Please welcome my special guest, author Cathy Yardley
THE
THING
New
Year’s tends to be a time for resolutions and bucket lists. It’s exciting –
there’s a whole empty year ahead of you, full of promise. This could be the
year that you (finally) do “the thing.”
The Thing
The
“thing” can be like a mirage: always on the horizon, never getting any closer.
Which is why resolutions tend to derail somewhere around March at the latest –
and why bucket lists remain unchecked.
“This
year I’m going to sell that series!”
“This
year, I’m going to Paris!”
“This
year… This year… This year…”
Check the GMC
The
term “GMC” stands for goal-motivation-conflict, and it’s the foundation for any
story. Your characters need to be clear about what they want. They need to have
a really good reason for what they want. And then, they’ve got to overcome
challenges to get what they want.
Motivation
Let’s
say your character wants to climb Mount Everest to prove to herself that she’s
not a failure. What if she’s never failed at anything? What if her family is
consistently, unconditionally supportive? It makes no sense for her to want
what she wants if that’s the case… and we, as readers, won’t be rooting for her
because we won’t know why what she’s doing is important.
Writing my life
To
me, pursuing The Thing isn’t any different. If I’m serious about getting
something, I need to know why I want it…. and the why behind that.
Do I
really want to go to Paris? Well, why? And what’s the why behind the why?
Is
it because I want to do something I haven’t done it in years? Is it because I
want an adventure?
If
that’s the case… is Paris the only way to do that? Are there other
mini-adventures I can have in the meantime that don’t take quite as much
planning, time and money?
Is
it because I adore Paris – the art, the cafes, the whole nine yards? Again, is
there a smaller way to start infusing that in my life? Some street cafes I
could visit? A French restaurant? Some street art fairs?
What if nothing but The Thing will do?
That’s
when I’d move to the next step: conflict.
Going
back to the Everest example. If the heroine decides to climb the mountain, and
then in the next chapter she simply goes over there and does it… well, that’s a
pretty boring story. There have to be obstacles. That’s where the story lives.
The
best stories are when the heroine is in a tough spot, and the writer manages to
come up with an unexpected but completely plausible solution.
Doing
The Thing isn’t any different. There’s a solution – if the motivation is strong
enough, then the solution is there. It may not look at all like you’d expect,
but it’s there.
My Thing
This
year, I’ve got a series coming out called The Player’s Club, from Harlequin
Blaze. In it, the members go through a hazing where they’re innocently asked
what they’d do if they had one month left to live – and then, they have one
month to do those things if they want to join the Club. It’s a lot of fun, but
it also got me thinking. What would I do?
For
the past two years, I’ve wanted to go to a creativity conference. It’s not
cheap. I have writing deadlines, I teach classes, and I’ve got editing and
promotion clients. Oh, and I’ve got a five year old.
I’ll
be going in July. And I’m so happy, it’s ridiculous. It took some hoop jumping
and a lot of juggling, but it’s already been worth it, just to know that I can.
What
about you? What’s on your bucket list? And what’s your Thing?
BIO:
After
years in the corporate world, Cathy Yardley managed to tunnel her way out of
her cubicle with a spoon she’d stolen from the break room. She now writes urban
fantasy and romance, provides editing services, and generally celebrates her
freedom from the cube farm in an undisclosed location somewhere near Seattle,
WA.
You can buy her latest title, THE PLAYER'S CLUB: SCOTT from:
IT'S THE JOURNEY THAT COUNTS
Pack your bags, pour a goblet of 1998 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, settle in a comfortable first class seat with one of my novels, and get ready to travel to exotic foreign lands for romance and intrigue—and a good laugh. Enjoy the adventure. It’s not the destination that matters; it’s the journey that counts.
Life's journey is not
to arrive safely at the grave
in a well preserved body,
but rather to slid in sideways,
totally worn out and shouting,
"Wow! What a ride!"
Look What I've Been Up To
Since the end of November, when Sapphire Blue Publishing went out of business and my books were left homeless, I've been considering my options. While I do that, I've spent some time on my hobby, quilting. Those of you who quilt know that quilters always have lots of unfinished project. I've spent some time finishing several.
This one was not completed when the photo was taken but it was finished for Christmas and is now on my son's bed.
Quilting class project Donation to Art Auction at Liberty Academy
The Art Auction at Liberty Academy is to raise money to help the fourth grade classes take a trip to the state Capitol. I offered to donate a quilt. My granddaughter picked the fabrics and the result is the quilt above (which is still waiting to be bound).
But I had another idea. With the cooperation of the teacher, I had each 4th grader draw a picture with permanent marker on a block of white fabric. They picked a patriotic theme. I'm putting the results into three wall quilts (wall hangings) which will also be auctioned. There are no art prodigies in this class, but here are the results so far.
This one isn't sewn together yet. I love the drawing in the middle on the bottom row. The soldiers raising the American flag appear to be all in the nude except for green belts and helmets (or maybe they're wearing skin-colored uniforms).
I'm awesome!
Please welcome my special guest, multi-published Author Heather
Long
My Child Will Do It
Differently
by Heather Long
She
will do everything differently. Realistically, we didn’t do things
as dramatically different as our parents did. In fact, I didn’t do
half the things my mother did, but I have a feeling my daughter won’t do much
of what I did either…she’ll do it differently.
Reading … my child will do it differently.
She
has an entire genre devoted to her. The young adult explosion is
taking over bookstores, websites, blogs and even my Amazon recommendations
list. Do I mind? Of course not.
I’m
jealous.
At
her age, I was making the transition from chapter books to Harlequin Presents
because the only YA we had was Nancy Drew and if you didn’t like mysteries you
were out of luck. I did dive into science fiction and fantasy about
the same time I started reading Harlequin…that may explain my paranormal
western romance Marshal of Hel Dorado…but I digress.
Watching television … my child will do it differently.
When
I was growing up, we loved reruns because it was the only time to catch the
episode you might have missed. Sure we’d just started getting VCRs,
but if your timer was even a minute off, you lost parts of an episode, hiccups
in scheduling messed with your recording and worse, if you had a power blip --
pfft. No T.V. for you.
Hell,
if you weren’t tuned in when J.R. was shot, you were seriously out of luck
because you may or may not EVER get to see that episode again. Worse
still if you missed the big reveal. Today? No
sweat. You can download seasons from iTunes, watch them on HULU or
any number of websites. There’s no rush to get home, no fervent
desire to be planted in front of the television, because you can watch it
anywhere.
I
should know, I downloaded the season one series finale of Vampire
Diaries via Amazon Unbox at 8,000 ft when I was taking a Margie Lawson
Immersion Class. That’s right, not even altitude comes between my
vampires and I!
Going to School … my child will do it differently.
When
I went to school, if you got in trouble your parents got a phone call or worse,
you had to carry home a note to them so they could sign it. It was
always some hideous pink or other egregious color. When it came to
keeping track of your homework, projects, test dates and assignments, if you
didn’t do it, you were out of luck.
Today?
My
daughter’s teachers email me newsletters every week so that I
know everything they are doing, the hit me with calendar reminders
for tests and projects and hey, if she forgot an assignment at school, a quick
email turnaround gets the attachment sent to my computer. I added it
up the other day, I spend five to six hours a week acting as an administrative
assistant for my fifth grader.
That
might explain why I won’t check my email before I write my chapters every day.
Writing a Book … my child will do it differently.
When
I was growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. When I was
in the fourth grade, my teacher actually had us draw picture books, write a
story for them, a title page and an about the author, then she had them
professionally bound. It was the coolest thing ever with this dark,
navy blue cover and my title and name embossed in gold on the front.
Today,
my daughter has Kindle Direct Publishing and she’s working on her first novel that
she’s asked me to edit and then help her find a cover artist for.
This
is why she’ll probably make the New York Times Best Seller list before me, and
that’s okay.
Because my kid may do it differently, but she’s still doing
it! How about yours?
About Author Heather Long
Heather Long is a full time writer, mother, friend and student. She can often be found at 4 a.m. hiding in her garage with a cup of coffee and a new story idea unfolding on her laptop. Her Fevered Hearts series launched in October 2011 with Marshal of Hel Dorado. The second book, Brave are the Lonely, will release in March 2012. You can keep up with these and all of Heather’s upcoming releases via her website, Facebook page and occasionally, Twitter although she swears she’s pretty bad at remembering to Tweet even when she reads them.
http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Link for:
Author R. Ann Siracusa Welcomes You
To Her Blog
Pack your bags, pour a goblet of 1998 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, settle in a comfortable first class seat with one of my novels, and get ready to travel to exotic foreign lands for romance and intrigue—and a good laugh. Enjoy the adventure. It’s not the destination that matters; it’s the journey that counts.
A Note From Santa Claus
Can you believe we're only a few days away from Christmas? Time flies. And by the way, here's a critical note from Father Christmas.
I'm writing this note to inform you
That taxes have taken away
The things that I found most essential:
My workshop
My reindeer
My sleigh.
I'm now making my rounds on a donkey,
He's tired and crippled and slow,
So if you don't see me on Christmas
I'm out on my ass in the snow.
Sincerely, Santa
I've always been an avid reader. I was trying to think back the other day and remember if I liked holiday-themed books before I started writing. Can't remember. But now? Love them. I've been lucky enough to write three holiday novellas over the last few years. The most recent one just came out, It's Not Christmas Without You in the Holiday Kisses anthology from Carina Press.
When the editor
asked me to join in this anthology, my answer was easy – yes. I even knew what
I wanted to write. It's Not Christmas Without You is a "second chances"
romance about an on-again, off-again couple who grew up together and seemingly
grew apart. He's a country boy at
heart. She wants to try the big city. He believes everything is fine as is. She wants their relationship to change. At
heart, the hero is charmingly clueless and the heroine is frustrated by the
hero's cluelessness. I even knew where I
wanted to set the book, back and forth between West Virginia and Washington,
D.C.
All the parts fell together and the plot seemed clear. Then I started thinking about why I was so excited to write this story. Yeah, I love to write. That wasn't it. This was something bigger, something about holiday romances that made me smile. I turned it over in my mind, analyzing and contemplating. Finally, I figured out that the books work for me, the theme makes me happy, because the books are filled with so much hope. I already view hope as the point of romance novels. Some folks say romance and love, but I truly think romance novels are about hope. They’re about wading through all the tough stuff in life and finding that special someone. The bad guys get caught. People forgive wrongs. The barn gets built. Whatever the task, it gets resolved in a way that turns out to be the right way. Combine that with the holiday spirit and all the good parts of the season (minus family fights at the dinner table and burnt turkey) and you get books about hope in the most hopeful season of all.
So, will my hero and heroine figure out their problems? Yes. It's a romance after all. Will the holiday season play a role in the book? Definitely. Will holiday romance continue to bring hope and smiles? If we're lucky, then yes. And those of us who write them and read them (and I do both) will know that there's nothing better than a romance to end the year.
Happy holidays!
HelenKay Dimon Bio
HelenKay Dimon, award winning author of romance and romantic suspense, was a divorce lawyer specializing in unhappy endings. One day, during a particularly difficult string of cases, a co-worker handed her a romance novel with the promise of a much-needed escape and a happy ending. She’s been reading -- and writing -- romance ever since. Click Here to see a list of her many books available on Amazon.com.
My December 10 Blog is still up at RBRU
Read about the Christmas Eve tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes. http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/ It's still there to read. If you've experienced this celebration, please leave a comment about it.
My Books Are “Homeless”
As of November 30, my publisher, Sapphire Blue Publishing, closed its doors and went out of business. All the SBP books have been “taken down” from the sales sites. For now, they are available only through this site (full length novels $2.99 and novella length $1.99). Until there is a “Buy” button installed, contact me through my contact page. "Family Secrets: A Vengeance of Tears" is available in hard cover and paperback from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com
I suppose these rough spots are part of the journey.
Comment by clicking on "comments" above and win an e-book
The cathedrals of St. Petersburg are among the most magnificent buildings in that amazing and beautiful city. Not so surprising? In this case, maybe it is. But to understand my point, you need a little Russian history.
St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703, so it is not an ancient city like some in Europe. It’s only four hundred years old. The Tsar hired European architects to design the city to be as European as possible, so it resembles just that, but with a definite unique Russian flare. That, in itself, isn’t so remarkable.
What I find remarkable is that the Russian churches and cathedrals survived at all. According to what I learned while traveling in Russia, and confirmed through research, after the October Revolution of 1917, thousands of churches and monasteries were confiscated by the government and either destroyed completely or converted to secular use.
But still, religion survived.
During the 1920s and 1930s, nearly all the clergy and many of the believers of the Russian Orthodox Church, were shot or sent to labor camps. During this period, many of the churches were looted and left in shambles or converted to government use. Many of the wonderful artifacts and artwork was lost. In spite of new political and social freedoms under Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s, which resulted in many church buildings being returned to local parishioners, religious persecution continued until the fall of the Soviet Union.
It is, in my opinion, remarkable that the churches have survived long enough to be restored and some returned to religious purposes and some of their former glory.
A few of the many examples follow. The Church On Spilled Blood is my favorite, and figures prominently in the title of my new romantic suspense release, All For Spilled Blood, so let’s start our tour there.
Church of the Savior On Spilled Blood
(1883-1907)
This Russian Revival-style church is known as Resurrection of Christ Church and The Church of Our Savior On The
Spilled Blood, but it is generally called The Church On Spilled Blood. Everyone questions the word “on” in
the name, but there’s a reason. It marks
the exact spot where, in 1881, Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in an
assassination attempt by a group of revolutionaries who threw a bomb in his
royal carriage. Alexander II died of the
wounds, and his heir and younger brother, Alexander III, insisted on building the
church on the exact spot of the assassination.
After the Revolution, this church was looted and closed for services in the late 1920s. It served briefly as the venue for an exhibition of revolutionary propaganda and gradually fell into decay.
After World War II, it was used as a warehouse for an opera theater. In 1970, it became a branch of the St. Isaac's Cathedral museum and restoration began. It was reopened in 1997 as a museum and for weekly requiems and sermon readings.
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (1712-1733)Designed in the Baroque style, this was the first wooden church to be erected at SS Peter and Paul Fort on Valsilyevsky Island. It is the burial site for nearly all the rulers of Russia since Peter the Great through Alexander III.
As the tallest structure in St. Petersburg, the bell tower was often stuck by lightning and burned down in 1756. The bells were destroyed, but the iconostasis was removed in the nick of time. In 1766, Catherine the Great ordered the bell tower rebuilt exactly as it had been.
Smolny Cathedral (1748-1761)This cathedral was part of a complex planned by Empress Elizabeth to include a nunnery and a school for girls. The cathedral was completed, but when Elizabeth died, the work on the monastery came to a halt. By the early 1830s, much of the cathedral had fallen into disrepair until it was restored in 1832 by Nicholas I.
After the revolution, the cathedral suffered a similar fate to most of the churches in St. Petersburg. In 1922, its valuables were looted, and a year later the cathedral was closed. It stood in decay until 1972, when the iconostasis was taken out and the building was converted first to a museum and then to a concert hall, which is still one of its primary functions today.
St. Issac’s Cathedral (1818-1858)St. Isaac's Cathedral was at one time the largest cathedral in Russia. Today, the rebuilt Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow exceeds its size, but St. Issac’s gilded dome of still dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg and it boasts much more impressive façades and interiors than its competition.
The church was closed in the early 1930s and reopened as a museum. Although the building was designed to accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers, today church services are held here only on major ecclesiastical occasions.
Karzan Cathedral (1801-1811)Inspired by the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome, this cathedral was intended to be the country’s main Orthodox Church. Instead, it became a monument to Russia’s victory against Napoleon in 1812.
Cathedral at SS Apostles Peter and Paul at Peterhof
(1895-1904)
This cathedral is part of Peterhof,
the luxurious imperial palace and gardens built by Peter the Great. Everything about the palaces and gardens is
so overwhelming that there is little information on this cathedral.
Church of the Birth of St. John the Baptist / Chesme Church
(1780)
This is
another of my favorites because the fairytale Gothic design makes it
exceptionally unusual and delightful.
And it’s off the beaten tourist path between St. Petersburg and the
Summer Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, although now it is within the St. Petersburg
city limits.
After the revolution, the complex was turned into a forced labor camp by the Soviet government and the cross on the central turret was replaced with a hammer, tongs and anvil. Before the Second World War, the complex was given to the Institute of Aviation Technology, which still occupies the palace.
In the 1970s, the church became a Museum of the Battle of Chesme, and was eventually returned to the Orthodox Church in 1990. It is now an extremely popular, with regular services and numerous visitors who come to pay their respects to the war dead.
They’re Still AwesomeIn spite of everything, these churches are still magnificent. Regardless of religion, their artistic beauty is appreciated worldwide.
References
http://www.persecution.org/2005/12/24/russian-religious-repression-similar-to-that-of-a-previous-era/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_Soviet_Union
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/Peter-Paul-Cathedral.asp
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/Smolny-Cathedral.asp
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/st-isaacs-cathedral.asp
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/Trinity-Cathedral.asp
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/churches/church-resurrection-jesus-christ.asp
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/churches/church-birth-saint-john-baptist-chesme.asp
I have two releases this month, a paranormal M/F romance entitled Hot Spell and a contemporary M/F/M ménage, Wild About That Thing. The two books are very different in tone. Would readers be able to tell they were written by the same author, if my name wasn't there on the cover?
It's common wisdom that each author has an individual style, a “voice” that tends to be similar from one work to the next. Readers get accustomed to the voice of their favorite authors. I sometimes wonder whether I'd be more successful, in terms of sales, if my various books were more similar in tone.
Not that I can do much about this, even if I'm right. When I start working on a story, I don't consciously adopt a particular voice. The story itself seems to “choose” an appropriate style. If I'm writing steampunk, for example, my sentences tend to be far more elaborate in structure than in a contemporary piece. This isn't deliberate on my part; it just seems to happen. If I'm working in the paranormal or fantasy genre, often (though not always) I find myself using dreamlike imagery and more poetic language.
The point of view in the story also affects the voice. I like to write first-person stories. When the character is narrating the tale in his or her own words, my personal style will be eclipsed by the characters'. The style will be more conversational and informal, and often less descriptive, than in a book told in the third-person.
Of course, I'm certain all my books shares common elements, in terms of language. I know I have favorite words and phrases - I work very hard not to repeat them too often! I tend to focus more on my characters thoughts and emotions than on their actions, especially in my sex scenes. I'm perhaps overly fond of metaphors as a way to evoke sensual experience.
But do readers notice these commonalities?
I know that some authors use multiple pseudonyms for different styles or genres. I can barely manage one literary persona! But I do have different voices on the page, in different books.
Here are two quick excerpts, one from Hot Spell, the other from Wild About That Thing. If you read these two excerpts, in separate places, would you recognize that they were both by the same author?
From Hot Spell:
He came to her in dreams first, conjured by the sweltering night.
Naked, she tossed in her sweat-damp sheets, drifting in and out of uneasy slumber. The muggy air settled on her skin, a stifling blanket she couldn’t kick off. Like a physical weight, humidity pinned her to the mattress. The feeble breeze coming through the open window offered no relief. If anything, it was warmer than the air in her bedroom, carrying with it all the heat that had been trapped in the concrete and asphalt during the day.
Her limbs were leaden. A dull ache pounded behind her forehead. When sleep overtook her, she found herself wandering barefoot on empty, baking sidewalks. The sun’s relentless glare reflected down upon her from the glass-walled towers on either side. Rivulets of perspiration trickled down her spine but failed to cool her. Her skin felt scorched, ready to crack and peel.
Then the dream changed. The oppressive brightness faded to sultry shadow. Flesh, not air, weighed upon her. Smooth, hot skin, slick with sweat, slid against her own. Strong legs tangled with hers, easing her thighs apart. Fingers of fire skittered across her breasts and danced in her sex, kindling incendiary pleasure. A scalding tongue licked its way to the hollow of her throat, then returned to seal her mouth with a steamy kiss.
He tasted of mulled wine, melted chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne. A sharp tang of ozone hung around them―the smell of summer storms. Lightning crackled wherever he touched her. She ran her hands down his muscled back to his firm, full buttocks, marvelling at the power she sensed in him. Her palms tingled and stung at each contact, as though she’d been slicing chillies. The strange sensation added to the pleasure simmering in her pussy.
She pressed her fevered body against his, trapping his erect cock between them. Hard against her belly, his rigid organ felt like a bar of steel fresh from the furnace. Every searing instant made her want him more. They writhed together, sparks of scarlet and gold whirling around them. Her clit was a live ember. When he brushed his cock over the swollen nub, she burst into flames.
Ruby could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night. Only ten thirty, but most of the tables clustered ‘round the stage were full. Lori had already lugged two extra cases of Heineken—tonight’s beer special—up from the basement, and from the looks of the empties accumulating in front the customers, they were going fast. The bartender caught Ruby’s eye and gave her a thumbs up. Everything under control.
Up front, the Night Travellers hit a dark groove, wailing through Born Under a Bad Sign. Zeke’s fingers flew over the strings, improvising a high riff, while Jojo’s bass kept the song grounded. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” Zeke growled, torturing his guitar to match the pain in his voice. Damn, but the man sounded black, despite the mop of straw-coloured hair he kept pushing out of his eyes. Born in Mississippi, he must’ve soaked up blues in the water and the air. Certainly he could play with the best. Ruby was lucky to have him and his band, given the pittance she could afford to pay them.
As if he sensed her attention, Zeke picked her out of the shadows at the back of the club. She felt the warmth of the smile he beamed to her, a smile totally at odds with the desperate mood of the song. You know why Zeke plays here, her inner critic commented. You’re just taking advantage of him.
He gets what he wants, she argued with the internal voice that sounded so very much like her mother’s. I treat him fine. Of course, she got as much out of their relationship as he did. Zeke was a strong man with powerful desires. He could set her on fire. It wasn’t her fault that he was so sentimental. You wouldn’t expect it from a rough and tumble guy like Zeke Chambers—ten years a New York cabbie, a guy who’d seen every horror the city could dish out.
****
By the way, I'm doing a mini blog tour this month to promote these releases - with a giveaway, of course! Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win. The prize is the winner's choice of either of the two new releases. Today's the last stop on the tour, but you can go back and check out the earlier posts. The side bar of my blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com) lists all the stops.
I want to thank Ann for letting me visit. I hope you had fun!
BIO: A dozen years ago LISABET SARAI experienced a serendipitous fusion of her love of writing and her fascination with sex. Since then she has published three single author short story collections and six erotic novels, including the BDSM classic Raw Silk. Dozens of her shorter works have been released as ebooks and in print anthologies. She has also edited several acclaimed anthologies and is currently responsible for the altruistic erotica series COMING TOGETHER PRESENTS.
Lisabet holds more degrees than anyone needs from prestigious universities who would no doubt be embarrassed by her chosen genre. She loves to travel and currently lives in Southeast Asia with her highly tolerant husband and two cosmopolitan felines. For more information on Lisabet and her writing visit Lisabet Sarai's Fantasy Factory (http://www.lisabetsarai.com) or her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com).
BLACK FRIDAY BLOG HOP
http://mfrw.blogspot.com/
Visit ten MFRW authors at their blogs and leave comments
to win prizes. The links are listed
below. To comment on my blog below go to
“Comments” above the Welcome and click .
Leave a comment and win 2 e-Books “All For A Dead Man’s Leg” and “All For
Spilled Blood”.
COLOR
ME MONEY
We all know that Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, right? The beginning of the Holiday shopping season, right?
Well, maybe. As it turns out, we have quite a few “black” days: in fact, nearly every day of the week. And they are all driven by economics and spending.
Black
Friday
Actually,
the term “Black Friday” is used in several contexts and dates back to the US
financial crisis of 1869. That seems to
be the first recorded use, and the term has been used for many events marking financial
downturns.
In 1966, the term was applied (and not as a term of endearment) to the day after Thanksgiving by Philadelphia Police Department, because it officially opened the Christmas shopping season and usually brought massive traffic jams, over-crowded sidewalks, and general chaos.
It came into more general use around 1975 and by the 1980s, merchants were objecting to the negative connotation. So, being the innovative business people that we are, someone came up with the theory that this was the point in time when businesses (which traditionally operated at a loss or “in the red”) started making profits and operated “in the black.” Ta-dah! Now, merchants love it.
Black Monday
October 19, 1987, is when the
Dow Jones Industrial Average lost almost 22% in a single day. That
event marked the beginning of a global stock market decline,
making Black Monday one of the most notorious days in recent financial history.
By the end of the month, most of the major exchanges had dropped more than 20%.
Black Tuesday
Black Tuesday is the day marked as
the end of the Roaring '20s and the great Wall Street Crash of 1929. A second Black Tuesday event was the
Tasmanian fires in 1967.
Black Wednesday
September 16, 1992, is commonly
known as the day that George Soros
broke the Bank of England. He made one billion
dollars profit that day, and the British government was forced to withdraw the
pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
Black Thursday
Thursdays
seem to be “black” for a lot of reasons, some of which include:
February 6, 1851, a day of devastating bushfires in Victoria, Australia.
* The Panic of 1873 when the US bank Jay Cooke & Company declared bankruptcy, triggering a series of bank failures.
* October 24, 1929, was the beginning of the Crash of 1929, followed by “Black Tuesday” on October 29, 1929.
* October 14, 1943, when the Allies suffered large losses during bombing in the Second Raid on Scheweinfurt during World War II. And so on.
More
Colorful Days
There
are some “good” days out there, too. At
least, days with different colors and some dedicated to more socially-worthy
endeavors.
Green
Monday
The
day Green Monday (coined by eBay) is the second Monday of December. Also economically driven, Green Monday is the
biggest online shopping days of the year with only ten more days until
Christmas. Experts project consumers
will spend $1 billion on holiday shopping this day alone. It also refers to a network of sustainable development practitioners
in the UK, which meets on the first Monday of every month to discuss critical
environmental issues such as climate change.
Purple
Monday
March 26 (Monday) is the Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness. People in countries around the world are
invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness.
Pink
Wednesday
Wednesday,
April 11, 2012, will be Pink Wednesday, the International Day against Bullying,
Discrimination, Homophobia and Transphobia in schools and communities.
Red
Friday
On
Friday, February 3, 2012, National Wear Red Day®, Americans will
wear red to show their support for women's heart health.
Who can tell us about more colorful days?
DON’T MISS VISITING THE OTHER NINE BLOGS
Chris Reeding http://chrisreddingauthor.blogspot.com
W. Lynn
Chatale http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/
Christine Ashworth http://christine-ashworth.com
Chelle Cordero
http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/
Tammy Dennings Maggy http://tannydenningsmaggy.blogspot.com
Shelly Munro http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog
Debra Holland
http://drdebraholland.com
Jane Wakely http://www.janewakely.blogspot.com
Smoky Zeidel smokyzeidel.wordpress.com
R. Ann siracusa - You're here, and there is no next in line. And the last shall be first.
If you missed anyone, you can go back.
Click on "comments" above to leave a comment.
Pack your bags, pour a glass of 1998 Far Niente Cabernet
Sauvignon, settle in
a comfortable first class seat with a one of my novels, and get ready to
travel
to exotic foreign lands for romance and intrigue—and a good laugh.
Enjoy the adventure. It’s not the destination that matters; it's the
journey that counts.
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting,
"Wow! What a ride!"
And The Winners Are . . .
On Friday, November 18, my granddaughter Sophia drew the following names.
First Prize - $30 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
* Pam Scheibe
* Benita Peters
Second Prize - Copy of eBook "All For Spilled Blood"
* Buffy Vincent
* Tanya Neal
Third Prize - Copy of eBook "All For A Dead Man's Leg"
* Debra Wright
* Joy Isley
* Angela McCallister
* Vickie H
* Fedora Chen
Congratulations. I'll be contacting the winners by e-mail to make arrangements for delivery of your prizes.
Black Friday Blog Hop - Another Chance to Win Prizes
Participate in the Black Friday Blog Hop. Details at http://mfrw-authors.blogspot.com
Ten Authors. Ten Prizes.
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R. ANN SIRACUSA
with a novel by R. Ann Siracusa
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The eyes are an important and complex part of our body language deserving special attention. Eyes are among the hardest parts of our body (and body language) to control. Unlike nearly all other aspects of body language, the pupils and eye secretions are impossible to control consciously.
Eyes are sometimes referred to as the windows of the soul because they can send many different non-verbal signals. In fact, the reason humans have larger eye whites than animals is because it aids in our complex communications. When reading body language, looking at people's eyes is useful because that is an accepted part of communication, whereas gazing at or studying other parts of the body may be considered rude or offensive.
But don’t forget, as with all body language, eye gestures and movements can mean more than one thing and should be interpreted only in relation to other gestures, activities, and other kinds of information (particularly since it is possible for a person to control the body language gestures).
The technique of Neurolinguistic Programming was developed by American psychologists Riachard Brandler and John Grinder. They concluded that based on eye movements, humans reveal what their brains are focusing on by telling if the person is imagining something or remembering something. Specifically, the direction of the eye movement is useful in predicting channels of thought accessed by a person. They can signify recalling sights, smells, tastes, or tactile memories.
● Direct eye
contact
Direct eye contact between two
people is a powerful act of communication and may show:
▪ Interest
▪ Dominance
▪ Affection
▪ Intimidation
▪ Assurance other person is
paying attention/ listening.
● Breaking eye
contact
Because
steady prolonged eye contact can be perceived as threatening, when we are
conversing with someone we frequently look away and back again. But breaking eye contact can send other
signals, such
as:
▪ Unpleasant emotional
reaction to what was just said (threat, insult, etc.)
▪ Uncomfortable reaction to
what was just said (causes internal discomfort)
▪ Loss of Interest
▪ A simple interruption of the
conversation.
● Looking Upward
Looking
upward usually means a person is thinking, making pictures in their head,
recalling (such as prepared words for a speech
or a memory), or it can simply mean boredom.
In
particular, when people remember thing they saw, their eyes will move
upwards.
Looking upwards and the right can indicate imaginative construction of a picture (which can betray a liar). Be careful with this; sometimes the directions are reversed.
Looking upwards and to the left can indicate recalling a memory.
Head lowered and eyes looking back up at the other person is a coy and suggestive action as it combines the head down of submission with eye contact of attraction. It can also be judgmental, especially when combined with a frown.
● Looking down
Looking directly at another person
can be an act of domination, a show of power.
Therefore, looking down is often a sign of submission. In many cultures where eye contact is a rude
or dominant signal, people will look down when talking with others in order to
show respect.
Looking down can also indicate that the person is feeling guilty or ashamed.
When recalling emotions, a person will look downward and to the right. Looking down and to the right may also indicate the person is attending to internal emotions.
When accessing constructed memories, people will look down and to the left. Looking down and to the left may indicate that the person is talking to themselves.
● Looking sideways
Much of our field of vision is in
the horizontal plane, so when a person looks sideways, they are either looking
away from what is in front of them or looking towards something that has taken
their interest.
People look to the side if they are recalling something they heard or a sound. Looking sideways to the right can indicate that they are imagining the sound. As with visual and other movements, this can be reversed and may need checking against known truth and fabrication.
A quick glance sideways can just be checking the source of a distraction to assess for threat or interest. It can also show irritation.
●
Lateral eye movement
Eyes moving from side-to-side may
indicate shiftiness and lying, as though the person might be looking for an
escape route in case their deceit is discovered.
Lateral movement can also happen when the person is being conspiratorial, as though checking that nobody else is listening. Be careful, because checking for others listening may occur for simpler reasons.
Eyes may also move back and forth sideways (and sometimes up and down) when the person is visualizing a big picture and is literally looking it over.
● Dampness / Shining Eyes
The tear ducts provide moisture to
the eyes, both for washing them and for tears.
The eyes have a tiny gland on the bottom of the eyelid
secreting liquids such as tears for use as lubrication. When a person is interested or excited, the
glands tend to secrete liquid thus giving the eyes a shiny appearance. This is an uncontrollable reaction. Damp
eyes can also indicate suppressed weeping, indicating anxiety, fear or sadness,
and tiredness.
● Eye rolling
Rolling the eyes around in a semi circle from bottom to top, or
looking straight up reflects disbelief.
● Eye widening
Eye widening is a positive nonverbal cue indicating that someone is
observing positive stimuli that bring them joy and happiness. The size of the eyes directly indicates how
positive someone is about a topic or other stimuli. It can also indicate surprise or disbelief.
●
Pupil size
One of the uncontrollable body
language signals is the dilation of the pupil.
The
ring of color around the pupils, the iris, is actually a muscle tissue that
expands and contracts to change the size of the pupils to allow more or less
light into the eyes. Pupil dilation and contraction are subtle signals that are usually
detected subconsciously by both the sender and the receiver.
Other than allowing more light to enter the eye in order to see, dilated pupils means attraction, excitement, or arousal. Sexual desire is a common cause of pupil dilation. When another person's eyes dilate, we may be attracted further to them and our eyes dilate in return. In most cases, while the individuals feel the attraction, neither is aware of the specific of the signals being sent.
Likewise, when another person’s pupils contract, ours may contract also. Contraction of the pupils indicates dislike, perhaps in an echo of squint-like narrowing of the eyes. Contracted pupils may also result from any negative reaction or from anger.
●
Gazing
A gaze is looking at something with
particular interest. According to my
research, it is not just the act of looking at something. The gaze can also be a defocused looking at the
general person. A defocused gaze can
indicate disinterest, as though the person is thinking about something else.
When you gaze at something, others who look at your eyes will feel compelled to follow your gaze to see what you are looking at. This is a remarkable skill as humans are able to follow a gaze very accurately. It is difficult to conceal a gaze as we are particularly adept at identifying exactly where other people are looking.
One source says that gazing at a person's mouth can indicate that you would like to kiss them. However, BodyLanguageSignals.com indicates that looking at the mouth is an assessment of the other person. According to that article, when you meet someone for the first time, it takes that person 3 to 7 seconds to make a judgment about you. We all do it unconsciously. We decide how comfortable we are with that person. And remember, we are wired for self-preservation. And the most crucial body language signal to influence our first impression is the smile. This is also the most recognized signal in nearly every country and culture.
Looking up and down at a whole person is usually sizing them up, either as a potential threat or as a sexual partner. Gazing can be insulting since it may indicate a position of presumed dominance, as though the person effectively says 'I am more powerful than you, your feelings are unimportant to me and you will submit to my gaze'.
In conversation, gazing at a person’s forehead or beyond them indicates disinterest.
●
Following
Sorry, I realize editors won’t let a
character’s eyes follow, but following is the term used by all
the articles and scientific papers to refer to the phenomenon of eyes naturally
keeping track of movement of any kind.
If a person is looking at something of interest, then the eyes/gaze will
naturally keep looking at it even when it moved. Eyes will also follow neutral or feared
things in case the movement turns into a threat. Your editor will change “eyes” to
“gaze.” It’s okay for your “gaze” to
follow. Go figure!
●
Eye Color
While the actual color of the eyes, which is
determined by the
amount of the pigments melanin and lipochrome, does not change with mood, the appearance of the eye color can change. That is the result of the way light
reflects off the iris, creating the impression that the color of the eye has
changed.
The face constantly makes voluntary and involuntary expressions. During changes in mood, the muscles around the eye contracts or relaxes, which changes the shape of the eye opening. While some of these changes are very small, even minute changes affect the amount and angle of the light hitting the eye. The amount of light can also cause contraction or dilation of the pupils which can affect the appearance of eye color.
These
small effects change the way light is reflected, and in some instances, the
eyes appear to change color. Also, make
up and colors surrounding the face can make the eyes appear to change color.
□
Additional Body
Language References
http://sapientology.com/body-language/eyes/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-attraction-doctor/201105/you-dont-say-persuasive-body-language-flirting-and-dating
http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm
http://www.bodylanguageproject.com/dictionary/bodylanguage-dictionary-e-eyebrow-flash-eye-direction-eye-flash-energy-displacement-emblems
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guide_to_Social_Activity/Body_Language
http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-Body-Language
http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Read-Body-Language
http://sapientology.com/body-language/palms-and-thumbs/
Causes of Dilated Pupils | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5042633_causes-dilated-pupils.html#ixzz1R5bgZrXb
□
When I finished the copy edits for one of my recent releases, I felt compelled to vent a little about editor comments about flying body parts.
Needless to say, I’m exasperated. In the manuscript a sentence read: “Her wide gray eyes gazed into his, growing even larger, as though he’d taken her totally by surprise.” The comment was, “All by themselves? Body parts can’t act independently.”
Yeah? It may not be the greatest sentence in the western literature, but I beg to differ about the body parts acting independently (even though I know I will lose the battle).
While I realize publishing houses have their standards and the editor will prevail, and I understand the concerns editors have for eyes that fly across rooms and arms that lift, I’ve also done a fair amount of research into body language. Under certain circumstances, some body parts do, in fact, take actions independent of conscious thought. And that’s a scientifically proven fact.
So, What's The Problem?
Are
readers so unfamiliar with body language that they will be confused or will misinterpret
the words we write? Personally, I don’t
think so, and my research backs that up.
The
study of body movements is called Kineses, and there is abundant
research available on the topic that shows the following:
● Most humans communicate through body
language as well as through speech.
● Most humans are very adept at interpreting
body language.
● Body language is so important that
descriptions of it have become integral parts of our written and spoken
language. For example, you say that
someone blinked to mean that person was confused, and so on.
● A substantial portion of human body language gestures are reflexive and unconscious, but it is possible to learn to control most of them except the pupils and secretions of the eye. Not necessarily easy, but possible. For example, eyes may widen when a person is surprised without any conscious thought or intent on the part of the individual. However, a person can widen their eyes on purpose, and the widening of the eye is a reflex that one can learn to be control.
● Individual body language gestures can mean more than one thing and should be interpreted only in relation to other gestures, activities, and other kinds of information (particularly since it is possible for a person to control the body language gestures).
Kevin Hogan, Psy.D., Body Language Expert, says nonverbal communication is between 60% to 75% of the impact of a message.
“What people say could often be very different from what they're thinking or feeling. It's very easy to say something untrue or insincere, so we can never rely on words alone. Let's face it. Even if you trust someone with your life, you'll never have peace of mind unless you know exactly what they're feeling or thinking inside.
The most effective way to uncover hidden desires, thoughts, or emotions is by reading and interpreting body language correctly. And guess what? Your own body language signals can also influence what other people may think or feel about you.”
Body Language Indicators
Body language is defined by some as a reaction to an
emotion. Because
writers use those non-verbal indicators of mood and emotion in their writing,
it’s good to be familiar with reading and understanding body language. At the end, I’ve listed several links for
interpreting body language that you may find useful. Below are categories of body movements that authors
can use to describe mood and emotion.
● Posture
● Head motion
● Facial expression
● Eye Contact (or lack of contact)
● Other movements and aspects of the eyes
● Gestures
● Paralanguage
● Voice and tone, speed of speaking
● Space
● Silence
● Listening
Retained Neonatal Reflexes
To some extent, humans retain a few
of the involuntary reflexes (controlled by the lower centers of our brain) from
the womb when the central nervous system is not fully developed. In the
early years of life, as the higher centers of the brain begin to mature, these
reflexes are gradually integrated, but certain residual primary reflexes stick
with us.
● Fear
● Pain
● Surprise
● Anything that triggers the fight or
flight reaction.
According to Body Language Insights, “Body language is a largely automatic response to fearful situations. The behaviors of our body language are mostly innate to us, though some might be "inherited." Either way, we have little knowledge of or control over when our bodies react to fear and how. Depending on the severity of the situation, our fear can excite us, encourage us, shock us, or completely paralyze us. And it will be written all over our faces!”
Most of us are familiar with the "fight or flight" adrenalin rush of the sympathetic nervous system. This reflex readies the body for survival during stressful situations. According to Bookrags.com, “interactions between the neural and hormonal systems of the body work together to get the body ready to stand and fight the challenge or run away from it (flight). When faced with life-threatening crises, unnecessary functions are temporarily shut down and energies are diverted to functions vital to survival. Any stress, whether physical, psychological (anticipation of an unpleasant event) or emotional (anger or fear) will produce some, if not all elements of the fight or flight response.”
Therefore, in situations where our fictional characters are startled or surprised, hurt, or stressed (including anticipation of something unpleasant), the body may react without conscious thought, both viscerally and physically. Sure, the reacting body parts are attached to a person’s central nervous system which is sending signals to cells as electrochemical waves traveling along thin fibers called axons, but that’s happening at a subconscious level. For all intents and purposes, the body parts are acting independently of the cerebrum.
So, if your heroine is startled by a loud noise and gasps or her hand rises rapidly and reflexively (God forbid that it “fly”) to the base of her throat, it isn’t because she stops to think, “Wow! That startled me. I am going to raise my hand to cover my racing heart.” It happens as an involuntary action. The hand does raise itself of its own volition. (1,000 W)
A Word Of Advice
Go
ahead and argue, if you want, but your editor will probably prevail.
Body
Language References
http://www.businessballs.com/body-language.htm
(This is one of the best)
http://communicationtheory.org/body-language/
http://femalebodylanguage.net/
http://www.kevinhogan.com/bodylanguage.htm
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/fear.html
http://www.squidoo.com/readingbodylanguage
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/sadness.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language
http://sapientology.com/body-language/eyes/
But it has. So pack your bags and get ready to travel to Peru, where I spent the week between Christmas 2010 and New Years and the first week in January 2011. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas.
The
toughest trip I’ve ever taken
Don’t
get me wrong. Machu Picchu, a 15th
century Inca site, should be on everyone’s bucket list. You have
to go there before you die. It’s
awesome! The trick is to go while you’re
still in relatively good shape. But,
then, if I could make it, anyone can.
So
where, exactly, is Machu Picchu?
While
nearly everyone has heard of Machu Picchu, not everyone knows what or where it
is. Let’s start with location. Everyone agrees on that part.
Machu Picchu is located in the Andes Mountains on a high mountain ridge above the Urumba Valley, about fifty miles northwest of the City of Cuzco. The altitude is approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. That’s high. High enough to get altitude sickness and have difficulty breathing (which I did), but not the highest inhabited point in Peru. Cuzco is 11,000 feet above sea level, and Puno is 13,000 feet—not quite as high as Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states.
Who Were
The Incas?
I
always thought the Incan civilization was ancient, but I was thinking of a pre-Incan
culture which dates back thousands of years.
The Inca civilization and empire lasted only three hundred years, from
the 13th to the 16th century. It began
as a tribe of the Killke culture and remained a small group for the first 200
years. Around 1438, Emperor Pachacutec's
aggressive military expansion turned them into the most powerful nation in
South America. For a while.
Historians don’t have a lot of information about the Incas because they had no written language as we know it and passed their history down orally from one generation to the next. What we know is pieced together from archaeological evidence and the oral history still present in Peru.
I didn’t find this in my research, but traveling in Peru, the locals insisted there was a written language which consisted of knots tied in ropes and cords. This form of written language was used to send messages and keep certain records.
Why Did
the Incas Build Machu Picchu?
It
is generally believed Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Incan Emperor
Pachacutec, 1438–1472. It’s the most
famous of the Incan archeological sites, but there are other Incan ruins all
over Peru and elsewhere in South America.
Built on steep cliffs above the Sacred Valley (Tampu), its location was a military secret (according to some) and very inaccessible (agreed upon by all). Because the city was not visible from anywhere and had limited access, it was never discovered or looted by the Spaniards. At some point after the Spanish conquest, it was abandoned and lost to the collective memory.
Wow! How could you lose a city built to accommodate several thousand inhabitants? Just take a look at the road up to the site in the photo. Today, it’s a forty-five minute ride in a bus, twisting and winding on a narrow one-lane road. Think about it reaching it without a motorized vehicle.
What is
it like up there in the clouds?
For
me, the outstanding feature of Machu Picchu, other than incredible location, is
the architecture, considered by many to be among the finest prehistoric
architecture in the world. Please note
that prehistoric isn’t my word. I don’t consider the 1400s to be prehistoric, but what do I know?
The structures were built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls shaped so perfectly and set so tightly without mortar you can’t fit a knife blade in between them. You can see in the photos, some of the stonework is very refined and finished while other walls and buildings are constructed in a rougher style. This has led to some rather bizarre theories about extraterrestrials. The tour guides explained the difference as this: The palaces and temples and places used by the aristocracy were refined and finished. The servants and less elite of the society had to be satisfied with more rough-cut walls. Makes more sense than being built by aliens.
The
rediscovery of Machu Picchu
The
forgotten city of Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a Yale
University historian. In 1908, he served
as a delegate to the First Pan American Scientific Congress in Santiago, Chili. On his return home, via Peru, he became convinced
by locals that an unexplored Incan city still existed. Fascinated by the possibility, Bingham
returned in 1911 with the Yale Peruvian Expedition. He was led by Melchor Arteaga to Machu
Picchu, which had been largely forgotten by everybody except the small number
of people living in the immediate valley.
Bingham returned to Peru in 1912 and 1915 with the support of Yale and the National Geographic Society. Each time he went, the expeditions took crates of artifacts and skeletons back to Yale to be studied. Those artifacts have resided there for a hundred years. In fact, at that time, the Peruvian Civil Code of 1852 was in effect and permitted finders of artifacts to keep them.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Peruvian government decided, for a variety of reasons, it wanted the Machu Picchu artifacts back. Yale and Peru have recently reached an agreement which will return to Peru thousands of Incan artifacts to Peru this year, 2011, the hundredth anniversary of Bingham’s discovery.
If you ever get the chance to visit Machu Picchu, don’t miss it. But do some reading about health consideration.
January 1, 2011 = 1/1/11
January 11, 2011 = 1/11/11
November 1, 2011 = 11/1/11
November 11, 2011 = 11/11/11
Now, try this. Take last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year. The result will add up to 111 for everyone. I tried it and it does come out for everyone in my family.
Finally, October 2011 has five Sundays, five Mondays, and five Saturdays. Apparently, this occurs only once every 823 years. Chinese feng shui wisdom calls these the Moneybag years.
Who takes the time to figure all this stuff out?
