#AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal for 2017 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Compiling 30 blog posts for the 30 #AtoZChallenge days of April, 2017 takes stamina and a desire for serious goal-setting. Thanks to Arlee Bird and Alex J. Cavanaugh, I've been able to sustain my interest in maintaining a blog site over the years. The April boost gives me energy for the 12 months to follow.

The theme I chose for this year is "Food For Thought." This way I can mention food (a main pastime for me, not to eat but to think about!) and to work in a thought about writing when appropriate. As I eat very little meat, and never the red kind, my thoughts usually focus on fresh fruits, bean-based meals, and quick snacks. So posting in April will have the added challenge for me of choosing foods that generate interesting and thought-provoking topics. Whether I succeed or not, April will be fun-filled as I travel from blog to blog, enjoying the entertainment of every other blogger's theme choice.

 

I'll be relaxing in a corner of my lanai, with a refreshing drink,
as I compile my #AtoZ posts for April, 2017

Look forward to visiting your blog very soon, and often!

 

*****     *****     *****

 

 

 

Wishy-Washy or What?

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of the group here. 

The Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG), started by ninja captain Alex J. Cavenaugh, is a monthly opportunity to share our writing fears or solutions and to offer encouragement to the other participants. (Co-hosts this month are: Krista McLaughlin, Kim Van Sickler, Heather Gardner, and Hart Johnson.) ...just picked this up from Rhonda Albom's site!

Decision-making isn’t a problem for me, but sticking to a decision sometimes is. 

Last November, for NaNoWriMo, I decided to switch horses and write about a new protagonist. The fifty thousand words required to be “A Winner” flowed onto the page at regular intervals. Then I had second thoughts about abandoning my original protagonist and her storyline. 

It took several months to work through my indecision (okay, decision-making sometimes is an issue for me!) I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to continue the story line of my original protagonist. I set up my own nanowrimo for thirty days between June and July. I am now over thirty thousand words into this novel. I’ve had to make at least a hundred decisions already concerning plot, characters, and setting. 

Each day more decisions are required, but I have my fingers crossed that the major decision to write the novel I’m working on now is my final decision. 

Are most of your decisions flat-out carved in stone, or are you often swayed to change your mind?

 

 

 

Z-to-A LOOKING BACK at APRIL AtoZCHALLENGE

 

For a blogger, surviving April has special meaning. As many bloggers know, April is the month of the AtoZChallenge originated launched by Arlee Bird and co-hosted this year by: 
      Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out                   Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh 
      Author Stephen Tremp                           Tina @ Life is Good 
      Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs                      Jeremy @ Being Retro
      Nicole Ayers - The Madlab Post            M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips 
      Heather M. Gardner     AJ @ Naturally Sweet     and     Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian 

Bloggers follow the alphabet around the calendar for the month, posting articles with alphabet titles such as C is for Collapsing Coastlines from http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/ ; Melissa's Imaginarium Ferris Wheel at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 http://melissasimaginarium.blogspot.com/ ; and Hauntings: Zoos http://lexacain.blogspot.com/2014/04/hauntings-zoos.html .  

 

My theme this year was Blues, Pupus, and Reviews (pupus being the hors d’oeuvres of Hawaii.) I enjoyed writing the posts but had the most fun doing the research before April cast its ominous shadow across my computer. 

Because most of my blog posts were prepared in advance, I was able to spend time visiting other blogs and meeting new people. I pinned many blog pictures to a Pinterest Board entitled “Great Pics 2014 AtoZ Blogs” and look forward to continuing visits to these interesting people and their blog sites. http://www.pinterest.com/gailmbaugniet/great-pics-2014-atoz-blogs/

Will I participate in another AtoZChallenge? Probably, but that is a year away. Thanks to Cherie Reich’s ingenious AtoZ Flashes of Foxwick (Amazon link below) I’ve developed a series of posts for the upcoming months: Myni Mystery Moments (many/mini stories). That should help with my AtoZ withdrawal symptoms.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Foxwick-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007USUANC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1399880287&sr=1-1&keywords=Cherie+Reich+Flashes

 

BAGS of BONES Mini-Reviews

Mini-reviews for my A-to-Z BLUES, PUPUS, and REVIEWS theme

appear on Monday and Wednesday.

This Wednesday is also #IWSG day!

 

Often I get stuck in my writing or start to feel less than confident with a current WIP. That’s when I like to pick up a book that will entertain me without making me feel guilty for not working on my own project. I am a sucker for any book with the word “bones” in the title. 

Admittedly, Kathy Reichs cornered the market with the television series BONES, and her novel Flash and Bones is high on my reading list. At the top of that list is Keri Hulme’s The Bone People, but several other authors with “bones” novels have also entertained me over the years. 

 

My A-list of “bones” books includes

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold,

heralded by the Chicago Tribune as saying

“. . . there are more important things in life than retribution.

Like forgiveness, like love.” 

Jan Burke’s Bones: An Irene Kelly Mystery offers a controversial story that moves forward at a steady pace. The Bone Collector: The First Lincoln Rhyme Novel made best-seller Jeffrey Deaver a favorite on many lists. The kindle edition is scheduled for release in May, 2014. Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell offers a look at poverty in the Ozarks that gives me a chill even now. 

Other guilt-free favorites are:

Bag of Bones by Stephen King

City of Bones (A Harry Bosch Novel) by Michael Connelly

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen 

At a book sale, I came across Bones: A Forensic Detective’s Casebook by Dr. Douglas Uberlaker that demonstrates how bones can speak for the dead. It is a good reference book for mystery writers.

What is your favorite “BONES” title?

 

2014: An Ode to #AtoZChallenge

 





Join Arlee Bird's A to Z Challenge



‘Tis the week before ‘A-ToZ’

And all ‘round the world

Stressed bloggers are panicked

If truth now be told

 

Some posts are pre-written

And ready for view

A, B, and C, mostly

A few up to Q

 

Then out pops that brick wall

Of re-al-i-ty:

Be-hind eSS trails yoU

And eXe follows Vee 

 

What’s left yet to scribble?

A Quixotic mess

Can usufruct* save me?

That’s anyone’s guess!

 

Take stock and breathe deeply

It’s only a game

No “Hunger” rules dictate

And nothing draws shame 

 

Showers of April bring

May flowers of glee

Bright tunnel’s-end strobe lights

Declare “Victory!”

 

*Usufruct - the legal right to use and enjoy the benefits and profits of something belonging to another

 

Join Arlee Bird's April 2014 A to Z Challenge:

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/p/to-z-april-challenge-information.html

Liebster Blog Award 2013!

Recently, my friend Sandra Nikolai nominated me for the Liebster award. Sandra is the author of False Impressions, her first mystery novel in a series featuring Megan Scott and Michael Elliott. Thank you for the nomination, Sandra!

 

As required of the Liebster nominee, I have pasted the Liebster award in my blog post and will provide a link back to the nominator's blog. In my case, it is  Sandra Nikolai

 

Next I am to answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated me, Sandra Nikolai, then compose 11 new questions and nominate 11 more friends to join in the party. The idea is to have fun and introduce new people to your blog site. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! 

Here are the 11 questions Sandra posed for her 11 lucky Nominees, along with my responses:

1. Are you a morning person?

Yes, I am awake by 6, just takes awhile to get oriented enough to make coffee! However, I am also a night person. It is the in-between hours that are not always so productive.

2. What inspires you to blog?

Questionnaires like this one are inspiring. I also like to talk about things related to my home state Wisconsin) and adopted home state (Hawaii.) 

3. What is your current or next WIP about?

My current WIP is the third novel in my Pepper Bibeau mystery series. The story is set in Hawaii. I did much of the initial research several years ago when I visited The Big Island, specifically with a novel in mind. I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2012 and used that research material as the basis for writing this first draft.  

4. What is the one thing you’d like to do but haven’t had the opportunity?

Study the stars. When I moved to Hawaii, it seemed inevitable that I would become an amateur astronomer. But after settling in Honolulu, I quickly learned one thing it had in common was any major city was too much artificial light to see stars.  

5. Name one of your favorite fictional characters and explain your choice.

Huckleberry Finn has always been one of my favorite characters. To me, his name represents independence. I often dreamed of floating down the mighty Mis’isip, stopping to visit towns along the way, and living a thoroughly carefree life.  

6. What is your pet peeve?

Sudden unnecessary noises, like a slamming door or squealing automobile tires. 

7. What would be your ideal holiday getaway?

A spa retreat with no set schedule - I could choice what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.

8. Who/what did you want to be when you grew up?

Connie Stevens in the television show ‘Hawaiian Eye’. She was talented, independent, beautiful, and always smiling! What more could a girl ask for? 

9. What is your biggest regret?

Aside from not being Connie Stevens? No regrets. The mistakes and misfires only make the successes stand out that much more vividly.  

10. Name two of your favorite cities in the world.

Paris and Bruge (It’s in Belgium . . . that’s a line from the movie, In Bruge.) 

11. What are the best five words that would describe you?

Happy; Motivated (sporadically); Chocolate-addict; mystery-lover; Aloha  

 

Now, here are the 11 new questions I complied for 11 of my friends:

1. As a writer, do your male characters more often resemble Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks?

2. For the majority of the novels you read, do you prefer the print or ebook format?

3. If your latest novel were made into a screenplay, would your story be best served by hiring director Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee?

4. Knowing you must travel to the location for research, where would you set your next story?

5. Is sending a written letter via the postal service a thing of your past?

6. For 50% of the DVDs you rent or buy, what is the genre?

7. Would you walk a mile for an ice cream cone or reach for an apple in the refrigerator?

8. What is your favorite part of attending a carnival?

9. Most tempting: Banana Split or Hot Fudge Sundae?

10. Do you buy gifts for others that you would like to receive?

11. What is your current or next WIP about?       

 

And now, the list of Nominees I have chosed to accept this challenge:

A. Joyce Schneider @JoyceSchneider1 http://www.thecookandthecardiologist.com/thecookandthecardiologist.com/Embryo.html

B. Karin Kaufman @KarinKaufman http://www.karin-kaufman.blogspot.com/

C. Carole Sutton @cazutt http://casutton.tripod.com/cazutt/

D. Kenneth Hoss @KennHoss http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/

E. Elizabeth Wilder @eewilder http://www.virtual-zen.com/the_spruce_gum_box

F. Richard Weatherly @RichWeatherly43 http://richweatherly.wordpress.com/

G. Laurie Hanan @LaurieHanan http://westoftheequator.wordpress.com/

H. Stella Atrium @SAtrium http://stellaatrium.com/

I. Stacy Juba @stacyjuba http://stacyjuba.com/blog/

J. Cynthia Meyers-Hanson @Hanson8046 http://mchanson714.weebly.com/index.html

K. Alison Bruce @alisonebruce http://www.alisonbruce.ca/

 

In the SinC/Hawaii Spotlight: Lori Tian Sailiata

In the spotlight for today's SinC/Hawaii interview is Lori Tian Sailiata whose writerly alter ego is Lara Britt. Lori is Vice President of Sisters in Crime/Hawaii and an enthusiastic blogger. She has developed a new website for SinC Hawaii, Facebook SinCHawaii Group and Facebook Page. She is also moderator of Tweet Chat for our group under the hashtag #SinCHI.

GAIL: Lori, you have mentioned something called “Whirled Peas Cafe.” I would love to hear the story behind the name. What inspired you to create the name, and does such a cafe actually exist?

LORI: For a couple years my girls and I lived in Spokane, Washington. I ran a small espresso bar/deli near the courthouse. The hours were perfect for me as a single mom. I would bundle the girls up ready for school, cook them breakfast at the deli while I was roasting the turkey for that day's sandwiches and whipping up three featured soups, then put them on the school bus. At two o'clock I went to volunteer for the last hour of their school day. We'd walk home together. After the normal nightly ritual of supper, homework, playtime and baths, it would be story time.

At that time Spokane was part of a program that gifted books to both school libraries and the public library. We read lots of books as per normal, but we also wrote reviews and in doing so earned dozens of books for both libraries. If you ever go into the Main Library in Spokane and flip open a jacket, don't be surprised to see our names inset. Whirled Peas Cafe was our small family's daydream place. The name came from a t-shirt shop that had on one side "Stop the Violins" (Stop the Violence) and Visualize Whirled Peas (World Peace) on the other. Whirled Peas Mysteries is a synthesis of our dreams, our experiences, and our sense of humor as well as our taste in art. The series is set in the Whirled Peas Cafe. Maybe if I'm lucky, it will be a brick and mortar that smells of great coffee, locally-sourced soups, and intriguing characters. (http://www.whirledpeasmysteries.com)

GAIL: Any setting with the name Whirled Peas Cafe could draw only intriguing characters! You are active with a group that uses a Twitter hash tag of #MNINB and #WSChat. What is the focus of this internet group?

LORI: #MNINB was the hashtag we devised when we joined our first Twitter chat as part of The 2012 April Platform Challenge developed by Robert Lee Brewer for his My Name Is Not Bob (MNINB) blog. Robert is an editor at Writer's Digest, but this was an effort of his personal blog.

His rules were that we needed to comment by at least posting a "done" after we completed a daily challenge for the month of April. By the middle of the month, the participants had bonded and had spun off activities to supplement Not Bob's material.

At the end of April, we declared ourselves "done but not over." This became the tagline of our "#MNINB April Platform Challengers." (http://notbobbers.wordpress.com/). Our ambitions to help each other with our writing outstripped what we could accomplish on this WordPress site and we are currently transitioning to our more permanent home, Wordsmith Studio. (http://www.wordsmithstudio.org) Each Tuesday, we hold two separate Twitter chats. Our moderator, Khara House, also uses Spotify to transcribe them and posts to our FaceBook fanpage. (https://www.facebook.com/WordsmithStudio)

GAIL: Hawaii is home to you, but you lived on the Mainland for awhile. Which states were you in and did your experiences there spark any ideas for future stories?

LORI: I've only been back in the Islands for a little more than a year. My history goes back many decades. My mother was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base back in the 1950s. (Well before I was born, thank you!) I grew up visiting the Islands multiple times throughout the years. I went to public school in suburban Chicago. My family is from Southernmost Illinois which is also known as the Appalachia of Illinois. The Cherokee Trail of Tears runs through my father's farm, land that my ancestors owned as the Cherokee made their way to Oklahoma. I grew up on old Indian tales. My grandfather's mother was Cherokee, born in Georgia and raised in Oklahoma. Also heard the settler's tales. From an early age I was interested in borderland places, places where folks from different backgrounds interact.

GAIL: What type of research is necessary for your writing and where is most of your research done?

LORI: A writer's archive is the whole of life. Research is in taking notice. Taking notice of the word choices and mannerisms of the Microneasian woman who works graveyard at the Waikiki 7-Eleven is as important to me as the information I find on the internet. I also have my favorite hangouts at University of Hawaii/Manoa, a handful of Hawaii State Library branches that I haunt, and of course, the Bishop Museum. I'm a docent at the Bishop. I always say I learn as much from our visitors as from anyone. There are no end of experts and wonderful archives. I have a series titled Writerly Nooks (http://larabritt.com/category/writerly-wednesdays/) on my blog where I show some of my favorite places to write and research.

GAIL: Of all the locations you have visited, where would you most like to spend your time writing and why?

LORI: The Big Island or Hawaii Island, as it's more frequently referred to these days. It is remote and has a slower pace than O'ahu. I can hole up and not be distracted. But if I'm looking for inspiration, there is plenty of that as well. International scientists do their research high atop Mauna Kea at the observatory, but others study the volcanic data spewing from Mauna Loa. Oceanographers study the local sea life. Physicists study geothermal and solar energy sources. Then the botanists and agriculturalists who are expert in local vanilla, coffee, cocoa, macadamia nuts, citrus, orchids, and regional teas...horses and cattle, lamas. So much going on and yet the pace is so wonderfully mellow.

Count Down to Blogging From A to Z Challenge April 2012

A WORLD OF CRIME

Arlee Bird’s A to Z Blogging Challenge is a stimulating, month of April dare for bloggers who want to challenge themselves to write twenty-six blog posts, one for each letter of the alphabet. Because I write, read, and breathe mystery novels, as a nod to this widely-encompassing genre, my theme for the challenge is:

A WORLD of CRIME

So many of the alphabet letters offer obvious choices (a for autopsy; b for ballistics; c for crime; d for dagger) that I double-challenged myself to skip the more evident of choices for each letter and discover words, topics, names, or locations that require a bit more original thought (almost as though I were creating titles for Sue Grafton’s mystery novels.)

The second half of my double-challenge was to confine my blog posts to:

Exactly 200 Words Each

As of 10:08 a.m. March 23, eleven hundred seventy-eight people have signed up for this alphabet tour, and time will not permit anyone to read every post. My shorter posts should help to keep everyone moving along.

While #posts of 140 @characters might be a bit too challenging to write, I plan to visit all the blogs of tweeters who use the hashtag #atozchallenge.