My Dream Vacation

With July and August come vacation season. For those parents working full-times jobs, these months offer the perfect time to get away from it all. The destinations vary: either trips to visit out-of-town family members, to a resort, or for the fortunate, an exotic locale. However, none of these match the imagination when it comes to a once-in-a-lifetime destination, the dream vacation.

So what is my dream vacation? Let me take the word “dream” literally. A couple of months back I had one of those vivid dreams that seem to last all night long, one that made me feel as if the waking world is the dream and no the other way around.

I boarded a jet from an unknown airport for a flight that lasted almost an entire day. The destination? A tiny island in the middle of a vast ocean; a place was so isolated that only a handful of people lived on it.

The island was remarkable. Cocooned by a light fog and a hushed isolation, it floated high in the southern seas, as if anchored in the mute white atmosphere. Surrounded by cold green waters, no trees grew on it. Besides a few humans, only penguin-like animals populated it. It was too distant to receive any type of radio or television signals.

But rather than dark, the island was a happy place. Despite a paucity of adults, the island was inhabited by many happy children who climbed its rocks and played on its beaches. Enormous whales floated about in the waters, constantly rising from the depths and snorting huge plumes of water.

It took me several minutes to get my bearings when I woke up, the dream being so life-like. I wandered through my quotidian duties that day but the dream did not leave me. When curiosity could no longer be contained, I checked a world map on the computer, searching for remote islands that may resemble the one in my dream.

Several possibilities emerged but were quickly dismissed. The Galapagos felt remote enough, but iguanas and giant tortoises did not appear in my dream. Several islands of the South Pacific – Bora Bora and Tonga -- appeared on the screen as possibilities, but my dream island was far from a tropical paradise.

I finally entered “the most remote island in the world” in Google search. The answer popped up immediately: Tristan da Cunha, an eight-mile-wide island in the middle of the South Atlantic, whose closest mainland city, Cape Town, South Africa, lay 1,743 miles away. I couldn’t say with certainty that it matched the one in my dreams, but similarities existed. The island, dominated by a rocky volcano, is devoid of trees. Low-lying mists create a secluded, hazy setting. Rockhopper penguins nest on its shores.

Tristan Da Cunha

Unlike my dream, no airstrip exists. However, fishing boats from South Africa visit eight times a year. A trip to Tristan da Cunha is an exercise in patience and planning. About eighty families live there permanently. There are neither cell phones nor home internet service, but as a gesture to the modern world, one lonely internet café exists. It seems that the island is a paradise for children. The entire island, with neither predators nor crime, is a vast playground for children, who live in complete freedom.

I would love to visit Tristan da Cunha. Is it the island of my dreams? Obviously, I can’t tell but I did gather one more scrap of evidence. It seems that whales and dolphins swim the seas around it. Certainly, it’s a place for a dream vacation.

Mohan Ashtakala is the author of "Karma Nation."  

www.mohanashtakala.com

He is published by Books We Love. 

www.bookswelove.com

The earth laughs in flowers (quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson) ...by Sheila Claydon

Click here for my books at Books We Love

I haven't had much time to write this year. Instead, sadly, I have been helping friends whose loved ones were very sick, and who have now passed away. It's been a time of sadness and several funerals but, as is always the way when someone dies, the tears have been intermingled with laughter as the good times are remembered. This was especially the case yesterday.

It was the first secular funeral I had attended so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a day of joy. The music, which was special to the family and the deceased, was joyful, as were the very personal speeches. Nobody wore black. Instead the women were in bright dresses and the men relaxed and tieless, in shirtsleeves. The sun was warm, birds sang and it wasn't at all difficult to imagine the deceased nodding his approval, his wonderful smile wide as he saw all his family and friends together, laughing as they remembered.

And the lovely display of yellow and red family flowers, glowing like a pile of jewels on top of the coffin, made me think of the language of flowers. Red roses for passion,  red tulips for true love,  lilies and poppies for sympathy in death, pink roses and hydrangea for gratitude, iris for faith and hope, lily-of-the-valley for sweetness and purity, they carry so much symbolism. Cultures differ so much too. What might be right for one country can be wrong for another. And it's not just countries, it can even be local. In some places in the UK it is thought to be unlucky to bring bluebells into a house, whereas it is fine in other areas. Tree blossom is a no no too, as is giving anyone a single daffodil. They must always be given in bunches.  Flower lore is endless, as is the pleasure flowers bring.

My mother was a florist, so I grew up with flowers, and although by the time I was a teenager we lived in an apartment, the balcony was still full of flowers from spring through to winter, and her enthusiasm has not only rubbed off onto me, it increases with every year.  Nothing gives me more pleasure than walking around my own garden checking every new shoot, or deadheading blooms past their prime so that others can replace them. And I love the difference the seasons bring. In the early spring everything is either primrose yellow or white, then comes the blue and purple season followed by  shades of pink from the palest rose to the deepest cerise. Later the yellows return, but now mixed with orange and scarlet, then it's the evergreens and a tracery of bare branches as winter takes over...not for long though. In January the first snowdrops appear, as do the hellebores, better known as Christmas roses, and then the pink camellias start to bud.

















Loving flowers as I do is one of the reasons I wrote Bouquet of Thorns. To me, it was like going back in time to when my mother was alive and I sometimes used to help her when she had to build displays or decorate an hotel. One of my fondest and most exciting memories is helping carry boxes and pots of flowers aboard the  ocean liners that used to dock in the port city of Southampton where I was born. It was long before the days of the modern cruise ship and ocean voyages took weeks instead of days. It  was a real event for many travellers and those with wealthy friends were sent off with huge bouquets. Once my job was done I was sent down to the galley where chefs would pile a plate high with food,  and then later sent me home with boxes of chocolates or a special desert which I had to sneak out.

Now, so many years older, I have been a passenger on cruise liners to many parts of the world, but none of them, however grand, have had that old fashioned elegance and grandeur of the ships of my distant past. Happy memories, whether they are of people or of events are so precious, and if they are garlanded with the memory of flowers, then they are even more so.

Connections by Eileen Charbonneau

find my books at:  Eileen's page at BWL

Connections

Life is all about connections, isn’t it?  Family, friends, co-workers, fellow volunteers.  It’s said that writing is a lonely profession, but it can be one of deep and lasting connections.  With readers, of course.  There are creative readers just as there are creative writers.  They bring themselves to the experience and find untold (and unrealized by me!) beauty in my stories.  

I’ve belonged to many writers’ groups. I’m about to embark on another, born out of one of my writing classes. As with every path new and untrod, I’m a little trepidatious. Some of my past critique groups have worked out better than others.  But all have been helpful.

Some of my favorite writers--yes, sometimes we even dress up and dine together, 

like here at the fabulous Chez Josephine in New York City

Each participant of a writers’ group knows it will be her turn during the course of the session.  That usually does wonders for social skills-- like finding something nice or encouraging before getting to the bits that need work. 

People in writers’ groups have different tastes in reading. I love a critique partner who reads from several genres and is aware of the conventions of each.  I enjoy reading romance, so when I observe that a heroine is of the too-stupid-to-live variety that readers of the genre complain about, or a hero is cruel to women. children, or animals (a no-no within the conventions of the genre), I try to point these things out.  But I make sure I let a fellow writer know if I’m not familiar with the genre I’m remarking on, so she can take my ignorance into consideration!  But good writing is good writing, so I feel we all can help each other.

some of the members of our new writers group

Are you thinking of joining a writers' group?  Best of luck in making all your stories stronger!  My most important advice goes for all your social connections: don’t stay in any group that does not leave you feeling energized and eager to move your work (or life!) forward after each session together.

Holiday Reading

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When I travel, I like to read books set in the place I'm visiting. Before my trip to Malta this April, I took out an e-book from my local library, The Information Officer by Mark Mills. It helped me appreciate many of the sights I saw in this island nation in the Mediterranean Sea.

The novel takes place in the summer of 1942, when Malta was a British colony. Its strategic location 50 miles south of Italy made Malta a target for Hitler in WWII. During the novel, the Maltese are enduring daily bombings by Axis planes launched from Sicily.

In the capital city of Valletta, Malta, we visited the Lascaris War Rooms, underground headquarters for the Allies' defense of Malta. This strategy map shows little Malta below the bigger island of Sicily. Italy was under Mussolini's fascist rule in 1942 and part of the German Axis. 

The Information Officer is a detective novel. Our hero, Max, is, essentially, the British officer in charge of propaganda. His job is to boost the spirits of the Maltese civilians under continuous attack. Max investigates the murder of several women, whose deaths are being ignored by his superiors. Is there a cover-up? Are the murders an attempt to undermine Malta's resolve to sacrifice for the war? In addition to bombing the cities, Axis planes are sinking cargo ships bringing food and supplies and the residents of Malta are close to starvation.

Malta at War museum displays a Maltese citizen's daily rations for a fifteen day period during the siege. 

In the Malta at War Museum, my husband Will and I put on hardhats to explore an air raid shelter built during the siege. A character in The Information Officer commented that the Maltese had become creatures who lived half their lives underground. The tunnels included hospital and birth rooms for those who needed those services after the air raid whistle blew.

Birth room in the air raid shelter

The siege effectively ended in November 1942, after the Allies sent Malta 163 Spitfires for its defense. King George VI awarded the George Cross for bravery to the citizens of Malta. Each April, Malta commemorates the deaths of the 7,000 soldiers and civilians who died during the siege. Other countries, including Canada, still send flowers.

The novel also mentioned other aspects of Malta, which we encountered on our visit. The Dingli cliffs, the island's highest point, were used for signals during the war.

Hiking on the Dingli Cliffs

Maltese balconies, a characteristic style of  architecture, appear on houses across the island.

Many residents paint their Maltese balconies bright colours

And our hero, Max, took a short recreational break on Malta's smaller, more rural island of Gozo, as Will and I did with the mass of local tourists on Good Friday.

Sipping a cappuccino in the main square of Victoria (Ir-Rabat), the capital of Gozo 

                                   
If you're travelling this year, check out Books We Love's selection of novels set in lands around the world. BWL authors offer a variety of historical and contemporary stories set in the United States, Europe, Australia, every region of Canada and more.

All Hail the A.P. S. by Karla Stover

 

Visit Karla Stover's BWL Author Page for Purchase Information

     Wonderful Great Britain, whose residents are not afraid to create an Apostrophe Protection Society, (APS) whereas, we in the United States have the Kardashians. I ask you: Where's the fairness?

     John Richards, a man described as a "sub-editor" created the  APS in 2001 "with the specific aim of preserving the correct use of this currently much abused punctuation mark in all forms of text written in the English language." The society's website includes examples such as, "Dont't Drink And Drive," "Ladies's," and "A Good Pun is it's Own Reward."  When faced with abuse, "Richards says he has a standard, polite letter that explains the basic rules for apostrophe use. He sends it to supporters to forward on to offending businesses and other organisations." However, according to the website "Everything2.com," others "take a more militant approach. Apparently, one man carries around a roll of tape and an envelope filled with several different sizes of apostrophes; whenever he spots an offending sign—say, one offering "Mens Haircuts" or "Smiths Butchery," he simply sticks one on. And at least one  English teacher always has a red marker for whenever he encounters a superfluous apostrophe—whether it's on a student's paper or a flyer on a train—he takes a moment to" make a correction.
     According to "The English Project," the APS has had up to 2,000,000 members. Sadly, the website goes on to say that "Despite the Apostrophe Protection Society’s campaigning, a man named Robert Burchfieldt has been campaigning for this punctuation mark's banishment, and Civil authorities are beginning to do just that. The Guardian reports ‘Apostrophe Catastrophes’ all over Britain." Esteemed businesses such as Harrods, Currys, Selfridges, and Barclays Bank have been accused of Corporate Abuse and are being asked to return what Lynne Truss, author of Eat, Shoots & Leaves, calls Santa's Little Helpers. Indeed, Ms. Truss once stood outside a cinema with an apostrophe on a stick to show how easy it would have been to correct the movie title, Two Weeks Notice.

     In 1991, Marc Abrahams, editor and co-founder of the Annals of Improbable Research created the Ig Nobels, to recognize discoveries "that cannot, or should not, be reproduced. Examples range from a discovery that the presence of humans tends to sexually arouse ostriches, to the statement that black holes fulfill all the technical requirements for being the location of Hell, and to research on the 'five-second-rule', a tongue-in-cheek belief that food dropped on the floor will not become contaminated if it is picked up within five seconds. In 2002, John Richards joined the ranks of winners for his efforts "to protect, promote, and defend the differences between the plural and the possessive."

     Last week I read that the APS had been officially shut down but now I can't find the article so I emailed John Richards. I'm happy to report it's still active. I am also happy that the title of my book, Wynters Way didn't need an apostrophe because Wynters Way is the name of a house similar to Daphne Du Maurier's Manderley. Good company to be in.


     

Prospecting and Collecting by Barbara Baldwin

You can find my books at Books We Love

            Prospecting doesn’t always mean looking for gold. It can include looking for things that interest you, such as things you collect on your adventures. Are you a collector? Do you look for unique, strange, useful or ornamental things?

            I collect rocks. Nothing really huge, you understand, but certainly unique. Can you see the bird rock in this picture of my collection? There is also one at the bottom with a white band that goes completely around it. I call this my infinity rock. Notice the fossils imbedded in yet another one?

I visited Bar Harbor, Maine several years ago where the coast and shore lines are very rocky so it’s a great place to collect rocks. That’s where I found out about heart stones, of which there are two in my rock bowl. Heart stones have been formed by the forces of nature into universal symbols of love. They’re not precious like diamonds or rubies, but are still unique. A walk on the beach with any stones at all will usually turn up one or two heart-shaped stones. (Keep in mind, as you can see in the two I have, they may not be symmetrical; they may have cracks and blemishes and be lopsided and imperfect, but they can be the best find on the beach.)

 When I left Maine, I was trying to put my carry-on in the overhead compartment and a nice gentleman offered to help. As he lifted it overhead, he asked, “What do you have in here, rocks?”

            Well, actually… J

            I also collect sea glass and bits of pottery found along the shore. Sea glass doesn’t seem to tumble around the gulf coast, but I’ve found pieces all along the Atlantic Ocean and my daughter even found some in Ireland. These broken bottles and other glass are technically ocean trash, but over time, the ocean has broken it up, tumbled it around and spit it out as beautiful frosted pieces, often made into jewelry and used in other pieces of art.

            Prospecting and collecting doesn’t always mean having physical objects to display in a jar, bowl or on a shelf. As a writer, I am continually prospecting for new story ideas, names for my characters and interesting sites for my settings. Ellie, in “Prospecting for Love”, was in similar circumstances as she was taking photographs in the ghost town of Peavine, Nevada, for a magazine photo essay.  Unfortunately for her, she was abducted by two ghosts and taken back in time to when Peavine was a thriving mining town.

This time travel romance has plenty of humor as Ellie is a thoroughly 21^st century woman and finds it hard to cope without electricity and a microwave. Reviews give it 5 stars – “Twists, turns, memorable characters and a ‘can’t put down’ story are the trademarks that make Ms. Baldwin’s stories so wonderful. Each character is so well drawn you feel like you know them.” (Love Romances and More)

Take a fun adventure into the past with “Prospecting for Love.”

Barbara Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

Every now and then we run across a great article … and we print it out and keep it.  Writing is writing – and whether you are writing YA, suspense or historical – good writing is the bottom line.

I’m ‘paying forward’ Aaron Shepard’s article on ‘What Makes a Good Story?’    Rita

 

What Makes a Good Story?

Tips for Young Authors - By Aaron Shepard

Copyright © 1998 Aaron Shepard. May be freely copied and shared for any noncommercial purpose as long as no text is altered or omitted.

---

Good writers often break rules—but they know they’re doing it! Here are some good rules to know.

Theme

A theme is something important the story tries to tell us—something that might help us in our own lives. Not every story has a theme, but it’s best if it does.

Don’t get too preachy. Let the theme grow out of the story, so readers feel they’ve learned it for themselves. You shouldn’t have to say what the moral is.

Plot

Plot is most often about a conflict or struggle that the main character goes through. The conflict can be with another character, or with the way things are, or with something inside the character, like needs or feelings.

The main character should win or lose at least partly on their own, and not just be rescued by someone or something else. Most often, the character learns or grows as they try to solve their problem. What the character learns is the theme.

The conflict should get more and more tense or exciting. The tension should reach a high point or “climax” near the end of the story, then ease off.

The basic steps of a plot are: conflict begins, things go right, things go WRONG, final victory (or defeat), and wrap-up. The right-wrong steps can repeat.

A novel can have several conflicts, but a short story should have only one.

Story Structure

At the beginning, jump right into the action. At the end, wind up the story quickly.

Decide about writing the story either in “first person” or in “third person.” Third-person pronouns are “he,” “she,” and “it”—so writing in third person means telling a story as if it’s all about other people. The first-person pronoun is “I”—so writing in first person means telling a story as if it happened to you.

Even if you write in third person, try to tell the story through the eyes of just one character—most likely the main character. Don’t tell anything that the character wouldn’t know. This is called “point of view.” If you must tell something else, create a whole separate section with the point of view of another character.

Decide about writing either in “present tense” or in “past tense.” Writing in past tense means writing as if the story already happened. That is how most stories are written. Writing in present tense means writing as if the story is happening right now. Stick to one tense or the other!

Characters

Before you start writing, know your characters well.

Your main character should be someone readers can feel something in common with, or at least care about.

You don’t have to describe a character completely. It’s enough to say one or two things about how a character looks or moves or speaks.

A main character should have at least one flaw or weakness. Perfect characters are not very interesting. They’re also harder to feel something in common with or care about. And they don’t have anything to learn. In the same way, there should be at least one thing good about a “bad guy.”

Setting

Set your story in a place and time that will be interesting or familiar.

Style and Tone

Use language that feels right for your story.

Wherever you can, use actions and speech to let readers know what’s happening. Show, don’t tell.

Give speech in direct quotes like “Go away!” instead of indirect quotes like “She told him to go away.”

You don’t have to write fancy to write well. It almost never hurts to use simple words and simple sentences. That way, your writing is easy to read and understand.

Always use the best possible word—the one that is closest to your meaning, sounds best, and creates the clearest image. If you can’t think of the right one, use a thesaurus.

Carefully check each word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph. Is it the best you can write? Is it in the right place? Do you need it at all? If not, take it out!

July New Releases from BWL Publishing Inc.

An exciting mix of historical Australia, West Texas Mysteries and Science Fiction for your July reading pleasure.  Visit our BWL Publishing Inc. website and click the covers to purchase from your favorite bookstores.

My New 19th Century BFFs

                                                       Click here to purchase
                                                       Click here for Eileen O'Finlan's website

I’ve been making new friends as I research and write the sequel to Kelegeen. My latest BFFs are two prominent 19th century ladies – Catharine E. Beecher and Lydia Maria Child. Both wrote prolifically on several subjects, but for my purposes it’s their works on domestic science and cookery that are of particular interest.                                                          Catharine E. Beecher                            1869 Edition of The American Woman's Home or Domestic Science                                     by Catharine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe Readers may not realize how much goes into the research of historical novels. Sure the author has to know the general history of the time – what was happening politically, economically, internationally, etc., but often even more important is knowledge of how people lived their everyday lives.  What did they eat and how did they prepare it? What did they wear? Did they purchase their clothing or make their own? How did they address one another? How did they celebrate holidays? What items did they have in their homes and, for that matter, what kind of homes did they live in? And just how much is that ubiquitous 19th century unit of measure, a hogshead? (64 gallons as it turns out). The questions go on and on.  Fortunately, the answers can be found in books written in or near the time period (in my case 1850s New England). Specifically, I’ve been enjoying The American Woman’s Home or Domestic Science co-authored by Catharine E. Beecher and her younger half-sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe of Uncle Tom’s Cabin fame and The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child. Both Beecher and Child wrote with self-assurance and the occasional strong opinion.  Besides learning all about home economics of the 19th century, the reader also absorbs insights into the thinking of these women and their contemporaries. Though some entries seem quaint, others have had a “hey, that’s a good idea” effect on me.  I wish I could meet these two exceptional ladies, but as that is impossible, I’m happy to settle for getting to know them through the writings they’ve left behind.