Holding out for a Hero By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor, #MFRW Author, #Writing, Writing Tips

Holding out for a Hero

                                                                    

Rights of Usage for Canva Design 

 To quote a Bonnie Tyler song:

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

Where's the streetwise Hercules

To fight the rising odds?

How do you define a Hero?

While every story is different, and every hero is unique, the hero in my stories possesses these characteristics. 

1. Integrity

2. Honesty

3. Loyalty

4. Respectfulness

5. Responsibility

6. Humility

7. Compassion

8. Fairness

9. A sense of humor

10. A belief in good will triumph over evil

My favorite Book Heroes 📕

Sherlock Holmes, Is Victorian England, and he solves seemingly impossible mysteries. He has extraordinary observational skills and the ability to deduct. He has no superpowers; he is merely an ordinary person with exceptional human skills adaptable in nearly any place or time.

My Favorite Movie Heroes 🎥

* = watched as an adult 

1930s * The Mummy, Boris Karloff  (see Dracula below).

1940s * Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart.

1950s * Lady and the Tramp (Disney cartoon) 

1960's: * James Bond, Sean Connery. /To Sir, with Love, Sidney Poitier

1970s: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Will Sampson.

1980s: # 1 Romancing the Stone (the movie was flawless),   

Star Trek Movie: The Wrath of Khan, Leonard Nimoy (I'm a Star Trek fan)  /Star Wars, Harrison Ford  

1990s: Practical Magic and True Lines

2000: Star Trek: Into Darkness, Christopher Pine

2001 - 2023 is for a later post 😉. Feel free to add your faves in the comment area.

My Favorite T.V. Heroes 📺

Joe Leaphorn, Dark Winds series was adapted from Tony Hillerman's novels.

Is a fictional character. He is one of the two officers of the Navajo Tribal Police featured in the series/novels. 

Leaphorn holds a Navajo worldview, with no expectation of heaven or the afterlife, instead a need to find his place in this life and lead his life well. Leaphorn holds a Navajo worldview, with no expectation of heaven in the afterlife, instead a need to find his place in this life and lead his life well. He follows the rules of courtesy of the Navajo regarding the ebb and flow of conversations and his ability to handle demanding character from the white world around him.

My Favorite Heroes of History 🐪

Winston Churchill is regarded as one of the most outstanding wartime leaders in history. His indomitable spirit, eloquence, and strategic acumen earned him admiration and respect both in his time and subsequent years. His contributions to the defeat of fascism and preserving democracy have left a lasting impact on the world. (Wikipedia)

Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his historical and biographical writing mastery. Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize. 

My Favorite Bad Guys Who Could Have Been Heroes 👽

Dracula, a novel by Bram Stoker, was published in 1897. In an epistolary book, narration is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking a business trip to stay at the castle of a Transylvania nobleman, Count Dracula.  

(Often thought to be inspired by a formidable 15th-century governor from present-day Romania named Vlad the Impaler.) 

Mina is the reincarnation of his late wife. His love for her transcends time.

*                                                *                                            *

If you follow my FB page, you know ALL about my pups: their questionable adventures and joyful disruptions of my writing schedule. (Posted this week on BWL Page for our readers.)

And learn about my love (from a distance) of my local Opossum families.

Thank you for stopping by :-)

Happy Reading, 

Connie

Where I'm at on Social Media:

FB: search Connie Vines, author and Author Connie Vines

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Also, at your favorite online retailer :-)

 

The Most Difficult Part of Writing a Novel By Connie Vines. #BWLAuthor, #MFRW Author, #writing, #Plot

 For most writers, the most challenging part of writing is right here. It's the beginning, the opening. It's finding an idea, the first words, and the first sentence. 

Most writers...

Does this include me?

Of course not. 

The most challenging part of the writing process is deciding upon the ending. 

A romance novel usually ends with a happily-ever-after. So how difficult can it be?

Remember the series of novels called "choose your own adventure"? Each story had the possibility of three endings?

This is how my mind works. Can't I be happy with the ending I just wrote? It's a beautiful ending. Apparently not.

I will confess I sit, stare, ponder, and often whine. If I change the ending of my novel, my revisions will snowball. If I don't make the changes, will my readers feel cheated?

So far, so good. Sleep deprivation has worked in my favor. 

Except in my current WIP, I need help with character names. I never had a problem with character names before. Never. Never ever. 

Names are the first thing that has popped into my head until now.

Chanel is listening to me complain.

 

I renamed the heroine twice. My hero still has no name. I call him Guy. Hopefully, he'll reveal his name to me soon. Why? Because, as I've shared before, my dreams always have a musical score. The current wrap-around song, playing all night and every night, is the 1964 version of My Guy.

I would like to give my BWL Insider Blog readers a peek into one of the characters in the story.

Gavin, one of my pups, will have a small part in my Christmas release.

He's excited, and I'm excited. Hopefully, readers will adore his grumbly personality as much as I do.

I was interviewed on a fellow BWL author's blog last week. It's a Christmas in July event.  Please stop by J.Q. Rose's blog... There are cookies and secrets...lots of secrets.

https://www.jqrose.com/2023/07/recipes-n-reads-series-christmas-in.html

Please visit my publisher's website for my novels: https://bwlpublishing.ca/vines-connie/

Facebook:

Canada: Connie Vines, Author

USA: Author Connie Vines

Twitter and Instagram

My personal blog: http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Remember, I love to hear about your pets (with a photo) and a 

favorite Christmas/Holiday recipe.

Happy Reading,

Connie 

Writing a Novel Like Planting a Garden By Connie Vines

Writing a novel is a lot like landscaping. 

You start with an empty lot. You see the potential. You also see the weeds, uneven ground, and iffy soil. (With a novel, this is when you tell yourself the options are without limits.)

With a garden, you must decide where there is direct sunlight and evaluate the soil. (outline, research.). Then comes planting many seeds-- more than is needed for a healthy garden.

Step one: Preparation

Only some of the seeds I plant will take root. Some will be healthy, others weak. It takes 4 - 6 weeks for the seeds to grow. (This is the character development and information-gathering time in a novel.) and aside from watering and daily soil monitoring, I must walk away.

Tomato plants: one may be removed 😞

When I return, the plants have taken root, and the leaves are visible. Now begins the thinning process--removing sickly plants, moving sturdy plants, and supporting weak plants. This will occur several times, allowing an interval between each pruning/thinning (editing). Some will need to be more robust (fleshing out characters). Others will appear strong and healthy, but my harbor issues that could undermine the entire crop (story).

Rose Garden #1

I can't play favorites when it comes to gardening. I may love one plant more than another. However, it must be removed if it's not meant for this world (my novel). A hard decision, but it's necessary for the best harvest.

The Fragrance 😘👼

I also keep a notebook titled: My Story Garden.

In this garden, I grow seeds of a story. Some of them are lines of dialogue, while others are scenes. I plant them in my garden when they first come to me, and they stay until I decide it's right for a particular story. Pet peeves, fears, goals, and dreams.

Connie's Story Garden 

Thank you for stopping by 😀,

Connie

Click here for my author page and my social media, and buy

 links!

Cinderella Never Asked for a Prince (Getting to Know your Characters) By Connie Vines #Writing Tips, #Characterization, #Cinderella #Prince Charming

How well do you know the characters in your novel?

This is a question every novelist ponders over and over again. 

 
What motivates the heroine?

What motivates the hero?

As every author knows, what motivates a character is never the same as the last novel or a future novel, nor is it what motivates the author (that would be too simple). 

Characters are independent and decidedly stubborn. You can't force them to change simply because it would make your life simpler. 

No, your heroine and hero are running the show. And the author is not sleeping at night, drinking coffee all day, and surviving on whatever leftovers are in the fridge or canned goods in the pantry. And fashion is no longer a consideration for the author because she is entrenched in research.  📚🔎🔏

This brings us to the classic story:  Cinderella has survived for centuries.

"The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale. The story of Rhodopis was recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo (between 7 BC and AD 23). And numerous other versions came into existence. However, in 1697 Charles Perrault published the French version. This is the story most widely known today.

Now back to motivation.

Cinderella's motivations are not set upon looking for a prince. Cinderella wants to wear a dress (and shoes), get a night off, and enjoy an evening of dancing!

The painting in my office 👠

 

Chanel dressed in her princess finery

What motivates our Prince Charming?

Prince Charming is not a hero. He doesn't fight anyone, he faces no danger (at least at the Ball).  We simply see him as a well-dressed man using a glass shoe to interview a unmarried women in the kingdom as a potential wife.

Let's not be too hard on the guy. He is a man of his word. Is he role model for young boys? Perhaps. He carries a sword, is physically fit,  honorable and is respected by his subjects.

The Happily Ever After 💕💕

Cinderella is a strong character. She is honorable. How she deals with her never-ending abuse (displaying self-compassion), and how, in fact, she saves herself in the end. 

Happy Reading!

Connie

BWL Author Bio and Buy Links

How Cowboys say "I Love You" By Connie Vines #How Cowboys say I Love You, #Cowboy Romance, #Sexy Cowboys

For some, it's the cowboy hat and boots, a sexy smile, or how they look in tight jeans. Romance novels often portray them as mysterious and confident with a bad-boy streak. In movies, they are rugged, hard-working heroes who ride off into the sunset at the end of the day.

Who hasn’t done a little dream walking about the cowboys of yesteryear driving cattle across the plains, a lawman with a silver star pinned to his shirt, or today's rodeo cowboy, or the cattle rancher down the road and sighed? There’s something about a man in boots, denim, and a cowboy hat that makes a woman’s heart increase speed and her mouth dry, isn't there?

🤠  🐴

Is it their manners, sense of justice, or the fact they take off their hats and say, “Thank you, Ma’am”? 

Or is it the swagger of the rodeo cowboy after he picks himself up off the ground?  The easy way a rancher leans over the corral fence taking stock of his herd, with one foot resting on a rail.

There’s something about cowboys.

A cowboy doffs his hat and opens a door. They respect women. 

When I lived in the Texas panhandle, I often heard the old saying: "Texas is hell on women and horses."

Fathers still teach their sons the way of the old West and remind them there was a time when women were few and far between.  And it's still a privilege to have a female to cater to and cherish. 

🥰💕

So, how does a woman know if a Cowboy is in love?

• An invitation to a Barn Dance.
• He Cooks dinner.
• Buys you a pair of cowgirl boots. 
•  A gift of  Turquoise jewelry.
•  Or the old-fashioned way.  He gets down on one keen and proposes.

Why not snuggle under the covers with one of my Cowboys?

Lynx Maddox

Brede Kristsensen

With a dangerous reputation for taking chances and tempting fate, Lynx Maddox has one goal in life -- to win the coveted Sliver Buckle Rodeo Championship. 

But when he sets eyes on lovely Rachel Scott, he becomes determined to capture her heart as well.

"A worthy addition to anyone's book collection"  Under the Covers Book 

 

"A rare find. A must-read!" Book Museum

"Instant Action/Sizzling Attraction!  This book kept pages turning, and a box of tissues close at hand."

Trouble is something hard-edged rancher, Brede Kristensen, knows all about.  A widower with a rambunctious young daughter,  a ranch to run, and an ornery cook who has just run off. Yet, amid a violent storm, he finds an injured woman. 

A woman who can't recall her name or her past. But Brede vows to protect her from harm. 

What he hadn't bargained for was her laughter and gentleness finding a way into the lonely corners of his heart.

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

LYNX

Brede

MY Website and social links

My Blog

Wishing you a holiday season filled with warmth,  joy, and gingerbread kisses!

(Remember, BWL ebooks are still on sale)

Connie

Why Don't You Ever Talk About Yourself? (Don't Ask Me About Me) By Connie Vines #BWLPublishingInc., #Author Interview, #Live From Southern California

During the Spring, I attended a local event for readers/writers.

Many attendees remembered me, to my surprise or dismay (depending on the questions 😉 tossed my way).

(I've been active in Young Authors, a guest speaker at local schools, and participated as a reader in middle school classes to promote the joy of reading to reluctant readers, and Frybread cook at Title IX and X school events). 

I was prepared. I had my speech. I had props, handouts, and links to websites to assist them. 

I've never been comfortable speaking before a group, but I can 'appear' at ease.

(video is licensed by Canva to the author. @connievines-author/ do not copy/reproduce)

 

It was not what I expected 😮.

What were the most asked questions? #1 "Why don't you ever talk about yourself?"

I know I had that look. (most likely the same expression I had in my Algebra class when called upon). Why? Because I talk about myself all the time. I have an ongoing saga about my dogs' adventures (gummy girl 🐩 and bee-sting 😢boy). I blog, do social media, explain my research... 

Personal Photograph @connievines-author

Nope, they weren't buying it.

They wanted to get personal. 📷 🎤

Personal?

How personal?

Enthusiastic voices:

"What's your favorite TV show?" 

"Whatever happened to Justine?"

"What's your favorite movie/ who is your favorite movie star?"

"Do you listen to...(someone I'd never heard of)?"

"Do you still make Frybread?"

I rebounded. 

Sort of.

At the moment, I'm streaming "Dark Winds." (I don't recall what I was watching then).

Justine was my greyhound (but everyone thought she was my daughter), the fashionista, and the mischief maker/couch potato/self-proclaimed tether ball champion.  😎

Eventually, I was able to steer the interview back to the craft of writing and the pros and cons of joining a critique versus a plotting group. As well as goal setting and deciding upon a daily word count.

Success!

Author Licensed by Canva. Do not copy/reproduce.

What did I learn?

To be me. I have a great time with written interviews! I am semi-comfortable with podcasts, too.

While I am at ease with children and young adults, I must be more relaxed with my peers.

Tips for Authors:

Make your answers fun!

Let your personality shine through, tell stories, and show us your geeky/nerdy/weird side. It will turn us from passive observers into raving fans.

Being caught off guard is now the norm. 

Embrace the chaos!!

(To learn about my books, pets, and quirky life, follow me on Social Media)

Happy Reading,

Connie

Where's Connie?

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OumB8pFI6oc

Buy Links:

All my books are on sale through July!! https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl

BWL Author Page: https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/  

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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Eccentric (Quirky) Writing Habits? Yes, I Have a list. By Connie Vines #BWLAuthors Blog, #MFRWAUthor, #WritingTips

Most authors, of course, have personal eccentric writing practices. Fueled, no doubt by his or her personal muse. 

Agatha Christie munched on apples in the bathtub while pondering murder plots, 

Flannery O’Connor crunched vanilla wafers.

Vladimir Nabokov fueled his “prefatory glow” with molasses.

Then there was the color-coding of the muses:  Alexandre Dumas, for decades, he penned all of his fiction on a particular shade of blue paper, his poetry on yellow, and his articles on pink; on one occasion, while traveling in Europe, he ran out of his precious blue paper and was forced to write on a cream-colored pad, which he was convinced made his fiction suffer.

 Charles Dickens was partial to blue ink, but not for superstitious reasons — because it dried faster than other colors, it allowed him to pen his fiction and letters without the drudgery of blotting.

Virginia Woolf used different-colored inks in her pens — greens, blues, and purples. Purple was her favorite, reserved for letters (including her love letters to Vita Sackville-West, diary entries, and manuscript drafts. 

Lewis Carroll also preferred purple ink, but for much more pragmatic reasons: During his years teaching mathematics at Oxford, teachers were expected to use purple ink to correct students’ work — a habit that carried over to Carroll’s fiction.

So how do my little eccentric (or never before mentioned) writing practices measure up?  Is my personal muse quirky, dull, or out of control?

Since my quirks are normal for me, I had to think about this for a bit.

• I always drink coffee that is part of my current ‘setting’.  When my setting is New Orleans I mail-order my coffee from my favorite spot. If I'm writing a story where the season is more than a backdrop, like my current novel, I drink flavored coffee.  At the moment, it is Pumpkin Spice (Starbucks limited blend). 🎃

Café du Monde.  I have my cup and saucer, and a portable mug when I am writing outdoors.   I have a blue coffee pot and matching tin cup when I am writing westerns (yes, the coffee is VERY strong and black).  And of course, a Starbuck cup, Disneyland/ Club 33 mug, or Snoopy (Peanuts) mug when my novels take place in SoCal.

• My music and my menu planning also is linked to my settings.  All within the range of normal.  Though I have more than my fair share of coffee mugs and cups.

• I listen to diction videos on YouTube so that I am not relying on my memory for the sound of a Cajun accent, Texan’s drawl, etc.

• I visit areas on Google Earth and Zillow.  Even if I have lived or vacationed there, I may have forgotten an interesting ‘something’ I can insert into dialogue, or find a way to describe a scene.

• I talk to myself.  Oh, not simple little sentences.  I’m talking about a two-way conversation: “Do you think that might work?”  “No.  Would you do that?” 

 “How about. . .”  This is about the time my husband walks by to find out who’s on the phone, or if I’m asking him a question.  The dog even pokes her head in from the doorway to see what’s going on.  I’m guessing this is not in the  ‘normal range.

• When I write, my workspace is in perfect order.  I have colored folders/pens/notebooks that match and are exclusive to the story I’m working on at the moment.

• I never enroll in an online class when I’m writing—it’s guaranteed writers’ block.  I never talk about my WIP . Why? If I talk about it I think I've added that 'tidbit' to my story.  Then I find myself reading through my draft over and over wondering where the scene went!

• If I'm writing a contemporary story, I only read historicals or fantasy novels. I never read in the same genre I'm writing

💖Whatever story I’m am currently working on is always my favorite.

• I survive on 3 hours of sleep when I am deep in a story.  I know I drink coffee, but I seem to run the story in my mind when I sleep too.

• I also pick up the quirks of my heroines.  I have several friends who are in theater and said it’s a bit like ‘method acting’. 

Fortunately, I’m back to my state of normal a couple of weeks after typing THE END.

I believe all of these little quirks are part of a writer’s voice.  It is what we, as readers, look for in a story.  

Hopefully, it is what my readers, enjoy about the novels, short stories, and novellas that I write too.

To include a bit of personal history: Anton Lada was my granduncle.  (My personal blog, Dishin' It Out, features him in my "Random Thoughts, Scattered About" Monday.

Arkansas Blues by Anton Lada & Spencer Williams for your listening pleasure 🎵🎹🎤

Happy Reading!

Connie

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Dishin' It Out Blog

.instagram.com/connievines_author/?hl=en

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

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Rodeo Romance Series and Sassy and Fun Fantasy Series
by Connie Vines