R is for Rubes – A to Z (WR)

For the A to Z challenge, I've been examining different types of characters from books, movies, and television. Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of reading about a character is seeing a little bit of yourself or someone you care about within them.  It's not a Mary Sue for the reader, but in many …

Outrunning the bitterness

Life always has its challenges.  Big and small storms that can, if you let them, turn your outlook from sweet to bitter. Divorce (my most recent storm) is definitely one of life's challenges that can be thrown your way.  But how do you stop the terrible things in life from pushing you into bitterness? Well, I'd …

Quotes for hard times

I love words - obviously, I'm a reader and a writer.  But I've always loved them and recognized the power in them. But you have already discovered that for yourself.  You already know that there's nothing like listening (and singing along, in my case) to a song when you're happy/sad/nostalgic. I love singing (more accurately …

Wisdom from the road

Wisdom from the road I travel a lot for work and being away from family, friends, and my dog can make me somewhat introspective and poetic.  This past week, I was traveling for business and on the trip home (perhaps due to being over-tired), I was struck by the wisdom in the traditional airline safety demonstration - "Remember …

Gaslight(-ing)

Gaslight  When Paula was young, she suffered a traumatic loss - the death of her aunt and guardian.  The murder was never solved and the young Paula traveled to Italy to escape this horrible past. Years later, she falls in love and marries a man who convinces Paula to move back to England to the …

Life and the power of words

I guess I've always loved a good story - hearing them, laughing with the storyteller, and telling them (especially the funny ones).  I've gone through long stretches of my life when I didn't write much of anything - when I would struggle to finish a scene and like many writers, I have several abandoned projects. …

Why do we educate our daughters?

Conversations in Transit Series - Post #2 I travel a lot and I've found that the conversations you have (or remember) in the air and on the road are sometimes the deepest and the most entertaining... Many of these stories have some basis in reality, but they are definitely fiction, as creative license has been liberally …

Evolution of Relationships in Novels…as explained by my dog

Evolution of relationships in novels...as explained by my dog's interactions with the cable guy 🙂 I watched Bella (I promise, I did not name her after Twilight's lame heroine) interact with the cable guy yesterday, and I couldn't help being amused at her steps toward him.  Then I got to thinking, how very similar her …