Month: May 2016

First, I apologize for the crummy quality of the following picture. It’s the only one I could find on line.

See that memorial in the background?  The brick wall with the flags in front of it? And the metal marker on it?

I went by that location every day on my way to school and home again. Before the the wall to honor those who died in the Vietnam conflict ever existed, the town I grew up in had its own version to honor those who died serving our country. It was a limited version, and only listed those from our local city. It honored those who died in WW I, WW II and Korea.

 As we went by in the school bus, I’d often look out the window and try to make out a name or two. I was rarely successful. But I never stopped to read the list on the rare occasions when I walked by the location.

Sometime after I left the area, a separate memorial with the names of those local residents who died in Vietnam were added. Why the separate marker? I don’t know the official reason, but my rational mind tells me there were too many names to add to the existing plaque.

So when I think of the real reason for Memorial Day, my first thought is always that lonely marker sitting at the end of a bridge. I don’t know that I ever saw anyone there, but it was always neat. And I like to believe, that as long as that marker exists, we will continue to honor the sacrifice those men made.

Added: I found a second picture of the WW II marker. It’s not a better picture, but it will give you more of the detail. A humble remembrance to those who served and died.

To see what other authors have to say, follow the links below.

May 30 Memorial Day (US) – If you’re not American, you can participate (I promise). This could be how you spend Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to the military fallen (which is Memorial Day in the US). It could be the history of Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to someone in your life who has passed (which is what Memorial Day started as). See, nobody gets left out.
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

First, I apologize for the crummy quality of the following picture. It’s the only one I could find on line.

See that memorial in the background?  The brick wall with the flags in front of it? And the metal marker on it?

I went by that location every day on my way to school and home again. Before the the wall to honor those who died in the Vietnam conflict ever existed, the town I grew up in had its own version to honor those who died serving our country. It was a limited version, and only listed those from our local city. It honored those who died in WW I, WW II and Korea.

 As we went by in the school bus, I’d often look out the window and try to make out a name or two. I was rarely successful. But I never stopped to read the list on the rare occasions when I walked by the location.

Sometime after I left the area, a separate memorial with the names of those local residents who died in Vietnam were added. Why the separate marker? I don’t know the official reason, but my rational mind tells me there were too many names to add to the existing plaque.

So when I think of the real reason for Memorial Day, my first thought is always that lonely marker sitting at the end of a bridge. I don’t know that I ever saw anyone there, but it was always neat. And I like to believe, that as long as that marker exists, we will continue to honor the sacrifice those men made.

Added: I found a second picture of the WW II marker. It’s not a better picture, but it will give you more of the detail. A humble remembrance to those who served and died.

To see what other authors have to say, follow the links below.

May 30 Memorial Day (US) – If you’re not American, you can participate (I promise). This could be how you spend Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to the military fallen (which is Memorial Day in the US). It could be the history of Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to someone in your life who has passed (which is what Memorial Day started as). See, nobody gets left out.
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

This week I’m presenting the second in a series of character interviews from the Sun, Sand and Sea anthology. It’s Valerie J. Clarizio’s turn, and she’s here with her character, Talia Johnson.

First, a quick note about Talia. Talia grew up on a dairy farm in Door County Wisconsin. Her love for the outdoors guided her to her career as a Park Ranger in Peninsula state park. She’s twenty-five years old. Her hobbies are hiking, biking and drifting away to alternate realities with good books.

1. What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?

My biggest fear is love lost. My mom died several years ago and it broke my heart, and it nearly killed my dad. They were so in love.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself as the head ranger for either Peninsula Park or Newport State Park. I want to be in charge of my own park.

3. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Dark chocolate–I crave it daily.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young my parents would take me to the stock car races every Saturday night in summer. I was convinced I should be dirt track racer. As I got a bit older I thought roller derby might be the way to go.

5. What is your favorite pet?

I grew up with German Shepherds, they’re awesome dogs–smart and protective.

Talia Johnson is the main character in Pandemonium on the Peninsula which is a short story set in Door County Wisconsin and will soon be released in a romance anthology featuring 11 beach stories. The anthology is titled Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

Valerie J. Clarizio Bio

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Connect with Valerie:

Website blog
Facebook

And now for the Giveaway! Help us reach our goal for pre-orders, and enter to win prizes, including PayPal money and signed paperbacks by the contributing authors. See details and links to pre-order the book here Giveaway

This week I’m presenting the second in a series of character interviews from the Sun, Sand and Sea anthology. It’s Valerie J. Clarizio’s turn, and she’s here with her character, Talia Johnson.

First, a quick note about Talia. Talia grew up on a dairy farm in Door County Wisconsin. Her love for the outdoors guided her to her career as a Park Ranger in Peninsula state park. She’s twenty-five years old. Her hobbies are hiking, biking and drifting away to alternate realities with good books.

1. What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?

My biggest fear is love lost. My mom died several years ago and it broke my heart, and it nearly killed my dad. They were so in love.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself as the head ranger for either Peninsula Park or Newport State Park. I want to be in charge of my own park.

3. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Dark chocolate–I crave it daily.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young my parents would take me to the stock car races every Saturday night in summer. I was convinced I should be dirt track racer. As I got a bit older I thought roller derby might be the way to go.

5. What is your favorite pet?

I grew up with German Shepherds, they’re awesome dogs–smart and protective.

Talia Johnson is the main character in Pandemonium on the Peninsula which is a short story set in Door County Wisconsin and will soon be released in a romance anthology featuring 11 beach stories. The anthology is titled Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

Valerie J. Clarizio Bio

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Connect with Valerie:

Website blog
Facebook

And now for the Giveaway! Help us reach our goal for pre-orders, and enter to win prizes, including PayPal money and signed paperbacks by the contributing authors. See details and links to pre-order the book here Giveaway

Welcome to anyone new dropping by, and welcome back to anyone who has dropped by before. For those of you who don’t know, each week a group of authors talk about a common subject. It’s wonderful to see how alike and how different we are week to week!

This week we’re talking about how we outline a story. For those of you who don’t know, authors tend to fall into two groups: plotters or pantsers. Plotters are those who outline their books, and know the complete plot (for the most part) and everything about the characters before they begin writing Pantsers, on the other hand, are those who write by the seat of their pants. They may have a general idea of what the story is about, but fill in the details as they write.

And I’m a pantser. I may have a beginning and an end to my stories when I start writing, but I rarely know what’s going to happen in the middle. I listen to my characters as I write. Yes, my characters talk to me and no, I’m not crazy.

That means outlining isn’t really a “thing” for me. And occasionally my characters surprise me and I have to go back and rewrite a chapter or two. For example, in my last book, Wolves’ Knight, my main character had a very different idea about where she wanted her love life to go than I did. We had a discussion—okay, we argued about it—and naturally Tasha won. It was her life, after all, and her story.

That doesn’t mean that I allow my characters to completely take over. I’ve had to override Gavin Fairwood, the alpha of the Fairwood pack, a time or two. He’s still not happy about it.

The book I’m currently working on, the next story in the Oak Grove series, was a little more structured when I started. I had a general outline for the main plot—in my head, but not on paper—when I started. I’m about 3/4ths of my way through the first draft, and I’ve been able to stick to the main plot. Some of the subplots, on the other hand, have ended up going places I never expected.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the others on this hop have to say. You can find out too, by following the links below

May 23, 2016 – Your process for outlining a story.
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

Welcome to anyone new dropping by, and welcome back to anyone who has dropped by before. For those of you who don’t know, each week a group of authors talk about a common subject. It’s wonderful to see how alike and how different we are week to week!

This week we’re talking about how we outline a story. For those of you who don’t know, authors tend to fall into two groups: plotters or pantsers. Plotters are those who outline their books, and know the complete plot (for the most part) and everything about the characters before they begin writing Pantsers, on the other hand, are those who write by the seat of their pants. They may have a general idea of what the story is about, but fill in the details as they write.

And I’m a pantser. I may have a beginning and an end to my stories when I start writing, but I rarely know what’s going to happen in the middle. I listen to my characters as I write. Yes, my characters talk to me and no, I’m not crazy.

That means outlining isn’t really a “thing” for me. And occasionally my characters surprise me and I have to go back and rewrite a chapter or two. For example, in my last book, Wolves’ Knight, my main character had a very different idea about where she wanted her love life to go than I did. We had a discussion—okay, we argued about it—and naturally Tasha won. It was her life, after all, and her story.

That doesn’t mean that I allow my characters to completely take over. I’ve had to override Gavin Fairwood, the alpha of the Fairwood pack, a time or two. He’s still not happy about it.

The book I’m currently working on, the next story in the Oak Grove series, was a little more structured when I started. I had a general outline for the main plot—in my head, but not on paper—when I started. I’m about 3/4ths of my way through the first draft, and I’ve been able to stick to the main plot. Some of the subplots, on the other hand, have ended up going places I never expected.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the others on this hop have to say. You can find out too, by following the links below

May 23, 2016 – Your process for outlining a story.
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

Some of you know that I’ve been working with a wonderful group of authors to put together a collection of short stories for your summer reading pleasure. What made it a challenge is that we “borrowed” each other’s characters and worked them into our own stories. I’ll be hosting a series of interviews with some of those characters. Here’s one that isn’t in my story, but that I’m looking forward to meeting.

1. Q. What’s your super power?

A. That’s easy. Can’t believe you haven’t guessed. My charisma. My charm. Women and men alike are dazzled by my good looks . My looks are like honey to bees…fragrant, tantalizing and sweet. People are drawn to me by my looks and bewitched by my charm. I’ve never lost a friend.

2. Q. On what occasion, do you lie?

A: I need to clarify before I answer this question. In my business, I negotiate. I manage five bands. My job is to get my peeps the best gig I can get. Representing them well can be tough especially at times when they may be competing for the same tour date. Getting that best deal is not always easy. I have to do what I have to do. I hate it especially when I have to undercut one of my bands for another. It can get tricky. You just have to understand the business. And I do.

3. Q. When and where were you the happiest?

A. Strange you should ask. If I had been asked this question last month, I don’t believe I would have had an answer. Just recently though…a few weeks ago, I ran into a childhood friend on a cruise ship. She was hosting her baby sister’s bachelorette party. Hadn’t see her in years–since high school. We had a few drinks on the ship. Some late night conversation. I had such a great time. Makes me wonder what my life would have been like, if I’d settled down with Shelby. Hmmmm.

4. Q.What is your biggest regret?

A. Wow! You’re not going to believe this but my biggest regret is not having children. Of course, with my life style, it’s probably for the best. But I use to imagine myself with twins. A girl and a boy. Blakely and Duncan. They’re beautiful. Curly , deep copper colored hair and hazel eyes. And of course, they both love music. She loves to sing and has such a range. And Duncan dominates the keyboard–like a Brian Culbertson.

5. Q. What is your motto?

A. Love this question. I have a wall hanging in my music room that says: “For all of you who gossip about me: Thanks for making me the center of your world.” I don’t know to whom I should attribute the quote but I use it all the time. It’s the story of my life. I love what I do. I love my artists. Music. And traveling. I love cutting that deal. I mind my business and wish those who speculate about my success, to leave me the H alone–pardon my French.

6. Q. Clothes in the hamper or on the floor?

A. My clothes go from the dry cleaner, to my suitcase, to my body and then, the floor. How’s that?

7. Q.Where do you see yourself in five years?

A. Five years older. Still charming. Haha. I’d like to think I’d be ready to settle down. Find me a special somebody–who loves music and maybe travel. Without the somebody, I see myself doing more of the same…traveling with my bands.

Stephany Tullis Bio

My spirituality is the force behind my being. In my world, there is no life without writing, traveling, family, music and my love of politics. My loves and interests are central to my writing.

I published my first novel The Master’s Plan, A Novel About Purpose in November 2013 and my first Christmas novel, 48 Hours ‘Til Christmas, in November 2014.

BLUE LADY (a short story), published in February 2015, launched my first series, The Angelica Mason Series. The first full installment in this series, entitled BLUE LADY’S Sweet Dreams is scheduled for release June 2016 to be followed by BLUE LADY’S Mission Impossible in the Fall 2016.

Beach Baby Blues is a part of the Anthology entitled, Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

You can find me on:

Stephany Tullis Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Take a peek at Stephany’s cover for Beach Baby Blues.

You can pre-order the collection

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Some of you know that I’ve been working with a wonderful group of authors to put together a collection of short stories for your summer reading pleasure. What made it a challenge is that we “borrowed” each other’s characters and worked them into our own stories. I’ll be hosting a series of interviews with some of those characters. Here’s one that isn’t in my story, but that I’m looking forward to meeting.

1. Q. What’s your super power?

A. That’s easy. Can’t believe you haven’t guessed. My charisma. My charm. Women and men alike are dazzled by my good looks . My looks are like honey to bees…fragrant, tantalizing and sweet. People are drawn to me by my looks and bewitched by my charm. I’ve never lost a friend.

2. Q. On what occasion, do you lie?

A: I need to clarify before I answer this question. In my business, I negotiate. I manage five bands. My job is to get my peeps the best gig I can get. Representing them well can be tough especially at times when they may be competing for the same tour date. Getting that best deal is not always easy. I have to do what I have to do. I hate it especially when I have to undercut one of my bands for another. It can get tricky. You just have to understand the business. And I do.

3. Q. When and where were you the happiest?

A. Strange you should ask. If I had been asked this question last month, I don’t believe I would have had an answer. Just recently though…a few weeks ago, I ran into a childhood friend on a cruise ship. She was hosting her baby sister’s bachelorette party. Hadn’t see her in years–since high school. We had a few drinks on the ship. Some late night conversation. I had such a great time. Makes me wonder what my life would have been like, if I’d settled down with Shelby. Hmmmm.

4. Q.What is your biggest regret?

A. Wow! You’re not going to believe this but my biggest regret is not having children. Of course, with my life style, it’s probably for the best. But I use to imagine myself with twins. A girl and a boy. Blakely and Duncan. They’re beautiful. Curly , deep copper colored hair and hazel eyes. And of course, they both love music. She loves to sing and has such a range. And Duncan dominates the keyboard–like a Brian Culbertson.

5. Q. What is your motto?

A. Love this question. I have a wall hanging in my music room that says: “For all of you who gossip about me: Thanks for making me the center of your world.” I don’t know to whom I should attribute the quote but I use it all the time. It’s the story of my life. I love what I do. I love my artists. Music. And traveling. I love cutting that deal. I mind my business and wish those who speculate about my success, to leave me the H alone–pardon my French.

6. Q. Clothes in the hamper or on the floor?

A. My clothes go from the dry cleaner, to my suitcase, to my body and then, the floor. How’s that?

7. Q.Where do you see yourself in five years?

A. Five years older. Still charming. Haha. I’d like to think I’d be ready to settle down. Find me a special somebody–who loves music and maybe travel. Without the somebody, I see myself doing more of the same…traveling with my bands.

Stephany Tullis Bio

My spirituality is the force behind my being. In my world, there is no life without writing, traveling, family, music and my love of politics. My loves and interests are central to my writing.

I published my first novel The Master’s Plan, A Novel About Purpose in November 2013 and my first Christmas novel, 48 Hours ‘Til Christmas, in November 2014.

BLUE LADY (a short story), published in February 2015, launched my first series, The Angelica Mason Series. The first full installment in this series, entitled BLUE LADY’S Sweet Dreams is scheduled for release June 2016 to be followed by BLUE LADY’S Mission Impossible in the Fall 2016.

Beach Baby Blues is a part of the Anthology entitled, Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

You can find me on:

Stephany Tullis Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Take a peek at Stephany’s cover for Beach Baby Blues.

You can pre-order the collection

Amazon

Barnes & Noble