New Year Resolutions – Revisited

“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other.” –Anonymous

Here’s another recycled and slightly modified post from last year.

I don’t make New Year resolutions because, well…I hate piling guilt on myself. I’ve had many years to get to know me and I’ve learn that no matter how good my intentions are, I will eventually (say in 5 or 10 minutes) break whatever resolution I make. Since I don’t have any of my own to share, I thought I’d pass along some of the funnier ones I found online at NewYearFestival and BellaOnline.


Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.

I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.

I resolve to work with neglected children—my own.

So many men, so little time. Make more time.

I will remember that life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

I will remember the Universe is infinite...so when I lose my keys...NOT a surprise!!

I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

I will buy lottery tickets at a luckier store.

I will think of a password other than “password.”

Do you make resolutions? Do you usually keep the ones you’ve made? Have you heard other funny ones you’d like to share?

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: New Year resolutions, Oprah,

New Year Superstitions Revisited

“There is superstition in avoiding superstitions.” – Francis Bacon

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I certainly did. Due to the fact I am still in the holiday frame of mind, I decided to resurrect and slightly modify a previous (2008) post.

January 1st officially became the first day of a new year in 46 B.C. when Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar. This has allowed ample time for celebration traditions to develop and perhaps explains why so many are based on superstitions.

A German New Year tradition is to attempt to tell the future by dropping molten lead into cold water. A heart or ring shape indicates a wedding; a ship means a journey; and a pig is a sign of plenty of food in the year ahead. Another tradition, to ensure a well-stocked pantry for the upcoming year, is to leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year’s Eve on your plate until after midnight.

In England, the practice of "first-footing" is important. To ensure good luck for the inhabitants of a house, the first person to enter on New Year's Day should be a young, healthy and good-looking male with dark-hair. He should carry a small piece of coal, money, bread and salt, symbolizing wealth. Women and people with blonde or red hair are considered unlucky "first-footers."

In Spain people eat twelve grapes from a bunch just as the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve to ensure twelve happy months in the coming year.

In Scandinavian rice pudding is considered a lucky dish. It is usually prepared with a hidden almond placed in the serving bowl. Who ever ends up with the almond in his or her serving is believed to be doubly blessed with good fortune in the coming year.

Here in the U.S, we incorporate many of the traditions from around the world plus adding a few of our own in the observance of New Year. Kissing a loved one at midnight ensures another happy year with that person. Eating black eye peas on New Years brings luck. Horns and noise makers at midnight chase evil spirits away. Opening a door or window at midnight allows the old year to escape unimpeded.

I read that for authors to have a successful year they should write one chapter of a book on New Years Day. However, working or writing too much can be bad omen, so don’t over do it.

Last year Sondra left this fun comment (thank you, Sondra) about an interesting Irish tradition. I thought I’d share it.

"We did the 12 grapes when we lived in Spain. 1 grape for each chime of the clock at midnight...it was hysterical! Very hard to do too especially by about the 6th chime! :)

My husbands Irish family's tradition is, right before midnight everyone goes outside (leaving the front door open) and stands in the front yard, Happy New year and kisses all around and then the man of the house goes around the house and opens all the outside doors. Everyone joins with him when he makes it back to the front door and as a group travel around the house and close all the open doors then re-enter through the front door together."

My husband and I start the year off with a steak dinner. Our line of reasoning is that if things go badly downhill during the year, we’ll at least have had one really good meal.

What are your New Year traditions?

However you celebrate, I hope 2010 brings you good health, happiness and prosperity.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Francis Bacon, New Yearl, superstition, Julius Caesar, Julian Calendar, New Year traditions,

Christmas Dream

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." - Burton Hillis

Thanks to Inkygirl for the following cartoon:

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, some other special day or nothing at all... may all your dreams come true.

As a gift to myself, I decided to take the week off to enjoy my family. I'll post again next Monday. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Burton Hillis, Inkygirl, Christmas,

Writing Habits

”Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun

When it comes to writing habits, mine are pretty boring. I sit down in front of my computer and write. Some days I write more or better than other days, but the routine is the same.

According an article in the Wall Street Journal by Alexandra Alter, “How to Write A Great Novel,” there are plenty of authors who have interesting writing behaviors.

Richard Powers has one of the more unique approaches to writing. According to the article:

“Richard Powers, whose books are often concept-driven, intricately plotted and stuffed with arcane science, wrote his last three novels while lying in bed, speaking to a lap-top computer with voice-recognition software.”

The article goes on to say that he worked like this for eight or nine hours a day on his most recent novel, Generosity: An Enhancement.

I hope he has a really good mattress. In some ways, seven or eight hours in bed sleeping plus eight or nine in bed writing sounds heavenly, but I don’t think I could do it. I tend to fall asleep anytime I’m in a reclined position, whether I’m sleepy or not.

Nicholson Baker, “…rises at 4 a.m. to write at his home in South Berwick, Maine. Leaving the lights off, he sets his laptop screen to black and the text to gray, so that the darkness is uninterrupted. After a couple of hours of writing in what he calls a dreamlike state, he goes back to bed, then rises at 8:30 to edit his work.”

I’ve read some of my notes written in a dreamlike state—the only editing needed is a quick click on the delete button.

But there’s more on Nicholson Baker. “…he grew out a beard to resemble his character, put on a floppy brown hat, set up a video camera on a tripod and videotaped himself giving poetry lectures. He transcribed about 40 hours worth of tape, and ended up with some 1,000 pages of notes and transcription. Creating the voice of a rambling professor "was something I had to work on a lot in order to get the feeling of being sloppy," said Mr. Baker.”

Watching myself for 40 hours trying to do anything sounds like the most painful and boring experience I can imagine.

Junot Diaz, “He often listens to orchestral movie soundtracks as he writes, because he's easily distracted by lyrics. When he needs to seal himself off from the world, he retreats into the bathroom and sits on the edge of the tub. "It drove my ex crazy," he says. "She would always know I was going to write because I would grab a notebook and run into the bathroom."

The music I could deal with, but sitting on the edge of the tub sounds completely uncomfortable.

The author I identified with the most was Kate Christensen who said, “…she's played 30 games of solitaire before typing a first sentence.”

Oh, Kate, we are such kindred spirits.

There are seventeen authors mentioned in the article. I thought they were all interesting. If you’d like to read it in its entirety you can find it here. Thanks to my sister for passing it along to me.

I’ll be at the Holiday Book Festival at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL from 10 AM to 4:00 PM today. Come say hello if you’re in the area.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: Jim Ryun, Wall Street Journal, Richard Powers, Nicholson Baker, Kate Christensen, Charlotte Country, writing habits

Weird Book Room

“Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.” - Lenore Hershey

How could I not investigate something that read “Weird Book Room?” I entered the room at AbeBooks.co.uk and found the site lived to its description, “…a celebration of everything that's bizarre, odd and downright weird in books. Crazy cookbooks, unusual animal books, how to books that will teach skills you never knew you needed, books about hilarious hobbies, and books about every strange aspect of life you could possibly imagine and a few things you can't imagine.”

I’m assuming there are a few people, like myself, who have not completed their Christmas shopping. I thought I could use this site to give you some suggestions for those hard to please people, or pets, on your list.

For instance if you are tired of buying the dogs on your list the usual chewy treat or rubber ball, you may want to think about Doga: Yoga for Dogs by Jennifer Brilliant. I’m sure any dog would be happy to learn more relaxation techniques.

For the discriminating homemaker there’s Paint It Black: A Guide To Gothic Homemaking, by Voltaire (Yes, I am aware he died in the 1700’s, but that’s the name on the book jacket.). “With 'Paint It Black' you can turn the unbearably mundane into the delightfully macabre with little more than a touch of creativity and a can of black spray paint. Using simple techniques and easily-found, affordable supplies, Voltaire and friends transform the normal into Gothic like nobody's business!” How could anyone not be pleased to receive this book?

For that shopaholic there’s The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America, a Guide to Field Identification by Julian Montague.

Mensa members may enjoy The The Thermodynamics of Pizza by Harold J. Morowitz.

Isn’t there always a bird lover or two on everyone’s list? Here’s a guide they may not already have, What Bird Did That? A Driver's Guide to Some Common Birds of North America by Peter Hansard, and Burton Silver.

Other books gift ideas include: How to Survive a Robot Uprising, by Daniel H. Wilson; People Who Don't Know They're Dead by Gary Leon Hill; Nuclear War: What's in It for You? by the Ground Zero War Foundation; How You Can Bowl Better Using Self-Hypnosis by Heise; Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television by Michael Klossner; and, The Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study by Stephen Skelton.

If by some off chance you can find nothing in the Weird Book Room that suits the names on your list, there are plenty of books available in The Spirit of the Season Catalog. You'll also find excellent choices under my blogroll. There's Pretty is as Pretty Dies by Elizabeth Spann Craig if you click on Mystery Writing in Murder. For Gayle Carline’s, Freezer Burn, click On the Edge of the Chair of Literature. There are too many to mention them all so feel free to shop around for ideas on my sidebar list.

Two reminders: 1) if you have purchased a copy of The Ride for yourself or someone else, I’ll be happy to send you a free signed bookplate. Simply contact me at jane@janesutton.com. 2) On Thursday, Dec. 17, I’ll be at the Holiday Book Festival at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL from 10 AM to 4:00 PM. Please stop by if you are in the area.

Happy shopping and thanks for dropping by.

Tags: Lenore Hershey, Weird book room, Abe Books, Spirit of the Season catalog, holiday book festival, cultural center of Charlotte Country,

The Mind Boggling Evolution of Publishing

"The printing press is either the greatest blessing, or the greatest curse of modern times, one sometimes forgets which.” – James Matthew Barrie

At a recent Southwest Florida Writers Association meeting, the speaker, James M. Abraham, Book Broker, gave an interesting talk about the evolution of printing from the Gutenberg printing press in the mid 15th century to the present technology. I could never recite all the facts, even if I was a note taker, or capture the tone of his eloquent delivery, so I’m doing a fast forward recap.

Prior to the invention of the printing press, monks were responsible for hand lettering most books. Only a few of the very wealthiest of people could afford to hire a monk to moonlight in order to publish their own work. Thus most everything “released” was Church oriented. The advent of the Gutenberg printing press allowed a much larger segment of society to own and publish books. Bypassing the Church expanded the types of books available.

Skip ahead about five centuries (I told you this was the fast forward version) to the digital world and vanity publishing. Instead of circumventing the Church, authors finally had a way to get around the powerful New York Publishing Houses. If a writer couldn’t get the attention of these publishers, for a price, they could still get their books in print.

As the technology improved, companies sprang up that could now help authors avoid vanity presses and simply, again for a price, self-publish.

I’m adding my two-cents worth here. I say that so you won’t blame Mr. Abraham for my viewpoints. Now e-publishing is possible, which skirts the self-publishing presses and allows a writer to make their work available, often with no fees at all. This means anyone who has even the vaguest dream of becoming a “published author,” can fulfill that dream.

As an author published by a small traditional publisher who takes advantage of POD technology, I am grateful for the advances that have been made in the publishing world. It was exciting, to say the least, to see my very own work transformed into a “real” book, with my name on the cover. I don't begrudge anyone that opportunity.

My point (I’m sure you’re wondering if I’d ever get there) is that I find myself questioning if the more recent advances are a hindrance to authors who hope to have a successful career as a writer. After all, with more books in print and an endless supply of e-books, there is more competition than ever for sales. Getting your book noticed has never been easy, but I’m thinking it’s becoming even more difficult.

Some books are very well done, regardless of the publishing method, some very poorly. Buyers are, rightfully so, a bit skittish. Is their money going to buy a professional product they will enjoy or an inferior creation published only to soothe someone’s ego?

With the numerous advances in the publishing industry, it boggles my mind (which, I admit, is easy to do these days) at what the future in this field holds in store. Toddlers using voice recognition to tell their life story? Embryos using brain waves to publish tell-alls about their mother’s diet prior to birth?

Help unboggle my mind with what you think. Do the publishing options available these days offer equal opportunities to all aspiring authors? Are readers better off with more material to choose from? Or, does it provide a platform for inferior work, watering down the attempts of those who hope to make a living from writing books? What’s the next advance in the publishing world?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Barrie, James Abraham, Gutenberg printing press, POD, self-publishing,vanity publishing, Southwest Florida Writers Association,

Lay or Lie?

“Only in grammar can you be more than perfect.” - William Safire

The genres represented by the writers in my critique group are as varied as our personalities. However, at last week’s meeting, I learned we all had one thing in common—insecurity about using those pesky verbs, lay and lie.

It’s tough for writers to admit grammar weaknesses, but once one person bravely spoke up, like alcoholics admitting their problem in front of a group of peers, we all came forward and confessed. “Hello, my name is Jane, and I have grammar issues with lay and lie.”

Afterwards, I decided to delve into the subject by logging onto the internet in hopes that I could offer some magic “cure” at our next meeting.

From the number of articles written on the topic, I determined the problem was not confined to our little writing group. Confusion is widespread. In some circumstances misusage is even accepted.

For instance "Lay Down Sally," by Eric Clapton should, grammatically speaking, be "Lie Down Sally" and "Lay Lady Lay" by Dylan should be "Lie Lady Lie." Songwriters are obviously given more poetic license with proper usage than the average author.

Lots of sites offered explanations using words like transitive, intransitive, direct objects and so on. Something about these terms causes my brain to glaze over and focus solely on finding chocolate.

I found this helpful hint on Judy Vorfelds Editing and Writing Services site:

“A good way to decide whether to use "lie" or "lay" is to substitute the word "place" (or placing, or placed) for whatever word is in question. If it fits, use "lay" or one of its forms. Otherwise, use "lie" or one of its forms.”

Many sites offered charts, but I liked this simple one from the TriSec Blog:


However, in my opinion, the following picture illustrates the best solution for this problem:

I’m aware that in my blog on literary tattoos , I said I wouldn’t want one, but this has me seriously reconsidering.

The above photo is from the article, “Learning ‘Lay’ and ‘Lie’” by Gerald Grow, Ph.D. If you’d like to know how to use lay/lie without depending on hints, charts or tattoos, you may want to pay a visit to this site. Dr. Grow offers a five step approach to mastering their use.

How do you keep lay and lie straight?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Safire, lay or lie, Clapton, Dylan, Gerald Grow,

Coincidence, Hamsters and a Couple of Other Things

"Coincidence is like a rubber band. Stretch it too far and it snaps. "- Roger Zelazny

Coincidence is a part of life. I’m sure just about everyone has a story to tell about running into someone or receiving a phone call from a friend they were just thinking about but hadn’t seen in years. It’s also a common tool for authors as a way for their characters to get together or to move the action along.

If a writer uses too many coincidences, the story does not ring true. Readers will shake their head in disgust and close the book. I've wondered for quite some time exactly how much coincidence is acceptable in fiction. Recently, I found my anwer.

An article, "The Law of Stackable Hamster," summed up this dilemma nicely. The following is quoted from the article:

"Within a scene in a story, a reader will suspend disbelief to a certain degree in order for the author to tell their tale; however, there is a limit to the number of coincidences you can create within a scene in the book. Or, as my brother explained in an alternate way of considering the number of coincidences to include, there is a limit to the number of hamsters you can stack. You can stack two hamsters and they will generally stay in place; three hamsters and the underlying structure is very wobbly and possibly won’t hold; and you can’t try four or more hamsters because there is no way to stack that many without it falling over right away. Thus, my brother created the Law of Stackable Hamsters in the field of creative writing."

I thought this was a great visual and it's something I’ll keep in mind each time I’m tempted to explain away a scene through coincidence. You can read the whole article here.

Since I have no clue how to segue to the next topic, I’m just going to chalk it up as a coincidence that two subjects met on my blog on the same day.

I have some good news for those people who, like me, didn’t participate in black Friday or cyber Monday and still have all their Christmas shopping to do. It is called The Spirit of the Season Catalog and it allows you to shop without leaving the comfort of your home. The catalog is full of wonderful gift ideas which includes books of all genres, works of art, handmade jewelry (where all the proceeds help support widows and orphans in Kenya) and assorted services.

Of course, my novel, The Ride, is listed (it's under Mainstream Fiction). It does make a wonderful gift. It’s also the perfect gift to give yourself for those times when you’ll need a break from the hustle and bustle of the season. It's easy. Scroll down the page until you see the picture of the cover (it looks exactly like this one) and click on the "Buy Now" button.

For anyone who would like to personalize the book, I’ll be happy to send you, FREE OF CHARGE, a signed bookplate. Simply email me (jane@janesutton.com) with the name of the person the book is to and anything else you’d like me to include on the bookplate. Or, you can simply request, "signature only." The free signed bookplate applies regardless of how you purchase the book (through the catalog, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, your local bookseller and so on).

Uh oh, looks like I’m stacking three hamsters.

However, I couldn’t leave without thanking Stephen Tremp for honoring me with his Awesome Maximus Award. If you haven’t visited Stephen’s Breakthrough Blogs for the Aspiring Author, where he is “Weaving together breakthroughs in physics and technology with greed, murder, and mayhem,” you might want to stop by. He discusses all sort sorts of interesting and fascinating theories including wormholes and black holes.

Now, I’m really done—no more hamsters today. Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Zelazny, hamsters, Spirit of the Season Catalog, The Ride, Steven Tremp,

Introducing Darcia Helle

“The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it.” - Author Unknown

Through Virtual Book Tours, I have met many talented authors. Today I am pleased to introduce one of these authors to you, Darcia Helle.

Darcía says she writes because, "My head gets cluttered with characters that demand their story be written."

Darcía is a fiction author of mystery/suspense. She currently has four books, published Enemies and Playmates, Hit List, No Justice and Beyond Salvation, and is at work on number five. Darcía also writes a monthly nonfiction, crime-related newsletter called Guilty As Charged. The newsletter covers a wide range of topics, from the history of burning at the stake to modern-day serial killers.

Words are Darcía's addiction. She will read just about anything: novels, biographies, history, sociology, ingredient labels...

Darcía grew up in Massachusetts but has lived in the Tampa Bay area of Florida since 2002. She is married and has two sons. An animal lover, Darcía has two very spoiled dogs and two equally spoiled cats.

Darcía's website is her own creation. There you will find excerpts from her books, newsletters, monthly contests, blog, and a few pages of things to make you smile.

Her book, No Justice, addresses the question, “How far would you go to right a wrong?”

For Michael Sykora, killing started as blind rage. Then it became something he's good at. To most of those who know him, Michael is a software designer, a smart but average guy with a workaholic nature. To a chosen few, Michael is a part-time hit man whose specialty is eliminating hard-core criminals.

Michael has managed to keep his two personas separate. Until now. When Nicki, a close friend, gets into trouble, Michael steps in to help. Having lost his fiancé to a brutal crime, Michael will do whatever necessary to keep from losing another woman in his life.

At one time or another, don't we all wish we could do the things our Justice system cannot or will not? What would it take to push you over the edge?

Here are a couple of excerpts from the reviews for No Justice on Amazon:

The characters in this book are believable, the scenes are easy to visualize, and the quest for justice is one that has tempted all of us who have been wronged. I highly recommend this book to everyone who has been a fan of John D. McDonald, Robert Crais, Robert B. Parker, or Evan Hunter. I am waiting patiently for Darcia Helle's sequel to No Justice. – Joe Prentis

I love it when a book begins with an intriguing first line - one that immediately captures my attention and draws me in through the need to know more. No Justice does that. I instantly wanted to sit for the rest of the day just reading it. – Martha Jette

To find out more about Darcia or to buy her books, visit her web page , blog, Amazon author page or Books On Amazon.

Feel free to leave your comments or questions for Darcia.

If you have a few extra minutes drop by Heidi M. Thomas, where I’m talking about writing in another genre and I’m also looking for reference book recommendations.

I hope you’ll have an opportunity to stop by and visit some of the other interesting and talented VBT authors, also. You’ll find the complete list at VB, Writers on the Move. If you leave a comment on this month’s mystery site, you’ll have the opportunity to win a prize.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Darcia Helle, Virtual book tour, VBT, No Justice, Heidi Thomas,