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10 08, 2016

Messy Progress

By |2016-08-06T14:31:27-05:00August 10th, 2016|Wednesday Words of Wisdom|0 Comments

mess is part of the processThis meme by Holley Gerth really struck a note with me. My desk is always a MESS and clearing a space to work is necessary before I can progress. It’s a part of the process!

Do messes impede your progress or are messes part of your process too?

8 08, 2016

You Write What? or What is a romance novel? Part 1

By |2016-08-06T12:21:32-05:00August 8th, 2016|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

As we’ve relaxed on the front porch with house guests this summer, those two questions come up a lot.

To the what do I write question, I respond romantic fiction similar to authors Danielle Steele, Nicolas Sparks, and Barbara Delinsky. Unfortunately, some of our guests have never heard of those authors, a sad, sad thing because those authors write incredible stories. So do I. :)

Others have no idea what romantic fiction means.

I completely understand the genre confusion because so many different types of books are lumped under the umbrella labeled romance. Many of which lack the very specific expectations for characters and plot structure romance readers seek.

So what is a romance novel?

Every true romance novel contains two elements – a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. (www.rwa.org)

Romance novels can be contemporary, historical, mystery, thrillers, fantasy, or any number of other themes with settings and distinctions of plot that create specific subgenres. Whatever the plot, a romance novel always centers on the developing relationship of two people and ends with what romance writers call HEA, a happy ending.

Romance novel formats include

Novella

  • 20,000 to 25,000 words
  • Themed collections also called anthologies

Category

  • 40,000 to 65,000 words
  • Series (or “lines”) with a certain number published each month. Harlequin Romances available on a subscription basis are an example.

Single Title

  • 75,000+ words
  • Labeled as mass-market or trade by publishers based upon the format—small vs. large size and price point.

The industry standard for the romance genre is for the reader to experience the story through both the hero’s and heroine’s viewpoints, in third person, past tense.

The typical romance reader looks for only one viewpoint per scene in a story. However, there are romance authors like Nora Roberts who have challenge this standard successfully.

Lastly, the scope of the romance can be from sweet (no sex, no swearing) to extremely hot (no holds barred).

That fact always brings up another question: “You write like 50 Shades of Grey?” followed by a quick look and snicker at my husband. Whereupon, I quickly explain my stories are classified sweet romance.

More on romance classifications next week.

Considering the definitions above, do you read ROMANCE novels? If you have, tell us about one of your favorite novels.

5 08, 2016

Cool Chicks

By |2016-08-01T14:55:52-05:00August 5th, 2016|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

After two glorious weeks in the mountains of Colorado, we have returned to the furnace of Texas. Every time I felt cold while in Colorado, I would soak it in hoping to recapture the feeling when I was back at home.  It isn’t working.

We actually haven’t reached 100 degrees yet but the heat index has been well over 100.  That means it feels really, really hot.

For us humans, we stay inside where the air is cool. The poor chickens are stuck outside.  I refuse to put an AC unit in the coop.  There are plenty of trees and the temperature is much cooler in the shade.   But it is still hot.

Rachel read in a chicken forum that running a sprinkler in the chicken yard will cool the ground which in turn cools the air.  Makes sense to me.  So we water the chicken yard – which has no grass.  We basically water the dirt.

wateringThe chickens love it.

They scratch around in the mud looking for bugs.  It is very entertaining for them and very entertaining for me.

Next to working jigsaw puzzles in Colorado, chicken watching is one of my favorite pastimes.

1 08, 2016

Offering An Open Hand

By |2016-07-17T08:43:00-05:00August 1st, 2016|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

blue hand with quoteLove these words from Biddy Mason, once a Black slave woman who walked from Mississippi to California working along the way  as a cattle herder and nurse/midwife.

Quite a woman she was.

In 1856 she petitioned the California courts and won her freedom. She reached out with her open hand to immigrants and prisoners. Sixteen years later in 1872, she and her son founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in her  Los Angeles home.  That little group grew to nearly 3,000 members.

How’s that for offering an open hand?

29 07, 2016

Free Range Chickens

By |2016-07-19T11:20:39-05:00July 29th, 2016|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Olivia’s chicks have grown up quite nicely. I went to close them up one night and Olivia was not with them. She had gone back to the big coop.  I guess in the chicken world, it is the mom who flies the coop.

Anyway, they are spending more time out with the big chickens.  That is when they are not next door.  They are still small enough to fit through the fence and are often tempted by the grass in the neighbor’s yard.  I  see them all wandering around next door.free range chickens

It reminds me of a commercial:

So far the chicks return to their home coop each night.  I suppose they will eventually get too big to fit through the gate.

I just hope they are on our side when that happens. Our neighbors love watching the chickens, but I’m not sure they want to have any of their own.

27 07, 2016

Dirt and Growth

By |2016-06-30T11:51:51-05:00July 27th, 2016|Wednesday Words of Wisdom|0 Comments

dirt and growthToday I spotted the leaves of a sunflower popping up through the dirt. Where did the summer go that fall sunflowers are coming up?

I have no answer for that, but seeing the green sprouts, I was reminded of Holly Gerth‘s quote. It’s the pushing through dirt that produces the beautiful fall sunflowers that I enjoy.

Gives me a whole new perspective on dirt. How about you?

 

25 07, 2016

Are Naps a Waste of Time?

By |2021-07-17T10:55:17-05:00July 25th, 2016|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Nappers are often labeled as lazy. But are nappers the smart ones?

As youngsters, we fought naps until we collapsed in total exhaustion. These days social media can produce FOMO and like our younger selves we push on.

Unfamiliar with FOMO? That’s anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.

We tend to power through our day, tired or not, because we feel compelled to get everything done that we think we need to do.

Interestingly, recent studies indicate the tendency to avoid naps or take breaks to relax during the day can actually reduce productivity and/or produce results that are less than our best.

Check out The New York Magazine video below. You may change your mind about napping. I did and now I’m off for a nap.

22 07, 2016

There’s a Chicken in my Bathroom

By |2016-07-19T10:35:21-05:00July 22nd, 2016|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

While checking the chickens this week, I noticed one silkie hen squished between the coop and the fence.  I gently unsquished her and set her down.

chick in basketShe was very unsteady on her feet and it looked like a wing was broken.  I consulted chicken doctor Rachel who put her in a laundry basket in the bathroom while she did some research.

When my piano student arrived the next day and needed to use the restroom, I found myself saying “There is a chicken in my bathroom,” which reminded me of a song (which is a pretty standard occurrence around here).

book about holeThe song is entitled “There’s a Hole in the Bucket.”  I have a couple of different books illustrating this song which is basically a conversation between Henry and Liza revolving about how to fix the hole in the bucket.

As I went about my day, I thought of many verses to “There’s a chicken in my bathroom.”  I would write it all out but I’m quite sure no one would understand.

It turns out that this particular breed of chicken has a soft spot in its skull much like a newborn baby.  This soft spot does not close so if the hen gets pecked on the head, it can cause minor damage – like a concussion. This would cause her to be unsteady and want to hide from the others.

Our injured hen seems to be doing better now that she is separated from the danger of pecking hens. She is eating and drinking and can move around more securely. She even talks to us when we are in the room.   We’ll try to incorporate her back into the flock later this week.

The bathroom will be lonely.

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