Author Interview with Mary C. Findley

Today, the author of The Baron of Larcondale is visiting. Mary C. Findley is another member of Grace and Faith Author Connection that I've been blessed to get to know. My first query, as always, goes for the big picture.

Marji - What inspired you to become a writer?

Mary - I started out wanting to be an artist, but everything I drew was characters from a story. So around Junior High, with the encouragement of some teachers, I began to write the stories. God had a hand in this. I don't have the discipline to create the level of art required to be successful in that field, but I still use my artist's "eye" in the graphic designs I make for our books and videos.

Marji - So did you ultimate goal in writing stem from the artistic realm, or was it something else?

Writing with Research

My students have been doing some non-fiction essays and I’m gonna tattle. One of my writers didn’t research their topic and ended up spouting data that just simple wasn’t true. Oops. 

Yeah, I didn’t let it slide. And it made me think of the importance and the correct methods of gathering research. Since this semester, we’ll be creating research papers, (Well, they’ll be creating research papers, I’ll be watching.) I thought a

refresher course on giving credit might be in order.

The point of research is to have the facts about a topic. Unless a topic is intensely personal, a writer will not likely have all the information that they need to fill up an entire term paper or even a five-paragraph essay. Research is the gathering of enough facts to support the statement made about the topic – thesis statement.

When collecting the data, it’s important to make a note somewhere about the origin of the data. If it is from a book, the author, title, publisher, location of publishing, and publication date should be listed along with the page numbers where the data is found. The same general information should be taken for any other source. A researcher wants to have a trail that leads back to the original source, regardless of what that source is. That way if something needs to be checked it can be found. In the same way, a reader can learn more about the topic by following the citation trail back to the original sources.

The other thing about research is that one source isn’t enough. If only one source is used, then the researcher is basically only duplicating someone else’s work – plagiarism. When several sources are used and cited, the researcher is creating his own work, basing it on the opinions and work that others have done before him. That’s the core of a correctly written research paper.

Do you research when you write or blog? What research have you done recently?

Hoping for SOMETHING!

I actually don't believe in luck or crossing fingers or any of that stuff, but the picture sure exemplifies hope. "Cross your fingers and hope real hard!" That's what I was always told, but I couldn't tell you who first said it to me.

So I'm hoping. First, I'm hoping to do better at reporting. I'm so bummed that I forgot to share an update last Sunday.

Second, I'm hoping for ... well ... you know.

There’s a time to dream and a time to act. As a writer, being part-dreamer just comes with the territory. I visualized getting “the call” the other day. I’ve delayed attempts to connect with an agent for the most part. (I don’t really count the few queries that I sent out before I had a clue of what I was doing.) Now I have a clue, thanks to the many

A is for ...

... Appetite. Can you tell I’m hungry while I write this? I’m visiting relatives and hoping that lunch will begin soon. This is the first installment of Patty Wysong's A2Z Take Two Blog Hop or meme (rhymes with "cream"). Join us and get to know some great folks!

My two latest novels are set in eateries: one in a diner and one in a bed & breakfast. Both have special dishes that are served, things that the places are known for. One of these is a

Cowboy Up! A New Book Review

Back Story on this Review: I have to admit, it was the third “indie” book that I picked up to read.  Most of the time, I’ll push through and read a book if it is remotely interesting, but I couldn't bear to waste my time with the others. The first one didn't interest me. The second one seemed to make all of the “first-time author mistakes” that I’ve read about on blogs. After wading through pages of back story and unimportant details, I was beyond bored and couldn’t force myself to continue.  I won’t review those books. First, I hate to be negative. I know the authors have poured their very soul into their literary babies and I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. Second, I couldn’t do a review justice since I didn’t finish the books.  Pet Peeve Alert: I’ve read several reviews in Amazon and Barnes & Noble where the writers admit that they never finished the books but gave them horrible ratings and ranted through their reviews. I just don’t think that’s fair. If I don’t read a whole book, how do I review it? Simple answer is – I don’t.  So when I picked up Cowboy, my opinion was already a negative color. Another “indie” book set my standard pretty low since I had few positive experiences with them. I needn’t have worried. :)

Staci Stallings has two books out in her Harmony series. I read the first of them, Cowboy, and was so delighted with it. 

Ms. Stallings drew together an emotional romance and a moving story of new found faith. I enjoyed getting a peek into the world of country music. Her lyrics and song tVitles seemed so natural, I could easily believe the Ashton Raines was a real person.

The author used a unique voice in sharing the story. The characters shifted back and forth between their points of view very quickly. At first it distracted me, but I found I enjoyed seeing the same event through different eyes. She wrote in an unconstrained style that, though it broke "rules," displayed great writing ability. 

The middle of the story existed in short phone calls exchanged with a perfect stranger, but I didn't find them tedious. In fact, I waited for the phone to ring with the same anticipation that Beth, the main character, displayed. And when the stranger's identity became known to her, I struggled with the hero and his frustrating position. This wonderful story transports Cinderella to the modern era, graced with lime-lights and a two-stepping rhythm. I couldn’t put the darn book down!

And no, I didn’t read the last page early, like I can usually be accused of doing. If I had, maybe I would have put it down before 6:15 AM after reading it all night long. (I have to start reading my books earlier in the day!)

I would bet that Country Music lovers would especially flock to Cowboy. While I’m not a C/W fan, I am a fan of Ms. Stalling's book!


On Friday, I asked about your most recent book. So today, I thought I'd ask you about your favorite music stylings. I like to listen to worship music or 80s disco when I'm not writing. But when I am writing, I prefer movie soundtracks and classical. NEVER prefer C&W. I promise I AM from Texas!


Blessings!

Interview with Dana Pratola

I'm so pleased to be able to interview author, Dana Pratola today. I've met Dana through a group of authors and bloggers called Grace and Faith Author Connection. Her newest book, The Covering, is intriguing!

Marji - What inspired you to become a writer?

Dana - God put the desire to write in me from the start. I can't remember a time BEFORE wanting to write.

Marji - So the Father would have something to do with your ultimate goal for writing in general?
Dana - The goal is always to bring glory to God, not just by not wasting the gift He's given me, but by using it to lead others to Him.

Marji - How does The Covering satisfy that goal?
Dana - The Covering shows a man's quest for God in a real light. He's loaded with anger, bitterness and unforgiveness

Writing Tip: Ellipses

This week’s writing tip is about ellipses, the dot-dot-dots that are often added to writing. To me, the ellipsis is a mood-maker for the sentence. It stutters showing confusion or intense emotion. It can also drift into silence, indicating a wandering mind or distracted situation.

The correct way to write an ellipsis is to space at the end of the word that precedes the mark, then add the three periods, and follow them

with another space before the next word. *** Okay, I'd been corrected this summer by an author who knows her stuff, but I've learned that according to Chicago Manual of Style that spaces are correct between the periods. Looking like this . . . thanks David!*** If there is no next word because the conversation ebbs in the middle of a sentence, the final period is all that is necessary.

Here are examples of the two situations described:

“What do you mean he isn’t there? Where could he . . .  I mean, are you sure?”

 “Like a cloud, dancing across the water. That’s what I feel like. So very sleepy. I could just
      drift off without . . . ”

Another use of an ellipsis is in the case of an interruption. Sometimes the topic never comes back around as in this example.

“Whatever the noise was it was awfully loud. I thought the sky was about . . . ”
“Did you hear that?” Chris’s outburst filled the room as he ran in, his muddy boots spraying
       clumps of dirt all over Ma’s rug.

Sometimes the interruption, like part of an argument, has a finish to it.

“All I know is I sat here calmly reading and you . . . ”
“I didn’t do anything except walk into the room.”
“. . . you demanded my attention with every stomp and sigh. Okay, what do you want?”

In that case, as you can see, the ellipsis ends the first section of the interruption and begins the second half of that sentence. It wouldn’t work if more than just the interruption itself was stuck into the section. At that point, the first part should be entirely restated and then finished.

I double checked my data with my new copy of the Chicago Manual of Style! (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE getting presents!) And with some of you guys looking over my shoulder, I know we're gonna make sure the information is right!

Do you have any other examples of ellipsis use?

Blessings!

Wow, That was FAST!

Wow, this update is a quick one. I posted my goals on Monday and I can tell you that I have revised 15 pages on Cat’s Eyes. I’m enjoying the polishing stage of my writing because I finish a section and like the way it sounds. I feel like I’ve really completed it.

I’ve exercised once since making my goals and I’ll be playing volleyball tomorrow so I should still need one more 30 minute section before

Who Am I?

The A2Z blog that Patty Wysong started last year is about to gear up again and we’ve been challenged to begin things with a Video blog – a V-log or vlog.

Mine was recorded as we celebrated our fourth Christmas for the year at my in-laws home in Mounds, Oklahoma. I’m so blessed to get to

Goal-Setting

I read an article about setting resolutions by Rachelle Gardner. She said she focuses on the impetus for her goals and used the example of weight loss. She suggested that having a resolution of weight loss really uncovers a desire to feel good, be healthy, look nice. I totally get that. And most people do settle on resolutions about now. However, resolutions and goals are a little different.

Resolutions, to me, are lifestyle changes. Attempting a resolution is like deciding to change a career, or a daily pattern, or a name. Oh wait, I did

News and Previews

Wow! Two weeks away from writing and I hardly know what to do with myself! I'm looking forward to digging into my revisions again, and I have another story that's beginning to tickle the back edges of my mind. I'm looking forward to telling it.

First, I have some blogging to do! My A2Z leader, Patty Wysong, has challenged the new group to

The Rest of HisStory - Gifts

Twelve Days of Christmas

You have to understand. I have four separate Christmases every year. Not an issue with me, though! I LOVE Christmas. Have I already said that? So my carols continue after Christmas simply because I've still got some Christmasing to do.

This song speaks of the European - primarily Catholic - traditions of celebrating certain feasts involving memorials to some of the earliest saints. The celebration actually starts on December 25 and extends until January 6 with it's roots in our

The Rest of HisStory - Hallelujah

Handel's Messiah

Beautiful music! Powerful message! There was a time when I could actually sing through Messiah. Did several performances when I was younger. I don't know if I could sing it at this point. Not because the music is challenging - that's just the way I like it. Because just hearing the Spirit's words set to such amazing music keeps me in a regular state of tears. Do you know how hard it is to sing with tears streaming? I've learned over the last decade or so to sing through the tears, but it's terribly hard to do. Not sure I could swing it with this awe-inspiring piece.

The Rest of HisStory - Peace

Silent Night . . .

This beautiful song had its birth at a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. At the St. Nicholas Church midnight mass on Christmas Eve in 1818, the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr played his guitar as the accompaniment while he and Franz Xaver Gruber sang the lovely words.

Why the carol was written isn't known, although some speculate that the organ at the church wouldn't work. Either way, on the morning of December 24, Joseph Mohr visited the apartment of

Final ROW 80

Thanks so much to the folks below for giving me such consistent encouragement! I will definitely be back for the next ROW80 starting on January 2! Already have a story in mind once I get past these nasty revisions. Look forward to seeing all of ya'll again!

Ryan King Amy Kennedy Sharon Howard Alberta Ross L.S. Engler Juliana Haygert Komal Jennifer M Eaton Liz Rebecca J. Fleming Kerry Meacham Julie Glover Katy Bennet

Angela Orlowski-Peart Elizabeth Mitchell Natalia Gortova Natalie Hartford Nicole Basaraba Raelyn Barcley Kathryn Stripling Byer Jenn Jaleh D Cheryl Linn Martin Tracy Krauss Nancy J. Nicholson RantRaveWrite

Melanie Kim Switzer Tia Bach Stacy Green Laura Parish Camille LaGuire Gina Carey Nellie Batz Ennis P.

Hope your Christmas is amazing and your New Year leaves you in happy anticipation!

Writer Tip - Fragmented

Fragmented sentences are tricky little guys. They'd like you to think they are acceptable because they express things the way we speak.

Well, okay. End of article.

No, it's not that simple.

They are okay in things like novels where the writing is polished, but not formal. The narration is done in the author's voice and expressed through a

character's point of view. So not only do you hear the way the author thinks, all of the words go through a second filter making sure they are true to the way the character thinks.

If the main character is male, there are going to be fragments. Just sayin'. And if the poor fella is from the south, have mercy on him! Jeff Foxworthy said that Texas was the only place he knew where "I tell you what" was it's own complete sentence. There's nothing else. That's it. Big fat period.

So there are places, like blogs ... ahem ... where fragments are completely acceptable. Even preferred. (For instance, if I said in the last sentence, "They're even preferred," you would not only lose my voice and the way I talk, but the sentence itself wouldn't latch onto the one before it quite as tightly.)

However, don't fill up a college essay, research paper, or thesis with a bunch of fragments. (Oh and don't use bunch either.) Your teacher/prof will surely count off, but that's not the worst part. When you show such obvious mistakes, your teacher will miss the point. How can you share how brilliant you are when you leave out necessary parts of speech? It's like forgetting to capitalize the first letter of a sentence.

Every sentence in formal writing needs a simple subject and a simple predicate (that's a noun and verb or as I taught my 4th graders, "Who did what?") In formal writing you will most likely not use the word you in your paper nor imply it, so every sentence should actually have it's own STAR. A person, place, thing, or idea that takes action or has being in your sentence. And that action or being is what the STAR does or is. (IE the verb.) Once you connect with those two parts you're on a down hill slide. Just make sure you don't leave your STAR hanging anywhere.  Jazy Josey ran to the window when she was supposed to be.

Um ... excuse me, but inquiring minds wanna know. What was Josey supposed to be doing? Yeah, don't do that. Make sure your sentence ties itself up in a little bow. Keeping it's arms and legs firmly within the sentence.

Are fragments a trouble spot for you? What is your grammar t-zone?

May your satisfaction overflow!

Night Before

Twas the night afore Christmas,

twixt ridgeback and holler.

Not a critter was a twitchin'

nary a hog dast to waller.

Each keerful darnt stocking were nailt to the chimbley.

A'hopin' that Santa'd be extra-bit friendly.

***

I know I said I would vlog this post, but I decided, since I'm supposed to be

Reflections on the Season

I tend to get caught up in the fun and merriment of this season. And why not? It is positively magical! Just looking at my girls faces as they admire decorations or see new things in stores makes my heart happy. Their uninhibited expressions are echoed in the faces of youngsters experiencing all of the splendor for the first time.

And that's how I'm gonna look in heaven.

Can you imagine it? The same delight that holds the

News and Row 80

Almost to the last check-in for Row 80. A new round will start in the new year. It doesn't matter if your goals even include writing, you are welcome to join us. And let me tell you, having everyone and their grandmama know when I fail to achieve a goal is a little daunting. Just saying that these check-ins really motivate!

In the last two weeks, I reached a huge milestone, got a new job

Dateline: Nashville ...

News From Nashville & Beyond

(Transcribed from a television interview with "The Music Plays... World Tour" featuring opening solo artist Kalin Lane and headliner Ashton Raines, both accompanied by their wives, Beth Raines and Danae Lane.) 
N&B: First of all, welcome to you all. Thanks for sitting down with us.
Ashton: Thank you for having us.
N&B: Let's start with what it's like to be on a world tour. What cities? What are the crowds like?
Kalin: Well, for me it's been an absolute dream come true. I mean, getting invited to be here with Ashton who, let's face it is the King of Country music right now. Standing on that stage every night, hearing the fans singing my songs, cheering, in all these different countries.... it's truly amazing.
Ashton: I have to agree. I stand down there as Kalin's playing, and