December Workshop

12/06 thru 12/19

MS Word Workshop for Writers
Instructor: Catherine Chant

This online workshop focuses on teaching you the aspects of the Word program that are most useful for fiction writers, and the subjects presented will help you streamline your on-screen tasks so you can think more about your story and less about what the computer is doing (or not doing). Included in this workshop will be lectures on proper manuscript formatting, creating headers/footers, working with page numbers, creating a pre-formatted manuscript template that can be used on all your new book projects, customizing the toolbars, understanding and customizing the Auto-Correct feature, using the Work menu, formatting the query letter, creating a template for the query, printing envelopes, printing labels for SASEs, and backing up your computer. This workshop is designed for both Macintosh and Windows/PC users, and has been written for versions of Word from '97 to the latest 2007/2008.

Catherine Chant is an award-winning writer from New England. She is a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and webmaster for her RWA chapter, From the Heart Romance Writers (fthrw.com). A graduate of Boston College, she worked for fifteen years at her alma mater as a computing & communications consultant and now provides freelance web editing and design services to other writers and clients such as BC's Lynch School of Education. Her short fiction and non-fiction work has appeared in RWA newsletters, CharacterS, SchoolArts, MetroKids, Twilight Times, Apollos Lyre, and on websites controlled by SEO content provider DemandStudios.com. Her young adult time travel romance WISHING YOU WERE HERE was a finalist in the 2008 Golden Heart® awards. She is currently working a new young adult novel.

For more information, you may contact Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Education Coordinator, KERRI NELSON, at celtickerri@yahoo.com.

Good reads!

Today is Wednesday, hump day, and if you are finding yourself wanting something new to read, then I would like to make a suggestion. I just finished reading Cynthia Owens' book, "In Sunshine or in Shadow."

BLURB-
Siobhàn Desmond will do anything to keep the tattered remains of her family alive, even if it means working for the new landlord-a darkly handsome stranger with secrets in his eyes and pain in his smile. As she watches her village return to life and begin to thrive under Rory's care, she comes to understand his true nature and soon finds herself falling under his dangerously sensual spell. As danger ignites all around them, Rory and Siobhàn fight to right the wrongs of the past-and protect their newfound love.

This book is set in Ireland with an action packed story that provokes great emotion!

William Lawson commercial

Indian Summer

If you live anywhere in the USA, then this is a term you have most likely heard of. An 'Indian Summer' is marked by a week or two of unseasonably warm, dry, and calm weather after the first frost.

The event happens all around the world. The technical term is called 'weather singularity.' Or in other words, a climatic event that recurs the same time around the world. The length and depth of the event depends on the geography in which it is occurring. I am from Indiana and this has been one of the prettiest weeks we have had. Perfect! I turned the heat off and opened the windows. Nothing but bright sun and 70 to 75 degrees in temperature. It is most frequently associated with the central and eastern parts of the United States because of favorable climate. That means a wide variety or wide speed and temperature from summer to winter.

So why is it called 'Indian Summer'? Here are a couple reasons I have found in my research.

1) It was a period when the Native Americans first harvested their crops.

2) It was more commonly found in the North American Indian territories.

In the beginning, this term was only found in America. The English had their own names for this time of year. 'St. Luke's Summer' and 'St. Martin's Summer" are a couple. Those terms have all but disappeared and the term 'Indian Summer' has been used in the UK for at least a decade. When I tried to verify this by asking a friend who is from the UK, he could not say for sure. I think regardless of what we call it, those of us who are having this occurrence in the autumn, are thankful to have one last blast of summer before winter begins.

The first mention of the term was found in an essay "A Snow Storm as it effects the American Farmer", written in the 1770's by a Frenchman turned American farmer. His name was J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur:

"Why the respite from the impending advance of winter was called Indian Summer is anyone's guess--and everyone has guessed. Some of the explanations offered early in the nineteenth century after the term was well established were that it got it's name because the Indian's predicted it, or explained it, to the European settlers; that it was a time of year when the Indians moved to winter hunting grounds; even that the Indians caused it by setting smoky fires to drive game out of hiding."

I think today, as the sun shines and the temperature reaches 75, I am going to put clothes on the line one last time and rake leaves. I hope that you are enjoying your 'Indian Summer'! I know I am!

My post at The Celtic Rose

Today I blogged at The Celtic Rose about The Book of Kells. I hope you will go to http://www.thecelticroseblog.blogspot.com/. and read about The Book of Kells and the Four Gospels.

My romance story

15 years ago, on a chilly November day, I stood outside the church waiting to be escorted in to the man of my dreams. Light snow started to fall on my bare shoulders and I shivered. Winter is my favorite season, so I smiled to myself thinking how fitting it was that the first snow of the season would fall on one of the happiest days of my life.

Today is our anniversary and I can't express to you how much I have enjoyed these years or how lucky I feel to be married to my husband. We met at a country bar and I truly believe in love at first sight. Boy, could he dance and I just loved that about him. I told my cousin one night, "That's the man I want to marry." Low and behold, it came true.

Through the years we have had our ups and downs, three beautiful children, and lived in two towns. But through it all, we have had each other and that is the most important thing. The hardest part, as I look back now, is the time he spent as an over the road trucker. The kids were small and having him gone all the time was rough. But I would do it all again.

So I want to honor my husband, my knight in shining armour that makes everyone else look like boys in tin foil, by having a contest. There is a poem that Andy recites to me. Here it is:

If the ocean were made of ink and the sky were made of paper, I could not begin to write how much I love you!

I would like for you to tell me where the poem came from. Where have you heard and seen it before? (CLUE, not in a book that I know of!) If you can correctly tell me where he got the poem, then you could win a $20 gift card to Blockbuster. That way you can rent a movie, have a little popcorn and snuggle with the man you love. Just a romantic night for two!

Good luck!

Happy Anniversary Andy! I love you!

NaNoWriMo

The title looks funny doesn't it? I sat there too, the first time I saw it, and tried to pronounce it. It stands for National Novel Writing Month. November 1st is the offical start date and many a writers are gearing towards a fun filled month of writing. The goal is to write a 175- page, (50,000 word) novel by midnight Nov. 30.

Since everyone who is participating has a limited time to write, it's all about quantity, not quality. No worries about grammar, spelling, orwhether or not he is wearing a the same blur shirt from the second paragraph to the fourth. It's a fly by the seat of your pants approach. Leave the editing for later.

The nice things is that there are writers all over the world doing the same thing. You can buddy other writers and form a support group.

In 2009, NaNoWriMo had over 165,000 writers, with over 30,000 of them reaching the goal and crossing the finish line entering into the Nationals of NaNoWriMo. Every writer will log in each day and write. At midnight on Nov 30, a writer will submit their work and a team of web-based robotic word counters will begin their job.

I want to wish "GOOD LUCK" to all of those who are participating. I have chosen not to this year. I need to finish book 2 in my Macpherson Saga and my novella. It's only fair that they come first.
If you would like to participate, then go to www.nanowrimo.org and sign up.

Good luck!