 Many writers, whether aspiring, new, or seasoned authors, seek a little inspiration at some point. One of the most obvious but not necessarily well-utilized sources of inspiration is other writers. Some writers do join writing and/or critique groups, but even those can lose their luster if they’re not taken out of their comfortable niche and polished.
A surefire way to add some sparkle to your creative writing bag is to attend a writing event. Book fairs are often free, wonderful places to network, browse, listen to panels and find great reads, but be aware that their main focus is often marketing and sales. That’s why most folks only attend for a single day. Depending on the size of the book fair, there is often so much to see over acres of booths and displays you might feel overwhelmed and rushed, unable to get into all too few crowded, popular sessions. On the other hand, there’s something about a writing conference, something about that small group discussion, the panel of known and unknown authors sharing their creative journeys and real-world advice, the chance to learn and even practice new writing techniques with a diverse range of friendly, like-minded strangers that makes you look at your own work with new insight. Most writing conferences have a range of workshops and opportunities for learning, often spread out over several days, even a week, that allow you to fill your schedule with a variety of meaningful experiences just right for your own personal needs and interests. That sounds great, but they’re so expensive and traveling itself is so cost prohibitive right now, you say? Even the harshest skeptic can’t scoff at a free, virtual International workshop. Here’s just one in July, 2022: greatwriting.org.uk You can find more online. If, on the other hand, the sky and globe are the limit, why not travel to France to attend a Paris Café Writing event? Paris Café Writing | Web site for Paris Cafe Writing workshops. Looking for some warm weather in an American city? How about visiting California to attend Writer Digest’s Novel Writing Conference in October? Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference (writersdigestconference.com) You can also explore conventions. They specialize in specific genres, such as the wonderful convention they have here in November, TusCon. It’s a small (300-500 people) Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Convention. They are small and diverse, and even have screen writers, movie makers, artists, celebrities, cosplay fashion, science presentations, and a shared love of the written word, especially in sci-fi and fantasy. So, if you are lucky enough to have a small critique group, perhaps it would be fun to encourage them to attend a special writing event with you. Some of the most fun I’ve had is attending writing events with friends.
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Audiobooks saw a big uptick in sales during the pandemic. Why did so many people listen to audiobooks rather than reading from digital or paper versions of stories? There are many reasons, and they often depend upon the individual, but one of the main reasons is the ability to enjoy a story with a more social feel. If you go for a walk to get out of the house and don’t like being around others, you can still enjoy the feel of being social by listening to someone talk to you.  Several studies have been done comparing the comprehension retained between audio and written words and it was found that since you can rewind and relisten to audio, just as you can reread portions of written text, there was little difference between what was retained between the control groups.  Like a little excitement and a tingle running down your spine? My New Year's Resolution is to collect and try as many foreign recipes as possible. I started with cookies! Aren't you glad? For New Years’, I made French Madeleines. I dipped some in chocolate because my husband actually loves chocolate more than any female I’ve ever met. He’s a self-proclaimed chocoholic. Fine by me! You do need a special pan for this if you want the lovely shell design on one side, but you can find them easily. Here’s the recipe I used. Classic French Madeleines Recipe - Baker by Nature For my husband’s birthday, which is today, actually, I made a chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting. I wanted to make a Bundt cake for speed and flavor and couldn’t readily find my recipe, so went online to search. The one with best reviews called for a chcolate cake mix and a brown mix. Really? A mix, scoffed this snobby bakery elitist! Did you know there were recipes for ‘homemade’ box cakes and brownies? Seriously: Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix Recipe | Food Network Kitchen | Food Network Homemade Brownie Mix {VIDEO} | I Am Baker I also made some Oreshki--Russian Walnut cookies. This was no mean feat as I had quite a problem finding a walnut cookie press that actually makes ½ a walnut shaped shell, which when stuffed with caramel or some other yummy ingredient is pressed together to make a ‘walnut’ shaped cookie. They are quite popular in Russian, Ukraine and Poland, but I had never had one or personally known anyone to make them. My friend from Czechoslovakia knew what they were but had never had or made them. If you have a gas stovetop, you can easily find an Oreshki press online, but it is much more difficult to find an electric press. Why? They have European plugs. I finally found one on Ebay, and they assured me it had a US plug. Actually it came with an adapter attached, but it had been wired to adapt to the US outlets. It worked great and I ever got one that made 24 nut shells (12 cookies) at once. Russian Walnut Cookies - Momsdish
I made a chocolate variety (I have established why) as well as the traditional sugar cookie type, and honestly think the original tasted best, but hubs liked them both (of course). The electric press is not as deep as the manual ones for gas stovetop use, so the nuts are not as round an oval as an actual walnut. My husband said they would make great cookies for Easter as they look like eggs. He suggested that I could also dip them in . . . you guessed it, chocolate. LOL! Here are the recipes I used for the cookies. Just so you know, you can purchase the Le Leche already made rather than trying to cook unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk (the idea of which was very frightening to me, as I thought they might blow up!). I don’t JUST bake, or course, and recently ran across a recipe for Machi so that I can use green tea ice cream (found that recipe too!) and make Japanese machi balls! LOVE them! I’ll probably make some in June if not before, as it’s the hottest month of the year here in the desert of AZ. Maybe I’ll share some of my favorite Asian recipes with you sometime! So what’s next? How about sending me some delicious cookie recipes from other countries? Who doesn’t love a cup of coffee or tea or brrrr hot cocoa with a cookie while they read? I have surfed the net to find some of what I think are the most affordable and/or easy craft ideas for the holidays. First let’s start with a few fun ornaments. First up? Peppermint Candy Ornaments shared with links to the original author Shae at Hello Homebody! Why did I think to include this? Simple, few materials needed, and fun. All you need is some simple shaped metal cookie cutters, nonstick cooking spray, parchment paper, string or ribbon for hanging and some circle peppermints (which I get at the dollar store at $1 per bag). I had everything but the peppermints on hand! The full directions are on this great blog post by Shea from Hello Homebody! Peppermint Candy Christmas Ornaments (hello-homebody.com)  Want something you can make with younger kids? How about gathering some buttons, pipe cleaners, craft glue, felt, popsicle sticks and cotton balls and letting your youngsters make some cotton ball snowmen or sheep ornaments? What could be more fun or less hassle?
Have some more talented crafters in your family? How about origami and paper gift tags and ornaments? This was one of the most interesting sites I found, and I’m a seasoned origami fan! My favorite was her heart gift tags!  10 Origami Ornaments for Cute DIY Christmas Tree Decorations
by MELISSA EPIFANO You can also do a quick youtube search and you also come up with some great how-to visuals on cute DIY ideas! Here’s some I found: 1 minute star ornament: DIY One Minute Paper Star Christmas Ornaments - YouTube Easy diamond ornaments: Easy and rich - Origami diamond ornaments. Christmas decoration. Ideas for Christmas - YouTube Paper Snowflake: Paper Snowflake / Christmas Snowflake ❄️ - YouTube 3D Christmas trees: 3D Paper Christmas Tree | How to Make a 3D Paper Xmas Tree DIY Tutorial - YouTube Christmas Angel made from real money, what a great gift topper! My MONEY CHRISTMAS ANGEL | Decoration for your Xmas Tree | Dollar Origami | Tutorial DIY by NProkuda - YouTube 3D snowflakes, which look great hanging from the ceiling or window, as I used to teach kids to make these for extra credit and hang them all over the classroom! 3D Paper Snowflakes DIY - YouTube Fancier 3d snowflakes:: 6 Easy and Attractive Paper Wall Hangings - DIY Christmas Paper Decoration Ideas - YouTube I hope these ideas got your own ideas flowing! And they sure do give you some ideas for keeping bored kids active in positive, creative ways! Happy Holidays! When you get a great review, you can't help but share it, so here's a review for my current horror anthology (in which I have 2 tales), by a Pulitzer nominated author! “I Bring the Storms.” What a galvanizing title. A little like thunder (with lightning sure to follow). And you don’t have to forecast the weather to know that will happen when you turn the cover of Tell-Tale Publishing’s 6th Annual Horror Anthology. Their well-established debuts of prior collections delivered fully on chills and things that go bump in the night. I BRING THE STORMS & OTHER TALES evokes something subliminal about the thin line between a rational universe and what lies beyond. Get to know the characters and their human passions, their fears and desires, then awaken to the eerie crumbling of sanity as subtle as an unexpected breath on the back of your neck. – Thomas Sullivan, USA best-selling author of CASE WHITE  Available on Halloween Wherever Books are Sold Looking for Mr. Right? If he's too good to be true, he is. Know a college student who's looking forward to holiday break? Better hope they're not alone in the dorms. Not college aged? Then be careful you don't spend too much time home alone. Your memories may be all you have left. It still may be better than being stuck in the wilderness with a hungry pack stalking you. And if you think the devil made you do it, he probably did. You may have killed your best friend. But even the dead have tales to tell. Be sure you stock plenty of candles to illuminate their way. You'll need them. You won't want to sleep with the lights off, if you can even get to sleep.
Halloween is my absolute favorite Holiday! I love the decorated houses, and stores--every year my hubbs and I have fun visiting our local Halloween Spirits store. Yes, I'm that irritating person who pushes every single button on their displays and laughs every time at how corny they are. It's fun! I used to love going to Haunted Houses, Haunted Rides at Amusement Parks, and I still take a Ghost Tour whenever I go on vacation. It's a really fun way to learn about a new city. I've taken ghost tours all over the country. For example: San Diego, New Orleans and Charleston, They were all fun in their own way. What's also fun is the Halloween Horror Party my Publisher has every year. They also publish a horror story anthology, and I add to that as well. I'll tell you more about that soon, for now, be sure to catch this year's horror party and be sure to check out Beetlejuice's special cocktail recipe! www.halloweenhorrorparty.org  Not everyone lives in the desert, but everyone needs to be aware of the importance of good skin care. There are several reasons I became hypersensitive to skin care. First, I moved to the desert from the Midwest. The dry climate and hot sun sucked the moisture from my skin, hair, and nails. Next, I had skin cancer on my face. The doctor informed me it was from sun exposure in my teens and twenties (in the Midwest). Finally, I got older. Over 5 1/5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. Pretty surprising, I know. The sun can really damage your skin. That includes sunshine that’s reflected off snow or water, because both heat and cold are hard on your skin. The cold winter winds or hot, dusty summer breezes can also damage the sensitive skin of your face and hands, your neck, or any skin that’s exposed. Although many adults pay more attention to skin care as they age, many young people don’t notice the abuse they subject their skin to, but that’s when proper skin care should begin, in our youth. Teens are more likely to use skin care products for acne, and often experience oily skin so don’t consider using moisturizers with sunscreen or even using sunscreen itself, in either the summer or winter months. Year-round skin care is essential for a more youthful, bright-looking skin, whatever your age. I know most people know this, but they sure don’t take good care of their skin. Several skin care products are available and carry different formulas for different skin types, such as sensitive, oily, dry and aging. Just a few choices include: CeraVe, Aveeno, Eucerin, Gold Bond, OGY, Neocurtis and Jergens. These are all over body lotions. Special care should be taken with the delicate skin of face, neck and chest areas. Some of the most affordable skin creams with SPF protection are Oil of Olay, Loreal, Ponds, Jergens, and Kiehl’s, Elizabeth Arden, Clinique and others. The point is to do your research, find the skin care products that best fits your needs and budget, and use them every day for the rest of your life. The sooner the better! Enjoy that summer glow!  My contribution to this year's anthology is Bride of Bazel. Linnea is a new bride, and she's on her honeymoon, but her husband's name is Mehmet. She has a Siamese cat named Sabrina, too. You'll have to read her story to discover why the title is appropriate. Also contained in perhaps the best ever anthology are: The grey-suit guys portray a great rat race, but if you think that’s scary get to know the burbs. They’re a real jungle. Prepare to look at your modern home a little closer and be sure you’re wearing protective eye gear. This year’s anthology will take you back to to the Wild Wild West and the Salem that nightmares are made of. It'll teach you some white magic learned by children at their mother’s knee from the time of the Celts. You can travel through time but be careful not to become a sacrifice in a secret ritual or a player in a not-so-fun game in which only the jinn know the rules. "Now in its fifth incarnation, Tell-Tale's horror anthologies have become an annual benchmark of emerging talent and well-told stories. The select seven featured here will yank you backward and forward again in time, visiting the exotic and the seemingly mundane, at a pace and a pulse calibrated for Halloween chills. Beware of a cat named Sabrina and a Celtic goddess with a passport to Salem – yes, that Salem. An old farmhouse could hold more vivid memories than just its mortal foundations, and think twice about rescuing the sister of a young boy if you find yourself in a desert. Twins may not be what they seem, so hang onto your hat (and your head). For that matter, hang on to your whole body unless you want to risk permanent eviction. Also, you may never use steak knives again. Trick or treat! " –Thomas Sullivan--USA Today best-selling novelist (https://thomassullivanauthor.com) 
Max and Charlotte return for the explosive conclusion of the “By Moonlight” series . . . and the stakes have never been higher!
He’s the Promised One A Mobster’s attack dog turned legitimate business powerhouse, Max Savoie is the reluctant leader of New Orleans’ shapeshifter clan. They’ve kept to anonymous shadows, working and living unnoticed by the human world until their new Shifter King’s past draws dangerous outsiders who threaten all. She’s the Protector A fiercely determined NOPD detective, Charlotte Caissie has sworn to defend her beloved city and her unborn child from both criminals and otherworldly factions at war. While standing boldly at the side of her mate/husband, secrets from the past return to shake the foundation of her beliefs. They have a Problem Walking a marital tightrope between opposite worlds, Max and Cee Cee’s paths place truth and trust at odds when outside threats force enemies to become allies. The time to take a stand for their family and their future is at hand. Time to rise together for the survival of all they love! “Every delicious word on the page exhilarates with a sensuous ferocity. Hopelessly addicted.” – NYT bestselling author, Darynda Jones 
Elizabeth, thanks for hosting a stop on my new release, RISE BY MOONLIGHT’s blog tour!! I also have to thank you for that shared love of the otherworldly that’s taken us several times to New Orleans, the city that inspired my “By Moonlight” series, and for my fascination with Tarot which found its way into the series via one of its heroines, a French Quarter psychic. Being on sites where my books take place helped add an incomparable depth to the stories. While on our week-long visit to NOLA back in 2010, what fun to have written my promo articles for Book 1, MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, in the Quarter House where Silas and Nica will later reside. To take swamp boat tours on Max’s bayous, ride the street cars, enjoy Haunted History tours through the Bradys’ Garden District and Colin and Mia’s Quarter, take plantation visits to homes like Kip and Ophelia’s, and embark on an enthusiastic quest to sample all the authentic cuisine we could find along the way. Then be lucky enough to return last year for a special event (Happy Anniversary to you and Kenton!) for another chance to explore more settings for RISE BY MOONLIGHT, the final book in the series. We soaked it all up, from Court of the Two Sisters and the Old Absinthe House to taking an hour-long post-vow renewal carriage tour through the neighborhoods and having fortunes told in Chartres Street shops and on the Square while serenaded by the sounds of my favorite city. How else could I have incorporated those tiny details like the broken sidewalks (banquettes!) CeeCee and Babineau travel that are still wet after being swept clean of party debris every morning, the fortuneteller tables like Phe’s surrounding the Square, the Sunday bells from the cathedral, the constant movement of cargo along the Mississippi, and awe of that epic view CeeCee and Max must share from their penthouse high above the rooftops? Add the scent of the city—old and worn, rich and spicy, damp and soul-deep hot. And the sounds—music from every doorway and street corner, accents from every corner of the globe, the jingle of carriage harnesses and honks from the steady stream of cabs and tour buses. The taste—powdered sugar beignets, sweet crawfish, tangy BBQ, rich gumbo, right from the Gulf to the table seafood, and Hurricanes in plastic cups while walking. The sights—exotic dancers through open doorways in the middle of the day, mimes and living statues, streetcars and lines of weary carriage horses and mules flicking off flies while they doze by the square. Those things are the heart of this unique place called home to my shapeshifter outcasts who search for the promised leader who’ll save them from surrounding threat. Max Savoie’s city. My favorite city for you to enjoy as you travel the pages of RISE BY MOONLIGHT. Laissez les bon temps rouler! 
Nancy Gideon is the award-winning, bestselling author of 68 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix. She’s also published under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings. She recently retired after 20 years as a legal assistant and, when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl. For more information on the author, her books, or the “House of Terriot” and “By Moonlight” series, visit Nancy on the web.
Nancy’s Media Links: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter
- Rise by Moonlight: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iBooks 
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I blog there the 18th of each month!
Elizabeth Alsobrooks's books on Goodreads
The Keeper's Secret: Tell-Tale Publishing's Annual Horror Anthology
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2016 NaNoWriMo Winner!
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