tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61759086312658218842024-02-02T13:30:20.275-06:00R. Costelloe's BlogR. Costelloe's Blog ... Love at a higher Level...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-80249383665159766102013-07-15T10:28:00.001-05:002013-07-15T10:28:10.228-05:00Using Gaming Techniques for Spicing Up Life’s Flat Spots<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />Would you like a fun method for making some of life’s boring or trying aspects less so? Yes? Then consider applying gaming techniques to the boring activity. I’ll explain by giving two examples, one being the way I came across this approach while a grade-schooler. So go back with me to my sixth grade class, circa 1960, and my teacher, Mrs. Gullick, was a staunch anticommunist. She turned us all into little anticommunists by reading us published articles about the horrible things Communist regimes tended to do.<br /><br />One was the first person account of a priest, an American, who was imprisoned by the Communists when they took control of the Chinese government. He was a credentialed diplomat for the Vatican, and he had been serving as an expert in Chinese language, history, and culture. His captors subjected him to intense interrogation techniques, including torture, for several weeks. And then they put him in solitary confinement in a relatively spacious, but bare prison cell. It was windowless except for a barred, square opening at eye level in the door, through which he could see a hallway and a guard who was apparently assigned to be his personal jailer.<br /><br />Of course the priest was glad that the torture seemed over, but he found his confinement nearly as punishing. He was used to twelve hour workdays, plus reading that consumed every minute he was awake, even while he ate. Now he found himself with nothing to do except sit on the concrete floor. He tried conversing with his jailer, but the guard forbid it. When the priest persisted, the jailer punished him by depriving him of meals. Dismayed, and depressed by endless hours of solitude with absolutely nothing to do, the priest despaired for his sanity.<br /><br />But then he got the idea of turning his frosty relationship with his guard into a game. After many days of trial and error, these are the rules he devised for the game he used to pass his waking hours. He would walk the three interior walls of the cell, touching each corner of the room; then he would go to the center of the cell and walk slowly, straight for the door. The object of the game was to reach the door and touch one of the bars on its window without being seen by the guard. Sometimes the guard would be pacing the hall, and the priest would have to time his approach so that the guard was not facing him. Other times, the guard would sit and read, in which case the priest would have to be stealthy enough to touch the bar without causing the guard to look up and notice him. If the guard did notice his approach to the door, apart from provoking a stern rebuke, the sighting would count as a negative point in the priest’s game. The object of the game was to score a minimum number of negative points in a day, defined as the time the guard spent on duty before leaving, presumably for the night. So the priest would execute his walk around the cell prior to his approach to the door, touch one of the bars, then repeat the procedure all through the day. He kept a mental tally of negative points for the day, trying each day for a new personal best. In the article read to us by Mrs. Gullick, the priest credited the game for keeping him sane for the months he was in solitary confinement before being deported by the Chinese Communists.<br /><br />Now let me give you an example of how I’ve used this gaming technique. For many years, I commuted forty seven miles through Houston to work. During one of those years, a construction project forced me to take a six or seven mile stretch of State Highway 249 to IH-45. The speed limit was fifty mph, but that stretch of road also had fourteen—count ‘em—fourteen red lights. It was an aggravating and frustrating drive in a city known for its many freeways.<br /> <br />So I devised a game for turning the traffic gauntlet into something interesting. I got up earlier so that traffic on this stretch was light. Then I would try to see if I could adjust my speed—by downshifting on a manual transmission—so that I could get through the fourteen red lights without once touching the brake pedal. This was very challenging, so I had a secondary scoring system for the minimum times I could get through the gauntlet without touching the brake pedal until I had downshifted to a speed below twenty mph. Yes, I’m sure this sounds on paper like a very silly game. But trust me: it did succeed in turning this miserable drive into an interesting competition, one I actually looked forward to once I developed the driving skills to do it well. Plus it improved my gas mileage.<br />
<br /> So if you have something boring or aggravating in your life’s routine, you might want to see if you can turn it into some sort of game. It can make the difference between hating a boring routine and actually looking forward to doing it. Should be worth a try.</span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-86917299870251440622013-07-08T08:34:00.000-05:002013-07-08T08:34:45.668-05:00Accomplishing Big Things One Small Bite at a Time<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />The title above makes perfect sense, and we have all heard this saying in some form. But few take advantage of its potential…I guess because few of us realize just what can be accomplished using this approach.<br /><br />How about an example? When my daughter became an adolescent, we realized that the public school system wasn’t meeting her needs. Plus she had a special interest in art and art appreciation. So we put her in a private school where she could get the learning she was ready for. Next thing I knew, she was wanting me to help with her art history studies. You can imagine how flabbergasted I was that my teenage daughter wanted to spend quality time with her dad. I certainly did not want to pass up this opportunity.<br /><br />The problem was that art history wasn’t even close to being my cup of tea. Looking past the joy of receiving her request, I could see the drudgery of hour upon hour of studying dense, boring art history books—in this case, Janson’s History of art. But I was determined, so I dove into it with determination. The course was already a month or two along, so I needed to catch up to where my daughter was in the book. This took a couple of two hour sessions, and the fatigue factor was high enough that my resolve was sorely shaken. I couldn’t keep this up. I needed a better solution I could live with. But what could I live with? Well, I decided I could certainly live with reading four pages of text per day, six days per week. Yes, I could put up that effort indefinitely, but would it be enough to meet daughter’s need? Fortunately, it turned out to be more than enough. I put in the committed effort, and with time I pulled ahead of her in the course. This had unexpected benefits, as it gave me ammunition for asking better questions.<br /><br />And something else occurred. I began to enjoy the study effort. After all, it typically took less than a half hour per study day, and if the day was hectic, skipping a day a week was okay. My daughter’s course ended, but my study continued, only at a reduced, two page per day rate. Eventually I completed both volumes of that particular edition of the Janson series. And the study has always paid dividends beyond measure. My daughter and I continue to use museum trips together as a special sort of bonding.<br /><br />One of the big advantages of this technique is that it makes formidable projects easier to start. Fifteen years into my engineering career, I realized I would need to finally get professionally registered. This involved months of study as preparation for being able to pass two eight hour, open book tests. I had plenty going on in my life at the time, so this was an effort easy to keep putting off. But I was able to overcome my inertia by committing to studying just twenty minutes a day. It worked! As the test neared, I would be studying an hour, then an hour and a half per day. But by then I was hooked on this project and determined to succeed. The commitment to small bites of effort early on set the stage for the larger effort needed later for the project to be a success.<br /><br />Now, this approach won’t work for everything. Recently, I decided to install plastic screens as guards to keep leaves and twigs out of my home’s rain gutters. But I dreaded it, so I decided to do it one small section of the house at a time. But it didn’t work as I had hoped. The effort to get set up and put all the tools and ladders and such in place was so large, I didn’t want to have to repeat all that work. So I broke out the sunscreen and got the whole job done in one long day’s effort.<br /><br /> The small bite-at-a-time method works best when completion time is not much of an issue, and the set up time for each work session is small—as in pulling a book off a shelf. But if those conditions are met, then this approach can melt away resistance to getting large projects started, and it provides a structured routine for accomplishing even the largest undertaking.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-51845248990944102392013-07-01T08:30:00.000-05:002013-07-01T08:30:20.837-05:00One Way to Judge Your Own Writing<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve done a lot of writing contest judging for RWA and its chapters, and I've been surprised to learn that that <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">judging</span> can strengthen one’s writing skills (see previous post on this subject, available on this platform). But I also think that a writer can use the tools of judging to grade her own work. The key to this is a good scoresheet, and I intend to provide one as part of this posting.</span></span><br /><br />The background is that once I got experienced as a judge, I noticed that some of the contests used poorly designed scoresheets. Sometimes the questions were badly expressed or ambiguous, resulting in uneven scoring by different judges. Other times the scoring would be disproportionately weighted toward one aspect of the writing craft. Quality or degree of story conflict is a frequent offender. Conflict is easy to generate in nonfiction, let alone fiction, so one question out of twenty dedicated to conflict is a good weighting. Yet I once judged a contest whose scoresheet had four out of twenty questions devoted to conflict. Some of the worst scoresheets are missing entire categories. For some unfathomable reason, dialogue is the most likely to be missing. No, I’m not kidding. I’ve judged several contests whose scoresheets had no questions evaluating the quality or effectiveness of dialogue.<br /> <br />But the worst offenders in my view are the contests that don’t even bother using a scoresheet. Judges are expected to produce a single overall score. I’ve tried it, and it produces a very amorphous, hugely subjective result. Worst of all, it deprives contestants of the quantitative feedback they need on the various categories of writing skills. Yes, judges are expected to add constructive comments to the manuscripts themselves, but these are also expected to be diplomatic enough that discouragement won’t be inflicted. This is a good point, and it is how judges are trained. But it also means that unless a contestant has a scoresheet for feedback, she won’t know how to prioritize her writing improvement needs.<br /><br />I got fed up with the disservice these shortcomings were heaping on aspiring writers and decided to design a scoresheet to use when one wasn’t provided. Eventually I ended up offering it to various chapters, and it became the basis for the one currently used by my own chapter. I am enclosing it at the end of this post, and you are invited to use it freely.<br /><br />But I also wanted to mention before closing that any writer can use this or any good scoresheet to evaluate (by judging) chunks or samples of their own work. If you’ve produced a work or part of it and you’re not sure how well it stacks up, then putting the first fifty pages through a judging cycle using a scoresheet may just give you the quantitative insight you need.</span>
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RWA Chapter Writing Contests<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Total Score<span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><!--[if supportFields]><u><span
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Entry #</b>: <!--[if supportFields]><u><span style='color:blue'><span
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<w:data>FFFFFFFF0000000014000500540065007800740032000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000</w:data>
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<span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line;">RWA Contest Finalist<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line; color: teal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line;">Unpublished<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line;">RWA PRO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Scoring Key: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">5</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> = Outstanding<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4</b> = Above Average<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3</b>
= Average<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2</b> = Below Average<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1</b> = Needs extensive work<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><em>Please Note: If a score of 3 or lower is entered, comments
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>OPENING SCENES:</u></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
1. Does the story begin with an interesting hook,
prompting you to read more?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 2; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
2. Do you quickly develop a convincing sense of time and
place?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 3; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">comments:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 4; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1.5pt solid blue; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 0px; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 5; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>CHARACTERIZATION</u></b><u>:<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
3. Are the character’s
descriptions effective? Can you picture them?<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 6; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
4. Are character’s actions/reactions appropriate,
consistent, and credible for the genre?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 27.85pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 27.85pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 27.85pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
5. Are main characters sympathetic despite
flaws/faults?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you rooting for them
as the story progresses?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 8; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
6. Does conflict (internal
or external) flow naturally from the character/s or does it seem artificial
or forced?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 9; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">comments:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 10; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1.5pt solid blue; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 0px; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 11; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>PLOT:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
7. Is the plot progression building into an interesting
story?<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 12; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
8. Are plot elements logical and believable within this
genre?<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 13; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">comments:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 14; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1.5pt solid blue; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 0px; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 15; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NARRATIVE/DIALOGUE
TECHNIQUES:</u></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
9. How well does the dialogue match the characters? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 16; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
10. Is the dialogue realistic? Does it read naturally for
the time period and genre? Does it accurately <span style="color: black;">reveal
the voices of the characters</span>? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 17; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
11. Is the narrative Clear? Does it provide imagery? How
well does it animate the characters, time and place, as in showing rather
than telling?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 18; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
12. Is the pacing effective? Does the pace and amount of
backstory fit the action, tone and tension of the story? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 19; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">comments:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 20; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1.5pt solid blue; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 0px; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 21; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>WRITING TECHNIQUES:</u></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
13. Do you get a vivid
picture from the writing? Does the writer use creative figures of speech and
at least a few of the five senses?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 22; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; page-break-after: avoid;">
14. Are points-of-view and
transitions handled well?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 23; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
15. Is the entry presented professionally with few typos,
good grammar, and generally accepted punctuation?<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 24; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1pt; height: 0.25in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
16. Is the prose dynamic, easily read, and dominated by
active verbs? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">comments<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 405pt;" valign="bottom" width="619"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>OVERALL: </u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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17. Is your interest piqued? How much would you want to read
more?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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18. Overall, how well are the elements woven together to
produce a promising story?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sub-total<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 0.25in; mso-yfti-irow: 30; page-break-inside: avoid;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1.5pt solid blue; height: 0.25in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.7in;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
</td>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Total Score
(highest possible is 90 points)</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OVERALL MANUSCRIPT
COMMENTS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If a score of 3 or lower is entered, comments must be made. </span>Please
feel free to include additional comments in the body of the manuscript.</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line; color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="-ms-layout-grid-mode: line; color: blue;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-40764110118668176092013-06-24T08:34:00.000-05:002013-06-24T08:34:55.710-05:00Personal Countdown of Best Love Stories on Film – Part IV of IV<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Continuing from part III or four posts...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(#3) A Lot Like Love (2005). This is an unusual story of protagonists who wrestle with hit-or-miss romantic currents that rile a kind of slapstick friendship they develop…more or less by accident. The gist of the friendship is that each leans on the other when some third party has jilted them in love. Amanda Peet plays the female lead and it’s her stellar performance that makes this film so memorable. Ashton Kutcher plays the male lead, and he puts in a fine performance as well—though his acting is a subtle counterpoint to Peet’s. And that is probably the key. The chemistry between these two is marvelous, and for that the director deserves a lot of credit.<br /> <br />This feature would probably be in the top spot were it not for two flaws. The first is the early airplane scene. It has Peet sexually throwing herself at Kutcher in an airline restroom (can you imagine the smell?) and before they have even met. It's so ridiculously unbelievable, and so insulting to viewers' intelligence that I nearly turned the movie off the first time I saw it on pay-per-view. The good news is that it's worth suffering through one execrable scene to get on with a fine drama. The other weakness is that the screenwriter could have done so much more with the final scene. It's satisfying but lame. Kutcher's dialogue here is cliched when it needs to rise to something memorable, something with emotional gravity. But still, this is one you won’t want to miss.<br /><br />(#2) Persuasion (2009). Many will be comparing this to the 1995 version starring Amanda Root—which has long been one of my favorite Austen movies. In that context, it's a bit of shock to watch this newer version because the casting is so different and, for the most part, inferior. That is, except for the two lead roles. Rupert Penry-Jones is perfectly cast, and he puts in an excellent performance throughout. But Sally Hawkin's performance is just breathtaking. She carries the whole movie to something infinitely better than what we have a right to expect from these production values. Indeed, this is one of those rare instances when an actress gives a performance so stellar, and so riveting, that it's hard to see how anyone could improve upon it. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> As an interesting aside, this version generated much consternation among Austen purists because of a climactic running scene that is not in the book and contrary to Regency norms. But wait a minute. Shouldn’t any filmmaker try to improve upon the original book? Would anyone really want him to do less? This production actually does succeed in improving upon the Austen novel. That the running scene mildly breaks with social norms is the very point of it. This is a woman who, eight years after making a bad choice, one that has put her on the verge of spinsterhood, is being given a second chance. And it turbocharges her actions to grasping the opportunity she never thought she'd have. Her turbulent, action-oriented closing on triumph satisfies in a way the novel does not. It is the running scene that catapults this adaptation to one of the best love stories ever committed to film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> (#1) Notting Hill (1999). The irony of this as the top choice is that I didn't expect anything of significance from this film. In fact, I put off watching it for years because of low expectations. So I was shocked how good it turned out to be. Hugh Grant is superb, probably his best performance ever. Julia Roberts plays her role oddly, with a certain forbidding remoteness: detached with an air that's almost condescending. But she turns out to be the master of her craft here because her demeanor sets us up for the pivotal scene where her character frankly offers love in some of the best lines, brilliantly delivered, that you’ll find in any love story. And in that film instant, she also convinces us of what she’s willing to sacrifice for the love she is reaching out for. But as good as the acting is, the reason this film tops the list is the screenplay. This is a very interesting, intricate, and excellently nuanced love story. Very realistic, believable, and in the end, satisfying. The movie features much humor, some well done, but quite a bit that's downright poor. But this is a minor distraction, easy to overlook. In the end, this is a memorable love story, one that stays with you long after the credits have played through</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-22604129523216388412013-06-17T09:10:00.000-05:002013-06-17T09:10:19.956-05:00Personal Countdown of Best Love Stories on Film – Part III of IV<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Continuing from part II of four posts...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(#5) Pride and Prejudice (2005). Keira Knightly gives a breathtaking performance to distinguish this version from the five or six (dating from 1940) we have to choose from. Plus she gets help from others. Matthew MacFadyen delivers the performance of a lifetime in portraying the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. And Joe Wright needs to be congratulated for his brilliant directing. Indeed, the scene creation, which is truly unforgettable, is one of the best aspects of this film. This version is unlikely to be surpassed for its artistic credits any time soon.<br /><br />(#4) The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). This is another one you won’t find on any of the IMDb lists. Stars Jim Caviezel. We all know the story. Edmund Dantes is betrayed by “friends” and spends umpteen years unjustly imprisoned. His fiancée, Mercedes, marries his arch-betrayer within a month. Edmund eventually escapes, recovers a huge fortune, and uses it to exact revenge. The setting is post Napoleonic France.<br /><br />The first bonus of this film is that its romance is far superior to that of the original novel. So if you’ve read the book, you’re in for a pleasant surprise the first time you see this movie. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The other bonus is that it features one of the most poignant moments of romantic drama you’ll find in any production. Let me try to set you up for this without acting the spoiler. Edmund has staged the rescue of his archenemy’s son and that gets him an invitation to the son’s birthday party, held in the family’s Paris mansion. The whole movie’s drama thus far has built up to the tension of this scene. Edmund enters the palatial home as the Count of Monte Cristo, is greeted warmly by the son, who then introduces him to his father, Edmund’s archenemy, Count Mondego, who of course doesn’t recognize him; no one does after his imprisonment. The two chat with amiable formality, Edmund speaking in coded, ironic phrases. The archenemy turns. “May I present the Countess Mondego.” Mercedes turns and…that’s as far as I can take you. Needless to say, what follows, as filmmaking goes, is the perfect cinematic moment, with the players and the director turning in peak performances. And in the scenes that follow, you have something romantically unique because of the clash between vengeful intent—an intent we sympathize with—and love struggling to revive despite all that should have killed it forever</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-38386298804443167672013-06-10T08:48:00.000-05:002013-06-10T08:48:07.782-05:00Personal Countdown of Best Love Stories on Film – Part II of IV<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Continuing our countdown from Part I or four posts...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(#8) A Walk to Remember (2002)<br /><br />If you’re like me, you cringe at the thought of seeing a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. The plot line is typically as punishing as it predictable: boy meets girl; boy and girl fall in love despite their differences; boy and girl overcome opposition from friends or family; girl tells boy she is fatally ill; boy and girl treasure every moment until girl’s untimely end; boy goes off into the sunset, dolefully energized by memories that will fuel him for the rest of his life. Many if not most critics disdainfully view this formula as emotionally manipulative, and they’ll get no argument from me. On top of that, this film follows the formula exactly. And it has other strikes against it. The directing is merely workmanlike. And Shane West gives us an absolutely underwhelming performance as the male lead. It’s not his fault. Putting West in this role was one of the worst casting blunders of the new century. So how can this movie possibly be on the list? Well the answer is Mandy Moore, starring as the female lead. She gives us a virtuoso performance. In fact, her performance in this film is so many light years beyond anything she has done before or since that it makes you wonder if she has a slimmer, more talented twin sister that starred in this film and made it a memorable viewing experience. Credit must also be given to a screenplay that considerably upgraded the original Nicholas Sparks story.<br /><br />(#7) Sense and Sensibility (1995). Spectacularly well cast and acted, and featuring two classic stories of frustrated love, this is one that begs to be on any top ten list. And the superb acting extends beyond the stars to some of the supporting roles. Alan Rickman makes the Colonel Brandon role his own. And Greg Wise gives us an excellent performance as the villainous Willoughby.<br /><br />(#6) Secret Admirer (1985). Here’s one you won’t find on any of the IMDb lists. This is a lighthearted teen love story whose plot has a secret admirer letter getting misplaced to cause an avalanche of unintended consequences, most of them humorous. I think the reason I like this movie so much, why I have seen it at least a dozen times over the years, is its balance. It’s a great comedy. The teen supporting actors are extremely well cast, and they do a terrific job of generating laughs. The parents are well cast too, and their scenes are even funnier. I got a cramp in my stomach the first time I saw the bridge party fight scene. Look for it; it’s truly hilarious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> But the plot also converges into a good love story. The ending is satisfying because it grows out of a tender, then frustrating tale of unrequited love, love strong enough to offer sacrifices. This is a story of teens growing and learning, finding themselves, and discovering that it can actually be perverse to get what you want. You’ll laugh your way to the end, but you’ll be touched by the closing sequence.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-41651859369080230472013-06-03T08:44:00.000-05:002013-06-03T08:44:36.877-05:00Personal Countdown of Best Love Stories on Film – Part I of IV<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you’re partial to romance, then you probably enjoy a good love story on film. I do; in fact, I think the suspension of disbelief comes easier on film than in print. And the various lists of favorites provided on IMDb are a good way to select movies to take a chance on watching. Plus the lists can be interesting in their own right because of what they say about their authors. Either way, the lists are a helpful service, and for that reason, I thought I’d volunteer a list of my own. So for the next several posts, I’ll do a countdown on a personal top ten.<br /><br />Having established our basis, I’m going to veer from it briefly to discuss a film that isn’t on the list. It doesn’t fit on the list because, although this is a touching story of love’s dynamics, it’s not a conventional romance. The Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003) is a kind of inverse romance: a story of protagonists who sublimate their mutual attraction for the sake of the artistic ideal they both feel drawn to. I must admit, it took a third viewing to comprehend fully just what the filmmaker was striving for in this story. For me, this film was unexplored territory, and it offers a unique treatise on the forms love can take and the sacrifices it is capable of making. The acting and production values are superb. And the historic setting, the sense of being immersed in 17th century Dutch culture, is top-notch. You won’t want to miss this poignant story of love sacrificed for a chance to produce artistic beauty beyond anything words can express.<br /><br />Okay, so back to the list. But again, I’m going to stray from convention by listing two films in the number nine spot. No, I just couldn’t decide which to choose and feel there’s value added in describing them both. Plus, there’s no ambiguity in my mind about what title follows them in the number ten spot.<br /><br />(#10) Electric Dreams (1984). This is an unusual love story. It features a love triangle between a boy, a girl, and a computer. The drama in this one is not particularly high, and the acting is below mid-rate, but what nudges this film into the “special” category is the music. It’s original, composed by Giorgio Moroder, plus others, with some of the songs performed by Culture Club. But it’s perfect for this film, and what the director has done is structure the film as drama plus side scenes that are really music videos. So in a way, the movie is a kind of musical. Whatever it is, it works to produce a great entertainment experience. The music videos are good or better on their own merits, and they nicely complement the love story and the progression of the lead characters’ emotions. This one is a unique viewing experience, a true change of pace love story.<br /><br />(#9) Jane Eyre (1996). There are many film versions of this story, and most of them fail spectacularly on the story’s most challenging point. Why would a nineteenth century English landed gentleman fall for the unattractive governess of his young ward? It’s a difficult emotional transaction to put across credibly, and only William Hurt manages to do it in masterly fashion in a version that also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg. She is perfectly cast in the way she combines physical plainness with a spunky intellect and personality, a love of what life has to offer despite her underprivileged upbringing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> (#9) Mansfield Park (1999). Francis O’Connor plays Fanny Price in this ultra-loose adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Production values are fine, but the acting here is middling at best. But I keep coming back to this one because of how well O’Connor portrays a disadvantaged nineteen century girl’s travails from holding onto a love that’s essentially unattainable. It’s an unspoken, hopeless commitment that nearly breaks her, and the manner of her patient triumph is downright thrilling after all the story has put us through.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-16019819519172617242013-05-27T10:53:00.000-05:002013-05-27T10:53:42.150-05:00Best Inspiration Moment as a Writer<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />During my recent blog tour, a fellow blogger asked about my best inspiration moment as a writer and novelist.<br />
<br />As it turns out, mine was fairly dramatic, perhaps more so because of my perennial difficulty in plotting stories. And in that context, it may very well turn out to be the inspiration of a lifetime. Background is that I wrote some fiction as a youngster, then after college I wrote a first novel that I duly submitted to publishers. I didn’t realize how awful it was until I reread it after multiple rejections. Rather than rewrite it, I put fiction behind me and went on to career and family pursuits--which were picking up nicely at the time. Whole decades later, I came back to fiction after reading a love story whose ending was so abruptly despairing, I felt outrage on behalf of so many punished readers.<br />
<br />It was a startling development, getting back into fiction, and I probably would not have answered its siren song except that I had long had the backbone of a story in mind. But it was very basic. Boy almost meets girl in 1960s college scene bar, then they do meet later again that night, partly by chance, then have dinner. He walks her home, then they agree to a big date the following Saturday. But circumstances conspire against our lovers during the week, so that, during the date, even though they fall for each other and pledge love, they immediately go on to have a terrific row that breaks them apart, seemingly forever. But she has a change of heart and puts together a plan to get them back together.<br />
<br /> So that’s the story I started out with, but it clearly wasn’t nearly enough for a full length novel. I needed more, but I wasn’t really worried about it as I plunged into writing with a fervor I’d never known. During my second weekend on the project, I was holed up in my study, writing furiously on different scenes that were not well connected at that point. Sometime during the afternoon, I took a break and put down my pen. For the first time, it hit me with some force that I would need to expand the story beyond what I had thus far. I turned around in my desk chair and glanced absently at a wall of my study that’s covered with twenty-something photographs, mainly portraits of romantic couples. Suddenly the idea for a surprise ending came to me. It seemed to jump out from the photo I had been staring at. In an instant, I knew I had been given something special. Not only that, the idea flashed and mushroomed within seconds into a much larger plot concept. In order to implement the surprise ending, I would need to add at least two more characters, and I would need to develop a love triangle I hadn’t thought of until that moment. In less than a minute, I’d been given all the material I needed for the story that would become Coinage of Commitment. The book became a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards. And the story has always been special to me in a golden way. In 2012, I decided to rewrite the story wholly for the purpose of making it a better book. The digital second edition was published in January.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-19134905124823688272013-05-15T07:58:00.000-05:002013-05-15T07:58:35.683-05:00Join the Spring Party Fun<h2 align="center">
**Welcome to the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop**</h2>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Coming of Age Love Story of Betrayal, Suspense, and Renewal</span></strong><br />
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<u>Blurb</u><br />
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What if the love you’ve dreamed of your whole young life is destroyed by another? And you don’t even realize it? Jill and Blake grow up in a small town. They attend the same church and public school, but are otherwise physical and personality opposites. Yet a quirk of fate and an act of kindness will draw them into an improbably chain of events. Who would guess they would fall in love? Their love soars to stratospheric heights, only to be destroyed by a treachery that neither is even aware of. Now, thousands of miles apart, with every reason to hate each other, they each know they must heal, rebuild shattered dreams, and go on. And yet...they are ineluctably moved by forces they can't define and do not understand. What is this restlessness they feel, even as love is pledged to another? Pocket Piece Cameo is a coming of age love story unlike any other. It tests the limits of what love can endure and what it can recover from</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Available from <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AW0IPU0/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=rcostelloecom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00AW0IPU0&adid=19ZT27AWEF53S3XQECDK&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcostelloe.com%2F" target="_blank">Amazon</a></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />Available from </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pocket-piece-cameo-r-costelloe/1014925536?ean=2940016396507"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Barnes & Noble</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />More Hop stops are listed below. And be sure to enter the contest giveaway for chances to win.</span><br />
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=192182" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script --><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-12275691261237733852013-05-10T15:19:00.001-05:002013-05-10T15:19:30.440-05:00How Do You Relieve Job Stress? Or Do You?<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />Most career endeavors involve some stress. I guess that’s because even a really great job isn’t great 100% of the time. Most career situations involve stress, often high stress, and that is often true even when the career is satisfying overall. Relieving the stress is something we instinctively do, usually without giving it much thought. We all unconsciously gravitate toward hobbies and pastimes when we’re away from work, and want to have fun. We call it fun, and it is, but it’s also a stress-reliever. It’s only when job stress is high that we need to think about it, recognize it as such, and map out a stress-relieving plan that renews us, that gets us ready for the work week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />I’ve had two careers, one as an engineer and technical manager, and one as a fiction author. Both careers were high stress, but the source of stress was different for each, and the methods I used to relieve the stress were somewhat different as well. My career as a technical manager was stressful because the work took place in the context of a corporate office environment. Why is that stressful, you ask? Well, for a variety of reasons, about fifty percent of the work I did in the corporate environment was either useless, or worse, destructive. I only spent about half my time doing useful things, and that was stressful. So what causes such inefficiency? Well, there are many reasons, and I could probably write a month of blog post describing them, so I’ll just describe one example here as an illustration. Many corporate work environments are overstaffed—especially overstaffed with managers—and that inevitably leads to the needless destruction and reinvention of corporate systems. So how does this work and why? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The example I’ll use is employee performance appraisal systems. Every corporation these days has one, and the company I worked for went into the 1990s with a really good appraisal system. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it was far better than any of the systems I saw at our corporate peers and competitors. But hold on, here comes the problem. We had a corporate vice president with not enough to do. And the only way she could progress on the corporate chessboard was to put her name on a new corporate system or achievement, one that was perceived as successful. So what she did was to build a case against our current system. She said that because it wasn’t perfect, we should replace it. Well, it’s hard to tell a vice president that they shouldn’t be working on something, something she apparently feels high energy for. And of course she underestimated the work it would take to implement a new system by a factor of four. That made it easier to get the project approved and kicked off. A year later, after a heroic effort by an overworked staff, we implemented a new system that was decidedly inferior to the original. The vice president and her vested interests had the new system declared a stunning success, and she got her promotion. Interestingly, I saw this entire cycle repeated again before I left the company in 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />I was able to work and be productive in the confines of this system, but I found it stressful. I needed a way to refresh myself for facing the corporate meat grinder. I tried a variety of things, but what worked best for relieving my job stress was the exciting and high stress world of PC gaming. No, I’m not kidding! It was as though one form of stress was tailor-made for cancelling another. I’d come home and lose myself in the excitement of what are called real time strategy games such as Starcraft, and Age of Empires II. And presto, I’d sleep well and be refreshed for another day of corporate battles and frustrations, all endured with a hopeful smile and a genuine desire to achieve something useful and lasting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> So let me wrap up by making two points for takeaway. One is that you can endure a whole lot of stress on the job if you find a way to relieve that stress and renew yourself. And secondly, it can be surprising (even amazing) the things that may work well to banish stress to the Recycle Bin. So it’s definitely worth giving some unlikely things a try.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-67638867111013633192013-04-30T08:01:00.000-05:002013-04-30T08:01:08.847-05:00Join the Party!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">**<u>Welcome to the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop</u>**</span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G_J3sSjD1u3kfJzBM9ShpDlAcuhyFbhV14xrb-rrYfHbLXXOHayiSP94ZbPuzJkDWP57pKKHznFHgvpm1n7kaMv0INqJL0pfzft5_tzmjYRm9MlDffhtR7jO_Hx6fsV0ZstYRTTadq5g/s1600/Coinage+2nd+for+kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G_J3sSjD1u3kfJzBM9ShpDlAcuhyFbhV14xrb-rrYfHbLXXOHayiSP94ZbPuzJkDWP57pKKHznFHgvpm1n7kaMv0INqJL0pfzft5_tzmjYRm9MlDffhtR7jO_Hx6fsV0ZstYRTTadq5g/s640/Coinage+2nd+for+kindle.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>Blurb</u><br />
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Wayne and Nancy grow up on opposite sides of the country, each certain they must have love better than what others will settle for. Something stronger, something richer, something worth searching for. During the turbulent nineteen-sixties, they meet while he is attending blue-collar Drexel, and she is at neighboring, Ivy League Penn. Although irresistibly drawn to each other, they must overcome obstacles posed by the class and social differences separating them, as well as opposition from both families, and later, a twist of fate that will be the cruelest test of all. Can they reach the emotional heights they seek? Can they overcome time's downward pulling inertia? Coinage of Commitment is dedicated to all who ever paused and wondered about the altitude love might soar to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Available from <strong><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AY0YGRO/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=rcostelloecom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00AY0YGRO&adid=0CJPZNZNBCER5GNK8KQ4&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcostelloe.com%2Fcoinage-of-commitment.html" target="_blank">Amazon</a></u></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><u></u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And from<strong><u><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coinage-of-commitment-r-costelloe/1008770593?ean=2940016574837" target="_blank"> Barnes & Noble</a></u></strong></span><br />
<strong><u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">More blog hop stops are listed below. and don't forget to enter the Giveaway.</span><br />
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=192173" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script --><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-66010860274014718032013-04-19T08:34:00.000-05:002013-04-19T08:34:39.320-05:00A Surprise Benefit From Contest Judging<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />Actually, the title of this post is an understatement. I was more than surprised. So let me explain. In 2007, Saga Books print published my first novel, Coinage of Commitment. The book sold well, considering that Saga is a small independent, and I had to self-power all the promo. When it finaled in the National Indie Excellence 2008 Book Awards, I naively assumed the distinction would help me get my second title, Pocket Piece Cameo, published by a major. It didn’t, and the book was eventually published by Saga in November of 2008. My experience with Cameo was disheartening and, since I was blocked on plotting a third novel, I decided to quit fiction writing.<br />
<br />But I hated the thought of letting all those writing skills atrophy. Looking around at volunteer opportunities, I thought maybe contest judging might be a way to preserve my skills, at least partially. Plus I’d be learning a new skill; plus I’d be giving back to the writing community I’d been a part of since 2005.<br />
<br />I took a course given by the Iowa RWA, and gave judging a try. It turned out to be a good fit. The RWA chapter contests were always eager for trained judges—especially those who were authors—and I enjoyed the work. Well, this is one of those endeavors where responding well earns you requests for more work. By the end of 2011, I had judged more than twenty contests that year. I did a tally, and figured I had spent something in the range of 800-1000 hours judging that year. In case you’re wondering, that’s nearly equivalent to a twenty hour a week job.<br />
<br />I planned to continue judging at a high pace, but then something profound happened in the spring of 2012. I came to the surprise realization that my writing skills were actually higher than they were in 2008. Unexpected, to be sure, and hard to believe, at first, but the verification was in the level of judging I was doing and documenting. Well, this revelation collided head-on with a special quality inherent to Coinage of Commitment. Because from a writer's standpoint, Coinage is a perfect storm of a story, with so many of the character and plot elements harmonizing to form a kind of narrative synergy. One that's rare. Now, perhaps there are writers gifted enough to consistently produce such stories by their own creative flux, but I am not one of them. I’ve written three novels—not all that many—but enough to teach me that Coinage's magic is one of the profoundest gifts I've ever stumbled upon--although I will take credit for the surprise ending. So when I turned around and realized my writing had reached a new...maturity, I knew almost immediately I would rewrite Coinage. Cameo too, but it was never the driver. If I'd been given the wherewithal to take a book that was already a perfect storm of a story, one that finaled in a national contest, and rewrite it into something substantially better, then the effort was mandatory.<br />
<br />But of course the effort turned out to be more than I bargained for. It took seven months of full-time work to rewrite both books to the limit of my new skills. The digital editions were professionally formatted, and they went up on Amazon in January of this year.<br />
<br /> The bottom line message is that if you’re looking to improve your writing, contest judging may be worth considering.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-49490469591361479652013-04-12T08:56:00.000-05:002013-04-12T08:56:43.534-05:00In What Way Does Your Writing Define You?<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I got this question from a fellow author and blogger, and it made me think. Yes, authors do tend to define who they are and what they think and believe in their writing. How can they avoid it? Well, I guess they could avoid it if they tried. Reporters of yesteryear tried hard to write so that their views were invisible. But today, unless you're writing formula fiction, you are probably defining yourself in your writing, at least to a certain extent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />My approach to writing romance fiction starts with a proposition. Or I guess it’s really a question. Wouldn’t it be a nicer world if people could remain enthusiastic about the romantic commitment they’ve chosen to fill the rest of their lives? No, I’m not talking about those breathtaking days of courtship. Everyone is in heaven at that brief stage. And I’m not referring to the months after marriage or move-in that define the “honeymoon” period. Rather I’m talking about after that, after parenting and career pressures pulverize so many married romances into a mush that’s humdrum at best, uptight or failing at worst. What if you had characters who look around at the average for relationships in our culture and decide they want something better? They want something better for the courtship period, yes, something stronger, something higher than what others will settle for. Plus they want it to go on being better; they want it to stay vibrant for decades after marriage, instead of just months. Well, even in fiction, mere wishing won’t do it. Our characters are going to have to do something different than the rest of us, otherwise they’ll end up with the same humdrum outcome. They’re going to have to plan for what they want. In order to make love better and longer lasting, they’re going to have to understand its nature: what can make it better, what will make it fall short?<br />
<br />But analyzing and understanding love’s potential is only the starting challenge for our characters. For if they’re smart enough, they’ll realize that the stratospheric love they yearn for is not going to be feasible with just anyone. No, it’s only going to be possible with someone who shares the same dream, who’s willing to plan and sacrifice and work for it just as hard. How do you find such a soul mate? How do you verify that it’s really them? This process of searching and refining is the point where the plot possibilities get really interesting. Now if you add to the plot mix a love triangle of epic drama, one featuring rival paths to the stratospheric love we are seeking, and if you bring that triangle through a surprise ending of shattering impact, one both unique and cathartic, then we should have the potential for a very special story indeed. And unlocking that exact story potential is what I’ve tried to achieve in the second edition of my novel, Coinage of Commitment.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-51097489226597724952013-04-06T11:37:00.001-05:002013-04-06T11:37:54.591-05:00Gratitude: the Romantic Sentiment that Gets No Respect<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This post originally appeared on <a href="http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-03-28T00:25:00-07:00&max-results=15" target="_blank">Books, Books, the Magical Fruit</a> on 3/26.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My books feature characters who want more from love that what they see all around them. Something stronger, something higher, something worth pursuing. Part of that pursuit is usually an effort to understand love. We can’t make it soar higher or make it last longer unless we figure out how it works and what can harm it. This usually means the characters need to take a thinking as well as an emotional journey to attain the emotional altitude they seek. And this opens up all sorts of plot opportunities to explore. But regardless of the type of romance being composed, writing love stories requires the author to analyze the different types of emotions that blend together to define a relationship. Every relationship is unique, so the blend of emotions is just as unique.<br /><br />I’ve always been fascinated that certain motivations in that possible blend of romantic feelings get discounted because they’re thought inferior or contaminating. Marrying for money probably tops the list and, from a qualitative standpoint, is probably one that most readers would agree on. But gratitude is another attribute often named as invalidating the integrity of a relationship. “She only married him out of gratitude,” is heard from the TV soap opera as a signal that the romance is facing certain doom in future episodes.<br /> <br />But does gratitude really deserve such a bad rap? We may want to take another look, because gratitude can be viewed as verification from the past that a lover can be counted on in the future. Yes, I think gratitude creates faith in its object for a victorious future. And gratitude is often the very basis for our best romantic memories.<br /><br />In fact, I think it’s fair to turn the question completely around. Can any successful relationship that’s mature function without it? Can you show me a successful relationship where the lovers are not grateful to each other, and in manifold ways? If your lover takes care of many little things that matter to you, isn’t that something to be grateful for? And isn’t that gratitude bound to feed the relationship in a way that will make it richer and deeper? I see mainly good things coming out of a relationship that’s laced with gratitude. And the more, the better. Show me a relationship that’s healthy and vibrant, and I’ll show you lovers who have grateful memories. <br /><br /> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-4310314701782125832013-03-28T18:18:00.000-05:002013-03-28T18:18:37.418-05:00Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-osQ4VEMZSPFjx1a-XsBvw-kEPgoYUeqxyEevei1DW8H-YifwROjFo6NdMRTD785LYjtKIhhHIM1e3CrAhmOxxf5QtFLD8g8Z1M84qCIflFRpx2leUPYnH908-dKQ_U5J3AhIeue-df4/s1600/cov_front_CoC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-osQ4VEMZSPFjx1a-XsBvw-kEPgoYUeqxyEevei1DW8H-YifwROjFo6NdMRTD785LYjtKIhhHIM1e3CrAhmOxxf5QtFLD8g8Z1M84qCIflFRpx2leUPYnH908-dKQ_U5J3AhIeue-df4/s640/cov_front_CoC.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>Blurb</u></span></div>
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
Wayne and Nancy grow up on opposite sides of the country, each certain they must have love better than what others will settle for. Something stronger, something richer, something worth searching for. During the turbulent nineteen-sixties, they meet while he is attending blue-collar Drexel, and she is at neighboring, Ivy League Penn. Although irresistibly drawn to each other, they must overcome obstacles posed by the class and social differences separating them, as well as opposition from both families, and later, a twist of fate that will be the cruelest test of all. Can they reach the emotional heights they seek? Can they overcome time's downward pulling inertia? Coinage of Commitment is dedicated to all who ever paused and wondered about the altitude love might soar to.<br />
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Available from <strong><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AY0YGRO/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=rcostelloecom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00AY0YGRO&adid=1V23JSG9PY0J67AGQX64&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcostelloe.com%2Fcoinage-of-commitment.html" target="_blank">Amazon</a></u></strong><br />
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More Blog Hop stops are listed below. And don't forget to enter the Giveaway.<br />
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=182010" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script --><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-82474852770507931912013-03-26T10:02:00.000-05:002013-03-26T10:02:41.270-05:00Personal Top Ten in Music<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's a post I did for <a href="http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews</strong></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>What are your ten favorite songs?</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u><strong>Response</strong></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />Music is special to me because it evokes strong emotions, and it often triggers cinematic mental sequences. These are derived from memories, or they spring from pure imagination. For example, my favorite song is </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Serenity</em>, composed by Kevin Riepl. This is an electronic tune included in the PC game, Unreal Tournament 2004. Whenever I hear this song, The chapter one subway scene from my novel, <em>Coinage of Commitment</em>, plays out in my head, and the sequence usually continues through the restaurant scene and into the subsequent chapter where Wayne walks Nancy home to her apartment in the wee hours. For me, this is Wayne and Nancy’s song, and it plays out in my head like a music video. This song is so special, I insist you try it. Here’s a link:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZg5NF4zvwo" target="_blank"><strong><em>Serenity</em> on YouTube</strong></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />When I was in college, I met my future wife at an outdoor bus stop during a February snowstorm. We had seen each other on the bus, but had not met. When I saw her in the distance through a curtain of snowflakes, my natural shyness fell away, and I knew I must introduce myself to this, one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. Fortunately, she was just as determined to meet me, so the bus ride home that day was one of the high points of my life to that point. We each got home okay, and after I arrived, I heard The Mamas and The Papas’ <em>California Dreamin</em> for the first time. This song, plus two of their others, Look <em>Through My Window</em>, and <em>Twist and Shout</em>, are tunes that always remind me of the time I spent, madly in love with my wife, before we married, while I was in college.<br /><br />Let’s go back a bit further in time. As a high schooler, I had romantic dreams that I knew were unusual for a boy in my peer group. Roy Orbison had that one special voice whose drama could cause the hormones raging in my veins to harmonize perfectly with his breathtaking lyrics. To this day, his songs,<em> Only the Lonely, Crying, Goodnight, The Crowd</em>, and especially, <em>In Dreams</em>, still evoke the catharsis of teenaged longing brought on by this singular voice.<br /><br />I’ll list the rest in approximate order of personal sentiment, and without further comment. These are taken from my iPod list of favorites, which numbers over 200 songs.<br /><br /><em>Un-Break My Heart</em> by Toni Braxton<br /><br /><em>Show me the Meaning of Being Lonely</em> by The Back Street Boys<br /><br /><em>Wanted Dead or Alive</em> by Bon Jovi<br /><br /><em>Wake Me Up When September Ends</em> by Green Day<br /><br /><em>Only Hope</em> by Mandy Moore<br /><br /><em>Wait for Me</em> by Vangelis (from the Bladerunner soundtrack)<br /><br /><em>Live to Tell</em> by Madonna (the 45 rpm vinyl version)<br /><br /><em>Diana</em> by Paul Anka<br /><br /><em>Something about You</em> by Level 42<br /><br /><em>We Two</em> by Little River Band<br /><br /><em>Hysteria</em> by Def Leppard<br /><br /><em>Stairway to Heaven</em> by Led Zeppelin<br /><br /> </span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-74920986329080009722013-03-14T10:38:00.000-05:002013-03-15T14:53:38.158-05:00The 1960s as a Shifting Point<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
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</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's an Article I did recently for Tina's Book Reviews (<a href="http://www.tinasbookreviews.com/" target="_blank">Link</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><strong>Your book is set in the 60's. What about this decade stands out to you as a shifting point in American culture?</strong><br />
<br />Being set in the 1960s, Coinage of Commitment does highlight cultural change aspects of the one decade that still stands out from every other. The campus drug culture gets only grazing treatment, but the Wayne/Nancy love story, as portrayed in the book’s first half, can seem an embodiment of the decade’s sexual revolution. True, Wayne’s family object to the relationship on the basis of traditional morality. But the Sexual Revolution became infamous because it loudly promoted—with the help of the media—promiscuity, something, by the way, it never delivered on any large scale. Indeed, a study on sexual attitudes by the Playboy Foundation, published in 1973-74, found that Baby Boomers still overwhelming viewed marriage as their romantic destination. I remember the study because it shocked into silence many counterculture pundits who had been loudly predicting for years (and I am not making this up) the imminent demise of marriage as a legal institution.<br />
<br />But let’s come back to the Wayne/Nancy romance. Although it’s hardly a spoiler to reveal that it develops into a pre-marital affair, it’s a relationship based on a lifetime commitment. That’s hardly ammunition for a sexual revolution. But it is the kind of shift from the previous generation that was more typical of what many experienced in the 1960s.<br />
<br />What made the decade so exciting to Baby Boomers was the combination of unprecedented media blitz and our youthful denial of any risk factors. It came from a cultural frenzy that fed on itself during the decade’s last few years. Our media and rock star idols taught us to disbelieve the previous generation, and that created the illusion that we had reinvented human nature and that traditional moral hazards didn’t apply to us. But we were wrong. The risks in our behavior may not have been as high as preached by our parents, but they were real, and Baby Boomers went on to learn this lesson the hard way. <br />
<br />In Coinage of Commitment, Wayne and Nancy embark upon a bold romantic adventure. They definitely are pathfinders in that they seek a love in each other that’s higher, richer, longer lasting than any that’s come before. They commit their lives to each other and live together in a bonding that’s entirely traditional except that marriage is deferred instead of coming first. They have tremendous obstacles to overcome before achieving the intimacy each has craved and dreamed of. So perhaps it’s understandable that they don’t give an ounce of thought to the risks they are taking as they approach their first night of bliss. Soon Wayne will sense, if vaguely, the small risks inherent to their relationship. What he does about this and how the risks play out over time is a theme explored by the book right down to its final paragraphs.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-50179783114269683392013-03-08T13:55:00.000-06:002013-03-08T13:55:38.696-06:00Author Interview: Exceptional Question Set<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's an interview I did for MK McClintock's Blog (<strong><u><a href="http://www.mkmcclintockblog.com/" target="_blank">Link</a></u></strong>). I usually don't repost interviews, but MK had an exceptionally well coordinated set of questions, and the chemistry of this particular interview felt just utterly right. Here goes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Did you plan to be a writer or did it just happen?<br /><br />I wrote a few stories as a kid, and then after college I wrote a first novel that I submitted to publishers. But it was of such poor quality that I left fiction writing and got deeply involved in career and raising a family. I was determined to never write fiction again. But then in 2005 something dramatic happened to turn my life inside out. I read a love story by Anita Shreve. It was a book-tape I randomly picked off the public library shelf. I’ll keep you guessing on the title, but in the last paragraph, the author had the male protagonist commit suicide, and she consigned the heroine to an old age of despair. Well, I just couldn’t believe what I had read. This plot reversal was so sudden, it was an utter ambush. It was also a punishment, and I was outraged. But not so much for me. Rather, I kept thinking of all the readers who had suffered because of such literary cruelty. English-speaking readers deserved better than this, I decided, and suddenly I felt the call. At first, it felt unreal. This can’t be happening, I thought, even as I unwillingly started anticipating the research I would need to pursue this preposterous notion. But the clincher was that I could already see the story—at least enough of it to be drawn by its siren song. I held out awhile. It was a delicious time of being suspended over a decision that seemed the stuff of fairy tales. But this suspense only lasted a short time, and by the next day I was writing what would become my first published novel, Coinage of Commitment.<br /><br />What is your favorite non-writing pastime?<br /> <br />I’ve always enjoyed film. In fact, I’ve long been more movie goer than fiction reader. And this became more pronounced once I became a writing contest judge and book reviewer. For mental conditioning, I do read a lot of fiction, but always as book tapes, and even then, I only finish a fraction of what I start. It’s film I usually rely on for inspiring my stories.<br /><br />What inspired the idea behind your book?<br /> <br />It always struck me as odd that no one wrote love stories that got deeper into the nature of love and what it is capable of, the heights it is capable of achieving. I mean, if you’re a young, single character who’s hungry for romance, and you look around at the placidly humdrum marriages that most people have, then why would you want to follow the same romantic path they have? If you do everything the same, you’re only likely to end up the same. If you want something higher, something stronger, something richer and longer lasting, then you’re going to have to think and plan about how to achieve the better outcome you seek. I decided that if I ever returned to writing fiction, it would feature characters who want something better from love, and who are willing to work and plan to make it happen. This is the theme that dominates Coinage of Commitment. Although Wayne and Nancy have class, political, and religious differences—plus opposition from both families—they are drawn to each other. And they each share a dream of achieving love that’s higher and longer lasting than any other.<br /><br />What has been your greatest challenge in writing Coinage of Commitment?<br /> <br />The second weekend I was drafting Coinage of Commitment, I got the flash inspiration for the book’s surprise ending, one unlike any I’d encountered in literature or film. It was the inspiration of a lifetime, and it changed the frame of reference for producing the book. To make best use of the ending, I incorporated new characters, and I added a love triangle I hadn’t thought of until then. As I drafted the book, it became clear the character and plot elements were harmonizing in a special way. My challenge, then, was to write prose good enough to match the quality of story I’d been given. The original print edition benefited from three rounds of professional editing before publication. The print book then became a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards. I went on to publish another novel, plus I undertook nonfiction pursuits, but I always felt a certain bonding with this one special story. A few years later, in the spring of 2012, I realized that my writing ability had improved dramatically since writing Coinage. In the next instant, I knew I would rewrite the book. I simply could not turn away from the opportunity to make it substantially better than what the National Indie Excellence Judges had originally seen. The rewrite took seven months; the digital second edition was published on the Kindle platform in January.<br /><br />What message do you hope readers take away from the book?<br /><br />I hope they get a glimpse that higher love is within our grasp, it’s doable, and that with work and planning, it can indeed last. Most of all, I hope they come away thinking the effort is worth it.<br /><br />Which character in Coinage of Commitment will be the most difficult to part with?<br /> <br />All the characters change and grow throughout a story that spans decades. But one of the mains is transformed by decisions and events to a position that’s very nearly a complete reversal. This is the character whose final disposition readers will be pondering afterwards.<br /><br />Do you have to be alone or have quiet to write?<br /><br />Not when I’m passionate about a project. I wrote Coinage while dining in restaurants, while waiting in airports, and while sitting in the Costco snack area. Many times I awoke in the night and rushed to the adjoining bathroom. There I would scribble draft while kneeling at the sink.<br /><br />Of the books you’ve written, which is your favorite?<br /><br />Coinage of Commitment is my favorite because it’s an exceptional story with a unique surprise ending. And the characters are the best I’ve come up with who strive for higher love and refuse to settle for less.<br /><br />How do you unwind after a long writing session?<br /><br />I’ll usually watch a movie.<br /><br />Why did you choose to be an Indie writer and would you choose to self-publish again?<br /><br />Indie self-publishing has become such an attractive option that even some established authors with traditional publishers are choosing that route. Many traditional authors are finding that their publishers will no longer budget funds for promoting their books. They are literally on their own. Traditional publishers still have a monopoly lock on supplying brick-and-mortar bookstores, but the stores themselves are withering away. I am happy with the switch to Indie publishing. I would choose that route again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?<br /> <br />Great prose can’t happen unless you write clearly and with the fewest words.<br />
<br />How long did it take to get this book from idea to being published? What was the most grueling process?<br /> <br />The original print edition took twenty months from inception to publication. That included two query campaigns and three passes of professional editing. Plus I designed the cover. The second edition rewrite took seven months. That included one pass of editing, one conventional query campaign, a week for professional formatting, and a few hours to actually get the book digitally published. For me, the most grueling aspect of the process is querying.<br /><br />What is your favorite movie based on a book, where you preferred the movie?<br /><br />The Count of Monte Cristo, the 2002 version starring Jim Caviezel, is superior to the original classic, which I’ve read many times. The screenwriter took liberties with the plot and characters to produce a magnificent love story, one of my all-time favorites on film. If you’ve read the original book, this movie is a delightful surprise to take in the first time.<br /><br />Laptop, desktop or notebook and pen/pencil for writing?<br /><br />I use all of the above. When inspiration strikes, I grab whatever is handy. But apart from that, I write certain scenes by hand, and others by word processor. I can’t detect any logic to it, but I always know which to use. Then there are other instances where I’ll start drafting by hand, then switch to writing on the PC.<br /> <br />Have you ever literally deleted or thrown away a book you’ve written?<br /> <br />Yes, my first novel, completed when I was in my twenties, was so dreadful in quality that I eventually discarded it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-60669951079450542532013-03-05T19:10:00.000-06:002013-03-05T19:10:42.734-06:00Featuring Summer's Growth by Tina Gayle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Summer’s Growth</em> – 1st Book in the “Family Tree” series<br />
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Blurb –</span><br />
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Forced by the family spirits to get a life, Mattie Winston has to train her replacement Amber Harrison to be in charge of all the workings of the Winston estate. Reluctant to make changes in her life, Mattie forms a bond with Amber, when strange accidents start happening which threaten their lives and an unknown ghost makes an appearance.<br />
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After being rescued by an old flame, Quincy Miller, Mattie faces old wounds of rejection. As the general contractor for Amber’s redecoration project, Mattie is in constant contact with Quincy and realizes she still in love with her childhood sweetheart.<br />
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Amber, learning her new role in the family, wants to discover the identity of the ghost who keeps appearing. After several appearances, Gwen, Amber’s distance grandmother, shifts the book into more of Amber’s struggle to find out why her grandmother disappeared two hundred years ago without a trace. In a fight to claim her position in the family, Amber searches for clues to solve the mystery.<br />
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Mattie and Amber are both challenged when the family spirits decides Amber shouldn’t be the keeper. Battling for Amber, Mattie realizes she wants a life with Quincy outside the Winston estate.<br />
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Amber realized the importance of her new spiritual family, and she works to discover how Gwen died.<br />
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Can these two women achieve their goals?</span><br />
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Read the first chapter at <br />
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<a href="http://www.tinagayle.net/SGchapter.html">http://www.tinagayle.net/SGchapter.html</a><br />
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Find at <br />
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<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/" target="_blank"> www.smashwords.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summers-Growth-Family-Tree-ebook/dp/B00B8VXGLK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359733435&sr=8-1&keywords=summer%27s+growth+by+Tina+Gayle" target="_blank">www.amazon.com </a><a href="http://www.tinagayle.net/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.tinagayle.net</span></a><br />
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Blog - </span><a href="http://www.tinagayle.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.tinagayle.blogspot.com</span></a><br />
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Goodread - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle</span></a><br />
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Facebook - </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle</span></a><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-19762594128554790642013-03-04T18:38:00.000-06:002013-03-04T18:38:47.492-06:00Vulnerability as a Romantic Strategy<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <br /><br />Here's an article that originally appeared on </span><a href="http://makaylasbookreviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Makayla's Book Review</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Blo<br /><br />Earlier this year I wrote a blog article about some advice I overheard from a financial planner who was appearing on a TV morning show. He advised couples planning to marry to set up separate checking accounts. But the advice struck a dissonant chord with me. What kind of message does this send to the special person you’ve chosen as your lifetime romantic and marriage partner? “Okay, let me get this straight,” I can hear her tell me. “You say you love me, that there will never be anyone but me, and that we are one flesh, but with your actions you are saying I can’t be trusted not to abscond with all our liquid assets?” Worse yet is that she may not be saying that out loud, but instead storing it in her heart as resentful doubt. Of course, there are definite advantages inherent to separate accounts. It’s neater, and if the account won’t balance, it won’t cause an argument. But my ultimate question in the article was whether those advantages outweighed the connotation of mistrust, something that could damage the relationship longer term.<br /><br />Today I’d like to return to the same theme, but from a different angle. Let’s flip the question on its head, shall we? At a deeper level, the question of separate accounts is about vulnerability. And the question I want to ask is whether vulnerability can be used to strengthen a relationship. Isn’t love about sharing, and isn’t sharing secrets, and the vulnerabilities they represent, a way that lovers deepen their emotional intimacy? So the single checking account decision is a message of vulnerability (and transparency) that should strengthen the relationship in a small way. It should work so long as the bookkeeping each of us does on the account is sufficient to keep from annoying the other. How about another, lower level example? My wife and I work from home, but usually on different PCs whose files are synchronized through an Internet-based utility. We share a single email account, and you wouldn’t believe how cluttered that inbox gets at times. We’ve talked about setting up separate email accounts, and we always agree on the manifold benefits. But we’ve never come close to actually taking that step. We’ve always sensed that the messy transparency of the single account, the sharing of potential vulnerabilities, is good for our relationship. Worth the mess, and I want my wife to know that there’s nothing I do in the Internet realm I would hide from her.<br /><br />Let’s wrap up with a more dramatic example. My novel, Coinage of Commitment, has a love triangle that changes the story’s frame of reference in the book’s second half. I don’t like to talk much about the triangle because I think it’s a story feature best “discovered” by the reader. So I don’t even mention it in the book’s description. One of the female protagonists tells the love of her life that she is assuming a posture of emotional vulnerability and dependence on him. She does this as a way of inducing him to meet her emotional needs by loving her more. He is startled by the gesture, but he responds, if awkwardly. But her pledge, and how she lives it over time, will be a major factor in resolving the book’s surprise ending.<br /><br /> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-79388163428292979092013-03-03T10:23:00.000-06:002013-03-03T10:23:50.621-06:00Surprise Your Mate into Loving You More<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This article was originally a guest posting on Kimberly Lewis's blog. <a href="http://kimberlylewisnovels.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Link</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My books feature characters who want more from love that what they see all around them. Something stronger, something higher, something worth pursuing. Part of that pursuit is usually an effort to understand love. We can’t make it soar higher or make it last longer unless we figure out how it works and what can harm it. This usually means the characters need to take a thinking as well as an emotional journey to attain the romantic altitude they seek. And this opens up all sorts of story paths to explore. What conditions in their lives produced a hunger for such fulfillment? And, of course, what are they going to do about getting what they want?<br /><br />But what I wanted to do today is open up musings over how to make it last. Not just last as in the marriage surviving, but how to keep it fresh and vibrant? How to do that over time despite the combined toll taken by parenting and career? I think you have to start by wanting that kind of success. So many couples lose sight of the dream and lapse into a yawning ho-hum. But even wanting it is probably not going to be enough. It takes planning and work and being willing to prioritize your romance near the top of the list.<br /><br />But although planning is crucial, spontaneity can play an important role. It can be a tremendous energizer for the magic. One reason I write love stories for readers is because of what my wife has taught me about love. And more than anyone else, she’s shown me how to use surprise gestures to ignite the magic.<br /><br />How about a real life example? When my wife and I had been married a few years, we were still living love’s bloom, but struggling to keep it sweet amidst job stress, kids and the sheer pace of it all. One day, I was coming home from work in pouring rain via carpool. As we turned onto my street, the driver let out an exclamation that silenced the chit chat. There ahead, in the rain at the curb, stood a woman, holding an open umbrella. “Is that your wife?” the driver asked incredulously. I don’t remember answering because the magic of her gesture was already affecting me.<br /> <br />“What made you do this?” I asked, after we had walked huddled beneath the umbrella’s shelter to our apartment.<br /><br />“I saw the rain and I thought of you on your way home. And then she just smiled.<br /><br />It’s smile I’ve never forgotten.</span><br /> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-88863884246161890362013-02-28T14:00:00.000-06:002013-03-02T16:45:21.965-06:00Blog Tour Preliminary Excerpt<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My Black Lion blog tour, featuring Coinage of Commitment, starts tomorrow, so I thought I would tantalize a bit with a short excerpt from chapter one. In a way, this excerpt is a setup to the longer chapter one excerpt I have on my website. I'll put a link to that at the end of the piece just below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Setup: September, 1968: A fun bar on the edge of campus on a Friday night.</span><br />
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<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They talked awhile,
then Henk left, needing a full night’s sleep for the varsity soccer game he had
in the morning. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city></st1:place>
glanced to the left, toward the girl and her companion. She sat quietly,
listening while he spoke and motioned with forceful animation. It looked like a
pretty hard sell. Oh well, time to get on his way. He stood and picked up his
canvas bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Just then, a movement
at the girl’s table drew his attention. The guy grabbed her long hair at the
neck, twisting her head back and slightly to the side. His other hand was palm
up, fingers spread, pleading his case. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city></st1:place>
turned from the bar and headed in their direction. Her response seemed
understated. She remained still, her unblinking eyes radiating a commanding,
fearless calm. As <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city></st1:place>
approached, the man released his grip, lowering and shaking his head
apologetically. The girl smoothed her tresses with one raised hand, never
taking her stoic gaze from him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city></st1:place> arrived at the edge of the table.
Surprised, they both looked up at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Is everything all
right?” he asked her, his voice calmer than he felt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Her green eyes bored
into his, transfixing him with their crystalline depth. The moment dilated,
slowed and came to a frozen stop. Strains of The Mamas and the Papas’
“California Dreamin” carried from the jukebox.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“I’m fine,” she said,
her voice barely audible. “But thank you,” she added, with just a hint of a
smile, her gaze lingering one more instant, one more extra moment. Then she
looked away, reached out her hand, and took that of her companion, as though to
calm him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gently done, but
certainly dismissal enough, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Wayne</st1:city></st1:place>
thought, as he moved off toward the exit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once out on Market Street, he looked east toward the subway station steps at Thirty-first Street. He knew he should get on with catching the trolley, but felt a nervous energy from the encounter, almost a tingling. So he decided to walk awhile. Turning west, he went down to Thirty-second, crossed, and headed southeast onto the block comprising the newest addition to the Drexel campus. He wandered along the brick walkway and enjoyed the sight. Stratton Hall, Matheson Hall, the Basic Science Annex: by day, ugly renditions of the International Style, when lit up at night, they became majestic, almost lovely. He slowed and let thoughts of the encounter dabble in his mind. He would not soon forget the girl’s incipient smile, or that extra moment as her eyes searched his. Was he entitled to the intimacy he felt from her gaze? The wondering caused her image to stay there, right in the front of his mind. Finally, the evening chill intruded. He withdrew a light jacket from his bag, donned it, and headed back toward Market Street and the subway station.</span></div>
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
<div align="center" class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">***</span></div>
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
<div class="CoinageOfCommitmnet2" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For this plus more from chapter one, click <a href="http://www.rcostelloe.com/excerpt-from-coinage-of-commitment.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-10814328941339568662013-02-27T13:23:00.000-06:002013-02-27T13:23:46.955-06:00Love Stories on Film You Won’t Find on IMDb Lists – Part II<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On part one of this post I noted that some of my favorite
love stories on film were missing from the IMDb lists of best movies. I cited
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) as one example, and in this article I’ll tell
you about two more.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first is Secret Admirer (1985), starring C Thomas Howell,
and Lori Loughlin. This is a lighthearted teen love story whose plot has a
secret admirer letter getting misplaced to cause an avalanche of unintended
consequences, most of them humorous. I think the reason I like this movie so
much--why I have seen it at least a dozen times over the years--is its balance.
It’s a great comedy. The teen supporting actors are extremely well cast, and
they do a terrific job generating laughs. The parents are well cast too, and
their scenes are even funnier. I got a cramp in my stomach the first time I saw
the bridge party fight scene. Look for it; it’s truly hilarious.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But the plot also converges into a good love story. The
ending is satisfying because it grows out of a tender, then frustrating tale of
unrequited love, love strong enough to offer sacrifices. This is a story of
teens growing and learning, finding themselves, and discovering that it can
actually be perverse to get what you want. You’ll laugh your way to the end,
but you’ll be touched by the closing sequence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The other title I wanted to recommend is Electric Dreams
(1984), starring Lenny Dohlen, and Virginia Madsen. This is an unusual love
story. It features a love triangle between a boy, a girl, and a computer. The
drama in this one is not particularly high, and the acting is strictly
mid-rate, but what nudges this film into the “special” category is the music.
It’s original, composed by Giorgio Moroder, plus others, with some of the songs
performed by Culture Club. But it’s perfect for this film, and what the
director has done is structure the film as drama plus side scenes that are
really music videos. So in a way, the movie is a kind of musical. Whatever it
is, it works to produce a great entertainment experience. The music videos are
good or better on their own merits, and they nicely complement the love story
and the progression of the lead characters’ emotions. This one is a unique
viewing experience, a true change of pace love story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The bad news is that Electric Dreams is not readily available. A couple years ago, it was re-released as a Region 2 (UK) DVD, but a Region 1 (USA) version has not yet been produced. If you go out on Amazon, you can read dozens of reviews begging for a US-based DVD, but the reality is that if you want to see this one in the US, you’ll probably have to settle for used VHS. I did that after my TV-recorded version wore out. Now my bought VHS has given out as well. So I’m waiting for the DVD release, just like thousands of others.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-40235524682101678172013-02-26T18:13:00.000-06:002013-02-27T13:14:21.279-06:00Love Stories on Film You Won't Find on IMDb Lists - Part I<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I draw most of my inspiration for fiction writing from movies
rather than books. And when I’m writing full-time, I watch love stories on film
as a kind of comic relief from the stress of creative writing and editing. This
worked well when I was recently rewriting my books for digital self-publication.
That is, until I ran through my own DVD collection. No problem, I thought,
there are plenty of features available on Netflix and pay-per-view. I was
interested in love stories so I went out on the web and searched on lists of
best love stories on film. Such a search produces scores of lists, most
associated with IMDb. Sure enough, the lists did the trick. I found plenty of
new titles, enough for months of fresh viewing. But I was also surprised by
some of the films, and good ones too, that didn’t make any of the lists. So I
thought I’d do a two part post on noteworthy love stories that are apparently
not well known.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first, and one of my all-time favorites is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Count of Monte Cristo</i>, the 2002
version starring Jim Caviezel. We all know the story. Edmond Dantes is betrayed
by friends and spends umpteen years unjustly imprisoned. His fiancée, Mercedes,
marries his arch-betrayer within a month. Edmond eventually escapes, recovers a
huge fortune, and uses it to exact revenge. The setting is post Napoleonic
France.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first bonus of this film is that its romance is far
superior to that of the original story. So if you’ve read the novel, you’re in
for a pleasant surprise the first time you see the movie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The other bonus is that it features one of the most poignant
moments of romantic drama you’ll find in any production. Let me try to set you
up for this without acting the spoiler. Edmond has staged the rescue of his
archenemy’s son and that gets him an invitation to the son’s birthday party,
held in the family’s Paris mansion. The whole movie’s drama thus far has built
up to the tension of this scene. Edmond enters the palatial home as the Count
of Monte Cristo, is greeted warmly by the son, who then introduces him to his
father, Edmond’s archenemy, Count Mondego, who of course doesn’t recognize him;
no one does after his imprisonment. The two chat with amiable formality, Edmond
speaking in coded, ironic phrases. The archenemy turns. “May I present the
Countess Mondego.” Mercedes turns and…that’s as far as I can take you. What
follows, as filmmaking goes, is exquisitely staged, with the players turning in
peak performances. And in the scenes that follow, you have something different
from typical romantic drama because of the clash between vengeful intent—an
intent we sympathize with—and love struggling to revive despite all that should
have killed it forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you’re partial to love stories, I heartily recommend this
film. In a future post, I’ll cover two more notable love stories on film that
you’ll never find of any of the IMDb lists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6175908631265821884.post-47731497282579447842013-02-26T12:47:00.001-06:002013-02-26T18:07:43.359-06:00Separate Accounts<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This post originally appeared on Lois Winston's blog: <a href="http://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2013/01/healthy-living-with-janice-guest-author.html" target="_blank">Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My books feature characters who want more from love that what they see all around them. Something stronger, something higher, something worth pursuing. Part of that pursuit is usually an effort to understand love. We can’t make it soar higher or make it last longer unless we figure out how it works. This usually means the characters need to take an intellectual as well as an emotional journey to attain the emotional altitude they seek. And this opens up all sorts of literary issues to explore. What conditions in their lives produced a hunger for such fulfillment? And, of course, what are they going to do about it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As an author exploring such issues, I sometimes find myself reacting to relationship issues that pop up in the strangest ways. For instance, I happened to be walking through the den the other day and overheard a pundit on Fox News exhorting prospective newlyweds to be sure to set up separate checking and banking accounts. She seemed to be mentioning it as a kind of checklist item, probably part of an array of recommendations—many of them likely tax related—that she was reviewing for the benefit of people planning marriage. As a kind of afterthought, she said—as I got closer to the limit of my hearing range—that of course, in today’s hip, digital culture, with people more aware and better informed than ever before, separate accounts were an elementary safeguard for all parties concerned. As I walked out of range, I thought of another advantage to separate accounts. If you don’t see the mess your spouse makes of her account (and vice versa), then you’re not as likely to get upset about it and argue over it.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But then it occurred to me that this is one of those
instances where the validity of your logic depends on the premises you set.
Yeah, if your priority concern is to “protect” the individual members of a
marriage, then separate accounts do provide that assurance. But how far should
such “protections” extend? Most murders are products of domestic violence, but
does that make it wise for me to keep a pistol under my pillow to protect me
from my wife? Also, it doesn’t take long for the realization to sink in that
the protection is from each other. Do I need to be protected from the woman
I’ve vowed to love and cherish till death do us part? More importantly, what
message does establishing such protection send to one’s spouse? “Okay, let me
get this straight,” I can hear her say. “You say you love me, that there will
never be anyone for you but me, and that we are one flesh, but with your
actions you are saying that I can’t be trusted not to abscond with all our
liquid assets.” Worse yet is that she may not be saying that out loud, but
instead storing it in her heart as a corrosive doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So what’s the right answer? I think that depends on what you
want out of marriage, and how much you are willing to risk and invest in the romance
we pledge as a lifetime commitment. The guiding fundamental is that actions speak
louder than words. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Coinage of
Commitment</i>, the female protagonist tells the love of her life that she is
assuming a posture of emotional vulnerability and dependence on him. She does
this to raise his commitment to her emotional needs to a level he had not
contemplated. As a result of how he responds…well, better not to give away the
surprise ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021685366625005205noreply@blogger.com0