Rain Dance

Sometimes the romance in me runs dry.

Right now, it’s a desert in here.

I have two days to get some love in me flowing. The 8-day writing binge to finish up Twisted Intent begins Monday. I need to get the “arid” out of me by then.

Tomorrow is a travel day. Hopefully that will be my rain dance.

Until Monday…

Chloe

Relishing the Good Stuff

Scuffling about on my hands and knees, digging through historical what-not’s and fictional what-if’s trying to find that one centerpiece to my next novel that would make the story shine like the dickens, I was literally (please, notice the pun) floored to find it.

Yessss!!!

Everyone, please, join me in a communal jig.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Would You Follow?

Bucking the tradition of the majority of American bloggers today, I am refraining from all talk of turkeys, cornucopias, Black Fridays and other Thanksgiving madness... But, as an aside, if you must be told to be thankful for something, how genuine can the sentiment truly be? Just saying.

Carrying on.

A writer’s trick I have availed myself of countless times is this… Read your story out loud. No matter if the manuscript is not done. Read whatever you have written. 

Listen to the way the words play together on the tongue. Pay attention to the flow your narrative voice commands. Does your dialogue sound really, truly, honest to goodness true-to-life? Would you roll your eyes if you overheard the conversation in an elevator? Or would you try to listen harder? Perhaps follow the couple off the lift just to hear what is spoken next?

A simple trick, yes, but one of my favorites.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

"Armageddon" in the Springtime: A Tiny Book Review of Leon Uris' Novel & Other Chloe Thrills

Published in 1963.

March is here! How utterly fantastic is that? *happy spring dance*

Not the reason you’re here, of course, but…

March is here! *happy spring dance remix*

Apologies.

Moving on… The Ticker from Madness count for today is impressive, although it was another work day of picking out chunks of story that really interested me. I had zero motivation to strap in and work on Chapter One. Yeah, yeah, I know. Bad Chloe. But just remember this number…

                                               3,000 words

Actually, I went way over that today but I’m counting all the extra wordage toward tomorrow when I’ll be taking the afternoon off…

*The world gasps*

*The nuts in the back room of my mind go crazy and start throwing chairs*

*My dog whispers “Thank God. Get her out of here.”*

Yes, I’m even leaving the house on this rare, rare afternoon off. I’m heading to a baseball game on a day that promises a high of 76 and sunny, bright skies. I am incredibly excited! *happy spring dance, version 2.0*

In other news that does not strictly require dancing, I finished reading Leon Uris’ Armageddon two nights ago.  It’s the story of Germany, particularly Berlin, right after the end of WWII. Written in 1963, the amount of research Uris must have done for this massive historical fiction novel even I can’t imagine.

He painted the picture of a war-ravaged city brilliantly. Uris captured the air of distrust and fatigue all parties from all sides (German, U.S. and Russian, in particular) must have felt during those years exceptionally well. Wow.

I had trouble connecting with a few of his major players, however. I don’t know why, either. Usually, I’m a sucker for a guy in uniform, but the U.S. soldiers in the book never struck a chord with me. It’s a shame, too, because Uris made me feel every emotion of the defeated Germans. Even the Russian soldiers I had more empathy for than some of the Americans. Funny, that.

I rated it 3 stars out of 5 over on Goodreads. I’d read it again just for the historical aspects of it, if not for the characters.

Now that have I bored you sufficiently for the evening, I leave you all with one final…

*Happy spring dance!*

Until tomorrow…

Chloe