Flashback Friday - Coffee Off The Grid

One job had me spending some time on the road. It was a chance to visit some interesting and sometimes, quirky, small towns. Maybe, to be fair, they weren't so much quirky as they had residents with interesting customs. Or maybe it's just easier to dive under the surface in a town than it is a city. Any way you look at it, Abernethy, Saskatchewan had the most interesting custom that I think I've stumbled on in all my road trips - past and present.

So here it is: - Coffee off the Grid

Today I was on the road for work and off to visit one of my favourite Saskatchewan places, Abernethy, Saskatchewan. And it was there that I experienced coffee time. Not coffee time, like I had experienced anywhere before. There was no visit to a cafe or local coffee shop. No. We went to someone's house where coffee was on every day for anyone in town, or in my case out-of-town, who showed up.


Coffee is served in the owner's gar
age, as long as the weather holds. When the weather turns cold, everyone moves to the house but coffee is still served. Every day, 10 o'clock, rain or shine, as long as the household occupants are home - coffee is served!

And show up they did. One senior even arrived on an ATV Artic quad which he parked on the neat concrete driveway right beside our car. Others walked but soon we were all ensconced in the garage on plastic lawn chairs, nursing hot coffee and being offered fresh muffins by our fantastic hostess.

So, in my comfortable, plastic woven rocker and with coffee in hand, I sat back, careful not to rock into the car parked just behind me, and enjoyed the experience.

Coffee anyone?

Ryshia

Take care, keep safe!

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com

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RWA Conference - The Clock is Ticking

It's that time of year, the RWA Conference is around the corner and after over a dozen years as a published author, I am finally attending.

Happy dance.

This year's conference is in New York. That's a bonus as New York is on my to-see list and I've yet to go there. So it's a trip of firsts.

But it's a bit of a project getting ready as I realized that after a work day spent in my basement office in front of a computer, there's been no need for office attire. Now I need clothes that look good and can be used when I return home. A shopping trip guarantees that I'll be the best dressed person in my basement office - population 1. Next up, a trip to the courier store for a proper size box for my give-away books. Then, notebooks to write down what I might learn - a few pens that actually have ink.  As I'm only taking my i-phone, I doubt if I'll be taking many notes on it - thus, the pens. Although, I plan to blog from my i-phone. We'll see how all that turns out.

So I'm shopped and almost packed and there's only days to go. The app that the RWA supplied is great at organizing the seminars and events I want to attend. No worries about remembering and getting there - there's maps too.

Before I had a chance to schedule the workshops that are listed for the event, the e-mail invites start coming. I'm published by Harlequin and they surprised me with all the events they have - from workshops, meet and greets, and book signings, to a vintage dance to celebrate milestones of both Harlequin and its authors. The vintage dance provided a whole new dilemma - dressing vintage. The dress I'd just bought wasn't going to cut it unless... one vintage hat - lacy half-gloves, and a vintage purse later and I think I've cobbled together something of a look.


And the most important, what I will learn and who I will meet. There's my editor at Harlequin and the authors who write for Harlequin Intrigue, along with some "sister agent" authors, and the author that shares the same province. Up to now, they've only been voices on my e-mail and social media but many of them will be there. I'm looking forward to meeting them.

It's a chance to discover other opportunities for stories that didn't make one publisher or another because they weren't the right theme, or right country, or right hero or heroine occupation, bad timing etc.  Books where none of the reasons for rejection were because of the writing - where the hero and heroine's adventure might yet find a home. Who knows what opportunity awaits.

Looking forward to it all. And, I'm sure that none of it will be like I imagine. We'll see how it all plays out. For now, my suitcase is just waiting for the lid to be flipped and for the adventure to begin.

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com

                                                        ...a world you never imagined!

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                                                         This gentleman posed with Ring of Desire in the Dead Sea.

Winslow, Arizona

I'm still playing catchup and moving backward to the last night on the road.

Waiting area for the train.

We spent that night in Winslow, Arizona in an old railway hotel that was turn of the century cool.  Not being a fan of the Eagles' song that has seemed to make Winslow famous, I was definitely a fan of that hotel.  And update, I came away a fan of the song too - somehow knowing something about the origins of a song makes you appreciate it that much more.  But back to the hotel, again wasn't sure what to expect.  A single room in an old hotel with no elevator is not something that comes with high expectations.  I envisioned lugging my suitcase up stairs - I was right there, in a dark and dingy - wrong on that one.

Very wrong...

The room was a comfortable size and old world elegance with furnishings that were both funky and old.  Full bookcases in the room and out.  A writer's dream!  Outside the room, the common areas were spacious and decorated with everything from art displays and reading nooks - even a memorial table for what I assume were once the resident dogs.  The hotel was an amazing place.  It's still is a drop off and pick up place for the railroad and there's a waiting area outside where you can sit comfortably waiting for the next train.  There was part of two floors that held entertainment for the guests From the funky grand piano to the paintings depicting stories behind each of the women who have been the United State's first ladies.  That was fascinating

stuff in the odd facts that were revealed and how the artist made the emotion real on the canvas.  And my favourite part - each room was dedicated to a famous person and a one page write up of their life was on the door - from the Doublemint twins to Betty Grable, if someone had opened their door they would have caught me lurking outside as I moved from door to door reading each of the write ups.  Fascinating stuff - too many to read them all though and I was feeling just a little creepy standing outside someone's door like that - even though it was really an innocent activity, really.

Then there was the reason for being here - we'd just missed the Take it Easy convention.  Yes, there is such a thing.  So the crowds have moved on but I still needed the picture.  The one beside the truck and of course then there were the requisite souvenirs.  Did I mention I'm not much into the song?  But once you're here you just fall into the mood of it all with Take it Easy and everything Eagles belting out from every store bracketing the area, the mood has been laid.

Well, I’m a standing on a corner 
in Winslow, Arizona, 
and such a fine sight to see. 
It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Fordslowin’ down to take a look at me. 
Come on, baby, don’t say maybe. 
I gotta know if your sweet love is 
gonna save me. 
We may lose and we may winthough we will never be here again. 
So open up, I’m climbin’ in, 
so take it easy.

Excerpt from the Washington Post

And in other news!

There's a sale on!  If you haven't read my first two books, From the Dust and Ring of Desire, head on over to your fave online bookstore where they're on sale for 99 cents!  

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Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Through the Looking Glass

I've never had to seek out dental care out of country before but this time a broken tooth left me no choice.  I discovered that in Arizona dental prices vary wildly, in fact one quote was twice the price of where I finally got the work done.  So, after saving all that money I decided to cash in on their teeth whitening deal.  Yes, there are the week's deals painted on the window - something you'd never see at home because there are no deals.  Now, my smile is whiter, I've seen three episodes of Storage Wars, whether I wanted to or not, and I've survived another trip to the dentist.  

Later in the week, while at a shop trying to mail the last contest prize to the winner in England I ran into a few small problems.  I should have known right off that there would be trouble from the fact that the clerk greeted me with a pained expression and clearly had better things on her mind than anything I might propose.  So it began, first it was the gel pen that smeared on the envelope's plastic surface.  I asked for a label to cover the smeared address and the clerk stuck her finger on the address and smeared some more, I assume to ensure my claim that it needed a new label at all was valid.  Sigh.  It took a few more minutes, despite looking at the label a few times and my asking for overseas prices to get this to London, for her to realize that the package was going to England.  That caused a lengthy discussion with her co-worker, a massive amount of typing and various pained expressions before she determined that sending a small envelope holding one paperback book to England would cost a little less than one hundred dollars.  At that point there was the distinct feeling that Alice and the looking glass might be standing beside me.  So, twenty minutes later with mailing my package a failed mission, and biting my tongue down to a fine art - I left with plans to visit the United States post office on Monday.  From what I found online, their rates are more in the realm of reason.

So enough of dentists and over-priced postal options, it was off to golf at a local course in Gilbert .  It's an easy course but an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.  The only ones rushed are the ducks and other birds, and even they don't put too much effort into getting off the green and back to the water as we approach.  

After golf we stopped for something to eat at Uncle Bear's.  Uncle Bear was, so the story goes, a dog.  And the walls in this casual chain restaurant are papered with dog pictures.  Which is fine, I love dogs.  However, having just lost my beautiful Rourke what I wasn't prepared for was not the wall of pictures of dogs but what was in the middle, a picture of a pet cemetery.  Then I noticed that some of the dog pictures had RIP's and dates.  I was looking at a dog graveyard!  Needless to say, I ate with eyes fixed on anything but that wall.  What are the odds - and, really... who came up with that idea for a restaurant?

But what's really defined this week are the scorpions.  Two of them so far - one at the beginning of the week that wasn't much bigger than a centipede, a Canadian centipede anyway - and the second just yesterday.  Both met a squashy end but I'm beginning to shake shoes out and put them on every time I head outside.  No more, barefoot into the garage and, call me paranoid, but they're nasty and I'm not taking the trash to the bin at night either.  

Travel is always an adventure, nothing is what you expect and that's the fun of it all.  Better yet, it looks like it's going to be a nice day here in the San Tan Valley. 

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com

  

The Must Reads of Summer

I'm not sure why in the middle of a gorgeous summer day with the temperature sitting at a beautiful
26 Celsius that I'm sitting in the house.  Maybe it's because yesterday I attended the "family" barbecue, which means I got my quota of outdoors.  It was a day of being outside and catching up with an interesting mix of people that included my brother's in-laws as well as his side of the family, which was how I ended up outside enjoying the sun at a party at his house.  It's only once a year that we get to do this but it's always a fun time.

Saskatchewan prairie

Now, with the summer half over it's time to get serious about summer reads.  And today I've come across a dilemma.  The problems comes in the form of Harper Lee and her new book.  I want to read it but I can't read it.

Why...  ?

Because of "To Kill a Mockingbird".

"To Kill a Mockingbird" was a grade school compulsory read.  Why we would have read it then, I don't know but the result is that it was so long ago that I can't remember much of anything about the book.  So, I've pulled out a copy I got at a garage sale, like a batch of other books I've picked up along the way just just because I thought one day I might read it again.  One day in this case turned into a year and then two, and my book collection of one day I might read expanded with silent precision in my bookcase downstairs.

My curiosity has me wanting to read the"Go Set a Watchman" but practicality tells me I need a brush up on history first.  So "To Kill a Mockingbird" has moved upstairs where I promise myself it will be read just as soon as I finish a non-fiction that promises to motivate me to hit the treadmill - we'll see.

What are you reading this summer?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Rules Are Made to Be Broken...

 

Rules are made to be broken...

Or are they?

Today I headed to the local rehabilitation hospital to deliver a couple of books for their donation book cart.  It's a quaint little setup that consists of a few carts against a wall in their spacious hallway.  It's basically self-serve with a note to put in a donation if you take a book and a few instructions about leaving books.

Today there was what appeared to be additional instruction, so I hung on to my donation books while I read the rules.  The usual suspects, no beaten or soiled books, large donations needed alternate arrangements and last but not least, deposit the books in the bottom basket where I assumed they'd be sorted out and arranged neatly on the carts later.  So, as instructed, I placed my two books in the bottom basket.

And that's when I realized I was no longer alone.

"I've been watching you."

Great, I think.  Why?

"Organizing the books is my job," the tall, middle-aged woman said.  "And no one puts the books anywhere but there."  She pointed to the second cart where books were organized in a row, spines neatly lined up and level with the next.  "No one reads the sign.  So I watched you standing there to see what you would do.  If you really read the sign."

I look to where she's pointing and glance at the sign.

"You're one of the few that put them where they're supposed to be."

Shall we have a collective sigh of relief?

 

So a few minutes of chit chat later, I left feeling like I'd just gotten a huge pat on the back for being a rules girl.  But was I?

I never thought of being much of one before.  I mean I'll follow rules enough not to cause a ruckus.  If the meeting starts at 9, I'll be there in plenty of time.  The obvious moments when rules matter aside, I don't like following the crowd or the unwritten rules of the crowd.  Of course, sometimes I must out of necessity.  But if the majority are taking the escalator and doing the usual standing in place, I'll be the one walking the escalator, passing the non-walkers or taking the stairs.  I know, small example and there's probably a zillion that are the opposite like living a house, driving a car - having a dog.  But was I following some sort of unwritten rule or just exploring similar interests?

Rules Girl?

I've been mislabeled and there's no better place to look then in a book and my reading habits.  My reading is eclectic and I don't tend to read to trends or what I think of as crowd rule.  And as a writer to be organized and efficient it is said that we should write an outline or at the least, a synopsis - and I try but in the end, the best I have ever written is a synopsis that I can guarantee will hold true for the first three chapters - after that all bets are off.  In the end I've had to tweak that synopsis here and there, and then here again.  Some people write better with an outline but forcing yourself to do something in a way that doesn't come naturally I suspect doesn't deliver the best product.  

Follow the rules, is it a good thing or does it just set us up for mediocrity?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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at Goodreads

And Without Further Ado - Very Inspiring Bloggers

Is there such a thing as Very Inspiring Bloggers?  Definitely.  Am I one of them?  Well, Lisa McManus Lang - The Sassy Scribbler thought I was and nominated me.  Now all of this happened a few weeks ago.  Now really I am an enthusiastic blogger and normally I would have blogged about this much sooner.  But, well - at the time I was a writer who was enslaved by my computer, buried beneath the story I'd created.  This is beginning to sound like a tale for...Frankenstein.  My creation turned on me... okay, really revisions people, that's all 24-7 revisions.

"Summertime and the livin is easy."  

Who said that - yeah, I know quite a few people in more than a few songs.  Let me dispute that and give you a Momism.  My mother often says, "Winter is a much easier time than summer, you just close your door and forget the weather.  In the winter you don't have to worry about the yard work because the snow just covers it up."

She has a point, at least up here in the frozen north - except maybe the excessive snow that requires mucho shoveling.  But this month summer time wasn't so easy as I spent much of the time in my basement office with revisions - not enjoying the cool as I love, love - the summer time heat.  But as a consolation I was getting a lot of heat in a suspense set in Cambodia but that's another story.  So, the thing I don't love besides cool weather?  Weeds.  And the weeds - well they were enjoying my absence, snuggling in amidst the flowers getting fat and happy and...

The weeds - well they won't be looking so happy tomorrow!

So back to the "Very Inspiring Blogger" award.  I'm thrilled to be picked.  And to claim my award I must list seven things about myself and pass the award on to two other bloggers.  So here goes.

1. I love traveling.  There's nothing better than hitting the road and discovering something new that isn't located in a ten mile radius of home.   

 2.  I play the piano well and the violin badly.

3.  And on that note, don't ever ask me to sing - unless you're trying to clear the area.

4. I go barefoot often - short jaunts through the snow to take out the trash, across landscaping rocks (ouch, ouch, ouch) to take out the recyling, in the house - wherever I can.  When I was a teenager I remember an aunt telling me that with rough feet from walking barefoot I would never get a husband - smooth, silky feet were the way to go.  The question mark on that bit of advise, remains.

5.  I love dogs and figured out the other day that I've spent thirty years of my life with a dog.  Not the same one, of course, or I suspect one of us would be famous or at least have attained some notariety.

6.  I love ice cream and when in any foreign country the almost the first thing I learn is the word for ice cream.  Okay, maybe the second, the first might be the name of the hotel I'm staying at as I'm notorious for having a bad sense of direction.

7.  I make a fantastic dog biscuit, dog food, dog whatever but don't ask me to cook supper.  I have a live in chef who also mows the lawn - right, I believe I married him.  The end result is if you want any kind of hamburger casserole mixed with say carrots, rice, a few lentils and garlic - the dog's licking his lips, then I'm your girl.  However, if you were thinking of a finely marinated steak with a gourmet salad and some other enticing surprise on the side - you guessed it, don't call me. 


Now I must pass this forward and nominate two other inspiring bloggers.  Both bloggers are ones I quietly follow, rarely if ever making a comment.  And for that I apologize  - I'll try to rectify that it in future.

So here they are in no particular order:

Adam Heine  - the writer of sci/fantasy and the author behind the blog Author's Echo.  first thing that caught my eye about this blogger was the fact that he was in Northern Thailand.  Now, having been to Northern Thailand, I immediately wanted to read what he had to say.  Of course, then the fact that he's a writer and that his blog is always entertaining or inspiring and, often both - kept me hanging around.  He keeps visitors to his blog on the hook with entertaining posts and notes on works in progress that may be soon be published such as Air Pirates.

Tawna Fenske - the writer of humorous romance and the author behind Don't Pet Me I'm Writing.  This blogger has been fresh from the beginning.  It's a blog aimed at the funny side of a writer's life while still throwing in a good hunk of plain old life.  If you want a laugh and a bit of motivation to boot - this is the blogger for you.  She's the author of the romantic comedies, Believe It Or Not, Making Waves and Getting Dumped.  And if her blog is any indication of what's in her books - well, let's just say she's on my TBR. 



Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Boots by George

What's a dog to do when he can't get to the fire hydrant?

So I said no more posts about the weather, no more whining about the weather, just no more weather,
period.  Of course, that was a while ago, and now with still no end in sight, well, we're cranky lot up here in the frozen north this April.  I'm not even getting jazzed about starting a new story or fiddling with a book trailer or... 

But there is something I'm excited about.

Boots!

Yes, boots!  Waterproof boots! 

I really wanted something to replace my Sorrels.  After sixteen seasons, they finally collapsed.  I suppose I can't complain.  But what I did want was a pair of Sorrels to replace them.  I began and ended my search near the end of January.  Apparently, in Saskatchewan in late winter you can buy the latest summer gear but no winter gear.

Saskatchewan averages over five months of winter-like weather and that's not counting the weeks of chilly slush.  Wouldn't it be wise to stock winter apparel year round - possibly be specialists in outfitting for winter?   It would make more sense than the frustrating boot search that was followed just three weeks ago by a city-wide search for a snow shovel.  With two recorded roofs collapsing in the city, snow was more serious business than usual this winter.  Most stores had no snow shovels.  What they did have was lawn furniture.

Mid-April, get out the toboggan.

Lawn furniture?

Three weeks ago, we had no need of a new chaise lounge unless to maybe lounge on the recently shoveled deck, with a "too cold" beer in hand and  view the "no exaggeration' seven foot snow bank juxtaposed against its six foot counterpart all framed quite nicely by hoar frost.

A glimmer of a sidewalk.

Fast forward three weeks - there's still no rush on the lawn furniture.

So back to my George's.  They're Walmart specials, $19.99 on sale and you know what, the other day I proved they were waterproof.  They aren't fancy but they keep my feet warm and dry.


Sometimes the simplest solution is the best whether with footwear or with a story.  Like the current story, it just needed a few edits and I wasn't too happy with one of the later chapters.  I stalled for a while thinking I'd have to rewrite and then, eureka, an idea came to me.  It was a simple as tweaking a few paragraphs because really all I needed was already written, just covered in - well things that shouldn't be there.  Kind of like my Walmart boots.  They were a last resort, too simple, too economical to possibly beat out a pair of Sorrels.  And yeah, they won't make the cut at -25 celsius, but for now, they're just the fix.

And this Monday, April 15 I'm over at BK Walker Books with Fatal Intent. Stop by and leave a comment.  I'd love the company.  And as usual, follow the tour and any comment enters you for the grand prize at the end of the tour and a prize on the day.  See details on my website.


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

I'm Drowning - And I Won't Put My Feet Down!

2013 started with a bang, the wrong kind of bang.  You know those years when if it could go wrong it did, when worst case scenario became the common denominator?  The first few months of 2013 knocked me on my butt and sent me skidding across the floor.  It was kind of like when my niece was small she wanted to paddle around in our pool but as soon as she got in the water she clung to my neck and refused to let go.  I kept assuring her that the water wasn't over her head, she only needed to put her feet down.  Took a while but she finally put her feet down and after that it was an afternoon love affair with the pool.  Now I know how she felt.  For a while the floor looked safe, after all, once you've landed you can't fall again.

But I got up.  And the first thing I turned to was books.  I've turned into a reading machine but worse, I'm reading books at a time.  Not, that this is abnormal for me - I tend to read three books at once.  But when I sheepishly added book four on my Goodreads list of currently reading and the system really only shows three, well I knew I was heading into the "bad reader" corner.  And then when I made the mistake of going to the library to make copies of the last remnants of what is "owed Caesar' I found myself drawn to the aisles of books where I found not one but two more.  And they were the short-loan books too.

April in Saskatchewan

So I have more to add to the list of four on the go.  That's a little over the top even for me.  So when the librarian also alerted me to the fact that there's a hold on my facebook marketing book, I knew it was all over.  I'd put that book to the side and already double renewed.  Now, I had to either invest in a pair of reading glasses, okay not ready for that, but I needed to get my nose in some books and quickly. 

Hmmm - maybe all this reading is just a way to get out of the winter blahs and into the excitement of spring.  Or maybe, like my mother threatened to do just this afternoon, I should follow her example and just go out and buy a new outfit, preferably something in lime green, brilliant yellow or laughing red.

Seriously, reading is critical to writers and maybe I'm just playing catchup after a few months of drought.

And on other fronts, Monday I'll be over at You Gotta Read Reviews with Fatal Intent.  Stop by leave a comment and if you haven't started already, follow the remainder of the tour or pop by and leave a comment.  There's prizes for comments throughout ending in a grand prize at the end. 

And you, what book has your attention.  Is it fact or is it fiction?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Ryshia's Goodreads
Ryshia's Facebook

You Won What? - The Liebster Award

Today I was considering what I would write about.  There's been a lot of gloom this year  from weather to that of the more bad news variety and just one too many funerals.  But, unfortunately, that's life.  Still, I was striving for motivation today, struggling with it actually.  I thought maybe I'd give my blog a new face and with fingers poised over the keyboard to begin that, I was waylaid when I found I'd been awarded the Liebster Award!  Now that was motivation!  The blahs slid right off like a cheap coat as I discovered my award all decked out in loveable pink.

 So thank you Murees Depree who is the face behind the fantastic blog Daily Drama of An Aspiring Writer, for awarding me with the Liebster Award.  

What is the Liebster Award?  It's an award given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers to show recognition and support.

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.  

Congratulations and Happy Blogging!

And before I collect my award I must answer the questions that Murees provided below:

1. What is the worst job you ever had?  In high school I had a job in the kitchen of a hospital.  It was hot, gloomy and clean up was disgusting.  I lasted a grand total of three days before throwing in the tea towel.
2.  What is your favourite snack?  Theater popcorn - not the kind you get at the grocery store but the popcorn that can only be bought at the theater.
3. What is your favourite TV series?  I honestly don't have one. 
4. Who would you like to meet? (Person could be dead or alive)  My paternal grandfather
5. If you could be any animal, which would it be?  A dog but only if I could be my dog.  I don't know if there's a more spoiled dog on the planet.
6. What are you most grateful for?  I'm grateful for my health and for the health of everyone I care about.
7. What do you hate?  I hate petty people.  Maybe not so much hate as dislike.
8. Do you include exercise into your daily routine?  I walk every day and in the summer I ride my bike and sometimes roller blade.
9. Do you like animals?  I love animals, well most animals.  I admit I'm leery of the ones that might consider me a light snack.
10. What is your favourite season?  Summer
11. What is your favourite food?  ice cream

Eleven random things about myself:
1.  I'm usually awake before sunrise
2.  Halloween trumps Christmas
3.  I make fantastic dog biscuits
4.  I walk at least a mile a day
5.  I love dogs
6.  I don't like rice pudding or tapioca
7.  I love a warm rain
8.  I read two or three books at once
9.  I love being on the road - whether by plane, car, etc.
10. When at a loss for what to do - I'll go to the library
11. I've never ridden on a skidoo

And here are the bloggers I've nominated for the Liebster Award:
Lisa McManus Lange - lisamcmanuslange.blogspot.ca
Tiffany T Cole - tiffanyrambles.blogspot.ca
La Gradiva - postitletterario.blogspot.it
Cerian - rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk
Amy Jo Ehman - homefordinner.blogspot.ca
Rebecca J Clark - shywriters.blogspot.ca
Shelley Banks  - latitudedrifts.blogspot.ca
Trish Jackson - romanticreviewramble.blogspot.ca
JeffO  - doubtingwriter.blogspot.ca
Lee - leezamloch.blogspot.ca
Marcia Colette - marciacolette.wordpress.com

 And the award winners questions:
1)  If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
2)  What are you reading right now?
3)  What do you love about blogging?
4)  What would you rather have, a dog or a cat?
5)  Have you ever been lost?
6)  What's your favourite colour?
7)  Coke or pepsi?
8)  How long have you been blogging?
9)  What's the worst thing a stylist has ever done to your hair?
10) Would you ever jump from a plane?
11) There's a storm coming in - which would you prefer, rain or snow?


Blog Tour Alert - Today's Monday and I'm out visiting again.  My blog tour with Fatal Intent continues with a stop today, Monday, March 11 at Wicked Readings by Tawania.   I'd love to see you there, the more the merrier.  The prizes continue and every stop leads up to the grand prize at the tour's end.   So stop by and leave a comment.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Books, Travel and Friday the 13th

It seems like a different story.  That was a comment made by my critique partner on the last round of revisions.  Not that she literally meant that my story was radically altered but that it was tighter, or more concise as she put it.  Suspense - there was more of it.  It's a romantic suspense, so that's a good thing.  The Borneo jungle is a little hotter than it was two weeks ago.  Again - good from the romance aspect.

Good changes, I think - and it was all because this set of rewrites came from a different perspective.  The writer that wrote the first version over a year ago isn't the writer that wrote the revisions.  Well, the mirror says it's the same one but I like to think she's learned a lot since then.

Different perspective comes from many places, experience and honing your craft is one.  Seeing the familiar from a different angle is another way.  So the other day it was a drive into the country.  It was a week day - what would once have been a work day, and that was the beauty of it.  My new daytime job, writer, is so much more forgiving about the hours.  So I became a tourist in a short drive out of town.



First up were these girls who gave me the look that I've seen in so many other places of the world - sure take my picture, that will be one American Dollar.  And in case you're wondering, or maybe you're not, one Canadian Dollar just doesn't cut it.  I didn't stop to ask the preference of these ladies.

Next on the list and much further down the road, was a chap I'll call George.  He seemed to have escaped from the field and was standing quite calmly on the road.  This picture was snapped in a bit of a hurry, just in case his complacent look was all a ruse.




A farmyard can be an intriguing place, at least to a city person.  And in this case, the farm was once my husband's family home.  Now, while the land is still farmed, the house sits, like many of the original homes on the prairie, abandoned.



Sometimes you just need to get away from the familiar to clear your mind and freshen up your fiction.    
Take a different road and the view changes.  The familiar becomes, well - like a journey afar.


On another note - today is Friday the 13th.  I don't know about you, but for an unlucky day sometimes some pretty incredible things happen.  Good things.  Today is my twelve year old niece's acting debut.  It's an amateur production but no less exciting for a kid who with born with the gift of the mime.  I'd like to say break a leg but, it is Friday the 13th, it might be safer to stick with good luck!


Today is the day for subject veers - rather like that curving country road - Here are some chances to win some first reads given away by authors or publishers, maybe find a new author or two.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Ryshia on Twitter