#WordlessWednesday Mount Rushmore

#WEWRIWA #YA

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! To sign up visit this site: wewriwa.com and  share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. 

This is a snippet from my novel:

Zion and I adjusted our backpacks. It was a short hike to the junkyard and we played a game of eye spy.

“I spy with my little eye a husky boy,” I said.

“Sam Burns,” Zion answered.

“I spy a bad kid.”

“Burns again.”

“I spy a teenager with shit for brains."

"Burns."

We enjoyed this little banter all the way to the junkyard.

When we got to its huge gate Zion peeked in. “All clear.”

Readers, please comment below.

#WordlessWednesday (California Trip)

The Sunday Post

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things  received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

LOOKING Forward to July

July has been a busy month for me. I started packing because we're moving to a bigger place.  I made countless trips to the thrift store to drop off unwanted items. That included trying to slip in items they just wouldn't take: like baby items.  Which I don't know why they wouldn't take em', there so precious and far too nice to throw away.  

People have been so giving lately. I've also accumulated my fair share of canned baby formula which I'll have to give away on account my baby doesn't have gird, hives or eczema and isn't gagging or gulping.  I found out the hard way that craigslist doesn't want the formula so I'll have to donate it to the food shelf.  Thank God for resourcefulness. 

 I also found out that a nearby spanish-speaking radio station will advertise my used household items but only on Sunday and only at 12. Now this is quite amazing; my neighbor got free furniture a while back by applying for a voucher from an organization called The Clothing Closet.  
She in turn made a profit by reselling the furniture on the the radio and plans to go back to and get  more household items so she can resell them again.  What a scam!!!

Currently

Reading:  Taliban Shuffle by Kim Barker

Listening: The Opposite of Everything by Joshilyn Jackson, Purity by Jonathan Franzen, Troublemaker by Leah Remini, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Not That kind of Girl by Lena Dunham.

Watching:  New Girl on Netflix.  I know I'm late.  I finally got through the fifth season and by getting through I mean sitting down and watching and in some cases re-watching.  That's how funny the show is.

  

On The Blog

What Happened:

(Not a whole lot so I'll talk about last week)

Friday: Authors  De de Cavalho and Melion interviewed

Sunday: Weekend Warriors post

Up Coming:

Wednesday:Wordless Wednesday

Thursday:#ThursThreads

Sunday:Weekend Warriors 

Readers if you want to comment, please do so below.

Turkey Comes to Trin Carl's Blog

Here is another expat blog, aysulove.com This woman is writing from Turkey. She has a montage of beautiful city pictures of Turkey in her cover page and she has a post called Ex-Pats the TV show.  I like how she describes herself in her blog A married girl married and living in Turkey for 3 years, sadness to happiness. Here you will hear about the struggles and high points of living in another culture, learning the new ways to cook, speak, make friends along with many more.  Now I really thought I heard it all when it comes to reality shows but here we go folks another show to add to your list.  She posts a link of where you can find the show on her page aysulove.com/2014/01/19/ex-pats-the-tv-show-2/ .

Here is another Blog from Turkey called Post Cards from Istanbul.  But the actual site can be found at pointwhitedrive.wordpress.com and she has a cloud a list of words related to Turkey.  One phrase  caught my mind Night Life in Istanbul.  Okay readers, what do we think we'll find here? Yes, of course clubs and more clubs  One of the clubs called Quick China looks very modern and romantic, dark and cavernous.

Wordless Friday (Google Headquarters) My ideal workplace

Weekend Warriors #wewriwa

Welcome to my Weekend Warriors post.  Every Sunday a group of writers post eight to ten sentences from excerpts of their writing or 150 words of poetry.  To join sign up here :   www.wewriwa.com.

This is my excerpt from a  Horror story I'm working on called Camping:

One didn’t have to see Piggy to hear him. His loud exhales between each phrase were a part of his asthma that made him carry around his inhaler in his shirt pocket.

“Well, (exhale) I just thought, if we (exhale) could get a phone signal, then we might be able to alert someone of the (exhale) power outage,” said Piggy.

“And who would you have us alert?” asked Terrence, the bully. “Your mother?”

A few snickers all around.

“What does Piggy, wiggy need his wanket? Does Piggy wiggy need swa-one to tuck him in at night?" asked Terrence.

This is an audio version of the story if you have the time to listen.

I knew I wasn't alone in writing and narrating my own stories.  But I came across this site made by a professional narrator who publishes writers' work to youtube.  Submission guidelines can be found at http://talltaletv.com/submission-form  .  A colleague by the name of Abhishek Sengupta just got his work published.

Readers, please comment below.

Interview with writer, Melion

Writer Melion is with me today.  Melion’s short stories have appeared in, or are forthcoming in, Deep Magic, Fantasy Scroll Magazine, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, Cast of Wonders, Scarlet Leaf Review, Havok, and T. Gene Davis’s Speculative Blog. Check out her haphazard blog: https://delusionsofsanityblog.wordpress.com/

And onto the interview...

Melion, when you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

My main characters and my secondary characters are largely fleshed out before I begin writing. Small aspects of them may change, or they may develop in ways I hadn’t initially anticipated, but I have them mostly constructed by the time I start writing.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever researched?

A lot of writers make quips about how their Google searches probably put them on a no-fly list somewhere, but I don’t think I’ve researched anything eyebrow-raising. I’ve researched the stages of decomposition, but I think that’s pretty standard for writers. Right? Please tell me that’s standard, because I didn’t perform that search in an incognito window.

If you could have dinner with three authors (living or dead), who would they be and why? Do I get to have dinner with the three authors all together?

If so, I choose G.K. Chesterton, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe. Then I could sit quietly and observe as literary geniuses interact. I would love to see what sorts of conversations those three would have if brought together. This is, of course, assuming that conversation remains civil and nobody flips over a table.

What are two major pitfalls you’ve experienced as a writer, and how did you handle them? The first being that I innately suck at writing. What?

I’m not supposed to admit this? Well, I’m admitting it because, if I can overcome that pitfall, I can overcome anything else. I have works on floppy disks (yeah, those were once a thing) that I’ve destroyed because the writing was just wretched. The characters were bland, the narration was overwrought and heavy-handed, and, worst of all, nothing happened. Seriously, it was like visiting with a crazy cat lady.

For me, it was a matter of practice—a great deal of practice—and a willingness to listen to the advice of people who do know how to write. I’m still trying to improve and better myself, but the consistent and determined practice is slowly paying off. I’ve sold some stories to publications, and I’ve written scenes which have made readers cry.

My second pitfall is a lack of boldness. It took me years to work up the nerve to submit anything because I thought success happens to other people. I’ve since wised up and learned that success happens to people who get off their butts and try. Yes, failure happens to them, too, but so does success. So now I get up off my butt and I try. I still fail, but I do occasionally succeed, and that makes it worth the risk.

If you could live in any fictional world, which would you choose? Why?

This depends. Am I still a common, average, nobody-knows-who-you-are little human? If so, I think I’ll stick to living here where I at least have air conditioning, antibiotics and inalienable rights (hey, despite being boring, I recognize when I have a good thing going for me). But that isn’t really an interesting answer, is it?

Since I’m a writer, let’s find something interesting. Uh . . . I choose the world of Redwall. But only if I can be an otter. The otters are great: they’re fun-loving, dependable, fierce. Besides, they swim about all the time and eat ungodly amounts of spicy food with no mention of horrifying aftereffects; additionally, they always seem to find the opportunity to go adventuring. Sign me up as an otter, and I’ll gladly defend Redwall Abbey.

That's all the time we have today readers. Thanks for joining me Melion.

More about Melion: When not writing things, she still lives with one spouse, two dogs and an acceptable amount of chaos. She is occasionally found playing with swords, studying martial arts, and lifting weights. Other times, she hides with a book and an energy drink as she avoids the tumbleweeds of dog hair overwhelming her house.

D de Carvalho joins the Global Dig

Today I'm interviewing writer D. de Carvalho

D. is a native of far-flung locations, and a grade A student of life, Carvalho developed his passion for fine foods and erotic encounters at a young age. He is proud to be a practicing member of the BDSM community, as well as a self-confessed and widely acknowledged grumpy old man.

In the Hot Pink series, D. de Carvalho serves up a smorgasbord of hot ‘n spicy erotic tales with no holds barred. Whether you savor sweet romance or crave the delicious tang of dark desire, Carvalho caters with tales to tempt every taste. Each sexy story arrives with a side order of humor, sprinkled with a touch of suspense, paranormal or mystery.

And onto the interview...

Celebrate the Small Things #classiccars

I'm celebrating my week.  This is a blog hop Originated by VikLit . I came across this blog on Lexa Cain's site. If you want to join in visit this site 
Last week I saw a free car show thanks to my detour from the Como Zoo  to MN State Fairgrounds.  Here's what I saw:

It was raining that day and we had to leave the Zoo Early but there's nothing like seeing the positive side of things.

Readers, If you want to comment please do so in the comments below.

#WEWRIWA #YA

Welcome to another Weekend Writing Warriors post
This is a weekly challenge blog hop found at:  www.wewriwa.com 

An excerpt from My Novel: Oh Brother

Beware of ghosts, they said. Seeing he had no choice, if he wanted to save the woman, he strayed off the path and entered the woods. After a while, he realized he was lost. He could no longer hear the woman’s voice. Shadow beasts were said to have found him and ravished his body. Insects sucked his blood only for them to later evolve and turn into the blood sucking mosquitos that we have today. Many other campers throughout the years strayed off the path in their curiosity, despite this boy’s perilous fate. But they, too disappeared. Swarms of mosquitos are here to remind campers to never stray from any path again.

Weekend Writing Warriors is a Sunday short-snippet blog hop in which authors share short excerpts from their books (published or unpublished). There’s a variety of genres–something for everyone! To visit the participating authors, click on the site   www.wewriwa.com 

#WordlessWednesday #Happy #amjoy

#ReadORama Progress Report #amreading

Books Trin Carl is Reading/Listening to

I've got pretty far in my Read-O-Rama challenge. I thought I'd show a snap shot of books I'm either in the process of reading or finished.

I have finished this self help book entitled "Show Your Work."

Here is a blurb from the book :

Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery—let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive.

In chapters such as You Don’t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user’s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity— what he calls the “ecology of talent.” From broader life lessons about work (you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it) to the etiquette of sharing—and the dangers of oversharing—to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it’s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.

I've been trying to find different ways that I can show my writing and reading process.  The book really goes into detail about how important it is for an artist to do this.  The book talks about how artists often think that by showing your work someone might come and steal your thunder.  But that's not really the case.  Readers and art enthusiasts love to see the process and no one person's process is going to be the same.  No one person can accumulate the amount of hours you have done to get to where you are, and people love to learn how they can become successful.

So far I've been:

1.  posted my writing on Youtube (through audio files)
2.  posted my work on my blog.  
3. I've been using social networking for my work on twitter and facebook
4. I've considered having other youtubers read some of my work on their channels.  This one youtuber I know is a fabulous professional narrator, so I've been thinking of asking him to do read my work after its gone through the editing process.

Readers, If you read any good books let me know in the comments below.

My Wacky Weekend @BakngInaTornado @TrinCarl #Fridayfeeling

Today’s post is a USE YOUR WORDS writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

Here are the words I was given by http://Bakinginatornado.com 

renew ~ number ~ window ~ news ~ temperature     

Last weekend I was invited to the number one party of the summer, hosted by no other than Bro Quincy Carl. About 20 people came. It was fun to say the least.  

Here's what was on the menu:

cheesy tortellini

chicken terriyaki tacos

steak tacos (from the grill)

All the sides included

chips and salsa

And a Coconut Creme cheese cake to boot.

I've never put on such a spread or hosted such a party.  In fact I like to take a back seat approach to most parties and hand over the hosting to other individuals.

For my grad party, baby shower and bridal shower various family members hosted.  Now, you might be telling yourself "Of course, why not?" But if those parties are the only ones you ever hold you'd think I'd throw a few myself.

Either way, I'm not a party planner. 

A pic of the storm taken by a friend

The news of my bros party came by a modern invitation:Facebook.

The weather was great. 

 The Storm held off until the following morning.  

Thunder, lightening and rain caused debris to fall everywhere in the neighborhood.  A green dark sky loomed through the window and wind blew through trees similar to that of a hurricane.  

The temperature at the party the previous day was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit perfect for a bonfire and perfect for sitting around and talking with old friends. I helped cut and throw pine tree branches into the fire, causing ten foot flames to reach for the sky. I'd definitely redo or renew this day given the opportunity.                       '


Last weekend I also worked on a novella that I'm currently writing

Here is an excerpt from Oh Brother by Trin Carl:

  We peaked through the windows of the abandoned house and saw white barren walls and no furniture which made it seem desolate.  To the right I could see Burns standing in the front porch looking out the window.  I checked the side door and was surprised when it opened with ease.  Zion and I snuck into the back bedroom where we closed the door and  crouched down to hide in a closet.  

I stared across at Zion, whose legs were folded like Pinocchio.  He wore a red silk jacket and tan corduroys.  His teeth were shattering in time with mine.   We both looked around our small enclosure.

“Burns wuz here,” was written in pencil on the closet walls.   From my vantage point, I couldn’t see Burns, but felt panicky to be in the abandoned house with him just a corridor away.

“Listen,” I said to Zion just then.

Burns seemed to be talking to someone.  I pointed to the closed bedroom door and Zion followed me as I opened it just a tad.  Burns was in the porch, but I couldn’t make out who the boy who was beside him.  

“Zion, do you know who that is?” I whispered.

“Looks like Melanie’s brother,” he said.

We called him Melanie’s brother, because we never took the time to learn his name.  We often gave our friend’s nicknames according to their position in their family.  Melanie called me: Sister Ami (Ami being short for Amelia) and Zion, she called Brother Zion.

I could still picture her calling out to the both of us.  Hey sister Ami.  Hey Brother Zion.

Burns and Melanie’s brother took a seat in the porch thirty feet away from us, facing the street.  

“I’m glad you’ve made it.” Burns said, “I have a proposition for you.”

“What, you need more cigarettes?” Asked Melanie’s brother in nonchalance, his head full of brown curls waggling side to side.

“No, nothing like that,” Burns said. “Look, you need money right?  I have a job where you can make quick money fast.  You’d work for Butch, my next door neighbor.  You know him right?”

“You mean your neighbor who owns the rope swing in his backyard?” asked Melanie’s brother.

“Yeah him.  Butch has a private tow business where he picks up cars off the highway.”  

“Is that legitimate?” Melanie’s brother asked.

“Yes and no,” Burns said. “Yes, the cars he picks up are sold for parts to legal junkyards.  But no, he doesn’t have the title to sell the cars.”

A pic Trin Carl took  6/13/17 at Lego Land, MOA

I was surprised and stunned.  Butch is stealing cars off the highway and selling them for parts. I looked at Zion who had one eyebrow arched and was gripping the door as if a criminal was going to knock it down.

“Isn’t that illegal?”  Melanie’s brother asked.  “My mom says the only way you can sell a car, is if you have a title.”

“Look, it's not as bad as you think.  People aren’t using these cars anymore.  They’re can barely start and any car older than ten years can be sold without a title.  We’re just doing what the boss calls, “Cutting out the middle man.”

(This is as far as I got.  I hope you enjoyed it)

Readers if you had anything interesting happen to you this summer so far, let me know in the comments below.

                    

T is for Terrific Actress #AtoZchallenge via @trincarl

Chloe Bell with Benjamin Lohrberg

Today I'm interviewing Chloe Bell for my#AtoZchallenge (26 blog posts in one month's time).  
Chloe Bell is an actress in the University's BFA actor training program. Chloe can be contacted on instagram.



And onto the interview...

Chloe, you performed

#WordlessWednesdays

#ReadORama #WednesdayWish #pubjoy

Picking the perfect place to read my books for Read-O-Rama just got easy thanks to a local Cafe.
 I'm a little late as this week is the seventh round in the challenge. You have to read 7 books in a week.  Not sure I'm going to get through the 7 but I'll try my best.  If you want to find more about the challenge visit https://twitter.com/readorama?lang=en  There are eight different challenges in each round and this round started Sunday, 6/11 and ends 6/17.  I love going on Youtube and seeing people sweat through these challenges.  I like to see their reading habits:where they read and in what kind of spurts, etc.  Some people stay up all night and don't wake up till late the next morning, so it's cool to see how reading affects people's lives.
1.

 A book with "RAMA" in the title or author's name You in Five Acts by Una La Marche

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2. Read a book with Water on the Cover

Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

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3. Read a short book (150 pages or less.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
This MC is allergic to nearly everything and lives in bubble.

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4. Read a Graphic Novel

The Blind Prophet by Joseph Cillo, Jr.

I just interviewed author Cillo and I'm so looking forward to reading his book.

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5. A book you been anticipating
Blown Away by Steve Day 
Steve Day is fellow Indie Author who has offered me his book in exchange for an honest review.  
'

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6. Read an Own Voices book

The Upside of Unrequited 
by Becky Albertalli 

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7. A book released in the summer (doesn't have to be this summer)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (a script) story by J.K.Rowling play by Jack Thorne
This was released the summer of 2016

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Readers if you ever made goals for reading more let me know in the comments below.