Tag: Jacqui Nelson

These are a Few of My Favourite Blogs

Readers of this blog will know that I love learning from other writers. I attend workshops, buy craft books and read blogs. Even when the topic seems old hat, there is always the possibility of finding a gem among the gravel. I’ve learned to use “struggle” instead of “conflict” for a whole other understanding of that concept. The sequence of “conflict, choice, consequence” has helped me recognize the role of  individual scenes in a story. Prime motivating factor was a concept I learned from another author very early in my writing journey. Since in person meetings are harder to find during the pandemic, I’ve spent more time reading blogs. Here are a few of my favourites.

 

  • Writer Unboxed.  For craft and business insights, this blog is hard to beat. They host many authors but here are a few of the regular contributors I enjoy.

Donald Maass. Each of his posts is a workshop on its own.

Barbara O’Neal’s blogs always feel like a warm hug.

Ray Rhamey offers a “Flog a Pro” segment where readers can act like editors and decide if they’ll buy a manuscript based on the first half page. Often he cites best-selling novels and describes why he would not read on. Sure makes me look at my own opening paragraphs very closely. If you want some solid advice on the craft and business of writing, I highly recommend taking a look at Writer Unboxed.

  • Writers in the Storm (WITS) is another favourite. The posts are normally shorter than those on WU so it’s a faster read.
    • Laurie Schnebly Campbell is a contributor. I’ve previously  written about what a great teacher she is.
    • I’ve found Jenny Hansen on this site. She shares great writing tips informed by “life” which makes for a fun read. 
  • Jenny Crusie’s Argh Ink is not a writer’s blog in the usual sense. I signed up expecting to get great writing advice. Instead, I found a community of writers who talk about “Working Wednesdays,” “Good Book Thursday,” Happiness Is . . .” If you’re feeling the need for connection, Argh is a good place to go.
  • Laura Langston is a YA author so many of her posts are directed to that audience. However, she does talk about writing life, bringing insights from her gardening hobby to brighten the prose. She also writes as Laura Tobias for women’s fiction.
  • Jacqui Nelson is a western romance author. Her blog contains lots of historical factoids. Great place to immerse yourself in the old west.These are just a few of my favourites. I’m sure you have your own “go to” posts. Please share in the comments below.

Visits: 307

A Bride for Brynmor — review

 

My latest historical read was this tale by Jacqui Nelson. I’ve long admired Jacqui’s work and her new novel is no exception.
Hope you enjoy it too.
Back Blurb
Can a sister who’s lived only for others find freedom with one man? Family has always come first—for both of them. He’s never forgiven himself for letting her go. She’s never forgiven herself for almost getting him killed.

When Lark and her songbird sisters are separated fleeing their cruel and controlling troupe manager, only Brynmor Llewellyn can help Lark save her sisters and escape to the far west. But Lark wants more. And so does Brynmor. When they’re stranded in a spot as difficult to guard as it is to leave—a rustic cabin at a train junction between Denver and the mountain town of Noelle, Colorado—they find themselves fighting not only for survival but for redemption, forgiveness, and a second chance for their love.

Will the frontier train stop of Songbird Junction be Lark and Brynmor’s salvation? Or their downfall when her manager, a con artist who calls himself her uncle but cherishes only his own fame and fortune—demands a debt no one can pay?

A note about story links: A Bride for Brynmor is the first book in the Songbird Junction series. This American Western Historical Romance is a sweet rated standalone read, but it also includes characters (such as reader-favorite Grandpa Gus Peregrine) featured in my Noelle, Colorado, Christmas storiesThe Calling Birds (set in 1876) and Robyn: A Christmas Bride (set in 1877).

Welcome to Songbird Junction where Welsh meets West in Colorado 1878. The journey to find a forever home and more starts here. Brynmor, Heddwyn, and Griffin Llewellyn are three Welsh brothers bound by blood and a passion for hauling freight—in Denver where hard work pays. Lark, Oriole, and Wren are three Irish-Cree Métis sisters-of-the-heart bound by choice and a talent for singing—in any place that pays.
The book is for sale here
Enjoy!

 

Visits: 123

The Forgotten Sense

“Use the five senses,” is familiar advice to all writers. Just as news reporters use the 5 W’s — who, what, where, when, and why to check their stories, fiction writers can use sight, sound, smell, taste and touch to enhance the emotional impact of their tales.

 

Nothing triggers memory like a smell. I have two four-month old kittens. They were born in the country and at only eight weeks of age they related to smell. We had transported them 2500 miles, from the prairies to the coast, but when the scent of new-mown hay wafted through an open window, they stopped playing and sat up as tall as they could, their little noses twitching mightily as they inhaled the aroma of home.

Psychiatrists will tell you that smell can trigger forgotten memories, and stir the emotions. The perfume industry is built on that premise. A simple fragrance won’t make people spend hundreds of dollars on an ounce of liquid, but the emotions that fragrance elicits, will pry open the  purse.

Because scent has such a powerful effect on the emotions, good writers use that correlation not only to describe a scene but illuminate characters and draw the reader into an emotional  connection with the protagonist of the story.

Out on my bicycle I gloried in the number of summer smells I encountered on my ride–lavender, roses, ripe blackberries, fecund soil, dusty hay,  a horse barn . . . I inhaled them all with a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  I should be a natural when it comes to using scents in my novels. Sadly, while I enjoy the fragrance of my garden, I’m not good at incorporating the fifth sense into my writing.

In my wip I reference the smell of clean mountain air — a lost opportunity. Clean mountain air is generic. If I said, “clean mountain air filled her lungs, driving out the stench of the immigrant ship, erasing the odor of poverty and desperation” I’d have done a better job of placing the reader in the story and giving her a reason to root for the heroine.

There are many literary works devoted to smell, but I thought I’d investigate the romance genre for tips on how to include the forgotten sense in my writing.

“His face and eyelids were swollen and he was beginning to stink like rotten meat.” The Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne. Maggie Osborne is a favourite of mine, even though she is no longer writing. Notice the words here– “stink” “rotten–deeply evocative. She could have said “smelled bad,” and the impact would have been lost.

“When I pull loose wrap off the top of the bottle and  stick my nose in, it is agreeably, deeply sour.” How to Bake a Perfect Life, by Barbara Samuel. I knew I’d find examples of cooking smells in Barbara Samuel’s work. What I like about this example is the paradox of “agreeable” and “sour.” Most of us consider sour an unpleasant odor, not an agreeable one. However, it you are making sourdough starter, the concept changes.

“The scent of fresh blood on an undercurrent of primeval decay choked Elodie Rousseau, nearly bringing her to her knees.” Choosing Bravery by Jacqui Nelson.  Jacqui writes historical westerns. Aromas can conjure up the old west in a few words. The “scent of fresh blood” is a generic phrase, but “primeval decay” and “choked” lift this sentence from ordinary to memorable.

I’m now off to scour my work-in-progress for missed opportunities to use the power of scent in my story.

How about you? Any favourite “smelly” writing examples you’d like to share?

 

 

 

Visits: 76

Other Authors

Rodeos and romance, Old West adventure, and even a few ghostly tales. Deadwood’s wild past and exciting present come alive in seventeen original short stories all related to the town of Deadwood. Wild Deadwood Tales, is an anthology of short stories published in conjunction with a conference to be held in the town of Deadwood, on June 7-9. All proceeds from sale of the book go to the Western Sports Foundation, a charity that helps injured rodeo riders.

I just got my copy of this anthology of the old west. I normally read full-length books, so reading short stories can be a bit like a vacation. The mind doesn’t have to concentrate as long.  You get to find out how it all turned out in less than an hour.  You don’t have to feel guilty about neglecting your other responsibilities for too long.

The story I read first is “Rescuing Raven” by Jacqui Nelson.  Jacqui loves the history of the Wild West and her story is sprinkled with references to real-life characters like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. The background to this story includes the Battle of Little Big Horn, and its aftermath.

From the author:

Tagline: In a gold rush storm, can an unlikely pair rescue each other?

Raven wants to save one person. Charlie wants to save the world. Their warring nations thrust them together but duty pulled them apart—until their paths crossed again in Deadwood for a fight for love.

I haven’t read everything yet, but I see the stories include historical, contemporary, and even a bit of paranormal. A great way to try out a genre you don’t normally read, without too big an investment of time.

You can purchase the book here.

Happy reading — or should I say, Happy Trails to you.

Visits: 326

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