Seven Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Edition

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

Last month, for the first time, I participated in the Blogging From A to Z April (2017) Challenge. For each of the days in April (minus Sundays) you blog about a topic beginning with the day’s assigned letter. You’re encouraged to blog according to a chosen theme. Mine was my April book release, Rightfully Ours. You then share your posts on blogs and social media. (You can find the links to each of my  posts in my Letter Z post.) In early April, I realized I’d clearly over-extended myself. My book released April 1 and the Facebook launch party and blog tour soon followed. I had volunteer commitments to attend to, and my kids’ springtime sports and activities were gearing up. I persevered, and here are seven ways in which it benefited me. Continue reading

From A to Z Blogging: Z is for Zero Sum Game

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


Z bloggingZ is for Zero Sum Game

Zero-Sum Game: A game in which the winnings of some players must equal the losses of the others. Zero-sum games are mentioned in a political context when it is believed that resources are limited, and every decision will produce both winners and losers. In such situations, political decisions will be made on the basis of trade-offs between competing interests.

In Rightfully Ours, the messy resolution to discovered treasure could be called a zero sum game. No party is completely satisfied with the end result. Compromises are made, deals struck. But in the end, it’s mostly favorable to all. Continue reading

From A to Z Blogging Challenge: Y is for Young Adult

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


Y bloggingY is for Young Adult

I didn’t begin writing Rightfully Ours as a Young Adult (YA) novel. Of course, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but in the start, my youngest protagonist was barely a teen. Once I’d completed a draft, I knew what the book was – a coming of age story. Because my main characters were teens, people wanted to put it into a YA category (well, duh), which I resisted at first. I think the idea of writing for teens intimidates me a bit, since I take seriously the responsibility to “get it right,” particularly if I’m writing about sensitive subjects. Continue reading

From A to Z Blogging Challenge: X is for Xmas

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


X bloggingX is for Xmas

Is it cheating if I’m technically using the Greek letter Chi for my X-themed post? At this point, I’m not looking to get bumped from the A to Z Challenge, but I’m sticking with my Xmas post.

I’ve heard of some people taking offense to the use of “Xmas” as short hand for Christmas. Not sure where that originated, but it is, in fact, the use of chi, which is the first letter of “Christ” in Greek, so, unless someone is using “Xmas” with the specific intention of Xing out Christ (is that thing?), there’s no room for offense. It’s just a timesaver when writing “Christmas” longhand. Continue reading

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: W is for Williamsport

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


W bloggingW is for Williamsport

Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is the setting for Rightfully Ours. This northern central Pennsylvania city in Lycoming County is best known as the home of Little League Baseball. It’s also the site of many natural gas drilling wells, which is part of the reason I set my novel there. (See F is for Fracking.) For a long time, my husband spent several weeks each summer working in the Williamsport market, and many years, I would take the kids to visit him. While he worked, we amused ourselves by visiting local attractions. Continue reading

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: V is for Virtue

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


V bloggingV is for Virtue

Simply put, a virtue is a good habit. Sporadic good deeds don’t cut it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good.” (1803) (Can I just say how much the use of the article “an” with a pronounced H sound annoys me? Okay, I’ve said it. Moving on . . .) Continue reading

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: U is for Underground

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


U bloggingU is for Underground

When I began writing Rightfully Ours during NaNoWriMo 2010, without a clue as to what I was doing, I knew I was creating a story about, in part, buried treasure. Buried implies underground. I set the story near a natural gas well in an area with prevalent fracking. Fracking implies underground. Add the danger of a sinkhole – underground, naturally.

The connection seems quite obvious, but I didn’t put it together as I was writing. It wasn’t until many subsequent drafts later that my underground theme came to the surface. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) Continue reading

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: T is for Treasure

Blogging from A to Z April 2017 Challenge

For the first time, I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! The concept is simple: Each day in April I’ll be blogging on a topic  starting with the letter of the day, beginning with A and progressing to Z by the end of the month. Posts will be short and will relate to my chosen theme: my new coming of age story, Rightfully Ours, released April 1.


T bloggingT is for Treasure

Discovering treasure is the theme of Rightfully Ours. There are several ways in which the theme resonates throughout the story, including the discovery of actual lost treasure and the figurative recognition of that which is valuable. In this case, it is authentic love. Treasure brings to mind buried treasure and pirates, and you’ll find that in the book as well.

In looking up “treasure” before I began this post, I was surprised to learn that the word comes from the Greek and Latin “thesauros/thesaurus,” then through Old French (tresor) to English. I’m sure all writers would agree that the thesaurus (a repository or collection) is a treasure! Continue reading