A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

Five Links…7/5/19

Loleta Abi

Writing:

1. https://writershelpingwriters.net/2019/06/conflict-thesaurus-entry-taking-advice-from-the-wrong-person/ “Conflict is very often the magic sauce for generating tension and turning a ho-hum story into one that rivets readers. As such, every scene should contain a struggle of some kind. Maybe it’s an internal tug-of-war having to do with difficult decisions, morals, or temptations. Or it could come from an external source—other characters, unfortunate circumstances, or the force of nature itself.

Whether you’re looking for minor friction options for a given scene or major conflicts to hamper the character’s overall story goal, this thesaurus can help. Think about what your character wants and how best to block them, then choose a source of conflict that will ramp up the tension in each scene.”

2. http://booksbywomen.org/inspiration-and-obsession-in-historical-fiction/ “Inspiration ignites the spark to imagine a novel; obsession fans the flames to fuel the journey to complete it. As an historical novelist, I also face the added task of researching as well as producing a narrative. Luckily for me, history always provides me with both the motivation and evidence to produce a compelling story.

What was my inspiration to write the Tales of Ancient Rome saga? As a lover of classical history, I was intrigued when I came across a photograph of a C7th BCE sarcophagus with a man and woman reclining on their bed in a tender embrace. The image of the lovers remained with me. I was determined to discover who these people were with their distinctive almond shaped eyes and straight nose and brow. What kind of ancient culture exalted marital fidelity while showing such an openly sensuous connection? Which ancient society revered women as much as men? The answer resulted in an obsession with a people known as the Etruscans that lasted over sixteen years.” It’s interesting where history can lead us.

3. https://stevelaube.com/books-are-still-selling/ “Despite the desire of many to declare the death of the book, they continue to sell at a breathtaking pace. (New Yorker magazine “Twilight of the Books”  and BBC future – “Are paper books really disappearing?”)

According to the “Association of American Publishers’ StatShot Annual Report for Calendar Year 2018,” book publishers based in the U.S. had net revenue of $25.82 billion and sold 2.71 billion units. That is billion with a “B.”

This means that in 2018 86 books were sold every second or 5,160 books per minute.

I’d say that’s something to celebrate, don’t you?

Of course, these numbers are estimates. (Note the article’s method for calculation at the end of the piece.) But no matter how you shake it, books are selling.”

4. https://megdowell.com/2019/06/30/cant-get-your-writing-done-try-my-30-second-rule/ “I almost gave up in the middle of my morning run today.

Listen, I know this isn’t a blog about running. Stick with me for a minute.

Anyway, I was a mile and a half into my run and my body said “nope.” More frustrating was the fact that I had zero mental motivation to keep going. I was done. I couldn’t do it anymore. I really felt like I couldn’t take another step (which would have been a problem since I was on a treadmill, but that’s beside the point).” I work what I can into the day: five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen, more. Or even just a sentence. It’s all about moving forward.

5. https://ryanlanz.com/2019/06/30/what-not-to-say-to-a-literary-agent/

Research & Fun Bits:

1. https://somethingferal.com/2019/06/30/peace-on-earth-writephoto/

2. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/tales-from-the-irish-garden-serialisation-spring-chaper-nine-the-betrothal-gift-by-sally-cronin/ “After the banquet, there followed two weeks of entertainment for the visiting monarch and his family. There were picnics, concerts and sporting events that tested the strength and endurance of the courtiers and stretched Chef Marcelle’s culinary skills to the limit. Rarely were Queen Filigree and Prince Ronan apart, except for those few hours at night when they retired to their individual bed chambers. King Philip and his wife looked on approvingly as they had long wished for a suitable and regal enough wife for their eldest son. Queen Filigree might be quite a bit older than the Prince, but in fairy lifetimes, it was not sufficient to cause concern. Anyway, Queen Seren knew that her son planned on giving his bride-to-be a gift, that she knew from experience would make any age difference unimportant.”

3. https://sistersofthefey.com/2019/06/30/new-moon-blessings-july-2019/

4. https://jamigold.com/2019/07/story-and-character-goals-can-there-be-too-many/ “A few weeks ago, I shared my Resident Writing Coach guest post over at Writers Helping Writers and talked about how weak or passive goals in our story can hurt us. Then we dug more into weak goals—how they can sometimes help our story and how we can turn them active over the course of a story. Finally, we explored how goals (whether passive or active) work with a romance or multiple-protagonist story.” Interesting. Too many story and character goals?

5. https://romanceuniversity.org/2019/07/02/business-of-being-a-writer/ “Jane provides a very realistic (often eye-opening) picture of the commerce side of writing. And if you find yourself cringing at the idea that there IS a business side to writing, then you definitely need this book. Publishing is an industry, whether or not writers like that fact.”

Some Things More Serious:

1. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/angel-messages-june-30-2019/

2. https://thesilenteye.co.uk/2019/06/30/hunting-the-unicorn-the-fairy-circle/ “Sunday morning already… the weekend was slipping by incredibly fast, but we knew Dean had a lot planned for the final morning of the workshop. Our day began by packing the car, necessarily skipping breakfast… which was to prove a bit disastrous as things turned out… and re-inflating the dodgy tyre yet again. It was definitely getting worse, but it was still manageable as long as we had access to an air pump. There was no prospect of getting it dealt with on a Scottish Sunday so far from a large town anyway.”

3. https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/my-sister-i-attend-dublin-pride-2019/

4. https://scvincent.com/2019/07/01/a-surreal-sunday-life-death-and-beauty/ “ou could see, just from Nick’s posture, that something was very wrong. As I walked towards the garden from the street where I had left the car, there was just something in the bleak way he was holding himself, looking out across the pond. So I was at least partly prepared. Just not enough. He didn’t need to say a word. As I stood beside him, the sight of floating bodies and the white bellies of fish that had sunk to the bottom told their own story.

My camera was in my bag, so I took pictures. …and this is not as horrible as it may sound. They are Nick’s fish, and Nick’s eyesight was one of the things damaged by the attack that left him unable to walk. The camera allows him to see things he would have no other hope of seeing. And, if we could learn from this disaster, it might help another fish.”

5. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2019/07/03/%f0%9f%a4%94-july-3-2019-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts/

Teaser Fiction & Poetry:

1. https://rachelpoli.com/2019/06/30/short-story-sunday-271-expect/ ““What do you expect from me?” Tanya asked. She placed her books on the surface of her desk but didn’t sit down in her seat. Tanya had agreed with her parents she’d go to a community college and get her two-year degree. After that, it would be her choice to continue school or not. That was good enough for her parents as long as she had a degree to show for it. The thing was, she already had a good job. Tanya had been working there for two years, since she was sixteen. She didn’t have a degree and she was doing just fine there.”

2.  http://wherewordsdailycomealive.com/2019/05/22/new-freedom/

3. https://jenanita01.com/2019/06/29/the-radiator/ “Ice Princess picked up Solar Guy’s weapon: The Radiator. Even with the solar power cell removed, Ice Princess had to be careful handling it. One wrong touch could singe her fingers down to the bones. It could theoretically melt her bones.

Of course, she had never tested that theory. It sounded close enough to the truth and she was content with believing it.”

4. https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/07/01/painting-clouds-flashfiction/

5. https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/07/03/lets-talk-tanka/

Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:

1. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/stone-cold-heart-caz-frear-blog-tour-review/ “When DC Cat Kinsella is approached by Joseph Madden for help with his wife, Rachel, there’s not much she can do. Joseph claims that Rachel has been threatening him, but can’t – or won’t – give Cat details as to why. Dismissing it as a marriage on the rocks, Cat forgets about it.

That is until Naomi Lockhart, a young PA, is found dead after a party attended by both Joseph and Rachel, and Joseph is arrested for the murder.

Joseph says his wife is setting him up.
His wife says he didn’t do it.
The trail of evidence leads to even more questions . . .

Adulterer. Murderer. Victim. Who would you believe?”

2. https://blondewritemore.com/2019/06/30/book-launch-instructions-for-falling-in-love-again/

3. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2019/06/29/bookreview-the-daughter-in-law-syndrome-by-stevie-turner/ “The Daughter-in-law Syndrome investigates the complicated relationship causing much friction between Grandmother Edna Deane and her daughter-in-law Arla. In addition it focuses on the sometimes tumultuous partnership between Arla and her husband Ric.

Arla Deane sometimes likens her marriage to undergoing daily psychological warfare. Husband Ric will never voice an opinion, and puts his mother Edna up high on a pedestal. Arla is sick of always feeling that she comes in at only second best to her mother-in-law, who much to Arla’s fury is never told anything by Ric or his sisters that she would not want to hear.”

4. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/a-modern-family-helga-flatland-blog-tour-catch-up-review/ “When Liv, Ellen and Håkon, along with their partners and children, arrive in Rome to celebrate their father’s seventieth birthday, a quiet earthquake occurs: their parents have decided to divorce. 

Shocked and disbelieving, the siblings try to come to terms with their parents’ decision as it echoes through the homes they have built for themselves, and forces them to reconstruct the shared narrative of their childhood and family history. “

5. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/07/01/mysteries-and-strange-events-nine-short-stories-by-drew-jones/ “Mysteries and Strange Events Volume One brings together an evocative debut
collection of nine short stories from the author Drew Jones. They are
fantastically wide ranging in subject, and includes Jaguar cars,
railway accidents, strange salvage operations, commercial espionage,
greed, science fiction and ghosts – and every reader will find a
favourite within the book. They will all make him stop, think, and
question. This amazing mix is completed with some light humour as the
flamboyant sleuth – Mr Theodore Halfpenny, makes his first appearance.

This irresistible book will be your perfect companion as you commute to
work, struggle through a long haul flight, or just to keep at the
side of the bed after a long day.”