P.J. MacLayne

This week we’re doing a tutorial on a subject of our choosing. It took me a while to figure out what to write about—there’s lots of things I’m good at, but many of them are better taught hands-on rather than in written form. I’m a country girl at heart, and as a result, I know how to do things that people who never leave the city may not. So today I’m going to tell you how to start a campfire. No, I don’t expect you ti rub two sticks together. Matched are allowed!

But safety first. In the words of the legendary Smokey the Bear, only YOU can prevent forest fires. Here’s a few tips on how to do that.

First: have a bucket of water handy! Don’t even think about having a campfire unless you have a good source of water nearby! And just like in the picture, you should have a shovel too.

Next, build a campfire ring. Dig away all the grass, leaves, etc. that are in your chosen spot. Then dog a little deeper. (at least an inch. Now you have your base. Surround your spot with rocks (not from a creek bed or wet. They have the potential to explode)  Take a look overhead. Any dead branches or leaves that might catch fire from sparks? Choose another place for your fire. The bigger a fire you plan to have, the larger area you need to have clear, both on the ground and overhead.

Now it’s time to gather your wood. You are going to need several different sizes of fuel. You’ll want to start with tinder- that’s dry grass, dead pine needles, very small twigs, dried leaves, etc. Things that will catch fire quickly and burn hot. (Dried pine needles are the best!) But if you want to cheat a little, you can supplement your tinder with paper.

Next come kindling. Kindling is composed of bigger twigs and small branches. The largest branches and logs are called fuel, All your branches should be short enough to fit within your campfire ring. Cut them down to size if you need too.

Pile your kindling and fuel away from the fire ring. You don’t want to accidentally  catch them on fire.

Now to actually build your campfire.

Start with the tinder. Put it in the middle of the campfire ring. Don’t pack it down, fire needs air to burn, so pile it loosely.

Next add your tinder. There are several styles of campfires, the two most popular are tepee and log cabin. Tepee looks the easiest, but it can be difficult to get your sticks to lean against each other. The log cabin isn’t a true cabin, because you want to place your bigger kindling at the base and build upward and inward. No matter which style you choose, make sure you leave an opening to get to the tinder.

Now you’re ready to light the fire. Hopefully you’re using the large wooden matched, nit the kind you get in the little paper matches. Carefully light the match, and reach in and light the tinder. If you’re lucky and you’re tinder is good, it should light the first time. If not, try again.

As the tinder burns, it should catch the smallest kindling on fire. That will, in turn, light the bigger kindling. Add more kindling as needed, and carefully add larger branches once the fire in going. You don’t want to just drop them in and potentially spread sparks everywhere. You might get burnt! Same when you add the largest branches or logs.

Once the fire is burning well, sit back and enjoy. Add more fuel as needed.

Before leaving your campfire, make sure you put it out. Completely. And when you think it’s out, dump another bucket of water on it. Stir the ashes and make sure there are no hot spots left. Now dump another bucket of water on it.No kidding.

And that’s how you build a campfire!

Lela Markham is talking about how to quilt over on her blog.  Lela  Lela Markham is the pen name of an Alaskan novelist who was raised in a home built of books. Alaska is a grand adventure like none other with a culture that embraces summer adventure and winter artistic pursuits.

A multi-genre writer, currently Lela is concentrating on dystopian and fantasy, but you never know what her imagination might get up to.

Lela shares her life with her adventuresome husband, two fearless offspring and a sentient husky who keeps a yellow Lab for a pet.

You can find her books on Amazon. Lela’s Author Page

February 8, 2016 – Tutorial or How-To
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1.  What sort of conditions are most conducive to your productivity?

At the age of 47 I went to hell in my mind when first diagnosed with cancer, and thought of nothing but dying for at least a year.  However, 11 years later I am still here and in a much better frame of mind.  I’ve learned over the years that just because you’re diagnosed with cancer, it doesn’t always mean that your life is about to end.  Instead it sometimes means that you live with a chronic illness, but then again, lots of other people suffering from different conditions do this every day as well.

That one’s easy as well.  It’s got to be poor old Frances Andrews, my main character in The Porn Detective.  I made her go through hell; much more than I suffered myself, and I’m glad she came out of the experience as well as she did!





Thanks for answering my questions, Stevie! There are one or two of them I didn’t want to answer myself. To find out who Traci Carlisle Wooden interviewed, check out her blog HERE

Don’t forget to check out her books while you’re there.

My Beauty For Your Ashes is the first book, of a Christian-fiction series, that leads you through the lives of four people striving towards different marks with unexpected connections.
Though they hail from backgrounds that are worlds apart, it only takes one fateful accident to rearrange their priorities and set them on roads that intersect, forcing them to acknowledge the relationships they can’t do without.
Elder Paige Morganson has worked hard to overcome the anger, hate, and abuse of her past; Mason Jenson is a self-made man who has been able to create his own fortune and build a home life with his wife and child void of God’s help…so he thinks,; Elder Brandon Tatum’s, new in town, has prided himself on not making a move until he’s heard God; Victoria Branchett has ruthlessly survived the death of her only daughter by fierce determination, but is the strength she has relied on enough to see her through a failing marriage and an ailing grandchild?
This novel merges colorful characters facing one untimely circumstance after another, and mixes in a serious spin on how one views God, both inside and outside of His will. Of course, this is just the beginning. More people emerge from behind the scenes; some to help and others, to hurt. With everything happening simultaneously, one would almost question if God is able to truly fix and heal everything, and the readers will see just how far each person’s faith (or lack thereof) will carry them. As they sift through the debris of past dreams and hopes left by the wayside, they are offered a lifeline and given an opportunity to receive God’s Beauty for their ashes

Feb. 1, 2016 – Seven questions.
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1.  What sort of conditions are most conducive to your productivity?

At the age of 47 I went to hell in my mind when first diagnosed with cancer, and thought of nothing but dying for at least a year.  However, 11 years later I am still here and in a much better frame of mind.  I’ve learned over the years that just because you’re diagnosed with cancer, it doesn’t always mean that your life is about to end.  Instead it sometimes means that you live with a chronic illness, but then again, lots of other people suffering from different conditions do this every day as well.

That one’s easy as well.  It’s got to be poor old Frances Andrews, my main character in The Porn Detective.  I made her go through hell; much more than I suffered myself, and I’m glad she came out of the experience as well as she did!



Thanks for answering my questions, Stevie! There are one or two of them I didn’t want to answer myself. To find out who Traci Carlisle Wooden interviewed, check out her blog HERE

Don’t forget to check out her books while you’re there.

My Beauty For Your Ashes is the first book, of a Christian-fiction series, that leads you through the lives of four people striving towards different marks with unexpected connections.
Though they hail from backgrounds that are worlds apart, it only takes one fateful accident to rearrange their priorities and set them on roads that intersect, forcing them to acknowledge the relationships they can’t do without.
Elder Paige Morganson has worked hard to overcome the anger, hate, and abuse of her past; Mason Jenson is a self-made man who has been able to create his own fortune and build a home life with his wife and child void of God’s help…so he thinks,; Elder Brandon Tatum’s, new in town, has prided himself on not making a move until he’s heard God; Victoria Branchett has ruthlessly survived the death of her only daughter by fierce determination, but is the strength she has relied on enough to see her through a failing marriage and an ailing grandchild?
This novel merges colorful characters facing one untimely circumstance after another, and mixes in a serious spin on how one views God, both inside and outside of His will. Of course, this is just the beginning. More people emerge from behind the scenes; some to help and others, to hurt. With everything happening simultaneously, one would almost question if God is able to truly fix and heal everything, and the readers will see just how far each person’s faith (or lack thereof) will carry them. As they sift through the debris of past dreams and hopes left by the wayside, they are offered a lifeline and given an opportunity to receive God’s Beauty for their ashes

Feb. 1, 2016 – Seven questions.
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This week we’re talking about the backstory of our books. Since I have two different series, I decided to write about the most obvious one (in my mind). The Oak Grove Mysteries.

I’ve told bits and pieces of this story before, but my book, The Marquesa’s Necklace, didn’t start off as a mystery. It was supposed to be a romance—a romance with a touch of the paranormal. The Marquesa’s Necklace wasn’t even the original title. The working title of the book was The Ghost Who Loved Me. And yes, for those of you who’ve read the book, Eli was supposed to be a ghost.

But although I always have a basic plot in mind when I start writing a book, I allow myself to listen to my characters. And Harmony, the main character of the book, was absolutely certain that Eli wasn’t a figment of her rather vivid imagination nor an other-worldly apparition.  I tried to convince her otherwise, and her friends tried telling her she was wrong, but she wasn’t listening. So I gave in and made Eli real. Which worked out nicely for the book, and for Harmony.

Once I realized that Eli wasn’t a real ghost, I considered making him a spy. That way I could keep the title. That didn’t work out wither. Eli convinced me he wasn’t a James Bond wanna-be, he was just a very skilled computer programmer with white-hat hacking skills. He didn’t want to have to run all over the world, his long-distance relationship with Harmony is tough enough as it is.

Not only did Eli fall in love with Harmony, so did I. I hadn’t planned to make the original book a series, but I knew before I got done writing the first book there would be another. Harmony was fun to write, and fun to spend time with.

So the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring, happened. And unexpectedly, Jake happened too. He was supposed to be just a small piece of backstory. The guy who broke Harmony’s heart and almost ruined her life. But no, he tried to take over the whole book. Thankfully, Harmony is one strong lady and she put him in his place. It was her book and her story, and  if he didn’t like it, too bad.

But Harmony isn’t done with me yet. I’m writing a third book of her adventures. It’s tentatively called “The Baron’s Cufflinks.” I’m finding this book a little harder to write. Not because Harmony has stopped talking to me, but because other writing projects keep getting in the way. But I will finish it, I promise you. Harmony won’t let me rest if I don’t. And who knows, there may be a fourth book as well. I haven’t run out of jewelry to use in the title.

Oh, and the original title? The Ghost Who Loved Me? I haven’t given up on that title yet. There may still be a book by that name. But Harmony won’t be in it. At least, I don’t think she will be.

To buy the books of The Oak Grove Mysteries (if you haven’t already) check out the My Books page here on my blog. You’ll find my Free Wolves books there too, including my newest release, Wolves’ Knight.

To find out the backstory of author Nicole Sorrell’s  book, catch her post at Nicole Sorrell  She’s highlighting her book The Art of Going Home.

Maddie dreads going home to face the memories of her dead sister. But she must go back to the tiny town after a decade to attend a funeral. As it turns out, the haunting reminders of her twin are the least of her worries. . .

     Not given any details of her sister’s murder at the age of ten, Maddie is persuaded to track down the killer. Following one ominous clue after another, she learns the surrogate family she thought honestly loved her has been hiding the truth of her childhood for eighteen years. As suppressed memories of her past come crashing forward, Maddie begins to doubt everything she once believed. And everybody she thought she could trust.

     Including Zac, her high school crush. Though she can’t seem to find the strength to resist their mutual attraction, Maddie isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to forgive his betrayal. As she struggles to come to grips with her family’s past and absolve those who deceived her, can she survive the horrifying discovery of who killed her sister?

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This week we’re talking about the backstory of our books. Since I have two different series, I decided to write about the most obvious one (in my mind). The Oak Grove Mysteries.

I’ve told bits and pieces of this story before, but my book, The Marquesa’s Necklace, didn’t start off as a mystery. It was supposed to be a romance—a romance with a touch of the paranormal. The Marquesa’s Necklace wasn’t even the original title. The working title of the book was The Ghost Who Loved Me. And yes, for those of you who’ve read the book, Eli was supposed to be a ghost.

But although I always have a basic plot in mind when I start writing a book, I allow myself to listen to my characters. And Harmony, the main character of the book, was absolutely certain that Eli wasn’t a figment of her rather vivid imagination nor an other-worldly apparition.  I tried to convince her otherwise, and her friends tried telling her she was wrong, but she wasn’t listening. So I gave in and made Eli real. Which worked out nicely for the book, and for Harmony.

Once I realized that Eli wasn’t a real ghost, I considered making him a spy. That way I could keep the title. That didn’t work out wither. Eli convinced me he wasn’t a James Bond wanna-be, he was just a very skilled computer programmer with white-hat hacking skills. He didn’t want to have to run all over the world, his long-distance relationship with Harmony is tough enough as it is.

Not only did Eli fall in love with Harmony, so did I. I hadn’t planned to make the original book a series, but I knew before I got done writing the first book there would be another. Harmony was fun to write, and fun to spend time with.

So the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring, happened. And unexpectedly, Jake happened too. He was supposed to be just a small piece of backstory. The guy who broke Harmony’s heart and almost ruined her life. But no, he tried to take over the whole book. Thankfully, Harmony is one strong lady and she put him in his place. It was her book and her story, and  if he didn’t like it, too bad.

But Harmony isn’t done with me yet. I’m writing a third book of her adventures. It’s tentatively called “The Baron’s Cufflinks.” I’m finding this book a little harder to write. Not because Harmony has stopped talking to me, but because other writing projects keep getting in the way. But I will finish it, I promise you. Harmony won’t let me rest if I don’t. And who knows, there may be a fourth book as well. I haven’t run out of jewelry to use in the title.

Oh, and the original title? The Ghost Who Loved Me? I haven’t given up on that title yet. There may still be a book by that name. But Harmony won’t be in it. At least, I don’t think she will be.

To buy the books of The Oak Grove Mysteries (if you haven’t already) check out the My Books page here on my blog. You’ll find my Free Wolves books there too, including my newest release, Wolves’ Knight.

To find out the backstory of author Nicole Sorrell’s  book, catch her post at Nicole Sorrell  She’s highlighting her book The Art of Going Home.

Maddie dreads going home to face the memories of her dead sister. But she must go back to the tiny town after a decade to attend a funeral. As it turns out, the haunting reminders of her twin are the least of her worries. . .

     Not given any details of her sister’s murder at the age of ten, Maddie is persuaded to track down the killer. Following one ominous clue after another, she learns the surrogate family she thought honestly loved her has been hiding the truth of her childhood for eighteen years. As suppressed memories of her past come crashing forward, Maddie begins to doubt everything she once believed. And everybody she thought she could trust.

     Including Zac, her high school crush. Though she can’t seem to find the strength to resist their mutual attraction, Maddie isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to forgive his betrayal. As she struggles to come to grips with her family’s past and absolve those who deceived her, can she survive the horrifying discovery of who killed her sister?

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2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
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4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
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I was raised a good Catholic girl in a good Catholic family. My friends were all from good Catholic families. I went to a good Catholic school. Swearing wasn’t a thing. I think I was twelve or thirteen the first time I heard my father swear. And that was some fool ran a stop sign and almost collided with us. By us I mean my father who was driving, my mother, and I’m not sure how many of us kids in a station wagon. Dad managed to avoid the accident, but he did let one bad word slip out. I think it was “damn”— if I remember correctly. And my mother, very quietly, shushed him.

By the time I was in eighth grade, I was reading books well above my grade level. And yes, I’d come across an occasional swear word or two. I was sure my parents would be horrified, so I didn’t tell them. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

Then I got to college. And I didn’t go to a Catholic college. But people were, for the most part, still very polite. There wasn’t a whole lot of swearing going on, but someone would drop am occasional damn or shit. (I warned you!) It didn’t bother me.

Then I switched colleges and started mingling with a much different group of people. The school was out west, and the students came from a diverse background, including ranchers and cowboys and oil field workers and even from families of migrant farm workers. Suddenly, swearing seemed to be a part of everyday language. While I found it surprising, it didn’t shock me. So when I met my now-husband, his frequent use “improper” words only took a little getting use to. And my “vocabulary” expanded.

Eventually, as a mature woman, I started working in a field that was dominated by young males. Their “working” language defied anyone’s definition of traditional proper English. I chose to take it as a compliment that they felt safe enough in my presence to not worry about offending me. I was one of the boys.

Somewhere along the way, I figured it out. Swear words are just another combination of the 26 letters we use for everything else, and they only have the power we give them. What we in the Unites States consider a “bad” word, may not hold that same meaning or that same power in another country.

So when I’m writing my books, I listen to my characters and the situations they are in to determine if the use of swear words is appropriate. The chances of me writing a Catholic priest using swear words are slim to none. But my lone-wolf shifter who has been on the run, living on the street, moving from town to town, has been known to drop a few words my mother wouldn’t find respectable. And even my ex-librarian, while she may watch herself while in polite company, isn’t totally adverse to letting a damn or a shit slip from her mouth once in a while. She certainly gets herself into predicaments that warrant a few harsher words than that.

On the other hand, I believe the use of rough language can be overused. I recently wrote a scene where one of the characters used an excessive amount of foul language. I was cringing as i wrote it, but I didn’t see a way out of it. The character uses profanity as a way of making herself appear tougher and less vulnerable. So while it was true to the character, it wasn’t true to me and my normal writing style. In the end, I chose to write the character as she wanted to be presented. I just made that scene as short as possible as a compromise.

To find out what Nicole Sorrell has to say about swearing, visit her blog Nicole Sorrell.  Nicole is the author of “The Art of Going Home.” And feel free to share your thoughts about wearing in the comments. (just keep them moderately clean, okay?)

Maddie dreads going home to face the memories of her dead sister. But she must return to the tiny town after a decade to attend a funeral. As it turns out, the haunting reminders of her twin are the least of her worries…

Not given any details of her sister’s murder at the age of ten, Maddie is persuaded to track down the killer. Following one ominous clue after another, she learns the surrogate family she thought honestly loved her has been hiding the truth of her childhood for eighteen years. As suppressed memories of her past come crashing forward, Maddie begins to doubt everything she once believed. And everybody she thought she could trust.

Including Zac, her high school crush. Though she can’t seem to find the strength to resist their mutual attraction, Maddie isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to forgive his betrayal. As she struggles to come to grips with her family’s past and absolve those who deceived her, will she survive the horrifying discovery of who killed her sister?

With poignancy and clarity, author Nicole Sorrell spins a tale of a young woman’s personal journey as she faces her vulnerabilities and tries to accept the love of a man who may hold the key to her happiness. The story is a testament to the real meaning of family and the enduring strength of a sister’s bond.

Please note: contains mature content.

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I was raised a good Catholic girl in a good Catholic family. My friends were all from good Catholic families. I went to a good Catholic school. Swearing wasn’t a thing. I think I was twelve or thirteen the first time I heard my father swear. And that was some fool ran a stop sign and almost collided with us. By us I mean my father who was driving, my mother, and I’m not sure how many of us kids in a station wagon. Dad managed to avoid the accident, but he did let one bad word slip out. I think it was “damn”— if I remember correctly. And my mother, very quietly, shushed him.

By the time I was in eighth grade, I was reading books well above my grade level. And yes, I’d come across an occasional swear word or two. I was sure my parents would be horrified, so I didn’t tell them. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

Then I got to college. And I didn’t go to a Catholic college. But people were, for the most part, still very polite. There wasn’t a whole lot of swearing going on, but someone would drop am occasional damn or shit. (I warned you!) It didn’t bother me.

Then I switched colleges and started mingling with a much different group of people. The school was out west, and the students came from a diverse background, including ranchers and cowboys and oil field workers and even from families of migrant farm workers. Suddenly, swearing seemed to be a part of everyday language. While I found it surprising, it didn’t shock me. So when I met my now-husband, his frequent use “improper” words only took a little getting use to. And my “vocabulary” expanded.

Eventually, as a mature woman, I started working in a field that was dominated by young males. Their “working” language defied anyone’s definition of traditional proper English. I chose to take it as a compliment that they felt safe enough in my presence to not worry about offending me. I was one of the boys.

Somewhere along the way, I figured it out. Swear words are just another combination of the 26 letters we use for everything else, and they only have the power we give them. What we in the Unites States consider a “bad” word, may not hold that same meaning or that same power in another country.

So when I’m writing my books, I listen to my characters and the situations they are in to determine if the use of swear words is appropriate. The chances of me writing a Catholic priest using swear words are slim to none. But my lone-wolf shifter who has been on the run, living on the street, moving from town to town, has been known to drop a few words my mother wouldn’t find respectable. And even my ex-librarian, while she may watch herself while in polite company, isn’t totally adverse to letting a damn or a shit slip from her mouth once in a while. She certainly gets herself into predicaments that warrant a few harsher words than that.

On the other hand, I believe the use of rough language can be overused. I recently wrote a scene where one of the characters used an excessive amount of foul language. I was cringing as i wrote it, but I didn’t see a way out of it. The character uses profanity as a way of making herself appear tougher and less vulnerable. So while it was true to the character, it wasn’t true to me and my normal writing style. In the end, I chose to write the character as she wanted to be presented. I just made that scene as short as possible as a compromise.

To find out what Nicole Sorrell has to say about swearing, visit her blog Nicole Sorrell.  Nicole is the author of “The Art of Going Home.” And feel free to share your thoughts about wearing in the comments. (just keep them moderately clean, okay?)

Maddie dreads going home to face the memories of her dead sister. But she must return to the tiny town after a decade to attend a funeral. As it turns out, the haunting reminders of her twin are the least of her worries…

Not given any details of her sister’s murder at the age of ten, Maddie is persuaded to track down the killer. Following one ominous clue after another, she learns the surrogate family she thought honestly loved her has been hiding the truth of her childhood for eighteen years. As suppressed memories of her past come crashing forward, Maddie begins to doubt everything she once believed. And everybody she thought she could trust.

Including Zac, her high school crush. Though she can’t seem to find the strength to resist their mutual attraction, Maddie isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to forgive his betrayal. As she struggles to come to grips with her family’s past and absolve those who deceived her, will she survive the horrifying discovery of who killed her sister?

With poignancy and clarity, author Nicole Sorrell spins a tale of a young woman’s personal journey as she faces her vulnerabilities and tries to accept the love of a man who may hold the key to her happiness. The story is a testament to the real meaning of family and the enduring strength of a sister’s bond.

Please note: contains mature content.

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2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
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4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ‪#‎OpenBook‬ when tweeting.
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ZOMBIES!

Welcome to another Monday edition of the Open Book Blog Hop. This week we’re talking about Zombies. They’re everywhere. On TV, in book and movies, and maybe even wandering your city streets in a Zombie Festival. Frankly, I’m over them.

The first zombie movie, The White Zombie, was made in 1032! It told the story of a young woman being turned into a zombie by a voodoo master.

Today’s modern zombies were developed in the 1960’s. And while I can the understand the concept of the undead controlled by drugs and puppet master, I can’t wrap my intellectual mind around the dead-but-not dead.

I mean, if zombies move so slow, why can’t humans just run away? And if they can’t think, how hard should it be to outwit them? And how do they exist without eating and drinking? After all, they do have human bodies, and in order to keep functions going—like walking around—muscles have to get energy somewhere!

And without blood, how does the body keep functioning? In the current popular show, you see zombies with no legs or no arms, still “not-alive.” My logical mind can’t comprehend how that can happen. After all, they would have bled out at some point and died-died.

And if they are mindless, why the heck don’t they attack each other? How can they possibly think well enough to recognize a fellow zombie from a human? Talk about an easy meat source and I’ve yet to hear of a zombie eating another zombie. Or would the universe as we know it implode upon itself if a zombie attacked another zombie?

So while I can see the fun in pretending to be a zombie or a zombie killer, I ‘m not a big fan of zombie movies or books. I’ve watched snippets of the current popular show, and found myself picking away at the plot and characters.

But love ’em or hate ’em, zombies are hot. Feel free to tell us what you think about zombies  in the comments.

To find out what P.J. Fiala thinks about zombies, visit her blog. HERE.  And don’t forget to check out her newest release, Danny’s War. It’s on my wish list, and is available on Amazon and at other ebook retailers.  Danny’s War

An artist, a veteran, and a motorcycle….nothing could be better.

Returning home from war a changed man is difficult for Danny Schaefer. Losing his leg and then his girlfriend made him feel like he’d never be whole again. Then he meets Tammy Davis, a vivacious beauty burdened with a secret betrayal that has left her shaken and wary. Tammy mends her wounds by painting; Danny is searching for his own way.

When they meet the sparks fly, but both desire to take it slow. Tammy’s job is uncertain, her new boss wants more than her superior work product and she finds herself torn between love and duty. As Danny discovers a way to heal, he finds himself in the fight of his life – a fight for Tammy’s heart.

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