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THE PROCESS OF A BOOK GOING TO PRESS
The joy and the frustration of a book going to press, this is what I want to talk about today. We all know that before a writer can even think about printing a book, and way before the submission process, first and foremost there’s got to be a story; this story must be turned into…
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ORANGE GROVE
Everyone should be so lucky to live near a citrus grove. This is the first week of April and I’ve got to tell you the fragrance is heavenly. Our condo complex is about two blocks from the grove, and when the wind is blowing our way we have the good fortune to be blessed with…
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BASEBALL IN THE MAYOR’S BOX
It is spring training time for pro baseball, and Bradenton, FL just happens to be the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team headquarters in Bradenton is known as “Pirate City,†where the public can watch the Pirates during practice sessions free of charge during February and March. It’s a place where you can feel…
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NO NEWSPAPER
(Before writing projects, before facing the world, it’s tea and the paper) Tea, paper and a favorite chair, this is the way any morning should begin, especially Monday morning. Most of you out there know the significance of Monday starting off good. Now that we have that established, on with the paper tale. It…
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CRITIQUE
Critique is a pretty sounding French word that means the act or art of criticizing. Criticize, on the other hand is not so pretty sounding, it normally makes us aware we’ve done something questionable. I’ve always heard, “It’s not what you say, but the way you say it.†As a beginning writer, living in Kansas…
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TRAILERS
“Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, 50 cents, you’re a man of means, by no means, king of the road.†If you happen to be fifty or older you probably remember the above lyrics as belonging to Roger Miller. If you are younger, then you missed a catchy little song, and a huge…
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REJECTION
Rejection, however one wants to sugarcoat it, it is what it is, and it hurts. I’ve heard that many lessons, oft times missed, come with failing or being rejected. So, whatever you’re working to accomplish, hang in there, rejection is just a word, erase it, delete it and keep trying. Succeeding is somewhat the same…
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THE BOOK JACKET
Everyone has a jacket, light weight, heavy, and sometimes in-between. We use them for many things and many reasons, mainly to keep warm. Well, at least most of the time, but sometimes we wear them because they’re pretty and go with our outfits. Men, on the other hand, wear a jacket, say to a wedding…
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BREAK-IN (Gone in Ten Minutes)
Amid all the fun and excitement of preparing my manuscript for publication something beyond the realm of my understanding, the unbelievable happened. Leading up to this event found me busy preparing for publishing. The real work and the real fun had begun, ergo with my mind occupied with websites, video trailers and book-jackets, it happened,…