National Novel Writing Month

November is one of my favorite months of the year. Its the anniversary of when my grandparents came to this country, its the anniversary of when a lot of my family became believers, its Thanksgiving, its one of my sister's birthday, and its National Novel Writing month.





I heard about this a number of years ago, and try and participate everyyear. I'm not to great with getting 50,000 words in in one month, but it's great practice. Anyway, my piece this year is that historical fiction thing I've been meaning to try and write for years. I made a collage to help me get a handle on all of my ideas, so there it is. I hope I actually finish it!

Additionally, here is a prayer written by the Patron Saint of journalists and writers:

"Lord, I am Yours, and I must belong to no one but You.
My soul is Yours, and must live only by You.
My will is Yours, and must love only for You.
I must love You as my first cause, since I am from You.
I must love You as my end and rest, since I am for You.
I must love You more than my own being, since my being subsists by You.
I must love You more than myself, since I am all Yours and all in You. Amen."
-Prayer of St Francis De Sales

Weddings and Murder

So over this weekend I babysat and read Melody Carlson's "Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah." This book is the final book in the 4 books series 86 Bloomsberg Place. In my opinion, it was one of the strongest in the series. Lelani and Gil are getting married, Gil's sister Ana is having difficulties at work and in love, her housemate Megan's boyfriend just up and leaves her for a mission trip to Africa with next to no notice, and crazy Kendall is marrying her Maui Man. Throughout the whole book the girls struggle with patience and communicating (in life who doesn't)? I believe that many Church pew Christians will identify with Megan and Ana, while many of those trying to figure out how to balance life will identify with Kendall and Lelani.

For my self it was a hard book to read, simply because I began this series a year or so ago while in a dating relationship, and ended up reading the last book of this series single, with no prospects at all. I think I most closely identified with Ana, although my mother and I have a wonderful relationship. I kind of wish that there would be a spin off series with Ana, Megan and their men. I could go on, but I'll just shut up and give Mrs. Carlson a Gold Star!

As for "Midnight in Madrid" by Noel Hynd, this is the type of novel that I would relate more too in away because I am single. Although it kind of makes me glad I'm single. Single people can go off and have adventures while those married are tied to their apartment and responsibilities. In the first book, Alex LaDuca loses someone who she loves with her life, and in the second book she is on vacation recovering from said loss when artistic disaster strikes. The suspense kept me turning pages every night this weekend and made me wish I had mastered all of the languages I took in college. Many murders later, we realize that Alex might just be ok after all. Gold Star Mr. Hynd for a novel that was as entertaining as it was encouraging.

Both of these novels show that love changes us. God's love is there all along, and sometimes he brings godly men into our lives to love, and sometimes he doesn't bring a spouse, but a people we care deeply for. Either way, God's love sets us free.

High School Humiliation week & books

So Anne and May, those lovely ladies who wrote A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS asked people what their most humiliating moments were in high school. Well, I thought about it for 2 days and then this morning it came to me, and I was even more embarrassed. Notice the picture, its me 15, in 10th grade at my surprise quinceanera. Notice I'm not wearing a lame gown. That was 2001.

You see, my sister and I used to take the bus. I used to sit next to a cute kid who I didn't think was "Christian" enough to date. We became bus-buddies though & I guess you could say and he always knew who I was crushing on and resented them for it. As it happens, a family from my church, took in a foreign exchange student from Ecuador (this is not to be confused with the foreign exchange student from my freshman year Spanish class I mentioned on Camy Tangs website). This boy was tall, way cute, and an upperclassman. He often wore a jean jacket, a white sweater and was the Antonio Banderas version of Eric Matthews from Boy Meets World (in my humble opinion).

Anyway, so 10th grade was the year I was all into poetry, ok, I was always into poetry. Well, I wrote him a poem. and I showed it to my bus-buddy. I didn't title it or anything, and all I remember are the lines, "Hero from across the sea, came to sit in front of me." Yeah, it was that bad. Bus-buddy laughed, and then stood up and said "Hey Eric Banderas (I can't remember his real name), Mandy wrote a poem about you!"

I tore it out of his hands, but for the rest of the ride home it was "Oooo your eyes are so dark and dreamy," or "oooo your my latin lover from across the ocean."

So there you have it. One of my most humiliating moments in high school. I have a bunch, though, and most involved foreigner exchangers. Oh and this week we're reading: Midnight in Madrid by Noel Hynd

Do you cry when a character in a book dies?

Ok so this weekend I read Noel Hynd's novel "Conspiracy in Kiev" as you'll note from my last post. And while there was no sex (yay I won the bet!) there was a lot of flirting and bantering back and forth between characters. There were jealous boyfriend's, and jealous Ukrainian mobsters...and death. I mean you have to have death in a political/spy thriller right? I expected certain characters to die, or be kidnapped, but of course Mr. Hynd pulls a fast one on me. A totally unsuspected death in the novel.

And the most surprising thing out of the whole day was not that one character died. No, no, the most surprising thing to me was the fact that when I came home from bringing James (a 4 month old we have in our home now) from the doctor, my sister was up in our room all emotional about a character who died in a series she was reading! And since I hadn't yet read the death of the character in Hynd's novel, I was a jerk. I mean my sister is reading a YA series, Cirque du Freak or something like that and is almost done the series. A major character dies. All day she was complaining, "How could the author do this?" And of course I have to be a professional jerk and say, "Well you know, authors are really thinking of the story arc and character development and how could this one character develop if this other character was holding his hand the whole time?"

Is it silly to cry over fake people? See, I view it this way: we will never know the lives of FBI guys or Secret Service or CIA people, so in a way, when I get upset over the death of a character in a novel, I'm thinking: there is a chance that one of these patriots has died like this or in a similar way; and: isn't the world so unfair?

This is only one of the many reasons why my mother only reads memoirs and biographies. When she gets upset over characters in books, she wants it to be real people she has learned about and formed an attachment too, not fake people.

I give this book a Gold Star, not only for the emotional response it invoked, but because of a particular character's faith in God and the theme of long-suffering through out the novel. Bravo!

I forgot it was Hispanic Heritage Month

SO I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.

To be fair, as a month it was only instituted in 1988 but no one really cared until1996, which mean that at the end of my elementary experience, someone in Washington made noise about a formerly passed law, which made teachers and the media have to start incorporating what it means to be Hispanic into their lesson plans and the media. This sounds like a great idea right? Well the problem with this is that very few teachers in the schools I went to knew about this proclamation from Washington. Or if they did they were a) the ESL teacher (a class I was NOT in) or b) the Spanish teacher (who spoke Spanish with an Italian accent that made it different for certain native speakers to understand her). Needless to say, its understandable why I would forget that September is Hispanic Heritage month.

I often say my family hails from 2 countries in Latin America. Cuba. Colombia. When people ask me what my background is, they usually assume I'll say Sicily or Italy or something to that nature. Usually I just smile and say "No, I'm Cuban-Colombian." What follows next is the most insulting remark ever: "You don't LOOK Latino." I smile and shrug and say "Well you know."

What I'm thinking is this: Latin America is very diverse. Hispanics (I prefer this term over Latino) are usually made up of former inhabitants of the Iberian peninsula, the Netherlands (remember Spain used to own them) and even some Germans and Austrians, in some places the decedents of indigenous peoples and along the coastal regions, Africans.

Anyway, I thought about what do so that's special about this month, but really, I am Hispanic, I live it out each day with out effort since its my way of life, so what's to celebrate? I think there should be a Christian Heritage Month because that would give me something more challenging to live out. But maybe I'll hop on over to Babalu blog and check in on the Cuban-American news?

(book reviews resume next week).

Day of Three Novels

Ok so this was an eventful weekend! What with doing laundry and eating brunch with the family and...PROTESTORS MARCHING ON WASHINGTON. Between that, and Taylor Swift getting dissed, oh, and the Princeton Jazz Festival...Is it any wonder I had a case of the Mondays yesterday?

Anyway, true to my word I'm sitting here prepared to review two novels for you this week. Well, actually three. Melody Carlson's FINAL Diary of a Teenage Girl book came out over the weekend and I had to snatch it up. So let me start there!

Maya Stark is a bi-racial girl struggling to follow Jesus. In the third book of her series she is a high school senior dealing with her African-American Father's music legacy and her Caucasian mother's absence. She is still living with her uncle, and still being "just friends" with her man Dominique. Melody Carlson really out does her self here. Maya does things against the grain in this story (hard to describe without giving much away) but she stays true to who God made her to be, and in the end, realizes that what matters most is creating a home with those God has given to you to love. Gold Star Melody!

Secondly I have Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane. This book is a delightful easy read for those of us who adore novels set in Philadelphia. What I loved most about this novel was not the protagonist or her family, (which I believe was kind of the point) but her fiance and best friend who were there to tell her the hard truth about her self and her world. It really took a good look at what it meant to be a "real" artist in this world. Silver Star Megan Crane!


Finally, I have to review This Side of Married. I think the error I made here was reading two novels written for women about family relationships in Philadelphia. This one seemed forced and lacked a lot of the natural charm that the other one hard. The mother seems heavy-handed and old fashioned in her desire to married off her daughters and have them make babies just to inherit some dishes. It was enjoyable enough and well written enough that I rate it with a PASS but I wouldn't recommend it.

Next week.... "This Side of Paradise" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "Prophet" by Frank Perretti.

Puddle Wonderful Days

Whenever I am in a super happy mood, I quote e.e.cummings. Specifically his poem about when the world was puddle wonderful. That fully describes the weekend I had, relaxing after an exhausting week at work, then going to my grandfather's 70th birthday party. God is beautiful and he creates beautiful lives.

Anyway, this past week I have been taking my lunch in the local shops around olde city, and I've been reading "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears. I went to a Christian elementary and middle school before being thrust into the wide world of public high school and a public university. I read C.S.Lewis in high school, and wandered around in emerging type books in college, so this book was a call back to true faith for me, a soul-brace if you will. It made me want to study the Bible again, not just take whatever popular "Christian" belief is out there. The chapter I liked best was about Jesus' resurrection. I would sub-title it "The common man's apologetics" because its more readable to most people than C.S.Lewis and its contemporary to our time. Gold Star for Driscoll and Bresheares.

Next week: "Names my sisters call me" and "This side of Married"

Now Showing...

I went to see the Broadway musical "Chicago" with my sister on my last night in New York. Balcony seats. It was marvelous, even if Jerry Springer was playing the lawyer Billy Flynn. I loved the whole experience. Although it bothers me that no one dresses up to go to the theater any more, not to the nines, especially those in the cheap seats, like we were. My sister and I were raised to wear black to the theater, so if you have to get up in the middle of the performance, you're not noticable (My family is big on theater, books and movies). Anyway, people were in sundresses, which is ok, you made an effort, but jeans-shorts? Come on. Respect the arts. They put in hours of practice into it, I think you can look a little bit nice in return, right?

Anyway, in other news, my books came in the mail!!! I'm very excited to read "Little Earthquakes" by Jennifer Weiner, "This Side of Married" by Rachel Pastan, and "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscoll this week. The first two are lighthearted reads that use the city of Philadelphia as their setting while the third book is a book about Jesus. I'll have a review for you next week on how they went!

And hopefully I'll have heard about Milwaukee by next Tuesday.

Everyday Life

So I'm sitting here after work and I am watching "The Wedding Singer." It has been on TV twice since I've come to stay here. All I have to say is I can't believe Billy Idol is in this movie! I always forget what other songs he has done.

Speaking of good stories, I like the story of Ruth. I led an indepth Bible study on the book of Ruth about two years ago. Do you know much about Ruth? Ruth was a Moabite. The Moabites are the descendants of Lot and one of his daughters (Lot was Abraham's nephew).

The Bible in my classroom at work upsets me because its introduction is so clearly written by a stone-cold scholar! The man (surely it is a man) says in the introduction to the book, "The peaceful story of Ruth comes between two violent books of the Bible." I didn't read much further than that to be honest because I disagree! Peaceful book?? How can you say that? Ruth married as a teenager, bore no children, and ten years later was widowed. Which means that she if she married at the usual age (between 12 and 18) then she would be a widow during her 20s! That cannot be a peaceful story! That is tragic!" It reminds me of a Bible version of P.S. I Love You. She spent ten of her "best" years with one guy and now society is telling her she's past her expiration date.

It seems God has wanted me to hear about Ruth and Naomi and how they stuck to God during the hard times. I'm not really sure why, as I'm pretty happy right at this moment, but--get this--when I left Philly I was bummed that I would be missing out on the summer sermon series of Ruth. So then I come to Bethany and BAM! they are just starting the sermon series on Ruth. Then in my devotional, the theme for July is "God in everyday life". So my question goes out to you bloggers, where do you see God intervining in your every day life?

Day of Babyfingers

So I am living with my Uncle, Aunt, their baby, my maternal Grandfather and maternal Grandmother for the summer (not the ones from the last blog entry). All in one house. I am working as the Art Instructor at a school Monday thru Thursday. I am enjoying it a lot. I'm actually surprised.

Most of all, there is my baby cousin. She is 1 year and one month and I wish I had a recent photo to put up but I don't.

Anyway so tonight at dinner she pinched me! Hard! Her little baby fingers are so sharp and she gives the teeny-est, tiny-est pinches that hurt super bad.

And did I mention her baby kisses? She gives these weird open mouthed kisses that are more like being licked by a puppy than really getting a little kiss. It will be a cute embarrassing story for her future first boyfriend-when she's 30.

In other news, I am only 30 pages away from completing my mystery novel. Let's all raise a cheer! It's weird though. I'm kind of scared that when I give the 2nd half of the revised copy the small publisher won't think its good. And if he does, and we work to get it published, what if I can't write another good story? This novel was fun to write, but it was hard work too. And what's more is that the next novel I want to write is a historical mystery. I've been wanting to write one for a while but it just won't work out right. Tell me, dear reader, do you ever wonder what it's like to see your goal only footsteps away? Do you hesitate or do you bull rush it?

29200 Days and writing well

5 Things I’ve learned from my 80-year-old grandmother:

1.Pray for your husband, even if you don’t have one yet. This woman has been praying that I marry well since I was 15.
2.Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. She wears the simplest of jewelry but its always something pretty. Plus she's the one that started me on my jewlery box collection.
3.Any time’s a good time to travel. She's gone more places since retiring than most people have in their entire lives.
4.Take each day one at a time, just like the stairs. She may not like being alive or going up flights of stairs, but she certainly doesn't worry about tomorrow.
5.Computers are conquerable, no matter how many wires or buttons they may have! She is 80 and she e-mails. Who does that? And I complain that I can don't footnotes right, shame on me!

*she's the one standing in the picture.

Day of Writer's Block

So last week I sprained my ankle.

It looks like a lame fall right? I mean guys keep on asking me if it was a sports injury and I have to reply, "No, no I'm just short and lame and I fell down 4 stairs when trying to close a window." Meanwhile I wish I could be saying "Yes it was a sports injury, I was training for the next summer Olympics where I will be running the 100 yard dash.

During this time I have written 2 pages in my work-in-progress and I have gotten 2 e-mails from the publisher I am working with asking me for the revised copy of my mystery novel. I'm hyperventilating.

The good news is that I did not have to go into jury duty with my sprained ankle. The bad news is that I did not have to go into jury duty.

My doctor told me no running for a week or two AT LEAST. He stressed that last bit. Now of course you know what I wish I were doing right now? Running.

I need to get back to writing.

Day of Typewriter!

So, I e-mail the 1st half of my mystery manuscript to a certain publisher for him to take a look at. With any luck, I will be published next year.

Thinking about this while straightening my hair this morning made me think of the beginning of my writing asperations.

I first wanted to become a writer in Miss. Murphy's second grade class. My first ever story was about my cat Rainbow.

After this I wrote stories about my school in a black and white composition book. I changed all the names of course (I knew about libel at a young age somehow) and they all pretty much ended in some one being converted to Christianity in a way that John Wesley would die for.

I think my writing got muddled for a while after I spent a couple years reading Sandra Cisneros and Julia Alveraz. I thought hispanic writing ought to look a certain way, so I tried to immitate it. This is also around the time my father found this 1932 Corona typewriter and gave it to me for my 10 birthday. I wrote 4 pretty amazing stories about Maria, Jesus and Theresa living in Spanish Harlem. These are the only stories I like from this era of my writing. And yes, Maria and Jesus are Mary and Jesus. They make a special appearance and convert Theresa's family. I swear some times I should have been a Catholic.

Next up comes stories filled with teen angst. I think its because when I was 12 and 1/2 my grandfather died and then there were all kinds of family drama. My writing reflects that in an amplified way. Characters were being pushed down stairs, disowned, abandoned in diners full of wilting flowers... Actually, I wrote a pretty good stage play from all this. I used The Godfather as a template but the story is entirely my own. Its about a man who marries the wrong woman. Very dramatic.

After this my stories died down a bit, and I spent almost all of college writing poetry. I wrote one story, OK two, but my heart wasn't in them. Then I got into mysteries. Enough said.

Day of Sopping Wet Rain Race

It rained for all of ten minutes about two hours ago and my sister and I were right in the middle of it. We ran all the way from our front door to the truck, and boy were we soaked. Then we went to 7-11 and became even soaked-er. By the time we reached the house and our room we were a sopping mess.

Which reminded me of Jane Austen's book Sense and Sensibility. The part where the girl played by Kate Winslet (and her eyebrows) gets caught in the rain and has to stay at the eligible bachelor's house? Ok, so I didn't read this book, but I do own the movie.

In fact I hate Pride and Predjudice. I never read Persuasion, Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park. I did read Emma though. I love that book, the BBC verson AND the 1995 movie "Clueless."

Anyway, I just wanted to post and update saying I'm glad to be in the house reading "A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith" by Lori Smith. I'm thinking of my summer plans. I'm so excited to be doing something different.

And don't worry, I do plan to write while I'm in NJ.

Days of being Hospitable

I was awakened this morning by the cries of a 17yr old boy who is mentally disabled. My mom does therapeutic foster care, and as I still live at home, sometimes this is how I am awakened. Sometimes the children she takes in have anger issues, abandonment issues, mental issues, medical issues, and sometimes none or all of these problems. My parents began this vocation when I was in first grade. After giving birth to my sister and I; Mom, (with Dad's full support) decided to open her home to others, citing James 1:27 as her reasoning. It goes like this: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I love that Dad and Mom do this. Because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and the love of children God placed in Mom and Dad's hearts, they have taken in 8 girls and just as many boys over the last 16 years. Usually each child lives with us for two years, and either age out of the system, go to live with their relatives, or (in the worst of cases) go to a residential facility. In my life, this has taught me how to be hospitable, selfless, considerate, and patient. Most certainly patient.

My father keeps telling my mother to tell me stories of what she has learned about child-rearing from each kid, and for me to transcribe this into a book of memoirs. He says that it will be a best-seller and will encourage other Americans to be courageous and to open their homes to wards of the state. I smile and think, that is not the type of writing I am used to, but I know it will help other therapeutic foster parents to be encouraged and to keep up the good work. So, when my mom is really, I have a pen and paper at the ready!

I love what my parents do. There are rare moments though when I don't always feel comfortable living at such an open home. The biggest problem I've had over the years has been with boyfriends. These guys either have a problem with my desire to write for a living or my desire to have a big family. These guys are the ones who want a secluded 3 bdrm house with 1.5 kids and a dog, while I know I want 5 kids (mine or the state's, it makes no difference) and a hospitable house. I don't know if any guys at the local pub, or even the church will want so many kids, especially if some of the gang are not from their loins. But I think I'll keep praying. Only God knows what the future holds. ;)

A Day of Chuckles

So chapter 3 is done!

It took multiple hours, and a couple of read-throughs, but its great. The tension between the 2 ex-best friends is going well. The reader is finding out a little bit about why they hate each other, but not everything. I finally created minor character-growing problems for the men in the novel too. And like all small towns I’ve ever been too, it seems like everyone who’s married is related to everyone else in town and new people are looked upon as outsiders. I think it’s a little heavy on the dialogue, but it was necessary to the story, so it works.

So I am working on chapter 4 this week and I am not sure where to go. I have a letter from the past, 2 scared children, a pastor in the hospital, another one on the way and a ticked off fiancé. Some how I have to bring all of these characters together for the murder scene in chapter 5.

Anyway in other news: Aggie and I went to Transformed last night. We are used to going to a church that answers the pastor when he asks questions, one where people are encouraged/allowed to say “amen” when they feel the need. So it was funny last night when the decent looking announcer/jock guy was giving the announcements (and Aggie and I were commenting). I didn't think anyone could hear us, but then I think we actually made him nervous. At one point he was going on about how there is going to be this new relationship-focused Bible study on Thursdays, and I groaned, rolled my eyes and leaned my head on my sister’s shoulder. (I am sick of Christian dating books) He actually looked at us and said, “No! It’s not that bad. . .” We are trying not to be such vocal parishioners, but we aren’t doing so well with that. God made us loud, our parents made us opinionated.

Until next week! Keep writing ladies!

A day of mysteries and haystacks

So yesterday while working out at the Y, I came up with the next chapter of my current story. (Yay me!) And then I proceeded to figure out which character should be my murderer. Because, as you know, in every mystery story the bad guy has to be there from the beginning. I figured out which character would do and it made my day. I just have to write it.

Why didn't I write it when I got home? Well, Aggie and I decided to give away our cats. It was a melancholy day really. And that old R&B song about "every single day. . . I'll be missing you" was playing on the radio when we got to the SPCA. It really made the day kind of literary.

Any way, back to writing. I have this white notebook I write in when I am either plotting, or thinking of new ideas and I am super excited. I just came up with a new Idea for yet another story. It came to me while sleeping. This one will not be part of the mystery series, and all I will say is that in involves liars, haystacks, and makeup. Can't wait to figure that one out huh?

And gals, I am SO looking forward to Writer's Group!

Day of testimony

So I was writing my testimony down today to send to Pastor M.B. because I'm going to be working at my grandparents church over the summer, and it made me remember why I love Jesus and Easter (i.e. Resurrection Sunday).

I became a Christian during the April 1991 Easter Production at my grandparents church. My family and I were sitting in the left gallery, and during the scene where Jesus carried his cross to Mount Calvary, and then died, I cried. My father, seeing my tears, explained to me that Jesus was also God and he came to take the place of us. You see our wrong doing deserves punishment. Jesus took our place of punishment. My father explained that since Jesus died and then resurrected three days later, we can know him as GOD and as friend. All we needed to do was say to Jesus that we we believed that he had taken our place of punishment, and that we wanted to follow him with our whole heart and be his friend. I thought about this and a little later, I prayed.

Since then I have always tried to share my Lord-friend Jesus with others. I'm not sure I'm always the best at evangelizing, (I mean using Barbies at a Bar-B-Q when I was seven may not have been the best way to tell my friends), however I have always wanted those I care about and love to know Jesus as their Savior-friend. This belief has caused me to lead a Bible study in 9th grade, and go on 4 different mission trips.

Sometime during my teen years, I commited myself to reading through the Bible. I wrote a promise to God inbetween the pages of my New and Old Testaments and 6 years later, I finished. I learned a lot about keeping the promises we make.

Actually, in the last year I have learned a lot about my self. I dedicated most of last year to persuing God and what his will is for my life, and I have learned a lot. God created me with certain interests: i.e I like to write, to travel, to go out on the town, and He has given me certain dreams: i.e. I want to be the house on the block that everyone feels at home in. The place where people can have a cup of tea or a bowl of soup and just relax. An OASIS. A safe place for those around me to figure out who they are, what they are about, and how God fits into all of that.

This past year Isaiah 40, Proverbs 31, Psalm 45, and the book of Luke have been key for me.

And I finally feel like I have direction concerning my career. It was there all a long, I just lacked faith. Look for my teen book on amazon.com next December and my mystery novel out next-next summer. I don't know what the book will be called yet, but I'm working on it, and leaving the rest up to God. He is more than able to do above all that we can ask, or imagine!

Day of starting over

Just a mini-post here. I don't really have the strength for a full on post. A lot has been going on in my life recently.

My next writing group meeting is April 23rd at 7 and if not then May 2nd. I am going to Borders tomorrow and hope to find comfort with the company of my sister and my friends.

I saw "Last House on the Left" late last night and I thought it was a good example of characterization.

In my opinion, good writing creates a world for the reader. A place of escape from the world. Jane Austen does a good job of this in all of her novels. My younger sister and I began reading "Sense and Sensibility" and we love it. Can I leave you with a quote?

"He was not an ill-desposed young man, unles to be rather cold-hearted and rather selfish is to be ill-desposed: but he was, in general, respected, for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his ordinary duties." (p2 chapter1)

This is an excellent and witty example of describing a character. I only hope I may one day write as well.

Day of Snow brushed cars

First off, an addendumn to a previous post. Why I typed "and up to this point am still dating him" I in no way mean that in a negative sense. I simply wanted to be acurate when typing because I did not yet know that I would be writing weekly updates about my writing habits.

Secondly the writer's group last night was nice. We talked a great deal about setting. Even mentioning the show "Cold Case" a number of times. Aparantly it is filmed in Philly. I never knew this.

Setting makes a great deal of difference to readers, if the three other ladies in my writing group are any example of the mases. We like to read about places familiar to us, but we also like to read about interesting places. When stressed, perhap exotic places are nice. The ladies in my writing group like real towns as opposed to imagined ones, except for in cases like Twlight. That damnable series is allowed to have an invented town acording to them because its sci-fi for R.L.Stine's readers. My question now: is Stephanie Myers REALLY the new R.L.Stine?

In my own writing, I just made up a town. "Hackberry, Pa" it serves my purposes. Small population, home to a flag factory, and allows me to create a small town feel in my story. Not only that but the names of the places get to be named after my favorite composers or writers....

I think I will be working on Character-development over the next couple of weeks now that I have my setting set up.