#JoanHall

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire and Sally Cronin’s #Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp

/ Marcia / 18 Comments

Once again, it’s time to share the love! If you haven’t checked out these posts on Story Empire and Sally’s Smorgasbord blogs, you really owe it to yourself to stop by and see what’s up. There’s always something good going on on these two blogs, you know. Stop by and see for yourself! You’ll be glad you did!

MONDAY: Joan Hall starts the week off with a great post entitled Writing Historical Fiction. Check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Staci Troilo’s post entitled Messy Middles and Mystery Boxes is one that I found exceptionally helpful. I think you will, too. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: And John W. Howell wraps up the week with Thanksgiving wishes and a gorgeous photo HERE. (Thank you, John, and I hope your Thanksgiving weekend has been great so far!) 

And here are this week’s goodies from Sally’s Smorgasbord blog. Have a look for yourself, and you’ll see why I like to pass this one on, too. You can check everything out HERE.

And there you have it, Folks …
Another wonderful week on two of my very favorite blogs.
Enjoy!

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Joan Hall

/ Marcia / 107 Comments

So happy it’s Wednesday again, because you know what that means?  Yep! It’s time for another Ten Things list. This week, our guest is my good friend, author Joan Hall, and I know you’ll enjoy reading this one! Take it away, Joan!

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Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Joan Hall

  1.  I bleed burnt orange. Just kidding, but I’m a diehard Texas Longhorn fan. Burnt orange (and white) are the school colors.
  2.  My all-time favorite movie is Casablanca.
  3.  My maiden name is James and much to my husband’s dismay, I’m not related to the outlaw Jesse. (Hubs thinks that would be so cool!)
  4.  I wrote my first novel on notebook paper when I was seventeen years old, but I threw it away.
  5.  I once killed a four-foot coiled rattlesnake with a garden hoe.
  6.  My earliest memory was when I was eighteen months old. It happened during a visit with friends and relatives near Christmas.
  7.  As much as I love cats, I used to be more of a dog person. We once owned five dogs at the same time—two Dachshunds, a German Shepherd, a Lab-mix, and a Chow-mix. Feeding two cats is much less expensive.
  8.  Speaking of pets, we have a family tradition of naming our dogs after songs or singers. This came about by accident when I decided to name my German Shepherd puppy after George Harrison’s first wife, Pattie Boyd. Since then, we’ve had names such as Dylan, (Bob) Maggie (Maggie May), and Penny (Penny Lane). We don’t follow the same naming convention for our cats, but we once named one after a baseball player.
  9.  One of my pet peeves (of which I have many) is people who can’t park straight or park too close to the line.
  10.  In the early 1970s, my brother and I buried a piece of his pottery on our family property with the hope that some future generation would discover it and wonder about life in twentieth century America.

Joan and Hubby

~~~

Author Joan Hall

Joan Hall has always enjoyed reading or listening to stories about inexplicable events, so it’s not surprising she writes mystery and romantic suspense. A lover of classic rock music, songs often serve as the inspiration for her books.

When she’s not writing, Joan likes to observe the night skies, explore old cemeteries, and learn about legends and folklore. She and her husband live in Texas with their two cats. Learn more about Joan at her website, http://JoanHall.net.

Buy All of Joan’s Books HERE

Reach Joan on Social Media Here:

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

#ReblogAlert! #Twofer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & Sally Cronin’s #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia / 17 Comments

This post is going to be what we call a “Twofer,” or two posts for the price of one! Since I’ve made Sunday my regular #ReblogAlert day for both Story Empire and Smorgasbord, I realized I could do them in the same post, rather than one in the morning and one in the afternoon, thus giving each of them all-day long exposure. Great idea, huh? (Yeah, I know. Sometimes I’m slow, but I usually get there eventually! 😀 ) So, here you go!

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Another great series of posts from the gang at Story Empire. You’ll definitely want to take a look, if you haven’t already done so.

MONDAY: John W. Howell’s post Indicators During a Writing Session That It Is Not the Best Work is a simple, yet very helpful way to help authors  understand why their work might not be as good as it should be. Check out John’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Joan Hall wraps up her terrific series on developing different types of characters with Character Types: The Helper. You can read Joan’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: Staci Troilo’s post, Do’s and Don’ts of Story Beginnings, is another one you won’t want to miss! Learn more on this from Staci HERE.

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And for those who may have missed some of this week’s fabulous posts on Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord, be sure to check out this link. Loaded with good stuff, including at least one video sure to bring tears to your eyes, and another to make you smile all over, you’ll definitely be glad you did!

Check out Sally’s Weekly RoundUp Post HERE
~~~

And there you have our first Reblog Twofer everybody!
Hope you enjoy checking out both sites!

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 19 Comments

Been a crazy busy week, complicated by everything from doctor’s appointments to major computer problems, and the difficulty of putting together a PowerPoint program for my Saturday talk amid it all. BUT. Here I am! Still at it, with things looking more hopeful for the week ahead. And I’m very happy to say, I’m able to do both of my weekly roundup posts today. First, here are the links to all three of the terrific posts over on Story Empire. If you missed any of these, do stop by to check them out. Always good stuff going on over there!

MONDAY: Throwing SHADE at Your Sentences is a wonderfully helpful post by Staci Troilo. So much to learn from this one and you can check it out HERE

WEDNESDAY: Five Ways to Know You are Doing Good Work on Each Writing Session by John W. Howell is exactly what it sounds like. A list of ways you can evaluate if your writing session is working as it should. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  Character Types: The Extrovert byJoan Hall. It’s always a good idea to understand the personality type of your characters. Joan has shared some very interesting tips HERE.

Yet another week of wonderful posts on Story Empire. If you’ve missed any of these posts, do yourself a favor and head on over to  see for yourself how much you can learn there! 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 11 Comments

Another week gone by in a flash, but the good news is, it’s time for a recap of all the great posts over on Store Empire. Here goes:

MONDAY: Joan Hall is beginning a new series I think I’m going to love, and her first post is entitled Character Types: The Attention Seekers. It’s great! Check out Joan’s post HERE

WEDNESDAY: Staci Troilo’s post, Three Elements of Horror, really struck a chord with me. I have always had a fascination with truly scary stories, and if I ever decide to write one, I’ll be paying close attention to her guidelines. Check out Staci’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: John Howell asks a question in his post today that I’m sure will resonate with each of us: Why Am I Avoiding Working on My WIP? I know it made me stop and think. Check out John’s post HERE.

And there you have the latest from the good folks at Story Empire!
Happy Reading!

#Reblog Alert – This Week on Story Empire

/ Marcia / 28 Comments

Once again, Story Empire has presented a fabulous week of excellent posts. You’re gonna want to take a look at all of these, if you haven’t already done so.

MONDAY:  John W. Howell starts the week off with a great post entitled Writing Motivation Killers Are Out There — Let’s Discuss Three of Them. The title says it all, and believe me, you’ll want to check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Joan Hall’s mid-week post, entitled simply Words, is full of interesting tidbits and is a lot of fun, especially if you are a lover of new words and coined phrases throughout history. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: Staci Troilo wraps up the week with a super post called Developing Your Villain. This one has some great tips even for those of us who don’t write murder mysteries, etc, because Staci explains how to strengthen the contrast between any character up to no good and the protagonist of the tale. Check it out HERE.

And there you go, folks! Great stuff, huh?

#GuestDayTuesday – #Promo – #BlogTour – Cold Dark Night by Joan Hall

/ Marcia / 50 Comments

First #GuestDayTuesday in some time, and I’m happy to say that today’s guest is a good friend who has an outstanding new book to share with you. (Finished it last week and absolutely loved it!) Please welcome Joan Hall to The Write Stuff. Joan, take it away!

Cold Dark Night: Inner Voices

Thank you for hosting me today, Marcia for this last stop on my promo tour for my newest release, Cold Dark Night. It’s the first novel in the Legends of Madeira series. Each book begins with a historical event that ties to modern day.

I think a lot of writers use personal experiences in their books. I know I do. Today’s excerpt isn’t something that happened to me, but to my mom.

Some of my earliest memories are when my mother told me stories of real-life experiences. I think hearing those tidbits of family history is part of what fueled my desire to become a writer. The ones that most intrigued me were those steeped in mystery or unexplained events.

When I was a small child, we lived in the country where my parents purchased forty acres of land. We lived in a rented house across the road. Mom and Dad also bought a milk cow. Anyone who has lived on a farm knows milking is an every-day occurrence. One winter evening near dusk, Mom left the house to do the daily chore, leaving me and my older brother, who had the flu, at home.

She hadn’t walked far when an inner voice said, “Don’t go.” Knowing she had to milk the cow, she argued with herself. The inner voice spoke to her a second time, the tone more urgent. “Don’t go.” When it happened the third time, “I. Said. Don’t. Go,” Mom heeded the warning.

It was that incident that inspired a scene in Cold Dark Night.

EXCERPT:

I’ll still feel better once you get your carry permit.

Jason’s words replayed in Tami’s head, and her apprehension increased as she got closer to home. Not a gut-wrenching fear, but an annoying feeling like moths niggling her stomach.

She turned on the satellite radio, hoping music would help ease her mind, only to hear the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Catchy tune but not the words she wanted to hear tonight.

“Well, that’s just peachy.” She quickly changed to a station playing holiday tunes. By the time she reached her driveway, the upbeat song, coupled with the glow of Christmas lights, lifted her spirits.

I wonder what this house looked like when Ruth first moved here.

From everything Tami had heard, the woman spared no expense when it came to decorating. What she and Jason had—a few lights around the porch overhang, a wreath, and a modest Christmas tree couldn’t compare, but they gave the old house a warm and inviting feeling. She hoped to do better next year. Maybe even host a Christmas party.

Her calmness was short-lived. As Tami neared the garage, she noticed the light at the back door wasn’t burning though it had been when she left.

Maybe the bulb is burned out. Strange. Jason changed it only a couple of days ago.

After putting the SUV in park, she killed the engine, then started to reach for the door handle.

Don’t go in the house.

Where had that thought come from? Except for the porch light, everything looked normal.

She needed to get a grip on her over-active imagination. Shrugging, she reached for the door again.

Don’t go in the house.

Tami tried to ignore the shiver that went down her spine. She was being ridiculous. All she could do was sit in the car and wait for Jason to get home. Or ignore the inner voice. She touched the handle a third time.

DON’T. GO. IN. THE. HOUSE.

~~~

BLURB:

New husband, new house, new town… and a new mystery to solve.

Tami Montgomery thought her police chief husband was going to be the only investigator in the family when she gave up her journalism career and moved with him to Madeira, New Mexico.

But after the historical society asks her to write stories for a book celebrating the town’s history, she becomes embroiled in a new mystery. If she can’t solve this one, she could lose everything. Her research uncovers a spate of untimely deaths of local law enforcement officials. Further digging reveals a common link—they all lived in the house she and Jason now share.

Tami isn’t a superstitious person, but the circumstances are too similar for coincidence. Then she unearths an even more disturbing pattern. And if history repeats itself, her husband will be the next to die.

Buy Cold Dark Night HERE

Reach Joan on Social Media Here:

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

#ReblogAlert – This Week on Story Empire

/ Marcia / 8 Comments

It’s Friday again, and time for a recap of all the good stuff that was posted on Story Empire this week, in case you missed anything. 

MONDAY: Jan Sikes’s excellent post entitled Writing Organizations–The Good, The Bad, The Ugly is well worth a read. Check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Ever think about revising any of your older books? Joan Hall brings up some very good points for you to consider in her post entitled Revising Published Work. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: Today, Mae Clair focuses on a very interesting topic. Her post, Don’t Cheat Your Readers, is one that really hit home with me. Check it out HERE.

And there you have it, Folks!
Another great week at Story Empire.

#ReblogAlert – This Week on Story Empire

/ Marcia / 11 Comments

I’m still on my two week blogging break, but you know by now, I’m going to share Story Empire’s posts, even though I have not had a chance to read them myself. I’ll be catching up with all of them after I return, and am looking forward to doing so. They are ALWAYS well worth the visit!  So without further ado, here goes:

MONDAY: Stacy Troilo’s post is entitled How to Write a Sidekick, and I have no doubt I’m going to enjoy this one when I return. Check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: John W. Howell has a very interesting sounding post this week, entitled Let’s Talk About the Hierarchy of Needs. Can’t wait to see what it’s all about. You can check it out HERE

FRIDAY:   Joan Hall’s post today is about Summer Reading, something we all enjoy, yet often worry about as writers. For instance, is it a good time to release a book or not? Check out what Joan has to say HERE.

And there you have it folks!
Enjoy!