Category: Ballet Trilogy

Ending and Beginnings 0

details in writing / editing / Letters to Follow / musings

Ending and Beginnings

My trilogy is ending as 2016 begins. It’s a bit nostalgic to think I’ll soon be stepping away from Marta, Lynne, and their friends and families. I say that hoping that their stories will continue on in reader’s minds when they think of real dancers, teens, growing up, making life-changing and life-shaping decisions. Since I’ve lived with the characters for so long they are as real to me as you, my readers. I’ve hoped to share their dreams as well as their day-to-day reality, their ability to wiggle out of tense situations and their joy of dancing and life. As...

February Days to Celebrate 0

84 Ribbons

February Days to Celebrate

Looking for a reason to celebrate something? Here’s a list to start your thinking and planning. Have fun! Brighten someone’s life. Go a little crazy. Wite about your ideas! 1  Freedom Day 2  Ground Hog Day 3  15th amendment – Racial Equality Day 4  Rosa Parks Birthday 5  Western Monarch Day 6  Take Your Child to the Library/Girl Scout Cookie Day 7  Super Bowl 50 8  Chinese New Year 9  National Stop Bullying Day/National Pizza Day 10 Umbrella Day 11  Make-A-Friend Day/White Shirt Day 12  Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday 13  Get a Different Name Day 14  Valentine’s Day/Hippo Day 15  President’s...

One Amazing Tool! 0

84 Ribbons

One Amazing Tool!

Writing requires hours and hours of research. So does travel. The two converge when we look at mileage. The following site will take you from one village or town or city to another on any continent in miles or kilometers. Check it out. www.freemaptool.com/how-far-is-it-between.html

December? Already? 0

editing / Letters to Follow / musings / When the Music Stops

December? Already?

Where did the year disappear to so quickly? Last week was summer wasn’t it? Or maybe September? But December…so soon? My writing goals took a hit earlier this year when we had problems with the covers on When the Music Stops- Dance On. That slowed my event planning which in turn pushed back my writing time on the last book in the trilogy, Letters to Follow. Talk about the domino effect!! Now, as 2015 ends, I’m hoping I’ve found the ending to book three. I have a clear resolution to most all the issues left unfinished in the first two...

Letters to Follow: a Sneak Peek 1

book reviewing / Letters to Follow / new works

Letters to Follow: a Sneak Peek

Chapter ONE Lynne stormed into the women’s dressing room and threw her ballet slippers into her locker. “That woman! She never stops yelling at me!”   “Maybe you deserve it. I mean, you’re late a lot and…”   Lynne swung around. “Mind your own business, Suzette.”   “I’m just trying to be helpful.”   “Back off, Suzette!” Lynne glared at Suzette’s saccharine smile. “You couldn’t help an old lady open a cereal box.”   The dressing room fell silent. The first year as well as the seasoned dancers watched the two women elevate their dislike to the level of a...

Write on the Sound Conference 0

character development / details in writing / Letters to Follow / musings / writer reminders

Write on the Sound Conference

Writers never stop looking for ways to improve their writing. One such way is conferences. Our local conference, Write on the Sound, is a perfect place to gain ideas and techniques while meeting with fellow writers. And, as good fortune would have it, we had a perfect weekend of weather, classes, and vistas from the Plaza Room at Edmond’s Francis Anderson Center (formerly the place where I began my teaching career half a century ago). Ouch. that sounds ancient; maybe it is! The conference strictly showcases writers as presenters with no agents or publishers making presentations. Listening to fellow writers...

Name that Character – Receive a Special Prize 0

84 Ribbons

Name that Character – Receive a Special Prize

How well do you know the characters in 84 Ribbons? Can you guess their names from these clues? 1. I’ve lived in Billings all my life. My father runs the local paper. I used to think of myself as a ladies man until I met Marta. Who am I? 2. I have also lived in Billings all my life. I work in the local oil refinery office. I have opened my home to boarders. Who am I? 3. My best friend is Marta. She’s a real over achiever when it comes to ballet. I work at it, but I also...

Facts You May Not Know about Marta 1

84 Ribbons

Facts You May Not Know about Marta

Writing requires authors to create character profiles which include the basics (height, age, hair color, etc.) but also includes more personal details that reveal character idiosyncrasies. Here are a few facts you may not know about Marta Selbryth, main character in 84 Ribbons and When the Music Stops -Dance On, books 1 and 2 of my ballet trilogy. Marta’s middle name is Annette. Marta is mildly dyslexic. As an adult she’s self-conscious about her limited education. Marta’s favorite colors are blue and red. She likes to wear  soft, flowing fabrics. Even though Marta’s father died when she was seven, he...

When the Music Stops is Now Available 0

84 Ribbons / giveaway / When the Music Stops

When the Music Stops is Now Available

I’m excited to let you know When the Music Stops-Dance On, book two in the ballet trilogy, is now available online and directly through me or my publisher, Tendril Press. As soon as the book distributors (who service your favorite bookshops) agree to add the book to their catalogs and lists, When the Music Stops-Dance On will be available everywhere. Currently it is available from Amazon. Feel free to ask your favorite bookseller to order you a copy. If you order more than 8 copies of the book, contact me directly for a bulk discount. I’ll add a surprise and...

Researching Details for Books 0

84 Ribbons / Challenge / details in writing / Letters to Follow

Researching Details for Books

I have always loved research, but lately it’s become a challenge. Back in the dark ages (when I was in school), I’d go the the library, check out a handful of books and I’d be set to locate the needed details. Computer sites have simplified. intensified and complicated current-day research. These days, possible sites number into the thousands (stars for the wealth of sources) but they also create the problem of who to believe. Another problem for me, is getting lost in layers of research and finding little rabbit trails that lead me further and further away from my intended...