Part Five: Wrapping up editing and on to book trailer. A sigh the size of Texas rushed through Nathanās teeth as the final word twisted and turned into shape. Editing was at last compete. I asked him what he thought of the process. I chuckled at his reply: āYeah, that was a lot of…
Searching for topics for my next book, and after visiting with another writer for youth, Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams was recommended to me. And what a great suggestion it was. I write for youth, but I write historical books with a Native American theme. As Iām searching for agents and editors, it…
Chores won’t kill you!Ā Chores create a strong foundation for their future.Ā Responsibility, accountability, and basic life skills begin with sweeping the floor, scrubbing the toilet, doing dishes, and washing windows. Boredom is a choice.Ā I know when my cousins once complained of being bored and my aunt day them do chores all day. Did they…
Part Four: EditingāāDemon Hunter Writing is the easy part. Our minds are in the creative mode. Our fingers peck at the keyboard with unfailing speed. Smiles bloom on our faces, eyes dancing as creativity pours out. Our characters are dancing, fighting, loving, caring, and sometimes even in a fit of rage. They are talking, whispering,…
Marnie: Pendleton PetticoatsāāBook 4 I recently had the pleasure to get to know author Shanna Hatfield. We connected at the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, OR as my husband attended a weeklong conference and I tagged along. Following lunch at the casino, Shanna and I headed to the Pendleton Wool Mill for a tour and…
Part Three: Theme, Story Line, and Three-Act Structure Do you remember me stating previously that Nathanās character and world sheets had vanished? Well they remain in the depth of some dump site, but Nathan was able to rewrite most of it. Unfortunately they are not as detailed as before, but heās off to a good…
Mentoring a Realm Beyond My Own: Part Two: Characters and World Building As I stated previously, I am not a fantasy writer and donāt know much about world building.Ā But Iām on a crash course of how-tos, quickly learning organization is the key. After scanning Nathanās notes and seeing he had nearly completed…
At our Women Writing the West Conference I had the honor of rooming with a woman who has become a special friend, Betty Bauer.Ā She released a childrenās book last year entitled: Tamika and Friends. Betty is an amazing writer and dedicated woman to not only her stories, but also the youth who read them….
A journey mentoring an aspiring author for a high school senior project. Last spring my phone rang.Ā On the other end came the voice of a young man I knew very well.Ā He was a junior in high school, preparing for his senior project.Ā Why was he calling me? āHi, Carmen. This is Nathan.Ā Iām…
Welcome to the Cowboys & Christmas Blog Tour! A kickoff of two new holiday romances by Shanna Hatfield and a fundraiser for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund Rodeo Romance Growing up on a farm twenty miles from the closest town, we generally took our excitement anywhere we could get it. Each summer, I…
What a Women Writing the West (WWW) conference we had this year in Golden, CO!Ā I knew it was going to be a great conference when I walked into the hotel and was greeted by a life-sized Painted Pony.Ā Yee Haw. My cowgirl boots busted into a line dance as the front desk attendant gave…
Iām sitting here at the airport in Spokane, WA.Ā I really donāt care to fly.Ā But Iām on my way to Golden, CO via Denver for the annual Women Writing the West conference; my tummy flutters and my nerves tingle.Ā Yet, Iām excited because Iām pitching my latest manuscript to an editor.Ā I met her…
This spring life for our family turned in events. Cody, my middle son called, announcing an opening for a high school teaching job in a nearby town and he put in for it. My pulse began to race. A smile spread across my face and my nerves twitched with excitement and concern because they would…
Welcome T. O. Stallings! T.O. Stallings has written a captivating novel called Faces in the Cistern which is fast paced narrative about the lives of certain people who live on an island known as Pelican Key, an imaginary island in the Florida Keys. The story begins with the island’s discovery by a band of pirates…
My heart aches to climb on my horse and go for a ride But I canāt lift the saddle and mostly have to lie on my side My arm on a pillow to reduce the swelling After five weeks Iām quite tired of my dwelling I feed twice a day and run my fingers…
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