Category: Uncategorized

As writers, we have to search to find unique ways to describe everyday life. Sometimes, especially when we write dialogue, we find ourselves resorting to idioms, figures of speech and (gasp) clichés. But where did those idioms originate? That’s what we’re exploring in this week’s blog hop.

I’ve heard the expression “blind as a bat” since I was young. Several of my siblings fit that
description. One brother needed glasses in first grade.

Of course, we now know that bats aren’t blind. Most people know they use a radar-like detection system for hunting, called echolocation. But they can see in daylight, although their vision isn’t as sharp as many other night hunters. They aren’t really blind

So where did the saying originate? Some scholars point to Aristotle. Supposedly he experimented with bats while he was trying to come up with a system to classify living beings. We also attribute the saying “For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all” to him as it appeared in his work “Metaphysics.”

There is also research that suggests the saying originated in the seventeenth century. In John’s Clarke’s Paromiologia there is a line that reads “Blind as a bat at noone.”

The expression now is used to describe more that just a person’s vision. It can also be used to describe a person’s unwillingness to recognize the truth. In the current political battle in the Unites States, the followers of both major parties frequesntly accuse their rivals as being blind as bats. However, the words they use may not be so polite.

There are lots of idioms out there enriching our language. I’m looking forward to seeing what our other authors bring to the table. 🙂 To find out, follow the links below!

November 7 – Idioms – figures of speech – For example, what does “in a New York minute” mean, where did it come from, what does it mean to you? (I think this might be a fun way to highlight our different cultures).
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

As writers, we have to search to find unique ways to describe everyday life. Sometimes, especially when we write dialogue, we find ourselves resorting to idioms, figures of speech and (gasp) clichés. But where did those idioms originate? That’s what we’re exploring in this week’s blog hop.

I’ve heard the expression “blind as a bat” since I was young. Several of my siblings fit that
description. One brother needed glasses in first grade.

Of course, we now know that bats aren’t blind. Most people know they use a radar-like detection system for hunting, called echolocation. But they can see in daylight, although their vision isn’t as sharp as many other night hunters. They aren’t really blind

So where did the saying originate? Some scholars point to Aristotle. Supposedly he experimented with bats while he was trying to come up with a system to classify living beings. We also attribute the saying “For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all” to him as it appeared in his work “Metaphysics.”

There is also research that suggests the saying originated in the seventeenth century. In John’s Clarke’s Paromiologia there is a line that reads “Blind as a bat at noone.”

The expression now is used to describe more that just a person’s vision. It can also be used to describe a person’s unwillingness to recognize the truth. In the current political battle in the Unites States, the followers of both major parties frequesntly accuse their rivals as being blind as bats. However, the words they use may not be so polite.

There are lots of idioms out there enriching our language. I’m looking forward to seeing what our other authors bring to the table. 🙂 To find out, follow the links below!

November 7 – Idioms – figures of speech – For example, what does “in a New York minute” mean, where did it come from, what does it mean to you? (I think this might be a fun way to highlight our different cultures).
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

It’s that time of year, when witches and zombies and cute kids in costumes come banging on your door, holding open their bags, hoping for goodies. The rime of year when adults can pretend they aren’t stuck working for a paycheck that gets them through to the next paycheck and they can take on the appearance of their fantasies. The time of year that gets stores between summer sales and Christmas specials.

I remember the days when the kids all wore home-made costumes, ghosts being the simplest and most common.  That was back before the worries about whether the treats being handed out were safe, because of course they were. The chocolate chip cookies the neighbor lady made and wrapped in cellophane were perhaps more sought ofter than the pre-packaged treats from the grocery store. Candy bars were full-size, and no one worried about staples or other foreign objects. Kids could dip into their bags before they got home and the only thing parents needed to do was make sure not too muny goodies got eaten before bedtime. No one ever thought about changing the day trick-or-treating happened just because it fell on a school night. the little kids didn’t get to go, but the big kids shared their loot.

Pumpkins only came in one color and jack-o-lanterns were lit by candles. No one gave a second
thought to the possibility of the flame being dangerous. Everyone was smart enough to keep their distance from them.

But I’ll fill a bowl with selection of pre-wrapped and safety-checked chocolate candy—yes, I give out the “good” stuff—and put it by my door. And when the doorbell rings, I’ll smile and admire the costumes, even if they are store-bought, and feel sad for what they are missing. I’ll wave to the parents standing at the end of the driveway and maybe even drop an extra piece of candy into the bag of the kid who isn’t with friends or siblings. But I’ll keep a lookout for the ones who make a second trip to the doorstep, because that goes against the unwritten rules. They’ll get one of the non-chocolate selections.

When the stream of treat-seekers crawls to the barest of trickles, I’ll turn the porch light off, lock the door and return to whatever book I’m reading. Probably an urban fantasy, because vampires and elves are fitting partners for the rest of the night.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

To find out what the other authors think about the holiday, follow the links below. And feel free to tell me about your memories of Halloween in the comments.

October 31 – Halloween or related. Feelings, traditions, memories.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

It’s that time of year, when witches and zombies and cute kids in costumes come banging on your door, holding open their bags, hoping for goodies. The rime of year when adults can pretend they aren’t stuck working for a paycheck that gets them through to the next paycheck and they can take on the appearance of their fantasies. The time of year that gets stores between summer sales and Christmas specials.

I remember the days when the kids all wore home-made costumes, ghosts being the simplest and most common.  That was back before the worries about whether the treats being handed out were safe, because of course they were. The chocolate chip cookies the neighbor lady made and wrapped in cellophane were perhaps more sought ofter than the pre-packaged treats from the grocery store. Candy bars were full-size, and no one worried about staples or other foreign objects. Kids could dip into their bags before they got home and the only thing parents needed to do was make sure not too muny goodies got eaten before bedtime. No one ever thought about changing the day trick-or-treating happened just because it fell on a school night. the little kids didn’t get to go, but the big kids shared their loot.

Pumpkins only came in one color and jack-o-lanterns were lit by candles. No one gave a second
thought to the possibility of the flame being dangerous. Everyone was smart enough to keep their distance from them.

But I’ll fill a bowl with selection of pre-wrapped and safety-checked chocolate candy—yes, I give out the “good” stuff—and put it by my door. And when the doorbell rings, I’ll smile and admire the costumes, even if they are store-bought, and feel sad for what they are missing. I’ll wave to the parents standing at the end of the driveway and maybe even drop an extra piece of candy into the bag of the kid who isn’t with friends or siblings. But I’ll keep a lookout for the ones who make a second trip to the doorstep, because that goes against the unwritten rules. They’ll get one of the non-chocolate selections.

When the stream of treat-seekers crawls to the barest of trickles, I’ll turn the porch light off, lock the door and return to whatever book I’m reading. Probably an urban fantasy, because vampires and elves are fitting partners for the rest of the night.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

To find out what the other authors think about the holiday, follow the links below. And feel free to tell me about your memories of Halloween in the comments.

October 31 – Halloween or related. Feelings, traditions, memories.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Unlike some of the authors on this blog, I don’t write my books with a lesson in mind. I don’t expect to change the world with my stories. My books are written for enjoyment, a chance for readers to get away from real life for awhile. Still, I might slip in a hidden message or two throughout my stories.

If you’ve read my books, you know I write strong female characters. That’s no accident. I’ve seen the changes that have happened in the area of women’s rights over the past fifty years or so, but know the struggle isn’t over. As someone once said, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” but there’s still a long way to go. When I first started writing ages ago, I chose a pseudonym that was non-gender identifiable. Male writers were more respected and in many ways, still are today, so by using a name that was neither male nor female I felt I had a better shot at being published. Now that I’m an Indie Author, I don’t have to worry about that!

But I don’t  believe that being strong means you have to do everything yourself. Friends are important. We are stronger as a group than by ourselves. So my characters and my stories reflect that.

There are other, more subtle, messages of social change woven into the tales I write. I won’t tell you what they are, because I hope you’ll read my books and figure them out for yourself.

What it comes down to is this: my characters frequently reflect my personal beliefs. Not always, but on a regular basis. I think that’s to be expected from most authors.  After all, we write what we know.

To find out what the other authors on this hop have to say, follow the links below. And if you want, leave a comment!

Sidenote: I’ve entered the the Wolves’ Knight cover in a couple of coveer contests. I’m trying to get my cover artist, K.M. Guth, the recognition she deserves. So if you could spare a moment, head over to Cover Contest and give her your support! Thank you!

October 24 – What do you want readers to take away from your work when they read it?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Unlike some of the authors on this blog, I don’t write my books with a lesson in mind. I don’t expect to change the world with my stories. My books are written for enjoyment, a chance for readers to get away from real life for awhile. Still, I might slip in a hidden message or two throughout my stories.

If you’ve read my books, you know I write strong female characters. That’s no accident. I’ve seen the changes that have happened in the area of women’s rights over the past fifty years or so, but know the struggle isn’t over. As someone once said, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” but there’s still a long way to go. When I first started writing ages ago, I chose a pseudonym that was non-gender identifiable. Male writers were more respected and in many ways, still are today, so by using a name that was neither male nor female I felt I had a better shot at being published. Now that I’m an Indie Author, I don’t have to worry about that!

But I don’t  believe that being strong means you have to do everything yourself. Friends are important. We are stronger as a group than by ourselves. So my characters and my stories reflect that.

There are other, more subtle, messages of social change woven into the tales I write. I won’t tell you what they are, because I hope you’ll read my books and figure them out for yourself.

What it comes down to is this: my characters frequently reflect my personal beliefs. Not always, but on a regular basis. I think that’s to be expected from most authors.  After all, we write what we know.

To find out what the other authors on this hop have to say, follow the links below. And if you want, leave a comment!

Sidenote: I’ve entered the the Wolves’ Knight cover in a couple of coveer contests. I’m trying to get my cover artist, K.M. Guth, the recognition she deserves. So if you could spare a moment, head over to Cover Contest and give her your support! Thank you!

October 24 – What do you want readers to take away from your work when they read it?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

We’re talking about killing offf our fictional characters on the blog hop this way. And I have a confession to make.

In the first book I wrote, I killed off the main female character at the end of the book. This was a romance, mind you, She and the hero found love as older adults. But she didn’t die of old age, she died in a car crash that harkened back to a scene in the beginning of the book which led to their first meeting.

When I wrote the scene, I cried more than a few tears. I’d fallen in love with her myself. She was a woman who had been hurt more than once in life, and had finally found happiness again. To kill her off seemed true to the story, but it broke my heart.

I rewrote the book later—several times, actually—and eventually gave the female lead a happy ending, because I knew readers would hate me and the original ending. I never released that book—it had some serious plot difficulties I couldn’t fix, so don’t look for it on my author page. 🙂

So I’m not against killing off characters if the story demands it. In Wolves’ Knight, my main character, Tasha, is a warrior at heart. As a warrior and a wolf-shifter, if the situation demands that someone dies, she’ll do what it takes to protect her friends. She’s not necessarily bloodthirsty, just practical. Since it’s true to her nature, I think readers would be disappointed if she didn’t kill someone during the story.

The Oak Grove Mysteries are a different situatio. Mysteries traditionally have a  murder or two. In the first one, The Marquesa’s Necklace, I purposely set about to write a mystery in which no one died. There were a few situations that could have gone bad, but the characters always pulled through. The second book was different—I made the deliberate decision to start that one
off with a body. (By the way, I just put the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring, on sale for 99¢ for a few days. I’m celebrating completing the first draft of the third book in the series, The Baron’s Cufflinks, And yes, this one has a murder as well.  So if you haven’t read it yet, now is your chance! If you check out the books page here on my blog, you can see where to buy it.  Books Page)

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that death is just a natural progression of the human experience. We’re all going to die sooner or later. So to have a character die in one of my stories feels entirely natural to me. Killing of a major character can be heartbreaking but at the same time necessary for the story.

How do you feel when an author kills of a character? Especially one you’ve grown fond of? Tell us in the comments. To find out how the other authors feel about it, follo w the links below.

October 17 – How do you feel about the death of fictional characters? These can be your own or those of other authors. How would you do it? Do you have a criteria for who can die? Would you ever kill off a named character?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

We’re talking about killing offf our fictional characters on the blog hop this way. And I have a confession to make.

In the first book I wrote, I killed off the main female character at the end of the book. This was a romance, mind you, She and the hero found love as older adults. But she didn’t die of old age, she died in a car crash that harkened back to a scene in the beginning of the book which led to their first meeting.

When I wrote the scene, I cried more than a few tears. I’d fallen in love with her myself. She was a woman who had been hurt more than once in life, and had finally found happiness again. To kill her off seemed true to the story, but it broke my heart.

I rewrote the book later—several times, actually—and eventually gave the female lead a happy ending, because I knew readers would hate me and the original ending. I never released that book—it had some serious plot difficulties I couldn’t fix, so don’t look for it on my author page. 🙂

So I’m not against killing off characters if the story demands it. In Wolves’ Knight, my main character, Tasha, is a warrior at heart. As a warrior and a wolf-shifter, if the situation demands that someone dies, she’ll do what it takes to protect her friends. She’s not necessarily bloodthirsty, just practical. Since it’s true to her nature, I think readers would be disappointed if she didn’t kill someone during the story.

The Oak Grove Mysteries are a different situatio. Mysteries traditionally have a  murder or two. In the first one, The Marquesa’s Necklace, I purposely set about to write a mystery in which no one died. There were a few situations that could have gone bad, but the characters always pulled through. The second book was different—I made the deliberate decision to start that one
off with a body. (By the way, I just put the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring, on sale for 99¢ for a few days. I’m celebrating completing the first draft of the third book in the series, The Baron’s Cufflinks, And yes, this one has a murder as well.  So if you haven’t read it yet, now is your chance! If you check out the books page here on my blog, you can see where to buy it.  Books Page)

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that death is just a natural progression of the human experience. We’re all going to die sooner or later. So to have a character die in one of my stories feels entirely natural to me. Killing of a major character can be heartbreaking but at the same time necessary for the story.

How do you feel when an author kills of a character? Especially one you’ve grown fond of? Tell us in the comments. To find out how the other authors feel about it, follo w the links below.

October 17 – How do you feel about the death of fictional characters? These can be your own or those of other authors. How would you do it? Do you have a criteria for who can die? Would you ever kill off a named character?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code