You can’t go home…
Posted by: Karen Syed on: January 3, 2010
I recently read a series of posts on a Yahoo group that I found very sad. Not jus sad, but very sad. Several people spoke of their pasts and where they came from. The images evoked such dismay that I could not let it pass without comment.
Graceland, Memphis, TN
These poor people talked about how things had changed in the places and neighborhoods where they once lived. They told sad stories of vandalized homes and razor wire surrounding schools. Heartbreaking. I understand. I try not to go home because it is always such a disappointment to me to see how things have deteriorated. I also found great sadness during the few years I lived in Memphis. A city filled with such historical splendor and it is horribly abused and neglected. What could I do? Well, one thing I am doing is working on a story that celebrates some of Memphis’ fine history. Some day it will see publication and others will be able to enjoy the thrill I get each time I am there and I dig for the richness that once was.
In twelve days I will be traveling to Pakistan with my husband. That is the land of his birth and I know that every time he goes back, the changes affect him dramatically. But he has never lost site of what was and is still is mportant to him about home. I learn a lot from him.
With that in mind, I propose this.
As writers and publishers don’t you think we could make a change in all this? Every time I go home I feel lost. I admit it. But I just keep moving and try not to look back, like if I don’t pay attention it won’t really be there. It serves no good purpose.
What if as a collective a group of writers and publisher started a movement to rebuild our old communities and surroundings, one page at a time? We use words as our tools. We paint pictures with those words. We have the ability and the talent to bring those images of beauty and peace back to those areas and to those people who now inhabit them.
What if 1000 writers all took to their computers and wrote essays, articles, short stories, books, etc. painting the images that we so vividly recall?
I would think that with as many magazines as there are out there that a series of well-written articles with some beautifully nostalgic photos might bring about the stirrings of possible change.
We can all hang out here and feel bad about it, but what if we each made one little effort and then went to one other person to make one little effort, and so on? Don’t you think that the power of the word has the ability to change? It can certainly change for the worse, why don’t we MAKE it change for the better?
These places are our heritage, our roots, doesn’t that make it our responsibility to breathe life back into them?
I’d love hear about where you are from.
At Witt’s End
Posted by: Karen Syed on: December 22, 2009
Click Cover to Buy eBook
Things are really bustling at the Witt’s End resort in Northern Minnesota. Clients are vying for one of the few remaining rentals, except Cabin 14—thing is—no one gets out of Cabin 14 alive.
Sadie isn’t your typical sixty-four year old senior citizen. She has things she wants to do and shouldn’t be expected to solve a murder while trying to prevent an unscrupulous sheriff’s deputy from shutting down the lakeside resort she owns with her straight arrow sister. But that’s exactly what Sadie Witt must do.
When five guests with hidden agendas arrive at Cabin 14, they’re stunned to learn that the flamboyant Sadie is their conduit to the hereafter. Clad in the latest fashion trends–fads typically reserved for those without sagging body parts–and sporting hairdos that make bystanders want to look away but can’t, Sadie realizes one of the guests has been murdered and must work against the clock to untangle the web and prevent further mayhem.
Who the heck is Beth Solheim?
Click Beth to visit her web site
Like the main character in her Sadie Witt mystery series, Beth Solheim was born with a healthy dose of imagination and a hankering to solve a puzzle. She learned her reverence for reading from her mother, who was never without a book in her hand.
By day, Beth works in Human Resources. By night she morphs into a writer who frequents lake resorts and mortuaries and hosts a ghost or two in her humorous paranormal mysteries.
Raised and still living in Northern Minnesota, she resides in lake country with her husband and a menagerie of wildlife critters. She and her husband are blessed with two grown children and two grandsons.
A Day of Rest
Posted by: Karen Syed on: August 16, 2009
For most people Sunday is a day of rest. Not at our house. For some reason this is the day my husband has chosen for us to put everything back into order from the week before. So let’s talk about what I did today.
Thankfully, we went grocery shopping yesterday, so the Wal-mart and Sam’s Club trip was out of the way. Of course we left at 10:30 am yesterday and got home just before 3:00. But that was yesterday.
I got up this morning, late of course, I rarely sleep until 10, but today I did. When I got up I found that yesterday I had mentioned making a big breakfast, so I did. For those of you who know me, I am not so much the health freak, but now that my mother aka the general manager is living with us, her and I are on a course for better health and increased endurance, so healthy eating it is. Mush to my husband’s dismay, we are dragging him along with us. Poor thing is starving. LOL
I made our wonderful breakfast. Boiled eggs, hash browns, low sodium turkey bacon, and fruit. Mom had a bowl of cereal w/ a banana, hubby had a piece of my homemade Applesauce Cinnamon Raisin bread that I made yesterday, and I had a Nutrigrain and fruit bar. All in all a great start. We all sat at the table as a family and ate together. Nicely done.
We then cleaned the apartment. Dusting vacuuming, putting things away, unpacking mom’s suitcases, scrubbing bathrooms, and mopping floors. When does the madness end I ask you???
I made lunch. Rice with ground turkey and spices, carrots, and 18 grapes. Yes 18 each. All of this I did while mom read her David Baldacci book. Um…what’s wrong with this picture? Again, we all sat at the table and ate together. Shocking!
Well, then I had to come into the office and unload boxes of books that were received over the last week, you know the ones that I had to take out of the main room where they sat against a wall all week. So I had to rearrange shelves to make room, and stow away all the packing filler and break down boxes etc.
So then once all that was done, we started in on laundry. Five loads later, it is all washed, dried, and now stacked precariously across my bed. Sleep is not imminent…sigh.
I put the ingredients into the bread maker for this week’s loaf. Wheat bread-made white last week, thought I would alternate. Well, 2+ hours later, the wheat bread had run amok. Yes, I mean amok. This picture is verifiable proof of what happens when good wheat bread gets attitude. So tomorrow, I will make a loaf of white bread. Wheat bread be damned!
Okay, I worked a little bit on a new plan that Echelon has for increasing our eBook sales. New products on the horizon for interested readers. Keep checking back. So by the time 4:00 rolled around it was time to get dinner ready, so I plunks a chicken into a pan with some cut up potatoes and carrots, popped it into the oven and waited…and waited…and waited. Finally at 7:00 I said the hell with the crunchy carrots and took it out, made gravy, and we all sat down at the table for dinner together. Huh!
That my friend’s is a record for me. It is the first time ever that I sat down with anyone (much less the same people) three times in one day to eat all of our meals together at the table as a family. Ever in my life. No kidding.
Why have I told you all this? Because after this day, I am just too damn tired to try and think of anything clever to say and I really wanted to post a new blog. So, there you have it.
What did you do on this day of rest? Top my day (and be honest) and I will e-mail you a FREE PDF of my novel DARK SHINES MY LOVE. But it’s gonna have to be good to earn a free books! 
If you actually rested, you can always go to Amazon and buy a copy of my book. I would appreciate the sale. LOL
Echelon Press Management Update
Posted by: Karen Syed on: August 10, 2009
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Banging the Keys with Jill Dearman
Posted by: Karen Syed on: August 5, 2009
A true New Yorker, Jill Dearman has words in her blood. She is a writing coach and editor who’s been teaching her Bang the Keys workshop for more than six years. Her industry credits include teaching journalism at NYU and writing for a variety of outstanding publications. With a background in literary writing her short stories and other works have been published in magazines like Lilith and New York Stories.
It seems that Jill’s success has been written in the stars. She spent several years on the best seller list with her St. Martin’s Press books Queer Astrology for Men and Queer Astrology for Women. She has written astrology for Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, and Celebrity Living. Mademoiselle magazine named her one of the countries top-ranking astrologers.
I’d like to offer you a little bit of insight into Jill with the following interview. And check out the contest at the end of this post.
KS: Life takes people on so many different directions. When you were growing up did you ever see yourself being a teacher, a writer, or an astrologer? These three things are very different, but yet you seem to pull them together to make you whole.
JD: I’ve always had a strong passion for language (writing) and symbols (astrology), but when I fell into teaching in 2001 that was the element that made all the pieces of the puzzle stick together. I love to share my knowledge, to learn, which is such a huge part of teaching, and on and on …
KS: Your book Bang the Keys is a fresh look at how to get yourself going and keep the muse alive. I loved the section on journals. I have that addiction you refer to, you know, the one about notebooks. Well, I’d like to know how journaling has really affected your life as a writer and as an astrologer.
JD: Ha! I bet you have at least four on you right now! Like most artists I have many moods, and many imaginative thoughts. I have to have a notebook on me at all times to make sure I can release my emotions on paper, and to ensure that I don’t lose those bits of inspiration when they come. I keep a “cahier” (French for notebook) on my computer, and I always note what sign the sun and the moon are in when I make entries. When I look back sometimes I think, oh, I was doubly opposed by the stars on that day, no wonder I thought everyone hated me!
KS: You also talk about meditation in Bang the Keys. This is something I have tried many times, but it is almost impossible for me to focus long enough to…well, you know. Of the exercises you mention in the book what would you say is the most effective for a newbie to try? I found myself intrigued with the “metta meditation” or Peace Training. How exactly does this help a writer focus?
JD: Sharon Goldberg has written and spoken beautiful on this subject. (For more see my blog entry on www.bangthekeys.com). The idea is simple. You sit and focus on your breath as you silently send yourself repetitive messages of “loving kindness.” When you think of it, it’s not so different from the way you would comfort a child who is upset by saying “You will be fine; I am here” and then repeating those words again and again. It sure can’t hurt! And since we writers tend to self-flagellate ourselves in our minds so frequently, I think we should answer the question “where is the love?” with a resounding “right here, baby!” As in, in our own hearts, for ourselves. We can then let that love and compassion spread out into the world. And getting to a place of peace does help the writing … a lot!
KS: You talk about “Paying yourself first” in Bang the Keys. This is a concept that I think many people misunderstand. Most people only think of payment in terms of financial. Can you explain a little bit more about how a writer can best pay themselves? How did you first get yourself into this routine?
JD: Time is a writer’s greatest asset, and for all of us it’s in short supply. Before we write down “Lunch with Jed at 1pm on Friday” maybe we should look at our week and see if we have our writing hours scheduled first. And if we tend to have a very unstructured, minute to minute approach to time we might end up doing “research” (Googling the history of snare drums, and downloading some tunes) rather than writing. By paying ourselves first I mean writing down the writing hours we plan to do, in our calendar, just as we would write down the hours for classes we might take, appointments we might make. And then doing those hours. Giving ourselves the time we promise is paying ourselves first.
KS: I found myself intrigued by the personal thoughts you share throughout your books and I found a lot of inspiration from them. I also found so many truths that I had not realized before. Writing has taken a back seat in my life since becoming a publisher. But I miss it. I miss the thrill and I miss the challenges. What I don’t miss is the fear of failure. Your section in Bang the Keys about nearing the end really hit home with me. I kept seeing that word over and over, Go! And I realized how much of the angst of nearing the end I had survived in my own writing. What for you has been the most difficult part of the writing process? Is it the stuff at the end or are there other things that terrorize you more?
JD: I’m so glad you shared that Karen, as so many writers must do other things to support themselves, and to get their “platform” out there. It’s reality, but it’s hard. In regards to finishing, well, my thing seems to be this. I’m a little bit of an eager beaver. I tend to like to do things way ahead of deadline, and then I feel utterly out of control as I have to cede control to other people who are making the final stages of the process happen. That could be a writing pal who has my manuscript and is giving me notes, as I wait silently in a panic. That could be the folks who handle the business of writing and getting the magazines, books, and other publications out there. I’m so grateful to them but at once so fearful about what will happen to my baby! To explain how I deal with this self-imposed stress, take a look at the movie Broadcast News with Holly Hunter, William Hurt, and Albert Brooks. There’s a great scene where we see Holly Hunter, who is a type-A, super competent news producer bawl uncontrollably before she heads into work where she does her job like superwoman. That’s her ritual. I’m not so different!
KS: The last chapter of Bang the Keys is The End is the Beginning. I don’t think a lot of writers realize this. They figure that once they have finished a project their work is done and it becomes someone else’s job from that point on. What advice, outside of buying Bang the Keys can you offer writers to make their journey more exciting and less traumatic?
JD: In this era it is up to the writer to do so much to get their work out there. All I can say is, please realize you are not alone. Writers must help each other, and I know that we feel good when we are generous towards each other. Think of the finishing of the writing of a book, play, what have you, as a wedding, and everything that you do afterwards as the marriage! Don’t just be a bridezilla, be a good spouse!
KS: Your Closing thoughts and anything (including shameless promotion) you want to put in go below here.
JD: Please check out my book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q.
It really captures a lot of the sensibility of the book and has some helpful tips from my writing workshop. My website also really gives a strong sense of what I have to share with writers: www.bangthekeys.com. Take a look…and then get back to work! And thanks so much, Karen.
My Review of Bang the Keys
This book is just what the industry needed. There are a ton of “DIY” books out there. Of course all know that writing is a solitary sport, but I can’t rememeber anyone ever remiding us to do it FOR ourselves. Jill Dearman reminds writers that no matter what, this is still about you. With concise exercises that I guarantee will get any writer going, Bang the Keys ripe for the picking. Dearman doesn’t talk at you, she talks with you and her expertise in this field is priceless for anyone who has become a master at self-sabotage. It’s not just another how to, it’s a better way how to and that is precious to anyone who values their vocation as a writer. If you are a writer, then buy yourself a copy, then buy a copy for your fellow writers.
Contest: One random poster will be selected to receive a FREE copy of Bang the Keys from me (karen).
©Karen Syed
Getting to Know Anne Carter aka Pamela Ripling
Posted by: Karen Syed on: August 3, 2009
Creating fiction gives one the power to design other lives, filled with romance and adventure, intrigue and passion. My own writing career began in middle school creative writing class, inspiring me to later major in literature. All it took was one teacher’ encouragement and I was on my way.
Always a big fan of the motion picture, I began “seeing” movies in my head and ultimately succumbed to the nagging voice telling me to write them down. After gaining publishing credits in the prestigious periodical THEMA Literary Journal and PEACE Magazine, my short stories became novellas and then novels. Women’s romantic fiction came naturally for me, and in between books I ventured into teen problem stories and eventually wrote LOCKER SHOCK! (Quake Press, ISBN 978-1-59080-581-7), a middle grade reader about a boy and an unwanted gun.
As for the personal stuff, I’m a Virgo, a procrastinator, like warm better than cold and drink neither Coke nor Pepsi. I was born in the Midwest but migrated to California at the ripe old age of 2. My hobbies include doll collecting, photo restoration and writing, of course. My favorite sport is ice hockey, my favorite TV show at the moment is LOST although I don’t watch the tube much. I am married to my hero of 30 years and have 3 sinfully excellent children.
As a free-lance writer, I author a monthly column for my local chamber of commerce. I maintain a website, write for several blogs and publish a periodic digital newsletter. Oh, and then there’s all that social networking stuff…
I am also a lighthouse fanatic, and I guess it was only a matter of time before my obsessions collided and I wrote my latest release, POINT SURRENDER (Echelon Press, ISBN 978-1-59080-514-5). I actually spent days (and nights) holed up alone inside of a lighthouse while writing that book. What a trip that was!
As a writer, my biggest obstacle is allocating enough time to write, edit and market my books while trying to run my business and raise my children. Squeezing extra minutes out of an already jam-packed day is a challenge all writers must face. Next up for me? The second romantic lighthouse mystery, CAPE SEDUCTION, is slated for publication in 2010, and I am knee-deep in edits on another middle reader called OLD ENOUGH. The third and final novel in the StarCrossed trilogy, titled THE GYPSY IN ME, is in the works, and soon I’ll begin the third lighthouse book! Isn’t that enough?
All of my published work can be found at both Amazon.com and, in digital formats, at Fictionwise.com. I am available for speaking engagements, please contact me for topics. I can be reached via email at annecarter@beaconstreetbooks.com. Visit my website and blog at http://www.BeaconStreetBooks.com.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pamripling
Evelyn David: Echelon Press Author Award
Posted by: Karen Syed on: July 29, 2009
I knew when I read the first chapter of MURDER OFF THE BOOKS that it would be a winner. The entire book is just that good. But the readers had no way of knowing that until AFTER buying the book. Evelyn David is what I refer to as the Dynamic Duo.
Marian Borden from New York and Rhonda Dossett from Oklahoma could not be more different if they’d come from different planets. But together they have developed a remarkable team both on and off the “paper.” Their combined effort in writing the story is nearly seamless and together they build characters that are multi-dimensional.
Evelyn David is also a publisher’s dream team. Being so far apart not only allows for maximum exposure on a geographical level, but their ability to coordinate and implement marketing strategies is just plain brilliant. They have built a great network of fans in both readers and booksellers, and no matter the obstacles they have faced, and there have been plenty, they have never wavered in their efforts to work together to be something spectacular.
With this all said, it pleases me very much to award Evelyn David (Marian Borden and Rhonda Dossett) my personal Tremendous Team Effort Award from Echelon Press for June 2009.
Both halves of the team will receive specially designed awards and a gift of appreciation.
Excellent work, Ladies!
Photos from Karen
|
