Making It Perfect by Victoria Chatham

AVAILABLE HERE

Question: Do you have any character habits or favourite words that always crop up in your writing?

Oh, boy! Do they ever. But – that is why we write first drafts. Once I have started writing, I try to keep going. I say try because I am a Virgo, and if you know anything about astrological signs and their characteristics, you’ll know that Virgos are perfectionists. I like the first sentence, first paragraph, first chapter to be perfect – except there is no such thing as perfection.

I learned by trial and many errors to get on with the story, taking Nora Roberts’ advice to keep writing as you can’t edit a blank page. Quite apart from those niggling fillers like had, was, just, really, very—I could go on but won’t—I find that I have a different ‘crutch’ word with each book I write.

In one of my books, my hero grinned so much I’m not sure that he would ever have straightened his face out if I hadn’t taken myself in hand and did a painstaking search to rewrite practically every instance of where I had him grinning. Another hero groaned—a lot— and a Regency heroine was forever sighing. I’ve had my moments with ‘however,’ ‘especially,’ ‘nevertheless,’ and many more.

Then there are the phrases that crop up everywhere like weeds, the unconscious shorthand if you will, of many Regency novels. A hero’s hair may be ‘slightly longer than fashionable’ (a phrase of which I have been guilty) or ‘curl over his collar,’ and a heroine’s toes may ‘her curl in her boots,’ plus my pet peeve of romances in general ‘she shattered.’ As writers, it behooves us to find the words to create the emotion and the moment to satisfy our readers fully.

But this is where self-editing comes in. Being aware of the nuances of what you’re writing means you can go over your work and search out those offending words, which are often repetitious. The editing process gives authors a chance to weed out those wretched stumbling blocks, and in that process, make their writing more powerful by rewriting sentences and phrases for more of an impact. (this is an example of redundancy. It means much the same as ‘more powerful’ so it has to go.)

Writing a book is not usually a solo effort. It starts with the author’s idea, building on the original concept by brainstorming with writing buddies to create a setting, characters, plot, and conflict. (Wine is frequently involved!) However the book comes into being, the first revision will include (or should) a thorough search for repetitions and redundancies, and those words ending in -ing (gerunds) and -ly (adverbs.)

The next stage will be beta readers who, if they are doing their job, will point out any character or plot holes and often pick up a ‘crutch’ word the author may not have been aware they were using. Early in my efforts to become a published author, a wise writing tutor warned me to ‘learn to love rewriting,’ and she was right.

Getting the idea down in the first draft and then editing and editing some more, and likely more after that, is the grist of learning the craft of writing.

​Victoria Chatham

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Images: courtesy Adobe freestock

 

The DNA swab you submitted to find your heritage is now public information

 

Click cover for details and purchase information

 A Minnesota man was recently charged in a 1980s murder after DNA evidence linked him to the crime. The breakthrough came when the local sheriff's department contacted Parabon, a company specializing in forensic genealogy, asking them to look at the old DNA evidence. Like the case of the Golden State Killer, Parabon was able to construct a family tree for the unknown suspect using public DNA databases. That tree pointed out three possible suspects. The police collected DNA evidence from the garbage of each suspect, and were able to link one suspect's DNA to the crime scene evidence, leading to his arrest. A judge ruled that Parabon didn't have to divulge their proprietary methods to the defense, stating that Parabon was no different than a confidential informant who points the police in the direction of a suspect, but who's information is not part of the trial evidence. These forensic DNA techniques are going to open a lot of cold cases (and add twists to many new mysteries).

Using Forensic genealogy correctly in a mystery is no small matter. To be credible, a goal we all strive for in our books, you have to do your homework and understand the science and terminology of both forensics and genealogy. While researching a DNA plot twist for a future book, I emailed one of the noted forensic genealogy practitioners and asked for guidance. After two emails it became clear my 20th century college genetics class was no longer state-of-the-art information but also left me woefully unschooled in the language of forensic genealogy.

My resource, a distant cousin who located me through common ancestors listed on a genealogy website, has collaborated with several Canadian police departments. She explained that she uses DNA testing information from numerous resources to build the criminal's genetic family tree.

Whoa! What's the difference between a genetic family tree and a public record family tree? A genetic family tree is constructed using the DNA passed through generations from the biological parents to their children. A traditional family tree lists the parents on birth certificates, family Bibles, and family trees passed from one generation to the next.

 

Isn't that the same? Most often the answer is yes. But people are discovering new cousins when they submit their DNA samples for analysis. Some of those cousins don't show up on their family trees. Through a number of circumstances, including artificial insemination, infidelity, adoption, rape, and more, there are biological parents who aren't reflected in many family trees.

 

I questioned that, and the response I got astounded me. There's a whole category of NPEs considered by genealogists. Those non-parental entities are (usually) men who contributed DNA to the family tree, but aren't listed as parents. According to my resource, a few years ago the genealogical experts thought that number was roughly 0.1% of the families. They now estimate that 10% of families have an NPE within three generations. That being the source of the newfound cousins with often unfamiliar last names.

 

An unnamed friend, gave her two siblings DNA kits for Christmas. Their gift was the knowledge that only one of them carried the DNA of the father listed on their birth certificates. One sibling was told she was the half-sibling of several children fathered by their small-town pharmacist. The oldest child found out the person who'd raised her, had married her mother after she was pregnant. Her mother assumed her husband was the father but was uncertain who her biological father had been.

 

My resource now warns people who hire her to create family trees that there is a good possibility that they'll discover a relative previously unknown, sometimes notorious, and often uninterested in acknowledging them.

My personal surprise was many generations back. A great great (keep adding greats here) grandfather, on my paternal grandmother's side was listed as the bastard child of an English Earl. A little more digging revealed that my ancestor was actually the legitimate heir to the Earldom. But, his mother died and to remarry, the Earl had his first marriage annulled, making my ancestor a child born out of wedlock, in the eyes of the church and British royalty. The oldest son of the Earl's new wife became the Earl. The next son was the Archbishop of Canterbury. The third son became the Steward of Scotland. Where does that leave me? I'm an untitled mystery author with an interesting genealogical tree.

If you decide to submit your DNA sample, be prepared for a surprise. And, be aware that your information is NOT private and may be used in a criminal investigation or future genetic medical research.

Real Events! Ghost Point - murder on the Potomac, a tale of the Oyster Wars by Diane Scott Lewis

 

NEW RELEASE, based on true events. A Marriage in turmoil-their lives in danger. A story from 1956 that took place in Colonial Beach, Virginia. The notorious Oyster Wars where Maryland and Virginia fought over the Potomac River and shot to kill.

To purchase Ghost Point, paperback or Kindle: Ghost Point

To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL

"A tale fraught with intrigue, hardship, murder, and a marriage in turmoil.  The author paints a vivid picture of life on an oyster boat and a fishing village on Virginia's Potomac shore."

*History and Women*

My friend, who lives in Colonial Beach, Virginia, told me about these events. Her boyfriend was a waterman during the 50s, his brother killed during this time, and he gave me vital details.

The 1785 Compact gave control of the Potomac to Maryland but Virginia had fishing rights to use the river. The beach town of Colonial Beach was once a thriving tourist destination for people in Washington D.C. But the Great Depression and WWII finished it off and the town fell into decay.

By the 1950s, watermen struggling to survive, illegally dredged with basket-like scrapers for the ever-popular oyster. The dredgers destroyed the beds, but the amount gathered paid off well. Maryland Marine Police patrolled the Potomac, searching the misty nights for dredging boats. They mounted machine guns on their boats and fired on the Virginians. 

Men were murdered over oyster rights. My story uses fictional characters along with historic ones to convey the dangerous occupation. Plus a love triangle that could destroy a marriage. It's a wild ride through history.

Novel Blurb:

Luke becomes tangled in the fight over the Potomac River rights in 1956 Virginia. He and his wife clash over his illegal dredging of oyster beds. His life is under threat from Maryland’s notorious Oyster Police.
Yelena, the once pretty, popular girl, struggles to rise above her dull existence. She defies Luke and takes a job in a used bookstore. A mysterious older man is interested in her, or is he simply after her husband for his unlawful activities? She's tempted to plunge into intrigue and more. 

Can Luke and Yelena rekindle their love or will both become victims of the sinister acts on the river?

To find out more about me and my books, please visit my website: DianeScottLewis

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty dachshund.

A Leisurely Tour of Our Vegetable Garden #vegetablegardening #freshvegetables

 

Arranging a Dream: a Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Follow this couple’s inspiring story, filled with the joy and triumphs and the obstacles and failures experienced as they travel the turbulent path of turning dreams into reality.

Click here to discover more books by JQ Rose 

on her BWL Publishing author page.  

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Hello and Welcome to our garden! This time of year is when we really enjoy the harvest. Come on along with me and see Gardener Ted's (GT) garden.

My husband, Ted, is a farm boy. He has never lost that love of growing plants. In fact, because he built a small greenhouse on the back of our house way back in the '70s, moved away from our friends and family to purchase a floral shop and greenhouse operation in Michigan. 

My newest release from BWL Publishing, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, is a feel-good story about the first year we were in the flower business in 1975-1976. What an adventure for us! We knew nothing about the floral industry or how to operate a business. 

Now in our retirement years, we are fortunate to have time to enjoy our passions--Ted's gardening and my writing. 

Garden Gate
Image by Axelle Spencer from Pixabay 

Please come on into our garden in West Michigan. Here, let me open the gate for you so you can step in and discover all the goodies.

Quote by Cicero

Spring garden--We've had a good year this year. I love gardeners. They are such optimists. When the garden does not produce one year, the gardener still plants another garden the next year, believing it will be the best garden ever!

Cabbage

Cucumbers growing vertically to save them from sprawling all over the ground
Easier to pick too!

Weeds-Quote by unknown author

Green pepper hiding in the leaves

Red and ripening tomatoes

Harvest of lettuce, cabbage, green pepper, cucumbers and potatoes

Many varieties of lettuce

Quote by May Sarton

Cantaloupe

Irrigation set up--a timer so Ted does not have to hang onto a hose to water the garden.
The black pipes you see next to the plants are the irrigation tubes.

Black-eyed Susan and zinnias border this part of the garden.
Shasta daisies, now out of season, border the other side.

Green, yellow and purple beans (that turn green in boiling water)
You can see the irrigation tube here and how much water is saved by not watering the entire piece of ground, as well as not watering overhead.

The gardener and family (and sometimes the neighbors') reward. Fresh food from plant to table!

One of our family's favorite meals--beans, onions, potatoes and bacon--

all but the bacon grown in the garden.

Quote by Robert Bridges

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I hope you have enjoyed the tour of Gardener Ted's garden. I take no credit for the garden. I do enjoy the fresh veggies and trying new recipes. Perhaps you would like to grow some fresh vegetables or herbs next year--a bowl of lettuce on your back porch, potted tomatoes or peppers on your patio or a patch of ground out back. I say "Grow for it!" 

Thank you very "mulch" for stopping by.

🍅🍅🍅

GT and me

Click here to connect online with JQ Rose

Not Fun Anymore by Helen Henderson

 

Windmaster Golem
Click the cover for purchase information

A rule often taught to fiction writers is adversity. Depending on the storyline and character, the author's job is to throw roadblocks into their creation's plans and make their life "interesting." While you can be told it is a blessing, "May you live in interesting times" can be a curse. This post covers a few examples of how "interesting" life can be from the mildly annoying to decisions that can change the direction of the someone's life.

The post, Green Plant versus Brown Thumb, discusses my history with gardening and my current attempt to grow tomatoes and onions. None of the onion plants prospered. Since none of my family had any better luck, I didn't feel too bad.

The tomato plants are the reason for the title of today's post. Why? Overnight they went from thriving, fruit-laden plants to defoliated sticks. And the tomatoes that were just about to blush went from food to garbage. The zen aspect of gardening and the pleasure of watching the plants grow vanished. It was not fun anymore. The plants had survived heat indexes of 105 to 110°F to succumb to four-inch long, green, ill-tempered hookworms that teleported in from nowhere. 

Image by Margaret Martin from Pixabay

How does this relate to writing? Not every situation has to be life-threatening. Even simple, everyday situations such as a bill arriving after a due date or being late to an appointment can be the setting for tension and "interesting" times.

When Kiansel hears the summons to the council fire in Windmaster Golem, her problem isn't that she will be late for the ceremony. Unlike the nervousness of the younger mages who know their destiny, Kiansel is unsure whether or not she will attend at all. For in doing so she might succumb to the lure of magic

Image by Comfreak from Pixabay

In Fire and Amulet (coming spring 2022), the environment makes life interesting for dragon slayer Deneas. Ahead of her is an impassible hedge row of poisonous, thorn bushes. Retreat means risking going beneath stone-laden ledges ready to collapse. Her only logical path is to walk the stones of a washout and freestyle climb a cliff face to get past places where the path eroded away.

 

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen

Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination.  Follow me online at Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter

Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack.