tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53901255000690476312024-03-13T04:26:36.873-07:00Love HandlesRamona's ramblings on love, life, and.....Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-89244953066107914082012-11-11T00:30:00.000-08:002012-11-11T00:30:04.977-08:00Rising from the DeadHello, World --<br />
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You probably thought I'd died. Nope! Here I am again, my blog reborn. And I'll begin my new blog life by posting a short series having to do with exciting changes in libraries.<br />
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Boring, you say? Not if you're a reader or writer or just a devotee of learning, knowledge, and/or libraries, in general.<br />
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First up, I wonder how many of you have ever heard a song from the 40s titled simply "Linda." <br />
<i>"When I go to sleep, I never count sheep, I count all the charms about Linda...."</i> No? Well, it doesn't really matter, anyway, because there's a new babe in town whose name is Lynda. To be more specific, it's <b><a href="http://www.lynda.com/"><u>www.lynda.com.</u></a></b> And I think you'll want to get acquainted with this website, home to a collection of 40,000 video tutorials on fascinating new stuff like iPhones, Social Networking, Video Editing, 3D+ Animation, Photo Management, Databases, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc., etc. etc... In fact, I'm told that lynda.com (available by subscription) has over 3,400 hours of video content, on just about anything you want to learn...or simply need to review.<br />
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Sound good? To learn more, lynda.com offers a <b>free trial</b>. Check it out and let me know what you think.<br />
<span><span style="background-color: #ead1dc;"></span></span><br />
--Ramona<br />
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<br />Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-32239578072069595132012-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:002012-02-26T11:43:16.710-08:00My Ol' Recipe Box<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Ol' Recipe Box</b></div>
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This week found me digging in my kitchen cabinets for my stuffed, much used-and-abused recipe box. Why? Because I'm contributing to an upcoming group cookbook. And as always happens when I go through that box, I was immediately assailed with the memories which each and every tattered card evokes. Memories of the friends and family members whose handwriting is now fading. So, for a change of pace, my post today is about food. Hope you enjoy the following.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pear Honey</b> </div>
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9 cups of chopped, fresh pears<br />
1 large can of crushed pineapple (undrained)<br />
5 cups of sugar
Cook until thick and seal in hot jars<br />
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I have no idea why the recipe bears that name, since it doesn’t contain any honey, it was given to me by my mother-in-law, a wonderful cook. The combination of these three ingredients produces a unique flavor, delicious as a topper for toast or homemade biscuits (yum-yum). It’s one of my husband’s favorites<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Catfish Charlie</b> (9-day slaw)</div>
1 large cabbage, thinly slithered<br />
1 large onion, sliced thin<br />
½ cup of sugar<br />
Sprinkle sugar on sliced cabbage & onions and set aside. Then combine the following in a small pan:<br />
1/3 cup of sugar<br />
1 t. dry mustard<br />
1 t. celery seed<br />
1 cup of white vinegar<br />
½ cup vegetable oil<br />
Bring this combo to a boil and pour over cabbage/onion mixture. Chill thoroughly (overnight is good). Stir well before serving. Keeps well.<br />
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Another of my recipes with an odd name, the above was my mother’s specialty and requires a very large mixing bowl. She and my step-dad were big on fishing and fish-fry gatherings, so I’m pretty sure that’s where the Catfish Charlie name came from. (Note: Splenda may be substituted for all or part of the sugar.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Fresh Tomato Relish</b> </div>
1 qt. fresh tomatoes<br />
¼ large green bell pepper<br />
1 small white or yellow onion<br />
Chop into a tall container and top with<br />
1 t. salt<br />
2 T. sugar<br />
2 T. of white vinegar<br />
DO NOT STIR. Let set overnight till ready to serve. Then stir<br />
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That recipe came from my mother-in-law’s sister, also a wonderful cook. We love fresh sliced tomatoes, but when I have an abundance, this relish is a delicious change.<br />
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All of these people are now gone from my life, but the recipes -- and the memories -- will always remain. I hope it’s the same at your house, and you have a recipe box of memories like I do. Bask in those wonderful memories, and use the feelings they evoke in your writing. The result will be true-to-life emotion and very real characters.<br />
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<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"> Ramona Butler</span></i></div>
www.ramonabutler.com<br />
http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=20_37&product_id=471Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-28650030354161235512012-02-12T20:03:00.001-08:002012-02-12T20:16:02.092-08:00Partnerships!<b>Partnerships!</b><br />
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You already know there are many, many kinds of partners. Exercise. Conjugal. Drinking (lol). Some of which are way more difficult than others. And the most difficult of all? If you said "Marriage" you get a gold star. But have you ever considered a writing partnership?<br />
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Before I wrote my BORDER HEAT (published as an ebook by Champagne Books, Calgary), I was one-half of a writing partnership which authored six short, contemporary romances, four of which found publishers in Australia and the Netherlands (paperback) and in the USA (hard cover, paperback, and electronic). Plus, we've now "indie" published (as ebooks, available for Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's NOOK, and others) all six: JADED HEARTS, DANCE WITH DESTINY, HIGH FLYING LOVE, SAGEBRUSH CINDERELLA, SABRINA SAYS, AND TROUBLE IN 3-D.<br />
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That, and the fact I've been married for several decades, should tell you I have a bit of experience in partnerships. The secrets of my marital partnership, I’ll keep to myself, but I'm going to let you in on some of the fun -- and frustrations -- of a partnership in the writing arena.<br />
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember, the goal is to produce the best book possible -- <i>and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage.</i><br />
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"Did my partnership result in bloodshed?" you ask. Nope, but like any partnership there were both ups and downs, pluses and minuses. For instance, my writing partner was a speed demon writer, while I agonized (and it takes a bunch of time for me to agonize) over every word. The plus of that, she forced me to write faster (just to keep up), but I forced her to dig deeper (for the exact word or action and/or reaction).<br />
<br />
Two other aspects of our partnership: (1) My partner disliked losing valuable writing time to research. Me? Research gave me a reason to ask lots of questions and investigate subjects I might otherwise never have visited. (2) She looked at life through a fresh window, unclouded by my additional twenty years of battling the good -- but never-gonna-win -- battles. (3) She'd never traveled out of California, but I'd traveled to fifty states, including Hawaii and Alaska -- i.e.I had first-hand knowledge of distant, intriguing settings for our stories.<br />
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So, would I consider co-writing again? Yes, but only if we -- as we did in that original partnership -- were both certain our personalities could co-exist without damage to either, and that we would be equal partners in the endeavor.<br />
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Bottom line, would I recommend writing with a partner?<br />
Yes, but choose wisely . Remember that, as in marriage, there will be lots of give and take. Which also means you will be giving up a certain amount of control over the final product.<br />
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P.S. I'm happy to report that although my ol’ co-writer no longer write together, we are still friends.<br />
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<i>by</i> <i>Ramona Butler</i><br />
www.ramonabutler.com<br />
BLOG -- http://ramonabutler.blogspot.com/<br />
Sabrina Says http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G<br />
Trouble in 3-D http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W<br />
Sagebrush Cinderella http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2<br />
Dance with Destiny http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC<br />
High Flying Love http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8<br />
Jaded Hearts http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI<br />
Border Heat http://amzn.com/BOO54LNZHK<br />
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Border Heat Excerpt:<br />
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A gunshot shattered the silence. And from out of nowhere, a large form, blacker than the black night, slammed her to the ground, covered her. Air swooshed from her lungs. She gasped for breath, twisting, thrashing, fighting the hulk that had landed on top of her. When her knee struck soft tissue, she was rewarded with a oath, then a hoarse, low-pitched, "For God's sake, stop your squirming. I'm trying to save your unappreciative hide!"<br />
Stunned by recognition of that husky rumble, she stilled. "Jess?" Lord, he was heavy. Solid muscle.<br />
"Shhh, don't talk." Words breathed against her temple.<br />
"Get off me, you--"<br />
His callused hand covered her mouth and shut off her words. She twisted again, writhing, bucking--with no success whatsoever.Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-26339032137739917782011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:002011-12-04T00:01:00.124-08:00YOU want MY heroine to do WHAT???Have you ever considered writing with a partner?<br />
<br />
Before I wrote BORDER HEAT, I was one-half of a writing partnership which authored six short, contemporary, romances, four of which found publishers. Which means, I have a bit of experience in that arena, so I'm going to let you in on some of the fun -- and frustrations -- of writing with a partner.<br />
<br />
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember that the goal is to produce the best book possible -- <i>and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage</i>.<br />
<br />
Did our partnership result in blood? you ask. Nope, but like any partnership (dare I mention the "m" word and say it was almost like a marriage) there were both pluses and minuses. My partner was a speed demon writer, while I agonized (and it takes a bunch of time for me to agonize) over every word. The pluses of that, she forced me to write a little faster (just to keep up) but I forced her to dig deeper -- for the exact word or action and/or reaction.<br />
<br />
Two other aspects of our partnership: (1) She disliked losing valuable writing time to research. Me? Research gave me a reason to ask lots of questions and investigate subjects I might otherwise never have reason to visit. (2) She looked at life through a window unclouded by my additional twenty years of battling the good -- <i>never-gonna-win</i> -- battles. (3) She'd never traveled out of California, but I'd traveled to fifty of our fifty-one states, including Hawaii and Alaska -- i.e. first-hand knowledge of interesting settings for our stories.<br />
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So, would I consider co-writing again? Yes, but only if I were certain our personalities could co-exist without damage to either, and that we would be equal partners in the endeavor. <br />
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Would I recommend writing with a partner to other writers? Yes, but choose wisely. Remember what I said about that "m" word. And realize, going in, that you are giving up a certain amount of control over the final product.<br />
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Bottom line: I'm happy to report that although we no longer write together, we are still friends.<br />
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--Ramona Butler author of Border Heat<br />
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<a href="http://thewritersvineyard.com/feeds/posts/default">The Writers Vineyard</a><br />
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Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-91447818140935088892011-10-08T11:58:00.000-07:002011-10-08T17:08:07.793-07:00Follow Your Heart<span lang="EN"> <div align="center">Follow Your Heart</div><div align="center"></div> <br />
This week the world lost a creative genius, Steve Jobs.<br />
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To tell the truth, I didn’t know a lot about the man or his role in today’s electronic world . . . until I happened across a speech he’d given to a Stanford University graduating class. <br />
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No, he didn’t attend Stanford. In fact, in what I’ve learned was his trademark, unassuming manner, he told the seniors that addressing them was the closest he’d ever gotten to graduating from college. Steve Jobs was a college drop-out.<br />
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Without the slightest trace of regret, he indicated it had been an economic decision. But that it turned out to be one of the smartest things he’d ever done. Why? Because it “freed” him to “drop in” on other, non-required classes--as he searched for what he wanted to do with his life.<br />
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He followed his heart. And look how that turned out.<br />
Think Apple. Think personal computers. Think iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac, and iTunes.<br />
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Jobs, in that aforementioned speech, said that during his self-described “drop-in” period he slept on the floor of a friend’s dorm room, collected cans and bottles for money to buy food, and walked seven miles across town every Sunday for a hot meal. <br />
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Today, in memory, the media is calling Jobs a “visionary.” But he would probably dispute that label since he said that it’s impossible to look into the future and “connect the dots.” That it is only when a person looks back that he or she can see how the dots connect.<br />
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Think computer mouse and computer animation. Think electronic ink. Think electronic books….<br />
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Thank you, Steve Jobs, for following your heart. <br />
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<i>by Ramona Butler <br />
(Think Border Heat, now available in electronic format from www.ChampagneBooks.com/)</i></span>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-77264395216230391292011-09-24T21:50:00.000-07:002011-09-24T21:50:07.883-07:00High Flying Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67enptdxRXg7QunVRYUFMh_2SkcsEpIiH02hPdk_NZdkQYy9CH0fykYI4WP-TlfNtoZLHzqQ-kNgcwFLBhgTU1nFuGyOjiYLsFGV006k2msbPx4BlpU9C1Dih3rNmCdNoBde8Qs_I23Fd/s1600/High+Flying+Love+small-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67enptdxRXg7QunVRYUFMh_2SkcsEpIiH02hPdk_NZdkQYy9CH0fykYI4WP-TlfNtoZLHzqQ-kNgcwFLBhgTU1nFuGyOjiYLsFGV006k2msbPx4BlpU9C1Dih3rNmCdNoBde8Qs_I23Fd/s320/High+Flying+Love+small-1.jpg" width="228px" /></a></div>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-60037514335215590262011-09-09T22:30:00.000-07:002011-09-09T22:30:49.196-07:00Camels, Ostriches, and Water Buffalo...Oh my!<span lang="EN"></span><br />
<div align="center">Camels, Ostriches, and Water Buffalo….Oh my!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div> One would think that with summer drawing to a close and the kids back in school, life would quickly return to dull and boring, with long stretches of nothing to do. But that’s not true if you live in northern Nevada (the Reno/Carson City/Virginia City area), where September weekends offer some favorite events.<br />
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As a California transplant, I had heard that the annual Virginia City Camel Races were among the area’s most entertaining offerings, but I had no idea what to expect when I embarked on a research trip to VC. One thing I certainly hadn’t expected, was to see ostriches and water buffalo being ridden in some of the races.<br />
Now, low-slung, short-legged water buffalo aren’t exactly built for racing. Their speed leans more toward lumbering -- but not on cue. They pretty much march to their own drummer - and come to purposeful stops whenever the mood strikes them.<br />
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Long-legged ostriches appear more-likely mounts, but somebody must have forgotten to advise them of the fact, because they look like hysterical, ungainly divas as they high step around the race course with feathers flapping.<br />
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Oh, and don’t forget the camels, which history tells us, were actually imported to the Comstock Lode during the glory days of gold mining. But you won’t see any these days except at events like the eagerly anticipated camel race -- which turned out to be a side-splitting farce. The best comedy writers couldn't pen a funnier script.<br />
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So if you need a good laugh, run, don’t walk, to Virginia City for this year’s event, September 9 - 11, 2011. That’s right, they began today, but there are still two days worth of belly laughs waiting for you.<br />
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Oh, and the title of that book I was researching is SAGEBRUSH CINDERELLA, available in the Kindle ebookstore at Amazon.COM. And, yes, the camel races play a part in this lighthearted romance. Enjoy!<br />
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--Ramona<br />
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.Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-36588523351187348782011-07-17T00:04:00.000-07:002011-07-17T00:04:01.019-07:00Reminiscing<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Reminiscing</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last weekend marked the second anniversary of my mother’s death, a woman who was reputed to be such an imp in her youth that she caused her father to lose all his hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday, however, I was thinking more of how she tried to help him overcome his baldness, my favorite bit of family folklore.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Like all good tales, it should begin, “Once upon a time,” so please indulge me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once upon a time, I remember my grandfather showing me an old snapshot of a dashing young man who sported an abundance of dark hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my amazement, he claimed that was himself, “Back in my courting’ days,” he said with a bemused grin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Seeing that photograph of him in his prime, I could easily imagine his dismay at the loss of those luxurious locks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I had nothing to do with it,” my mother protested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was purely coincidental.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But I’ve been told that, about the time my mother entered her teens, a family friend suggested Grandad paint his head with tincture of iodine, vowing that scientists had discovered the red-orange liquid, normally used for tending childhood scrapes, was a hair restorer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Could it be true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grandad wanted to believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after much deliberation -- and mindful that iodine leaves a stubborn stain -- he asked his youngest child, my mother, to apply “just a small spot” of iodine on the top of his bald head.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mother, the mischievous, was quick to oblige.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for the next few days, her father kept their experiment hidden beneath his ever-present hat, an article he wore year-round as protection against the Arkansas sun.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then, the weekend brought its traditional round of Saturday night baths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And on Sunday morning, the whole family trooped off to church, where the hat, of course, had to come off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With quiet dignity, mother’s parents took their customary seats is the very front pew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother, meanwhile, joined the other young people seated in the last row of the sanctuary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Services started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All eyes swung to the front and Grandad tilted his head back for a better view of the raised pulpit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Snickers and giggles erupted behind him, drowning out the preacher’s earnest words</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Sh-h-h!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grandad shushed loudly, turning to glare at the tittering youths.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My mother insisted that she and the rest of the youthful contingent tried to display the proper reverence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But when everyone focused their attention to the front,” she exclaimed in mock horror, “there on the top of my father‘s bald head, undimmed by Saturday night‘s conscientious scrubbing, was my masterpiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>A heart pierced by an arrow!”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I remember Mother’s laughter, I think about what a disappointment I must have been, a child who was always so serious, she told everyone I was twelve years old when I was born.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I hope I’ve redeemed myself, however, with what my editor refers to as the “sly humor” in my recently released novella, BORDER HEAT.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>Hey, Mom, look at me now.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i> --Ramona Butler </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>(<a href="http://www.ramonabutler.com/">http://www.RamonaButler.com/</a>)</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>(<a href="http://www.champagnebooks.com/">http://www.ChampagneBooks.com/</a>)</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-15052624462870240812011-06-22T21:03:00.000-07:002011-06-22T21:04:53.047-07:00Tom, Dick, or What’s Her Name<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Names intrigue me, primarily because of their built-in baggage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For example, although Hannibal may have been something of a heroic figure in history, I can almost guarantee that after seeing Silence of the Lambs you won’t ever think of the name, Hannibal, in the same way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, what about the name Rhett?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never actually met anyone with that name, but if I should, I am predisposed to think he’s a rogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of that terrific character in Gone With The Wind, of course.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two very different names and very different reactions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Which illustrates why the names we attach to characters are so very important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without our even realizing it, the names of those people with whom we associate bad experiences influence how we feel about characters with those names.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It works just the same with good experiences, which can create warm, fuzzy feelings when we hear certain names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, my name is Ramona, a feminine variation of Raymond, my father‘s name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it should come as no surprise that I love my name.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Long before I began creating people--excuse me, creating <i>characters--</i>I became a collector of names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not necessarily the unusual ones, but those which seem to resonate inside me, many of which are simply family names. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such as:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michael (my son’s name), Shannon (a granddaughter), Kira and Mackenzie (distance cousins)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Do you find yourself reacting to names in the same way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes choosing names of characters in a similar manner?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I wrote BORDER HEAT (released earlier this month--Wheeee!!), I named my heroine Caroline, and every time I worked on the manuscript I heard Neil Diamond singing “Sweet Caroline” in my head.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Aha, another naming resource, <i>music</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s see, there‘s Georgia…Linda…Leroy Brown…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hmmm, maybe our books should come with soundtracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I on to something?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">--Ramona Butler</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.ramonabutler.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.RamonaButler.com/</span></a></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.champagnebooks.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">www.ChampagneBooks.com</span></a></span></u></div>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-30384762525509400152011-04-24T00:02:00.000-07:002011-04-05T21:51:17.611-07:00Location, Location, Location<span lang="">Did the title of this blog have you scratching your head, wondering how a real estate ad got onto The Writers Vineyard blog site?<br />
<br />
Well, I <i>am</i> trying to sell you some real estate. More specifically, trying to sell you on the idea that an interesting piece of real estate (location) can be a <i>real </i>boost to your book.<br />
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In fact, I believe location should be an early consideration when planning your story. Why? Because location affects character. People who thrive in small towns or wide open spaces, more often than not, don't do well in the hurry-hurry atmosphere of big cities. And vice versa. So, pay attention to the type of character you place in any location. Otherwise, you could -- unintentionally -- end up with a fish-out-of-water story. Of course, if that's the kind of story you have in mind...<br />
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Another thing about location is that readers have certain expectations about locations. They expect your southern farm-boy character's dialogue to be somewhat slower, whereas your big city, hard-driving executive's dialogue should be more clipped.<br />
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But I digress.<br />
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Most of my own stories have been inspired by a location. In many instances, the setting/location is almost a story <i>character. </i> At other times, locations actually<i> dictate </i>the story.<br />
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Such is the case with my soon-to-be-released novella, Border Heat, much of which takes place in tiny, primitive Divisadero, Mexico, one of the stops on the famed Copper Canyon Railway. This railroad line connects the interior city of Chihuahua with the coastal city of Los Mochis, traveling through a portion of the famed Copper Canyon -- <i>Barrancas del Cobre --</i> home of the Tarahumara Indians.<br />
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The train trip itself was an adventure, traversing 86 tunnels, 36 major bridges, and a major engineering feat in which the railroad circles back over itself, making a complete 360 degree loop. Until the recent difficulties with Mexican drug cartels, the trip was a popular tour offering by US travel agencies.<br />
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My husband and I love to travel and the Border Heat story began to percolate in my mind as soon as I saw the vast, magnificent Copper Canyon<i>.</i> <br />
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Some of our other travels have taken us to Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Croatia, Puerto Rico, and 49 of our 50 states. Which means I still have lots of stories to tell. So I hope you'll follow along on some of my other adventures. And I hope you'll take a peek at Border Heat when it's released in June. <br />
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<i> --Ramona</i></span>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5390125500069047631.post-63626493604203606872011-02-27T00:28:00.000-08:002011-02-27T00:28:00.551-08:00Ramona's Introduction Blog--Ramblings about Life and Love, and......<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should I confess to you...this is my first time?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I'm sure it will become obvious soon enough that this is my very first blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here are the facts: I was born in a tiny Arkansas town during the previous century. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(You didn't expect me to tell you the year, did you?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My southern roots weren't deep enough to hold me though and I soon found myself moving around the country, until I finally landed in the high desert of western Nevada, where I have a terrific view of the impressive Sierra Nevada and only a short drive to fantabulous Lake Tahoe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn't until I discovered the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forever</i> vistas of the Southwest that I found the inspiration to chase my lifelong dream--to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And</span> here I am now, on the verge of becoming a published author in my own right. (More about life as half of a writing team in a later blog)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the tender age of ten, I was astonished to learn that a letter I'd written to a Memphis newspaper about a pitifully ugly comic strip character had been published in Letters to the Editor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so the seeds were sown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that day on, I was certain that I was fated to be a writer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have I impressed anyone yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And certainly not a certain teacher in the one-room schoolhouse in Datil, New Mexico (a mere wide spot in the road), where I spent most of one school year as<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>teacher's helper, because I was the only student in the 8th grade.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the dream lived on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as an adult, I spent too much time producing personal opinion columns and restaurant reviews--all without earning a cent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, I even had to buy my own meals at those restaurants. (One of which was truly terrible.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I finally achieved my goal of getting paid for my writing with a very short poem that appeared in True Love magazine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Hooray, I was on my way! </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">NOT!</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I became a stringer for a weekly newspaper, had a short story published in a small-format magazine, and sold a travel article which covered the front page of the Dallas Morning News’ Sunday travel section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wheee!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">With the publication of that short story in Sunshine magazine, I felt as though writing fiction was a decadent dessert after years of a “no-sugar, no-salt, no-fat” diet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">So, can you imagine how excited I am to learn that Champagne Books will release my action packed, romantic adventure, Border Heat, in June, 2011?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Pinch me, please, I’m still dreaming!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks for visiting and please come back next month to learn what inspired Border Heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> --</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Ramona Butler </em></span><br />
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</div>Ramona Butlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06299715182500784023noreply@blogger.com0Carson City, NV, USA39.1637984 -119.767403438.8976069 -120.23432240000001 39.429989899999995 -119.3004844