Book Beat Babes

Book Beat Babes

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Preparing for a Writers Workshop for 4th Graders! by DL Larson

I'm excited to share my knowledge of writing with other writers, but to host a writers workshop at my library at the request of the 4th grade teachers, has my two worlds crashing together in a symphony of beautiful music. It's a dream come true, well almost. The scheduled day is next Tuesday. We have one and a half hours together. I will lead the workshop along with another youth librarian who has agreed to help with moral support and crowd control.

The biggest hurdle is space. Our library is small, but the children's section boasts of four good size rooms, with numerous book shelves, dvd stands and various cushions and chairs taking up a great deal of space. No conference room at this library, we will have to make do with spreading out on the floor, at least for the first part of the presentation.

I have no idea where these children are in their writing development, so I've opted for a basic overview to help them realize the tools they need in order to write. I've called it a writer's tool kit. We'll talk about such items as imagination, conflict, plot, high stakes, strong verbs, setting, heroes and villains, and the reason the main character must keep going. I've prepared a survey for getting to know a character. We'll do an outline together so they will see how to take one idea and turn it into a plot. I made a plot/problem/progress sheet for students to realize who does what as their story progresses along. Another topic I added is genre. We'll discuss how a writer might blend different genres together.

Since their theme is about Halloween, I plan to read an easy reader version of, 'The Headless Horseman.'  Since it is an adaption of the original story by Washington Irving, I gave myself leeway to dabble with the story for the sake of learning. Each child will take a page and find weak verbs, strong usage of words, etc. Then they will do a mini rewrite, using strong verbs and vivid images in order to understand the editing process first hand.

We'll talk about writing a first draft and how to build from that. We also want to allow time for the kids to work on their own stories. They can browse the stacks and displayed books to examine how other authors write. We'll set up plenty of tables so kids can spread out across the many rooms.

I've made plenty of copies of the topics we'll discuss, along with 'Tips for Writers.' Each child will go home with plenty of knowledge on how to proceed to the next step in their writing journey.

I don't remember having a writing assignment like this when I was in 4th grade, let alone 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th. Writing in those days was very structured. Noun, verb, noun ... with an occasional adjective. We dissected more sentences than we ever wrote and I always wondered when I would ever need to do such a thing to a sentence. I can safely say ... never! I also never related writing sentences to writing a story. We read, we dissected, we didn't write all that much. So reflecting back, I wish I had had an opportunity to learn more about the writing world at a young age rather than waiting until I was nearly 40 before starting!

I'm tickled to be helping these kids with their writing skills. I'll let you know how it goes.

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com




Sunday, September 21, 2014

Welcome Guest Jennifer Wilck!

Today I'm honored to welcome fellow author, blogger, and friend, Jennifer Wilck, to Book Beat Babes. Jennifer is here to tell us about her latest release, Miriam's Surrender.

Jennifer, it's so nice to have you here. Congratulations on your new release!

Tell us about yourself.
I’m married and the mom of two teenaged girls. Prior to writing contemporary romance, I was a magazine writer and editor and I also wrote freelance articles, mostly for technology magazines. I live in New Jersey, but went to college in St. Louis. I’m currently published by Rebel Ink Press. Miriam’s Surrender is my fourth book.

Tell us about Miriam's Surrender.
It’s a contemporary romance with Jewish themes. This story centers around Passover and is the story of two people who need to discover the freedom of letting go in order to let love into their lives. Josh is an architect hired to redesign the alumni club of a posh, private school in New York. Miriam is the Assistant Director of Outreach, working with the alumni, and is Josh’s day-to-day contact for the redesign. They first met in The Seduction of Esther. Josh had thought he was in love with Miriam’s sister, and Miriam detests him because he hurt her sister. Now they have to work together. As they get to know each other, the animosity disappears, but Josh is hiding something from Miriam and when she discovers what it is, it has the possibility of destroying their relationship. Only when they are both able to let the other in and release some of the control they exert over everything, will they be able to see if their love can survive.

Is it related to any of your other books or does it stand alone?
It’s the second book in my Women of Valor series, but can easily be read on its own. Josh is the villain from the first book and Miriam is the heroine’s sister, also from the first book. But you don’t need to know any of the backstory ahead of time, as it’s explained fairly early on.

Your faith is very important to you, and it also finds its way into your stories. Can you tell us more about that?
Sure! I’ve always loved reading romance, but I’ve noticed that most romances are, by default, related to Christianity in some way (this is NOT a complaint)—even if there’s no mention of religion in the story, the characters get married in a church, grace is said prior to a Thanksgiving dinner, etc. I love reading the books, but I started to wonder if it could be possible to switch it up and make the characters Jewish. So I decided to try to write a series that involved Jewish holidays. The characters are generic enough that anyone can relate to them, but the Jewish holidays provide great themes to deal with—such as hiding one’s identity (the theme of Purim, which was covered in the first book, The Seduction of Esther) and freedom (the theme of Passover, which is covered in Passover in Miriam’s Surrender).

If you could only use one sentence to describe your writing, what would it be?
I write about sassy heroines and strong heroes, with just a touch of vulnerability.

What got you interested in writing?
I’ve always loved to write. As a child, I’d make up stories in my head before falling asleep. I used to try to write them down, but could never get it to come out right. Finally, as I got older, it clicked.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing seriously four about eight years now. I started off writing when my kids were sleeping. Now I write during the day when they’re in school, or in the early evenings after dinner.

What inspired you to write your first book?
I was watching a TV show and someone entered the scene. He lasted about thirty seconds, but something about him drew me in. I went off and started writing about him. A year later, I’d written A Heart of Little Faith, the first book I ever published.

What comes first, plot or characters?
Usually the characters. I hear them talking in my head and I write them down.

Any advice for new writers?
Write what you love—it will come out in your writing and will make readers love it too.

What is one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?
Where can we find you and your books?
She can be reached at www.jenniferwilck.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wilck/201342863240160. She tweets at @JWilck. Her blog (Fried Oreos) is www.jenniferwilck.blogspot.com and she contributes to Heroine With Hearts blog on Tuesdays http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com and Front Porch Saturdays at Sandra Sookoo’s Believing is Seeing blog http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com.

My books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AllRomance.

Jennifer, thanks so much for being here with us today!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Helping The Family Business Today! by DL Larson

Every fall our business hosts a pork chop dinner for our clients. We host it at a local community center, hire caterers for the meal where they grill the chops on site.  It smells delicious and tastes even better. We have everything catered except the desserts. Those I make.  And for the last two years my daughter-in-law bakes for the event too! We're famous for our yummy desserts.

So instead of sitting at my computer today, I've been standing in my kitchen baking and watching old movies. It's been a good day. I hardly have the time to bake at all any more, so this bake-fest is my way of showing my family support for this event.

My house smells of pumpkin bars with a hint of chocolate and a twist of apple cinnamon. The chocolate-Heath bars await a cool whip topping which I learned long ago to apply once I've moved everything to the community center. The pecan crusted lemon bars will have a similar topping with crushed pecans to add at the last minute.

I want to dive into my apple slices. I keep telling myself no one will notice. So far I've refrained from cutting into them, but I can't promise I won't! The apples are from our trees in our back yard.

My pumpkin bars are cooling and as I wait to make the cream cheese frosting, I realized I forgot how to make the frosting. Does one use 8 oz. of cream cheese or more? Since I couldn't find my recipe - I blame one of my daughters for this - I clicked on my computer to find a recipe for cream cheese frosting.

Many options abound when searching for cream cheese frosting. I found recipes that called for two 8 oz. packages and one that called for 4 oz. No wonder I couldn't remember. I opted for the one 8 oz. recipe with the option of doubling it in case I need more.

My daughter-in-law made gluten free brownies for our few customers with food issues. She also made a maple brown sugar cake and pumpkin bars. All this with a full time job, a baby and preschooler. She's awesome and a great baker too!

I hope our clients realize how much we appreciate their business and making these homemade desserts has long been a highlight of the meal. It's my way, and my daughter-in-law's way of saying thank you to them. The empty cake pans will be proof that we accomplished our mission.

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Where Were You on 9/11? by DL Larson

September 11, 2001, was a special day for my family. My twin granddaughters were born two days before and planned to come home on the 11th. I couldn't wait to hold them, cuddle them and spoil them as only a grandma can do. They were tiny and swaddled tight, in other words, they resembled little burritos. Their nick name soon became the burrito babies!

I remember standing in my kitchen, unloading the dishwasher. The TV was on, a rarity for sure with my husband not at home. I usually listened to the stereo, but not that day, and I don't really know why. The urgency in the commentator's voice caught my attention. I glanced toward the TV and witnessed the destruction of the first tower. It seemed surreal, as if I watched a movie. My chest tightened, my body recoiling at the carnage catapulting to the ground. I had the overwhelming urge to help someone, anyone. In reflection, I think many of us felt the call to reach out to another.

My husband burst through the door, hollering at me to turn the TV on. He stepped into the room and the heartsick look on his face reflected my own. We watched in silence as the second tower collapsed. I think I was crying by then, I remember shaking my head no, no, no. This shouldn't be happening, my granddaughters were coming home. I had supper planned. We were to gather together and begin the spoiling of these beautiful babies. Instead we were praying for those caught in the maelstrom of terrorism.

Life has not been the same since 9/11, is a cliche, yet holds a deep truth none of us can deny. We've all learned to go on, many without our loved ones. This morning I watched the calling out of the names at ground zero. This tribute heals us and reminds us to always remember. We must stand together to fight this disease called terrorism. We can not allow it to grow. I want my granddaughters futures to be safe.

I want America to stand strong once more.

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

At the Crossroads

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Now that the attention to detail and after-publication marketing hoopla have died down for the July release of A Perfect Angel, the sequel to my romantic comedy, Her Handyman,  it's time to move on and get another book ready.




The problem is I'm not sure which book to finish. I discovered an old manuscript for a good twin/bad twin book, which I'm dying to complete, but I also have a promised book for my Always Young trilogy to finish.

I have a feeling I just may be flitting back and forth between the two depending on my mood of the day. With any luck, I'll get both finished by the end of Fall, but to be realistic, I'll probably be lucky to get one ready by the end of the year.

Stay tuned to see which of the two books wins the race, either Always Young or Wide Awake!

Morgan Mandel
Find all of Morgan Mandel's romances & mysteries
at her Amazon Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Excerpts from all of Morgan's books are at
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

Morgan's chick-lit website is:
http://www.morgandoeschicklit.com

Twitter: @MorganMandel


Thursday, September 4, 2014

End of Summer, But Not the End of Family Fun! by DL Larson

This motley crew posed long enough for a picture and then they scattered for the 'shot gun' start of our golf tournament in honor of my dad's 90th birthday!  We've been celebrating all year; I might have mentioned this a time or two on this blog.

I'm in the front row, in blue, with my mouth hanging open as usual ... no comments please! The two on the end chattering to each other are my daughters, who have spent a life-time of not paying attention because they are too busy in their own little world! As you can see, this picture captured them in their usual pose - goofing off!

The gal to my left, the one who looks as if she just remembered she has a previous engagement, is my wonderful sister, Pat! The other gal in blue, who seems to have just heard a naughty joke, is my niece and also has trouble staying focused, especially when my daughters are around.

The men in the back obviously didn't think this picture was necessary. They were more interested in teeing off on time - 10:00 a.m. sharp!

This picture is full of loving family members, my dad's golfing buddies and all round good people who wanted to share the day with my dad. Some of these folks came only to ride around on golf carts and harass the players. I like their attitude!

Where's my 90 year old dad, you ask? Why he's the guy in the second row, white shirt and blue hat! His golf buddies are in their sixties and seventies! He says he tires out sometimes and can't finish the last 9 holes.  His buddies laugh and shake their heads, saying they are not falling for that long tale today!

We had 28 golfers and 38 for lunch. Most went back out for another 9 holes after eating. My dad led the way. We handed out silly prizes for longest drive, best putt, and played 'best ball' in teams of four. These are all terms I don't really understand. The losing team and winning team were recognized with other prizes. Beer had to be purchased at the club house and the screen door constantly banged open and closed as the day progressed. After handing out the awards, someone broke out in "happy birthday to you." My dad waved his hat and walked away while the crowd continued to sing. I think this year of celebrating has been a wake-up call to him to realize how much he is loved!

As a writer, I don't know what I will take away from this day, other than fond memories and warm feelings I can use in future writings. And characters! I could write a book about the characters, young and old, in that picture.

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com