Imagine

Today my guest is author Mark Danielson. Some of you may remember his great pictures from an earlier Friday Field Trip post. He's shared his pictures. Now it's his turn to share some words, showing us the world from his perspective.

I wish every American could see the world as I have, for travel promotes global understanding. As a fighter pilot stationed in Korea in 1977, I traveled extensively throughout Asia. As a current airline pilot, I have circumnavigated the world countless times. While each trip is unique, my experience has shown that politics aside, people are people, regardless of how they dress, the color of their skin, the religion they practice, or the language they speak.

From thirty-five thousand feet, there are no borders, the air is clear, the earth a cornucopia of color. Cities spread like spilt milk, rivers and highways are capillaries, mountain ranges resemble lemon meringue pies, and there is no evidence of war. Welcome to Utopia.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

What I'm reading: 61 Hours, by Lee Child

Actually, what I'm really, really, really reading are copy edits for Where Danger Hides.

We spend a lot of time trying to ensure our work is perfect. Are my margins right? Correct font? Chapter headers starting in the right place? Should I use numerals or write out the words? Headers? Footers? Page numbers? How do I denote scene breaks? How many spaces at the end of a sentence?

We stress about rules—which are fixed in stone, which are flexible, and which are brittle enough to break. We worry about the details—too much telling, too many POV characters, too much head hopping. Does the plot hold true? Did I do enough homework? Are the details right, or will I look like an idiot putting Ponderosa pines where there ought to be spruce trees?

Friday Field Trip - Cripple Creek

Here are the promised pictures. It was an overcast, chilly morning, but the scenery was still remarkable. Hope you enjoy them. Commentary can be found in yesterday's post. Although Cripple Creek is a tourist attraction, there's still an active gold mine (conglomerate, actually) in the area.

Leftover mining stuff

Back from Cripple Creek

What I'm reading: Whiplash by Catherine Coulter

We're back. And why does going away for 24 hours put you three days behind?

For anyone who doesn't know Cripple Creek, it's an old mining town that's turned into a tourist attraction. Some history, but mostly gaming. Hubster and I are anything but gamblers, but we wanted to check out the place. Hubster IS into history, mining, and trains, so he tolerated the fact that just about every establishment there was there for gambling.

We arrived shortly before noon, so our first stop was the Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad. The next train departed at noon, so we bought tickets for that trip. It's about a 45 minute ride, from Cripple Creek to Anaconda, and then back (in reverse). It's a steam-powered engine, and runs on a narrow gauge track (which was more meaningful to Hubster than myself). But it was interesting to watch the engineer shovel coal to keep the fire stoked, and made you wonder what it would have been like living back then with all the smoke and cinders in the air.We had a bonus on our trip, as there was a small tree threatening to fall on the tracks. A second crewman was aboard to that point, and he jumped off to deal with it. On the return, "dealing with it" meant using the locomotive to pull the tree down. No chain saws, nothing but some rope and "train muscle."

Vague is OK

Since I'm writing this post on Sunday I can't report on our Cripple Creek anniversary getaway. Yet. I know Hubster is looking forward to riding the narrow-gauge train. And thanks to Autumn for covering things yesterday.

Back to my non-plotting. One of my crit partners is aghast that I don't nail more specific details before I write.

For my WIP, I am more or less locked into another plot point. The heroine's husband's abuse escalated big time after his father died. Again, that's in my May 2011 release, so I can't change it. (Of course, that's being optimistic that this WIP will see publication, but I have to write it as if it will.) About the only other things we know about the husband is that he's very possessive, and social status is number one on his priority list.

Thus, I needed a good reason to explain why everything went south after the father died. My reasoning said it was because the father was involved in something shady, and somehow, the heroine's husband was now involved.

My questions: Why would he let himself be dragged in, especially since his father was dead? Given his established character, it might be something that if he doesn't do it, his standing in the community will plummet. A chat with Detective Hussey (if you're new here and don't know who he is, he's a very real homicide detective, and that's his real name--scroll through the archives for "Homicide Hussey" posts) assured me this was a reasonable motivation.

He’s Not Perfect But He’s Mine

Today, I'm turning Terry's Place over to Autumn Jordon while the hubster and I go to Cripple Creek for our 41st anniversary. I know you're in good hands. (As am I.) And, no, Autumn's title has nothing to do with my husband. Just one of those coincidences. Weclome, Autumn.

I love a good romance story, don’t you? And I love a hero who is imperfect.

Screech …

What did I say? I love a hero who’s not perfect. That’s right. It’s true.

Why you ask? Because perfect heroes are boring. They’re not real. Can you name one man you know who is still perfect, after the third date, when the stars in your eyes are dimmed by the wakening dawn?

I see you nodding your head frantically and displaying your engagement ring or wedding band. Very nice, but admit it, the guy who is perfect for you is not perfect. He probably has a habit that makes you itch to hide his channel changer at times.

Trust Your Subconscious

What I'm reading: French Pressed, by Cleo Coyle

We pause for these commercial messages…Digi Books Café has a 20% discount offer on all e-books. NOWHERE TO HIDE is one of those books, so if you've been contemplating reading it, this is probably the cheapest way to get it. The coupon code is e3d9d10a3c. Link to the book is here.

Of course, if you 'd rather have a personalized hard copy, you can email me and I'll send you one (or any of my other print books).

Friday's special treat of seeing one of my Free Reads, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAGE, get some unexpected publicity still makes me smile. If you missed it, you can see the article here. The link to the download itself is here . And, for the record, Hubster even downloaded the Kindle app for his phone so he could "buy" the story and help keep its sales ranking up there.


As you read this, contractor gods willing, our guys should be finishing up installation of the new "front" door and getting the new lights and mirrors in the bathrooms. We finally got delivery of our nightstands, so no more cardboard boxes. Next up: exterior pressure cleaning and a new coat or two of stain.

As for writing …

A Kindle Surprise

Surprise, surprise - One of my free reads, 'THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAGE" was a featured pick at "Kindle Nation" today. A serendipitous discovery. (You have to scroll down a bit to find it)

Or, the direct link to download the story is here.

Friday Field Trip - Vancouver Island

First, I'm over at the Author Expressions blog today, talking about what I learned at a Brenda Novak workshop on Romantic Suspense. Hope you'll stop by.

Next, there's a new contest with a cool prize. Click the contest tab.

And now, back on the road, this time with my sister-in-law, Amy Daraghy, who recently took a vacation trip to Vancouver Island. Amy's been my nature consultant for my books-her knowledge of what grows where my books are set is invaluable. So it's not unexpected that the pictures she sent are scenic. Clicking an image should open an enlarged version. Enjoy! (And these are only a tiny sample of what she sent, so there will be more Friday trips with Amy in the works.)



Along Highway 19 Between Port Hardy & Duncan

It's Been How Long?

What I'm reading: Infamous, by Suzanne Brockmann

Yesterday, when I started on my usual blog rounds, I noticed that Elizabeth Spann Craig, a frequent visitor here, mentioned that she'd been blogging since May of 2009 and was taking a 'blogcation' for about a week.

That got me thinking ... how long has this blog been around? I went to the archives and discovered I've been here at Terry's Place since July 10, 2006. Over the years, things have changed. I've learned more about the business. I've learned more about blogging. And I've watched the user interface with Blogger change as well.

I thought it would be fun to re-post my initial blog here, and you can see how things have changed. (The following has not been edited.)