Position & Positioning

Position and Positioning

First of all, apologies to the Sherman Brothers for using their song title for a title, but it fits, if only in it’s surface.  The original song is in their 1976 Movie version of the Cinderella story and talks about class and rank in a feudal society…

But me?

Umm…

I’m going to talk about sex.   (Baby – seriously, they used to call me the human jukebox in college, I have a thing for song lyrics jumping into my head… sorry)

But seriously, I’m talking about sex in my books… and the positions that I choose for certain scenes and certain characters.

The default of course is the Missionary. 

Face to face, straightforward. And as ‘staid’ as the name suggests, probably the one I associate most with connection. Two people looking at each other as they share a physically intimate moment.

There is nothing wrong with this position in a story, but sometimes it doesn’t get the job done in certain scenes… at least not for my muse…

When I wrote Playing With Fire about Roman and Finley… they had some issues. (Don’t all romantic couples?) But Finley had this car, and she and Roman had their memories and their childhood friendship that had always been there. But, Finley also had issues. She had never felt comfortable connecting with anyone, except for Roman and that wasn’t something she wanted to ruin back in High School. She didn’t want to jeopardize the one relationship that meant the most to her in the world, so she kept her true feelings hidden… but now she’s back in town, and driving that silly little Gremlin car.

As things move along in the story, *cough* they’re out driving one night, an old scenic overlook abandoned over time draws them into their own little world. But what happens when they decide to see what it would have been like to ‘park’ back in the day. Instead of Roman’s old car, he’s managed to squish his 6 ft plus frame into her teeny Gremlin.

What do we do?

Well, research. No, really. Research.

The search – Sex Positions in a Car

Wow… apparently there are a LOT of on-line articles about sexual positions possible and/or recommended in cars. Some go into description of which positions for which models of cars and… AND…  at least one article I remember offered for suggestions of songs to play…

But I found what I was looking for, a way for Roman and Finley both have their fun… even a man who couldn’t possibly fit… in the car! 

That's what I meant... Fit in the car!

I wanted a way for them to share this intimate moment with each other, to feel a connection and for Finley to find some of the fire inside of her that she’d lost over the years.

So while it might not be a lesson in the Kama Sutra, it’s a little bit of insight into what goes through my head sometimes… it’s a crazy waiting room in there most days…

Playing With Fire - Roman & Finley Story

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Happy Planning Everything! By Carolyn Hector

Happy Almost Valentine's Day, y'all!

I recently did one of those FACEBOOK thins where it was like a magic 8-Ball that predicted my forecast for Valentine's Day. It said the person I love will forget it is Valentine's Day. And ya know what? It's probably true AND I'm not going to be mad or angry. We've been together lifetime... I know how he operates. He really doesn't need ONE day to prove. Althoughhhh... lol I wouldn't mind if  a plate of chicken wings arrived.

I'm over the flowers. I am not the one with the green thumb.


Don't get me wrong either. Just because I love and accept my DH ..doesn't mean I'm not trying to raise uber romantic-thoughtful young men.
Before the 4 nephews moved in, I was always active in making sure that my son does something for everyone in his class. He attended a small private school and we were able to still do something for the young ladies. Now he's in high school and he will probably roll his eyes if I suggest it.

My nephews on the other hand! Let's just say my oldest has learned that his Aunt Carolyn writes romances... so that means she knows how to create heroes women love. I once mentioned how women are not above objectifying men and pointed out the 1/2 naked men on romance covers. He started devoting himself to push-ups and crunches. lol

Speaking of funny cover.. Did I ever post a few of these?

 I am aware that my mentality can sometimes rival that of a 13-year-old teenager.


When you get a chance .. you have GOT to check out worldoflongmire.com

Back to what I was saying..... I feel like with raising 5 boys... I owe it to the world to create young gentlemen. My latest thing the 3 oldest are going to do is volunteer for this event around town. Night to Shine sponsors a prom for kids with special needs. My oldest is going to be a buddy and the 15 and 14 year old are going to volunteer to help. And the cool thing is... they don't mind helping!




So this goes along with my planning.
I plan on my kids coming out to be good humans (sometimes they are on the alien side).


I plan on my books being best sellers (Still waiting on that one). The last weekend in January I was able to spend time with a group of fabulous authors. I still can't believe they let me in!





Anyway.... I had... as we all ,.. ENVY... this time it was Planner Envy. Do you use a planner?


We're talking some serious organization! I wanted one. I got home and started filling my cart. I got to about $110 bucks in my car...because of course you need stickers and pens and extra stuff to help keep you organized. I am a copycat.. I will admit it! They are so cute.
So my daughter... and if y'all can remember.. she's the mature one.

But anyway... I have deadlines and goals. If I can reach my deadline at the given date... I can then treat myself

And get an original one along with stickers if I reach my other goals as well. I spent this weekend using binders, washi tape and all that to make my own generic binder.








I have days set aside for contracted work. My best story-ideas come when I'm in the middle of working on another project. And then my characters in the 1st book get all jealous of the ones I want to start writing. Or is that just me?

So... tell me again....do you plan?

Wish me luck! I PLAN on reaching these goals!


Alright... gotta run and do PTO... it's on the schedule.

In the meantime... Happy Black History Month! Check me out on Instagram 


xoxo
Carolyn

There's still time to order and read my latest tiara series....

Order here!

When the Villain Won't Cooperate @JacquieRogers #western #HeartsOfOwyhee #amwriting

Not "TheEnd." Yet.

by Jacquie Rogers

Good News: Caroline Clemmons finished Daniel McClintock and I'm bouncy-happy that I'll finally get to read that book!  You can read about her new release in her last SGRR post, Typing the End of the Book!
Bad News: My next book, Much Ado About Mail-Order Brides (Hearts of Owyhee #6), which was supposed to release this week, is only half done.

I know, I know--it's killin' me! 

But sometimes stories pour onto the page and sometimes it takes a jackhammer.  This one's taking a jackhammer.  But first it ran over me with a steamroller.  Even bruised and battered, I'm rethinking and finally this book is revealing itself to me.  If there's one trait that a writer absolutely must have, it's tenacity. 

That's a nice word for stubbornness.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." 

Romeo and Juliette, Act II, Scene II

It all started when I realized that my villain's name didn't sound like a Manhattan dance teacher, so I found the perfect name for him.  But then that character absolutely refused to be a bad guy.  Maybe a medium bad guy, but not intentionally even at that. 

So then I needed a bad bad guy.  Really bad.  He barged in like nobody's business--he must've been waiting for his casting call all along.  This fellow is nasty baaad.  Perfect!

But...two villains?  That don't know each other?  Suddenly I have too many coincidences, and that's not good, either.

Ripple effect.

You'd think changing one character's name wouldn't be that big of a deal.  Just do a search and replace.  But it turns out that names are too powerful to be dealt with in such a flippant manner.  If they can be, then you have the wrong name for sure. 

The act of search and replace turns the ripple effect into a tsunami.

Now I have to go back through the entire first half of the book and find places where I can interject a little foreshadowing, plus both the bad guy and the bad bad guy need to have backstories and even more important--viable reasons for being in Silver City at the exact time the story is set, which is October, 1885.  This will affect at least six chapters and over a dozen scenes.  Some of them will have to be tossed and written anew.

I'm not a fan of rewriting.

But hey, I do feel great that I now know why writing the first half of this book has been a slog.  I feel energized!  My Muse has finally visited me, the story is unfolding, the characters are letting me in, and all that makes me a very happy gal.

So the book will be late, as will Honey Beaulieu #4, since I haven't even started on it yet.  Here it is, February 4, and I'm already two months behind on my publishing schedule.  LOL.  Maybe I should reassess, ya think?

Stay tuned for the new release announcement for Much Ado About Mail-Order Brides (Hearts of Owyhee #6) sometime in March--maybe even by my next schedule blog post!

Until then, happy reading and/or writing!

Jacquie's Website | Amazon author page | BookBub

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Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter series

Hearts of Owyhee series

TYPING THE END OF THE BOOK!

The End

I don’t actually write those words at the conclusion of one of my books, but I definitely think them, followed by “Yay!” I recently completed DANIEL McCLINTOCK, book four of the McClintock series. (Which can be preordered at http://a.co/37QmqYD. Hint, hint) I am excited about this book and hope readers will be entertained and love Clara and Daniel as much as I do.

But that’s not The End. Now I dive into my next project. Or projects. At the end of 2017, I made a plan for 2018’s writing. Sticking to the plan is not always easy.

You see, writers hear voices in their head. This is not a bad thing—unless the voices tell us to go haywire and engage in violence. Fortunately for me (and those around me) the violence in my life is committed by the villain in my latest book. And, I get to make sure he pays for his crimes. Writing is the best job!

I suppose each profession or hobby is the same. As soon as one project is completed, up pops the next to consume our time and engage our creativity. Here I go, diving into a new trilogy. This one is a time travel series in which women from the past come forward to today.

In my opinion, coming forward is more of an adjustment than going back in time. To go back, you would retain the knowledge about that era. You could definitely cash in on stocks and real estate, right?

Imagine coming forward. Almost everything is new. I did this with OUT OF THE BLUE, available at http://a.co/7M8vrt6, in which the heroine was an Irish lass from 1845 . She helped a contemporary detective solve a series of murders. Writing that book was fun.

Whatever your passion, I hope you are able to engage in that activity this year. Be kind to yourself.

Caroline Clemmons is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author. Find her books on her Amazon Author Page. Join her newsletter list for a free book, contests, and news of new releases.

  

Grunts and Groans by Suzanne Rossi

Hi everyone.

Hope 2018 has been kind to you so far. The crud I had in November came back right after New Year's, but I consider myself lucky that it wasn't the flu. (Knock wood. February is labeled as the peak month for that particular ailment.) A lot of people have posted on social media about their health and the horrible weather. I've come to the conclusion everyone is cold and sick.

I think I mentioned once that when we moved to Germantown, Tennessee, we decided to get in shape--or at least in better shape than we were. So we joined a local health club. Up until Thanksgiving we worked out regularly three times a week. It didn't take long, got us out of the house, and because the kitchen was undergoing renovations for most of the summer, we indulged in lunch at some of our favorite restaurants. (Yeah, I know, Mexican food and Margaritas kind of undo all that exercise, but hey, you only live once, right?) After the holiday, illness and the cold kept us home for a few weeks, but now we are back on schedule.

For those of you who work out or want to work out, I decided to give you a rundown of a day at the gym.

I used to spend the first ten minutes on the cardio-bike, but abandoned it a few months ago. I hated pedaling to nowhere. And treadmills scare me. I visualize tripping over my own two feet and flying out into the walkway thereby humiliating myself. The stair machine was not on the agenda from day one. So, while hubby does the bike, I head immediately for the weight room.

Being an aficionado of torture, I start with the standing pull down ab machine. I put on forty-five pounds of weights, grab the over-the-shoulder straps, and bend at the waist. My lower abdomen tightens. I do twenty reps twice before moving on the the next device. By the way, my reps are usually between twelve to fifteen and I try to do three sets.

Now it's time for the biceps curl. Twenty-five pounds for twelve reps three times. Not too bad. The next machine works the triceps. I do thirty-five pounds for this one since I find it easier to push down, than pull up a la the biceps contraption. A year ago my arms were pathetic strands of spaghetti. Now, I can actually feel my triceps and when I flex my biceps can see muscles. Well, I'm impressed at any rate.

When done with that, I slowly walk down the aisle to the most hated machine in the gym--the thigh killer. And I do mean killer. I adjust for fifty pounds of weight, grasp the handles, move the knee pads to the correct position and push my legs apart. I'm grunting and groaning by seven reps before finally giving up at twelve. By the end of two sets, I want to cry. Panting, I change the knee pads to squeeze and push my legs together. This position is no more comfortable than the previous one. Honestly, by now I should be able to crush bowling balls between my thighs.

Once I'm done with this machine, the rest are a piece of cake. Some kind of rotary twist machine that is supposed to work the obliques--whatever they are--followed by devices for a back leg curl, (works the back leg muscles), a leg extension, (does the front of the thighs), and a leg press, which works both. My knees aren't in the best of shape, but I have noticed going up and down the stairs at home is easier than when we first moved in. I now stagger over to whatever machine my husband is on where we discuss lunch options--usually involving wine. I have priorities. I view it as a reward for a job well done.

My last apparatus is the sit down ab machine. Sixty pounds of weight with all the grunts and groans I can emit for twenty reps three times. At least I'm sitting down and I can feel the crunches tightening my upper abdomen.

I'm done! A quick freshening up and I'm ready to eat and imbibe. The whole process took less than an hour, but the important part is I feel better both mentally and physically. I've lost weight--not as much as I would like, however, those lunches are also important to good mental health. Or so I keep telling myself.

Back at home, I try to get in some writing in the afternoon. If not, then I dedicate the off days to writing. I find I'm spending more down time with family and that my writing doesn't seem as forced as it was three or four years ago. I'm more laid back and relaxed. I no longer chastise myself if I don't write two thousand words a day.

I hope you all have vicariously exercised by reading this. Thinking along the same lines? Check out a few gyms near you. Take out a trial membership if possible and see if you like it. My guess is you will. And sometimes as I grunt, groan, and mentally curse, I think up plot twists, dialogue, and characters. How about that? I write as I work out. LOL

Have a great day and I'll be back in March.

Suzanne Rossi

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

(English Cottage Garden)

In midwinter my thoughts turn to gardening, of course. Ever wonder about the history behind these cherished plots of earth? Cottage gardens stretch back hundreds of years to the time when people used herbs for everything and grew most of their own food. These homey plots acquired their name from the country cottage around which they grew. I love cottage gardens and strive to have my own. However, I live in a boxy white farm house, not a cottage, and our yard and gardens are rather sprawling for that overflowing, filled to the brim, in a compact sort of way look. Like mine, these small gardens are (and were) a mix of flowers, vegetables, and herbs. I strongly associate cottage gardens with the British Isles, because of our shared history and the influence of the Mother Country on the New World. But other countries have them too.

(Bee on catnip flower with our farm house in the background)

(Heirloom poppies)

(Bees on poppies)

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden." ~Hugh Johnson

People acquired the plants for their cottage gardens from friends and family in the form of ‘starts’ (root divisions) cuttings, and seeds. Very much as I do today, only I have the added benefit of seed catalogs. They are called passalong plants. Sometimes these gifts of plant starts to others have come back to me when my own died out.  Thank heavens, I'm generous. If I gave any of you lupines, I would like some back now. :) I'm also a big fan of wildflowers.

(The front flower border in our garden)

Daughter Elise (my right arm in the garden) and I encourage beneficial insects to make their home among our plants. We are discovering which herbs and flowers, etc, are best for attracting pollinators, and we continually experiment with companion planting. It's as much a happy accident as intentional, but we grow a wide variety of flowers so that pollen sources are available throughout the growing season. We've learned that heirloom, non hybrid flowers and vegetables are best for attracting butterflies, beneficial insects, and bees... As it turns out, these are the kind that make up traditional cottage gardens. Those new and improved varieties may look more attractive to us, but not to the pollinators. Butterflies give them a pass. Elise and I noted this with the 'Wave' petunias we got from a garden center. Not a single butterfly or bee paid any attention to those prolific blooms. 

 A few pics from our garden this past summer and some of our visitors.

(Painted Lady butterfly on Agastache flowers)

(Hairstreak butterfly on asters)

(Bee on Tithonia)

(Butterfly On Forget-Me-Nots)

(Monarch visiting Bright Lights Cosmos)

Also, watch out for plants from garden centers that have been treated with systemic insecticides called neonicotinyl insecticides. You will unintentionally kill nectar seeking visitors with those flowers. For more on avoiding these killer flowers visit:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/plant-nursery-health/protecting-bees-beneficial-insects-systemic-insecticides/

"It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into the warm earth, to feel at one's fingertips the possibilities of the new season." ~Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

If you are in an herb growing mood and want to learn more of their lore and historic uses, I am pushing my herbal, Plants for A Medieval Herb Garden in the British Isles: 

An illustrated collection of plants that could have been grown in a Medieval Herb or Physic Garden in the British Isles. The major focus of this work is England and Scotland, but also touches on Ireland and Wales. Information is given as to the historic medicinal uses of these plants and the rich lore surrounding them. Journey back to the days when herbs figured into every facet of life, offering relief from the ills of this realm and protection from evil in all its guises.

Available in kindle and print at Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/Plants-Medieval-Garden-British-Isles-ebook/dp/B00IOGHYVU

You can't go wrong with herbs.

For more on me, follow my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/

Home is a Place We Go When We Aren't at the Doctors by Vonnie Davis

I'm a prolific writer, so I don't have time to be sick. That's why I get a flu shot every year as soon as they're available. This year, the shot failed. Three weeks ago, in an instant, I was sick with the flu. I mean couldn't crawl out of the bed, cough up a lung, ache all over sick. I turn 70 in May and am a diabetic, so I had to take care of myself. I'm more like a tough duck than a spring chicken.

My husband's heart is pumping at 20% efficiency. He's been in and out of the hospital. He falls a lot and I struggle to pick him up. He's using a walker all the time now. The strain on his heart has damaged his kidneys. He sees two cardiologists--one for the chambers beating out of rhythm and another for the heart's lack of pumping power. He also sees a Urologist and a Kidney Specialist.

Last week, I was thrilled to learn I didn't need my monthly retina shot I'd been getting for two years. The bleeding had stopped. Unfortunately, bleeding had started in the other eye so I needed a shot in it. Some months, I'll need shots in both. Ohhhh joy!

But, you know, it could be worse.  We could be worse. No one's said life has to be fair.

Meanwhile I'm trying to finish a bear shifter romance--FINDING CAMEO.

Take care of yourselves. Avoid the flu. It's so easy to get and so hard to get over. www.vonniedavis.com