The New Reader's Station Anthology- Journeys of a Lifetime

The new Readers' Station Anthology will be coming out soon, if not sooner both in print and as an ebook from Write Words, Inc., ebooksonthe.net and from Cambridge Books. The title of the book is: Journeys of a Lifetime, An Anthology by Members of the Readers' Station. The authors contibuting to this anthology are:

Elena Dorothy Bowman, Bryn Colvin, Nikki Leigh, Dorice Nelson, Nora Peterson, Ginger Simpson, Donna Sundblad, Angela Verdenius, and Anne Whitfield.

There is an interesting combination of fiction in many genres and unusual non fiction titles. There's a little bit of something for everyone. The following are reviews that were already posted on this anthology:

Reviews: Journeys of a Lifetime

I read with delight this collection of stories and poems that speaks to the heart of each author’s journey through life. Each person views life through the eyes of her own experience and from that perspective creates fiction that brings the human experience into focus, providing insight that can be gained no other way. Below I provide a quick peek into each piece.

One Summer’s Day, by Elena Dorothy Bowman

This is a delightful snapshot of life lived in a less complicated time (and I quote) “…when times were hard and … the poor didn’t know they were poor…”

Model Number 1007, by Elena Dorothy Bowman

All humans’ carry with them deep-seated fears that surface in dreams, especially as children. A computer intent upon doing away with humans has to be high on the list of scary things.

The Waiting Room Princess, by Bryn Colvin

This author has a unique way with words and touches a deep need in all of us—to be seen and understood for who we really are.

Bread Making, by Bryn Colvin

I found this piece fascinating. This author has collected bits and pieces of folklore about the making and eating of bread over the centuries, and the significance people have attached to it.

Networking - It Can Help Your Promotional Work, by Shri Henkel

This short piece is packed with ideas on promoting oneself as well as one’s work. Networking with other people is the key to working smarter instead of harder.

Acceptance, by Nikki Leigh

The age-old struggle between generations plays out on the pages of this story. All of us want acceptance and to know that those we love recognize and appreciate us for the individuals that we are.

Nearing Noon, by Nikki Leigh

This short story written around the unpredictability of weather on the ocean delivers a nice twist at the end. You’ll enjoy this one.

Behavior Most Unlawful, by Dorice Nelson

The first piece in this grouping provides the reader with an insightful glimpse of the character, Bruic, and his return to his homeland on the Island of Gael, from which he was kidnapped many years earlier. The next piece leads the reader into chapter one of Lost Son of Ireland, where Bruic is now a trusted companion to warrior king Olaf the White.

Shank’s Mare, by Dorice Nelson

This story takes place between the prologue and chapter one of Saratoga Summer 1863. The cast of characters includes the five O’Malley brothers who have returned from brawling in the village. The two elder brothers reap the worst of their father’s wrath for their shenanigans and suffer the worst punishment.

Flying Lessons, by Nora Peterson

This nonfiction piece presents sound advice about learning to invest in the stock market. Her admonition to learn the lingo and go through pre-flight training before heading for the skies is good information for planning one’s financial future.

Tooth-Fairy Wisdom, by Ginger Simpson

This whimsical tale depicts how a tooth fairy earns her wings. Delightful!

Two Screwdrivers, by Donna Sundblad

This artfully crafted tale is set in the past. A child makes a simple request for two screwdrivers, which becomes the bridge that connects a son and a father upon his return home from the war.

Zombie Hospital, by Angela Verdenius

Read this story, with a twist of irony at the end, and you will never again view hospitals quite the same as you used to. This tale gives the reader a view of a perfectly normal person in a perfectly normal setting, then it takes you deep into the scariest recesses of the mind.

Perceptions, by Angela Verdenius

A preconceived notion can manifest itself in many ways. We of form a quick opinion about a person, which can prove to be in error if we take the time to really understand that person. This delightful story gives much food for thought.

Fire, by Angela Vedenius

One only understands fire and what it can steal away after looking the monster in the eye. The message of this piece is “preparedness.”

India Dreaming, by Anne Whitfield

The purpose for which the Taj Mahal was built is reflected in this beautiful story of one man’s adoring of the woman he loves, and declaring that love in the shadow of that magnificent building.

Nadene Carter

****

Journeys of a Lifetime
By: Members of the Readers Station
Cambridge Books
August, 2007

There is magic in books.

I firmly believe this. When I was a child, I could open the covers of a book and travel anywhere: Egypt, the Prairies, distant lands. I could go anywhere, travel anywhere, by the simple act of opening a book and reading the words presented to me.

Apparently, the lovely ladies at The Readers Station think so too. Elena Dorothy Bowman, Bryn Colvin, Nikki Leigh, Dorice Nelson, Nora Peterson, Ginger Simpson, Donna Sunbald, Angela Verdenius and Anne Whitfield have compiled an anthology of fiction, poetry and non-fiction pieces all with the theme of journeying or travelling. And what a trip it is!

Normally I'm not too fond of anthologies. The theme that links everything together is usually very lose and there are always a few good stories leaving the rest to wallow in their mediocrity.

That is not the case with Journeys of a Lifetime. Each wonderful piece is introduced with a Travel Log written by the pieces author who is your tour guide. You're given a destination, what you'll see along the way, what to pack and the local customs. This keeps the travel theme nicely centralized and helps introduce the story in a fun way.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading but I was enchanted by each and every piece. Though the stories and articles are all by different authors, everything flowed so beautifully that I was done the anthology in two days and left thirsting for more. Though I loved every piece and it would take me several pages to write about each one, here are two that stood out for me.

The Waiting Room Princess by Bryn Colvin. This story was so simplistic yet so incredibly beautiful. Waiting for a train late at night, Tom is approached by the train stations lone cleaning woman. Blind, Tom cannot see her but he can hear her voice; it's exotic and like a fresh breeze. Tom is bitter because of his blindness and Eve, the cleaning woman, is cursed by beauty.

Tom lost his sight in a chemical accident and Eve's beauty is responsible for the death of many people; when they look upon her beauty, they die. Can a bitter blind man and a woman whose beauty kills heal each other?

Acceptance by Nikki Leigh. I loved every word of this piece. Kennalyn Jones is waiting for something. Watching the mailbox with anticipation, today she receives what she has been waiting for: a letter from Harvard Law School. Ecstatic, she runs to tell her father Captain Bart who is not as happy as Kennalyn about the news.

Frightened of living alone, his wife having died and his other daughter gone, Bart is not happy at all about Kennalyn's acceptance. Will Kennalyn follow her dream and go to Harvard or will she let her love for her stubborn father keep her where she does not want to be?

What makes Journeys of a Lifetime different from other anthologies is that each authors love for their subject's shines through. Their words really have the power to help you travel to far off lands, to wonderful situations. It really is a book you will want to read and re-read again. Or even enjoy it one story, one journey, at a time.

Journeys of a Lifetime is an absolute gem and a feast of literature. There is something for everyone here, even the most picky of readers. I was spellbound as I travelled with the wonderful women of The Readers Station and I didn't want my trip to end.

I know that I will be forever spellbound by Journey's of a Lifetime and will keep taking each of the journeys in the book over and over again.

Jamieson Wolf


****

That's it for now.

Have a wonderful day.

Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

My New Video

Well, I finally finished the video for The Legacy Series. This one has music to it, and it's for The House On The Bluff, the Gatekeeper's Realm and Adams Point. But before I do anything else with it, I sent it along to my daughter for her opinion before I put it up on YouTube. It's a lot of fun, but can be frustrating putting these videos together, especially when my system crashes on me in the middle of it and I hadn't saved it. Maybe, in due time, I'll get really good at this and can make them better. Meanwhile, there are presently two stand-alone books, Time-Rift and The Imposter that I am going to be working on videos for. I need to find the right music for both of them, so I am still diligently searching. The URL for the video is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz-MQ1KjsLk


Guess that's it for now.

Have a wonderful, safe and happy day.

Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

New Review of Adams Point

Here's another review from Romance Junkies on the last book in the Legacy Series:

From: Romance Junkies

Title: Legacy Series: Adams Point
Category: Paranormal
Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne
Reviewer Email: RJchrissydionne@yahoo.com
Author: Elena Dorothy Bowman
Publisher: Write Words, Inc.
Release Date: 2006
ISBN Number: Print: 1594314527/ ebook:1594315043
Author Homepage: http://elenadb.home.comcast.net/
Author Email: elenadb@comcast.net
Format: EBOOK/PRINT
Rating: 4.5 blue ribbons

When we last visited ADAMS POINT in the previous book, GATEKEEPER'S REALM, readers were left with many questions regarding the spirits that inhabit the made over Inn which had once been known as Pierce House. Guests have disappeared and there's a sinister wraith hoovering over the building. Some of the guests have opted to return to Caleb’s Cove where they believe they’ll be safe from the danger lurking at Adams Point, but are they really?

Ethan, Abigail and the guests who chose to remain at Adams Point have no clue what to expect from the wraith or what to do to appease it. With two couples already missing, Tony’s mysteriously disappeared, and unbeknownst to anyone at Adams Point, Jill, one of the guests whom Ethan had dropped off in town has also disappeared. The apparition obviously intends to do whatever it has to in order to ensure his demands are met and until then Ethan, Abigail, Tony and the guests are all at its mercy.

Abigail harbors hope that Jacob, one of the original ghosts - and a friend, will escape the wraith’s clutches long enough to clue them in on what needs to be done to release them all from the nightmare in which they’ve found themselves. In the meantime, the men devise plans to find and rescue the missing people while protecting the women. One of their plans is for the women to leave Adams Point and stay at Caleb’s Cove where they’ll be safe. Only it soon becomes painfully obvious that the wraith’s plans don’t include allowing any of them any measure of safety. The only way to satisfy it is to return to the Inn and attempt to appease it somehow. Where have the missing people disappeared to and why? Will Jacob be able to break the wraith’s hold and return to Abigail to let her know what’s going on and what needs to be done to correct the situation?

After reading GATEKEEPER’S REALM I was fascinated with the characters and the vivid imagery that enthralled me throughout the storyline. I’m thrilled to say that Elena Dorothy Bowman's continuation of the story in ADAMS POINT contains all the same traits that have made the LEGACY series a thrilling read. I loved the men’s alpha attitude and determination to protect the women and had to laugh at the women’s ‘not without us’ attitude. While the sinister apparition kept me guessing at what stunt it would pull next I was really hopeful to ‘meet’ Jacob and learn just how he could help satisfy the wraith. I do have to confess while I was quite sure there would be a happy ending for the couples, I wasn’t anticipating the emotions which I experienced at the end of the story - sorry I can’t say more because it’d give too much away.

I would recommend reading all three of the books in the LEGACY series - HOUSE ON THE BLUFF, GATEKEEPER’S REALM and ADAMS POINT in order to fully experience the wonders carefully hidden and guarded in this fascinating house/Inn.


SNIPPET–
Guests are disappearing, unwelcome ghosts are making their presence known and the resident ghosts are nowhere to be found. Welcome to ADAMS POINT, the final book in Elena Dorothy Bowman’s LEGACY series. It is sure to hold you spellbound as you experience the wonder of an ancient prophecy and it’s effect on everyone who visits the area.


© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com

Review of Gatekeeper's Realm

Thought you might enjoy reading this review from Romance Junkies;

From: RomanceJunkies

Title: Legacy Series: Gatekeeper's Realm
Category: Paranormal/Futuristic
Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne
Reviewer Email: Rjchrissydionne@yahoo.com
Author: Elena Dorothy Bowman
Publisher: Write Words, Inc.
Release Date: June, 2007
ISBN Number: Print: 1594314519 - Ebook: 1594314810
Author Homepage: http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
Format: EBOOK/PRINT
Rating: 4.5

An ancient relic granted by Divine Decree to a Noble Knight who had been mortally wounded is buried beneath the foundation of a home - this home had once been named Pierce House but now is known as THE HOUSE ON THE BLUFF. Only a direct descendant of the Noble Knight may take possession of the house - and even he or she will be tested by the house to deem if he or she is worthy.
Abigail and her consort, Ethan, have fulfilled the prophecy surrounding their current dwelling which they’ve converted into an Inn. It’s a beautiful house steeped in mystery and ghostly wonders - who cling to the old ways. There’s no electricity, no running water, no central heating system, no phone and no television. Abigail’s a bit apprehensive about their first guests. There’s a possibility they’ll get spooked and want to leave especially once the ghosts make themselves known. There’s no way of telling how the ghosts will react to guests at the Inn and Jacob, the apparitions’ "Ambassador," knows it will just depend. Many of the ghosts have been living there for centuries and may not like having visitors in their house.
As soon as the first guests arrives a shapeless apparition appears over the Inn. Abigail, Ethan, and Tony (town sheriff and sometime permanent resident of the Inn when he’s not working) quickly realize that this apparition is not one of the ‘Others’ and they question who it is and what it wants. The ghostly appearance doesn’t scare off the guests though and is just the beginning of the bizarre appearances which will be taking place over the next couple of days. What will happen when the guests unexplainably begin to start disappearing - one or two at a time? Is the house holding them hostage?
I don’t normally read ghost stories but I have to tell you I was fascinated by this one! Elena Dorothy Bowmen’s GATEKEEPER’S REALM takes an ancient prophecy and brings it into a modern day setting with results that will steal your breath. I was enthralled by the ghost scenes and the guests reactions to each of them and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next or to whom it would happen. The storyline moved along at a quick pace but it never lacked enough descriptive information that I was easily able to imagine each of the scenes.
I would highly recommend reading HOUSE ON THE BLUFF first simply because I believe it goes into more of the details of what Abigail had to endure in order to claim the house. Of course, I’m also going to recommend the third book, ADAMS POINT, because there are questions that are left unanswered in this story and I’m dying to find out the answers. HOUSE ON THE BLUFF, GATEKEEPER’S REALM and ADAMS POINT are all available now.


© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com


Best,
Elena

Resurrenting the Champ

HI, All:

I entered a contest on Gather re: Resurrecting the Champ. And I chose my father as my Champ:

My Father! I loved going to the movies and I loved to read as much as my Father did. Inspired by my Father, I have been writing off and on since way back when it only cost a dime to go to the Saturday Matinee, or any other time I could scrape up the price of a ticket. And in most cases when the ending was not to my liking, I felt compelled to go home and rewrite it.
When we were young, my four brothers and I would listen to my Father reading stories to us every night after we were ready for bed. These wonderful memories took place mostly during the winter months. The summer months were devoted to the one or more of the beaches that were an all day excursion with our parents on the week-ends. During the week my brothers and I would walk to the local beaches and get in trouble on our own.
When bed-time was drawing near, my Father would start a fire in the fireplace and when we were ready he'd have us sit on the floor all around him while he sat on a big stuffed chair. Once settled he would take a book off the library shelf (yes, we had a room that had book shelves inbedded in all the walls and they were always stacked with books). We never knew which book he would take down, so it was always a mystery until he started reading.
I remember him sitting on his stuffed chair, watching our faces as he began to read the first chapter in Jules Verne's novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He would read to a point that left us hanging and wanting more. But he always stopped when the hour was up. By that time, the warmth from the crackling fire had done its magic; drowsiness had taken its toll and we were desperately trying to stay awake so he would read more. But the time was up and no amount of pleading would change his mind. Reluctantly, we'd leave the room with all the books in it and go to bed with visions of the story in our heads wondering what was going to happen next. The following night the ritual would continue as we waited for the next installment in our venture under the sea in Captain Nemo's fantastic submarine, The Nautilus.
And as the years passed swiftly by the many books off that library shelf took my brothers and I to many places we would never have visited without Dad's stories. I decided to try my own hand at writing and quickly discovered I enjoyed writing stories…putting words down on paper gave me a sense of accomplishment…but I never did anything with it. When I wrote my first novel it was just for the pleasure of it. It wasn't long after that writing became an obsession with me and I have been writing for publication ever since.

End of story

I can still see my father sitting in his chair waiting for us with a smile on his face to begin reading. We didn't have much growing up, but we had a Dad who loved to take us to exotic places through the pages of a book.

Elena

Adam's Point from Romantic Junkies

Hi, Everyone!

Received a great review from Romantic Junkies this week...4.5 blue ribbons. It won't be posted on their website until September, but here's an excerpt of it.

After reading GATEKEEPER’S REALM I was fascinated with the characters and the vivid imagery that enthralled me throughout the storyline. I’m thrilled to say that Elena Dorothy Bowman's continuation of the story in ADAM’S POINT contains all the same traits that have made the LEGACY series a thrilling read. I loved the men’s alpha attitude and determination to protect the women and had to laugh at the women’s ‘not without us’ attitude. While the sinister apparition kept me guessing at what stunt it would pull next I was really hopeful to ‘meet’ Jacob and learn just how he could help satisfy the wraith. I do have to confess while I was quite sure there would be a happy ending for the couples, I wasn’t anticipating the emotions which I experienced at the end of the story - sorry I can’t say more because it’d give too much away.

I would recommend reading all three of the books in the LEGACY series - HOUSE ON THE BLUFF, GATEKEEPER’S REALM and ADAM’S POINT in order to fully experience the wonders carefully hidden and guarded in this fascinating house/Inn.

Title: Legacy Series: Adam's Point
Category: Paranormal
Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne
Reviewer Email: RJchrissydionne@yahoo.com

Review of Gatekeeper's Realm

Hi,

With permission from Romance Junkies and Chrissy Dionne

From RomanceJunkies.com
Paranormal/Futuristic
Gatekeeper's Realm
By Chrissy Dionne
May 1, 2007 - 5:27:00 AM


An ancient relic granted by Divine Decree to a Noble Knight who had been mortally wounded is buried beneath the foundation of a home - this home had once been named Pierce House but now is known as THE HOUSE ON THE BLUFF. Only a direct descendant of the Noble Knight may take possession of the house - and even he or she will be tested by the house to deem if he or she is worthy.

Abigail and her consort, Ethan, have fulfilled the prophecy surrounding their current dwelling which they’ve converted into an Inn. It’s a beautiful house steeped in mystery and ghostly wonders - who cling to the old ways. There’s no electricity, no running water, no central heating system, no phone and no television. Abigail’s a bit apprehensive about their first guests. There’s a possibility they’ll get spooked and want to leave especially once the ghosts make themselves known. There’s no way of telling how the ghosts will react to guests at the Inn and Jacob, the apparitions’ "Ambassador," knows it will just depend. Many of the ghosts have been living there for centuries and may not like having visitors in their house.
As soon as the first guests arrives a shapeless apparition appears over the Inn. Abigail, Ethan, and Tony (town sheriff and sometime permanent resident of the Inn when he’s not working) quickly realize that this apparition is not one of the ‘Others’ and they question who it is and what it wants. The ghostly appearance doesn’t scare off the guests though and is just the beginning of the bizarre appearances which will be taking place over the next couple of days. What will happen when the guests unexplainably begin to start disappearing - one or two at a time? Is the house holding them hostage?
I don’t normally read ghost stories but I have to tell you I was fascinated by this one! Elena Dorothy Bowmen’s GATEKEEPER’S REALM takes an ancient prophecy and brings it into a modern day setting with results that will steal your breath. I was enthralled by the ghost scenes and the guests reactions to each of them and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next or to whom it would happen. The storyline moved along at a quick pace but it never lacked enough descriptive information that I was easily able to imagine each of the scenes.
I would highly recommend reading HOUSE ON THE BLUFF first simply because I believe it goes into more of the details of what Abigail had to endure in order to claim the house. Of course, I’m also going to recommend the third book, ADAM’S POINT, because there are questions that are left unanswered in this story and I’m dying to find out the answers. HOUSE ON THE BLUFF, GATEKEEPER’S REALM and ADAM’S POINT are all available now.


© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com
http://www.romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/paranormal/Gatekeeper_s_Realm_7970.shtml

Barnes and Noble

Today I received a phone call from Barnes and Noble in Nashua, New Hampshire. I have been invited to a local authors' book signing September 16, 2007. Of course, since B&N doesn't work with my distributor I have to bring in my own books. But that's okay. Whatever it takes to get my books signed and sold at B&N. I have had several book signings at B&N when my old now defunct publisher was with Ingram and Lightning Press, and sold a number of books of my novel The House On The Bluff, the first book in the Legacy Series. Now, I will have not only the first book in the series but the second book as well to offer. The Gatekeeper's Realm is Book 2 in the series and I am hoping that those who purchased the first one will be eager to read more and purchase the second book. There is a third book to the series which is not in print as yet, but that shouldn't be too long in coming. Anyway, that's my thoughts for today.

Oh, I should mention that on August 13, I will be hosting on my blog, Kim Baccellia virtual book tour. Hope you'll drop in and get to meet Kim

Elena

So You Want to Write A Novel

Hi, Everyone...These are some pointers I picked up along the way and thought to share them with you.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL?

If your work has been written, bound, and someone else is the audience, does anyone really have to be paid for their work to be published? Is it less valued if the work has been for one's family rather than the marketplace? Or is it valued because someone simply believed that what you have written is worth reading?

Stop dreaming about being a writer. Stop thinking about being a writer. Stop talking about writing. Just write. Use paper and pen, word processor, typewriter or tape recorder, but start. Then follow through until you've said what you must. Remember, there's always editing tomorrow.

You should have an idea or two that you'd like to write about. Begin by putting the first words on paper (or a file in the computer). You don't have to be structured at this point, because as you write, you may decide to reposition some of your paragraphs or chapters to other parts of the book. Just continue to write. Try to do at least 10 pages, (double-spaced) a day. Always finish the sentence or paragraph you are working on before you stop writing. If possible jot down a few notes on where you think you'll be going with the story before you leave it so you won't start out cold the next time. You don't really have to know the ending before you start. It will come in time.

When you begin again, reread what you have written the previous time, and continue on. You'd be surprised how much you can accomplish by doing this. You don't have to know the ins and outs of a particular place from a first hand experience as long as you do research on the subject or area you are writing about. Writers, artists, and crafts people learn from their mistakes as well as creating good work. No creative person created a masterpiece without many words, brush strokes, or stitches in their needlework. It is the sum total of a person's work that allows her to become skilled. One must write every day and evaluate and rewrite later. There can always be rework of the original, but there must be an original.

Remember it's only the first draft, it's not cast in stone. Make time to write. Early morning or late at night. I started writing after the kids went to bed and continued to two or three in the morning before my husband turned out the lights. (I had to go to work the next day). Like exercise, it is hard to get started and hard to be self-disciplined, but the process becomes the reward. It simply feels good doing it. The pleasure and absorption of the creative person is its own reward.

I found myself writing during working hours when something popped into my head. If it's not possible to do this (write during working hours) try using a recorder. A thought here, a sentence there, and when you reread your notes, you can come up with a chapter or two. This is important because one can never recapture those fleeting thoughts, even if one thinks so. Once gone, it seldom re-emerges. Always carry a tape recorder or small notebook with you so you can jot down these precious gems when they make themselves known.
When writing don't think about the big picture. Concentrate only on one chapter at a time. If the opening paragraph stumps you go to the next and go on from there. Before you know it, looking back, you've accomplished far more that you could have imagined possible. As a race-horse must wear blinders to keep himself from being frightened by distractions, so too must writers keep their focus on smaller portions of their environment to enable concentration and creativity.

Remember for writers: The key to success in writing is focus, focus, focus.

Don't get hung up on words. If you can't come up with the right word you want to use to begin with, place something similar in that spot that will trigger your memory and research it later. When I'm stuck on a particular thought or paragraph, I put a couple of asterisks in bold letters in the problem area and continue working elsewhere. Initials will work too. When I'm ready to go back and tackle the problem, or insert missing data or details, I use the search and replace feature on my word processor to find those asterisks and get going again.

Always keep a Thesaurus or Synonym Finder by your side as you write. I do.

Always get to know your characters. Define your characters by filling out a character chart on each one. Detail everything you'd like your character to be and how you expect your character to behave. This way, when the character in question does something or acts out of character you'll know something isn't right.

Setting is most significant in a mystery story. But it's just as important in other stories as well. If you can't visit various sites for atmosphere, research.

Certain moments in real life seem to imprint themselves on one's brain. Why these particular scenes are locked in is unclear but analyzing them and describing them can be useful to your stories, either the one you're working on or another at some other time.

What's the first thing you do when you put together a jigsaw puzzle? Several answers are suggested -- find the corner pieces, find the straight edges, do the top, bottom, and sides, etc. But the answer really is: The first things you do is pour out all the pieces on the table, and then you sort them out.

Now when writing an article or articulating an idea write -- without any thought to form or structure. Pour out all your ideas for the piece into your computer. After that, rearrange your thoughts. Print a draft copy so you can refer back to particular phrases after you start changing the sequence of your original thoughts. This simple puzzle idea really helps keep one on track.

The technique of clustering to record the first flush of unorganized ideas about a subject helps to quickly jot down fleeting thoughts about people and places.

All stories must have conflict -- good versus evil, a triumph over a problem. Always ask yourself -- what's the conflict in my story. How did my subject overcome it?

Research, research, research information you wish to include in your story. Even in fiction writing, when using any historical incidents, be sure they are accurate. There is nothing worse than a writer including in their work inaccurate historical references that can easily be dismissed by the reader, who may then do the same with your work.

Before you sit down to write, make sure (as much as possible) that all distractions have been eliminated so your creativity isn't disrupted. Always wear comfortable clothing; have something to drink nearby (ex. water, juice, coffee, tea...no hard stuff please) so you won't have to stop working to quench your thirst. The same applies to snacks and/or lunches -- if you're working through.

So what if after all of the above, you can't get past the first three chapters of a novel? Don't despair. Put it aside and start something else. Perhaps they weren't meant to be a book on their own, only short stories, or, those chapters may come to fruition in another novel and at another time.

After printing out the first chapter, because everything always looks different when actually printed in black and white, re-read it, make corrections and changes in red (so it can be seen easily) then re-type, with emphasis on smoothness and continuity. Before going on to the next chapter.

When all the chapters have been written, edited and printed out, and your story or book is finally complete, re-read the entire project making changes as you do. Re-type and repeat the process until you feel comfortable with what you have written before you let anyone else see or read it. Because if you get hung up on a sentence or section, so will the reader.

After my critic's have commented on my work and I have made the suggested changes and all seems well, I send it out to publishing houses and/or agents and wait. I try to keep three copies of a story out at one time. When rejections arrive, I immediately send my work out again to the next name on the list. But that was before I acquired an Agent. Still, I always keep duplicates of my work. Copies have been known to go astray before (and even after) reaching the editor's desk.

The most important factor to remember is, keep positive and keep writing. Perseverance will win out.

Good Luck And Best Wishes.

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

My Book Trailer

Hi,

I have been working off and on for several months on a book trailer for all nine of my books. But I haven't spent every second of every day on it. I think I've gone as far as I can with it, but I'm waiting for my son and daughter to let me know what they think before I go public with it. At the moment, I haven't any music to go with it, and have been thinking of what music I would like to be able to use. I would love to use one of Chris Daughtry's songs. But I wouldn't know how to go about asking Clive Davies for permission, or have the money I am sure it would cost to do so. Anyway, I wouldn't know which one to choose...but it would have been nice.

I've been working on a new novel...it started out as a novella, but is now a novel...the tentative title is The Odessey. Whether that is what the final outcome will be...I can't say as yet. I'm still working on it and wonder where it will all take me...I have an idea for the ending, but it hasn't materialized yet. Well, tomorrow is another day.

Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
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Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

The Novel "Pearl" by Newt Gingrich

I just completed the novel "Pearl" by Newt Gingrich. I had heard that the book was based on historical fact with some fiction thrown in. Also that it was from a Japanese point of view as well as American. I will say that I was intrigued by the way the book was written. Newt did a great job in describing how the Japanese felt, and their determination to be considered an equal to the rest of the world, even if it meant deceiving others to accomplish their goal. I knew what happened at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and how that attack affected our nation, however, I found the book very interesting and learned a little more about what led up to it. What was surprising to read was how the Japanese felt that attacking Pearl would help them achieve their goal. They had hoped that it would not lead to war but to their higher standing in the Pacific. To their dismay, it didn't turn out that way, but since they had made the first strike, they believed the destruction of our Navy would lead them to complete victory over the United States. This is the first book of the series and it starts long before the attack and ends with it. Book 2, from what I've heard picks up at that point in this series. I highly recommend to anyone interested in history to read this book.