Scribble and Scrambles - Just Use it Already!

This is how neurotic I am.

Ready?

I have carried a special writer's notebook around in my purse for nearly two years.

A lot of writers do this.

However, my special journal has been sealed in it's original plastic wrap rendering it useless whenever I felt the need to jot something down. So while I dug through my purse for crinkled paper, old receipts, bank deposit slips, whatever upon which to write, I'd scrape my knuckles across my leather bound writer's notebook and feel guilty for not using it and terrified to use it.

The fact that this writing implement was a gift seemed to add to my fear of using it incorrectly. How could I scribble stupid ideas in a sweet, professional writer tool -- what if someone read (or attempted) to read my scratchings and decided I wasn't worthy of something only a real writer uses? What if I read what I'd written on a low and melancholy day and came to that same conclusion?

As we drove to the lake last week I birthed an idea so I dug through my purse for scraps.

It hit me. Maybe I'd take myself a little more seriously if I'd use my tools.

I ripped the plastic off. Opened the book and breathed in the scent of leather. I almost felt like a real writer. With a shaking hand I wrote my idea. Then another, and a third.

Not that tough. The world didn't stop spinning. A pig didn't fly overhead. Music didn't swell in the background.

Next, I'm going to begin writing in the prayer journal that sits waiting for me to fill it and be blessed by the words that are fed to my heart. Who knows what I'll do next, maybe I'll buy new dishtowels...and use them!

Anyone else struggle with this craziness? Please don't tell me I'm alone....

Serials and Scenarios - Chuck Holton Drops In

Chuck Holton dropped by to answer some Dreg questions.

His book, Island Inferno, toured over the 4th of July. If you missed it, click on the title or Chuck's name for more info.

Keep reading. You don't want to miss his interview. Chuck is a touch sarcastic. I SO love that in my visitors.


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

Indiana Jones - because I wanted to BE him since I first saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark" at about age twelve.



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

I'm genetically incapable of sitting down for long periods of time, so I write about ten lines, then get up and pace around the house, then come back and write ten more.



Pick one…..Pink iguana, purple cow, periwinkle giraffe. Which one and why? Can be negative or positive.

The pink iguana would probably be worth something. The cow probably got spray painted by vandals. And periwinkle isn't a color. It's a plant or something. Whatever it is, it isn't manly, and I don't want anything to do with it.



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

Horticulture: You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think. - dorothy parker.



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.

Adventure travel tome. Me on some great adventure in a place you've never heard of. It would be a series. Maybe a TV show.



What period of history intrigues you the most?

World War II. It was such a strange period of time when the whole world was turned upside down.



What makes you feel alive?


Crisis. And beginning a difficult expedition, project or trip.



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

My wife. She's my best friend, and I hate to do any trip without her. And my best friend Graham Davis. He makes the most miserable situation fun, and sees God everywhere. And my wife gets along with him.



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 like to travel to places nobody's ever heard of. If there's a crisis going on there, so much the better. I hate touristy places.



Favorite season and why?

Spring. I like everything new. Reminds me of heaven.



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

"I got saved because of your book." The way I see it, things don't get any better than that. And if my writing isn't changing people's lives, it's not worth doing.



What word annoys you more than any other?

Behooves. What do little tiny bee feet have to do with anything?



Super power you'd love to borrow for awhile?

Time travel.



Favorite chore

Splitting firewood. I love to split firewood.



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

Um...attend political functions.



Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

Intentionally misspelled words - like Kountrys Krispy Kreations. Aaaagghhh!!



Societal pet peeve…sound off.

People who claim there is no objective morality telling me I'm wrong. :)


Thanks, Chuck.

Serials and Scenarios - Fearless

Click on book cover at left to visit the Fearless Amazon page.

Robin's Website.










My Review:





This amazing story reads like a blend of Dekker's Black, Red, White trilogy, the X-Men movies, a dash of Lord of the Rings tossed in for spice, all mixed and baked with historical information along the lines of the DaVinci Code, National Treasure and The Librarian.

If you loved any or all of the above, you should find much to like in Parrish's Fearless.

Fast moving storytelling whips this mixture into an edge of the seat read.

Two warnings. Parrish's characters have great vocabularies, if you often read with a dictionary you may get frustrated. And the final book in the Dominion Trilogy comes out in the summer of '08...if you have cliffhanger angst you may want to wait until spring to read Fearless.

I haven't read book one, Relentless, but didn't feel lost and while I wait for book three, I'll go back and pick it up.

Robin has promised an interview. Date unknown, but coming.

Scribble and Scrambles - Random Blather upon Re-entry

Hi, all.

I just returned from

five-point-five solid days of R & R.

This is what is currently jelling in my brain.

1.) Anything is better when viewed near a body of water. (Work with me...no, not swamp water or a large pothole puddle. A real body such as lake, river, ocean, or decent pond.)

2.) Going away without children cuts down on whining, fighting and complaining.

3. ) Things change when you leave town for any extended length of time. The biggest change in my neighborhood would be the newly denuded chunk of land near the warty monogram house on my normal route to work.

Note to builders, land developers and Realtors...if you name a housing development "Hidden Hills" you should probably a) leave the hills and b) leave the trees to HIDE THEM.

4. ) Sometimes all you need to feel writerly is a sweet little notebook to jot things in and a pen.

5. ) Vacations -- when it IS fun to be a grown up.

I'm back and re-energized.

Serials and Scenarios - Wedding Belle Blues

Here are a couple of links should you be interested in Linda Windsor's latest novel.
Click on Linda to visit her website or the title to visit Amazon and get loads of info.

Linda Windsor

Wedding Belle Blues

Serials and Scenarios - Island Inferno

Visit the Island Inferno page for more information by clicking on the cover.

You can check out Chuck by clicking on his name.

My Review:

This is a true blend of a character/relationship driven story and a plot powered novel. Holton's diverse and fascinating experiences add intriguing depth to a plot that involves so many characters it could get out of control. But Holton manages to keep things moving along and buttoned down.

I did get lost in some of the jargon, but tool/technology lovers should dig the references to guns, spy equipment, explosives and some other things that went way over my head.

Into this tight mix, Holton, weaves a fair amount of spiritual undertones and truths.

The jungle atmosphere and a legend added intensity to the plot. I appreciated Holton's clarity and strength with point of view. He stayed within the same character's head throughout each scene, making the read much more enjoyable for me.

Action lovers are likely to devour "Island", suspense fans should find much to like, too.

Happy 4th and have a good weekend.

Thanks, Chuck, and all the service men and women who have sacrificed on behalf of the United States of America to secure, protect and win our freedom.

Scribble and Scrambles - The Cat's Meow

It all started when we shaved the cat.

The last few weeks have contained bizarre and unexpected happenings.

I mentioned the excessive raccoon visitations last week…now there have been five more. All have been captured humanely and set free in much more welcoming environments. However, one or more of them apparently invited friends and relatives to our garbage can party and we are beginning to wonder if it will ever end.

Now that we are slightly paranoid, we’ve begun looking into this insane invasion and in the process have uncovered other issues that are making our lives less than serene. At first we thought the advent of financial tremors and leaking air conditioners might have something to do with Fabio. Could he be “waking up” at night and pranking us or acting out over being treated as just a two-dimensional object?

But no, the financial tremor began earlier. The relational maelstroms are new, but could Fabio have anything to do with them? I think not. Unless he is somehow throwing his voice. Hmmm. I’ll make sure to have the next serious conversation far, far away from Fabio, just in case.

The only other common denominator is the cat. Normally, people don’t shave cats. There are several reasons for this. Most of them can draw blood in a New York second.

However, Blackie (the GRAY) cat is elderly and fluffy. This is not a great combination when it comes to grooming aesthetics. Not at all. Taking pity upon her we had a family “shave the cat” night and liberated her from her unruly hair. Not completely mind you. She was left full-fur faced, full plume tailed and fluffy little slippers.

I’ll admit that she hated the process, just call me stumpy. But the after effects, though less than attractive, have been an improvement. She seems to like her sleek new look. Really.

But maybe not. Maybe the recent string of upheavals are the result of a cat curse.

You might want to check into that should you have a hankering to buzz cut a feline.