Saturday, October 31, 2015

Sample Saturday: Happy Halloween #4

Welcome to Sample Saturday. It's Halloween! Here's the last snippet from my short story, Happy Halloween. Mary Beth has just gone off the diving board at her new apartment and belly-flopped into the water.

After you read this, go buy the story. Purchase links below.
~~~

“You looked like you knew what you were doing until you left the board. What happened?”

“Lack of practice. I left Phoenix during high school, and I haven’t dived since then.”

“That’s too bad.” He leaned back in the chair, snaking the towel off his neck and dropping it to the deck. Not satisfied with the position of his chair, he half rose and turned it so he could more easily watch the shallow end of the pool as well as talk with Mary Beth.

She turned her gaze to follow his, encountering the two small children who had been hiding behind his legs. The little girl, blonde like Linette, sat on the edge of the pool and kicked her feet in the water. Her brother, a younger boy with brown hair, stood near her in the pool, jumping up and down and scooping up hands full of water to throw on her. They laughed and squealed. Mary Beth looked back at the man.

He watched the children carefully, his eyes betraying the caution that his eased muscles denied.

“They’re cute. Are they yours?”

He broke away his intent gaze to look at her. “Yes. Amy and Jon Daniel. We call him J. D.”

She waved her hand in the direction of the pool. “Sam and Linette. I’m Mary Beth Larson. We just moved in from Colorado. Well, by way of Chicago.”

“Glen Hampton. Pleased to meet you.” He leaned over to offer his hand.

She shook it, wondering a little at the formality of his gesture. “Are you from around here?” Her wave took in the whole Valley of the Sun.

“I’m a native. My folks still have a farm out beyond Gilbert.”

“That’s really out in the sticks.”

“Not any more. If you’ve been away for long, you missed the big housing boom. My folks have subdivisions of homes on every side of them. Dad’s thinking of selling out and moving to Payson.”

“Payson! Oh golly, I haven’t been there for years. We used to go camping up on Tonto Creek.” She smiled at the memories and made a mental note to take the kids north to the mountains for a Sunday drive.

“Payson’s filling in, too. You wouldn’t know the place anymore.”

Mary Beth’s brow furrowed. “Is it spoiled?”

“Not yet, but the country surely does get used a lot. If the doggone Easterners would just stay east—” He stopped in confusion. “I’m sorry. I forgot you’re just in from the East.”

She laughed. “Chicago’s the Midwest, but I have lived in Colorado since I was married.” She stopped, pulling herself up short before telling her whole life story to this stranger.

~~

Thanks for visiting. If you enjoyed this scene, comment below so I know all my work on the blog is worth doing. Then go buy the story.

Mary Beth Larson emerges from the fog of loss in a new location with two young children, determined to start her life again. Glen Hampton and his little kids have already survived their own tragedy. Maybe this Halloween means something besides Trick or Treat. A "Misty Moments" short story.

Happy Halloween - only $0.99
Smashwords (all formats) | Kindle

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Sample Saturday: Happy Halloween #3

Sample Saturday is back. Here's a third snippet from my holiday story, Happy Halloween.
~~~

Mary Beth’s eyes traveled from the pool deck, up two strong legs topped by gray swim trunks, over a wide chest with a peculiar scar, past a towel slung around solid shoulders, and into a pair of concerned gray eyes set in a broad face. She carefully stretched to make sure nothing was broken.

“I think so, but my pride sure aches.”

“Hey, Mom. Wasn’t that a belly flop?” Sam grinned at her from the ladder.

“I’m afraid so, son. My flip turned out to be a real flop.”

“You’d better practice more, Mom.” Sam turned away and swam lazily around the pool.

A deep voice at her shoulder compelled her attention and Mary Beth turned to look at the man.

“You’d best lie down a minute. Get your breath back.” He turned to a pair of children who stared wide-eyed from behind his legs. “You two go play in the shallow end. I’ll be there in a little while.” His gray eyes returned to Mary Beth’s face. “Really. There are plenty of lounges here to rest on. That was a whopper of a belly flop, and you need your wind back before you go back in the pool.” His mouth turned up in an ironic smile, but Mary Beth could read solicitude in his eyes.

“All right. I guess I do hurt more than I thought.” She led the way to a plastic chaise lounge, and when she stumbled a bit, the man grabbed her arm to steady her.

Mary Beth settled into the wide strips of rubbery plastic, warm from the morning’s sun. Meanwhile, the man slacked his long body down into a web-covered chair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“You looked like you knew what you were doing until you left the board. What happened?”
~~~


Thanks for visiting. If you enjoyed this scene, comment below so I know all my work on the blog is worth doing.

Mary Beth Larson emerges from the fog of loss in a new location with two young children, determined to start her life again. Glen Hampton and his little kids have already survived their own tragedy. Maybe this Halloween means something besides Trick or Treat. A "Misty Moments" short story.

Happy Halloween - only $0.99
Smashwords (all formats) | Kindle

Friday, October 23, 2015

Blog Tour - An Ill Wind






In this sequel to The Calling, Sheriff Luke Atwell and his deputies face individual and collective challenges from outlaws, gunfighters, renegade Indians, card sharps, and a thieving medicine show in a Kansas town in the 1870’s.

The personal lives of the lawmen also change, and nature takes its destructive toll on the town and its residents.

When a black neighbor’s family is attacked and the oldest son killed, the sheriff gets help from federal law enforcement, and they chase a band of marauding ex-Confederates out to undo the changes resulting from the Civil War.


Purchase your copy here: Kindle | Print Book




Jim Hanley is a Human Resources professional, adjunct professor and short story writer. He has had over 70 stories appear in print and online publications.

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page | Twitter




10 Facts about the Book or the Author:

  1. An Ill Wind is the second in a series; a third is nearly finished
  2. The author was an avid rider but was thrown from a horse three times
  3. Characters (besides the main ones) in Book One appear in Book Two, and new characters in Book Two appear in the third book
  4. While the vast majority of characters in Book Two are adults, child characters play an important role in Book Two
  5. While largely fiction, some of the events and people are true
  6. The story is set in Kansas, but the writer has never been to the state
  7. Women are strong characters not willing to play second fiddle to the men in their lives
  8. One of the main characters, Peter, gets distracted by attractive women but still pines for a young lady killed by outlaws
  9. Peggy, a main character once married to a failed business owner, proves to be a successful store owner herself
  10. Book One ends with the suggestion of a wedding; Book Two opens with one


To see the blog schedule and follow along with this tour
visit our Official Event Page






Saturday, October 17, 2015

No Sample Saturday today

Due to a death in my family, I regret that I have not posted a Sample today. I hope to be back on schedule next Saturday.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Trust Your Process

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

For several years, I've been worried that I was not doing something all the books on writing said I was supposed to do in the process of writing my novels, but it seemed to work out okay anyway. Recently, I read a book about writing. Suddenly, lights flashed, bells and whistles blew, and I got a huge confirmation that I'm really okay with what I do. The book is Writing Into the Dark: How to Write a Novel Without an Outline, by Dean Wesley Smith. I'm a pantser, so I never outline anyway, but the truth is, I don't do extensive edits and rewrites, either. That latter fact is what had me so worried.

Smith explains the difference between Creative Voice and Critical Voice, and says we should not give in to the prompting to use the Critical Voice (editing) during our writing process. The job of our Critical Voice is to stop us cold from engaging in risky business, and writing is very risky business!

Instead, he holds to Heinlein's Business Rules:

Rule #1: You must write.
Rule #2: You must finish what you write.
Rule #3: You must refrain from rewriting unless to editorial demand.
Rule #4: You must put your work on the market.
Rule #5: You must keep your work on the market until it sells.

Smith gives tweaks of the rules if you are indie publishing. He also writes strange words like "practice," and "trust your process." That last one set off the bells and whistles for me.

I will say the book rambles a bit and could have been tightened, but despite its structural flaws, I found it very affirming to me. There is a bonus section in the back from another book, Killing the Top 10 Sacred Cows of Publishing. The chapter about rewriting was the whipped cream on top of the milkshake for me: his process is exactly what I've been doing all along. I write the first draft. The second draft is spell checking, then I send it to beta readers. For the third draft, I touch up the things the readers found. Then I'm done.

I know you're all crying "Heresy!" but it works for me.

Thoughts?

Monday, October 12, 2015

Bookmarked Bargains is Here!


Yes, it's here at last. Dozens of ebooks in many genres by multiple authors are available at super good prices for five days only, Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16, 2015.

I have two novels on sale at fantastic prices: Gone for a Soldier and The Man from Shenandoah.

You don't want to miss this sale!

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Sample Saturday - Happy Halloween #2

Welcome to Sample Saturday! October always ends in Halloween, so here's another snippet from my holiday story.

Mary Beth has decided a swim would be a nice break from settling into the new apartment. She tells the kids to don their swim suits.
~~~

“Hey, guys,” she called to the children. “Let’s take a break. Find your swimming suits. The manager said the pool is heated.”

“Yippee,” shouted Linette. “I’m glad we came to Phoenix.” She ran to her room to get into her suit.

Sam appeared in the hallway, struggling to take off his shirt over his head. “I’ll be ready in a second, Mom.” He flung down the shirt and unzipped his pants.”

“Sam!” Mary Beth protested. “You can’t strip in the hall.”

“It’s okay, Mom. I have my suit on already.”

And probably have all week long, she thought. “You kids are way ahead of me, aren’t you?” She sighed. “Just wait for me. I don’t want you out there by yourselves.”

She jogged down the hall, eager now for the swim. It would be fun, just like when she was a kid. She’d always regretted it when her folks moved from Arizona during her teen years. Now she was back, and she planned to recapture some of the carefree feelings of her youth. Something had to work to remove this heaviness from her soul. Bill wouldn’t want her to grieve for the rest of her life.

~ ~ ~
Mary Beth stood on the edge of the pool and swung her foot through the water. It wasn’t really warm, but certainly was tolerable, and the sun felt good on her shoulders. She looked around. Linette wasn’t a good swimmer yet, and stood at the shallow end, testing the water as Mary Beth had done, but Sam went off the board as soon as he arrive in the courtyard.

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, secured it with a wrapped band, then dove off the board after Sam. She came up sputtering a little, but feeling a sense of refreshment in the cool water.

“Oh mom, this is super!” Sam’s call rang out across the courtyard. “You can’t do this in Colorado on Halloween.”

“Keep your voice down, Sam. We’re living with a lot of other people in this complex.” Treading water, she looked around at the handful of people in the pool area. “We don’t want them to think we were raised in a barnyard.” When Sam made a motion as though he were zipping his lips shut she grinned, then swam to the side and looked around for her daughter.

Linette had entered the shallow end of the pool and was happily splashing in her swim ring. “Mom,” she called. “Watch me. I can almost swim!”

“Yes, Babe, and next summer I’ll get you into swimming lessons for sure. You need to know how to swim if we stay down here long.”

Sam hauled himself up onto the side of the pool. “We are staying, aren’t we? I thought you said we were moving here for good.”

“We’ll see, Sam. Things like this take time to work out.”

Mary Beth climbed out by the pool ladder and went over to the springboard. “Watch this, kids. I used to do this dive all the time before we moved to Chicago.”

Mary Beth’s toes gripped the end of the board, then she jumped into the air. Time and unused muscles and an unfamiliar board worked against her, and she hit the water with a resounding smack.

Winded, she broke the surface, gasping for breath, then swam slowly to the side.

Two long, tanned arms reached down and helped her up the ladder.

“Are you all right?”
~~~


Thanks for visiting. If you enjoyed this scene, comment below so I know all my work on the blog is worth doing.

Mary Beth Larson emerges from the fog of loss in a new location with two young children, determined to start her life again. Glen Hampton and his little kids have already survived their own tragedy. Maybe this Halloween means something besides Trick or Treat. A "Misty Moments" short story.

Happy Halloween - only $0.99
Smashwords all formats | Kindle

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Blog Tour - Author Interview


I've excited to participate in the re-release celebration for my friend Terry Montague's novel, Fireweed.



Lisel Spann dreamed only of wonderful things in her future. Living with her father, sister, and brother in a cramped apartment in Berlin, the small family shares what seems to be an unbreakable spirit of love and security. However, with the rise of the Nazi party and approaching dark clouds of war, any kind of future grows increasingly uncertain. Knowing little of hate and destruction, Lisel is ill prepared as the storms of battle erupt in full fury and loved ones are taken from her as her beautiful city is reduced to rubble.

With fear and despair rising within, it is through her quiet, compassionate father that Lisel discovers faith and hope. Now, in a desperate journey to find her sister, Lisel and her neighbor flee Berlin and the advancing Russians for Frankfurt, a city under the protection of the Allies. But their flight to safety is filled with pain, hunger, and terror. However, with spiritual lessons and blessings from her father, the support of departed loved ones, and her tried but undying faith in a loving Heavenly Father, perhaps Lisel can emerge like the fireweed—rising strong and beautiful from scorched earth —transforming bitterness and despair into a charity that never faileth.

Purchase Link to Amazon.com: Paperback | Kindle
 





Terry Bohle Montague is a BYU graduate and a free-lance writer, having written for television, radio, newspaper, and magazines including The Ensign and Meridian Magazine. She has also been published as the author of book length historical non-fiction and fiction.

Her non-fiction work includes the book Mine Angels Round About, the story of the LDS West German Mission evacuation of 1939, which occurred mere days before the Nazi invasion of Poland.

Her LDS novel, Fireweed, is loosely based on her interviews with the evacuated West German missionaries and their families.

Terry studied with Dwight Swain and Jack Bickham, as well as David Farland. Her writing awards include those from LDS Storymakers, Idaho Writers’ League, and Romance Writers of America.

Links to Terry Online: https://www.terrybmontague.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13861974.Terry_Montague




Author Interview


Hi Terry! It's a pleasure to talk to you again.

Hi Marsha! Thank you so much for supporting Fireweed in its new incarnation.

My pleasure. Tell the folks a little about yourself.

I’ve lived almost all my life in southern Idaho, where the spuds come from. There was a seven-year stretch when I went to a French girls’ school then back to the States to attend BYU. After BYU, I worked in Public Relations and wrote lots of newspaper articles and things like commercials for radio and TV. I also wrote for Meridian Magazine’s Extraordinary Stories column and had a goofy –but-true thing published in The Ensign’s Mirthright column.


Also, because I just got tired of the animal welfare issues that abound in this area and, with a couple of friends, began a feline rescue group that now has volunteers in seven counties. We’re at magicatsrescue.org.

On a personal level, I met my husband, Quinn, at BYU and we have a daughter, a son-in-law, two granddaughters, and a grandYorkie.

Fascinating! How long have you been writing and what made you start?


When I was really little - about three, I think, because my younger sister was a newborn – my mom got me a toy ironing board. She’d get out her ironing and set up my ironing board and we’d “iron” together. One time she said, just off-handedly, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I didn’t even miss a beat. I said, “A writer.” Wow, was she surprised! She said, “Don’t you think you need to know  how  to read first?” At the moment, I didn’t really see the need to read in order to make stories. I was already doing that!

After Quinn and I moved back to Idaho (from Provo) I was just bored. I had a two-year old and Phil Donahue. Anyway, I heard an author interview on a news segment and thought I’d pick up that author the next time I went to the library. I was so disappointed with the book and told Quinn, “I could do better than that!” I think he was tired of me being bored so he suggested I just “do” it. So, I joined a writers’ group and started going to conferences.

Good start. What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly [write] by the seat of your pants?


I’m too insecure to do anything other than outline. And I mean I even outline every element of a scene, too.

Ooo. You like the hard work. Do you have a particular goal you aim to achieve with your writing?


I think because I am very curious about everything, I want to show a reader whatever I have found under the rock I just turned over. I want to share the excitement of learning something new, even if it means it’s only new because we’re looking at it from a different angle.

Nice of you to share! What is your daily schedule like when you're actively writing?


Get up and write. Sometimes I even get my clothes on before noon, but often not. I usually stop to feed the family or go grocery shopping but I write until bedtime. Then, I go to sleep but my mind is still working on the story. My dad says I have a one-track mind.

Many writers have the same schedule - and mind. So why did you write Fireweed?

I was standing in a bookstore aisle, browsing like we all do, when I noticed a pregnant young woman who was also trying to control a toddler. She looked really tired and I felt bad that, while she was picking up books, she was also putting them back. I wished then, that I could write a story for her. Something that would let her put down her burdens for just a little while.

I had a lot of left-over research from Mine Angels Round About and decided to put it to use. Thus, Fireweed, which is about a young woman who probably had a worse life than most young women and still found happiness and contentment.

What was the hardest part of writing it?

I had to stop for a few months when my husband bought me a derelict house to renovate. I find I just don’t have the energy to write when I have to make a lot of creative decisions.

Of course, then Lisel started showing up in my dreams and scolding me, so I had to go back to work.

Why should anyone part with their hard earned cash and precious time to read Fireweed? Sell it to us!


Because it’s from the point of view of someone we probably haven’t thought about before, a German teenager of an LDS family living in Nazi Berlin. Have you ever thought what that was like for someone like her? What about her family? Can you imagine living in a city under siege? How do you retain your faith when you are exposed to so much destruction and loss?

Now, lest you think this is all grim, remember this is also a girl who is reading Gone with the Wind and dreaming of dancing, like Ginger Rogers, in a pink, feathered dress. She gossips with her friends, teases and bickers with her older sister, avoids the loud-mouthed neighbor upstairs but takes cake to the older gentleman downstairs. She sings too loudly in church and frequently embarrasses her strict but much-beloved father. She is young and like many of us but she also faces difficult situations with a deep conviction and faith she doesn’t know she has.

I might also mention that when you’re parting with your well-earned cash, pick up a box of tissues because you’re going to need them. Oh, and maybe you shouldn’t read Fireweed in a food court.

A couple more questions now. What is the coolest thing about being an author?

Hearing from readers who tell me Lisel’s story made them see history or life or faith in a new way.

Oh, and I did hear from a woman who had been a Polish slave during WWII. She said she started having nightmares and flashbacks after reading some of the scenes that took place against the backdrop of the Bombing of Berlin. She said, “That could have been me!”

I was thrilled to have nailed it.

Cool! How do you want to be remembered, 1) as an author; 2) as a person?

1) As a writer who opened vistas. A writer who made people think.
2) As a person who tried to scrape up every tiny bit of information in an effort to understand life and everything about it.


Thanks to Terry Montague for giving me this interview.

Official Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1479068102403649/



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Saturday, October 03, 2015

Sample Saturday - Happy Halloween

Welcome to Sample Saturday! Since it's now October, and you know what holiday comes at the end of the month, I thought I'd share a sample from my contemporary romance short story entitled Happy Halloween.

Recent widow Mary Beth Larson is moving into an apartment in Phoenix, Arizona. Here she deals with her son, Sam, and then her daughter, Linette, as they make adjustments in their lives.

~~~

“Do I have to go to school tomorrow? Thursday’s a rotten day to start.”

She looked at his frowning face, framed with dark brown hair. “What’s the matter with Thursday, Sam?”

“That’s the day the teachers give the tests. I won’t know what they’ve studied. Then Friday’s even worse. They do all the fun stuff that the kids earned all week. I’d feel dumb, and the kids would think I was a smart-aleck, getting something for nothing.”

“Sam Larson, there’s hope for you yet. If it’ll make your way smoother, we’ll start you on Monday.”

“Thanks, Mom. Hey, can I go trick-or-treating tonight?”

She looked at his bright face, still smooth at age eight. “I already said ‘no,’ con man. Now scoot and see what your sister is up to. I haven’t heard something falling all over the floor yet.”

Mary Beth placed the books on the shelf, a wistful half smile lifting the corners of her mouth. Sam was adjusting, coming out of the shock of his father’s death six months ago. Linette was doing fine, too. Now if she, Mary Beth, could just feel better. She thought back to the last words her mother had said as they left Chicago a week ago.

“Mary Beth, it’s time to let go. Time to get on with your life. I’m sure this move will help. I love you.”

I love you too, Mom but I loved Bill a long time. Grief is not something I can just shake off like a case of the flu.

As if to underscore her thought process, a wave of despair swept over her. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob, battling with her mind against returning to the day Bill’s hunting buddies called.

“Mom.” Linette’s six-year-old voice broke into her thoughts, yanking them away from the edge of horror. The girl bounded into the room with her pony tails bouncing. “I put all the sheets in the closet. Can I have a can of pop?”

“Can’t you wait until lunchtime, Babe?”

“But I’m thirsty, Mom. There’s six cans, so we can each have two.”

“Not right now, we can’t. If you drink your pop now you’ll have to have milk with your lunch.”

Linette nodded her blonde head, grinning. “I like milk with lunch.”

“Then you may have one can, but drink it in the kitchen!”

“Thanks, Mom.” Linette was gone, scampering through the doorway.

Mary Beth got up from her crouched position and stretched her arms above her head. The dust from the carton of books made her feel coated with grime, and she idly wondered if the apartment pool was heated as claimed. Might as well find out, she thought.

~~~

Mary Beth Larson emerges from the fog of loss in a new location with two young children, determined to start her life again. Glen Hampton and his little kids have already survived their own tragedy. Maybe this Halloween means something besides Trick or Treat. A "Misty Moments" short story.

Happy Halloween
Smashwords all formats | Kindle |
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