The Cunning Cliché by Victoria Chatham

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I call clichés cunning for the simple reason they are so ingrained in our lives it’s easy for them to slip into our writing, unannounced and right under our noses. Hopefully, they only appear in your first draft, but sometimes it takes an eagle-eyed beta reader to ferret them out. These short phrases encapsulate a precise meaning most people recognize and so we use them almost without thinking.

But what, exactly, is a cliché? According to Webster’s, it is ‘something that has become overly familiar or commonplace.’ The problem with clichés is that, rather than enhance your writing, they make it mundane. I found this out the hard way after having submitted the first ten pages of a novel to a Harlequin editor at a conference. In her opinion, if I removed all the clichés, I would only have had half that number of pages to submit. Amongst those she pointed out were ‘cut like a knife’, ‘legs that went on forever’, and ‘like a bolt of lightning.’ She went on to explain that the use of clichés were the hallmarks of lazy writers and that if we, as writers, couldn’t replace them with fresh, exciting descriptions that kept readers reading, we didn’t deserve those readers.

As time has gone on, I have come to mostly catch myself but there are those genre-centric phrases that still leap out at me.  Anyone who reads Regency romances will recognize the phrase ‘her toes curled in her boots’ or ‘she shattered’ at the culmination of a sexy romp. Then there is the descriptive phrase for our hero whose ‘hair was slightly longer than fashionable.’ I must admit to having used that last was one myself and not catching it until after the book came out in print.

One way to overcome using a cliché is to ask “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how” as answering these questions can jump-start your imagination and provide specific details to more fully engage your readers. Clichés, more often than not, date themselves and are therefore worn-out and well past their sell-by date. Old and stale does not make for a good read. For more on the subject of clichés, look on the Internet for some of the American humorist Frank Sullivan’s essays about Mr. Arbuthnot, the Cliché Expert, as published in The New Yorker magazine or, just for fun, take a few of your favorite clichés and re-write them. I dare you!

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Care For A Hint Of Spookiness With Your Tea?

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Care For A Hint Of Spookiness With Your Tea?

All Hallows’ Eve is with us again, bringing Jack-o’-lanterns, trick-or-treaters and, of course, ghosts. During my research into such entities in Victoria, our province’s great capital (and most haunted city in Canada), I came across many a hair-raising story and thought them an appropriate subject for this month’s blog. I have borrowed a few from previous blogs, so if you are a regular reader you might feel some spooky déjà vu!

One of the most famous ghosts in Victoria is the departed spirit of Doris Gravelin. Brutally slain near the seventh hole of Victoria’s Golf Course by her husband Victor and tossed, lifeless, into the rough. Victor was later found drowned in a water hazard near the ninth, with her shoes tucked in his pockets. It was ruled a murder/suicide. Several people have seen the sad figure of this woman as she now wanders the seventh fairway bloody and, well, dead. (Guess the moral of this story is never talk during his back-swing).

But she’s not the only female ghost in Victoria. Hike thorough Beacon Hill Park and you might run into a screaming brunette, who was oddly murdered on the spot where for years a blonde ghost had been seen. Called the Doppelhanger ghost, she is often seen with a male lower half. I have no idea why this is, obviously no fashion sense.

Then there’s Bastion Square and Helmcken Alley, near the sight of the original fort and courthouse. Apparently in those early settlement days the First Nations didn’t garner any respect and thousands of graves were merely covered over. Lots of ghosts, chain rattling and a few unpaid parking tickets.

What’s a castle without a ghost or two? Craigdarroch Castle, famous tourist site, with reports of sudden whiffs of candle smoke, feet running downstairs and a young girl staring out the windows.

The Bard and Banker Pub, once owned by Robert Service, famous poet, who wrote The Cremation Of Sam McGee, and now haunted by him after the experience of tripping over several dead people left after a ship wreck in his funeral home. Not your usual enlightening source of artistic inspiration.

The tale of a young Chinese boy who haunts Fan Tan Alley after he murdered a girl that scorned him. The crowd gave chase and beat him to death in the alley.

Rogers’ Chocolates, where the couple that opened the store are often seen and passing dogs stop to growl at their suite above the shop.

Of course, the stately Fairmount Empress Hotel does not escape unscathed. During recent renovations, two workers quit, claiming to see a man hanging from a noose. It was later discovered that indeed, in the fifties, a man had hanged himself in that very same suite. Many old employees that rather enjoyed their jobs and have never left, even after death, have been reported still wandering the halls. Now that’s dedication to your job.

I myself came across a report that a guest had told the staff that his wife’s luggage had been opened when they got back to their locked room and her clothes had been taken out and “ghost clothing” (his words so I presume they were old fashioned) had been put in their place.

It is also reported that the man that built the Empress and the parliament buildings, Francis Rattenbury, frequents his old glories, looking for recognition after dying in an unmarked grave.

There are over a dozen other confirmed sightings in other locations all over Victoria, but the most chilling tale is of Laurel Point. Back in the early 1800’s what is known now as Laurel Point on the inner harbour of Victoria, was called Deadman’s Point. It was the burial place of the Lekwungen First Nations peoples. They believed that the dead never truly leave us and had set up a whole village for them and considered the area as sacred. Like the Parsi of India, they don’t bury the dead. Instead they’d set them out in nature, where the elements would allow the bodies to break down and return to the environment. They’d gather up the remains and would place them in baskets that they would mount in trees. Left alone the dead spirits had a place to be where they would not disturb the living.

In 1885, a European named Jacob Sehl arrived. He bought Deadman’s Point thinking it would be a great place for his furniture factory. He proceeded, ignoring any warnings from the First Nations peoples, to clear and take down all the trees, burn and destroy all the baskets and bones. Appalled and frightened the native chief moved all of his people inland, claiming the dead will be very angry. All went unnoticed until January of 1894, when fires broke out in his factory, and at his house over a kilometer away, at the same time. His wife Elizabeth went mad after this, claiming she saw, ‘Firemen Spirits’, running around the house, rubbing their hands along everything, stoking the fires. She died six months later of insanity. After losing everything Jacob returned to Europe a broken and bankrupt man.

But the story doesn’t end there. William Pendray bought the point and again, not concerned with native warnings, built his new factory there. He was worried about the fires though and installed a sprinkler system, highly advanced for its time, to protect everything in the event of another fire. Proud of his new factory, he walked through the building as it was being finished. Strangely enough, one of the large steel cylinders holding the water for his sprinklers broke away and fell forty feet, crushing his head.

Wait, there’s more.

His only son Ernest was expected to take over and like many young males of the time enjoyed riding his horse and buggy at breakneck speeds through town. As he approached the factory gates, his horse came to a skidding halt. Ernest was thrown from the buggy, straight in front of the horse. The horse then bolted and one of the heavy carriage wheels ran over Ernest’s neck, decapitating the man. It is reported that two male ghosts haunt one of the rooms of the still standing Pendray Hotel, their former home.   

On Laurel Point now stands The Inn At Laurel Point. Many of the guests have complained about weird things happening to them, ghosts turning lights on and off, coldness, televisions changing channels. The restaurant, even on bright sunny days, always appears gloomy and dark inside.

BC’s famous artist, Emily Carr, has also been seen at her home, at St. Ann’s Academy and at the James Bay pub. I guess the old gal is still looking for more inspiration for her next painting.

And if you’re feeling really brave, drive along Shelbourne Street near Hillside Shopping Mall in the wee hours before sunrise in October. Many people have reported driving along and having the whole area shift to an earlier time with just a dirt road.

Even my son, Rory, a Chef De Partie at Nautical Nellies in downtown Victoria, famous for its seafood and chowder (to die for, pun intended!), has experienced the ghost that haunts its kitchen. He has reported pots flying off their wall hooks and objects sliding across the counter by themselves. “It’s not that I mind the ghosts, Dad,” he explained. “It just makes it so damn hard to get orders out on time when you’re chasing utensils around the kitchen”.

So on the thirty-first, spare a thought for all Victoria’s residents and their trepidation at answering a knock on the door that night, wondering just who, or What, might be on the other side, asking “trick or treat?”

My Paranormal Series, Stillwaters Run Deep for Sale On Amazon

The Video for my upcoming Paranormal Series, The Ainsworth Chronicles.

Sincerely

Frank Talaber

twosoulmates@shaw.ca

My webpage

http://twosoulmates.wixsite.com/frankt-author-blog

Frank Talaber’s Writing Style? He usually responds with: Mix Dan Millman (Way of The Peaceful Warrior) with Charles De Lint (Moonheart) and throw in a mad scattering of Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues).
PS: He’s better looking than Stephen King (Carrie, The Stand, It, The Shining) and his romantic stuff will have you gasping quicker than Robert James Waller (Bridges Of Madison County).

Or as is often said: You don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps.

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Twitter: @FrankTalaber

You Can't Make This Stuff Up by Terri Richards

Click the link to visit Terri's BWL Author page for more novel information

 http://bookswelove.net/authors/richards-terri-romance/

Before writing Looking for Love, I researched a number of reality romance television shows. Of course, everyone knows about The Bachelor/Bachelorette. (You’d practically have to live in a cave not to see the daily gossip/news stories about current or former contestants.) But…what about some other crazy ideas that tried to capture American women’s love of romance.

There was a show on Fox that recruited American girls to compete for romance. The girl who won would get to be Prince Harry’s girlfriend. (Okay, obviously, this was way before he married Meghan Markle.) Now, you’re probably saying, “Prince Henry really agreed to do this?” And of course, the answer is no. The guy only looked like Prince Henry. The whole thing was so bad that it was cancelled after only four episodes.

Then there was the MTV show on which a guy or a girl went on three blind dates to choose a romantic partner. The twist: The dates were all with the potential suitor’s mother. (Yeah, right. That works?)

Another  MTV reality romance show  had ten men and women move into a house in Hawaii for three weeks. (Okay, so that part wouldn’t be bad, right?) However, before the show began, each met with match-making experts who had picked their perfect match. If during the show, all ten couples paired up and at the end, each couple had chosen the person selected as their perfect match, the twenty contestants got a million dollars to share. 

Safe to say, I didn’t use any of these show ideas in Looking for Love!  Fortunately, kind readers have given the book a thumbs up. 

As to reality TV… stay tuned…America loves romance, and who knows what crazy concepts will show up next.

Ghost Stories: Love Them or Hate Them? by J.Q. Rose

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
A handsome detective,
a shadow man, and a murder victim
kill Lauren's plan for a simple life.

I love ghost stories, reading and writing them. Maybe it’s because when I was a kid my favorite cartoon was Casper the Friendly Ghost. Emphasis on friendly. I’m not into horror stories of ghosts and demonic spirits creating havoc for a person. 

Remember the TV show The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? That's the kind of ghost I like.

How about that crazy movie, Ghostbusters? And one of my all-time favorites, Emmy award-winning Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze?

I love stories with ghosts in them so much that I wrote a romantic suspense novel, 

Deadly Undertaking. The setting is in a funeral home—the perfect place for a ghost or what I refer to as a shadow man. Henry was a fun character to write. He's a friendly ghost that is full of mischief, but also very caring. 

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
A handsome detective,
a shadow man, and a murder victim
kill Lauren's plan for a simple life.

Why is Henry haunting the funeral home? Is he the key to answer why a murdered man was left in the garage of the funeral home and hidden between the funeral coach and flower car? I mean, everyone expects bodies to be at a funeral home, but really!

Do you love ghost stories too? Please leave a comment below and tell us your favorite.

Click here to connect online with J.Q. Rose

Hauntings on the University of Missouri Campus by Stuart R. West

In honor of all things Halloween, I'm taking a break from regaling all of you with tales of my visit up and down the Amazon River this month. But not to worry! Like everyone's least favorite uncle at Thanksgiving, my tales will continue next month!

But now is the time for everything spooky, like some of my books. Recently, my wife and I went on a local "haunted" tour of the University of Missouri in Kansas City campus.

Wait...that light just turned on, right?

Fascinating history hosted by the very knowledgeable Chris Wolff, unofficial historian of UMKC and author of A Pearl of Great Value: The History of UMKC. 

I only yawned a few times. 

Onward!

All that's left of the University Playhouse. Except, of course, for ghosts!

One of the first stops was the grounds of the (now demolished) University Playhouse. In the 40's and 50's, Broadway actress Vaugn Burkholder worked at the theater, known for prowling the catwalk in an almost obsessive manner. In 1957, she keeled over in the playhouse from a heart attack. After she died, students claimed to have seen her in the rafters. Her high heels tic-tic-tacking across the boardwalk were heard by many. After the building was torn down, some believe her spectral figure still haunts the newer UMKC Conservatory, a replacement for the old playhouse. Hey, ghosts gotta hang out somewhere!

Next was a morbid tale that shed some surprising light on one of America's most notorious, unsolved murder cases. In 1941, UMKC education major, Leila Walsh, returned from a date and went to bed. Later that night, Leila's mother heard a strange thumping sound. She searched the house, found nothing awry. Leila's door was closed, and her brother, George, was sound asleep on the sofa. The mom went back to bed. The next morning, Mrs. Walsh went to wake up Leila and found her dead, savagely bashed with a hammer, her throat slit, and a strip of flesh ripped from her back. Not the best way to start your morning.

Leila's brother, George, was arrested for the murder because some guy claimed he sold the murderer's gloves (found in the yard) to him. The witness was later discovered to be a kook, reneged on his testimony, and said he'd had a vision of selling brother George the gloves. Holy O.J! George was exonerated, primarily on his mother's testimony that he was sleeping during the crime. Plus a chair had been lodged beneath Leila's doorknob.

The Kansas City police were embarrassed, the mob got involved, everything was sorta swept under the rug. Until the KCPD got a call from the L.A. Police Department. Back in 1947, the brutal murder of actress Elizabeth Short shocked the country. Better known as the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder, a name and phone number was found in the victim's purse. It belonged to a World War II veteran, Carl Basinger. Basinger claimed he'd only met Short for a few hours which later proved to be a lie. Furthermore, Basinger trained at Camp Cooke where Short volunteered until leaving due to harassment from a soldier.

I now know who killed her! (Probably a little late to collect that reward, though.)

More intensive investigation unveiled that Basinger went to UMKC at the same time as murdered student Leila Walsh. Hmmm... Also, the two murders were markedly similar, the signature of a strip of flesh torn from the back a giveaway. Alas, the lame Kansas City PD were still embarrassed by the entire unsolved debacle, didn't want to dredge it up again, and didn't cooperate with the LAPD. To this day, the two murders remain unsolved... OR DO THEY?

Let's move on to the haunted Epperson Mansion! Way back in the early 20th century, long before smart phones (and maybe even dumb phones, too), millionaire couple, Uriah and Elizabeth Epperson (along with organist, Harriet Barse--their living arrangement quite the scandal at the time), built and lived in this kooky mansion. The floor plan's apparently super bizarre, every five feet a new set of steps leading to other honeycombed rooms. 

Not as scary looking in the daytime!

Barse died in the mansion from gallbladder issues (the good ol' days!) and her spirit is said to haunt the mansion. The mansion's closed now, but not too long ago it'd been donated to the university where the music school resided. Students heard footsteps constantly, some saw Barse floating through the labyrinth hallways. Notoriously, an antique car nearly ran a cop down in the driveway and then vanished. And, of course, lights mysteriously go off and on.

Sadly, we weren't able to enter the haunted mansion. But as we stood on the cobblestone driveway, a light went on in the now abandoned mansion, then went off. I saw it. Some others (including our guide) remarked on it. My wife totally Scullied me, said it was a reflection from an outside light. (Whatever. The damn mansion's haunted and I saw it with my own eyes! I want to believe, Scully!)

Speaking of hauntings, have you guys visited the very strange and haunted town of Peculiar County in Kansas? Perfect for Halloween reading, it's just a day-trip away (best not to travel at night, though.).

One click away from paranormal mystery and fun, perfect for Halloween.

Hello from Snowy Alberta Canada by Nancy M Bell

WIld Horse Rescue is the first in The Alberta Adventures Series featuring the same characters from The Cornwall Adventures. I hope you enjoy Laurel's latest adventure. For more info and buy links please click here.

But now, back to snowy Alberta! This is only the middle of October and already we've had more snow that is necessary. I mean really Universe... Although the ski hills in the mountains are celebrating those of us prairie dwellers are not. Crops are still in the fields, some swathed and some still standing. Canola, barley and wheat stretch for hectares under overcast skies and highlighted by a frosting of snow. It's been a crazy year, we went from winter to summer with no spring to speak of and then from summer to winter with no fall to speak of. Usually, we take a drive through Kananakis Country west of Calgary to enjoy the golden leaves and blue skies, but not this year.

On another note, it's been a busy summer promoting the Canadian Historical Brides series of which I have two titles. His Brother's Bride representing Ontario and Landmark Roses representing Manitoba. I also did research for the New Brunswick title On A Stormy Primeval Shore. Then I had a deadline to finish Wild Horse Rescue and I'm happy to say it released September 30th of this year. I was privileged to present at When Words Collide in Calgary in August. On the 14th of October a panel of the Brides authors hosted an event at the Carstairs Museum and on the 20th we will be at the Strathmore Library. Busy busy.

I'm also very excited to be involved with the Alexandria Writers Centre Story Coach program. Story Makers were chosen by the Centre and they in turn chose who they would like to work with from a list of Story Coaches. I'm happy to say I was picked and I absolutely love the writer I'm paired with. Her steam punky magic filled story shows great promise and I look forward to working with her. The program runs from October to end of April when there will be celebration of work well done. If you live in the Calgary area and are interested in learning more about the Alexandria Writers Centre you can click here.


For now I leave you with some snowy Alberta pictures. So those of you who are enjoying Indian Summer, don't blink, it's coming your way. LOL Until next time stay well, stay healthy and happy.