Hello, World --
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.
Boring, you say? Not if you're a reader or writer or just a devotee of learning, knowledge, and/or libraries, in general.
First up, I wonder how many of you have ever heard a song from the 40s titled simply "Linda."
"When I go to sleep, I never count sheep, I count all the charms about Linda...." 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 www.lynda.com. 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.
Sound good? To learn more, lynda.com offers a free trial. Check it out and let me know what you think.
--Ramona
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
My Ol' Recipe Box
My Ol' Recipe Box
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.
Pear Honey
9 cups of chopped, fresh pears
1 large can of crushed pineapple (undrained)
5 cups of sugar Cook until thick and seal in hot jars
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
Catfish Charlie (9-day slaw)
1 large cabbage, thinly slithered1 large onion, sliced thin
½ cup of sugar
Sprinkle sugar on sliced cabbage & onions and set aside. Then combine the following in a small pan:
1/3 cup of sugar
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. celery seed
1 cup of white vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
Bring this combo to a boil and pour over cabbage/onion mixture. Chill thoroughly (overnight is good). Stir well before serving. Keeps well.
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.)
Fresh Tomato Relish
1 qt. fresh tomatoes¼ large green bell pepper
1 small white or yellow onion
Chop into a tall container and top with
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. of white vinegar
DO NOT STIR. Let set overnight till ready to serve. Then stir
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.
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.
Ramona Butler
www.ramonabutler.comhttp://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=20_37&product_id=471
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Partnerships!
Partnerships!
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?
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.
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.
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember, the goal is to produce the best book possible -- and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage.
"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).
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.
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.
Bottom line, would I recommend writing with a partner?
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.
P.S. I'm happy to report that although my ol’ co-writer no longer write together, we are still friends.
by Ramona Butler
www.ramonabutler.com
BLOG -- http://ramonabutler.blogspot.com/
Sabrina Says http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G
Trouble in 3-D http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W
Sagebrush Cinderella http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2
Dance with Destiny http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC
High Flying Love http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8
Jaded Hearts http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI
Border Heat http://amzn.com/BOO54LNZHK
Border Heat Excerpt:
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!"
Stunned by recognition of that husky rumble, she stilled. "Jess?" Lord, he was heavy. Solid muscle.
"Shhh, don't talk." Words breathed against her temple.
"Get off me, you--"
His callused hand covered her mouth and shut off her words. She twisted again, writhing, bucking--with no success whatsoever.
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?
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.
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.
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember, the goal is to produce the best book possible -- and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage.
"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).
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.
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.
Bottom line, would I recommend writing with a partner?
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.
P.S. I'm happy to report that although my ol’ co-writer no longer write together, we are still friends.
by Ramona Butler
www.ramonabutler.com
BLOG -- http://ramonabutler.blogspot.com/
Sabrina Says http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G
Trouble in 3-D http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W
Sagebrush Cinderella http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2
Dance with Destiny http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC
High Flying Love http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8
Jaded Hearts http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI
Border Heat http://amzn.com/BOO54LNZHK
Border Heat Excerpt:
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!"
Stunned by recognition of that husky rumble, she stilled. "Jess?" Lord, he was heavy. Solid muscle.
"Shhh, don't talk." Words breathed against her temple.
"Get off me, you--"
His callused hand covered her mouth and shut off her words. She twisted again, writhing, bucking--with no success whatsoever.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
YOU want MY heroine to do WHAT???
Have you ever considered writing with a partner?
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.
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember that the goal is to produce the best book possible -- and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage.
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.
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 -- never-gonna-win -- 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.
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.
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.
Bottom line: I'm happy to report that although we no longer write together, we are still friends.
--Ramona Butler author of Border Heat
The Writers Vineyard
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.
First, if you're going to write with a partner, always remember that the goal is to produce the best book possible -- and to do it with the least amount of bloodshed the two of you can manage.
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.
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 -- never-gonna-win -- 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.
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.
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.
Bottom line: I'm happy to report that although we no longer write together, we are still friends.
--Ramona Butler author of Border Heat
The Writers Vineyard
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Follow Your Heart
Follow Your Heart
This week the world lost a creative genius, Steve Jobs.
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.
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.
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.
He followed his heart. And look how that turned out.
Think Apple. Think personal computers. Think iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac, and iTunes.
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.
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.
Think computer mouse and computer animation. Think electronic ink. Think electronic books….
Thank you, Steve Jobs, for following your heart.
by Ramona Butler
(Think Border Heat, now available in electronic format from www.ChampagneBooks.com/)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Camels, Ostriches, and Water Buffalo...Oh my!
Camels, Ostriches, and Water Buffalo….Oh my!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
--Ramona
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