Serials and Scenarios - Virginia Smith - Princesses & Peril

Ginny Smith dropped by with her secret fiction fantasies. If you like sci-fi or YA you've got to read her scene....ha, ha, ha.

Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

I would most like to be Princess Leia of Star Wars fame. Okay, not the hair, unless it’s the hair she had in Episode VI, when she had that long braid. And I’d love to have the body that could pull off the metal bikini she wore when she was a slave to Jabba the Hutt. I want to go zipping through the galaxy with Han Solo, zapping bad guys with cool laser pistols. And she’s a princess! Who doesn’t want to be a princess?


If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

I would ask the Apostle Peter why he fell asleep in the garden while Jesus was praying. I have this (totally unspiritual) theory that it’s because he was full from the Passover dinner he just came from. When God gave the Jewish people the rules for the Passover dinner, he told them to serve a lamb and eat it all. They had to clean their plates. Okay, so that means if the cook misjudged, everybody had to eat more than they wanted. Well, around my house when we have a big family dinner and everybody eats too much, the guys all go off into the other room and fall asleep in front of the television. And the Passover celebration also included several ceremonial cups of wine, not just one. So I just wonder if a full belly and several sips of wine might have had something to do with Peter’s uncontrollable dozing. (I am totally aware that there’s no spiritual basis for this at all, but I do wonder!!!!)


Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.

I don’t have any strange rituals, but I do require complete silence. I can’t listen to music, and even having a television on in the other room drives me nuts. It helps that my kids are grown and gone, so the major noisemakers have left the house. But my husband sometimes makes enough noise for a dozen kids. Even a door slamming in the other part of the house jerks me out of my story and sends a jolt of teeth-grinding irritation through me. I tend to be fairly grumpy when I’m interrupted during writing, so my poor husband has learned some self-preservation skills. He tiptoes all day long, God bless him.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

This isn’t really a “turn of phrase” but one of my all-time favorite book openers is from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. “There once was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” I just love that! I immediately know Eustace’s personality without reading another word. That’s great characterization!

What period of history intrigues you the most?

I love British history, especially the time of Henry VIII. So much happened during that era that reverberated through the entire world and across the centuries since. Henry was the first monarch to split from the Catholic church. He created the protestant Church of England and made himself the head of the church, all because he wanted to dissolve his marriage so he could marry his mistress. He fathered Britain’s most famous monarch. I’m just fascinated by that era, and my favorite city in the world is London because there is so much history from that time period there.


What would you write if there were no rules or barriers? (epic novels about characters in the Bible, poetry, greeting cards, plays, movies, instruction manuals, etc.)

I’d write epic fantasy novels of adventure and daring-do. I absolutely love the Lord of the Rings, but I want my fantasy novels to have a futuristic feel instead of an old-world atmosphere. I want to create entire worlds with their own cultures and societies, where the people are human enough that we identify with them but alien enough to be intriguing. And oh yes – I want there to be a princess who gets to flit around the galaxy… oh. Never mind. That’s been done.


What makes you feel alive?

My family makes me feel alive. The way my husband locks eyes with me across a room full of people and I know exactly what he’s thinking because we have shared so much of our lives together. The way my daughter calls me every day because I’m an important part of her life. The way my son hugs me by picking me up and swinging me around, just like I used to do to him when he was little. And of course, I love the way God lets me know that He’s always right beside me, showing me where each step goes and assuring me that He knows what’s around every corner on the path in front of me.

What word annoys you more than any other?

You’uns. It’s a Kentucky hillbilly term meaning the plural of ‘you.’ Even educated people from the hills of Kentucky hang on to this term after they’ve learned better, and I think it is the most ignorant-sounding words I’ve ever heard. It sets my teeth on edge.


Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

Ooooh, I absolutely hate it when people use the past tense of verbs incorrectly. For example: “The grass needs mowed.” No, it doesn’t need mowed, it needs to be mowed. Or it needs mowing. My husband does it, and even though we’ve been married 17 years I have not been able to train it out of him. Sometimes I think he does it on purpose just to irritate me.

Societal pet peeve…sound off.

People who walk through the grocery store talking loudly on their cell phones. I don’t want to hear about your date last night, or what you’re fixing for supper, or the contents of your spice cabinet. This is even worse when people use that Bluetooth earpiece, because then they feel the need to shout. You know the movie What Women Want? When Mel Gibson (be still my heart!) is walking through the shopping mall and hears the thoughts of every woman he passes as though they were normal conversation, it just about drives him insane. I’m afraid that’s what our society is coming to – only we won’t be thinking, we’ll all be walking through the mall shouting into our cell phones. When that happens I will become a hermit. I will buy a piece of mountain property somewhere and dig a cave beneath tons of rock and dirt where the satellite signals won’t reach, and I’ll live there.


CREATIVE CORNER:

Pick a Genre - Describe a kiss….

Sci-Fi/Fantasy -

THE FIRST KISS
By Virginia Smith

“Hold still while I kiss you,” Jake whispered.

“Yeah, well, that’s easier said than done,” I snapped. The gravity generators on the ship were deactivated for one third of each twenty-four hour period along with the artificial sunlight panels. The officers had a dual purpose for cooking up that crazy scheme: to save energy and to simulate an earth-like routine during our five year journey to our new planet. We were supposed to be safely cocooned in our anti-grav nets, sleeping. If my daddy found out I’d snuck out, I’d be grounded from the entertainment vids for a month.

I swam through the air in the direction of Jake’s voice, thankful that he couldn’t see my inelegant movements in the darkness.

Fingers entwined themselves in my hair and jerked me forward. “There. I have you.”

“Ouch! Let go, you big spacer.”

“Sorry.”

His hand dropped to my arm and grabbed a fistful of my shipsuit. I could just make out his silhouette in the dim glow of the instrument panel.

“Here, hold onto this.”

He guided my arm toward the panel, and I felt around. There. My fingers grasped the cold metal of a protruding lever. Now I could focus on Jake.

“Okay, I’m ready.” I pitched my voice low and husky, the way Mom sounded when she talked to Daddy.

Only surely Daddy’s breath didn’t smell like three-day-old onions. I jerked my head backward. “What is that smell?”

“Sorry. My mom rehydrated onion casserole for dinner.”

Careful not to let go of the lever, I used my free hand to pinch my nostrils. “It’s okay. I cad haddle it,” I told him.

The dark blob that was Jake’s head drew closer. This was it! I was about to get my first kiss!

Something rammed my finger.

“Ow! That was my eye!” He sounded angry.

“Well, I didn’t do it! Watch where you’re going.” But I lowered my hand for the next try.

Jake advanced cautiously. I closed my eyes. Something wet and mushy pressed against the tip of my nose, but quickly slid downward as Jake corrected his approach. And then his mouth touched mine.

Jake’s lips, soft and warm, sent ripples of electricity through my body. My grip on the lever tightened as I gave myself over to the feeling. Light exploded behind my eyelids, and I closed them even tighter. So this was a kiss. I could get used to this.

Suddenly Jake jerked away. I opened my eyes to find him hovering in zero-g in front of me, alarm on his face--which I could clearly see in the bright rays of simulated sunlight. Behind him, a uniformed man charged through the doorway, followed by a stream of stern-faced bridge officers.

“You flipped the lever!” Jake shouted. “You turned on the sun!”

Oh, man. I was so grounded.

But what a kiss!

Thanks, a bunch, Virginia.

Another Tragedy

This time in my own back yard.

Nine people were shot and killed yesterday. Two more are critical. A kid. A kid with an assault rifle opened fire on shoppers and employees and then killed himself.

In a metro area of half a million people you'd think this wouldn't spider web and attach itself to me or mine. But less than a day later and without knowing the names of any of the victims, I'm finding out what a small town Omaha is.

My cousin and one of my co-workers had been in the store right before the shootings. On Monday, my daughter and I were just blocks away at another store in a nearby mall. We could see Von Maur from the parking lot. Yesterday, my daughter was filling in a shift in a different store branch, ironically because a manager was recovering from the trauma of a robbery, at a mall just miles away from the shootings. She returned to her home store -- to safety -- just a half hour before the shooting began. My daughter hasn't been asked to work at Westroads -- yet -- but the store is just five bays away from Von Maur. Thinking of what-ifs makes my head spin.

I offered my prayers and sympathies to the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings just a few months ago.

Today, I offer them to my neighbors.

Serials and Scenarios - Bluegrass Peril

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance tours Bluegrass Peril. Click here to visit Virginia Smith's website and on the book cover to visit the Amazon page.

Here's my review:

Virginia Smith writes a nice little mystery in Bluegrass Peril. I didn't pick up on the killer until near the end and her red herrings were iffy in a good way. I'm amazed at the amount of story she managed to pull off in the limitations of the word count. Not only is there an intruiging mystery Smith weaves in information regarding a worthy charity/cause, the drama of single motherhood with a financial pinch tossed in for good measure, a new love interest and a past that reaches out and muddies everything. All ended neatly organized.

Though romance isn't a favorite genre, I'll keep my eye on Virginia Smith.

Do come back Friday for Ginny's interview!

Scribble and Scrambles - Outing Myself

All of you who happen to be mental health professionals...here's one for you.

What is it called when a person who feels too busy actually creates a tradition that is nothing but a s-l-o-w-as-molasses-on-a-cold-day process and then complicates said process even further?

Besides crazy or insane. I don't like those words.

Give up? Me,too.

This is my newest discovery about myself. I've been in denial but I can't deny it anymore. I must see this as the weird addiction that it is.

I like tape.

That is weird enough, right?

Well, I like tape a lot. And I use it. A lot.

I love the look of gift bags with the fluffy tissue paper puff that invites one to look inside and be amazed. I love gift bags!!!! I buy gift bags!!! I delight in the look of gift bags. I will even use them. On occasion. But my passion is tape.

Something deep inside of me longs for the sound of slick wrapping paper, the zip of scissor blades slicing, and the rip of tape against the little jagged blade. And my fingers love the act of smoothing the tape over the seams, enclosing the present, keeping it safe from prying fingers and eyes.

I've even gone so far that I wrap tiny presents. And then load them into a bigger present and wrap the whole thing.

I'll scratch my itch when I should be sleeping, or cleaning, or cooking. I'm a tape junkie.

I'll be back tomorrow. It's my husband's birthday and I really need to wrap his present.

Serials and Scenarios - Amazing Grace

In case you haven't seen it. Here's my review of Amazing Grace.

Click on the movie case to go to the Amazon page. Click here to go to the website for further info.

Review:

I can't handle history in black and white dates. But give me history with faces, sights, sounds and smells and I'm hooked. Add sacrifice, heroic acts and strong convictions and you have Amazing Grace and my heart.

This movie blew my expectations out of the water. I expected good enough because so many have given it great reviews. I didn't expect to laugh. I didn't expect to care so much about the characters. I expected to struggle a little with boredom during parliamentary discussions but even those grabbed hold of me.

The Christian theme is present but not overdone. God was part of the picture-- a driving force -- since He loves all people and all people are created in His image. And on the flip side the words arse, bloody and hell are tossed about throughout the well-written dialogue.

If you are a history fan you really should at least rent it. Fans of movies like Luther, Master and Commander, Girl with a Pearl Earring etc. will probably like Amazing Grace. It's not ram-packed action and has plenty of heavy dialogue so thinkers should get much out of it. I would caution parents to watch the movie first before letting younger children see it as there are some disturbing images.

Serials and Scenarios - Giver of Gifts/Eleven Foot Four

Fans of Christmas books probably will want to check these out. The same author wrote both books and one of the stories is adapted for the children's book.

Click on the book covers and then take advantage of the Seach Inside options.

My Reviews are below:

Giver of Gifts -- Three Stories of Christmas Grace

If you are a collector of feel-good stories that make you think as well as entertain you, check into this small book.

A tale of a real life mother, four-feet-eleven inches in reality, who "swelled" to eleven-foot-four is charming. The author has adapted it to a children's book. Hope, love and forgiveness fill the story and I struggled with keeping dry eyes.

The second story within the book visits Joseph huddled with the newborn Christ, shielding the baby from the storm outside and the less than perfect conditions of life. Joseph muses and shares his hard earned wisdom with his sleeping child in the touching write-up.

Finally, a teen girl with a chip on her shoulder gets a chance to see the world through different eyes. With a little bit of magical help she digs deeper and discovers that what is visible on the surface is not necessarily truth. A lovely story of acceptance and grace.

Overall the book is a mere 150 pages and each story is a stand alone and quick read.

When Mother was Eleven - Foot- Four

Jerry Camery-Hoggatt, author of Giver of Gifts, has crafted story number one "When Mother Was Eleven Foot Four" into a children's story.

I'm a sucker for books I can read out loud to my family. One year we even narrated and acted out "Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect" for a church Christmas program. My ideal Christmas includes the reading of the story of the birth of Jesus and either The Night Before Christmas or the The Tale of Three Trees, and a family viewing of A Christmas Story. It just doesn't get any better than that.

If my children were younger, "When My Mother Was Eleven Foot Four" would likely be added to our stack of feel good Christmas memories.

The author tells of his mother, small in stature and huge in love, and how Christmas became a picture of grace and love. There is a little extra backstory that distracts in the beginning but once I got several pages in, I was hooked. My eldest daughter and her friend cuddled up next to me on the couch and I read the story to them and showed them the pictures. They agreed that there was magic within the story. I suppose I should mention that they are twenty.

The illustrations and the heart of the story are beautiful. I think children struggling with sadness might very well find a hint of hope within the story of Mother, too. The author's dad leaves and the following Christmas "failure" almost steals Mother's hope. But love inflates it to the proper height - Eleven Foot Four.

Serials and Scenarios - Around the World in 80 Dates

Christa Ann Banister - reviewer turned novelist dropped by the Dregs for a visit. Like what you see -- visit her website.

My Review:

Around the World in 80 Dates is adorable. The description above does not do the book justice. Christa Ann Banister has a perfect chick-lit voice and is not afraid to use it. Classic stuff...shopping, name brands, coffee shops, ice cream binges, girlfriends, guys and drama.

Chick-lit fans need to check it out. Those with a love of quirk need to check it out. Great descriptive writing through the eyes of sarcastic-witted Sydney as her life unfolds in the classic "what else can go wrong" format, with wacky inserted omniscient peeks into the lives of her inner circle.

A spiritual message that will encourage patient twenty-and-thirty- something ladies-in-waiting. I will caution the more sensitive readers...if you have any issues with alcohol, dating, or movie choices for Christians, consider yourself forewarned that you may disagree with some of Sydney and company entertainment choices.

This is one of the more fun reads I've invested time in this year. I will definitely look forward to more from Christa Ann Banister. I'd also love to have a cup of coffee with her the next time I visit Mall of America.

The Interview:

Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

There’s several books written by Sophie Kinsella in her “Shopaholic” series. Beyond her obvious love of shoes, purses, etc., I feel like I can relate to the “Shopaholic” protagonist Becky Bloomwood. She’s got a distinct voice and sometimes her best intentions would often turn into a huge misunderstanding, something that’s happened to me on occasion. Plus, I’ve also shared her secret hope (especially in my college years) that my VISA bill would magically disappear along my balance.

If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

I’d ask Princess Diana what she was thinking about just before she passed away—her last thoughts.

Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.

I wouldn’t say that I have any strange rituals. But if I don’t have my lead line or paragraph just right, I can’t move on to the rest of the text. They’d also encourage you in school to just write and edit later, but I have to edit as I go along.

If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

In Pride & Prejudice, I think it would be interesting to see what Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth would be like on a date. So I’d have Jane Austen add a section that gave readers a glimpse into their lives before the walk into the sunset.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

I love how Hemmingway describes Paris in A Moveable Feast through the meals he eats, the walks he takes, the people he meets. It’s better than any travel writer any day…

If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

I don’t care so much about writing a bestseller, although I won’t lie, that would certainly be a nice perk. But I want whatever I write, whether it’s chick-lit, non-fiction, a devotional, to be the highest quality I’m able of achieving. And if it’s chick-lit, I want them to be able to relate to the character, get a good laugh and maybe even learn something about him/herself in the process.

What period of history intrigues you the most?

I think it would’ve been cool to have been around in the Beatles’ hey day in the 1960s.

What makes you feel alive?

My faith makes me feel alive because I know that life actually has a purpose, and I know true hope. Enjoying the sunshine and a cup of coffee with my husband on a leisurely morning with my husband definitely makes me feel alive. Seeing something like the Rocky Mountains or the ocean always has that effect on me, too.

How does something worm its way into your heart? Through tears, truth, humor or other?

If you’re referring to a book, a particular book makes its way to my heart vis å vie a compelling story. For me, a good sense humor is instantly captivating. Or a well-written account of an underdog who makes his/her way to the top. A story of someone who’s battled adversity—all these things make a book appealing to me. Characterization is really important—if a character is written well, I will definitely enjoy the book and will read it more than once.

Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.

I’ll pretend this very long trip is a road trip from Saint Paul to northern California, say San Francisco. Since we’re going to California, one of my husband and I’s favorite places, I have to bring my husband along. We’d just pack whatever books we are reading at the moment (he’ll probably be reading theology or philosophy, I’ll be reading who knows what) and the iPod. I know, I know, that’s cheating. But that’s the only way we’ll have everything from Coldplay to Keane to The Beatles to Bob Dylan all in one handy place. As for food, we’d bring things that wouldn’t go bad very quickly—smoked turkey and pepperjack sandwiches, Sun Chips, granold bars, Dasani water and Reese’s peanut butter cups for when we need our chocolate fix.

Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.

I have an insatiable travel bug, so there’s about a billion places I want to go—just ask my husband. But the top destinations at the moment are Italy, France and the Greek Islands.

Favorite season and why?

I love Fall. The leaves turn such gorgeous colors up here in Minnesota, and that means it’s time to get out the sweaters, which I love wearing. Plus, fall brings all kinds of exciting things like football (Go Packers!), Thanksgiving, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks and is also the perfect time for me to make my favorite chili recipe! Yum!

Favorite book setting and why?

I guess it just depends on the story. But I do love my fair share books that are set in London.

Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?

It’s been such an honor to receive so many amazing reviews for Around the World in 80 Dates. But I love it most when people say they can relate to the characters. To me, that’s the highest compliment.

What criticism has cut the deepest and why?

I’ve been really fortunate not to have a criticism that has cut very deep. I’ve definitely had my share of red marks on things I’ve written over the years, but that only helps sharpen my skills. I’ve always believed that every writer needs a good editor, and that definitely includes me.

What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?

Make the most of it! Maybe I’d travel somewhere I’d always wanted to with my husband, Will. I’d also make sure I spent the majority of the time with family and good friends. Aside from that, I guess it wouldn’t really matter.

What is your favorite word?

Oh there’s so many…maybe epiphany. I’ll say epiphany.

What word annoys you more than any other?

I have a whole list of them—pus, bunion, lubricate. Ok, there’s a few for starters.

Superhero you most admire and why?

I wouldn’t say there are any superheroes I admire. I like superhero movies, but no character really stands out from the rest in terms of my admiration.

Super power you’d love to borrow for awhile?

From time to time, I think it would be cool to have the ability to clone myself. Maybe the clone could write my CD reviews for the day while I took a nap. Or better yet a vacation. Now that would be fun.

Favorite chore

I’m assuming you mean a household chore, so I’ll go with vacuuming.

Anything you’d do but don’t because of fear of pain? What is it? Ex. Bungee jumping, sky diving, running with scissors.

I would never skydive because I’m sure I’d forget to pull the parachute at the crucial moment, and I’m not too eager to splat on the ground. I’m not a big fan of needles either, so shots aren’t my favorite thing, either.

Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

Using the wrong form of there, their or they’re. Especially when people use they’re when something belongs to someone else. They’re=they are. Their=possession. There=location. ‘Nuff said.

Societal pet peeve…sound off.

Rudeness, and about anything to do with driving. Can people please try using those turn signals? Or how about speeding up when you’re merging into the freeway. Yeah, that would make the world a better place…better drivers.