Author: Marcia

#ReblogAlert -This Week on Story Empire

/ Marcia / 6 Comments

As always, another week filled with great stuff on #StoryEmpire. Be sure to check out these terrific posts!

MONDAY:   Joan Hall’s post Capturing Emotions by Using  Personal Experiences is a great example of how to make our storytelling better. I highly recommend checking it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Mae Clair has a super helpful post entitled Using Lists Within Word Press Reader you’re going to want to check out, especially if you are often overwhelmed by the amount of email in your Inbox. You can read Mae’s post HERE.

FRIDAY:  Once again, Gwen Plano’s post, entitled Are You a Sensitive or an Intuitive Writer?, touches on how we view life and how that viewpoint transfers to our writing. It’s a thought-provoking post, and if you haven’t already checked it out, you really should. You owe it to yourself! You can read Gwen’s post  HERE.

And there you have it folks! Another week great stuff on Story Empire! 😀

#ThorsDaySmile

/ Marcia / 28 Comments

My life is out of control this week, so no time for much, but wanted to be sure you got at least a few giggles today. So here you go. Hope they’ll tide you over until next week’s #MondayMeme post. 😀

And that’s it for today, folks. May not be around much, but will check in when I can. In the meantime, a gentle reminder for you:

#GuestDayTuesday – House of Sorrow by Joan Hall

/ Marcia / 51 Comments

#GuestDayTuesday Banner

Today, please welcome Joan Hall to The Write Stuff. Joan is going to tell us a bit about her short story, House of Sorrow,  and she also has a wonderful excerpt to share, as well. I’ve read this story, and I can attest to it being a perfect lead-in to her next series, and a great stand-alone short story of its own, even with the lingering mystery at the end. I’m very happy to have Joan here, especially since she’s talking about an era I remember all too well. Joan, the floor is all yours!

~~~

House of Sorrow: Vietnam

Thank you for hosting me today, Marcia. I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit with your readers and to talk about my newest release.

House of Sorrow is a short-story prequel to my upcoming novel Cold Dark Night, book one of my Legends of Madeira series. It’s the story of Ruth Hazelton, a reclusive older woman who lives in a two-story Victorian house in the fictional town of Madeira, New Mexico. Ruth reflects on her life, particularly when she and her husband Lee first moved to town.

Most of the scenes occur in the late 1960s, so I included historical events into the story as well as a few personal memories. One of the biggest stories about that period is the Vietnam War.

As a child, I remember Dad turned on the NBC Nightly News with Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Every. Single. Night. Naturally, there were always stories about the war.

Vietnam wasn’t a popular war (not that any of them are) but the men who fought in Southeast Asia didn’t receive a hero’s welcome when they came home.

They were told to keep a low profile. I know of at least one veteran who was advised not to wear his uniform upon arriving in the states. It’s sad because those who fought didn’t have a choice. I had two cousins who served there, one in the Army, the other in the Navy. One carried the scars of that war until he died.

Vietnam Memorial Photo by Joan Hall

Today, the Vietnam Memorial and Wall is one of the most popular tourist attractions in DC. The Wall lists the names of over 58 thousand who died or declared missing in action.

In the early seventies, MIA and POW bracelets became popular items. Between 1970 and 1976 approximately 5 million bracelets were sold. Those who wore them vowed to keep them on until the soldier named on the bracelet, or their remains, were returned to America.

In House of Sorrow, Ruth’s brother was listed as missing in action after his plane was shot down. Ruth wears a commemorative bracelet.

Excerpt:

“Is that a new piece of jewelry?” Margaret asked as Ruth entered the room.

She extended her arm. “Yes. It’s an MIA bracelet.”

“I’ve heard a lot of people are wearing them. It’s a wonderful way to remember those who are missing. Shows their families that others care.”

“This one is pretty special to me.”

Margaret read the inscription.

Lt. Col. Michael Morgan, USAF, 12 April 1967, Laos.

“Any particular reason, dear?”

“Michael Morgan is my brother.”

“Oh, my. I had no idea.”

“I don’t talk about it a lot. So many people are against the war. You never know how some will react.”

“Honey, you can tell me anything. I’m not judgmental. As far as the war, it doesn’t matter if a person is for or against it. The men who are fighting aren’t there by choice. It’s foolish to blame them.”

“I agree. It’s hard enough not knowing Mike’s whereabouts. We don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

Margaret patted Ruth’s arm. “Not knowing can be worse.”

><><><>< 

Blurb:

Dream home or damned home?

Ruth Hazelton is over the moon when her husband Lee agrees the nineteenth-century Victorian in Madeira, New Mexico, is the perfect home for them. While he starts his new job as police chief, she sets about unpacking and decorating.

But it’s not long before Ruth needs more. She becomes a fixture in the community, making time for everyone, volunteering, hosting events—she’s every bit the social butterfly her husband is not. Through her friendships, she learns several former residents of her home met with untimely deaths. If she were superstitious, she might fear a curse, but such nonsense doesn’t faze her.

Until the unthinkable happens.

Now, as the end of Ruth’s life draws near, she must find a way to convey her message and stop the cycle to prevent anyone else from suffering in the house of sorrow.

Buy House of Sorrow HERE

Connect with Joan:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   Bookbub  |  Goodreads  |  Instagram

 

 

 

 

#ReblogAlert – Swamp Ghosts featured on Smorgasbord Today!

/ Marcia / 17 Comments

Today, I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of one of Sally Cronin’s newest features, Sharing an Excerpt from a Previous Book.  I hope you’ll stop by and check out the excerpt I’ve chosen, part of the Prologue from my second book, Swamp Ghosts. It was a trip to write this scene, and I hope you’ll enjoy it. But rest assured, the entire book is not a walk through this guy’s mind. It’s an introduction to a small, Florida town, filled with mostly friendly, though often eccentric folks, who have no idea what’s lurking in the shadows. And oh, yeah, there IS a love story, too, as the wonderful review Sally included mentions.  

Hope you’ll head over and see for yourself, and will remember that this is an offer open to all, as well. Sally includes instructions on how to submit YOUR own excerpt from an older book, and you really should take advantage of the opportunity. 

My heartfelt thanks to Sally for all she does to help us promote our work! And to see what’s afoot in Riverbend via her wonderful post, click HERE. 

THANKS!

#ReblogAlert – Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp

/ Marcia / 4 Comments

I know I say this every time, but honestly, Sally’s Weekly RoundUp is unbelievable this time! It’s always a pleasure to share these vastly entertaining and amusing posts, but this one is truly amazing. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.  I predict you’ll enjoy the heck out of it. 🙂

You can read Sally’s Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up post HERE.

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 9 Comments

Check out this week’s posts on Story Empire … you’ll be GLAD you did!

MONDAY: Craig Boyack has a super post entitled Working Ahead for your reading pleasure. It features a marvelous video you should definitely take a few minutes to watch. Wild! You can check out how Craig plans ahead HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Writing dialogue is always tricky, and Staci Troilo’s excellent post, Fiction Dialogue 201,  is sure to be helpful for many of us. You can check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  John Howell has addressed the topic of books currently being banned or coming into question for one reason or another, and even posted a list of such books. If this topic is one of concern to you (and I believe it should be), head on over and take a look at the types of work considered unsuitable  for us to be reading. It’s mind boggling! Check out John’s post  HERE.

Once Again, Lots of Stuff You Do NOT Want to Miss! 😀

#FirstLineFriday#2 Submissions Are Now Closed – Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz

/ Marcia / 16 Comments

Submissions for #FirstLineFriday are officially closed now. My thanks to all who emailed me with their guesses. Today, I’m sorry to say we have no winners. While I was hoping I’d be wrong, I was pretty sure this would be a tough one, even though it made an official Top 100 Opening Lines list. 

And now, here’s the answer to today’s quiz:

“The first time I laid eyes on Terry Lennox he was drunk in a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith outside the terrace of the Dancers.” is the opening line of The Long Goodbye, written by Raymond Chandler in 1953.

WHAT WIKI SAYS:

The Long Goodbye is a novel by Raymond Chandler, published in 1953, his sixth novel featuring the private investigator Philip Marlowe. Some critics consider it inferior to The Big Sleep or Farewell, My Lovely, but others rank it as the best of his work. Chandler, in a letter to a friend, called the novel “my best book.” (NOTE: In early films, Phillip Marlowe was played by Humphrey Bogart, notably with Lauren Bacall in Chandler’s The  Big Sleep. )

The novel is notable for using hard-boiled detective fiction as a vehicle for social criticism and for including autobiographical elements from Chandler’s life. In 1955, the novel received the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It was later adapted as a 1973 film of the same name, updated to 1970s Los Angeles and starring Elliott Gould.

WHAT AMAZON SAYS:

Crime fiction master Raymond Chandler’s sixth novel featuring Philip Marlowe, the “quintessential urban private eye” (Los Angeles Times). 

In noir master Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye, Philip Marlowe befriends a down on his luck war veteran with the scars to prove it. Then he finds out that Terry Lennox has a very wealthy nymphomaniac wife, whom he divorced and remarried and who ends up dead. And now Lennox is on the lam and the cops and a crazy gangster are after Marlowe.

Buy The Long Goodbye  HERE

And that wraps up this week’s quiz, folks! Again, sorry I couldn’t give away any downloads, but as I’ve mentioned, we are down to some of what I believe to be the most difficult to recognize opening lines on the Top 100 list I’m using. Still, I think it’s fun to challenge ourselves, and to study some of the things that have apparently worked well for other writers. Hope you enjoyed this one! 🙂

#FirstLineFriday will be back in two weeks, with another challenge   😀  See you then!

 

#FirstLineFriday #GiveawayContest #FreeDownloads

/ Marcia / 25 Comments

Time for another #FirstLineFriday folks, and today I’ve chosen something  from an author whose name I think most will be familiar with, even if they haven’t read this book. I can tell you that after reading this line, I WANT to read the book, as well. Hope you’ll enjoy it, too, and crossing my fingers that it might ring a bell with a few of you, also.

PLEASE READ these simple rules, just to refresh yourself on how this should be done. Thanks.

  1. Be one of the first five people to email me before the game ends at 4:00pm, with the title and author of the correct book. 
  2. Do not reply here on the blog. Email only: marciameara16@gmail.com
  3. Honor System applies. No Googling, please.
  4. Submissions end at 4:00 P.M. EST, or when I receive 5 correct answers, whichever comes first.
  5. Winners who live in the U.S. may request a free download of any one of my books for themselves, or for someone of their choice. OR, if they’ve read all of the offered books, they may request a free download of my next publication.
  6. Winners who live elsewhere may request a mobi or PDF file of the same books, since, sadly, Amazon won’t let me gift you from the site.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Put on your thinking caps, because here is today’s opening line:

“The first time I laid eyes on Terry Lennox he was drunk in a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith outside the terrace of the Dancers.”

Remember, email answers only, please. Thanks! And now off I go to await your guesses. 

 

 

 

#ReblogAlert – #SmorgasbordPostsFromYourArchives – What’s in a Name and How Do You Choose One – #writing

/ Marcia / 11 Comments

Today, Sally Cronin surprised me by featuring one of my Story Empire posts from 2020, What’s In a Name, and How do You Choose One. I hope you’ll stop by and take a look, especially if you missed it the first time. And I also hope you’ll find it both informative and fun! THANKS to Sally for sharing, and to you for visiting, if you have a moment. Hope you’ll find it helpful. 🙂

You can check the post out HERE