Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Nevada Day. Yes, that's right, Nevada Day was formerly my favorite holiday. Bet you thought I was going to say Halloween, right? Same day--October 31. Isn't that appropriate? Las Vegas (where I used to live and work) has surely become an alternate reality in the Halloween sense.

The Silver State was admitted to the Union on October 31, 1864. I had learned in my Nevada History class at UNLV that the territory became a state because its silver and gold production were needed to help finance the Civil War. However, Nevada State Archivist, Guy Rocha, says uh-uh and "The reasons for Nevada's statehood were political, not economic. Earlier writers were so caught up in romanticizing Nevada's role in the Civil War they decided to re-invent history." (See other Rocha Nevada myth-busting at http://www.nevadaweb.com/nevadaca/rocha-2.html)

How I'll Spend Nevada Day 05
I had a bit of mishap last night. I think I broke something important in my little toe. Oh Crap! I'm hobbling around now that I finally got my shoe on. My face is a mask of pain, my foot-dragging gait mummy-like and my attitude monstrous. Yeah, I'm going to throw candy at the kids in a real life costume of an Old Bitch. Now where the hell is that pointy black hat . . .

CiaoOwwwwww, MMMMMMMMMMMmelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

The Annual Rain Festival has started here, maybe in your part of the world, too. So what better thing to do than stay inside at the puter. No, not playing solitaire, but taking a fun online class with MMMmmmmoi. Let's do it!

Here's some more information from the class sponsor, Southern Tier Authors of Romance:

"So what's your story about?"

Is there any question guaranteed to turn the most intelligent and
capable author into a babbling loon more than that one? We stutter
and sputter and enthusiastically describe the heroine, the hero, the
conflict, the black moment, and the triumphant happily-ever-after
resolution. The person who asked the question nods, smiles, and
says, "Yeah, but what's it ABOUT?"

The answer to that question is your story's theme. And in her
workshop, Theme: Your Story's Heart and Soul, award-winning
author Melinda Rucker Haynes will show you how to find and enhance
it. Theme is the living heart of your story. It breathes life into
characters and reveals souls to readers. Learn to craft a theme for
all your story elements for a multilayered, deeply textured story
readers will love.

This workshop is a 4-week online course that is conducted on a
private listserv, and will begin November 1. (It was originally
scheduled for August -- but the correct dates are November 1-30.
All posts will remain available well into December, so you don't
have to worry about missing anything because of the Thanksgiving
holiday.) Deadline to subscribe -- October 31. (Because this is such
a short window, if you want to sign up via postal mail, email yeep @
aol . com -- no spaces -- to let the coordinator know your
registration will be coming, and she'll add you to the listserv in
anticipation of receiving your check.)

Melinda Rucker Haynes is not just an award-winning romance author,
she is also certified in neuro-linguistic programming, past life
regression therapy, and hypnotherapy, as well as being a writing
teacher and transformational coach.

To enroll in the workshop, send your payment ($20 for non-RWA
members, $15 for RWA members) to the STAR On-Line Workshop
Coordinator, Jennifer Dunne, at PO Box 496, Endicott, NY 13761-0496;
or via PayPal to starchapter @ yahoo . com (spaces added so Yahoo
won't trim the address); no later than October 31, 2005. Make checks
payable to "STAR Writers Workshop". Sessions will begin on November
1, 2005. Please include your name, email address, and RWA number (if
applicable). If you're mailing by post close to the 1st, please drop
Jennifer a note (at yeep @ aol . com) so she'll know to look for
your mail.

You will be automatically enrolled in the workshop list on Yahoo
(STAR Writing Workshop) prior to the start of the class, and will be
automatically unsubscribed at the end of the class.

Jennifer Dunne
STAR Workshop Coordinator

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Yesterday I gushed about my mom's 80th birthday and how she could make her 80th memorable, indeed . . . well, she did it!

Though she passed on the Sharpie drawn caterpillar eyebrows idea, Mom dug out a Mexican embroidered muumuu that Dad had given her years ago. Plopped my grandmother's grey wig on her head, donned tennis shoes and socks, accessorized with a long sparkly crystal necklace, dangly earrings and a cane and tottled off to the beauty shop. My sister was waiting there to take pictures of the shock and awe Mother created with her very fashion-challenged old woman attire.

Mother went in the shop, took a seat in the waiting area and not one person recognized her. Finally, her stylist asked my sister where Mom was because she was unusually late. Mother arose and caned her way to Carol's chair. It wasn't until Mother spoke that Carol, and everyone else, realized it was Mom. I'm told there was much general hoo-haaing in disbelief and congratulation of Mother for her successful joke. It certainly was a birthday to remember, especially when one perfect red rose was delivered to Mother, who read the card aloud, "From Robert Swan." Now, of course everyone in the shop wants to know who the hell is sending Mother a lover's rose . . . especially Carol. Robert Swan is very dear to the women in my family and has sent beautiful flowers to each of us at just the right moment, when we really needed to be treated special.

And who is Robert Swan? Wouldn't you just like to know . . . and if you do, email me. There might be something in it for ya.

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

It's my mother's 80th birthday today! Our tradition, started by her mother, is to call early birthday morning and sing the happy birthday song in a very special way. We all, except Dad, sing the song and no birthday celebration can begin without the song from each. Even the son of MMMMM, the Karaoke star, does it and I believe my sister's children do, too. I've just put a call into Mother, but the line is busy. Some sibling must have her on the line, assaulting her ear in that special way.

I just talked to Mother and discovered that her sister, my Auntie, had beaten me to the first birthday song of the morning. Mom has big plans for today which may include dressing up like a crazy old woman for her appointment at the beauty shop where her longtime stylist, Carol, is threatening to throw her down and pierce Mom's ears. In the past, Carol has suggested to Mother that she get her eyebrows tattooed on as the lack of essential hairs in that area are Mother's special hell. However, today I urged Mom to draw her eyebrows on with a Sharpie like thick black caterpillars facing each other over her nose and to be sure to pencil in tiny heads and antenna. Always the good time, Mother said she'd think about that. And since my sister was there when I called, I'm sure she would LOVE to help Mother look as crazy as possible. And my sister is a fabulous artist who no doubt could render realistic crawlies across Mom's brow with ease and special delight.

It's been my rare privilege to share the earth with my mother these many years and I so refuse to consider that won't always be the case.

Happy birthday, Mother. I love you!!!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Did you ever buy a house in a new development where all you might see when you sign on the dotted line are one or two completed homes. The rest of the lots are under development. You have to use your imagination about how the final neighborhood is going to look. Might I suggest that is a dicey business, projecting your imagined ideas of "home" out there?

In our present development there are about 28 homes, all completed now. The builder, in order to maximize investment, squeezed a lot in the "center" of one end of the development--our end. That house is surrounded by seven houses. There is no privacy for those poor people. It seems that since they enter by a long, fenced drive and are hemmed in by 6 foot fencing, they might imagine that they are private, despite the scores of windows looking at them. And there's the interesting resonance chamber that is created by all the hard surfaces reflecting noise from that home, bouncing it off our houses like a rubber cannonball. When someone comes up the driveway, sound system booming, our windows rattle. Thank goodness the home owner is more my age and I imagine that he requires the younger folk to turn off the "music" because it stops when whoever turns off the car--unless they sit in it until the song ends. Oh. My-My-My-My-My!

Let me assure you that this MMMLOG isn't a complaint. It's an artsy lament in the Spanish flamenco sense, a cante hondo. Big difference. "Flamenco is said to derive from the "cante" (song). . . The serious forms of "cante hondo" are intense and emotional, almost fatalistic."

So, I've got a cante hondo going about my present application of imagination. I really must find and project some new dreams of home . . . aiiiiiiiiii!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

I'm still supremely jazzed about my wonderful trip down to Salem to give a workshop for Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers. I rode the Cascades train to Portland and bused to Salem. The chapter put me up in the fabulous Phoenix Grand Hotel and organized a gathering to remember complete with beautiful table decorations, beautiful author raffle baskets and delicious goodies. Those romance writers know to make a girl feel special. Many thanks to Genene Valleau, outgoing president of the chapter and all the other members.

There and Back, There and Back--Yoy!
The DH traveled out today for San Francisco. I took him to the airport. As usual, there were many last minute things to take care of prior to our 11:00 a.m. departure. Always, as we're about to walk out the door, the Airedale throws a snit, insisting upon coming with us. Didn't have the time. Off we dashed, drove like hell, got to SEATAC in about twenty minutes. We got out of the car and I opened the back to take the DH's bags out like a good wifey. No bags. He opened the side door. No bags. We instantly determined his bags were back home with the Airedale snarking hohos about our leaving them behind.

Jumped in the car. Drove like hell back home. Got the bags. The Airedale didn't bother to try to barge out the door as we left, again. She just smirked. We flew low to the airport and got there about fifteen minutes later. After I came home, again, the DH called to say he'd fit some sort of profile and practically had to disrobe going through airport security. Actually, when he's tense, he looks like Lenin, very stern and authoritarian. I sure wouldn't want to have to ask him, if I didn't know him, to take off his shoes and hand over his wallet for inspection. But the security folk apparently have no such compunction. No one ever said such folk were good judges of character or intention or . . . well, insert your own observations based on your airport security experiences. ARGH!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

What Kind of Shopper Are You?
You may remember that I sent our family room furniture to the son of MMMMMM and that I moved the patio chairs inside temporarily until we replaced the sofas. It's been a couple of months now with the DH even visiting our furniture in Japan. Our friends wonder when we're going to stop camping out and actually get some real seating in the family room. We have been shopping but so far haven't been terribly successful.

Neither the DH nor I enjoy shopping. We tend to go out for what we need, see it and buy it, but that's what we did on the last famroom black leather sofa and settee. That proved unsatisfactory for us but perfect for a young bachelor. Two weeks ago we sailed into Macy's and spent a couple of UGH hours. We finally settled on a creme-colored suede sectional, paid for it and left to wait for delivery in about ten days. And we cancelled the order the next day. We've visited other furniture stores since and have seen some great sofas I'd love, BUT it's an order situation and delivery in six to eight weeks. By the time it delivered, I'd already have moved on to something else or a different style. Guess that means I'm into instant furniture gratification or I don't really care that much. Probably the latter as I've been shopping IKEA online and have seen some disposable sofas with changeable covers that might be fun. Oh yeah, I remember now that I bought one of those about a year ago and sent that to the son of MMMMMM, too.

Salesman Torture
I do realize that our shopping pattern could have quite a cost savings--if we don't actually buy. We'll go to a store, like Costco, see a cool canoe, put it in the cart and drive it around the store for a while. Then we put it back after we've "owned" it for a bit. We've enjoyed an item's instant attraction, and imagined ourselves in that canoe, on that sofa or whatever and own it until we "wake up" and move on. Then our lovely dream item becomes just an inanimate thing again much to the distress of many salespeople who thought that sale was a done deal because we're so into it at the time. But that can turn on a dime due to our somewhat mercurial shopping natures. Our son says we engage in salesman torture. Perhaps we do, but my excuse is that I'm a writer and used to living in my head, imagining all sorts of scenarios. Which I apparently extend to my "real" life, too.

It was just my imagination . . . shopping along with meeeeee.

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

I received a glorious gift yesterday. Remember when I said I loved the Veronica Mars show on TV? Well, wonder of wonders, a writer from the show emailed me, saying thanks for blogging about my favorite show. Isn't that huge?!!

The teendrama is so cutting-edge and authentic, in my opinion, due in large part to the VM writer who kindly emailed me. She was a high school librarian and has been in the trenches out there in the public schools. Bless her and all those who are still teaching our kids. Not an easy job these days, if ever. But as they say--what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! And then you have all that good grist for the writer's mill. I'm still telling stories based on my experiences as a classroom teacher. My first two young adult novels also featured parents who were teachers, too. So the Veronica Mars former librarian/writer should have enough material to not only get Veronica graduated from high school this year but through her post-doctoral work at Stanford--if Veronica's wretched mother will stop drinking up and stealing her school money. Sheeesh!

Ooooo, I do love Veronica Mars, for it so presses my buttons and if a TV show doesn't do that--what the heck good is it?!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

I'm a big fan of UPN's teendrama, Veronica Mars, now in its second season. Veronica is a senior at Neptune High and, as usual, the plot thickens. No, make that wicked mutates.

As I remember being a teenager is a dicey business at best. However, Veronica constantly proves there is no safety or lasting happiness or even a breather for kids these days. Kinda like the stock, real estate or auto markets. I'd hate to be a car dealer these days, well, any day, really.

What would be great fun would be working as a writer on the Veronica Mars show. Every time the plot takes an envelop-pushing twist I shout hurrah and can't wait for the next show to see how they develop or resolve the twist. That's what I'm going for when I create my stories and often even surprise myself with a hurrah!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Bye, Bye, Louis Nye
When I was a child I loved the Steven Allen show on TV. He had the famous Man-On-The-Street interviews with crazy characters such as very nervous and stuttering Don Knotts and the cool hipster, Louis Nye, who greeted Steve with, "Hi ho, Steverino!" I loved Louis Nye. He was cool and nuts. Good fun. Louis passed on yesterday at 92, so here's a fond Bye Bye, Louis Nye from a fan who'll miss you.

Holding the Future Loosely
Hard to do that in this time of hyper goal setting and striving. We're all so danged attached to our desired outcomes that it becomes a bit of a challenge to allow for the one thing our tight grip on behavior in an attempt to put our lives on rails can't do anything about--CHANGE. I always say I'm glad for change, but I also admit that when I'm right in the middle of it, change sometimes doesn't feel so great. When I don't achieve what I thought I needed to or experience a loss, yikes. But then I switch tracks if I'm aware enough and move along, move along.

In the delightful book, True Work, we're advised, "When you're holding the future loosely, you bring a certain lightness to your work, which translates into greater flexibility. More choices become available, and you have the freedom to choose what may be a more enlivening direction. Not fixating on the future actually gives you more stability."

I'm still thinking about that . . .

Ciao, Ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

A couple of hundred romance writers from all over the Pacific northwest gathered this weekend for the annual Emerald City Writers Conference held in Bellevue, WA. I love this conference as it's well-organized and of great value to writers of any genre, really.

I always meet such fascinating people with great stories to share. I like to teach the pitching workshop for those who will have editor/agents appointments during the conference. It's great fun to watch the pitchers fill with confidence and even positive anticipation of their pitch opportunity. My paranormal workshop was great! I shared the list of top 10 sci-fi movies that were selected and ranked by "scientists." As I may have said here before, my favorite sci-fi "romance" is Terminator. In my opinion that whole movie was just stuff to get to the main point, the reason for the film where Kyle says to Sarah--"I came though time for you, Sarah. I love you. I always have." Oh yeah! I fast-forward to that part of my own copy of that movie and play it over and over.

I'll be having more fun with romance writers this month in Salem, OR at Mid-Willamette RWA's conference where I'll be presenting a Motivating Your Plot and Your Life workshop. Hope to see your there if you can make it.

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

I'm off to Seattle RWA's annual Emerald City Writers Conference at the Bellevue Coast Hotel. I'm presenting THE SELLING PITCH workshop tonight at 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday at 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. I'll be presenting a paranormal romance workshop, From Sexy Shivers to Everlasting Love: The World of Paranormal Romance

Saturday afternoon from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m, I'll be signing my latest Trust book at the autographing party. The Seattle chapter donates a percentage of the bookfair sales to Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN) If you're in the area and the mood to buy autographed books from your favorite romance authors and want to help Seattle Chapter help victims of domestic violence, come to the Emerald City Bookfair. I'd love to see you!

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMMelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Not Just a Seasonal Issue . . .
Ahhh, Autumn! As I've said the fall was once my favorite season and Halloween my idea of a great holiday--free candy and pretending to be someone or something else. What a great combination! Unless, of course, you choose to put on the cape and fangs and go as a vampire, a blood sucker. And if you wear that over an Armani suit, yeah, you're a lawyer. In any case, I digress--I'm on record as greatly disliking vampires of any sort. They say that what you focus on you create--oh my. I'm in trouble big time and here's why.

Have you ever noticed that when you become aware of, say, a certain type of car you begin to see that particular make of car everywhere? I fear it is the same with what you don't like, too, as I've begun to notice that some things or people rather look like vampires. The one that really has my attention is advertised on TV. It's a little blood sugar testing machine for diabetics. It's a tiny hand-held device that "uses less blood." Oh joy. There's a benefit.

In any case, check it out. The machine is shaped like the archetypical "alien" head and it has a face below the readout screen--eyes, nose and mouth with two pointy teeth. No joke. That's what it looks like to me.

Ah, the world of symbols, how interesting.

Ciao, ciao, MMMMMMMmelinda

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

Adverb Abuse
When a former editor of mine first edited THE ETERNAL TRUST he advised me to quickly and completely remove most adverbs ("ly" words) from the prose. Adverbs are those often over and misused modifiers of verbs that answer questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions and to what degree. Adverbs also modify adjectives or other adverbs to intensify or limit the intensity of the word they modify. The less adverb usage theory being that if you choose a strong enough verb, you don't need an adverb. So whenever I wanted to give the editor a hard time, I'd stick "ly" on just about every word I could. Ah, such fun!

(Note: He's not my editor any more . . .)

Very, Very Potterly
I've just finished reading Harry Potter 6. Though the story had a bit of a slow start, it thumped right along until I began to notice the writer's technique. The woman is very, very in love with adverbs. She'll happily and consistently stick an adverb on any verb, such as "...he said inquiringly." Why not just write "he asked?" Of course, then one might see "he asked strongly" or even "he asked most strongly."

It's a pattern of easy evil, really, using adverbs. Once you throw one in, it seems chained to bunch of others, drawing them relentlessly into your prose like a winch. See what I mean?

Ciao, ciao, Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm--ly

Hi ho, MMMLOGerinos!

So! How are you?
Remember when you used to write letters or obligatory thank you notes when you were a child and started each with, "How are you? I am fine." This is also one of the first phrases foreign language students learn.

When we lived in Brazil many longs ago, we were supposed to be transferred to Munich and decided to take German lessons prior to our departure. (Note: We were transferred instead to London, but we'll always have our German language skills and a taste for smoked pork chops that we used to get a German restaurant in Sao Paulo--hooohaaa!)

Brazil is the land of roving foreign language teachers who will come to your home to teach you any language. We signed on with Ursula, a former SwissAir flight attendant because she was also a language student herself of English and Portuguese. Ursula envied my command of Portanole and certainly wanted to practice her English on me during our lessons. She would begin each session with a brief dialogue that started in English with--"ZZZSO! Me-lin-da, how are you?" I was commanded to answer in German.

The moment she boomed out that "ZZZSO!" I felt like I was about to be interrogated, sweated for information about the Resistance and I would warble a weak, "Ich bin okay?" and follow with some bit of nonsense from a memorized dialogue from the Portuguese/German text such as "Entschuldigen Sie, mein Zug." (Excuse me, my train [is here].) That is one of the few phrases that my DH and I and my son remember. The boy was barely five years old and used to hide under the coffee table in the living room while we had our German lesson. (He's always had an excellent ear for languages.)

A year or so later when the son of MMMM and I flew to Frankfurt to meet my sister and her husband to tour Germany for two weeks, he and my sister loved to make up German-sounding words and treat the train conductors to their fun. It's a wonder we weren't tossed off the trains in some Bavarian hay stack. Good thing I remembered the "Entschuldigen Sie" part of my language training, huh!

Ciao, ciao and Auf Wiedersehn! MMMMMMMMMMMelinda