Hi Everyone! Pat Spencer recently shared news of her latest book, A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling. Read what it’s all about!
Pat Spencer
Author name: Pat Spencer
Genre: Fiction Writing Reference
Book title: A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling
News: Today I’m sharing news of my new book, a storyteller’s writing guide. Here’s the blurb:
Unlock your potential with A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling by award-winning author, Pat Spencer. If you seek to free your imagination from its past confines, this writing guide is perfect for you. With wit and charm, Dr. Spencer shares her expertise on how to write bolder, clearer, and more engagingly. Her thirteen tips will enable you to infuse passion, symbolism, body language, action beats, and sensory experiences into your prose. As a published author of fiction and nonfiction, Spencer’s engaging approach to storytelling makes this book a must-read for those wanting to write tales that readers simply can’t set aside. If you liked Stephen King’s On Writing or Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, you’ll love A Baker’s Dozen for Writers. This book is a powerful resource for seasoned writers as well as those just starting out. So why wait? Unshackle your creativity. Treat yourself to this essential guide and create captivating stories today.
Here’s a recent review by Maddie Margarita from the Southern California Writers Association — “If you still think 13 is an unlucky number, you haven’t read A Baker’s Dozen For Writers: 13 Tips for Great Storytelling. A delicious mix of writing hints and wisdom.”
Are you working on a new book? Have you won an award or a writing contest? Did you just update your website? Maybe you just want to tell readers about an experience you’ve had. Book Club Mom’s Author Update is a great way to share news and information about you and your books.
Email Book Club Mom at bvitelli2009@gmail.com for more information.
Open to all authors – self-published, indie, big-time and anything in between.
Author submissions are limited to one per author in a six-month period.
Bound by Ice by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I checked this captivating eBook out from the library, not realizing it was a middle grade book, but I think it can be enjoyed by all ages! The authors depict the 1879 voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette to the North Pole, in a quest to be the world’s first successful expedition. The U.S. Navy sponsored the expedition and it was mostly funded by James Gordon Bennett, owner of the New York Herald.
Thirty-three men departed San Francisco toward Alaska and the Bering Strait, hoping to cross through to the Arctic Sea and east toward Siberia and the North Pole. Their plan was based on a false theory that the warm Pacific Ocean current called Kuro Siwo would enable them navigate free of ice. Interestingly, the captain and crew used maps drawn a man named Petermann who was considered the “world’s foremost maker of maps,” but had never traveled! Unfortunately, these maps and Petermann’s theories were unreliable and caused them much frustration.
Lieutenant Commander George Washington DeLong hand-picked his sea-faring crew with experts in engineering, navigation, and medicine. Chief Engineer George W. Melville was one of the most notable senior crew members, a Civil War hero and genius in fixing things. Also on board were experienced sailors as well as a naturalist and a newspaper reporter.
As foreshadowed by the title, the ship became trapped in ice and drifted with the ice floes for almost two years! Along the way, they discovered two islands. In 1881, the ship sank due to the crushing pressure of the ice. The crew persevered, however, across ice and eventually via three smaller boats they had managed to save. A violent storm separated the boats and, while some made it to Siberia to be rescued, others died from injury, starvation and cold. Of the thirty-three, twelve survived. DeLong was found dead on the ice, but his journals survived, providing an important record of their journey.
I really liked this account and how the authors included plentiful pictures, renderings, maps, and other documents. I liked seeing their daily menus, which were surprisingly decent. I also liked reading about their daily schedule and how it included two hours of exercise.
It’s hard to believe that these types of expeditions occurred less than 150 years ago. I’m always impressed by these explorers and how tough they were under unimaginable conditions. I recommend Bound by Ice to readers who like history and sea-faring adventures.
I recently stumbled upon this old review of The Weird Sisters and remembered how much I liked it, so I thought I’d share it again. I read it back in 2013 for my book club and I’ve updated this post a bit to fill in some details about the book, including the updated book cover.
After looking into Eleanor Brown’s other books, now I’m interested in reading her latest book, Any Other Family, published in 2022. Follow this link to read all about it.
I really enjoyed reading The Weird Sisters. It is so nice to read book that is actually upbeat as it depicts characters who struggle and confront difficult problems. This is a story about three sisters who face turning-points in their own lives. Their father is a Shakespeare professor and the sisters are all named after women in Shakespeare’s plays (Rose, Bianca, and Cordelia). It is believable, interesting, funny and emotional as the three face their mother’s illness and their own relationships with their parents and themselves. Anyone who has siblings or children of their own will appreciate the dynamics that occur here.
You have to have an open mind about reading this though, and be ready for a lot of Shakespeare references. Their father speaks mostly in verse! And Brown tells this story through what I guess you would call the plural first person, as she speaks as the collective sisters. In the beginning, I thought there was a fourth sister! It’s a little different and awkward at first, but I got used to it. I think she uses this format to show the unity between Cordy, Rose and Bean.
I thought the Shakespeare references might be overwhelming because it has been a long time since I picked up a Shakespeare play. But they weren’t. They are there because they help explain the way the family communicates with each other. You don’t have to remember exactly what happened in King Lear or Macbeth to get the point.
Other people might think this original style is quirky. I did not and I don’t even go for quirky books! It works and, like the Shakespeare references, the style helps you understand the sisters and their story.
Here’s a new batch of shorts from my YouTube channel. What are Shorts? Shorts are 30-second (or shorter!) videos, kind of like stories on Instagram, but they don’t go away after 24 hours. You don’t need a YouTube account to watch them.
A few days ago, I began to ponder which was correct: in sync or in synch. I wanted to add the “h” but it looked funny to me. And then I wondered if I spelled it with an “h” people would think I meant to say cinch, as in a strap to hold a saddle on a horse, a tight grip, or easy peasy, a phrase I almost never use!
My internet search came up in favor of in sync, but some sites say you can use both. Merriam-Webster says this:
in sync, idiom
1: in a state in which two or more people or things move or happen together at the same time and speed. Examples include:
The dancers moved in sync.
The film’s sound and picture need to be in sync.
She moved in sync with her partner.
2: in a state in which two or more people or things agree with or match one another and work together properly. Examples include:
Our ideas are in sync.
The quarterback was in sync with his receivers.
The President is not in sync with the concerns of the people.
Both “in sync” and “in synch” are used, but “in sync” is the more common and generally accepted spelling. They both mean the same thing, indicating that something is synchronized or in harmony with something else.
I don’t know what happened, but I’ve let my book reviews slip and now I’ve read three books without properly reviewing them. So, to get back on schedule, here are quick reviews of books I’ve recently enjoyed:
Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This was a free book on Amazon Prime. I’d never heard of Viveca Sten, but I like Swedish authors and decided to give it a try. Sten is the author of the #1 internationally bestselling Sandhamn Murders series, and her books have sold more than 7.5 million copies. Interestingly, Hidden in Snow was translated by Marlaine Delargy, the same woman who translated An Elderly Lady Is up to No Good by Helene Tursten. (I highly recommend that one, watch my YouTube review here.) Hidden in Snow is a crime novel set in Stockholm and Swedish ski resort Åre. When Hanna Ahlander, a Stocklholm City Police officer whose love life and career are off the rails, retreats to her highly successful sister’s vacation home in Åre, she finds herself in the middle of a case. Amanda Halvorssen, a high school senior, has disappeared after a party. One of the only clues is a scarf found by the side of the road. Hanna is desperate to redeem herself as a police detective and talks the local police department into a job. Readers learn about Amanda’s friends, the party scene, her parents, and questionable relationships, as well as witness her family disintegrate as the hours and days pass. I was totally engrossed in this book and the character development. It’s not too violent or gritty either. I seem to always compare Swedish books to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, which is much more violent and disturbing. This is the first book in the Åre series and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I enjoyed this light and sarcastic look at the nonsense and buzz words and phrases that have infiltrated the corporate world. This story is all about the highly-paid executives of Aurora, an ad-tech company on the verge of being purchased at a whopping price. CEO John Shiller has gathered his executives for a special retreat, including the newly-hired Caitlin Levy who will lead the company in a new series of meta events. No one really understands what that is, but rumors of a $3 million salary have created a lot of problems among her new coworkers. Set in swishy and swanky Miami, the group attends a string of team-building events, while readers learn about individual affairs, beefs, and lives at home. When one of the executives disappears, Shiller and his group carry on, worried that any scandal will get out and cancel the sale. I laughed at all the events and the characters’ ridiculous and inflated corporate roles. I got this book as an ARC from Edelweiss and the book is due for publication on May 14. Rosenblum also wrote Bad Summer People, so it seems this is her niche. Although silly and without much character development, I’d recommend it to readers who want to read something light and fast.
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
If you’re a Louise Penny fan, you will like this story, set in her idyllic village of Three Pines, Québec. This is Book 18 of the Inspector Gamache series. I’ve read two others in this series, A Rule Against Murder and A Great Reckoning and enjoyed them. I read this for my mystery book club and the one thing I will say is that everyone agreed, if you haven’t read a lot, or all her books, this one did not provide as much back story as the others. Several people in my group have read all of them and a few had not read any. With only a couple under my belt, I had a little trouble ramping up, however, once I did, I thought it was a great story. In the present, Gamache is head of homicide for the Sûreté du Quebec and his younger partner, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, also his son-in-law, to solve the mystery of a secret room that has been bricked up since 1862. Additionally, we meet the adult siblings of a woman who was murdered ten years earlier and revisit the case that brought Gamache and the young and inexperienced Beauvoir together. In that case, the daughter, Fiona, then thirteen, was convicted of killing their mother and has just been released from prison. In the present, Gamache and Beauvoir of strongly different opinions of the brother and sister. Gamache thinks the younger brother, Sam is a psychopath and that he played a bigger part in the murder. He’s taken Fiona under his wing and now Fiona is staying with Gamache and his wife. Beauvoir, however, formed a special connection with Sam and defends him to this day. When Sam appears in Three Pines, readers will have to decide for themselves. Is the mystery of the secret room somehow connected? There is a lot more going on!
I’m over on YouTube talking honestly about blogging. I hope you’ll have the chance to stop by!
What’s going on with my blog? What’s it like after blogging for almost 11 years? Blog slumps, blog stats, blogging friends, making time for life, hobbies, work, and everything else.
Tell us about yourself: I have been working in organized commerce for 45 years. I retired in 2012 to begin writing. I am married and live in Texas with my wife and rescue French Bulldog Twiggy.
Tell us about your writing career. When did you first start writing? I tried writing while I was working but it didn’t go well so I waited until I retired to take up writing. That was in 2012.
Do you write full-time? If not, do you have an outside job or other responsibilities? I write full-time but do have to pay attention to my wife and bulldog.
Have you ever based a character on yourself? If so, tell us about it. I think all my characters have a bit of me in them. It may not be a physical or mental attribute. It just might be a secret or not so secret desire, dream, or goal. I tend not to describe my character’s physical attributes since I would rather the reader conger up what the characters look like. So most of the characters that are based on me share some of my philosophies and beliefs rather than foot size.
Have you ever based a character on a family member or close friend? If so, tell us how you navigated what could be a tricky portrayal. I have a book that one of the characters is based on a friend. It so happened that my friend died prior to the book being published so any complex navigation of the portrayal was not necessary. Also, the character was disguised in such a way that the only thing recognizable about him was he was also dead. To the core though the character behaved very much like my friend would have under the circumstances. Of course my subterfuge was completely blown since I dedicated the book to him.
For poetry writers, what moves you to write a poem? I do write what are called Johnkus every week. The reason they are not called Haiku’s is I don’t confine the subject material to natural phenomenon. What moves me is a story about someone doing a good thing for others. Most of my JohnKus are devoted to asking the question, “Why isn’t more being done?”
Describe your editing and publishing experience. What has worked for you and what hasn’t? I do several edits of my books then send the pile to a professional editor. I would advise every author to do the same. Nothing screams unprofessional like a story mistakes and typos. My publishing experience is I was once with a traditional publisher and then went to Indy. I was unhappy with not being in control of when books were published. As an Independent, I publish under my own imprint and do all the formatting and design work myself.
Name three people who have had the greatest influence on you and why. Kurt Vonnegut – I loved his way of writing his stories and he inspired me to try writing. Buddy Holly – He woke up my love for music and became an Icon for living your life on your own terms. Edwin Polk – He was my shop teacher and Boy Scout leader. He taught that you could do or be anything with effort and perseverance.
What event(s) in your life have influenced you as a writer? The first event was my father dying when I was ten years old. I’ve spent the last 73 years living the code that he taught. And the last ten writing it. The second is my good friend Charlie Gruner passing away in 2011. His death caused me to think more about the possibility of an afterlife which is reflected in my books. The third is a near fatal car accident which put me in the hospital for seventy days. The principal of living a day to the maximum became very clear.
Did you have a favorite children’s book when you were growing up? If so, tell us about it and why it’s your favorite. My favorite child’s book was Babar the Elephant. The adventures of Babar caught my imagination and the idea of living the life of luxury that Babar as king of elephants was very appealing to me.
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer? I believe the most difficult thing about being a writer is struggling to get more people to read the work. Gaining reader attention is a difficult task that if one had tons of money would be made easier. Finding the best way to reach readers is an elusive goal.
Tell us about your writing routine. What time of day works best for you? Do you write at home? Someplace else? On a computer or do you use paper and pen/pencil? What works best for me is to work on my current novel before I tackle any other chore. My day starts with a cup of delicious coffee and conversation with my wife. Next is exercise on my street bike or an elliptical at the gym. Once back at the house, showered, and after breakfast I do 500 words of my manuscript. I used to do a thousand, but age has determined 500 to be more reasonable. Once the word goal is complete, I write a blog post and then do some e-mails. I usually have a chore around the house to do and get that done before returning to e-mails. The day wraps about five o’clock and since I love to cook, I am usually preparing the evening meal.
What beverage gets your creative juices flowing? Coffee, tea, soda, energy drink, water or something else? Coffee is my go-to wake up drink. I can’t drink it all day or I would be spending the night wide awake. I keep hydrated with water throughout the day and then wine with dinner.
What do you do to relax? I read to relax. We have several periodicals that are delivered so I enjoy those as well as novels.
What are you reading right now? I am finishing a collection of short stories by Geoff Le Pard
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