Whatcha Talkin’ Bout, Willis?

 By Maureen Bonatch

“Once I finish redding up the house ‘N at do yinz’ want to run down to the state store?”

You might be from Pennsylvania if you read—and understood—that sentence without hesitation. Many of us use local slang without considering that it may only be understood by those in the area. Or while you’re traveling your slang, or the accent that you didn’t realize you had, may help others place your home town. 

But what happens when slang, or unusual terms, are used in a story?

Keep it Simple Silly

As a writer, using key terms for an area might help it make the story feel more authentic, but if you overdo it, then it can pull the reader out of a story. 

As a reader, learning new words and expressions while reading can be enjoyable—until you have to stop to google a term. 

Being pulled out of the story can take away from the scene and leave the reader feeling confused, or with the need to re-read the paragraph. 

Consider Other Options

If you really want to add in some slang, consider having another character rephrase so the definition is in the story and the reader doesn’t have to go searching. 

“It will take you forever to finish cleaning up the house. Besides, we have plenty of liquor here. What else did you want from the state store?”

Other authors might add a glossary of terms for reference. 

You Might Be From PA if…

I might use a few terms or pronunciations specific to Pennsylvanians, but not all of these. How many are you familiar with?

• Buggy
• Warsh
• Crick
• Shush
• Gum Bands
• Hoagie
• Jagoff
• Sweeper
• Philly
• Djeetyet?
• Yinz 
• Youns
• Dippy eggs
• Wooder
• Gutchies
• Dahntahn
• Gesundheit
• Slippy
• Babushka
• Pop
• Scrapple

Do you have any slang terms from your neck of the woods that you’d like to share?

In the mood for some cozy reading? 

Step into Spring with a Cozy by clicking right here.

Cozy Mysteries for Mom -Before school gets out- Click Right Here to check them out!

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival.

 Follow M.L. Bonatch all through cyberspace! 

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Keep the conversation going by joining my Facebook Group right HERE!

Self-Care Isn't Selfish

By Maureen Bonatch 

We all have a lot on our plate, and if you’re anything like me, you’re continuously wanting to do all the things! Unfortunately, I’ve yet to discover a way to add more time in the day, or days in the week, to do all the things. Instead I shave a little time off my sleep, work through lunch, say no to that fun outing, or trade relaxation time for crossing more things off my list. 

This method may result in taking care of some of that To-Do list, but may mean taking less care of myself. Ignoring self-care can result in fatigue, burnout, reduced productivity and a plethora of other things that sabotage all my efforts at increasing productivity. 

How do we stop this vicious cycle? 

We must find a balance. Self-care sounds like it would be easy to incorporate, because who doesn’t like to do enjoyable things? Often it’s because we’re conditioned to feel guilty for doing something that’s just for us. It feels selfish. 

 If there’s one takeaway from this, it’s that—self-care is not selfish. 

One of my favorite self-care activities is reading. For a handful of years when my twins were young, I used to be one of those people that felt that I didn’t have time to read. That it was a sacrifice I needed to make because there was no time for self-indulgence. 

I really missed reading. 

Reading was good for my mental health—toddler twins, remember? So I made reading, and myself, a priority. Even if I was exhausted and could only read a small bit before falling asleep I started to make time for reading then because I enjoyed it. 

Despite learning this lesson, the same thing happened with my writing for a few years. There was no time—until I made the time. 

 What Can You Do For Yourself Today? 

 

Self-care doesn’t have to take a lot of time out of your day. The important thing is being consistent in making time for things that are important for you and your health, even if it’s only for short intervals throughout the day. 

•  Read a book 
• Write that chapter 
• Watch a movie 
• Stretch 
• Make a healthier food choice 

 Like the old sayings about putting your oxygen on first so that you can help those you love, or how your body only runs well on premium fuel, it’s the same for the time you spend on self-care. You should get a return on the investment of this time by feeling better about yourself and/or improving your health.

 Looking to make yourself, and your self-care, a priority? 

Join me April 5th to May 2nd for my online course Self-Care for Authors through Future, Fantasy & Paranormal Authors (FF&P). You don’t have to be an author to take the course—self-care is important for everyone. Find all the details by clicking right here 

What Do You Do For Your Self-Care?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter 

 Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

To Epilogue or Not?

Epilogues are one of my favorite tools as a romance writer and one of my favorite additions to books as a reader. With romance, they are almost a must in my opinion.

According to Writer’s Digest there are six common uses for epilogues:

• Wrapping up a story’s events after a violent climax
• Highlighting consequences of the story’s events
• Wrapping up loose ends
• Suggesting the future for the protagonist(s)
• Giving a realistic finale
• Providing data on a large cast of characters

I would add one more... 

• Creating a set up for a continuation / next in series

In romance, epilogues are most frequently used to give the reader a quick window into the life of the couple after the HEA (happily ever after). And indeed, as a reader, I’m no longer satisfied with “I love you” followed by fade to black with the words “and they lived happily ever after.” I want to sigh over the proof that they did live happily every after, and the epilogue can give me that.

In paranormal romance in particular, but also any romance series that will be a continuation of an overarching plot or characters, epilogues can also be used to foreshadow the next books and leave the readers both satisfied with the book they’ve just finished as well as wanting the next one. Sort of a cliff-hanger, but not really, which I know is totally cheating.

In particular, I use this method with my paranormal romances, hinting at the next villain, the next romantic conflict, the next conflict set up, and so forth, on top of giving that window into my current couples HEA. Check out the example below from TRY AS I SMITE.

So what about you? Are you a fan of epilogues? What do you like or not like about them?

3 Reasons You Should be Rereading Stories You've Loved

You've heard to be a good writer, you need to be a good reader before. But did you know that rereading is an integral part of the reading-like-a-writer process? Rereading is one of a million things your middle school and high school ELA teachers droned on about, and for good reason. Let's talk about 3 of them today. 

Reason #1-You'll be able to pick out more craft elements

Your brain, while an amazing thinking machine, cannot put together all of the awesome craft elements on a story after one read. It needs time to stew on the things you've read, and then another change to further interpret the meanings to be found in a text. Making rereading a key element to learning how to pick up on and decipher key craft elements. And if you're reading well-written stories, you'll want to slow down and study all of the magic-enabling elements well-practiced writers are imploring.  

Reason #2-You'll learn more good words to use

Have you ever read a sentence that seemed simple but had such an emotional impact that you had to stop reading, turn to the closest human to you, and declare your awe of the English language? No? Just me? No matter, rereading a text encourages you to slow down and pay closer attention to the words a writer uses. You'll see how they swapped out the word "look" for "glance" and what that seemingly simple word choice did to the scene. 

Reason #3-You'll learn to recognize plot patterns

Now, learning to recognize plot patterns may not sound like the most interesting thing you could get from rereading a story, but it's soooooooooo good for writers who write in a specific genre most of the time. You see, genres come with certain reader expectations, and while diverting from them here and there is a very good idea, you also need to understand which of those plot elements are non-negotiable to the genre itself. And how do you do that? By comparing what you see in the genre-specific books you are reading. Does the main lead almost always end up with their love interest? Ask yourself why. Read a book where that doesn't happen, and ask yourself how that change affected your feelings about the story.

There are clearly way more reasons to reread good stories outside of these three. Which reasons would you add to the list? Comment them below!

Happy Writing.

My Favorite Book Series - Growing Up Deryni

A couple of years ago, I had the absolute pleasure of sharing a signing table with Author Mindy Klasky at the RWA Indie Book Signing in Denver. Here’s a little-known tidbit: Mindy can do magic. No, seriously! She uttered “Katherine Kurtz” and “Deryni” in the same incantation and Boom! Forever friendship bond was sealed.

Shortly thereafter, I discovered the word “Deryni” on the GoodReads page of another online author friend, Daniel Sullivan, which led to a fun PM discussion on this epic book series we both love.

Are you scratching your head and thinking, “Who is Katherine Kurtz, and what the heck is a Deryni?” Well, I am so happy to tell you about them! 

I first “met” Katherine Kurtz’s Camber of Culdi, Camber’s family, Alaric Morgan, and King Kelson in late 1970/early 1980, and my young teenage mind was captivated well into adulthood. I grew up with King Kelson much the way kids a decade later grew up with Harry Potter—only, this was better. And I say that as a Harry Potter fan too.

What was better about Katherine Kurtz’s medieval fantasy series? Setting and plot, of course. Exploring an alternate Earth history, definitely. And the magic of the Deryni, a race of humans with preternatural powers who co-existed peacefully with regular humans--until they didn’t. A man named Camber and his family try to avert the coming persecution of the Deryni. Desperate to save their people, they uncover a way to live covertly among humans for centuries. Still, witch hunts for their kind continued, and the monarchy was controlled by those who served their own self-interests.

The fallout of the persecutions finally land square on the shoulders of a young prince who finds himself abruptly wearing his beloved father’s crown. Kelson faces adversaries who wish him dead, or under their control. He is forced to grow up fast. Some of the lessons he learns are harsh, including the heartbreaking prejudices of a close family member. Still, he is determined to be king to all his subjects, human and Deryni.

I just can’t recommend these books highly enough! Sadly, finding them in paperback is challenging these days, however they’re all available on Kindle and many have an audio-book version. I’ve listed them below, with links and in chronological reading order. Once you’ve read them, be sure to let me know what you think!

Are you already familiar with this fantastic universe? Tell me how you discovered the Deryni in the comments.

Happy reading…or listening!

XOXO,

Lea

 

 

   

 

 

~*~*~*~*~

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her sci-fi romances. 

When she’s not busy writing about the blue and green aliens of her Prophecy series, she’s hanging out with her hubby, five kids (the nerd herd), and a spoiled Dobie mix pup.

She is currently working on the fourth book in her Prophecy series, and three new books for her Silverstar Mates series featuring age 50+ protagonists coming this fall. (The Intergalactic Dating Agency) 

For more on Lea's books (past, present, & future), check out her: 

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Amazon | GoodReads

When You Wake Up in a Story

By Maureen Bonatch 

I love to read. Some of my favorite genres are fantasy, paranormal and horror. One of my all-time favorite books is The Stand, by Stephen King. In fact, it’s one of the only books I’ve ever read twice—although that’s because he released a version with additional scenes years after the initial release. 

Otherwise, my TBR list is usually far too long to have time to reread books, despite how much I might want to return to visit those characters. Usually I hope for a series if I want to get to know the characters better.

Not My Story

Lately I’ve felt a bit like I’ve woken up in one of the books that I love to read or write. Unfortunately, this ‘world’ isn’t one with magic like Harry Potter or even the Kim Harrison’s series. It feels a lot more like The Stand—a world with a weaponized strand of influenza—although so far I haven’t noticed any of the supernatural elements.

One of the reasons I, and probably many people, like to read stories that are different from our ordinary world is that we get to experience them without having to experience them in our reality. Because we get to be a different person. Maybe one who has a different personality, is a little bit more resilient, or braver than our everyday persona. Thus, as much as I enjoy the stories, I don’t want to live them in my reality.

Dealing with Change

I expect that this unexpected veer from our normal everyday will most likely leave many of us, and the world, changed. I’m hoping that some of the changes will be for the better in the long run such as appreciating time with family and friends, and the value of everyday items and experiences that we’ve come to take for granted. 

Until that time, many of us are often feeling stress, or anxiety, about uncertainties and unknown changes we may have to adapt to. Much of this is out of our control, but how we react to the situations is within our control and that often starts with self-care and nurturing our anxiety . One of my stress relievers is, of course, reading.

Tips for reducing stress, and gaining accurate COVID-19 information:

I’m proud to be a part of the NextStep team. Take advantage of our course COVID-Ready Caregiver Certification designed to for caregivers- but also helpful to family and friends who want to learn how to keep themselves, and those they care for safe. The course free for a limited time- check it out here. (P.S. The course also includes some great tips on relieving anxiety and stress with mindfulness)

Here are a few articles I’ve written on dealing with stress:

• Spring Clean More than Your House 
• The Hidden Weight of Worry 
• Banish Negative or Self-Destructive Thoughts 

 Until next time- try to stay physically and mentally healthy. 

What 'book world' would you like to wake up in?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

The Search for Silence

The world seems to be getting noisier. Our everyday is full of a plethora of devices notifying us of Every. Single. Thing—the weather, the news, texts, someone’s comment on a variety of social media sites. The television has programs 24-hours a day, and the available shows are endless—just to make sure we don’t suffer from FOMO, otherwise known as Fear of Missing Out. 

Although who are we kidding? The challenge is trying to miss out. Sometimes you can't even do it if you try. 

It may feel as if we never unplug, or are fully “Off.” Some of us can’t seem to shut it out, or don’t want to.

Refuse that Busy Badge

Many wear this connection and brag about constantly being busy as if it were a badge, as if trying to ‘unplug’ from the noise and just enjoy the moment, or be, is being selfish. 

Perhaps it stems from sending children for quiet time as if doing nothing is deemed to be some type of punishment. (One of many ‘childhood seeming punishments’ that some of us adults would enjoy today such as naptime, recess, and someone to do our laundry…oh wait, I guess that last one doesn’t quite fit there.)

All of this ongoing ‘noise’ and chaos in our environment can clutter our minds, and make it difficult to stop and just listen to the quiet, to our thoughts, to our characters.

Find Your Focus

Sometimes even if we shut out all the noise of our external world, we remain tuned into our internal thoughts. That to-do list that won’t quit churning through our mind, or the worry about something from yesterday or tomorrow leaves us unable to focus... unable to relax and sort through our jumbled thoughts vying for attention like they're trying to order a drink at the Last Call before the end of happy hour.

As a writer, often I realize that I need to write to calm the stressors of the everyday world and focus. To escape into a little fantasy or the magic underlying the reality of my story. Although at times the characters either ramble on in my mind, with their eagerness to share their story, or they remain stubbornly silent—causing me more worry.

Seek Silence in a Story

Reading an engaging story can provide that silence. Forcing you to focus on one thing—the story. If attention wanes and you lose your focus on the words on the page, then you don’t know what’s happened in the story. It’s one of the few places where you just can’t multi-task or you'll suffer from FOMO—of the story.

This year has been a particularly busy one for me and multi-tasking has become my mantra. Although the pace can be draining. That’s why I’ve made an effort to fit in more time for reading. There I find my silence, my peace.

Do You Suffer from FOMO?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter