NEW FACES
Two new people joined The Rams last night. Marcella came and brought her friend, Mary, and they were brave enough to share some writing with us. Jim, Jason, Kristi and Leah also attended, so we were a party of seven. Ellie was getting ready for a trip to Vancouver Island, and Wendy and Annette weren’t well.
Jason returned my book “Road To Afghanistan”, saying his son, Tristan, read it and enjoyed the story and the illustrations, but didn’t connect at all with there being a real war in Afghanistan and that Canada had real soldiers who died or were injured. Leah, a former Master Corporal in our Army, said she thought the book was pure military propaganda. Anyhow, I personally don’t agree with a work of fiction being purported to be a true autobiography and then presented to children as such.
Jason read first, Chapter 7 from his “Provoked” series. This chapter shows us Iris, Gregg and David’s grandmother, on her property where her house had burned down. She was remembering the past and feeling depressed at how long re-construction was taking, and that she didn’t have anywhere acceptable to stay. She felt she needed a drink, and went looking for a case of wine she had stashed in the barn. When she found a bottle, she then realized she also had to find a corkscrew. At the edge of the field, she saw two tents that shouldn’t be there and went to roust the intruders.
Kristi read her next chapter from “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”. Here Jane has grown to be 16, still living with her grandmother, dreaming of finding love and escaping. Leaving school one day, she is teased and bullied and accosted by Sean and his gang, who follow her home, pelting her with rocks and mud. This is a detailed scene of unwarranted cruelty and bullying and makes us all fearful for her safety.
Mary is hoping to write an autobiography, creative non-fiction, but is still looking for the best approach to take for writing it. She read us two paragraphs that hint at a story to be told, but didn’t yet give us any details. We hope she can find a way to open up and put herself on the page.
I read a short piece I wrote to capture a moment. Called “Hunger” it tells of people in a diner, all wanting to be fed, but also tells of me and my husband sitting across from each other at a booth, lost in our own thoughts until I smile. Right away, Bryon notices and wants to know why, still wanting to be part of it, as I want to be part of what makes him smile, too.
Leah read a short story of hers that had been previously published. It was called “Vegetative States”. It shows a middle aged couple living in a rural setting where they have very divergent interests and the underlying conflict has an ironic outcome.
Marcella read a short piece called “Hair Cut”. It is a sensual recollection of a haircut she had. It took a very long time for the hairdresser to create his masterpiece, and she loved the results, but was sorry it would only be perfect for a few short hours after all the trouble he went to.
Jim read Ch. 40 of “Coventry Ghosts – Book II”. Sara, the ghost kitten, has to go into Yanjing and look for the safe house. She finds the house, but it is strangely quiet, and then she is attacked by several Umbra. After defeating them, she rejoins Joel and they both return to Yanjing to meet with someone who has information for them. Sara has to keep Joel invisible, and then has to keep the amateur agent shielded, too. Sara keeps the shield hardened so no one else can enter it, but then a soldier bounces off it unknowingly and hits his comrades and one of the rifles fires and Joel’s arm is injured. But he manages to hang onto the agent.
The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, February 5th here at my place at 7:00 p.m. Since I am scheduled for further surgery the week after that, I’m afraid Meetings will be postponed from then until perhaps the beginning of April. But that gives everyone lots of time to write some wonderful tales. Right? I look forward to seeing you February 5th.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
THE REVIEW
NEW YEAR START
Six of us writers managed to get together to start the New Year last night. Jim, Annette, Kristi, Jason and Ellie joined me and it was great to see them all. Wendy emailed she wasn’t well, and Leah had phoned to say she had to work late yesterday. Hope to see them both next time.
I did not read any of my own work, but did discuss a book my son had given me for Christmas. He sent it to me because he was mentioned in the Acknowledgements and he knows the author and she had signed it. The book is for school children and is about a Canadian soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan. Although the book touches on war injuries and deaths and PTSD and the hardships faced by the people of Afghanistan as well as international soldiers, I took exception to it being written as a factual autobiography when it was really a work of fiction. The story ends with an illustration of the female narrator in uniform and missing her right arm. But the author was not a soldier, had never been to Afghanistan and still had both arms. The only place in the entire book that admits it is fiction is in the cataloguing info on the copyright page, in small print, and which very few people ever read. I asked the group what they thought of how this was done and Jim agreed it was misleading as he would have thought it was a true story as well. Jason has taken the book home with him to see what his son Tristan has to say about it. He’s our star reviewer of all things mid-grade anyhow. I look forward to hearing what he thinks.
Jim read Chapter 39 in the Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara the kitten travels overnight with Joel, and they then take refuge in a barn. As Joel sleeps, Sara goes back and forth between the barn and the coffee shop. On returning to the barn one time, she sees a farm girl enter the barn and stop in total surprise when she sees Joel who is still sleeping. So Sara enfolds the girl with an empty space so she doesn’t see him anymore, and then lifts Joel and carries him out of the barn, while she is trying to be in two places at the same time. I can see Sara probably getting into trouble here.
Ellie read a re-write of Kid Sister, a story about when she was thirteen and sexually molested by a 24 year old friend of her older brother. It ends with a stunning line that sums up devastatingly how the incident affected her relationships with men for the rest of her life. Ellie is entering this in the CBC Creative Non-Fiction contest. It’s a powerful story that needs to be told.
Kristi read the first chapter in The Midnight Daisies. We see the young married couple Dianna and Gordon sneak out late at night, leaving the grandmother and their young daughter, Jane, still sleeping. Dianna and Gordon playfully run up the next hill to the Captain’s house. It has been sitting empty for a long time, and is starting to fall apart. But as young lovers, they fall to the ground under the apple tree, which has no apples, and start to make love. The apple tree comes to life and attacks them. Then the midnight daisies spring teeth and eat them until there is nothing left of them. This is gothic horror at its best.
Annette read the next two chapters about Alyssa, the young woman hiding from the former boyfriend who hired someone to kill her. She wants to befriend Carrie, but doesn’t want to live with her and her brother, John. John offers to protect her, even though he only suspects she’s running from a jealous boyfriend. Alyssa promises to think about his offer, and then leaves and rents a room in a run-down hotel on the seamy side of town. Because the sheets and mattress are so filthy, she sleeps in a chair. The next day, before returning to Carrie and John, she stops at a thrift store to buy something pretty to wear. Even though there are intimations of romance between Alyssa and John, there is still plenty of threatening suspense in these pages.
Jason read another chapter in the second book of his Provoked series. This one is about Dave, Gregg’s older half-brother. It tells us Dave’s Mom became addicted to prescription pain killers after a back injury and then surgery. He feels guilty that she’s gone because the injury was caused when she slipped in bathwater he had splashed on the floor as a young child. He only feels strong and capable when he holds an ancient sword he has hidden in the barn at his grandmother’s place. He’s obsessed with it. I’m eager to find out why his mother is gone. Did she just run away? Did she die? Is she incarcerated somewhere? Tell me what happened, please.
I entered “The Making Of A Soldier” in the CBC Creative Non-Fiction contest. That’s about as creative as I was with my writing over the holidays. Does anybody want to offer Honey a paying job outside of the home?
And today, January 9th, is Margaret Moffatt’s 90th birthday. So here’s a very hearty Happy Birthday from all the Rams, Margaret! You are still writing and still being published and a true inspiration to all the rest of us!
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 22nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I hope to see you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Six of us writers managed to get together to start the New Year last night. Jim, Annette, Kristi, Jason and Ellie joined me and it was great to see them all. Wendy emailed she wasn’t well, and Leah had phoned to say she had to work late yesterday. Hope to see them both next time.
I did not read any of my own work, but did discuss a book my son had given me for Christmas. He sent it to me because he was mentioned in the Acknowledgements and he knows the author and she had signed it. The book is for school children and is about a Canadian soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan. Although the book touches on war injuries and deaths and PTSD and the hardships faced by the people of Afghanistan as well as international soldiers, I took exception to it being written as a factual autobiography when it was really a work of fiction. The story ends with an illustration of the female narrator in uniform and missing her right arm. But the author was not a soldier, had never been to Afghanistan and still had both arms. The only place in the entire book that admits it is fiction is in the cataloguing info on the copyright page, in small print, and which very few people ever read. I asked the group what they thought of how this was done and Jim agreed it was misleading as he would have thought it was a true story as well. Jason has taken the book home with him to see what his son Tristan has to say about it. He’s our star reviewer of all things mid-grade anyhow. I look forward to hearing what he thinks.
Jim read Chapter 39 in the Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara the kitten travels overnight with Joel, and they then take refuge in a barn. As Joel sleeps, Sara goes back and forth between the barn and the coffee shop. On returning to the barn one time, she sees a farm girl enter the barn and stop in total surprise when she sees Joel who is still sleeping. So Sara enfolds the girl with an empty space so she doesn’t see him anymore, and then lifts Joel and carries him out of the barn, while she is trying to be in two places at the same time. I can see Sara probably getting into trouble here.
Ellie read a re-write of Kid Sister, a story about when she was thirteen and sexually molested by a 24 year old friend of her older brother. It ends with a stunning line that sums up devastatingly how the incident affected her relationships with men for the rest of her life. Ellie is entering this in the CBC Creative Non-Fiction contest. It’s a powerful story that needs to be told.
Kristi read the first chapter in The Midnight Daisies. We see the young married couple Dianna and Gordon sneak out late at night, leaving the grandmother and their young daughter, Jane, still sleeping. Dianna and Gordon playfully run up the next hill to the Captain’s house. It has been sitting empty for a long time, and is starting to fall apart. But as young lovers, they fall to the ground under the apple tree, which has no apples, and start to make love. The apple tree comes to life and attacks them. Then the midnight daisies spring teeth and eat them until there is nothing left of them. This is gothic horror at its best.
Annette read the next two chapters about Alyssa, the young woman hiding from the former boyfriend who hired someone to kill her. She wants to befriend Carrie, but doesn’t want to live with her and her brother, John. John offers to protect her, even though he only suspects she’s running from a jealous boyfriend. Alyssa promises to think about his offer, and then leaves and rents a room in a run-down hotel on the seamy side of town. Because the sheets and mattress are so filthy, she sleeps in a chair. The next day, before returning to Carrie and John, she stops at a thrift store to buy something pretty to wear. Even though there are intimations of romance between Alyssa and John, there is still plenty of threatening suspense in these pages.
Jason read another chapter in the second book of his Provoked series. This one is about Dave, Gregg’s older half-brother. It tells us Dave’s Mom became addicted to prescription pain killers after a back injury and then surgery. He feels guilty that she’s gone because the injury was caused when she slipped in bathwater he had splashed on the floor as a young child. He only feels strong and capable when he holds an ancient sword he has hidden in the barn at his grandmother’s place. He’s obsessed with it. I’m eager to find out why his mother is gone. Did she just run away? Did she die? Is she incarcerated somewhere? Tell me what happened, please.
I entered “The Making Of A Soldier” in the CBC Creative Non-Fiction contest. That’s about as creative as I was with my writing over the holidays. Does anybody want to offer Honey a paying job outside of the home?
And today, January 9th, is Margaret Moffatt’s 90th birthday. So here’s a very hearty Happy Birthday from all the Rams, Margaret! You are still writing and still being published and a true inspiration to all the rest of us!
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 22nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I hope to see you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Friday, December 6, 2013
THE REVIEW
YEAR END
Two new members joined us Wednesday night for a fun time with Christmas treats and lots of laughter. Leah Murray and Kristi Kostyshin were brave enough to attend for the first time and we were so pleased to see them.
Annette read first, a continuation of “A Taste Of Wormwood” where we see Alyssa applying for a job as companion to a girl with CP. The home is luxurious, but double locked to the outside world. The young girl seems needy of female companionship, but her older brother is wary of outsiders. The girl insists Alyssa stay for dinner, and tells her the job is live-in. Alyssa doesn’t want to stay in case her presence brings danger to Carrie and her brother, John. We see the humanity of these characters, but also sense dread and mystery lurking in the background.
Kristi was very brave and read next, from a horror novel she’s writing called “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”. In the beginning, we are shown a magician/wizard named Talbot who is upset because he has lost at cards to a Captain Miller. Talbot traces him to a sailing ship on the docks and gives him a box of seeds he says the Captain should plant in his garden at home. We are shown the rather nasty temperament of Captain Miller, and wonder what the seeds will turn out to be.
Jim read Chapter 38 from “Coventry Ghosts, Book II”. Launi recovers from her concussion. The mission is organized and a landing party is launched for Honywuan, in search of Jason. Before landing, Sara does a recon and comes back to tell the Lieutenant there are armed soldiers in trenches on the beach. She does more scouting and finds a safer landing spot a little to the west. Once on shore, Joel feels comforted that Sara is present as he moves inland. We can sense this scene as the build-up for a big confrontation coming.
Jason read another chapter from his new novel. The chapters are not numbered as he is writing scenes but doesn’t yet know what sequence they will appear in the book. This scene is about Gregg’s grandmother, Iris, trying to have her fire-damaged home rebuilt. She is flooded by memories of her father and grandfather and many past happy times in front of the fireplace, which is too damaged to be restored. She fumes she will live longer than the house, but then accepts reality and tells the contractor to do what he must as nothing lasts forever. We see her gather her strength in this scene, even though she’s 96 years old, she’s going to go on.
I read a personal memoir titled “Lost And Found” that I had written for a CBC contest. But I wrote it first and then read the rules and realized it didn’t qualify. It was double the accepted length and didn’t have the required photo to accompany it. The story is about my cousin, who was six like me, and her baby brother, being given up for adoption when her parents split in 1957. When we were thirteen, we ran into each other at school and she asked to get in touch with our paternal grandmother, but not her parents as they had given her away and hadn’t wanted her. It’s a very sad story, which sparked similar retellings of family members of other writers being given up for various reasons.
Had an email from Nathaniel Poole, a former member of The Rams, who now lives on Vancouver Island. His Canadian historical novel “A Dark And Promised Land” will be published next year by Dundurn Press. I remember Nathaniel working at telling this story of Scottish people arriving in Canada through Hudson Bay and following the river down into Manitoba. Congratulations to you, Nathaniel!
Wendy didn’t have anything to read. Leah had wanted to share some of her writing, but had left it at work. She promises to bring something next time.
Lorelie had planned to attend the last Meeting, but was still not well enough. Ellie is busy, busy with trips to the Island and preparing to sell her home here. We haven’t heard anything from Margaret Florczak, but hope she’s fine.
Many thanks to all who brought treats to share with us on Wednesday. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In January, we will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in that month only, so our next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I will send out a reminder the weekend before. Enjoy the Holidays and Happy Writing!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Two new members joined us Wednesday night for a fun time with Christmas treats and lots of laughter. Leah Murray and Kristi Kostyshin were brave enough to attend for the first time and we were so pleased to see them.
Annette read first, a continuation of “A Taste Of Wormwood” where we see Alyssa applying for a job as companion to a girl with CP. The home is luxurious, but double locked to the outside world. The young girl seems needy of female companionship, but her older brother is wary of outsiders. The girl insists Alyssa stay for dinner, and tells her the job is live-in. Alyssa doesn’t want to stay in case her presence brings danger to Carrie and her brother, John. We see the humanity of these characters, but also sense dread and mystery lurking in the background.
Kristi was very brave and read next, from a horror novel she’s writing called “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”. In the beginning, we are shown a magician/wizard named Talbot who is upset because he has lost at cards to a Captain Miller. Talbot traces him to a sailing ship on the docks and gives him a box of seeds he says the Captain should plant in his garden at home. We are shown the rather nasty temperament of Captain Miller, and wonder what the seeds will turn out to be.
Jim read Chapter 38 from “Coventry Ghosts, Book II”. Launi recovers from her concussion. The mission is organized and a landing party is launched for Honywuan, in search of Jason. Before landing, Sara does a recon and comes back to tell the Lieutenant there are armed soldiers in trenches on the beach. She does more scouting and finds a safer landing spot a little to the west. Once on shore, Joel feels comforted that Sara is present as he moves inland. We can sense this scene as the build-up for a big confrontation coming.
Jason read another chapter from his new novel. The chapters are not numbered as he is writing scenes but doesn’t yet know what sequence they will appear in the book. This scene is about Gregg’s grandmother, Iris, trying to have her fire-damaged home rebuilt. She is flooded by memories of her father and grandfather and many past happy times in front of the fireplace, which is too damaged to be restored. She fumes she will live longer than the house, but then accepts reality and tells the contractor to do what he must as nothing lasts forever. We see her gather her strength in this scene, even though she’s 96 years old, she’s going to go on.
I read a personal memoir titled “Lost And Found” that I had written for a CBC contest. But I wrote it first and then read the rules and realized it didn’t qualify. It was double the accepted length and didn’t have the required photo to accompany it. The story is about my cousin, who was six like me, and her baby brother, being given up for adoption when her parents split in 1957. When we were thirteen, we ran into each other at school and she asked to get in touch with our paternal grandmother, but not her parents as they had given her away and hadn’t wanted her. It’s a very sad story, which sparked similar retellings of family members of other writers being given up for various reasons.
Had an email from Nathaniel Poole, a former member of The Rams, who now lives on Vancouver Island. His Canadian historical novel “A Dark And Promised Land” will be published next year by Dundurn Press. I remember Nathaniel working at telling this story of Scottish people arriving in Canada through Hudson Bay and following the river down into Manitoba. Congratulations to you, Nathaniel!
Wendy didn’t have anything to read. Leah had wanted to share some of her writing, but had left it at work. She promises to bring something next time.
Lorelie had planned to attend the last Meeting, but was still not well enough. Ellie is busy, busy with trips to the Island and preparing to sell her home here. We haven’t heard anything from Margaret Florczak, but hope she’s fine.
Many thanks to all who brought treats to share with us on Wednesday. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In January, we will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in that month only, so our next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 8th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I will send out a reminder the weekend before. Enjoy the Holidays and Happy Writing!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Thursday, November 21, 2013
THE REVIEW
WORD ASSOCIATION
Wendy, Jason and Jim joined me last night for a Meeting in spite of the cold weather.
I started by telling the group about further developments in my sale of a ‘Honey’ story to Summit Studios for inclusion in their anthology “Never Light A Match In The Outhouse”. The story was “The Blob At Green Lake”. At first I received an email from the editor mentioning some changes he would like made to clarify things for the reader. One concern he had was my relationship to Bryon. Was he my husband, or a boyfriend, and was his name ‘Bryon’, since I had used that name once in the story? So I did a re-write and addressed all the concerns listed, and even took out the name ‘Bryon’ so he was called ‘Honey’ throughout. Then I had a phone call at 8:00 a.m. one morning. The editor still didn’t like my using the nickname ‘Honey’. He wanted to use ‘Bryon’ throughout. I said I thought it read funnier calling him ‘Honey’. He said he’d been doing this for over twenty years, and he was certain that would just confuse the reader. He’d had one writer call her husband ‘Studley’ and he had nixed that one, too. I sensed his deep aversion to the endearment of ‘Honey’, so I agreed to his making the change throughout the whole story. But I’ve had one other ‘Honey’ story included in an anthology here on the West Coast, without any change of moniker, so it makes me wonder if there is a difference in perceived meanings between regions. Anyhow, I have the right to include the story in my own collection, where it will still be a ‘Honey’ story.
Jason read a scene from his second book, but he wasn’t sure what chapter this would be. In this scene, we see Damianos thrust into an old building that had once been very grand, but was now decaying. He has trouble breathing and is wounded. He had been pulled through the “Book Of The Nornir” to this other reality. Then a frigid waterfall cleansed him of his wounds. As he stood up, roots came up from underneath and started pulling him toward a large hole, and he was screaming “Not again.” There are vivid descriptions in this scene that shows us the plight of Damianos, and you can almost feel sorry for this antagonist.
Jim read us Chapter 37 of Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara has popped back into the submarine to meet up with Joel. But she is very upset at the appearance of Launi Bridges, of CSIS, who had been spying on her and could communicate with her telepathically. She starts popping in and out and making the meeting room icy cold. She is asked to direct her anger at Ms. Bridges, and not the rest of them, so she dumps Ms. Bridges in the ocean until she admits to why she had been spying. Then Sara whooshes her back to the meeting, where she falls and cracks her head on the steel deck. Pesky little kitten, for sure. Kids reading this will just love it.
Wendy didn’t read but was very helpful with editing. Lorelei had emailed that she was still fighting the flu. Annette said she had to attend another meeting. Ellie is busy looking at houses on the Island, as she and her husband are planning on moving there in the spring. We will miss her so much! Margaret F. emailed that she and her husband had moved to an apartment in Surrey and she was busy getting settled.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Since it will be our last Meeting before the holidays, it will be our Christmas get-together. Feel free to bring any treats you’d like, sweet or savoury, as well as your writing, and we will feed our faces as well as our souls. I’ll try to have my decorating done, and will try to have Honey decorate the ficus tree again. Looking forward to seeing you then! Ho! Ho! Ho!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Wendy, Jason and Jim joined me last night for a Meeting in spite of the cold weather.
I started by telling the group about further developments in my sale of a ‘Honey’ story to Summit Studios for inclusion in their anthology “Never Light A Match In The Outhouse”. The story was “The Blob At Green Lake”. At first I received an email from the editor mentioning some changes he would like made to clarify things for the reader. One concern he had was my relationship to Bryon. Was he my husband, or a boyfriend, and was his name ‘Bryon’, since I had used that name once in the story? So I did a re-write and addressed all the concerns listed, and even took out the name ‘Bryon’ so he was called ‘Honey’ throughout. Then I had a phone call at 8:00 a.m. one morning. The editor still didn’t like my using the nickname ‘Honey’. He wanted to use ‘Bryon’ throughout. I said I thought it read funnier calling him ‘Honey’. He said he’d been doing this for over twenty years, and he was certain that would just confuse the reader. He’d had one writer call her husband ‘Studley’ and he had nixed that one, too. I sensed his deep aversion to the endearment of ‘Honey’, so I agreed to his making the change throughout the whole story. But I’ve had one other ‘Honey’ story included in an anthology here on the West Coast, without any change of moniker, so it makes me wonder if there is a difference in perceived meanings between regions. Anyhow, I have the right to include the story in my own collection, where it will still be a ‘Honey’ story.
Jason read a scene from his second book, but he wasn’t sure what chapter this would be. In this scene, we see Damianos thrust into an old building that had once been very grand, but was now decaying. He has trouble breathing and is wounded. He had been pulled through the “Book Of The Nornir” to this other reality. Then a frigid waterfall cleansed him of his wounds. As he stood up, roots came up from underneath and started pulling him toward a large hole, and he was screaming “Not again.” There are vivid descriptions in this scene that shows us the plight of Damianos, and you can almost feel sorry for this antagonist.
Jim read us Chapter 37 of Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara has popped back into the submarine to meet up with Joel. But she is very upset at the appearance of Launi Bridges, of CSIS, who had been spying on her and could communicate with her telepathically. She starts popping in and out and making the meeting room icy cold. She is asked to direct her anger at Ms. Bridges, and not the rest of them, so she dumps Ms. Bridges in the ocean until she admits to why she had been spying. Then Sara whooshes her back to the meeting, where she falls and cracks her head on the steel deck. Pesky little kitten, for sure. Kids reading this will just love it.
Wendy didn’t read but was very helpful with editing. Lorelei had emailed that she was still fighting the flu. Annette said she had to attend another meeting. Ellie is busy looking at houses on the Island, as she and her husband are planning on moving there in the spring. We will miss her so much! Margaret F. emailed that she and her husband had moved to an apartment in Surrey and she was busy getting settled.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Since it will be our last Meeting before the holidays, it will be our Christmas get-together. Feel free to bring any treats you’d like, sweet or savoury, as well as your writing, and we will feed our faces as well as our souls. I’ll try to have my decorating done, and will try to have Honey decorate the ficus tree again. Looking forward to seeing you then! Ho! Ho! Ho!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Thursday, November 7, 2013
THE REVIEW
FORBIDDEN SOCIAL CLUB
Six of us gathered last night completely devoted to the craft of writing. After some general discussion, we thought we would try staying focussed on writing from the beginning of the meeting and leave socializing till the end. This is so we can devote ourselves more assiduously to mastering the technicalities of writing instead of learning more about people, of whom we write. I guess we need more ‘how’ and less ‘why’ in our writing. (This is all reported with tongue in cheek. Please laugh with me.)
Ellie read first, a rewrite of a story she has titled “Date Webs”, and which she has entered in the CBC fiction contest. It is the story of a couple’s first date at a French bistro, where the woman is trying to be seductive. Over dinner there is mutual attraction, but the spell is broken by the appearance of a dead fly on her lip from the wine she was drinking. But even though she’s tipsy, the evening progresses and she wakes up in his arms the next morning.
Jim read Chapter 36 of his Book II of “Coventry Ghosts”. We see Sara and Moog and Shei get into a ghost battle outside CIA headquarters with the Umbra. Then Sara and Shei proceed to the library to finish collecting information on Jason Jones and Yoon Lee Dongpang. Jim thought this chapter was rather long, and we agreed he could split it in two.
Annette read to us the continuation of her story “A Taste Of Wormwood”. We see Alyssa 8 years later, obviously still alive, but living secretively under an assumed name in a bachelor suite. She’s hiding from George, who had hired the hit man to kill her when she dumped him as a boyfriend. One evening she sees someone suspicious outside on the street who is then killed by a man she recognises as George. Terrified he will find her, the runs and then we see her living in a shelter in a new town, with a new name, going for a job interview. This is a captivating mystery and we all want to know more of past circumstances as well as what will happen next.
Jason read Chapter 2 in the sequel to “Provoked”. We see Jody tormented by dreams of the past as well as the painful scars on her back. She lives with her adoptive father, who is very concerned about her well-being, and afraid she could become very depressed and suicidal. He wants her to out to dinner with him for her birthday, but she refuses. He’s jealous though that she’s going out on a lunchtime picnic with Gregg. He agrees they can stay home and order pizza, but only if she promises their time together won’t be interrupted by Gregg.
I read next, my re-write of “The Making Of A Soldier”, which I will enter in the CBC non-fiction contest. This had been on hold with The Legion Magazine for two years. They had hoped to be able to publish it, but since it was a little out of the ordinary for them, they finally admitted they couldn’t find the space for it.
I shared with those present my list of books on writing that I possess. I did an inventory and have about 78 books, and said I was willing to lend them out to anyone interested.
Wendy was present last night, but didn’t read. However, her insights into the social aspect of meetings was valued. Lorelie emailed to say she wasn’t well enough to attend last night.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking forward to seeing you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE:
http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND:
http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Six of us gathered last night completely devoted to the craft of writing. After some general discussion, we thought we would try staying focussed on writing from the beginning of the meeting and leave socializing till the end. This is so we can devote ourselves more assiduously to mastering the technicalities of writing instead of learning more about people, of whom we write. I guess we need more ‘how’ and less ‘why’ in our writing. (This is all reported with tongue in cheek. Please laugh with me.)
Ellie read first, a rewrite of a story she has titled “Date Webs”, and which she has entered in the CBC fiction contest. It is the story of a couple’s first date at a French bistro, where the woman is trying to be seductive. Over dinner there is mutual attraction, but the spell is broken by the appearance of a dead fly on her lip from the wine she was drinking. But even though she’s tipsy, the evening progresses and she wakes up in his arms the next morning.
Jim read Chapter 36 of his Book II of “Coventry Ghosts”. We see Sara and Moog and Shei get into a ghost battle outside CIA headquarters with the Umbra. Then Sara and Shei proceed to the library to finish collecting information on Jason Jones and Yoon Lee Dongpang. Jim thought this chapter was rather long, and we agreed he could split it in two.
Annette read to us the continuation of her story “A Taste Of Wormwood”. We see Alyssa 8 years later, obviously still alive, but living secretively under an assumed name in a bachelor suite. She’s hiding from George, who had hired the hit man to kill her when she dumped him as a boyfriend. One evening she sees someone suspicious outside on the street who is then killed by a man she recognises as George. Terrified he will find her, the runs and then we see her living in a shelter in a new town, with a new name, going for a job interview. This is a captivating mystery and we all want to know more of past circumstances as well as what will happen next.
Jason read Chapter 2 in the sequel to “Provoked”. We see Jody tormented by dreams of the past as well as the painful scars on her back. She lives with her adoptive father, who is very concerned about her well-being, and afraid she could become very depressed and suicidal. He wants her to out to dinner with him for her birthday, but she refuses. He’s jealous though that she’s going out on a lunchtime picnic with Gregg. He agrees they can stay home and order pizza, but only if she promises their time together won’t be interrupted by Gregg.
I read next, my re-write of “The Making Of A Soldier”, which I will enter in the CBC non-fiction contest. This had been on hold with The Legion Magazine for two years. They had hoped to be able to publish it, but since it was a little out of the ordinary for them, they finally admitted they couldn’t find the space for it.
I shared with those present my list of books on writing that I possess. I did an inventory and have about 78 books, and said I was willing to lend them out to anyone interested.
Wendy was present last night, but didn’t read. However, her insights into the social aspect of meetings was valued. Lorelie emailed to say she wasn’t well enough to attend last night.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking forward to seeing you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE:
http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND:
http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Sunday, October 20, 2013
THE REVIEW
HOLDING THE FORT
Annette, Jim and Jason joined me for a Meeting of the Rams on Wednesday. Ellie is away in Australia. Margaret F. is busy moving. Wendy wasn’t feeling well. And Lorelie was keeping her mother company.
I read first, a short personal piece I had written to my son to let him know how much I loved and appreciated him. My children have often told me how thankful they are that I’ve been their mother, so I thought it was time I had better let them know how much they mean to me. Jim said now I have to write something for my daughter as well. Point taken.
Jason read a chapter called “Crash”, which I believe is from one of his books regarding Gregg and Jody. This chapter describes in horrifying detail how Jody lost both her parents one night; her mother in a car crash and her father by suicide afterwards. We see the choice her father had to make about whom to save in a vehicle sinking in water, and what that choice did to him. Even though he saved Jody’s life, he was compelled to be with his wife in her watery grave. Totally horrifying for a young child to experience. This could also stand alone as a riveting short story.
Jim read Chapter 35 of Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara finds herself in Drako, in a foggy slow motion existence where she has trouble even thinking. Shei and Moog appear and join forces to bring invigorating energy from the Aeris in to strengthen Sara. She’s grateful, but then is suspicious when Moog smiles after she says she suspects the Umbra are hiding Jason.
Annette didn’t read. She’s been busy looking after a 17 month old grandchild.
I took new pictures of Jim and Annette for the website. Over Thanksgiving, Sonny posted all the updates I had so far sent him. He said he spent eight hours on it. There are still one or two more pictures and/or bios to be added, but most of the updates are done. You can check it out at www.ramsheadwriters.ca
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. If you have any spooky Halloween stories you’ve written, be sure to bring them along, or because it will be so close to Remembrance Day, that is another topic that would be timely, too. And even if you haven’t written anything, just attend to support the others who have. You are always most welcome here. Hope to see you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Annette, Jim and Jason joined me for a Meeting of the Rams on Wednesday. Ellie is away in Australia. Margaret F. is busy moving. Wendy wasn’t feeling well. And Lorelie was keeping her mother company.
I read first, a short personal piece I had written to my son to let him know how much I loved and appreciated him. My children have often told me how thankful they are that I’ve been their mother, so I thought it was time I had better let them know how much they mean to me. Jim said now I have to write something for my daughter as well. Point taken.
Jason read a chapter called “Crash”, which I believe is from one of his books regarding Gregg and Jody. This chapter describes in horrifying detail how Jody lost both her parents one night; her mother in a car crash and her father by suicide afterwards. We see the choice her father had to make about whom to save in a vehicle sinking in water, and what that choice did to him. Even though he saved Jody’s life, he was compelled to be with his wife in her watery grave. Totally horrifying for a young child to experience. This could also stand alone as a riveting short story.
Jim read Chapter 35 of Coventry Ghosts, Book II. Sara finds herself in Drako, in a foggy slow motion existence where she has trouble even thinking. Shei and Moog appear and join forces to bring invigorating energy from the Aeris in to strengthen Sara. She’s grateful, but then is suspicious when Moog smiles after she says she suspects the Umbra are hiding Jason.
Annette didn’t read. She’s been busy looking after a 17 month old grandchild.
I took new pictures of Jim and Annette for the website. Over Thanksgiving, Sonny posted all the updates I had so far sent him. He said he spent eight hours on it. There are still one or two more pictures and/or bios to be added, but most of the updates are done. You can check it out at www.ramsheadwriters.ca
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. If you have any spooky Halloween stories you’ve written, be sure to bring them along, or because it will be so close to Remembrance Day, that is another topic that would be timely, too. And even if you haven’t written anything, just attend to support the others who have. You are always most welcome here. Hope to see you then.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Saturday, October 5, 2013
GIVE THANKS TO THE MUSE
At Wednesday’s Meeting, Annette Wristen joined Jason, Lorelie, Jim, Ellie and me for a lively homage to The Muse. We welcome Annette to the group and hope she’s able to attend as often as possible. She says she likes to write fan fiction, which is fiction based on classic fiction that is no longer copyrighted.
Ellie was going to read us a 200 word piece from a prompt for a CBC contest about two people in an elevator that stops on the 32nd floor, and these two people don’t like each other. Unfortunately, Ellie forgot to bring her piece of writing. But she did read her poem “Not Under Yet” which is about a Grandfather telling us he needs to go and help his grandson, the son of divorced parents, who now owns land and has taken up farming. The voice in this poem definitely seemed to be an old timer who had things figured out.
Annette read next, a short story based on a dream she had that she may extend to become a novel. Called “A Taste Of Wormwood” it shows us a man who is a hired killer who loves the thrill of it and the shot glass he always keeps as a memento of each kill. Then he meets a beautiful woman he has an instant connection with and wants to see again. But the instructions for his next kill designate her as the victim and he is conflicted. At the end we only see her body floating in a pool while he goes for his victory drink, but we don’t know for sure that she is dead.
Jim read us Chapter 34 of “Coventry Ghosts”, Book II. Sara the kitten is doing research at the library and takes issue with the library’s ghost who tries to banish her. Instead she changes shape into a huge elephant and casts him up into space. While doing her research she is later ambushed by a number of Umbra ghosts. Trying to save herself, she creates a nova that becomes a black hole and sucks in the ghosts, but she’s sucked into Drakko, too, the unwilling victim of her own power.
Jason read to us something he had written for his online blog. The piece was “What Is A Lilita?” As I understand it, Lilitas are humanlike beings that eat human flesh and drink blood. The males prey on female humans and the female Lilitas prey on male humans. If they have intercourse with a human and produce offspring, the offspring will be a vampire. Good to know. Any further definition of race relationships is always helpful.
Neither Lorelei nor I had any writing of our own to read. She did say she had read the book I had loaned to her, “How To Write Your Life Story” and got a lot of ideas out of it.
I handed out something I had copied from the book “How To Tell A Story”. It was a one paragraph explanation of story structure (plotting) that is universal for about 90% of stories read or films watched. It’s a nice little reminder of where to go when you are stuck after the opening chapters in your Great Canadian Novel. And I found it interesting when Jim told me that he found it amazing I wrote “Fire” as an engaging mystery that kept him turning pages without killing any characters.
I have spent a lot of time the past few weeks working on the Ram’s Head website, or rather collecting, editing and forwarding material to Sonny (my son) to update the site at www.ramsheadwriters.ca As he is very busy, I can’t say for sure when updates will be completed, but I’m sure he will get it done between being a busy husband, father and lieutenant colonel in the military. Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t have anyone he can delegate this task to, and he has never been around long enough to teach me how to do it. But then, it’s always good to have some reason for his mother to contact him, right?
And for those who were present at Wednesday’s Meeting, rest assured Honey has repaired the kitchen chair that broke. My hero!
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Really hope to see you then. In the meantime, have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and don’t forget to thank The Muse, too!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
At Wednesday’s Meeting, Annette Wristen joined Jason, Lorelie, Jim, Ellie and me for a lively homage to The Muse. We welcome Annette to the group and hope she’s able to attend as often as possible. She says she likes to write fan fiction, which is fiction based on classic fiction that is no longer copyrighted.
Ellie was going to read us a 200 word piece from a prompt for a CBC contest about two people in an elevator that stops on the 32nd floor, and these two people don’t like each other. Unfortunately, Ellie forgot to bring her piece of writing. But she did read her poem “Not Under Yet” which is about a Grandfather telling us he needs to go and help his grandson, the son of divorced parents, who now owns land and has taken up farming. The voice in this poem definitely seemed to be an old timer who had things figured out.
Annette read next, a short story based on a dream she had that she may extend to become a novel. Called “A Taste Of Wormwood” it shows us a man who is a hired killer who loves the thrill of it and the shot glass he always keeps as a memento of each kill. Then he meets a beautiful woman he has an instant connection with and wants to see again. But the instructions for his next kill designate her as the victim and he is conflicted. At the end we only see her body floating in a pool while he goes for his victory drink, but we don’t know for sure that she is dead.
Jim read us Chapter 34 of “Coventry Ghosts”, Book II. Sara the kitten is doing research at the library and takes issue with the library’s ghost who tries to banish her. Instead she changes shape into a huge elephant and casts him up into space. While doing her research she is later ambushed by a number of Umbra ghosts. Trying to save herself, she creates a nova that becomes a black hole and sucks in the ghosts, but she’s sucked into Drakko, too, the unwilling victim of her own power.
Jason read to us something he had written for his online blog. The piece was “What Is A Lilita?” As I understand it, Lilitas are humanlike beings that eat human flesh and drink blood. The males prey on female humans and the female Lilitas prey on male humans. If they have intercourse with a human and produce offspring, the offspring will be a vampire. Good to know. Any further definition of race relationships is always helpful.
Neither Lorelei nor I had any writing of our own to read. She did say she had read the book I had loaned to her, “How To Write Your Life Story” and got a lot of ideas out of it.
I handed out something I had copied from the book “How To Tell A Story”. It was a one paragraph explanation of story structure (plotting) that is universal for about 90% of stories read or films watched. It’s a nice little reminder of where to go when you are stuck after the opening chapters in your Great Canadian Novel. And I found it interesting when Jim told me that he found it amazing I wrote “Fire” as an engaging mystery that kept him turning pages without killing any characters.
I have spent a lot of time the past few weeks working on the Ram’s Head website, or rather collecting, editing and forwarding material to Sonny (my son) to update the site at www.ramsheadwriters.ca As he is very busy, I can’t say for sure when updates will be completed, but I’m sure he will get it done between being a busy husband, father and lieutenant colonel in the military. Unfortunately, he probably doesn’t have anyone he can delegate this task to, and he has never been around long enough to teach me how to do it. But then, it’s always good to have some reason for his mother to contact him, right?
And for those who were present at Wednesday’s Meeting, rest assured Honey has repaired the kitchen chair that broke. My hero!
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Really hope to see you then. In the meantime, have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and don’t forget to thank The Muse, too!
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
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