Totally HOT Thursdays

Welcome back! Like you, I never get tired of THT and I hope you will enjoy today's choice.

I went old school again, because let's face it, there were some HOT men back in the day and there is no denying that. Just like today's pick. His dark hair and hazel eyes draw you in and watching him in the movies mesmerizes you.

http://www.fanpop.com/

Today for THT, I chose MONTGOMERY CLIFT!

Montgomery was born October 17, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska to William Brooks Clift and Ethel Fogg Anderson. Montgomery had a twin sister named Roberta and a brother named William Brooks Clift Jr. Montgomery was named after the physician who delivered him, Dr. Edward Montgomery.



http://www.flixster.com/

 He was home schooled and attended private schools in USA and Europe until his teens. Then he attended public schools. He was educated in French, German, and Italian.

Montgomery got his break at the age of 15 on Broadway and performed there for ten years before he got his big break in Hollywood. In the Broadway play, There Shall Be No Night, he played the role of the son for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

His first film role was opposite John Wayne in the 1948 film Red River. Montgomery would go on to make such films as The Search, The Heiress starring Olivia De Havilland and A Place In The Sun starring Elizabeth Taylor who would become one of his dearest friends.

A role that Montgomery Clift is most notable for is playing Robert E. Lee Prewitt in th 1953 classic From Here To Eternity. They say that in this movie, when Montgomery acted out his death scene, he did it so realistically that people on the set cried. Elizabeth Taylor was quoted at saying  Montgomery Clift could have been the biggest star if he hadn't been so picky. At one point, there were so many movie offers sent to him, that friends had to squeeze past the stacks to go up the stairs. And who can forget the famous beach scene kiss between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. This movie is golden!

http://www.countyhistorian.com/

On the evening of May 12, 1956, Montgomery Clift was injured in a car accident when he crashed into a telephone pole after leaving the home of Elizabeth Taylor. They were filming the movie The Raintree together and she hosted a dinner party. Montgomery suffered s broken jaw, broken nose, a fractured sinus, and many sever facial lacerations. The Studio worried the film would not do well, but Montgomery spoke up saying it would because people would want to compare his looks before and after the accident. He was right.

Montgomery Clift would do many films and be nominated for Academy Awards four times in his career. But Montgomery suffered all his life from colitis and the pain from the car accident caused him to get hooked on pain killers and alcohol. By the end of the 1960's Montgomery Clift was no longer filming.

On July 22, 1966, Montgomery Clift passed away in his townhouse in New York. He was 45.

Another useful writing tool

I have mentioned the web site, SAVVY AUTHORS, here before. I truly believe this is a page no author should be without. The information, interviews and contests they provide are very helpful to a writer's career. They also offer pitching opportunities to agents and publishers.

One thing that Savvy is offering up is called, SUMMER SYMPOSIUM. This takes place August 24-August 28.

What does a symposium mean? Here is your answer.
sym·po·si·um (sĭm-pō'zē-əm)



1.A meeting or conference for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations.


2.A collection of writings on a particular topic, as in a magazine.


3.A convivial meeting for drinking, music, and intellectual discussion among the ancient Greeks.


***Taken from Savvy Author's Page****
Join us for five days as we talk craft - from plot and character, to dialogue, suspense, theme and story question (with a bunch of stuff in between) in chats, Q&A forums and mini-workshops. Our presenters will be sharing what works - whether it's worldbuilding or setting or layering in back story; or even if it's technical detail and the fruits of research, they'll be exposing the craft that underlies a good story. We'll also be talking about publishing and promoting, offering pitch opportunities to the attendees and raffling off over 175 prizes from books on craft from folks like James Scott Bell, novels, gift certificates, workshops, 3-chapter critiques from published authors and more.




Go to www.savvyauthors.com to learn more!

Pitch your book today!

Today at Savvy Authors, you can pitch your bookin 30 words or less to Agent, Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

If you are wanting to catch the eye of an Agent, then here is your chance!!!

SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED: Kathleen is looking for YA and MG, southern gothic, historical fiction, magical realism, science fiction, supernatural/ paranormal, ghost stories, humor, fantasy, thriller, suspense, edgy YA, friendship MG.



Until midnight EST August 12th, members will have an opportunity to post their one line pitch as a comment to this post. Check back next week to see if you've scored a request!



Who can enter?

Contest is open to all registered members of Savvy Authors. Not a member? JOIN TODAY! Basic membership is FREE! All entries must be from registered members. Entries posted anonymously (by non-members) will be removed.

Please contact Jus, our resident pitch wrangler with any questions. JusAccardo@savvyauthors.com



The rules are simple:


1. Post your one line pitch (30 words) in the comments section of this article after logging into the website.

2. Make sure your manuscript falls within the genres Kathleen listed above!

3. Only post if your manuscript is ready now!

4. Check back next week to see who Kathleen picked. (Minimum of one, no maximum!)

5. Limit two pitches per member.

6. Be sure to include your name, title and word count of your manuscript, and genre.

Totally HOT Thursdays!

Welcome back everyone to another session of THT! Those of you who follow me, know I am a Days of Our Lives fan and I have featured one of their actors here before. The man I feature today is someone I had thought of featuring but was also brought to my attention by my good friend, Lizzie. Today's post is for her.

Let me introduce you to:                       JAMES SCOTT



**James comes to of from across the pond having been born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England on January 14, 1979. 

**He is the oldest of four children. He has two brothers and one sister.

**James's mother is Scottish so he spent many holidays there. When he graduated from school, Jmaes moved to Edinburgh. His first acting job was in the famous Gilden Balloon Theatre.  Having caught the acting bug, he moved to London.

**There he caught the eye of a modeling agent from STORM, he has non other than Elle Macpherson on their list of clients. James also auditioned and was accepted into the acclaimed London Accademy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

**While modeling, he come to America to do some stints and while here enrolled in an acting class. Having decided to move to America, he landed his first acting job here on the day time soap, All My Children.

**From there, he came to Days of Our Lives where he is currently in the role of E.J. DiMera. Let's hope he sticks around for a while!!!

http://www.dedetillmanblogs.wordpress.com/

A new challenge

Author, KERRI NELSON is hosting a 4k a day challenge at her blog. All you have to do is try and write 4 thousand words a day and post a comment talking about your progress. There will be prizes!!

For more information, go to www.kerribookwriter.blogspot.com. Hope to see you there!

Totally HOT Thursdays

My friends and co-writers who also do pages like this have always planned which gentleman they will feature in advance. Not me, I never know who I will feature until Thursday morning. Today, there was a discussion in my CHRW about who the model was on Michelle Willingham's cover of her new book 'Craving The Highlander's Touch' and Author Renee Vincent discovered that it was none other than:

http://www.karynsromanorum.blogspot.com/

NATHAN KAMP!!!!

BORN- Seattle, Washington
SIBLINGS- He is the oldest of three.
ACTIVITIES- Played any sport possible growing up including finishing High School as an All-State football player and Second in his State in Wrestling. (Well done!)
HIS START- Met with a model scout at the end of college. His first job was Abercrombie & Fitch.
***Sorry ladies, he is happily married since 10-2000. *** Nathan- we wish you all the happiness in the world!

Here are a couple of more pictures and then I will show you some book covers I am SURE you will recognize.

http://www.ravensanctuary.blogspot.com/

http://www.karynsromanorum.blogspot.com/

There were so many covers Nathan has been on. I saw names like Hannah Howell, Sherilynn Kenyon, and Kresley Cole.

http://www.karenmoning.com/

http://www.veronicawolff.com/

http://www.michellewillingham.com/

http://www.monicamccarty.com/



3 Act Structure by Kristal Lee

If thespians can do it in three acts, so can writers.


Aristotle believed “a whole is what has a beginning and middle and end.” In essence, he taught a three-part plot structure featuring the protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe.

www.gamespot.com

The first act, the protasis, introduces the protagonist and establishes what will be the over-riding conflict. It ends with the protagonist’s point of no return, often referred to as the first turning point--an event that takes him/her out of their normal world and propels them forward on journey that will force some type of change. Whatever comes next, his/her life will never be the same.

The second act, the epitasis, is where the protagonist faces obstacles that test his/her character and endurance. Here is where the rising action creates conflict through worsening situations in which the protagonist has yet to develop the skills to overcome. He/she must figure out who they are and what they’re capable of in order to overcome the forces trying to keep them from their ultimate goal.

The third act, sometimes referred to as the catastrophe, is where all hell breaks loose. The climax, or second turning point, is an out and out cage fight where the protagonist will either be utterly victorious or be smashingly defeated. Whatever happens, the protagonist should gain a new understanding of who they are.

Why does the three act structure work?

In life, there are three phases to life: childhood, maturity, and death. The idea of Trinity goes back to man’s earliest beliefs. Ancient Celts had the three sisters—The Morrigan: Anu, Badb, and Macha; Christianity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There are other examples, but I’m most familiar those.

According to Mary Jones, author of Jones’ Celtic Encyclopedia, the number three “is simply the highest number grouping, the highest pattern that the mind will accept before dividing objects in a new group. [The] mind divides the number four into two groups of two. Five is divided into groups of three and two, six into three and three (or two, two, and two), etc. The preponderance of the number 3 is [universal].”

For whatever reason, the number three is a part of the universal consciousness. Why not incorporate its power into your writing?

Now, there is a lot of debate about formulaic fiction writing. But, remember, readers want a beginning, middle, and a satisfying end. In essence, commercial fiction requires a plot, not merely a series of random events. I’ve found that understanding the principle of the three act structure helps keep my characters from dancing all over the computer screen.

Happy Tales!
Kristal Lee

~Life off the Lease

http://www.kristalleeromances.com/