Putting Chemistry on the Page

Given the title, you probably expected a "show / don’t tell" kind of post, but not today. 🙂 Instead, I'm going with a feedback list.

The other day I posted a question on social media. I wanted to know readers’ favorite ways to read/experience chemistry on the page. That build up of tension between the hero/heroin in a romance novel that makes you keep turning the pages.

I got some great answers, so thought I’d start a list. That way when I get stuck or feel like I’m repeating myself, I’ve got a resource. So here we go, favorite chemistry moments in romance:

• The moment when they’re eyes meet and they connect for the first time.
• The way they avoid each other, even though they are attracted to one another, but still have to be in the same room or elevator.
• The first casual touch. It doesn’t have to be sexual. (But not a handshake) It can be as innocent as a hand on the arm, or a hand on the lower back to guide them.
• Where you can tell they really, really want to kiss, but neither will make the first move. Then they’re interrupted and the moment is gone, but they’re both just SMOLDERING.
• That “will he/won’t he” moment when you’re hoping he will.
• When they’re laughing and then the chemistry kicks in and they stop abruptly
• That shared joke or inside piece of information that no one else in the room knows about, but you see them connect over it.
• When they share a vulnerability, fear, or experience that builds intimacy and connection.
• When the other person sees more than everyone else.
• Becoming hyper-aware of each other. Both physical – the sweep of her neck, the way she blushes, his strong forearms, and personal – the way she’s nice to everyone, how he defended her when he didn’t need to.
• A feisty dialogue exchange where the underlying tension just screams through both words and actions
• Their inner thoughts reveal that they both WANT but can’t HAVE, but still WANT

Okay – that’s what came from Facebook and Twitter (and me lol). What else? Help me add to it!

Why Audio Books? by Elizabeth Alsobrooks

Listening to audio books is growing in popularity, especially during Covid. Why? Plenty of reasons. One good reason for even children to listen to audio books is that it increases vocabulary and pronunciation. Hearing how a word sounds helps add it to a person’s lexicon. It also helps develop fluency. Listening to the way a narrator (who by job description needs to be fluent) pauses or emphasizes words or phrases helps build fluency awareness and skill.

This doesn’t take much time, either. Audio books help those with little spare time get in some reading, because they can do it during a commute, while doing housework, or even while taking a bath.

No matter when a person finds it convenient to use an audio book, it helps improve their critical listening skills, a skill at which we could all use some improvement. Rather than thinking about what we’re going to say next, we must genuinely listen to the speaker (narrator) in order to hear and analyze character names and characteristics and aspects of the plot. This helps improve our focus and attention spans and develop better critical thinking and comprehension skills.

It also helps us improve our memory skills because we must remember the names and relationships and actions of various characters and plot twists.

Reading the book, it’s said, is always better than seeing the movie, but when you listen to a narrator read the story to you, you gain an interesting and lively perspective on the story. Narrators by trade are enthusiastic and skilled story tellers. You still get to form the images and your own opinions of the events and characters, while hearing a narrator’s tone may actually help you develop empathy for characters.

Speaking of seeing, audio books are a huge benefit to those with poor or no eyesight, but they are also good for the average American who spends up to 7 hours a day looking at a computer screen. It saves you from more eye strain. Reading with your eyes shut is actually pretty relaxing, just the same as listening to soothing music.

This is why listening to audio books boosts mental health—according to Psychology Today, listening to audio books interrupts negative thinking patterns. This is especially helpful to those who suffer from anxiety or depression. During the mandatory isolation of Covid, this could be about anyone.

Physically, it saves your back from carrying around a lot of heavy books. You can have dozens on a single thumb drive. You can also bike, jog, walk, exercise, or do housework while listening to audio books.  Getting some fresh air while you listen to an audio book is a great way to lighten your mental load from all the forced indoor isolation of the era of Covid.

So, why audio books?  A better question might be why not! These days, they’re flying off the shelves--or across the cosmos.

Click on the above pics to purchase one of mine. You can even get them free for trying out audible books for the first time. Happy listening!

Getting to Know Your Character From the Inside Out

Sometimes in the writing world, the lingo is the scariest part. Hearing words like indirect characterization causes you to flashback to 7th grade ELA class bringing with it all the sweaty nervousness that comes along with being a preteen. How-tos are packed with these terms, sometimes making them scary to pick up and read. After several searches on Google, you still don't feel any closer to breaking down these terms that should be your bread and butter. Luckily for you, I teach 7th grade ELA class, and I'm here to break it down in a much more approachable way. 

When you sit down to write your protagonist, antagonist, or supporting characters, you're faced with two options. Will we, the readers, get to know this character from the inside, the outside, or both? 

Indirect Characterization simply means that we're getting to know your character from the inside.  We get full access to their thoughts and motivations, as well as a peek into their flashbacks and internal struggles. You see this a lot with the first-person point of view and with third-person omniscient. Sounds great, right? It sure is, but this also means that you have to write a character that is loveable despite their flaws. Remember that what the character sees and thinks has to (unless you are purposefully making it not so) line up with their actions. Because as we all know, actions speak louder than words. 

Direct Characterization is when the reader gets to know the character from the outside. We can see how the act and what they say to those around them, but we have to make our opinions based only on what we can directly see. Welcome to the third-person point of view. A lot of times, this is how readers get to know the supporting staff of a novel. 

See, the lingo isn't too bad, right? 

Remember that the goal of getting to know the character is so that the reader gets emotionally attached. Once we're invested in their fictional lives, reading the book becomes a necessity and not an option. So when you're sitting down to write that next scene or chapter, take a moment to ask yourself: Will this scene work better from the inside out, or the outside in?

Happy writing!

Pleasure to Meet You

Greetings from Strawberry!

In my fervor to save Halloween from the 2020 nightmare last month, I never introduced myself. You probably were wondering who this Kentucky lady is, and why Halloween is so important to her. 

I’m Marilyn Barr, homeschool mom, energetic healer, particle physics guru, and paranormal romance author. My life has led me down an extraordinary path which all started with an IQ test when I transferred from private school to public school in first grade. Being pulled out of class once per week to work on thought experiments and creative pursuits, I have lived on the fringes ever since. My professional experience spans from aerosol engineer to high school inclusion teacher to Shamanic journeying practitioner.

My diverse experiences are channeled into a paranormal romance series, the Strawberry Shifters. Strawberry KY is a haven for paranormal misfits, recreating the Bergan brand with the changing times to fund their isolated existence. The pharmaceutical world is wondering what the secret is to small-town Bergan Pharma's overnight success, but would they believe it is the vampires who run the night lab?  The community of paranormal creatures works in harmony until the Fae decides to put a Sluagh prison on the edge of town.  Now vampires and shifters must work together to exterminate the soul-sucking Sluagh and take back their territory. 

Bear with Me is the first installment of the series and follows the reconciliation of Grant and Alison Luther. Grant has followed his dream to Bergan Pharma and will stop at nothing to reach the pinnacle of his career. His wife, Alison, relocates as one last chance to put their marriage back together. Alison is an #ownvoices character because we both have sensory processing disorder (SPD). I demonstrate how this disorder is actually a superpower through Alison. Too bad Grant must be taught to see it as such. From ablest to amorous, can he make the changes necessary before he loses his family? Bear with Me is on sale (Buy Now!) for 99 cents (until 12/4/2020) to introduce you to the small town where everyone is more than they seem and to celebrate the release of Book 2: Round of Applause on 12/7/2020.

Round of Applause picks up where Bear with Me left off. November has turned to December and the Yule party is just a few snowflakes away. No one in Strawberry feels like celebrating though. The plan to rescue the mystery woman from the Sluagh fortress has gone horribly wrong and now one of their own is trapped inside. We get a closer look into the lives of the townspeople outside Bergan Pharma as they come together to close an inter-realm portal before it allows the Sluagh army to invade Strawberry. This tale of unconventional family challenges the societal norms of rural America in a demonstration of love conquering all.Pre-order Here

The Naughty List is Now a Series. Free on Amazon with Book 2 on Sale.

The Naughty List is now a series.

Free November 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Judgment Day (Book 2) is on sale for $2.50

Murder, mystical artifacts, an invisible demon with anger management issues, and an overbearing cupid—not what Rosalie Thatcher wished for on her Christmas list.

The holidays had always been a magical time for Rosalie, but not this year. Her new manager at Penrose’s Department Store is determined to make this season the most profitable in the store’s history, even if it sucks the life out of every employee. Introducing arbitrary rules and stealing the affections of the cute temp Santa were bad enough, but forcing Rosalie into the stupid elf hat was the worst. The worst, that is, until she meets a real E.L.F. (Elemental Life Form) named David and gets lassoed into a desperate hunt for the stolen Naughty and Nice List. Now all Rosalie and David must do is dodge a murderous invisible demon and recover the missing artifact before hellhounds track them down.  The couple race against time for without the magical guidance of the Naughty and Nice List, the world will tumble toward eternal chaos. 

FREE ON AMAZON

You can run. You can hide. But you can’t escape Judgment Day.

Changes are in store for Rosalie, David, and the gang at Penrose’s. Remodeling has begun and lives are in upheaval as well as floorplans. Rosalie’s duties as the new human warden on the Integral council draws her deeper into their politics. A clan leader dies, another is elected, and a plot against a third turns deadly. Who will emerge unscathed and who will be banished? Meanwhile, Judgment Day approaches when rights are set wrong and anyone who crosses a cupid risks the Kiss of Death. 

AMAZON SALE

 

ARE YOU BEING MISLED?

An overall look at phishing and ransomware 

By Keri Kruspe

I know with the holidays coming around, this may not be the happiest subject to talk about. But, with everything going on and how much we are doing things on our computers, I wanted to give some practical advice on how to protect yourself.  

I’ve been working for the banking industry for over thirty years and one thing hasn’t changed in all that time. Bandits are out there and they want your money.

Personally, I’ve survived numerous physical bank robberies and bomb threats over the years. Working in Las Vegas for most of those years, I’ve watched how desperate people who lost it all at the casinos have resorted to do the unthinkable by robbing others. The threat was real… it was in your face and unavoidable. How you reacted to it determined the trauma afterward.

But during the ensuing years, another type of robbery has gained momentum to the unwary. While it might not be as physically dangerous as a bank robbery, it can have devastating consequences that the victim has to deal with for months, if not years.

I’m talking about cyber crime, especially regarding your bank account or credit cards.

In this article, I’m going to highlight a couple of areas:

           Define phishing and ransomware

·         Understand and identify common cyber crime tactics

·         Armed with this knowledge—how you can protect yourself.

 

Phishing and Ransomware: Social Engineering

 Social engineering is the practice of manipulating people into giving up confidential information (like passwords, bank account information, or access to a computer or network). Social engineering is so popular with criminals because it works! It’s easier to exploit someone’s instinct to trust rather than hack into a security program (or walk into a bank and point a gun at a hapless teller).

 Social engineering usually comes in an email, text, or phone call. These thugs pose as a legitimate institution and imitates a trusted business, financial institution, social media site or government agency. These messages will ask for private information or will get victims to download malicious software.

Phishing History

The term phishing became popular in the mid-1990’s. It’s a variation of the word “fishing” because phishers lure their victims with bait–such as an attractive offer. In 2004 they filed the first phishing lawsuit against a California teenager who created an imitation of the website America Online. He gained sensitive information from users and had access to credit card details to withdraw money from their accounts.

They estimate it that 1 in every 3,000 emails sent are phishing emails that costs companies in America an average of $1.3 million dollars.

Phishing Tactics

They design a phishing email or text to gain your trust and then trigger a response. It may include upsetting or exciting info that demands an urgent response. Typical words used are, “urgent”, “important”, or “outstanding payment”. These communications will ask you to “update”, “validate”, or “confirm” your account information online.

They’ll pray on greed by making attractive offers. They’ll claim, “You’ve won a free trip or lottery. Just click here and it’s yours!”

What they’re looking for are: social security numbers, full name, date of birth, full address, retail shopping account, loyalty reward accounts, username and password for online services, email account access, personal identification numbers (PIN), credit card, and bank account numbers.

 

How to Recognize a Phishing Attack

Here are some basic characteristics of phishing emails:

1. Generic Names “Dear Customer”
2. Poor spelling and grammar
3. Links to another website
4. Unrealistic threats/demands/offers
5. Sender’s emails address may look like a known organization, but something is off
6. Logo’s and Branding–somewhat similar but just a tad off

Malware

     Malware is short for "malicious software" and is a cyber-attack that typically starts with a successful  phishing assault. It's intentionally designed to cause damager after being implanted to a computer or server. These can be viruses, worms, adware, Trojan horses, and ransomware

Ransomware

     This is a sophisticated malware that is delivered to your computer via a phishing attack. Once it invades your computer, it stops you from using it and encrypts your files. You don’t have access to your computer unless you pay a sum of money to unlock the system with a decryption key. An advanced ransomware will encrypt system files, drives, or Master File Table. It’s almost impossible to recover from as the files cannot be accessed without the decryption key. 

      How to prevent Ransomware:

•     Watch out for phishing. Ransomware is sent by a successful phishing attack.
•      Install Anti-Virus software
•      Back up data
•      Filer email

      As our technology progresses, so will the criminals advance their ability to steal our hard-earned money. But fear not… all is not lost. Just remain diligent and remember that no financial institution will send you an email asking for personal information or to click a link. If you are unsure, call whatever place the email claims it’s from to verify its authenticity. Avoid any link clicking. Better yet… don’t open a strange email you are unsure of. 

      I know it’s a cliché, but keep this in mind… if it’s too good to be true… it usually is. 

Inspiration for a Series at the Tomb of the Eagles by Mary Morgan

Often times, readers will ask where I get my source of inspiration for my stories. And my answer is simple. My travels! I’ve been blessed with several adventures to England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Each time I’ve visited, I have started a story and/or series. Thank goodness for my leather travel journal.  

With my recent new release, MAGNAR, The Wolves of Clan Sutherland, Book 1, I uncovered a treasure trove of inspiration.

During our trip several years ago to Northern Scotland and the Orkney Islands, my husband and I were fortunate to have a personal guide escort us. David Ladd was exceptional in his knowledge—from referencing the names of flowers in the most obscure places to the wildlife and history, especially during our travels on Orkney. He took us on an amazing adventure, oftentimes off the well-worn path, revealing spectacular vistas. I shall always treasure our time with him and for allowing me to crawl into the Tomb of the Eagles in South Ronaldsay, Orkney. For a few hazarding moments, I worried David and my husband when I had trouble getting out of the small tomb. Was I worried? No. 

Before I entered, rain and wind pelted us on our mile walk up the hill. Once I crawled inside the small tomb, I stood and encountered utter silence—no howling wind and no rain leaked through the crevices of stone. It was as if I entered another time and place—literally. Here were my immediate reactions within this cairn: Peace. Stillness. I am not alone.

Let me explain further about the Tomb of the Eagles…

Located above the dramatic South Ronaldsay cliffs, the Isbister Chambered Cairn—better known today as the ‘Tomb of the Eagles’—is one of Orkney's top archaeological sites. Discovered by a local farmer Ronnie Simison in the 1950s, the Stone Age tomb revealed an amazing collection of bones and artifacts, placed here some 5,000 years ago. Among the human bones, there were many talons and bones of the white-tailed eagle.

The Tomb of Eagles played an important part in the book. I took my experience and wove it into the story and through Magnar.

To learn more visit: http://www.tomboftheeagles.co.uk/

 

Keep On Creeping On

Halloween is over, and November has arrived, meaning that many are already full force into preparing for the Christmas season — poor Thanksgiving gets skipped over most of the time. 

I can't say that I'm not eager to embrace sappy holiday shows to bring a little cheer to 2020, but I can say that I'm not quite ready to give up the spooky aspect of this time of the year. 

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, temperatures are dropping and soon…it will be Friday the 13th. Friday, November 13th to be exact. 

So if you're not quite ready to start with the holiday cheer and want to 'keep your creep on' a little longer then you're in luck. Just ask Gina in my upcoming release, Till Death. She has strong feelings about good and bad luck.

Till Death is available for pre-order now- just click right here 

Honor, obey or slay...

Blurb:

     Gina believes that mirrors hold bits of the soul, a rabbit's foot brings good luck, and that marriage vows are until death. But most of all, she’s blindly followed her husband Rick’s philosophy. Nasty men get one chance to convert from their abusive ways —or suffer the consequences they bring upon themselves. 

      But when she meets George, Gina begins to question everything Rick has led her to believe about men. Now Rick has George lined up to be the next man to be redeemed. Will black widow Gina honor and obey and weave her web around George, or will she become the next victim?

Here's an Excerpt: 

      Honor and obey. This was the life I knew. The one I’d created as Rick’s wife. I had to see it through. I lowered my gaze to the ground. “I meant, don’t give the neighborhood more to talk about than it already has.” 

     “Neighborhood? Do you mean that old man who’s been sniffing around here?” Rick smoothed his face back into the mask he shared with the world and glanced toward George’s house. 

      “No.” I didn’t dare look to see if George was lingering. It was a mistake to remind Rick that I might’ve made a friend. A male friend who didn’t fit into the mold Rick insisted most men did. But Rick made a lot of ruckus that could’ve attracted other attention, so when two ladies walked down the street, not giving us a second glance, I inclined my head their way. 

     Rick’s gaze followed mine and then returned to me. “I thought you didn’t worry about those things? About what people might think? Most people don’t see what’s justified in the world, they don’t understand the road to redemption and how we are paving it with the blood of those who don’t appreciate a woman.”      “I don’t care what they think, but this time it’s different.” I was different. But I couldn’t tell Rick that I’d begun to question the truths of performing this justice with him. All it had taken was one old man who’d experienced a loving marriage. A man who saw me as more than a cook, cleaner, and punching bag. 

      “It’s not really different when the end result is the same.” Rick pushed past me. He entered my house as if he owned the place, and as my husband, technically he did.

A Friday the 13th Short Story: 13 authors ~ 13 suspenseful short stories. Murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th...Find each story in the series on Amazon.

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

AIs and Healthcare by Diane Burton

When I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time, the HAL 9000 computer really scared me. Could an Artificial Intelligence become so smart it would kill humans to stay alive? That had to be a worst-case scenario for AIs.

photo credit: IMDB

 

What about The Terminator sent by Skynet?

 

photo credit: IMDB

AIs can be scary in science fiction movies and books. I recently started reading The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Fascinating stories about an android, designed to be an assassin, who becomes self-aware.

 

photo credit: Amazon

One of the things I enjoyed about the Terminator movies was the humor. “I’ll be back.” In my Outer Rim series, starting with The Pilot, Celara’s sidekick and copilot android adds much needed humor during stressful situations. I loved writing RJ and incorporated him in the other books in the series.

 

While AIs are fun or scary in science fiction, science is using artificial intelligence in many useful ways. One way is to forecast future disease outbreaks and pandemics. Considering the current pandemic, I found it interesting that a health monitoring AI, Bluedot, issued warnings about the spread of covid-19 before the WHO and the CDC.

 Imagine reading through heath reports from throughout the world. How long would it take you or me to find trends? Days, months, years? An AI platform could do that so much faster. Like lightning quick. Then those trends could be analyzed by epidemiologists and, hopefully, give us earlier warnings.

 AIs thrive on data. But in the end, humans need to know what to do with what the AIs tell us. They analyze the trends, issue advice and/or warnings, preparing us for whatever dangers lie ahead. Of course, we need to pay attention to those warnings and act accordingly.

  

If you’re curious, here are a couple of articles you might find interesting about AIs and Heathcare.

 

https://medicalfuturist.com/7-things-you-can-expect-from-a-i-in-healthcare/

https://medicalfuturist.com/how-digital-health-technology-can-help-manage-the-coronavirus-outbreak/

 

The Jungle and Other Tales: Tell-Tale Publishing's 5th Annual Horror Anthology by Elizabeth Alsobrooks

HAPPY HALLOWEEN--LET'S HAVE SOME HORRIFIC FUN!  

If haunted EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE is your thing, you'll love the ghostly fun at Tell-Tale Publishing's 10th  Annual www.halloweenhorrorparty.org where you will travel to Haunted Virginia City.  The site is sponsoring my newest fright fest, Bride of Bazel, in its 5th Annual Horror Anthology!

It's being released TODAY!! in both ebook and paperback!!

REVIEWS HAVE STARTED COMING IN!​

"Now in its fifth incarnation, Tell-Tale's horror anthologies have become an annual benchmark of emerging talent and well-told stories. The select seven featured here will yank you backward and forward again in time, visiting the exotic and the seemingly mundane, at a pace and a pulse calibrated for Halloween chills. Beware of a cat named Sabrina and a Celtic goddess with a passport to Salem – yes, that Salem. An old farmhouse could hold more vivid memories than just its mortal foundations, and think twice about rescuing the sister of a young boy if you find yourself in a desert. Twins may not be what they seem, so hang onto your hat (and your head). For that matter, hang on to your whole body unless you want to risk permanent eviction. Also, you may never use steak knives again. Trick or treat! " –Thomas Sullivan--USA Today best-selling novelist  (https://thomassullivanauthor.com) 

Get your copy today! Click on the cover!