BALDERDASH THURSDAY

I haven’t played this meme in ages, and since I’ve been collecting “words” for awhile, I’m going to give it a whirl.

Ryan, at Wordsmithonia, is now hosting this event, and as you all know, he creates the greatest definitions ever!

Mine, not so much!  LOL.

But here goes:

1)  Flablier: When one goes without exercise for a long period of time, this is what happens.  Instead of becoming simply flabby, one actually takes it up a notch to Flablier.  An elevated form of flabby, if you will.

2)  Wasnsmess: A mumbling sort of reaction to a catastrophic series of events, so that “wasn’t this a mess” becomes shortened to this abbreviated and muffled form.

3)  Hortshe: This is an expression that has morphed from its original and can be used on occasions when the original is not appropriate…in other words, this is a form of “horse-sh…t.”

4)  Incende: An individual can be labeled thus when he or she has expressed a tendency to conflagrations, or in other words, has become incendiary.

5)  Litionsi: Someone who aspires to literary heights, but falls flat over and over again, becomes a “wannabe” or litionsi.

Okay, maybe that last one was a big stretch, but I had fun with these “words.”

What did the rest of you come up with?  I can’t wait to find out.

Hope you’ll stop by and comment, linking back to your own creations.

BEYOND THE WHIRLWIND

On the weekend, I was musing and reflecting about possible new stories and/or novels.

While I’m currently working on something, my mind likes to stretch and consider ideas.

A friend mentioned Martha, a character in Embrace the Whirlwind. Awhile ago, I did explore new territory with this character in a short story called Interior Designs. Our rather uptight character moves outside her comfort zone, to explore other possibilities for her life.

My friend said:  What if you took the character, Martha, and examined all the other facets to her personality—even moving backwards, to study how she came to be the way she is.

Hmm, taking off from what we see in the short story, and more fully deconstructing Martha.  I like it.  Which also took me to other places, like what happens to Amber after? Beyond the Whirlwind, if you will.  We left off, in that tale, with Amber having something of a happily-ever-after.

Well, anyone who has read my books knows that I’m not really a fan of happy endings.  Okay, not that I’m such a mean-spirited person that I’d wish unhappiness for my characters, but I’d like to make them work a little harder to maintain what they’ve won.  So in a sequel, we could do just that.

Any thoughts?

Not that I’ve ever written more than one novel at a time…I think I might get lost and confused.  Dazed and confused!  LOL.

But I could start this story, and then pick it up when I’m finished with Defining Moments (my current WIP, which has nothing to do with any of my other books…not yet, at least!).

So I have a lot to ponder.  Which is a good thing.  Keeps me moving in new directions.

CREATING A STORY, A LIFE, AND NOW A BOOK — MEET U. L. HARPER

Today I’m spotlighting a new author, A. L. Harper.  Read his interview on the Guest Page HERE.

Mr. Harper has an intriguing talent for finding that core story in everyday experiences.

While working at a job with lots of “down time,” he found a way to transform what he saw there into core characters for his stories…and later, for his novel.

His creative flair allows him to find the heart of stories and books in ordinary interactions he observes in his daily life.

For more, check out the interview page.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM…

Today I have featured another writer on my Guest Blogger page.

Betty Dravis is unlike any person I’ve ever met!  And I mean that in a good way.  We first met online at Amazon, on our profile pages, where we were reviewing books, and doing a little blogging.  Later, she became a friend on various other sites and a follower of some of my blogs.

We met for the first time in September 2009, along with another online friend Linda Bulgur.  What an event that was!  We proved that you CAN be friends in person, even though you’ve met online.

Betty’s books are available on her own website or on Amazon.

One of the things I learned from Betty is that the world is full of friends you haven’t yet met.  Truly, she seemingly embraces everyone, and not that she doesn’t have her favorites, but she seems willing to give everyone the opportunity to be her friend.

And when she writes about her own experiences, as she does in Dream Reachers and some of her other books, you feel as if you know the people she knows.

She certainly has a variety of interests, as evidenced by her post in our guest blogger section today.

Check it out, and then visit her website to learn more about this rather remarkable woman.

NIGHTMARES, LOSS, REGRETS — An Excerpt from “Embrace the Whirlwind”

In this excerpt from “Embrace the Whirlwind,” Savannah awakens from still another nightmare following the birth of the child she’d carried for the Nobles.  As a surrogate, she’d felt good about giving something back.  So why these after-effects?

Savannah woke up, her body perspiring profusely, her skin clammy.  She glanced at Sasha asleep in her bed and sighed with relief.  But then her gaze continued downward to her now flat abdomen, and she sank back into the pillows breathlessly.  When would she stop feeling so empty?
It had been more than a month since she’d given birth.  She’d even seen the Nobles with her baby…their baby…on two separate occasions since.  And little Liam was obviously loved and cared for.  In fact, when she saw him now, she didn’t even associate him with the baby she’d carried.  Little Liam had reddish gold hair and blue eyes and when she had seen him those two times with the Nobles, she’d felt as detached and dispassionate as if he were a stranger.
Sometimes she felt like she had had nothing to do with the creation of that child.  That there had been a mistake and the baby she’d carried for eight months was waiting for her somewhere out there.
Oddly detached from her body and her feelings most of the time, she recreated the pain and loss only in her dreams.  And in her dreams, the infant she’d lost was a male version of Sasha.
She struggled out of the morass of tangled bedding to rise and ready herself for the day.  She couldn’t afford to give in to this emotional baggage that had seemingly blindsided her.    How had she managed the pregnancy so easily only to be tripped up by these nightmares that carried over into her waking life?  Of course, there had been a time when she’d worried about giving the baby up.  She and Denise had talked about it.  But she thought that she’d dealt with it.
Maybe this was really all about that time when the clutching arms of the social worker had ripped Sasha from her arms.  Just like the Nobles had taken this baby.

BALDERDASH THURSDAY

This meme is hosted by Sheila, at Journey Through Books, and it’s our creative way of amusing ourselves while doing those annoying Word Verifications!

Now I had a whole list of these to consider for today’s post, but somehow I misplaced the list!  Now how can that be, when I am so organized?  LOL.

So I’ll work with what’s left.  Now that will require creativity!

Fecooty:  A very special type of “cooty” that is a step up from your ordinary, run-of-the-mill cooty. 

Nonsi:  A very hoity-toity version of the name Nancy.  Spoken only by people born in certain circles…you know the ones!

Sladio:  A type of slacker that ventures forth in Slavic countries…Prague being the capital of this form of slackerism.

Rutstes:  An individual who specializes in exploring a person’s unique “rut,” in order to help that individual break out of the rut.

Okay, now, I know I’m really stretching here…but I was stuck with a limited list today!  LOL.

Hope you’ll stop by and share yours.

BALDERDASH THURSDAY

Okay, now, I’ve been collecting these words for a couple of weeks…last week being Thanksgiving, there wasn’t time.

But you know, by now, that this is a game created by Sheila, at Journey through Books, and that those of us who play are simply amusing ourselves while going through that tedious word verification process when commenting.  We play with the words and make them into—whatever strikes our fancy!

So here goes with this week’s collection:

1)  broat:  this term applies to the process of “bloating,” and is, in a sense, a side-effect of that state…they feel “broated.”

2)  burope:  After a very large meal (perhaps at Thanksgiving), the participant lets loose with an extended “burope.”

3)  suptesi:  A form of greeting exchanged between “cool” individuals, that includes a term of affection—”‘Sup, tesi?”

4)  cybehers:  A by-product of the “cyberspace” world, this term refers to “possession,” for example, that is “cybe-hers,” isn’t it?

5)  puggest:   An adjective that is used to describe a feature, such as an upturned nose…”that is the ‘puggest’ nose I’ve ever seen!”

Okay, they are kind of silly this week, but I had fun!  Hope you’ll stop by and share your comments and links, so I can guffaw at your selections.

PAYING THE PIPER — An Excerpt from “Embrace the Whirlwind”

In this excerpt from Embrace the Whirlwind, Savannah’s surrogacy for Leslie and Bill Noble has just resulted in the delivery of their child.

Alone in her room, Savannah felt the emptiness wash over her, but before she had a chance to wallow in it, Denise and Amber were there soothing her and reminding her of what a great job she’d done.
Amber watched and thought:  Before I know it, mine will be here.  

And a wave of sorrow flooded through her as she remembered Hal who was not the father of this baby.
But she was beginning to get it now.  It was like one of Nana Sabrina’s Biblical sayings:  You reap what you sow. 
Leslie Noble had a kinder spin on it.  She talked about actions having consequences and choices leading to outcomes.  In the end, what it all came down to was that when you made bad choices, you had to pay the piper. 
And sometimes you paid and paid and paid.

BALDERDASH THURSDAY

In this meme, hosted by Sheila, at Journey Through Books, we enjoy playing around with those annoying Word Verification terms…just to pass the time while waiting to make a comment.

Now isn’t it more fun to make a game of it?

Here are mine this week:

1.  Teniflob:  A tennis player who is not so good at his game, flubbing (or flobbing) and otherwise messing up whenever it’s his turn to hit the ball.

2.  Ficionop:  A wanna-be fiction writer, searching for any “op” to ply his/her wares.

3.  Petic:  Someone who is both “petite” and “pathetic.” 

4.  Benessio:  A benign blessing, bestowed upon someone who has gone way beyond the call of duty.

 

Hope you’ll stop by, leave your comments and links, and allow us to giggle at your creations!

BALDERDASH THURSDAY

Hosted by Sheila, at Journey Through Books, this delightful meme gives us the opportunity to distract ourselves during the tedious Word Verification process when we’re commenting on posts.

When you can see other meanings in these nonsensical “words,” it’s less of a chore to go through that process.

Well, I’ve been writing them down this week, so here goes:

1) sycho:  A psychological term that combines the labels of “sicko” and “psycho,” to give an added layer to this disorder.

2) polati:  An exercise that combines the movements of pilates with pole dancing.

3) frercat:  An animal that is a combination of a cat and a wilder breed, as yet unnamed.  Found in the wilds or the foothills near ordinary towns, this animal is quite fierce.

4) ovenimea:  A product that combines the features of an oven with a new creation that performs at a faster rate and produces a much more palatable result.

Okay, I have done the best I could with the words given me this week! 

I’ll be looking forward to the comments and links back to your posts.