance Cajun style

BWL LINK  Visit BWL site for my releases and much more!

my website and all social links


.

Decluttering Your Novel by Connie Vines

You know that feeling when you open up your closet and it’s so stuffed with clothes you don’t wear that you can’t find the ones you really like?  Or you locate something from the depths of your closet you don’t recall every seeing before?

Or maybe your desk is piled with papers that need filing, and you waste time looking for that one you need? Clutter adds stress and sucks up valuable time.

The same situation applies to writing. Unnecessary words and redundancies in a page or paragraph obscure its core meaning and interrupt its flow. The essence of your message is buried under all those excess words.

Once you’ve written the first draft of your novel or short story, it’s time to go back and look for cluttered sentences and paragraphs.

Ferret out words that don’t add to the meaning or imagery and are just hampering the fluid flow of ideas. Look for instances of overwriting or beating a point to death. Say it once, or twice — then move on. Otherwise you risk annoying your readers.

Ready to search out the clutter in your story?

1. Avoid little-word pile-ups and eliminate redundancies

Reveal the essence of your message by streamlining your words. Instead of “in spite of the fact that,” just say “although.” Instead of “in the vicinity of,” say “near.”

Replace “in the direction of,” with “to” or “toward.” Instead of “came in contact with,” say “met.” Instead of “during the time that,” say “while.” No need to say “located at” – just say “at.”

Before:

On their cross-country trip, they slept each night in the cheap motels located less than a mile’s drive from the interstate.

After:
On their cross-country trip, they slept each night in cheap motels just off the interstate.

Before:

The car drove slowly through the large complex heading in the direction of a secluded building at the back of the facility. It was located on the shore of the Mississippi River. The vehicle came to a stop next to the entrance to the building.

After:

The car drove slowly through the large complex toward a secluded building on the shore of the Mississippi River. It stopped next to the entrance.

Before:

He was shooting off his mouth in the bar last night telling everybody that he was going to find the jerk that ratted on him.

After:

He was shooting off his mouth in the bar last night about finding the jerk that ratted on him.

Before:

He moved his mouse pointer over to the other email that he had received.

After:

He clicked on the second email.

2. Don’t drown your readers in details

Leave out those tiny details that just serve to distract the reader, who wonders for an instant why they’re there and if they’re significant.

Before:

He had arrived at the vending machine and was punching the buttons on its front with an outstretched index finger when a voice from behind him broke him away from his thoughts.

After:

He was punching the buttons on the vending machine when a voice behind him broke into his thoughts.

In the first example, we have way too much detail. What else would he be punching the buttons with besides his finger? We also don’t need to know which finger he’s using or that it’s outstretched, since everybody does it pretty much the same. Minute details like these just clutter up your prose.

3. Remove empty, “filler” words

Words like “it was” and “there were” simply get in the way of your story without adding anything useful.

Before:

I headed down a rickety set of wooden steps to the basement. There was a dim light ahead in the hallway. To the right there were cardboard boxes stacked high. To the left, there was a closed door with a padlock. Suddenly, I heard muffled sounds. There was someone upstairs.

After:

I headed down a rickety set of wooden steps to the dimly lit basement. To the right, cardboard boxes were stacked high. To the left, I saw a closed door with a padlock. Suddenly, I heard muffled sounds. Someone was upstairs.

The After result is more intense. More immediate.  This pulls your reader through your story.

4. Take out the word “that” wherever it’s not needed

Read the sentence out loud, and if it still makes sense without the “that,” remove it. This change soothes out the sentence so it’s less clunky and flows better.

Before:

She said that you thought that it was too expensive and that you wanted to shop around.

After:

She said you thought it was too expensive and you wanted to shop around.

5. Delete words or phrases that unnecessarily reinforce what’s already been said.

Cluttering your sentences with too many unnecessary words can get in the way of clear communication and confuse and subliminally irritate the reader. Go through your manuscript and see where you’ve cluttered up sentences and paragraphs with little words and phrases that aren’t needed and just impede the natural flow of ideas.

The phrases in italics are redundant here:

We passed an abandoned house that nobody lived in on a deserted street with no one around. The house was large in size and gray in color.

6. Don’t tell after you’ve shown

For example:

She moped around the house, unable to concentrate on anything. She felt sad.
He paced nervously around the room, muttering to himself. He was agitated.
In both instances, the second sentence should be deleted.

7. Condense any long-winded dialogue

In real life, people don’t usually speak in lengthy, complete sentences or uninterrupted monologues. Read your dialogue out loud to make sure it sounds natural, not like a rehearsed speech.
Break up any blocks of one person speaking at length by rewriting them in questions and answers or a lively debate, with plenty of tension and attitude. Try using lots of incomplete sentences and one- or two-word answers, or even silences.

How would your characters actually speak in real life? Think about their personalities and character traits. For example, men, especially blue-collar men, tend to be terser and more to-the-point than women.

Decluttering isn’t always easy.  I realized that when I write for hours at the time, without interruptions, my draft at the end of the day is less cluttered.  However, when I am required to stop and start throughout my writing session my draft is cluttered with ‘and’, ‘and then’—which I spot the next day.

Decluttering in your writing and in your life makes your day flow happily along. . .or at least, until the next ‘plot point’.

Happy Reading and Writing 😊

See you next month!

Connie Vines
www.novelsbyconnievines.com
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Soon to  be Released:

A Poodle, a Wedding Anniversary, and a Opossum By Connie Vines

I had an article about the craft of writing written and ready to post.  I decided, instead, to share that post next month.

Why?

For those of you who follow my Twitter, Instagram, author Facebook page, or website, you know I often share stories about my little poodle-mix puppy, Chanel.

Please, no groaning from those of you who prefer cats.

Chanel, is lively, friendly, and poodle-like in her powers of reasoning.

Harvey

She is also serious about her friendships.

Well, before the SoCal winter rains, there was a young opossum who would walk along the block wall several nights a week at 2:00 A.M.  I know this because this is the time I usually finish writing and get ready for bed.  Chanel dance in a circle requesting to step outside.  She would run over to the wall and bark, causing the little white-faced opossum to dart away.

I would pick her up, instructing her to leave “Harvey” alone.  (Yes, I know he is a wild animal and does not possess a name.)  Chanel, however, knows every ‘thing’, be it a person, toy (bouncy-ball, Side-kick, blue bouncy-ball), animal, or ‘food’, has a name.

So, this opossum was dubbed Harvey.

Harvey didn’t return during the rains, or afterwards.  Then, magically, one night a larger, more attractive, and braver “Harvey’ returned.

This time he sat on the wall and waited for Chanel to bark at him.  I’d pick her up, bid “Harvey” good evening.  While the two of them stared at each other for a few moments.  We’d go in and Harvey would leave.

Where does “Harvey” live?  I believe he lives in the yard next door (the owner is a bit of a zealous ‘collector’), or perhaps in the shrubby in a nearby park.  I’m not too sure if he has a family.

It has never gone past the ‘flirting’ stage with Chanel.   And ‘Harvey’ never ventures into our yard when we are about.

Today, all of that changed.

Today was my wedding anniversary.  My husband and I went to local home-style diner for an early dinner.  We bid Chanel bye and promised to bring her home a mini-hamburger patty.  No. Sorry. No riding in the car this time.

When we got back to the car, packed left-overs and doggie meal in hand, my husband voice his concern about something handing from his side bumper.

I bent over to examine it.  While my husband kept saying he would yank the piece of the plant out from the bumper, I objected.

It wasn’t a plant.

It had an odd texture.  It was a pale color.  It was a snake, no. A rat. . .oh, no!
It was the hook of a opossum’s tail.

“Harvey!  I hope we didn't kill Harvey!"

“Harvey?” my husband questioned.

“Yes.  See, that’s Harvey’s tail.”  The tail went limp, they turned back into a hook.

“This could only happen to you,” my husband’s response.

“Harvey just wanted to join us for our Anniversary dinner.”

My husband stifled a chuckle.  “I doubt that very much.”

“Now at least we know where he sleeps during the day.”

So, we drove home via the city streets, so not to ‘over heat’ Harvey.  While my husband explained that freeing 'Harvey' was my responsibility. When we arrived home, Harvey had pulled his tail back up into the wheel well, waiting for us to leave.

Do you have an unexpected anniversary story to share?

Happy Reading,

Connie


*The chance of rabies in an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the opossum's low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the virus to survive in an opossum's body.*

They are beneficial to eliminate rodents, snakes, insects and carrion, and they provide a VITAL “grounds-keeping” function in most urban environments.

 

Opossum FAQ | Opossum Society of the United States

September 2017 Release

October 2017 Release

Purchase: Amazon.com
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