Open Book - P.J. MacLayne

Creativity By The Sundial #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 18, 2021 July 18, 2021 Open Book

July 19, 2021

Is there a certain time of day when you are most creative? When you handle the ‘business’ side of writing? What’s your favorite time of day?

My bedroom faces south. Despite the room-darkening curtains, daylight has a habit of sneaking in long before I’m

Image by Miriam Pereluk from Pixabay

ready for it. I can roll over and ignore it for only so long until I succumb to its invitation and crawl out of bed.

But those early mornings, while I’m sipping on a glass of orange juice or a cup of tea, are the perfect time to check emails and social media. I can be productive while getting my brain warmed up. Just in time to go to work!

The evening brings another round of social media—some sites may be different. There’s always the check to see if I’ve sold any books, or if there are publicity opportunities i need to take advantage of. There may be chores to be done, supper to be cooked and eaten, or any number of errands.

Once the sun has set, and life has slowed down, my fingers itch for the keyboard. All those ideas that have niggled at the back of my brain all day seek release. That’s when I can shut out the rest of the world, put on some music, and crawl into the worlds I create and spend time with my characters.

That time is never long enough. Hours after dark, I have to watch the clock. Much as I hate it, I can’t write as until the words run out. Real life interrupts. I’m too old to operate without enough sleep.

What’s my favorite time of day? It depends upon what day of the week it is, and what season. Each day brings new joys. Perhaps it’s the moment of a summer day when the temperature is just right and the birds are calling their joy. Or that minute when a gentle snow starts falling at night and glows in the light shining from the windows of the house. Maybe it’s that second when I read what I’ve just written, sit back, and say “Damn, that’s good.”

Those all are contenders. But none of them match the eternity when my husband and I pass each other in the hallway or in the kitchen and he reaches out to touch me.

What about you? What’s your favorite time of day? Tell us about it in the comments, if you’d like to share. In the meantime, let’s check out what the other authors have to say by following the links below.

And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 19, 2021

Is there a certain time of day when you are most creative? When you handle the ‘business’ side of writing? What’s your favorite time of day?

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.

Audiobooks – The Future or a Fad? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 11, 2021 July 11, 2021 Open Book

July 12, 2021

Are audiobooks the future of book sales? Do you have your stories on audio?

First it was large print books and books for the blind. Then there were books on tape. Now we moved into proprietary formats based on what platform you listen on. Alternative ways of reading have been around for years.

I own copies of James Bond books as MP3s that I got back in the late 90s. (I think – I’ve transferred them from one PC to another so many times that I’ve lost track of when I got them.) I listened to them when I was doing chores that didn’t demand my total attention but found my enjoyment was based on the voice of the narrator—when the narrator changed in the middle of the series I didn’t like it—and I never got ‘addicted’ to the format.

To be honest, I don’t understand people who listen to audiobooks when they’re driving. I need to concentrate on the road, and the radio is background noise to keep me company, especially on long drives. I can’t imagine trying to pay attention to a book and still giving traffic the needed attention. Even on the long, flat, lonely stretches of Wyoming roads, you never know when someone is going to fly around you doing over 100 mph. Obviously, that changes if you are the passenger and someone else is driving.

Are audiobooks the future? Maybe, in the same way that ebooks were the future not too long ago. There will always be an audience for all forms of books – print, ebook, and audio, as well as any form that hasn’t been invented yet. (Neural implant, anyone?)

I’ve looked into audio for my books. (NOT Audible, because that’s part of the Amazon monopoly.) I looked is as far as it’s gone. The price to have audio books done right is out of my budget and I don’t have the skills or equipment to do it myself. It’s more than just reading your story out loud. I think I’m an expressive reader, but I am aware of the slight mistakes I make. To have a recording edited to make it error-free would be more work than many editors would tackle. I need to sell many more of my books before an audio book would fit into my plans.

We have authors on this hop that have audiobooks, and I’m looking forward to their input. You can find them by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

July 12, 2021

Are audiobooks the future of book sales? Do you have your stories on audio?

The Art of Going UnderCover #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne July 4, 2021 July 4, 2021 Open Book

July 5, 2021

If your character wanted to wear a disguise, how would they dress?

I giggled as Lando adjusted the support stockings. They hid the thick bandages he had wrapped each leg with to make them appear fatter. “Luckily it’s getting chilly outside,” he said, handing me a heavy sweater. “The more layers of clothing you wear the less you resemble yourself.”

With the foam form strapped around my belly, I thought I had plenty of padding already. It was designed to give a man the concept of the extra weight women carry when they are pregnant, but mostly it made me look fat. The over-sized dress with the huge Hawaiian flower pattern exaggerated the effect. Under all the foam and extra layers of clothing, it wouldn’t be long before I started to sweat.

The gray wig was a nice touch too. It was hard getting all my hair to stay under it, and thank heavens the curly hair hid the lump my bun made. Lando worried the makeup he had applied didn’t fill my face out enough, but he did the best job possible with his limited supplies. He hoped the huge glasses he’d found would help. The plain thick glass meant I still needed my contacts. The ugly white nurse’s shoes were a size too big, but with the thick socks they fit just about right.

A cane was the last accessory. To put any weight on it, I had to lean forward. He stood back, nodding and admiring his work. “Well, I think that’s it, Aunt Martha,” he said grinning.

I smiled back and pointed the end of the cane at him. “That’s enough out of you, sonny.”

From The Marquesa’s Necklace

That’s the first time we got to see Harmony Duprie in disguise. It wasn’t an outfit she picked, but it worked. Several times, actually, until it got a bit too well-known and she had to abandon it.

Photo by Antonio Friedemann from Pexels

Where did her friend Lando get his knowledge of makeup and camouflage? He’s a cosplayer, and had build several elaborate costumes. I like to think he got his start doing theatre in high school, trying to impress a cute girl.

It wasn’t the last disguise Harmony adopted in the series. She soon discovered how useful changing her appearance was when to went to local bars to do ‘research’ on whatever mystery she was investigating. She also found out how many tutorials there are on the internet to give her step-by-step instructions on applying makeup, wigs, and other essentials for becoming someone new.

Most of my camouflage came from thrift shops in Pittsburgh. Old jeans, tank tops, and plaid shirts, paid for in cash, to make the purchases untraceable. All except for the bright red wig. It came from a costume store. Still, it looked real.
And I’d spent far too much time watching on-line videos on techniques for applying makeup. My makeup supplies had swelled to never-before-seen proportions. I hadn’t owned this many colors of eye shadows and lipsticks even in high school.

For a finishing touch, I knotted the pink plaid shirt under my breasts, exposing the black tank top underneath it. With a final fluff of the wig, I nodded in satisfaction. In the harsh lights of my bathroom, I looked sufficiently unlike myself to suit my purposes. And in the typical dim lighting of a typical bar, my alter-ego should fool everyone.

From The Baron’s Cufflinks

Harmony is aware that going in disguise isn’t the answer to all situations. That doesn’t stop her from planning elaborate costumes and scenarios to get the answers she’s needs. It’s a challenge, and one she enjoys.

What about the other authors on this hop? Do their characters utilize disguises? Find out by following the links below. And, until next time, please stay safe!

July 5, 2021

If your character wanted to wear a disguise, how would they dress?

The Curse of the Question Mark #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 28, 2021 June 28, 2021 Open Book

June 28, 2021

Do you use said or asked after a ? or tag your interruptions? Any punctuation that bugs you? What’s the hardest for you to get right?

The first thing I thought about when I saw this topic was how to make the post funny, but a comedian I am not. Not for lack of trying, but my sense of humor is warped. People don’t get my attempts at humor, and I have to admit, I’m not that funny. So, you’re stuck with me answering this as blandly as possible. Hopefully, it won’t be that bad.

Punctuation is hard. I don’t get it right 100% of the time. Thank heavens for good editors. But the question mark question I have covered. If I add a tag to a sentence that ends in a question mark, it’s always asked or questioned, but it’s never said. That wouldn’t make sense to me. I suppose it’s possible that a person asks a question in a monotone and using said would work, but I don’t believe I’ve ever written a sentence like that. I have written sentences that grammar programs have interpreted as questions when they aren’t, and then I confuse the computer by refusing to change the period to a question mark. But there’s no ask or said involved.

Is there punctuation that bugs me? Let’s talk quotation marks. Why is there a difference in usage of question marks between the United State and part of Europe? They use the single quote to mark dialogue. ‘Punctuation is the devil,’ rather than the double quotes we use in the US “Punctuation is the devil.” How did that happen and why? Who thought that was a good idea?

And is there punctuation I struggle with? Besides almost all of it? Let’s talk dashes. Why do we need three forms of dashes? Not two, but three. You have the dash – the en-dash – and the em-dash —. The rules of how and why to use each other is enough to make a writer’s s head spin and a grammarian’s heart sing, and I’m not going to try to explain them here. I don’t think I’d do a good job. Feel free to give yourself a headache and research them in your favorite fashion.

What about you? What punctuation do you struggle with? Let’s commiserate in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other authors on the hop by checking out the links below.

As always, until next time, stay safe.

June 28, 2021

Do you use said or asked after a ? or tag your interruptions? Any punctuation that bugs you? What’s the hardest for you to get right?

Picking A Beta Partner for Writing #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 20, 2021 June 20, 2021 Open Book

June 21, 2021

If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

I’ve been pondering this question all week. Through writing, I’ve met so many good authors either in person and on-line, that picking one is nearly impossible.

Then I hit my forehead with my palm in that classic gesture, because I don’t have to pick. I already have several!

First up. I’d like you to meet Cornelia Amiri. Cornelia and I were matched through a Yahoo news group back when I was getting ready to publish my first book, and we’ve been beta reading and critiquing for each other ever since. I love her stories, which lean heavily on Celtic myths and legends, although she also writes steampunk, and science-fiction.. I’ve learned a lot from her stories! You can check out her books at https://www.amazon.com/Cornelia-Amiri/e/B002BLFENY%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share.

I’m not an expert on Celtic gods and goddesses. And that’s good, because it allows me to concentrate on the story line. (Her shapeshifters are different from mine!) We’ve learned each other’s weak points and what we do well. She points out places where I can add emotion to my writing. I find places where her timeline is messed up. She finds phrases that I over-use; I find where the spelling of an archaic Gaelic name switches spelling in the middle of the story. We make each other better writers, and I appreciate all the help and encouragement she’s given me.

But there’s more! I belong to an on-line critique group, and there are a few folks there who I trade critiques with on an ongoing basis. Sure, the quality of the critiques varies, but even the bad ones give me insight into things that I can improve. I won’t mention them by name here because I don’t know their real names, only what they use on the site. One of the best parts about the site is that it attracts writers from all over the world. Not only am I getting suggestions from writers from varied backgrounds, I’m receiving suggestions based on different cultures. (and English usage- it threw me the first time I say quotations marked with a single quote versus a double one ( ‘ not “))

For the sake of the discussion, I’m going to call out one writer I’d live to work with – Jenna Bennett, author of the Savannah Martin Mysteries, as well as others. She’s a USA Today and New York Times best-selling hybrid author, publishing both with traditional publishers as well as indie with a knack for telling a good story. I think she’d be interesting to work with.

When I started writing novels, I didn’t expect it to lead to new friendships. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!

By the way, I’d love to work with the authors on this hop. But I can’t choose all of them, so I chose none. But to see who each of them chose, just follow the links below.

And, until next time, please stay safe.

June 21, 2021

If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

Lando’s Top Ten Bucket List #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 13, 2021 June 13, 2021 Open Book

June 14, 2021

Write a top 10 list in the voice of a character. Is your character a person making a bucket list? How about someone listing their greatest fears? What does the list they make say about the character?

I knew this one was going to be tough from the moment I posted it. Most of my major characters live for the moment and don’t make bucket lists, so I decided I’d do it from the voice of one of my secondary characters. Folks, meet Lando Soldati.

Lando is a tall, lanky programmer at Shifter Technologies, and one of the first employees hired by Eli Hennessey. He’s smart but doesn’t take life seriously, which makes him the perfect sidekick for Eli., who has a habit of overthinking things. Lando changes his hair color regularly, and his favorite accessory is a bright red mohawk hairpiece.

Now for his bucket list, in his words and in no particular order:

Win a prize at the San Diego Comic Con. I need to come up with something besides one of the Avengers because there’s so much competition. Maybe Warpath? Or Dr. Who?
Write a program that Eli can’t find any flaws in. No matter how good I think am, he always finds a way to make my coding better. One day, I’d like to match his skill.
Buy a house. Living in an apartment has its advantages – I don’t have to worry about maintenance – but I’d like to have a place where I don’t have to listen to the neighbor’s baby crying at 3 in the morning.
Travel to both the North and South Poles. Weird, but blame it on Mrs. Pascarella and learning about Roald Amundsen in fourth grade.
Find a woman who will put up with me. I never thought much about it until I saw Eli and Harmony together. I’d like to have that kind of relationship with someone.
Design a game. Not necessarily to sell, just to say I did it. Bragging rights. I love to play them, so why not create one?
Convince Harmony to go to a Comic Con with me. She’d make a great Spitfire.
Visit the Oregon Coast. The one time I was there, I was too busy working to enjoy it, and barely got to see the redwoods in Northern California. I’d like to drive the entire coastal highway.
While I’m at it, I should take a trip to Silicon Valley and soak up the techy atmosphere. Not that I’d want to live there, but it would be fun to visit. I wonder how much time off I can talk Eli into letting me take?
I can win any cops and robbers computer game that’s made. I spend all day writing code for police departments but I’ve never got to hang out with actual cops. Some day, I’d like to do a ride-along with police officers in real life and see them in action.

And that’s Lando for you. Sweet guy who hasn’t got life figured out yet, but is working on it. I’ve tried giving him his own love interest a time or two, but it’s never worked out.

Don’t forget to check out the lists from the other authors on the hop. You can find them by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe!

June 14, 2021

Write a top 10 list in the voice of a character. Is your character a person making a bucket list? How about someone listing their greatest fears? What does the list they make say about the character?

You Want To Sell Me What? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 6, 2021 June 6, 2021 Open Book

June 7, 2021

What commercial do you hate? What commercial is your favorite? (YouTube link us if possible) Have you ever gotten an idea for a story from a commercial?

DISCLAIMER: This is another post in the “Why did P.J. pick this topic?” category, because I don’t watch TV. One reason is because I HATE commercials. What I love to do is pick them apart, point out all the weak spots and generalizations, and ruin my husband’s TV watching experience. I have learned to ignore them even if I am sitting in the same room. I used that in my Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Harmony doesn’t watch TV either, except for the weather and the occasional documentary.

That doesn’t mean I’m not exposed to commercials. Yes, I see them from the corner of my eye even if I don’t pay attention to what they are selling. And hate is a strong word, but there are some that I strongly dislike. Sorry, Flo with Progressive Insurance, I’m side-eyeing you.

I get it. The commercials are supposed to be humorous. But they don’t make me laugh, and Flo’s ‘personality’ grates on my nerves. I’m amazed the advertising company keeps using the same setup, but it must reach the audience they want. I’d think lots of people would be tired of it, but I’m no marketing guru.

That’s part of my issue – how frequently a commercial is aired. Show it me me one time and I may be mildly amused. Play it five times in the same day and I’m over it. Done. Don’t want to see it again. I wasn’t going to buy the product anyway.

Are there any commercials I enjoy? Hmm. The only ones I can think of I caught on YouTube, and I’m not sure they’re being played on TV. They are from Realtor.com, and feature a series of monsters looking for new homes- and what happens when they find one. I’ve seen four different versions, and I like the vampire one the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5UPI8x70ag

The question about having been inspired by a commercial? I’m not touching that one with a ten-foot pole. I think you know the answer.

I’m sure there are creative commercials out there, so I wonder what the other authors will come up with. Let’s find out by following the links below.

And, until next time, please stay safe.

June 7, 2021

What commercial do you hate? What commercial is your favorite? (YouTube link us if possible) Have you ever gotten an idea for a story from a commercial?

And The Secret Is: #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 30, 2021 May 30, 2021 Open Book

May 31, 2021

Plot twists…do you have a favorite you can talk about (yours or someone else’s?)

Can a character be a plot twist? Because Jake, from the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is not what I planned for him to be.

I first imagined him as a ‘throwaway’ character. He’d get a mention or two, and that was it. His role was to be a bad memory for Harmony, and that’s it. Well, those of you who have read the series know that isn’t the way things turned out. He basically took over Book 2, Her Ladyship’s Ring.

I tried to get rid of him in Book 3, The Baron’s Cufflinks. I sent him out of town to a job in Chicago. Or so I thought. But I was wrong. He showed up at a ratty little bar in West Virginia, the last place Harmony (or I) expected, and became a pivotal part of the book’s ending.

Tired of fighting with him, I gave him a key role in The Contessa’s Brooch, Book 4, and allowed him to play hero. Shoot, I even let him kiss Harmony. He didn’t mind at all.

Maybe that’s why he cooperated when I sent him out of town in The Samurai’s Inro, Book 5, and he stayed gone. Well, mostly. He came back for a quick cameo and that was it. Frankly, I was tired of him taking over the spotlight.

Then came the last book in the series, The Ranger’s Dog Tags. I finally had a story that I could tell without Jake butting in, and I couldn’t do it. Leave him out, that is. It didn’t feel right. Naturally, he took the minor part I’d given him and turned it into something much larger. You know what? It didn’t even bother me. Jake deserved his sliver of glory.

Back to plot twists – yes, I am a fan. I don’t want to know the book’s ending by the time I finish the first chapter. I once received a critique where I was criticized because the reader didn’t know who the villain was right away. Frankly, I took that as a compliment. And if Jake helps provide the plot twist in several of the books, I can go along with it.

To quote Oak Grove’s Police Chief Sorenson: “There’s one more thing that bothers me, Miss Duprie,” he said, as he stood, dismissing me. “How the hell did you manage to turn Jake Hennessey, the town’s villain, into a hero?”

I’m looking forward to hearing about other authors’ favorite plot twists. You can too, by following the links below.

And, as always, until next time, stay safe!

May 31, 2021

Plot twists…do you have a favorite you can talk about (yours or someone else’s?)
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.

Meeting History and Music #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 23, 2021 May 23, 2021 Open Book

May 24, 2021

What historical/public figure would you most like to learn more about? Would you ever write about them?

As a kid, I had crushes on Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, at least as TV shows and movies portrayed them. As I got older and dug deeper into their stories, I realised that there was a darker side to their stories and some of the shininess wore off.

The same is true for President Kennedy, war hero, devoted husband and father, and man with an alleged mistress or two. How about Mother Teresa, who is said to have ignored basic sanitary practices in some of her facilities aand worse.

You get the point. It’s hard for me to find a hero to worship. So, who would I like to learn more about, knowing that they will be imperfect?

I’m going to switch things up. Instead of a person, I’m going with an event. I’d like to spend a day or two at Woodstock. Listen to the music, dance, make new friends. Embrace the vibe and find out what really went on. No movie or collection of songs or interview with someone who was there can convey the total experience.

Yes, history can and does happen in our lifetimes.

Yes, I’m sure I’d find the downside. The people on bad trips. The too-long waits to go to the bathroom. No water or food. The thunderstorms and nowhere to sleep.

Would I write about it? Sure, why not? I wonder how my wolf shifters would have participated to Woodstock? As a matter of fact, how would they react to psychoactive drugs? Hmm. I sense a wrinkle to a future story.

Now, before I plot the future of my hero, I need to go check out who the other authors would like to know more about. Just follow the links below to find out.

And, as always, blease stay safe until next time!

May 24, 2021

What historical/public figure would you most like to learn more about? Would you ever write about them?

Dear Diary: Life from Harmony’s POV #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 16, 2021 May 17, 2021 Open Book

May 17, 2021

Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character’s point of view.

When I kept a diary as a pre-teen, it was boring, filled with details of my daily life. What we studied in school, what we had for lunch, who I sat with on the bus. The most exciting thing I did all week was go to my Girl Scout meeting. Perhaps that’s why I can’t imagine any of my characters keeping a diary.

But I could consider The Harmony Duprie Mystery series as Harmony’s diary. With that in mind, what would her first meeting with Eli look like in diary form?

Dear Diary:

Today was story hour at the library. I’ll never confess it to anyone else, but that’s one of the things I miss most about working at the library. I never worked directly with the little ones, but I love seeing their happy little faces. I keep dropping hints, but I don’t know if they’ll ever rehire me, despite the fact that I was innocent. There are a couple old farts on the Board of Directors (cough<Mr. Randall>cough) who still think I was selling drugs. I don’t know if I can wait for them to retire or die to get my job back.

I found the information I’ve been hunting for today, and got a menu from one of Rockefeller’s parties. Everything from oysters on the half-shell to turkey and ham and a variety of desserts. And booze. Lots of booze. And not the cheap stuff, from what I could tell. Rockefeller had money to burn. At least he spent some of it building this library.

My reward was making a trip to the shelves where the library stores historical books about the Victorian area. As I leafed through a book with lots of pictures, I dreamed of living in that era and wearing dresses that floated around me.. Oh, and a big hat with colorful feathers. I’d cling to the arm of my escort, a handsome gentleman with a mustache that curled up at the ends.

I decided to take it back to the table I’d claimed for the day. That’s when I ran into him. Nice looking guy, but with the palest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

And when I say I ran into him, I mean literally ran into him. Almost fell down but saved myself my grabbing the closest shelf. Dropped my book in the process. He picked it up, handed it to me, and then walked away without giving me a chance to apologize. Man, how embarrassing.

He isn’t from Oak Grove – I would have recognized him. But the weirdest part?

He smelled like dirt. I don’t mean dirty. I mean how the ground smells when you’re planting seeds and the earth is still damp and it smells fresh? That’s what it reminded me of. I don’t know if it was his aftershave or my imagination.

I need to stop by the package store tomorrow. My order of craft beer from Colorado came in. I’m looking forward to trying the one that’s supposed to taste like summer sunshine.

That’s it for tonight, Dear Diary. I want to go read the book I bought about Queen Elizabeth. I wonder if I could learn to be a mechanic?

******

There you go. An entry from Harmony’s diary. I hope you enjoyed reading it. If so, you might want to read The Marquesa’s Necklace if you haven’t already! https://www.pjmaclayne.com/?page_id=232

And one personal note before I run off to check out everyone else’s entries for the week – Happy 93rd birthday, Mom!

The rest of you, until next week, please stay safe.

May 17, 2021

Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character’s point of view.

Category: Open Book