Why is it nothing this cool ever happens when I’m traveling? And yes, I did use Google translate to figure out what the heck was happening. Basically, a German plane with 260 passengers just boarded for a flight to Rio was treated to a flashmob by the German band voXXclub, that no one seemed to recognize. Including me. LOLOL Anyway, I watched, it was fun. I danced in my chair. Happy Octoberfest and yeah, it finally feels like Fall today! Have a great weekend!
So, as a writer, how do you get from there to here? As discussed yesterday in Wednesday Words, it depends on the “style” of writing you’re most comfortable with. Since I’m weird and something of an outlier when it comes to my process, I’m showing you the difference between the “puzzle pieces.” I had two small scenes (and by small, I mean maybe ten words of notes) and then a scene from another #ThursdayThreads challenge. Here’s the sketch: Fiona has a squabble with Bowie and takes off. Second scene: Maura stumbles across Fiona and helps her get home. Longest scene: The crew sitting around Clancy’s telling tall tales. Last week’s prompt **”She had never been there.”** gave me just the inspiration I needed to put the first two together and set up bridge for the third because I had to get Maura to Clancy’s somehow. I hope you enjoy the long version–minus the actual Clancy scene. I have a bit of tweaking to do there.
****
Fiona was lost. And a little afraid. There were so many people pressing around her, all talking loudly and jostling. She tried to understand the huge map hanging above her head. Buses. Trains. Which was which and where did they go? She stepped back and stumbled as she knocked into a warm body.
“Oh, mercy,” she cried, whipping around. “My apologies, surely!” The woman she’d rammed straightened and seeing the tears in her eyes offered a smile. “No harm done.” She gazed about the area, as if looking for someone. “You’re not from around here, are you.”
It wasn’t a question but Fee answered anyway. “I’m not, no. An’ I’m a wee bit lost.” Fiona offered a shy smile. “Well, truth be told, I’m a lot lost.”
“No worries. Where are you going?”
And wasn’t that the question. She’d been angry at Bowie and had slammed out of the apartment. She’d walked all the way to the bay and then foolishly caught a bus, riding until it hit the end of the line. Here in this enormous station that mixed trains and buses and the subway. She couldn’t remember the name of the street where Bowie’s flat was located. She racked her brain.
“I think I’m lookin’ for Telescope Hill.” The lady curled her lips between her teeth in an effort to hide a smile. “Ya ken go ahead an’ laugh. I’m stayin’ with…friends an’ I’m an absolute dolt for not knowin’ the address nor how t’get back there. There’s a place called Telescope Hill an’ I know it’s close. If I could get there, I can find my way to their flat.”
“Could it possibly be Telegraph Hill? Over in Dorchester Heights?”
Fiona considered. “Maybe? There’s a park and a white tower.”
The woman nodded. “That sounds like Thomas Park and the monument.”
“There’s a pub nearby.” Fiona suddenly brightened. “’Tis painted green.”
The woman laughed. “Sorry. That could describe half the bars in Boston.”
“My friend…he hangs there with his mates and his sister works there. It’s called Clancy’s.”
The woman narrowed her eyes and gave Fiona a penetrating look. “Your friend hangs out at Clancy’s?”
The change in the woman’s demeanor scared Fee a bit and she eased back a step. Her instincts screamed for her to run but the woman grabbed her arm. For someone who looked all beautiful and gentrified dressed in her business suit and carryin’ a briefcase, she was certainly strong.
“Let me go,” she whispered, eyes wide with fear. Maura inhaled to regain some control the moment she realized she’d scared this girl. “It’s okay,” she assured. “I won’t hurt you. My name is Maura Brannigan. What’s yours?”
“Fee. Everyone calls me Fee.”
“I bet that’s short for Fiona, yes?” At the girl’s nod, Maura discovered she was more curious than concerned. Fiona looked healthy, just lost and scared. The fact she was probably fresh off the boat, so to speak, could mean any number of things. “Come with me. I’ll buy you a coffee and we can talk. Then I’ll make sure that you get home safe and sound.”
They stepped into a nearby coffee shop. Maura ordered for them both then settled at a table in the far corner, with plenty of empty tables around it to ensure some privacy.
“Are you safe?” she asked as the girl took a sip of her vanilla latte. She got big eyes in response.
“Dear Mary but that’s good,” Fiona breathed. “I’m thinkin’ this is my new favorite beverage.” Then, she understood the question. Ducking her head, she looked up from under a curtain of wavy red hair. “Yah,” she whispered. “For the first time in forever, I’m safe.” She sighed. “I got mad and took off like an bloomin’ igit.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Bowie’s gonna be so worried.”
Maura pulled out her cell phone. “Do you know his number?”
Tears sprang once more in Fiona’s eyes. She shook her head. “Total igit.”
Knowing she had no choice, Maura punched in a number she should not know by heart, and she ignored the way that heart lurched when a gruff male voice answered, “O’Connor.”
“Are any of your boys missing a sweet little redhead?”
After a muted conversation on Ronan’s end and what sounded like a kerfluffle, the man said, “Where are you? I’ll send a car.”
“I’m quite capable of getting Fee home, Ronan. Besides, she needs to learn the T and the bus system so she can get around.” “Maura—”
She cut him off. “There’s the T now. Gotta dash. We’ll see you in about thirty minutes.” She clicked off her phone. After all, she had never been there and this was the perfect opportunity to visit the infamous Clancy’s Irish Pub and beard the dragon in his very own lair.
Except, as dragonish as Ronan O’Connor acted, it was always a wolf Maura saw looking out from his eyes.
****
And there it is. A long-winded Thoughts today, but one also prompted a bit by some of the messages from the Universe about inspiration and going for it and stuff like that there. Since I was having the devil of a time figuring out how to Maura to Clancy’s with an excuse for her to go there that would fly in her own mind because she’s doing her best to deny the attraction between her and Ronan. *bwahaha* Anyway, that’s a long-winded example of how a Puzzler’s mind works. I have the whole picture on the cover of the puzzle box. I have all the straight pieces framing the puzzle and now I’m fitting pieces together, a few at a time, before I fit those parts together to make a bigger picture, and adding those larger sections together until the enitre interior is complete. Easy peasy. And I DID mention that I am weird in my process, which definitely drives many writers crazy but works for me. What’s working for you today, writers and readers?
Yay! I won last week’s Thursday Threads using the prompt: **She had never been there.** I thought I’d do something a little different this week. The flash fiction challenge is limited to 250 words and those scenes always get expanded when I use them in a WIP. So, a little insight into my working writer’s brain. Today, you get the original posting of 250 mostly bare-bones words telling a tale. Tomorrow, for Thursday Thoughts, I’ll post the expanded scene after a discussion of how my writer’s brain works and the process of adding words and actions.
****
“Oh, mercy,” she cried, whipping around. “My apologies, surely!”
The woman she’d rammed smiled. “No harm done. You look confused.”
“I am, yes. An’ a wee bit lost.” Fiona smiled shyly. “Well, truth be told, I’m a lot lost.”
“No worries. Where are you going?”
And wasn’t that the question. “I think I’m lookin’ for Telescope Hill.”
“Clancy’s?” Maura breathed, regained control. “My name is Maura Brannigan. What’s yours?”
“Fee.”
“Short for Fiona, yes?” At the girl’s nod, she asked, “Are you safe?”
“Yah,” Fee whispered. “For the first time in forever, I’m safe.” She sighed. “A bloomin’ igit, I am. Bowie’ll be so worried.”
Maura grabbed her cell phone. “Do you know his number?”
Fiona shook her head.
With no other choice, Maura called a number she should not know by heart.
A gruff male voice answered, “Ronan O’Connor.”
“Are any of your boys missing a sweet little redhead?”
“Where are you? I’ll send a car.”
“There’s the T. I’ll get Fee home. See you in about thirty,” She clicked off. After all, she had never been there and what a perfect opportunity to visit the infamous Clancy’s Irish Pub and beard the dragon in his lair.
****
So now you’ve had a glimpse at how this writer works, and I think to some degree, all writers handle their craft. Some brainstorm the whole story then plot each scene and outline them–your classic Plotter. Others get a flash of inspiration, think “Hrm. That’ll make a great tale!” They then sit down and start writing and get “light bulb moments” along the way dealing with characters, settings, and plot points. Yes, these Pantsers write by the seat of their pants–so to speak. And then there’s the rest of us–a combination of the two, plus folks like me. I’m a Puzzler. I get a flash of inspiration then I dream up characters (the who) to fit the situation, along with the where and the when. That’s all the straight pieces of the puzzle. And then… Well, tune in tomorrow to discover the how and the why. Writers, use it or lose it. Readers, where’s someplace you’ve never been?
Uhm…rut ro! Apologies. This is a bit late and done on the fly because…reasons. Good ones. I got so deep into the Boston Wolves yesterday that I forgot I hadn’t set up the blog for today. Tuesdays are kind of a pain. I have to find a recipe, pick a character to match, and then do a graphic with the food and the book cover and embed the links. I totally blanked out yesterday. The good news is, the story made great strides.
So anyway, down and dirty edition today. You get my standard graphic and a couple of questions to answer. Here we go:
Whether you read paper, ebook, or listen to audio, what is the messiest snack you love to eat while reading? I mean like, leaves fingerprints and stuff. For me, it’s Cheetos Puffs. And yes, sadly, I do have paperback with orange spots in the margin. I will also inhale an entire giant size bag in one sitting.
What is the snack you love most that is the least likely to leave a mess on page or screen? I’m all about the Peanut M&Ms. Melt in your mouth, not on your book.
What book are you currently reading? I’m finishing off Amanda Quick’s THE BURNING LAMP and then goning “back” to her THE PERFECT POISON, which released at midnight. POISON is the 3rd book in the 5 by Quick. They others had already been released so when I finished the 2nd, I skipped to the 4th with intent to backtrack once POISON released. While interconnected, they can be read standalone for all intents and purposes.
Your turn. Messy snack? “Clean” snack? And current read?
Hello, Monday. I have coffee. And no air conditioner turned on! I’m such a happy camper right now. Friday night, I even wore a quilted windbreaker with a hood to the soccer game. Saturday was fuzzy slippers before time for siren test and BBQ with the family. Long sleeves! Sunday was fuzzy slippers and hoodie. Sadly, the 80s are coming back a few days this week. That’s okay. Nights are still cool enough to keep the house comfortable and then 60s this coming weekend. I do love me some Fall!
In writing news, I love my Irish Wolves, too. I need to figure out which of them is white. Actually, I need to figure out what coat color they all have, except Devlin. Devlin is a black wolf. He’s already made an appearance. Anyway, new words last week and over the weekend and more scenes falling into the correct order. The word count shifts back and forth but this will still be one of my longest books to date. I can only hope I don’t bore readers and they’ll be as excited over these Wolves as I am. There’s all sorts of twists and turns and secrets coming out. Stick around Wednesday and Thursday this week for some of those words and a peek at my process.
We still haven’t won the Powerball lottery. Bummer. But yeah, buying a ticket today because 1.5 BILLION in the pot, though less if you take the cash payout and pay taxes.
There were sports this week. The aforementioned soccer game Friday night and a two-game tournament up the turnpike on Sunday. Stormy’s team lost but they scored a goal and kept it tight up until the end, when it got dark and there are no lights on that field. Plus they were playing the A team. No clue on the other games at the time of this typing. In college football, my OSU Cowboys managed to pull of the win against Kansas State on Friday night–an upset. And the bigger upset is #12 OU beat #3 Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. My family were HUGE OU fans and I’ve been down to many of those games in my childhood. Luckily, in college, they let me stay home alone. Still, it was touch-and-go down to the very last drive of the game. Exciting football! And speaking of upsets, the Phillies beat Braves, Rangers beat the Orioles, and the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers. Atlanta Braves and Baltimore O’s were #1 seeds in the bracket and the Dodgers were #2. Crazy sause. Two more games yesterday, but again, this was typed before scorres. If you’re intereted, you’ll know the outcomes. If you aren’t this boring so moving along. LOL
Still waiting on the re-release of Amanda Quick’s THE PERFECT POISON audio book in her Arcane series. I skipped ahead to the next book and trying to listen in small bursts. I don’t want to start the last Quick entry before this middle book that comes out tomorrow. Then it’s on to the contemporary stories by Jayne Ann Krentz.
Not much else going on. I made a Cajun Boil last week–shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob in butter/Cajun spice sauce. Good stuffs! I also did a quick Chicken-Mushroom Alfredo with bow tie pasta. Yes, I cheated and used a jar of Alfredo sauce but it was tasty so there. 😛 I’m looking forward to more comfort food fixings as the weather cools. I love spaghetti, shepherd’s pie, patty melts, etc. And hot bread. It was way too hot this summer to have the oven on.
I need a CD player. Who knew?!? Neither of my computers accept music CDs and I’ve got a huge collectio of them that I’d like to plug into while I write. I’m staying away from world news. It’s just too sad while also making me so angry. I hope the Universe has a special place in Hell for terrorists and those who support them. Moving on… Music. I’m streaming “play lists” on Youtube at present and that’s okay except I’m going to have to start over soon. Which is why I’m checkin out places to purchase a CD player on the cheap. I used to have one or two but I think they went to the thrift store long ago, if they were still operable. Anyway, I’m open to suggestions.
On that musical note, I’m off to Wallyworld for the weekly grocery run. Luckily, the list isn’t too long so hopefully Jake and I can dash, get done, hit Starbucks on the way home, and then I can settle in to do laundry and write. How do y’all listen to music these days? And what are you going to settle in to do today?
I’m not known for getting political on social media. Heck, as a rule, I don’t political face-to-face unless it’s with Lawyer Guy but after 40 years of marriage, he just rolls with it. And vice versa. But this #ItsASouthernThing video is so very true! Yeah, I AM proud Southerner, why do you ask? And yeah, just wait for it… Have a great weekend, all!
I am learning the various blocks available to me on WordPress and it’s not easy because I’m so used to their classic version where everything is just there, handy, and I know how to add the coding needed to make it look the way I want it to. As a result, today’s message from the Universe applies to all sorts of things. I’m discovering what I need most to publish this blog, for sure. Mainly, though, I have to agree with the Big U when it comes to my writing.
What do I need most when it comes to this WIP? Time and focus. I have the first, need the second because Procrastination is my middle name. I really am sitting on a gold mine of ideas, scenes, and words so there’s that. And I’m really hoping that this book is a diamond in the rough. I’m still wondering about the title, though. Working title is MOONSTRUCK MAFIA: BOSTON. There are two more books out there–New York and Chicago. And yeah, working titles are MM: New York and MM: Chicago. Not exactly thrilling so if you’re feeling creative, I’m open to suggstions. In the meantime, I’m back to work. What do you need today?
I miss the days when I could resize the image I use. Stupid FB. Ah, well. Y’all are here for the words and not the pics, right? I have new ones–words, not pics–and they evolved into a scene that was coming up pretty soon in the plot so win! Also, I judged Thursday Threads last week, but I still wrote this snippet based on the prompt: **”How did you see her?”** Things are getting serious in Boston. I will give you a bit of a hint–the homicide cop involved in this scene has had a “thing” for Mick since they were kids. *bwahaha*
****
They’d been sitting in this stuffy little room for almost two hours now. Mick was a model of nonchalance. He could unlock the handcuffs at any time but left them on his wrists since the street cop who dropped he and Declan off here had been nice enough to move them around to the front. He’d opted for the chair in the corner, where he could see the camera, the two-way mirror, and the door. Deck took the chair next to him but pulled it to the end of the table, turned his back to the camera, sat and promptly put his feet up on the table.
Mick had just closed his eyes on a yawn when the door exploded open, banging against the wall in which it was set. Detective Alan Bragg swaggered in, followed by two uniforms and another detective who was slightly better dressed than Bragg.
“Well, well, well,” Bragg smirked. “The great Michael O’Connor sitting in my interrogation room.” Without removing his feet, Declan said, “Two hours. Was that enough time to manufacture and plant whatever evidence you discovered in my client’s home?”
Ignoring Deck, Bragg dropped into a chair—one that creaked ominously under his bulk. “How? Did you see her when we brought her in for an interview? Did you go after her then?” Bragg snarled the words, leaning across the table in an attempt to intimidate Mick.
Remaining relaxed to the point he almost sprawled in the uncomfortable metal chair, Mick kept his mouth shut.
“That’s presuming my client actually saw her,” Declan said.
The cop still hardly glanced at Deck, keeping his main focus on Mick. “I’m not talking to you. I’m askin’ him.”
Mick sat straighter and leaned closer to the scarred wooden desk that separated him from the cops. “Her who?”
“The woman you murdered.”
The two Wolves exchanged a look but it was Mick who replied. “I have no clue who or what yer goin’ on about, Detective Bragg.” He sank a wealth of derision into Bragg’s rank. “Ya come to my home with a squad of coppers in the middle of the night. Ya trash m’place after ya put me in handcuffs and drag me down here with not a word as to the why of it. And now yer accusin’ me of murdering a woman? What woman, Bragg? Where? And when? And how? But most of all, why? Why would I kill some anonymous woman?”
“Because she fingered you for Tommy Gallagher’s murder.”
****
Cue the dramatic music: Dun dun DUNNNN! I got a bit off track this weekend and had to put my train cars back on the rails. Time is moving too slowly in the book. Which I guess is not a bad problem except a certain amount of time has to pass in plot before certain things can happen and I am soooo ready for those things to happen. Why, yes. I AM impatient. Why do you ask? So writers, go for the prompt if it will help. Readers, ae you impatiently waiting for something?
While the weather may not be there yet, fall sports definitely are! There’s football–college and NFL, plus the MLB play-offs and upcoming World Series. You’re sure to please the whole crowd with Bacon-Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Bites when they come to watch the game.
What You Need 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 48 pieces 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cut into 48 pieces 1 pkg. (16 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cut into thirds 1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (I suggest Frank’s brand) 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Let’s Make It 1 – Heat oven to 400ºF. 2 – Top each chicken piece with cream cheese piece; wrap with 1 bacon piece. Secure with wooden toothpicks; place on foil-covered rimmed baking sheet. 3 – Bake 15 to 18 min. or until chicken is done. (Bacon will not be crisp.) 4 – Mix wings sauce and sugar until blended; brush onto bacon-wrapped bundles. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until bacon is crisp, and sauce is hot and bubbly.
Kitchen Tips Tip 1 – Don’t want lots of spicy? Substitute HEINZ Tomato Ketchup for the wings sauce Tip 2 – Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.
If you want all the details, head over the My Food & Family for nutritional info, etc. Just CLICK HERE. I’m going back almost to the beginning with this recipe. My editor and I had a long discussion about the fact that Cassidy would be a St. Louis Cardinal fan. First, she grew up in Oklahoma and two, she lived in Chicago at the opening of the the book. He thought she’d support the Texas Rangers because…Dallas. Or either the Cubs or White Sox because…Chicago. He was also surprised that Chance’s family would own a minority share in the Cards–enough to get them a box and “green seats.” The green seats are directly behind home plate, are like a private club with very comfy and padded seats and seat-side beverage and food service. Those seats are passed down to heirs, have a long waiting list, and can cost up to $10,000 a seat, on the conservative side. We had a loooong discussion about it and I finally convinced him. And yes, I’ve pretty much been a life-long Cardinals fan from the days when baseball was far more often on the radio than TV. And this is far more information than y’all probably want but hey, maybe it’s stirred some interest in COWGIRLS DON’T CRY, which was the first contemporary romance I sold to Harlequin. And you know something? The opening scene of that book STILL makes me cry, even if cowgirls don’t. Usually. 😉 So, enjoy this snack and if you don’t want to watch a game, go grab my book and read it instead. If you click on a pick with the cover or the title, you’ll go to Harlequin. You can buy directly from there or find the links to all the stores where it’s available. What’s your favorite fall sport?
It’s October! Where’s Autumn?!?! The weather guru’s promise cool temps coming mid-week. I’m not holding my breath but boy howdy am I ready! My perfect temp would be 68 year round, but that’s just me. And no, I have no plans to ever move to a place where that’s a possibility. One, I don’t think thre is such a locale and two, despite all my gritching, I do enjoy the changing seasons. I’d just be happier if they happened on time.
So anyway, I’ve given up on any help from FB when it comes to photos featured on the blog. If you see two versions (depending on the pic), it’ll mean FB did it again and I will have deleted the cross-post with the wrong pic and upload the URL and pick manually. If I have to do that, I’ll go back to posting manually, and uploading the featured pic directly to my FB author page. Grrr. Sadly, instead of being automatically shared at 6 a.m. when I schedule the blog posts to hit on the website, posts will appear whenever I get to my computer and do it. So much for “automation” and AI. No dig at WordPress, which is my host and platform. Not their fault. I’ve heard that I’m not the only one this happens to on FB.
In other news, last week was busy. Jake got a bath–always a fun time. 🙄 I spent all day Wednesday updating all my self-pubbed to meet the ‘Zon’s new AI disclaimer. FYI, I don’t use AI at all. Not to write my books, edit my books (unless you consider spellcheck to be AI), nor do I use it for the covers. I have an amazing artist who puts my covers together. During this process, I discovered that I never got around to formatting four of the books for print, to match the other books in the particular series where they belong. That’s now on my list. It’s probably easy for most but I’m old and tech is not my first comfort zone. It takes me awhile to remember what goes where and how to set that up and set the parameters. It’d be cool if I was a best-selling author so I could just pay someone. That’s not the case. This is very much a one-woman shop, with the occasional contract assistance from my cover artist. I’ll get around to getting those four in print once I get the Irish Wolves corraled and in the wild.
Speaking of the Irish Wolves, last week and this past weekend were productive, despite distractions from Real Life. It’s such a relief to get lots of words moving from my imagination to the monitor. This story is really taking shape and falling into place. The hard part is giving everyone equal “screen time.” Yes, this book has a large cast of characters. When the plot was originally conceived, I was toying with the idea of publishing it as part of the Kindle Vella serial program. Then I started writing it. And the time lines of each couple overlapped and were all tied up in the overall plot so…there ya go. At this point, it’ll 100K. Trust me when I say there is a LOT going on in this book. And it’s fun. Fun to write and fun to read. At least for me.
In sports news, yesterday’s soccer got cancelled due to a conflict in scheduling. That worked out. See above about 90+ weather (game was schedule for like 2 p.m.) With no came, Stormy got to go to a birthday party and the Kids got to see the matinee of a Broadway musical–road company. I got to watch the retirement ceremony for Adam Wainwright, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and all-around really good guy. Yes, I had a tissue handy during the speeches and the gift giving. He played 19 years for the Cards and should be a MLB Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible. He’s obviously a shoo-in for the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame. My Cowboys had a bye week. I hope they get their act together for Friday night’s game.
In reading, I finished the new release in JD Robb’s Eve Dallas/In Death series, PAYBACK IN DEATH. It was a good listen but I was sort of scratching my head at the end as the conclusion seemed a little pat. Still, lots of Roarke time which made up for his lack of “screen time” in the last book. I can’t believe there are 57 books in the series, and a new one coming out in either January or February. I don’t remember which and I’m too lazy to go look. I’m currently delving into Jayne Anne Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick’s multi-pen-name interelated series, the Arcane Society. She just re-released the Amanda Quick book SECOND SIGHT in audio. The first chronological-by-plot/time period book in the series, it’s set in Victorian England. It introduces the Jones family and other families in the Arcane Society. Lots of psychic paranormal fun and while I’ve stayed up with Arcane through her Harmony SciFiRom series. It’s been years since I did the historicals and contempories. Something a little different to listen to as I make my Wallyworld run this morning then come home. I’ll switch to the Celtic music when I settle in with my Boston peeps and write.
That’s pretty much the wrap-up for me. What about y’all? Oh! Interesting story in the news. Some linguist claims that authentic southern accents are fading way. Dude, seriously? You need to come spend time in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. Anyway, y’all have a good week and thanks for comin’ around to check in here and say howdy!
Silver James 