tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42143580782202933162024-03-05T07:32:19.878-06:00Jan Morrill's Thoughts Over CoffeeAren't some of your best conversations shared over a hot cup of coffee? Let's share a virtual cup...Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-28782290247162667532012-05-11T13:13:00.001-05:002012-05-11T13:18:24.350-05:00I've Moved!<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">Thanks for stopping by! Nobody's home here, because I've moved. But, consider yourself invited to my "new home!" </i><i style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">If you like what you see, I'd love for you to follow me at:</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.janmorrill.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jan Morrill Writes</span></a></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-9632325823438800442012-04-01T08:16:00.000-05:002012-04-01T08:16:31.735-05:00Resting Place #fridayflash #fridayfictioneers #100wordsIf you haven't found my new home yet, here's the link:<br />
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<a href="http://janmorrill.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/im-tardy-friday-fictioneers-resting-place/"><b>http://janmorrill.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/im-tardy-friday-fictioneers-resting-place/</b></a> <br />
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I'd love for you to visit me there, and if you like it, follow me, too. But if you're not so inclined to hop on over, here's my Fictioneer Flash Fiction for this week:<br />
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I'm sorry to be so late in getting my flash fiction posted for the Fictioneers. Though this was one of my favorite photo prompts by <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/old-truck-100-words/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a>, sometimes life gets in the way of our writing. Throughout the week, I hope to make my way through <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/old-truck-100-words/" target="_blank">all of the stories</a> prompted by this photo.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/truck.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1453" height="258" src="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/truck.jpg?w=300" title="truck" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Resting Place</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He wondered if he looked as worn as the old truck; sure felt as rusted. When he opened the door to get in, it groaned, just like he did when he got out of bed after a long, restless night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">“Morning, Sally.” Same words he’d whispered every morning of the fifty-five years he woke next to her. He took a deep breath and ran his crooked fingers over tattered upholstery. “We had us some good times in this here front seat, didn’t we?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He watched the urn that rested where Sally used to sit, as if waiting for an answer.</span>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-48071392332384088872012-03-26T08:59:00.000-05:002012-03-26T08:59:30.734-05:00Don't Forget! My Mashup and I Have MovedIf you're receiving this post by email, I'm grateful you have been a follower on this blog, and I'd be ever so happy if you'd hop on over to my new blog on WordPress, <a href="http://www.janmorrill.wordpress.com/">www.janmorrill.wordpress.com</a>, and click on the "Follow Blog Via Email" button.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZHnvBJ7wgJMFzUestMtgRAJG0l8WxkfoRMa6nKGdoFr7kKepGKxK088yW5_Yew-ou6C8z5enEWKDjp1wiV3CIyAYDLetzF7ghcUyi1tx8YxrmMpehGb5lnZ_Zd4pABI0YSBvAJ9vhkff/s1600/P1080140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZHnvBJ7wgJMFzUestMtgRAJG0l8WxkfoRMa6nKGdoFr7kKepGKxK088yW5_Yew-ou6C8z5enEWKDjp1wiV3CIyAYDLetzF7ghcUyi1tx8YxrmMpehGb5lnZ_Zd4pABI0YSBvAJ9vhkff/s200/P1080140.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
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And, if you're not a follower, WHY NOT?? Just kidding. But, that too, would make me ever so happy, and we like Jan when she's happy.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Not so much when she's not.</div><br />
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Here's the link to my new mashup:<br />
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<a href="http://janmorrill.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/monday-morning-mashup-32612/">http://janmorrill.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/monday-morning-mashup-32612/</a><br />
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Thank you and have a happy Monday!Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-82940141843584654562012-03-24T18:14:00.000-05:002012-03-24T18:14:52.483-05:00I've Moved<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/moving.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1351" height="214" src="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/moving.jpg?w=300" title="Moving" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Well, THE MOVE was so scary that I thought about it for months before taking the plunge. I was so scared of THE MOVE that I convinced myself it wasn't possible. Soon, however, I began to see blog posts (such as <a href="http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/03/the-5-most-common-author-website-mistakes/" target="_blank">Rachelle Gardner's post, "Five Most Common Author-Website Mistakes"</a>) that recommended WordPress over Blogger for better SEO (Search Engine Optimization.)<br />
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I decided I could no longer ignore the truth.<br />
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My next step was to research how to do it. Once I found a couple of websites/blogs that gave instructions step-by-step, it still took me a month to work up the courage. I was petrified of messing up my blog.<br />
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Today I bit the bullet. Here's the website I used, which provided easy-to-understand instructions: <a href="http://www.doitwithwp.com/blogger-to-wordpress/" target="_blank">Do It With WordPress: Moving From Blogger to WordPress--Your Guide.</a><br />
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It was easier than I expected, and though I still have some tweaking to do, I'm pretty happy with the results.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/blogger-to-wordpress-140x1401.png"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-1353" height="112" src="http://janmorrill.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/blogger-to-wordpress-140x1401.png" title="blogger-to-wordpress-140x140" width="112" /></a></div>Here's my new blog link:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.janmorrill.wordpress.com/">www.janmorrill.wordpress.com</a></b></div><br />
I hope all of my dear follows will hop on over and follow me there. Better yet, I'd love for you to subscribe to my new blog, by clicking the "Follow Blog via Email" button. It was the hardest part about making the decision to move -- losing all my followers. :(<br />
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What do you think? Are you on Blogger or WordPress? Any thoughts about changing?Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-71452637689132750132012-03-23T07:31:00.000-05:002012-03-23T07:31:52.867-05:00"Reaching" #FridayFictioneers #FlashFictionI'm not sure how many times I've said this, but I thought this week's photo prompt by <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a> was her most challenging yet. Often, when I'm too challenged to write a story, I'll write haiku instead, which is what I did this week. And often, my haiku is a metaphor for life.<br />
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If you'd like to read other flash fiction tales about the photo, click <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/blank-100-words/" target="_blank">here</a>. As always, feel free to leave links to your blogs with your comments!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8wiSQ7QMGWjeO-fYGbSht922BBzzdfNMJ1MTy7L1nKjyre3ypw915fb3SZefnDu20-L7Kut3XZ0P54RienSfgxVBPUy5anB-rLxTd-GtoLsiyYro23ws32vxv00ap7m6cJzIXQj4Q-86/s1600/sunset-white-branches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8wiSQ7QMGWjeO-fYGbSht922BBzzdfNMJ1MTy7L1nKjyre3ypw915fb3SZefnDu20-L7Kut3XZ0P54RienSfgxVBPUy5anB-rLxTd-GtoLsiyYro23ws32vxv00ap7m6cJzIXQj4Q-86/s1600/sunset-white-branches.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Reaching</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Barren branches reach</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">toward heaven each winter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">waiting for rebirth.</span></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-5714596301141658372012-03-21T07:30:00.000-05:002012-03-21T07:30:35.013-05:00My Writerly Achilles Heel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44dNeDA3HTcUujsOBbHdm9G_IQs2gu0r_2haxAYV2wM5luDXtUdfasuUyCZBzMDg9W2Nekny3VJdvT0t4egWY48rMhIsWJmc80vhg1zgUW0UkCdwqdRyX27wEPJ4DeiASkWkvzG0C6rl5/s1600/boudreau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44dNeDA3HTcUujsOBbHdm9G_IQs2gu0r_2haxAYV2wM5luDXtUdfasuUyCZBzMDg9W2Nekny3VJdvT0t4egWY48rMhIsWJmc80vhg1zgUW0UkCdwqdRyX27wEPJ4DeiASkWkvzG0C6rl5/s1600/boudreau.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Facebook friend, <a href="http://alboudreau.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Al Boudreau</a>, posts daily questions to writers on Facebook. His question this morning was:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">Writers/Authors: We all have strengths and weaknesses in our writing. What are you most deft at, in terms of winning readers over to make them fans? What are you striving to improve about your mad skills?</span> </b></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Several authors have given their interesting, often self-deprecating answers. Reading them, it's good to know I'm not the only one out there. Here was my answer:</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><b>I think "voice" is my writing strength. My weakness is getting that shitty first draft on paper without being compulsive about getting every blasted sentence perfect. Most writers talk about over-editing their manuscripts. I over-edit my sentences.</b></span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">I thought it was interesting that I had to think A LOT longer about my strengths than I did my weaknesses. Maybe that's because I'm experiencing one particular weakness full-on in the last few days. For over a week now, I have been stuck in the thick sludge of re-writing sentences over and over as I try to move forward with a story. I don't know if I should blame it on my obsessiveness with trying to get each sentence just right, or if I should blame it on my character's stubborn refusal to tell me her story.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">In my <a href="http://www.jansthoughtsovercoffee.blogspot.com/2012/03/morrills-monday-morning-mashup-31912.html" target="_blank">Monday Mashup</a>, I posted a link to an article by Jhumpa Lahiri called "<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/my-lifes-sentences/?emc=eta1" target="_blank">My Life's Sentences</a>." In the article, she states, "</span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">Constructing a sentence is the equivalent of taking a Polaroid snapshot: pressing the button, and watching something emerge." It is the same for me. I see mini stories within each sentence. Perhaps that's why I like to write haiku. (Click <a href="http://haikubyhaiku.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to go to my haiku blog.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I felt a little better after reading Ms. Lahiri's essay on her own struggle with sentences. She says:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">My work accrues sentence by sentence. After an initial phase of sitting patiently, not so patiently, struggling to locate them, to pin them down, they begin arriving, fully formed in my brain.</span> </span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUvFHsaNsKZvMV-seJ-hfd2eagtfyVj4JQ2ZBZ8RkgJ7zIwiiXnkdbSCCTv7l-5S0FqwQkMRoT2ABzZMaWTa_00lW2IY9Gixt2LhkgTYMubz_kKe12Mn6Ywvv6H1CutveA_H8Tnqy8sZt/s1600/P1070075crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUvFHsaNsKZvMV-seJ-hfd2eagtfyVj4JQ2ZBZ8RkgJ7zIwiiXnkdbSCCTv7l-5S0FqwQkMRoT2ABzZMaWTa_00lW2IY9Gixt2LhkgTYMubz_kKe12Mn6Ywvv6H1CutveA_H8Tnqy8sZt/s200/P1070075crop.jpg" width="194" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">Still, it hasn't helped me to get more sentences down on paper. I suppose it's just one more aspect of waiting that tries the patience of a writer. Waiting for replies on queries. Waiting for a publisher or agent to call. Waiting for a character to tell her story. Waiting for a sentence to come.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">So . . . back to Mr. Boudreau's question: What are your writerly strengths and weaknesses?</span></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-9399679883936786922012-03-20T07:40:00.003-05:002012-03-20T22:43:03.529-05:00Telling Tuesdays 3/20/12 : "It was raining."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s1600/Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s200/Tuesday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Welcome to </span><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Telling Tuesday</b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, a day reminiscent of those in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought for show and tell. This weekly feature was inspired by an article on </span><a href="http://writetodone.com/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">WriteToDone.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, called "</span><a href="http://writetodone.com/2011/11/28/john-lecarre-show-not-tell/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--<i>show, don't tell</i>--because it doesn't just <i>tell</i> us how not to tell, it <i>shows</i> us some of LeCarre's very own examples.</span></span><br />
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<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander. Feel free to use the prompt, or the photo (if a photo is shown.) Of course, if you have a completely different "telling" prompt, you can "show" us that, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, I invite you to leave a link to your website or blog with your comments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:</u></b></span><br />
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The following is my first attempt at writing romance. (We all have to step out of our comfort zones sometime.) I've already received some excellent critique from my writers' group, especially my friend, <a href="http://www.truthsbyruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ruth Weeks</a>, and I welcome whatever comments you might have.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">It was raining.</i> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; text-indent: 0.5in;">It was raining that morning in Kyoto. Asako's kimono clung to her body, wet and cold as she ran across the street to find cover. Weaving her way through the crowds of people seeking shelter, she didn’t pay attention to where she stepped and the sole of her </span><i style="font-family: 'Courier New'; text-indent: 0.5in;">geta</i><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; text-indent: 0.5in;"> caught a pothole. She tripped and fell into the mud.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">A young man ran to her and offered his hand. “Are you all right?” he asked as he helped her up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">She smoothed her kimono and bowed in gratitude. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” she replied, looking into his chestnut eyes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">When he smiled and nodded, said, "Good," in a velvety voice, when his keen gaze watched as she smoothed her kimono, something inside her warmed. In a flash, she knew her world would never be the same.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">Though she could not break away from his gaze, she knew she she must be a terrible sight. Wet hair. Smeared makeup. Her face surely had become a <i>noh</i> mask, a ghostly demon disguise. Embarrassed, she pushed away and stared down at the rain splashing in the puddles<i>. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; text-indent: 0.5in;">A loud clap of thunder startled her and snapped her back to reality.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><i>Stupid girl. You are a maiko. Soon you will be a geisha. Stop your lovesick thoughts!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">She ran for shelter from the rain, from him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">But he grabbed her arm and pulled her back so violently her <i>geta</i> fell off her foot. A second later, a rickshaw rumbled past and ran over her shoe, burying it in the mud.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">When she turned to thank him, she was once again whisked away from the hectic, rainy world and the two stood alone in silence. She watched the gentle journey of water droplets as they fell from his black hair and trickled over high cheekbones before resting on firm lips.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">She prayed the tingling she felt was only the raindrops upon her skin.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"> </span></div></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-1606231414955423352012-03-19T07:07:00.003-05:002012-03-19T07:09:28.505-05:00Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 3/19/12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s1600/lots+of+mashers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s200/lots+of+mashers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;">MASH-UP</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">A </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; position: static; text-align: left;">creative</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 18px; position: static; text-align: left;">combination</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">mixing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">content</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">from </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">different</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">sources.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Writers are often bombarded with information on what we should and shouldn't be doing in our writerly lives, especially with all of the turmoil in the publishing industry today. The posts I've listed this week reminded me that right and wrong is not black and white. It's a big, foggy gray area, and it varies for each individual.</span> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiTB-lRYKIhuA1W2u_rcBOMZVaR4VWonv4lipgVlUMadc_uRMQc-lOOVAWreh9Q6OCdD-qR1A086cSE6Za-3UJnKq2mZ_riMp9S6D9dYsQB996eACrlqKVnUlQEoFdc3G_yWYRtToJ-2H/s1600/rww_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiTB-lRYKIhuA1W2u_rcBOMZVaR4VWonv4lipgVlUMadc_uRMQc-lOOVAWreh9Q6OCdD-qR1A086cSE6Za-3UJnKq2mZ_riMp9S6D9dYsQB996eACrlqKVnUlQEoFdc3G_yWYRtToJ-2H/s1600/rww_logo.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">The post "<a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_write_readable_-_and_retweetable_-_tweets.php" target="_blank">How to Write Readable -- And Retweetable -- Tweets</a>" by <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/author/dave-copeland.php" target="_blank">Dave Copeland</a> on <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/" target="_blank">ReadWriteWeb</a>.com includes some of the best advice I've seen on tweeting, including where to place your links within your tweet. Did you know it should not be placed at the end of your tweet? Read on! </span><b><a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_write_readable_-_and_retweetable_-_tweets.php"><span style="color: red;">http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_write_readable_-_and_retweetable_-_tweets.php</span></a></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84VS4M9hNR_Y5Gl0ezwxpcEeFqO-0huCIfcL9LZKnJBkog6dOfNS6mivmsTQyxqCvQQaZ3nBq2q_oWrCjIZFE7SXXO9rMEZRXdUUrZMw0UgqbAKF0iIoDN0laoc3PiVk4XBryH1UUgDG2/s1600/lahiri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84VS4M9hNR_Y5Gl0ezwxpcEeFqO-0huCIfcL9LZKnJBkog6dOfNS6mivmsTQyxqCvQQaZ3nBq2q_oWrCjIZFE7SXXO9rMEZRXdUUrZMw0UgqbAKF0iIoDN0laoc3PiVk4XBryH1UUgDG2/s200/lahiri.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">I love the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">New York Times</a> article, "<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/my-lifes-sentences/?emc=eta1" target="_blank">My Life's Sentences</a>," by <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/" target="_blank">Jhumpa Lahiri</a>. In this post, Lahiri discusses her love of sentences, both in reading and writing them, saying, "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">The urge to convert experience into a group of words that are in a grammatical relation to one another is the most basic, ongoing impulse of my life."</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"> And though we're often taught that only <i>after</i> we complete our "shitty first draft" (<a href="http://barclayagency.com/lamott.html" target="_blank">Anne Lamott</a>) should we then go through and perfect our sentences, Ms. Lahiri admits compulsion to analyze and perfect each sentence as she goes along. "</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">All the revision I do — and this process begins immediately, accompanying the gestation — occurs on a sentence level." I felt better reading this article, because I admit, it's my natural way to write, also.</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"> </span></span><b><a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/my-lifes-sentences/?emc=eta1"><span style="color: red;">http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/my-lifes-sentences/?emc=eta1</span></a></b><br />
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</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s1600/quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s200/quote.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Your assumptions are</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">your windows on the world.</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Scrub them off every</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">once in a while,</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="#333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">or the light won't come in.</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> ~ Alan Alda</span> </span></i></div></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-41932683146441646632012-03-17T16:47:00.002-05:002012-03-17T16:53:02.637-05:00Ignorant Shame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclN3BqjopKHpo8Jcy5Rh8Y-XeQRGB6mvlnZW5RUCdbwlUI2tii9dsP-D4nVGnRJlpq35iGQaqV113lfnDuO8_MbRGeUyQK7i1FSZXp7JcySbbGP_kFUpfvEobT84n1OadnCB35zenr9x_/s1600/jan+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclN3BqjopKHpo8Jcy5Rh8Y-XeQRGB6mvlnZW5RUCdbwlUI2tii9dsP-D4nVGnRJlpq35iGQaqV113lfnDuO8_MbRGeUyQK7i1FSZXp7JcySbbGP_kFUpfvEobT84n1OadnCB35zenr9x_/s320/jan+001.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>I was a member of the Armijo Super Band in Fairfield, California for all four of my high school years. And though we were called "band freaks" by the "popular" kids of the day, I was proud of my membership in the elite band. Our director, Mr. Lindsey always maintained the highest expectations with regard to our performance on and off the field.<br />
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For that reason, I encouraged both my daughter and son to be in their high school bands, though to my disappointment, they only stayed in their bands for two years. No more living vicariously.<br />
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I always regretted that I didn't get to attend college in the traditional way. Instead, I went to night school and worked. So, I never got to be in a college band. Even today, I can't think of too many things that would be more fun.<br />
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That's why, when I heard <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/16/sport/ncaa-racism/index.html" target="_blank">the story of the University of Southern Mississippi band chanting "Where's your green card?" to a Latino player on the Kansas State University basketball team</a>, I cringed with disgust.<br />
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In my experience, being a band member was always positive, especially when it came to competition. I was taught to compete hard and be a good sport if we didn't win. What a great feeling to cheer and celebrate with my fellow band members. If any of us ever displayed such poor sportsmanship, Mr. Lindsey would have dragged us off the bleachers by our ears and stood us in the middle of the court while he scolded us with his megaphone.<br />
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Where <i>was</i> the band director, the drum major, while these chants occurred? Did anyone in the audience stand up and chastise the band?<br />
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Kudos to Angel Rodriguez, the basketball player who was the victim of the chanting. According to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/16/sport/ncaa-racism/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Rodriguez did not change his expression during the chants and helped push Kansas State to victory by scoring 13 points.</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i><b>"I heard it. I don't pay attention to that nonsense, especially because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, so we don't need no type of papers," Rodriguez said Friday. "Their athletic director and personnel from their school came to apologize, and I accepted it."</b></i></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Rodriguez said he realized that there are "ignorant people, and I know that is not how they want to represent their university. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">I've moved on already," he said. "I have a game to focus on."</span></b></i><br />
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I keep hoping we have "outgrown" such ugliness, but sadly, it appears not.Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-60612730516267313922012-03-16T06:02:00.002-05:002012-03-16T06:05:22.629-05:00"Waiting for My Boy" #FridayFictioneers #FlashFiction<a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a> posted a bit of a different photo prompt today, and what a pretty dog. (According to the photo's file name, her name is "Bobbie Sue.") So much to write about her wise, watchful eyes. I'm excited to read the variety of flash that is sure to be written about her. Click <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/you-wanna-piece-a-me-100-words/" target="_blank">here</a> for links to all the stories.<br />
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Feel free to leave a link to your stories with your comments!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nAJxS6FSTV3REsCiXU4Xor4Xo2QBYdeYuGX_bhCgddZPkr8b1sDPGKx4bHTj9MZPDA_wtUr8_H0ucD1ZTeqxv-0mSEtZksVRLgKkILOy_2J1TMx-UHxGmDK24Pt69lyNuifptYwGeCsL/s1600/bobbie-sue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nAJxS6FSTV3REsCiXU4Xor4Xo2QBYdeYuGX_bhCgddZPkr8b1sDPGKx4bHTj9MZPDA_wtUr8_H0ucD1ZTeqxv-0mSEtZksVRLgKkILOy_2J1TMx-UHxGmDK24Pt69lyNuifptYwGeCsL/s320/bobbie-sue.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Waiting for My Boy</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It’s the longest part of the day</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Waiting while the sun that</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">shines overhead drops and hides</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">behind the oak across the street and cool</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">shade replaces warm sunshine on</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">my belly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The yellow school bus engine revs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">as it approaches.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Brakes squeal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It stops in front of the oak.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My boy runs across the street, his</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">satchel bulging with homework that will take</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">him away from me for hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My tail wiggles, then</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ripples through me</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">until</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">my whole body</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">shivers</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">with</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">one,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">giant wag.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He flings the gate open,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">kneels and wraps his arms around</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The-scent-of-him-the-taste-of-him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My boy!</span></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-35536079523426577262012-03-14T13:40:00.000-05:002012-03-14T13:40:57.307-05:00Happy 101st Birthday to Akira Yoshizawa - Origami Grand Master<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U7J5l-0ZzFSp_IDm8q2aA_HusbtJ38v_Eo0xoTCtAPh4TBstlXZ1TIsFNNLzhF353ojYpuEecDgNnfOA7BVqyN0xC5ds108C8F2M2595TurrIubshhzoQgUHUjuYHTA1kw6GEnURrbwM/s1600/yoshizawa12-hp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U7J5l-0ZzFSp_IDm8q2aA_HusbtJ38v_Eo0xoTCtAPh4TBstlXZ1TIsFNNLzhF353ojYpuEecDgNnfOA7BVqyN0xC5ds108C8F2M2595TurrIubshhzoQgUHUjuYHTA1kw6GEnURrbwM/s320/yoshizawa12-hp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thank you to Google for its March 14, 2012 Google Doodle that reminded me of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Yoshizawa" target="_blank">Akira Yoshizawa</a>'s 101st birthday. Though I've always enjoyed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origami" target="_blank">origami</a>, before today, I never really thought about who inspired its popularity.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday, Yoshizawa-san!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawz0Ee5v9-MSGBNO6rsVPpVY2ydXjQWMzJ7KeLB-71vnP_errtmrVMlbK0qHFR0Ewr10UOTxflcaBZ-M2RJAubverUJY0-I1VUed54lCOptFgYYcpljvzQKJTGRUSAH1FE0fdUbRmpFZW/s1600/02yoshizawa184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawz0Ee5v9-MSGBNO6rsVPpVY2ydXjQWMzJ7KeLB-71vnP_errtmrVMlbK0qHFR0Ewr10UOTxflcaBZ-M2RJAubverUJY0-I1VUed54lCOptFgYYcpljvzQKJTGRUSAH1FE0fdUbRmpFZW/s1600/02yoshizawa184.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkH80a3uMoOnXO0Ssc1BALcZ0ARbpgb7qtg8XQneWd7cn4Mg7Cu-tpOBhoGCt37_fSwOSZpQNrkoLMhROr4YDidtwOHYxgHtJAI4g7Y6qnyHggM1y_oTqJPucJU8Y03jCbmR1hffOaJj/s1600/AP1030770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkH80a3uMoOnXO0Ssc1BALcZ0ARbpgb7qtg8XQneWd7cn4Mg7Cu-tpOBhoGCt37_fSwOSZpQNrkoLMhROr4YDidtwOHYxgHtJAI4g7Y6qnyHggM1y_oTqJPucJU8Y03jCbmR1hffOaJj/s320/AP1030770.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thinking about origami reminded me of a trip my mother, sisters and daughter took to Japan a few years ago.<br />
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There, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-ZQamnmk7b55TpedoDPDeXKihyEE7gKe71xFykOkXqo7yz0VwT-ISNukAJ6YUv54neNmZaZR_yQyLpRsaMvABxMV98t8_rv6RG0fl2YxBsEqifHscbiEjg8-vs6AZtaaQksCTe0QczFd/s1600/P1030682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-ZQamnmk7b55TpedoDPDeXKihyEE7gKe71xFykOkXqo7yz0VwT-ISNukAJ6YUv54neNmZaZR_yQyLpRsaMvABxMV98t8_rv6RG0fl2YxBsEqifHscbiEjg8-vs6AZtaaQksCTe0QczFd/s320/P1030682.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Of course I'd read the history of Hiroshima. But, even six decades later, the vision of what remains of the damage is startling. My first reaction was to deny to myself that our nation could have been responsible for such destruction. But of course, how could I deny it?<br />
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As we walked around the memorial site, a group of Japanese boys approached us, and asked if we would let them walk with us and answer any questions we might have about the memorial. It was a part of a school project they said.<br />
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At first, it was difficult to communicate, as they knew little English, and we knew even less Japanese. But as we walked around, I was surprised to find how much we were able to communicate with gestures and expresssions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbcQ_HHRfHxPnbilDJfKaP3TnWRhEWUx-Alv-C6m8y7jx2dXCyPIuchAI_b16KlUca2iDziUjOF68eo8_luVJRa4h78y0MjKfue8pWI-wDHLBVasGmuYUVVitT2psyw_qXLuj8qh0cBI8/s1600/P1030696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbcQ_HHRfHxPnbilDJfKaP3TnWRhEWUx-Alv-C6m8y7jx2dXCyPIuchAI_b16KlUca2iDziUjOF68eo8_luVJRa4h78y0MjKfue8pWI-wDHLBVasGmuYUVVitT2psyw_qXLuj8qh0cBI8/s320/P1030696.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">We came upon a beautiful memorial called the Children's Peace Monument, also known as Tower of a Thousand Cranes. We read the information and the boys further explained its story.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Ten years later, she died of leukemia. During her illness, she folded origami cranes in hopes they would help her recover from her illness. After her death, the Children’s Peace Monument was built. In the years since, thousands upon thousands of visitors from all over the world have hung origami cranes, each a wish for peace.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/shimin/heiwa/crane.html" target="_blank">here</a> for more information on the Children’s Peace Monument at Hiroshima.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqm37f9aqvkmfRXLYrlqqAOCdNuamzS7QGiWdDUEAf6rzNY6hkM7Tu_7wlaNJf81-GeJmV1jWmnD5clbwUvRJBCguRn2rAnEyPBY8ygS1STvvq3aVozXrHxS9hqmMK92wLWWgb0jNjfh4/s1600/crane2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqm37f9aqvkmfRXLYrlqqAOCdNuamzS7QGiWdDUEAf6rzNY6hkM7Tu_7wlaNJf81-GeJmV1jWmnD5clbwUvRJBCguRn2rAnEyPBY8ygS1STvvq3aVozXrHxS9hqmMK92wLWWgb0jNjfh4/s320/crane2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, when I found these reminders of origami, I wondered why I hadn't included anything about origami in <i>Broken Dolls</i>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I guess that's <i>one</i> good thing about it not being published yet. It's not too late.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN32w-e016y9d6R2roERkTFjWGjMg20DrZs7efu3U7ZynuHjhDo_GnYJyl3ZaadCi-XVT2LAKK46HrCGpIBJjh97HhyphenhyphenIGUw5-JwkLXGySCzq4KNAeR3VwOR2SSuBRplsRELFmjyfPnf8Dq/s1600/P1030707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN32w-e016y9d6R2roERkTFjWGjMg20DrZs7efu3U7ZynuHjhDo_GnYJyl3ZaadCi-XVT2LAKK46HrCGpIBJjh97HhyphenhyphenIGUw5-JwkLXGySCzq4KNAeR3VwOR2SSuBRplsRELFmjyfPnf8Dq/s320/P1030707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-24531252406412877852012-03-13T05:44:00.000-05:002012-03-13T05:44:11.780-05:00Telling Tuesdays 03/13/12 - "She'd never been so afraid."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s1600/Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s200/Tuesday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Welcome to </span><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Telling Tuesday</b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, a day reminiscent of those in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought for show and tell. This weekly feature was inspired by an article on </span><a href="http://writetodone.com/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">WriteToDone.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, called "</span><a href="http://writetodone.com/2011/11/28/john-lecarre-show-not-tell/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--<i>show, don't tell</i>--because it doesn't just <i>tell</i> us how not to tell, it <i>shows</i> us some of LeCarre's very own examples.</span></span><br />
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<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander. Feel free to use the prompt, or the photo (if a photo is shown.) Of course, if you have a completely different "telling" prompt, you can "show" us that, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, I invite you to leave a link to your website or blog with your comments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>She'd never been so afraid.</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_V5BKMb_2-72m-UgVvmd_D8Z5ZPfYxZc2MPcU0OvXdIh-a2dSf9DrR1fwhQEV8zBGtVkt-A2JhSdJjHz2LrEPF8W458q2NZ9rb4Ou_5aB-52Dj4qfXBeIxpO01HIn7NcG1Ug5CETaAuO/s1600/psycho.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_V5BKMb_2-72m-UgVvmd_D8Z5ZPfYxZc2MPcU0OvXdIh-a2dSf9DrR1fwhQEV8zBGtVkt-A2JhSdJjHz2LrEPF8W458q2NZ9rb4Ou_5aB-52Dj4qfXBeIxpO01HIn7NcG1Ug5CETaAuO/s200/psycho.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> She tiptoed, slowly, slowly, hoping he would not hear her. She'd even murmured a prayer, though she wasn't sure if she'd said it right. And if she said it wrong, would God hear her?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> She was afraid of the dark, but grateful for it, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> A leaf crunched--screamed--below her foot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> He turned toward her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Did he see her?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> She froze. All except her heart. It pounded so hard and loud in ears it might have smothered the sound of his footsteps . . . if he wasn't getting closer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Closer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Should she scream?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> No. He'd hear her. Then find her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> But, it was her only chance. Surely someone would hear, come to help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> She opened her mouth, and prayed she could make a sound escape it.</span></div></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-32064114639371499272012-03-12T06:00:00.026-05:002012-03-12T14:35:05.074-05:00Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 3/12/12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s1600/lots+of+mashers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s200/lots+of+mashers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><h2 class="me" style="display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font: normal normal bold 11px/normal Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">MASH-UP</span></div></div></h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;">A <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">creative</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">combination</span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">mixing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">content</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">from </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">different</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">sources.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Saturday was the premier of <i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pen</i>, five women authors traveling together on the long and winding road to overnight success, starring <a href="http://www.lindaapple.com/" target="_blank">Linda Apple</a>, <a href="http://www.truthsbyruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ruth Burkett Weeks</a>, <a href="http://pamelafoster.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pamela Foster</a>, Patty Stith (aka <a href="http://www.clairecroxton.com/" target="_blank">Claire Croxton</a>) and me, <a href="http://www.janmorrill.com/" target="_blank">Jan Morrill</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Come by and visit our new blog at:</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.sisterhoodofthetravelingpen.wordpress.com./">www.sisterhoodofthetravelingpen.wordpress.com.</a></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyq7kUTc6pJ-jAY884oDX3Syvzb7oCB0ibNWvt75-166oEvp_M9yesJ474o8OWTd-WwPdUQIMtwpESFnmjCQ3lsn1EVZN8b5aEui3TwiWXiuhPWMjK6RDQwXmfURz2OVDVUuu2P3_ar50/s1600/cP1130444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyq7kUTc6pJ-jAY884oDX3Syvzb7oCB0ibNWvt75-166oEvp_M9yesJ474o8OWTd-WwPdUQIMtwpESFnmjCQ3lsn1EVZN8b5aEui3TwiWXiuhPWMjK6RDQwXmfURz2OVDVUuu2P3_ar50/s320/cP1130444.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth, Pamela, Jan, Patty and Linda</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">We had a blast, sharing stories of our writerly journey complete with skipping and tripping through twists and turns on the way to the faraway land called Publication. The world has changed for writers, and I think we demonstrated it in an entertaining way. Much of the change we discussed involves the importance of a platform--even for fiction writers. And social media plays a huge role in building that platform.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Until you, too, can experience the <i>Sisterhood of the Traveling Pen</i>, I hope the links I share this week will help you maneuver your way through the challenges of this strange, new world.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGmaTMVrqZc0rdJw2U2INwgk_xkG1_3y_otnv-PQeVsVbXPT5FfXV57kkwcykyawMU9C0eGt6zpsoBB5fpZA1jq-9m8rQjlIOlRtVu70VinR0tkXkPVXFMiargYSDBZSqy52X-3kUEWAy/s1600/cropped-bookslutsbannercursive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGmaTMVrqZc0rdJw2U2INwgk_xkG1_3y_otnv-PQeVsVbXPT5FfXV57kkwcykyawMU9C0eGt6zpsoBB5fpZA1jq-9m8rQjlIOlRtVu70VinR0tkXkPVXFMiargYSDBZSqy52X-3kUEWAy/s200/cropped-bookslutsbannercursive.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Insatiable Booksluts</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> has a great series called "</span><a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/category/series-2/know-your-publisher-series/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Know Your Publisher</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">" have provided information and links to a variety of small publishers, such as Red Lemonade and Coffee House Press.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/category/series-2/know-your-publisher-series/"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/category/series-2/know-your-publisher-series/</b></span></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"># # #</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiSur__3r7GceYe1CDkQjkSN-pSn8Qyw3096UWnu-RCJNvh6VW5a0udi-1XsA5y5_OXhtVoLA4ldBcJp3LxfAMHsBeUqdtEggyUuIShZlTx_MblACF4vPmQlvM79EGt4Gqm0ugY5zP_Wq/s1600/lamb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiSur__3r7GceYe1CDkQjkSN-pSn8Qyw3096UWnu-RCJNvh6VW5a0udi-1XsA5y5_OXhtVoLA4ldBcJp3LxfAMHsBeUqdtEggyUuIShZlTx_MblACF4vPmQlvM79EGt4Gqm0ugY5zP_Wq/s1600/lamb.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Once again, </span><a href="http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Kristen Lamb</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> posts a relevant blog to help writers maneuver their way through the foggy, gloppy world of social media. In her post, "</span><a href="http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-modern-author-a-new-breed-of-writer-for-the-digital-age-of-publishing/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">The Modern Author - A New Breed of Writer for the Digital Age of Publishing,</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">" she states "We need to be stronger, faster and smarter. We must be better trained than any writer in human history."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Don't forget, Kristen is our guest speaker </b></span><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">at the <a href="http://www.ozarkswritersleague.org/" target="_blank">Ozarks Writers League</a> meeting </b><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">on August 18!</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</b></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-modern-author-a-new-breed-of-writer-for-the-digital-age-of-publishing/"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-modern-author-a-new-breed-of-writer-for-the-digital-age-of-publishing/</b></span></a> </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"># # #</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRox4r2qwN1vTw3fDhaxZS3_-b-DEDUsr-mb55GcUwKOY4mDs4_dBh1nErgUYiwTKrwP-TBX_BQ-Oju2iTP0UAaqVkVIG3Sm66aPMcNKOOwR_MjT7KFzMdPzaSwp136EEYb3ibpKsBUUVk/s1600/seomoz.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRox4r2qwN1vTw3fDhaxZS3_-b-DEDUsr-mb55GcUwKOY4mDs4_dBh1nErgUYiwTKrwP-TBX_BQ-Oju2iTP0UAaqVkVIG3Sm66aPMcNKOOwR_MjT7KFzMdPzaSwp136EEYb3ibpKsBUUVk/s1600/seomoz.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This week, through Twitter, I found a new blog, <a href="http://www.seomoz.org/about" target="_blank">SEOmoz</a>. Though it is an SEO (search engine optimization) software developer, they posted a helpful article titled "<a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic-2012" target="_blank">21 Tactics to increase Your Blog Traffic</a>." Admittedly though some of these tactics are complicated and will require more study, (such as #5 and #7), most of the tactics are easy to implement.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic-2012"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://www.seomoz.org/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic-2012</b></span></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"># # #</span></div></div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s1600/quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s200/quote.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The real voyage of discovery</i><br />
<i>consists not in seeking new landscapes</i><br />
<i>but in having new eyes.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> --- Marcel Proust</div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-48493432749589808302012-03-08T04:57:00.001-06:002012-03-08T04:58:49.765-06:00If You Could Have an ATM for Anything, What Would It Be?Yesterday <a href="http://www.cnn.com/" target="_blank">CNN</a> had a story on a new kind of ATM - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/03/08/pkg-moos-cupcake-atm.cnn?iref=allsearch" target="_blank">a cupcake ATM</a>! In her CNN article, "<a href="http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/03/08/cupcake-atm-vends-sweet-treats-around-the-clock/" target="_blank">Cupcake ATM Vends Sweet Treats Around the Clock,</a>" Sonya Hamaski states the idea was inspired by the late night pregnancy craving of Sprinkles Cupcakes founder, Candace Nelson.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jlLQbL2Rv2I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Now, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a variety of yummy cupcake flavors. Though at a cost of $4.00 each, and currently only available in Beverly Hills, it does give us something to hope for.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it got me thinking. If you could have a vending machine for anything, what would it be?<br />
<br />
Here are some of the first things that came to my mind:<br />
<br />
1) Fried rice<br />
2) Ebooks - plug your Kindle, Nook or smartphone in.<br />
3) Audiobooks - plug your iPhone, iPod or MP3 player in.<br />
4) Makeup<br />
<br />
And when I thought outside of the box, went wild, fantasized beyond reality, here are a couple of things I wanted vended:<br />
<br />
1) Get your fortune told. Of course, you could have do-overs if you didn't like the first one.<br />
2) Be granted three wishes. Caveat: As with all my thoughts on three wishes, the third wish would be for three more wishes.<br />
3) Choose a date. (No, I don't need a date now that I'm married, but it seemed the natural course online dating might take in the future. Why not move on to selecting your date from a vending machine?)<br />
4) Choose a job. That'd be great for the millions still unemployed. And just think, we wouldn't have to listen to all the political rhetoric about creating jobs.<br />
<br />
Hey, come to think of it, maybe we should have an ATM for choosing government officials! But then, even in our wildest fantasies, we probably couldn't afford them.<br />
<br />
What would YOU like to see dispensed in a vending machine?Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-69019370764321781762012-03-06T07:20:00.000-06:002012-03-06T07:20:39.478-06:00Telling Tuesdays 2/7/12-"The food in the refrigerator looked gross."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s1600/Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s200/Tuesday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Welcome to </span><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Telling Tuesday</b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, a day reminiscent of those in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought for show and tell. This weekly feature was inspired by an article on </span><a href="http://writetodone.com/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">WriteToDone.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, called "</span><a href="http://writetodone.com/2011/11/28/john-lecarre-show-not-tell/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="line-height: 18px;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--<i>show, don't tell</i>--because it doesn't just <i>tell</i> us how not to tell, it <i>shows</i> us some of LeCarre's very own examples.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander. Feel free to use the prompt, or the photo (if a photo is shown.) Of course, if you have a completely different "telling" prompt, you can "show" us that, too.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, I invite you to leave a link to your website or blog with your comments.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:</u></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>The food in the refrigerator looked gross.</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRRP0R4a7ESCcJNh7gCf0aN3vK-EG7Ye0MAeUNRr6Kr1Z7YCRxvPyj1bb9Ge-qxln75-wZXB5dlypfIH-92KxVVnUL3a6_eUZEMcBHVQP4ISvc34a4WdB2-eHUoW7QTh0XqKZG_syNHP4/s1600/moldy-food-safe-400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRRP0R4a7ESCcJNh7gCf0aN3vK-EG7Ye0MAeUNRr6Kr1Z7YCRxvPyj1bb9Ge-qxln75-wZXB5dlypfIH-92KxVVnUL3a6_eUZEMcBHVQP4ISvc34a4WdB2-eHUoW7QTh0XqKZG_syNHP4/s320/moldy-food-safe-400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Ms. Human Resources smiled and opened the break room refrigerator. "And this is where our employees keep their lunches."</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> I had two simultaneous and inseparable urges. One, to turn away quickly, lest I breathe spores the strange life forms surely exhaled upon being exposed to light. At the same time, I couldn't turn away, overtaken by a curiosity almost as strange as that of a passerby at the scene of an accident. </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> I'd never seen cheese with such a thick five o'clock shadow. The pizza, apparently bored with Parmesan, had decided to grow its own blue cheese.</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> But strangest of all was the tiny voice I heard coming from the tomatoes. "I'm melting. What a cruel world. I'm melting."</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> I felt myself turn green as I feared the aliens inside the refrigerator had already infected me with their spores. I held my breath and ran out of the building as fast as my turning stomach would allow.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> "Wait! Wait!" cried Ms. Human Resources. "I'm not finished with my orientation yet. And you forgot your employee badge!"</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Bursting through the door and into fresh air, I bent over my knees and gulped deep breaths. When my lungs felt clear of contamination, I straightened again and stared at the entrance of the building. I couldn't help laughing at the sign I'd missed earlier:</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><i>ESPIAL LABS, Inc.</i></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><i>Bringing new life to those in need.</i></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: left;"> </span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-66014504961276376562012-03-05T14:59:00.000-06:002012-03-05T14:59:27.589-06:00Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - "Gone to the Dogs" - 3/5/12I know you're probably tired of hearing about my Internet woes, though not as tired as I am of experiencing them. But, thanks to the fantastic Windstream technician who arrived at my door this morning, I think the problem is fixed. Amazing the problems one little loose wire can cause.<br />
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Since I've obviously missed my morning deadline for my mashup, this week I'm doing something a little different. Instead of writerly links, I've posted a mashup of a few of my favorite dog YouTube videos.<br />
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A little fun for your viewing pleasure!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">TWO DOGS EATING</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EVwlMVYqMu4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">TODDLER AND DOG PLAY THE BLUES</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lju49W4p0eQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE FISHING</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qX6UhgboDgc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">BEAR AND JUBIE ON GROUNDHOG DAY</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ywKeSZBijGw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you have a favorite YouTube dog video, post the link and I'll add it.</div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-13600082244338842892012-03-03T16:39:00.001-06:002012-03-03T16:39:57.315-06:00"Read an E-Book Week" Begins March 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX05EFTOcUNJvbtWfmkxHvqTR-8Y7bbQBayYQDFx6n2iazyE1_WQ7wsXPlfm4u1Ejl-1SqKFH38PSf9fVOInyxioU4knS3qO2oeLE9orX8VldI3w2Wzp5i9PRDcBj9XpUfYzLwtP-wvmL/s1600/2012ebook+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX05EFTOcUNJvbtWfmkxHvqTR-8Y7bbQBayYQDFx6n2iazyE1_WQ7wsXPlfm4u1Ejl-1SqKFH38PSf9fVOInyxioU4knS3qO2oeLE9orX8VldI3w2Wzp5i9PRDcBj9XpUfYzLwtP-wvmL/s1600/2012ebook+.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Beginning March 4 through March 10, to celebrate READ AN E-BOOK WEEK, download any of my Smashwords stories for FREE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Click on the title links below to go to Smashwords for download.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55611"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>Xs and Os</b></span></a><br />
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This Pushcart nominated story takes place in Arkansas during World War II. When Jubie Lee Franklin meets Sachiko Kimura, they find though their skin color is different, they have something in common. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZ5x_iyxMGwPV4lPipO5Woy-svqMXEsNwsIASZEKGqz_ZpqUTdIzmAt7wkJYfkwFC9m2OihiV6LHyoxTa8_c0aqTvWA9BZUc4YqyGVNv4rd43sjb4q_f-LvcNUKI11Th3z9dWCNnSOGLz/s1600/red+kimono+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZ5x_iyxMGwPV4lPipO5Woy-svqMXEsNwsIASZEKGqz_ZpqUTdIzmAt7wkJYfkwFC9m2OihiV6LHyoxTa8_c0aqTvWA9BZUc4YqyGVNv4rd43sjb4q_f-LvcNUKI11Th3z9dWCNnSOGLz/s200/red+kimono+copy.jpg" width="125" /></a> <br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56000"><b>The Red Kimono</b></a></span> <br />
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Life is pretty dull at the internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas. That is, until Sachiko meets Jubie Lee Franklin. Two girls couldn't be more different. That is, until something magical happens. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3D6tq6txJki4YzTVPDbYKySe7h0spvNNFBfbzpoF53bCWMw4fAhdxBo7kIEFP4RF3uI2Ii3o6hzzKOTJzbGP-6O_p0UvuMP2pbm1cvzd7DnrT5EZSSgooDzWR3JOEo1l4JjFFdINHmnb/s1600/sacrifice+rock+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3D6tq6txJki4YzTVPDbYKySe7h0spvNNFBfbzpoF53bCWMw4fAhdxBo7kIEFP4RF3uI2Ii3o6hzzKOTJzbGP-6O_p0UvuMP2pbm1cvzd7DnrT5EZSSgooDzWR3JOEo1l4JjFFdINHmnb/s200/sacrifice+rock+copy.jpg" width="139" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56037"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>Sacrifice Rock</b></span></a> <br />
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What happens when three brothers spend the day with frogs and war games? Nothing but trouble! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4MMMWMr0qd7ZFq_ZvnZFFdFtze6OB0aABgtraPAGqp6Jc5GXjjbVl-DeDbYl7-IHfJjQ8StY3fflPKRUSL95AT0bI42fCf7fdSwZxuwNxnweJsLt1ScKry6rMMqNZ3ixEQLuLRhRhGp1/s1600/captain+josie+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4MMMWMr0qd7ZFq_ZvnZFFdFtze6OB0aABgtraPAGqp6Jc5GXjjbVl-DeDbYl7-IHfJjQ8StY3fflPKRUSL95AT0bI42fCf7fdSwZxuwNxnweJsLt1ScKry6rMMqNZ3ixEQLuLRhRhGp1/s200/captain+josie+copy.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="description" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: purple; font-size: large; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="description" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: purple; font-size: large; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57050" target="_blank">Captain Josie and The Whale</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="description" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="description" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Josie knew her life would change when she left California for Alaska to study whales. But little did she know just how much.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-20012916093932348262012-03-02T07:18:00.000-06:002012-03-02T07:18:01.080-06:00#FlashFriday #FridayFictioneers: "Glittering"Strange that this week's photo prompt by <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a> screamed "HAIKU!" Maybe it's because it was so challenging I couldn't think of a full 100 word flash fiction. So, instead, I settled for seventeen syllables. Click <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/sapphire-rhapsody/" target="_blank">here</a> to take a look at what others wrote about the jewels in the photo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN6lr9udlpo7hXdn4vJcS7v9UMy1xZbJwGztDPxM8msjYeIULW4icX0Tco6G4c7O59D-5CCc9y50ewm0DwuU-xhpYKYHe0KXre06_hr42OgLX279MGBVpwTnBy16rbeEEzO8Obp242X3o/s1600/jewels1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN6lr9udlpo7hXdn4vJcS7v9UMy1xZbJwGztDPxM8msjYeIULW4icX0Tco6G4c7O59D-5CCc9y50ewm0DwuU-xhpYKYHe0KXre06_hr42OgLX279MGBVpwTnBy16rbeEEzO8Obp242X3o/s320/jewels1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Glittering jewels</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">pale in comparison to</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">the brilliance of love.</span></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-14083243039298244432012-02-28T07:34:00.002-06:002012-02-28T09:12:44.203-06:00Telling Tuesdays 2/7/12-"She thought she'd explode."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s1600/Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XuDTzoE8K9ZjTW71l5bwYm8s9B39HnSymNJ-EeBs_gO_H8-Ps6YhjF_57YYw0zTC0j4P3a4_WmQOe0BIOvlKOsAFE7a35CLPlEpX6xznmrX59XFFLJpD7DwqIJCBymQGqAlkHcofi-M/s200/Tuesday.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Welcome to </span><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Telling Tuesday</b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, a day reminiscent of those in school when I looked forward to seeing what everyone brought for show and tell. This weekly feature was inspired by an article on </span><a href="http://writetodone.com/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">WriteToDone.com</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">, called "</span><a href="http://writetodone.com/2011/11/28/john-lecarre-show-not-tell/" style="color: #192b70; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">How to Show (Not Tell): A Writing Lesson from John LeCarre</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is one of the best articles I've seen on the rule all writers know--<i>show, don't tell</i>--because it doesn't just <i>tell</i> us how not to tell, it <i>shows</i> us some of LeCarre's very own examples.</span></span><br />
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<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">" . . . descriptions can set the scene, convey the inexpressible, and turn the reader into a witness, instead of remaining a mere bystander." -- Mary Jaksch, author of the article</span></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each week, I'll give a "telling" prompt, and invite you to show us, to make us a witness, not a mere bystander. Feel free to use the prompt, or the photo (if a photo is shown.) Of course, if you have a completely different "telling" prompt, you can "show" us that, too.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, I invite you to leave a link to your website or blog with your comments.</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:</u></b></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>She thought she'd explode.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJbk5rutqoR-VhYwjIBqFiPIrBsPRKn0IrCDEkTV-Bf35CKm2BjhE0-07mMK9i6WWDpdIis7AN3ZpqffvAJW2k2xyfqGclZi3dsCYgfZ9vY6gXCEsMPaldSx-M9e03urxVlvMSORBEwnB/s1600/TeenAnger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJbk5rutqoR-VhYwjIBqFiPIrBsPRKn0IrCDEkTV-Bf35CKm2BjhE0-07mMK9i6WWDpdIis7AN3ZpqffvAJW2k2xyfqGclZi3dsCYgfZ9vY6gXCEsMPaldSx-M9e03urxVlvMSORBEwnB/s200/TeenAnger.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> No. He couldn't have. He didn't really say it. Not again.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Tension tightened in her shoulders. Her heart beat faster, pounding in her head, pulsing in her neck, billowing exasperation through her entire body until it fanned to rage that would surely burst through her mouth in fiery words she knew she'd regret in a day or two.</span></span><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> "What did you say?" she asked, holding a leash on her temper as though it was a Rottweiler, frothing at the mouth.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> "Oh, my pet," her husband replied. "I only want to know if it's 'that time of month' again?"</span></div></div></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-12148721689762966172012-02-27T11:34:00.000-06:002012-02-27T11:34:56.297-06:00Not a Sorry SamuraiFor those of you following me on my path to publication--a journey fraught with sharp turns, obstacles to trip over and plenty of crossroads--here's a tale of one of my "creative" marketing attempts.<br />
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As a writer--one who is supposed to be creative--I am forever "thinking outside of the box" when it comes to getting word of my writing "out there"--something beyond the usual Facebook and Twitter promotion. So, when my friend and fellow author, <a href="http://www.mgmillerbooks.com/" target="_blank">M.G. Miller</a>, informed me that <a href="http://www.georgetakei.com/" target="_blank">George Takei</a>, a former internee of Rohwer, (where my <i>Broken Doll</i> characters, Sachi and Nobu were internees) would be narrating with the Little Rock Symphony, I decided I <i>had</i> to attend. Later, another writer friend, Bud Hanks, sent me an email with additional information about George Takei's appearances in Arkansas.<br />
<br />
It seemed the forces were with me. Oops. Wrong movie.<br />
<br />
<i>If I could only have the chance to talk to Mr. Takei . . .</i><br />
<br />
I knew my chances were slim, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSqVzwlcvpefKgoDk2h2RiPQDvEBWIioE8do_T8UnEhHfi8NVEWwIPnMGR5NT25MmysPrhrDqecZYn2vrYVfiObCOU3thp0SfM9FLInxLS3l558fiRUc5xbFABtTVlI1t1EO3pJH26wwY/s1600/george+takei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSqVzwlcvpefKgoDk2h2RiPQDvEBWIioE8do_T8UnEhHfi8NVEWwIPnMGR5NT25MmysPrhrDqecZYn2vrYVfiObCOU3thp0SfM9FLInxLS3l558fiRUc5xbFABtTVlI1t1EO3pJH26wwY/s1600/george+takei.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Once I purchased the tickets to the concert, my question then became, "How can I be gain the attention of <a href="http://www.georgetakei.com/index.asp" target="_blank">George Takei </a>in a bold (my friend, <a href="http://www.truthsbyruth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ruth Weeks</a>, calls me Samurai Jan), yet dignified manner? (I <i>am</i> half-Japanese, after all, and my misbehavior could potentially embarrass not only my mother, but many generations before her.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqL0ITXVsjynkChIr7ROHX2xe-5WaQrXCBwTKvIOL20TZf5F8w0Rku7NIOmNlUJ-GQjF_UOA8R-_8i9mAUFMrdYYAPqwT4wjQJbELzupLugIkoXbameyJFAHJeJzkbuu1oIAW5EhT-IwO/s1600/Spock_performing_Vulcan_salute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqL0ITXVsjynkChIr7ROHX2xe-5WaQrXCBwTKvIOL20TZf5F8w0Rku7NIOmNlUJ-GQjF_UOA8R-_8i9mAUFMrdYYAPqwT4wjQJbELzupLugIkoXbameyJFAHJeJzkbuu1oIAW5EhT-IwO/s200/Spock_performing_Vulcan_salute.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<ul><li>Sit in the front row, flashing the Vulcan salute?</li>
<li>Wear a Trekkie outfit?</li>
<li>Paint my face like a geisha?</li>
<li>Tattoo "I need to talk to you" on my forehead?</li>
<li>All of the above?</li>
</ul><br />
Okay, those were bold ideas, but hardly dignified.<br />
<br />
So, I here's what I decided to do:<br />
<ul><li>Wear my evening jacket, cut from a genuine kimono, purchased in Japan.</li>
<li>Bring a copy of the Ramblings Yearbook, (1945) from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topaz_War_Relocation_Center" target="_blank">Topaz War Relocation Center</a>, where my mother and her family were internees.</li>
<li>Bring a synopsis of my book . . . just in case.</li>
<li>Bring business cards . . . just in case.</li>
</ul>Ruth and I sat in the front row, center seats. When the time came, Mr. Takei walked onto the stage, and I turned to Jell-O, almost like when I watched Michael Bolton walked onto the stage many, many years ago.(However, I didn't scream uncontrollably with Mr. Takei. I might have, but that would be undignified.)<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we were sitting so close to the stage that Mr. Takei's placement for his narration was blocked by conductor Philip Mann's pant leg. I strained to move around that pant leg to see Mr. Takei, knowing that if I couldn't see him, he <i>surely</i> couldn't see me. But, too much straining would look . . . well, undignified.<br />
<br />
When his beautiful and moving narration was complete, Mr. Takei left the stage. I slumped in my seat, no longer concerned about looking undignified.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd284dShHG9gj4p25PfycGqwwLNcus1WRx6m9tSqGekW9mt4GnEOeiSbtAa9a95KGf6i8A_2GLUFEHaSKLhjizbPNZ8cmMEGheon7NUIVsmcShEVRJ02zD2UY2OIO-b491FD_BL0Lg4ih3/s1600/George+Takei+and+Phillip+Mann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd284dShHG9gj4p25PfycGqwwLNcus1WRx6m9tSqGekW9mt4GnEOeiSbtAa9a95KGf6i8A_2GLUFEHaSKLhjizbPNZ8cmMEGheon7NUIVsmcShEVRJ02zD2UY2OIO-b491FD_BL0Lg4ih3/s200/George+Takei+and+Phillip+Mann.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philip Mann and George Takei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then, the orchestra began to play Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy. It was as though the sun began to shine again. A full symphony and 400+ voices, all conducted by the passionate movement of conductor, Philip Mann.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/Nhg-Aw_zMW4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nhg-Aw_zMW4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nhg-Aw_zMW4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
For more than an hour I had chills over the beautiful sounds of the orchestra and choir, recalled my days as a flutist and sat on my hands to keep from mimicking the conductor. On the way home, Ruth and I stopped for dinner and talked about everything under the sun.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the end, the glow of Mr. Takei's Japanese dignity, melted my boldness like the sun melts the snow. But my path to publication is also lined with many flowers, and yesterday was one of them.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How could I be a sorry Samurai?</span></span>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-41789473028808571452012-02-27T09:16:00.000-06:002012-02-27T09:16:32.229-06:00Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 2/27/12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s1600/lots+of+mashers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnNXfwH57EYaxThnDzX8mpz2E4QuNgzwylTKXWT5vyBVhWtCJKr_dhR18zZSnXoZ-xViD4KZP4oDs-1MueK47BNHwNpX9aYmlGvxIv6Q3OzmJVFPPS9AnSti9t5NJGJNrQNHfTfNCNEkR/s200/lots+of+mashers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><h2 class="me" style="display: inline; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font: normal normal bold 11px/normal Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; text-transform: uppercase;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">MASH-UP</span></div></div></h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;">A <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">creative</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">combination</span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">mixing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">content</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">from </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">different</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;">sources.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm back with the Mashup after a couple of weeks of Internet challenges and being out of town. I hope this week's blogs of Twitterly information will help you over the hump of Twitterphobia. After you read these articles, my best advice is "just do it." Stop twittering your thumbs over Twitter and get started. Little by little, you'll learn this very foreign language.</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"># # # </span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v3FUwKRtSJr9hbjmxiCIuHUnlCTr7B_iKaNZ60F98k0jnhxAoOtALSSoyaeY3dPNSEHKVpQTaoQYwYADI0SxXtondv6MEez9dAQNyyaaE3kVkcgaL7f3v4P_h365sUe_o5sOmQTi_mig/s1600/sir-walter-sml.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-v3FUwKRtSJr9hbjmxiCIuHUnlCTr7B_iKaNZ60F98k0jnhxAoOtALSSoyaeY3dPNSEHKVpQTaoQYwYADI0SxXtondv6MEez9dAQNyyaaE3kVkcgaL7f3v4P_h365sUe_o5sOmQTi_mig/s1600/sir-walter-sml.png" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">This post titled "</span><a href="http://www.authormedia.com/2012/01/24/44-essential-twitter-hashtags-every-author-should-know/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AuthorTechTips+%28Author+Tech+Tips%29&utm_content=Google+Reader" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">44 Essential Twitter Hashtags</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">" by </span><a href="http://www.caitlinmuir.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Caitlin Muir</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> on the blog, </span><a href="http://www.authormedia.com/" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple;">www.AuthorMedia.Com</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">, explains what a hashtag is, and describes how to use them effectively. Says Ms. Muir: "</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>Used correctly, Twitter hashtags are one of the best ways to connect with industry experts, readers, and other authors. Used incorrectly, it’s just another way to waste your precious time."</b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.authormedia.com/2012/01/24/44-essential-twitter-hashtags-every-author-should-know/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AuthorTechTips+%28Author+Tech+Tips%29&utm_content=Google+Reader" style="line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://www.authormedia.com/2012/01/24/44-essential-twitter-hashtags-every-author-should-know/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AuthorTechTips+%28Author+Tech+Tips%29&utm_content=Google+Reader</b></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; font-size: large; position: static;"># # #</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><span name="hotword" style="cursor: default; font-size: large; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5AoKkjhSMIzwr9_YPV9njQ1pF8iXZ86JXTMZtcktfK_pmTFE5X2PwIrEdbKOAicLkwN9kFwwZ6MtcI8G_3Rdw4yYuLAwsoZ4MbMbSUCuJOOpuLTVbcYCW3Es9qt-2LgQx2SMdAHk7Z-r/s1600/madison+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5AoKkjhSMIzwr9_YPV9njQ1pF8iXZ86JXTMZtcktfK_pmTFE5X2PwIrEdbKOAicLkwN9kFwwZ6MtcI8G_3Rdw4yYuLAwsoZ4MbMbSUCuJOOpuLTVbcYCW3Es9qt-2LgQx2SMdAHk7Z-r/s200/madison+woods.jpg" width="139" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333;">When it comes to effectively using social media, </span><a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a><span style="color: #333333;"> is one of the best I know. She has begun an excellent and comprehensive series on the </span><a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2011/12/25/sunday-musings-a-writers-business-plan/" target="_blank">Writerly Business Plan</a><span style="color: #333333;"> on her blog. One of the components of that series is "</span><a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/writerly-business-plan-using-twitter-as-a-tool/" target="_blank">Twitter as a Tool.</a><span style="color: #333333;">" Madison says: </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><b>"Networking is way different from selling. Marketing is not directly selling. It’s the art of making someone want whatever you are offering."</b></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/writerly-business-plan-using-twitter-as-a-tool/"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/writerly-business-plan-using-twitter-as-a-tool/</b></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large; position: static; text-align: left;"># # # </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB2NJhLl4TAlnOzzn6DDHChTBFgoS9CpxCcpCjEkxCzq39gfcF74zA0E8st1aAlG0SreTApta17A5Dh_i28BtqgRkkzNz4I2ass1YfKUPcu82ik5JWl2_W2ajExKU1p_fsJWaaAGN5Oz3/s1600/cropped-bookslutsbannermoving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyB2NJhLl4TAlnOzzn6DDHChTBFgoS9CpxCcpCjEkxCzq39gfcF74zA0E8st1aAlG0SreTApta17A5Dh_i28BtqgRkkzNz4I2ass1YfKUPcu82ik5JWl2_W2ajExKU1p_fsJWaaAGN5Oz3/s200/cropped-bookslutsbannermoving.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Insatiable Booksluts</a>. With a name like that you </span><i style="color: #333333;">know</i><span style="color: #333333;"> you want to visit this website. And it gives you some idea that these bloggers (Susie, Rob and Amy) post information in an entertaining and informative manner, for both writers and readers. Their post on "<a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/hey-you-should-read-this-using-twitter-to-market-the-books-you-wrote/" target="_blank">Using Twitter to Market the Books You Wrote</a>" provides great information on what to do, and more importantly, what NOT to do when using Twitter for marketing: </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>"Even super famous people with a zillion followers don’t spend all their time sitting around saying 'buy my book/watch my show/etc!' They wouldn’t have a zillion followers if they did that."</b></span></i></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/hey-you-should-read-this-using-twitter-to-market-the-books-you-wrote/"><span style="color: red;"><b>http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/hey-you-should-read-this-using-twitter-to-market-the-books-you-wrote/</b></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; position: static; text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"># # # </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s1600/quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga01EF9-j9owt9yrBaqqMP1a0KkRRK5aM6DiymDHHFo3a3xZTvSSsatHx3E1UtgmydyY-NbcfzaTRwL0-AuY37jd_8ujNeGg4uxOi3qjS02meLFS32oqWmbJRjEBCbzVGaLy2Zyz6un1-B/s200/quote.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A man should not</i><br />
<i>enter a house suddenly</i><br />
<i>without knocking.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> --- The Talmud</div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-73064909890122544492012-02-25T07:59:00.000-06:002012-02-25T07:59:48.279-06:00Secret Saturday - 2/25/12: "Changing Colors"February is Black History Month. Some of my fondest memories are of a black family that lived across Coolidge Street, where I grew up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYga-nzAszigJS3wdce8DmoCjBd9evHKGHiJZI4YAg8OMojAuQMO_Qp0Q4heuVQPVtXFzl5l9GQDh_NjPRamKpuvGDuUXVDF4VeMVvkthSw0E7PGpLADGrz01mnJ8ODnBwSPM6xbzmhP-l/s1600/jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYga-nzAszigJS3wdce8DmoCjBd9evHKGHiJZI4YAg8OMojAuQMO_Qp0Q4heuVQPVtXFzl5l9GQDh_NjPRamKpuvGDuUXVDF4VeMVvkthSw0E7PGpLADGrz01mnJ8ODnBwSPM6xbzmhP-l/s200/jan.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> When I was a little girl, some of my friends wanted to be Cinderella. Some wanted to be a nurse. One even wanted to be president. Me? I wanted to be black.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> On Coolidge Street in California, we lived across the street from a black family who, like my family, had five kids. But they had five girls, and we had four girls and one lucky brother. (Though he'd probably disagree.) I didn't really know the three older girls, but Maria and Nina became good friends of my younger sisters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Being the mean-no-fun-prudish-brainy-band-freak-oldest-sister, I wasn't included in most of the fun, and usually watched them "play" together from afar. Maria had the best laugh in the world, and Nina moved with the grace and spirit of Tinkerbell. When I say they were two crazy girls, I mean it in the fondest, happiest way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Perhaps I noticed these things about Maria and Nina because of my upbringing by my Japanese mother. I was brought up to be hypersensitive to what others would think of my behavior, overly cautious not to do anything that might cause me to "lose face."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Maria and Nina laughed, danced and joked with such unabashed joy and freedom that it drew my sisters out of their cultural shells. I wanted to join in the fun, too. But, often, I couldn't make myself let go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> So, I stood by and watched. And sometimes I wished I was black.</span><br />
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Thanks to Facebook, I'm still in touch with Maria and Nina, and have even gotten to know one of the older sisters, Donna, through Facebook. Maria is currently helping me with the voice of my <i>Broken Dolls</i> character, Terrence. Someday soon, we hope to have a reunion.<br />
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We were lucky to have grown up with a family like Maria's and Nina's, lucky to experience a culture different from ours. For anyone who has not been so fortunate, different cultures can also be experienced through reading. Thanks to one of my blog readers for sending me the following link to a list of <i><a href="http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2012/25-novels-to-honor-during-black-history-month/" target="_blank"><b>25 Novels to Honor During Black History Month:</b></a></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2012/25-novels-to-honor-during-black-history-month/">http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2012/25-novels-to-honor-during-black-history-month/</a> <br />
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As the article says, these books "<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">contribute to a greater cultural understanding of 'blackness' and its heterogeneous nature."</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have cultural stories from your childhood to share?</span></span>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-64797105327656868382012-02-24T08:43:00.001-06:002012-02-24T08:43:38.973-06:00#FlashFriday #FridayFictioneers: Precious DelusionBetween my Internet being down and my mini-vacation in the Land of Enchantment (that would be Santa Fe, NM), I've missed the Friday Fictioneers! But, I'm happy to be back this week, and can't wait to read the other stories (click <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/flash-fiction/grave-digger-100-words/" target="_blank">here</a> and you can read them, too!) inspired by <a href="http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Madison Woods</a>'s photograph.:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR4L5J3Wv46DM9sOg3ez6KHtl3XlmS-2ItSBRXXI2s9kUimG-X9mUTIX4ItkWcU1eiTVIx_8wXBuQgRZ79FjmDsrqyhqebLyv-5J26p6F9ai4J-sREa41WlFhTCuOqxoWFyWd01E3UiKA/s1600/remnants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR4L5J3Wv46DM9sOg3ez6KHtl3XlmS-2ItSBRXXI2s9kUimG-X9mUTIX4ItkWcU1eiTVIx_8wXBuQgRZ79FjmDsrqyhqebLyv-5J26p6F9ai4J-sREa41WlFhTCuOqxoWFyWd01E3UiKA/s1600/remnants.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Precious Delusion</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">Perhaps you’ve heard of “little man complex.” Sadly, Precious, my little French Poodle, suffered from a terminal case of “little dog complex.”</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> I remember my little foofoo barking wildly, her rhinestone collar glittering, even in the dull sunlight of that foggy afternoon. Her fatal delusion was the distraction I needed to get away. Still, I’m haunted by her tiny yelp as she was thrown against the rock where she now rests. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> So, I come to visit her, even a dozen years after her grizzly death. Yes, it was grizzly--as in bear--that brought her untimely end.</span></span></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-16129338464923736612012-02-15T07:09:00.003-06:002012-02-15T07:11:09.774-06:00Stories to Honor Black History MonthIn honor of Black History Month, I am offering two of my short stories on Smashwords for free. These are stories that were inspired by two characters in my book, <i>Broken Dolls</i>: Sachiko Kimura, a young Japanese-American internee, and Jubie Lee Franklin, a black girl who lives in the town near the internment camp.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Xs and Os</span></u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9dpSV57Iw1pf6nY8bLznCvZgDYlrxKhiYPqR-dC4_aql_LqGC4qUppFY8jkEBwQfCNSGnXswE64pj0SeN_vJLMdvdIZOfbe6lN_Vuk9JvCo1tMJ6LSfla_BmnQdSOBu3OI9R4Yn0OFgY/s1600/xs+and+os+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9dpSV57Iw1pf6nY8bLznCvZgDYlrxKhiYPqR-dC4_aql_LqGC4qUppFY8jkEBwQfCNSGnXswE64pj0SeN_vJLMdvdIZOfbe6lN_Vuk9JvCo1tMJ6LSfla_BmnQdSOBu3OI9R4Yn0OFgY/s200/xs+and+os+cover.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">In this Pushcart nominated story, Jubie meets Sachi, and they find though their skin color is different, they have something in common.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Click <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55611" target="_blank">here</a> to go to Smashwords for free download.</span><br />
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</u></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><b><u>The Red Kimono</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-JF-g70zOHQXBtPTFPDJ0PKsxXROZNHiXjXMi134Qm6ZHeOtNMIF6RW77pqC0jJDLXkQwg8fTh8z6Xn2nJkX4bponrxPJUnpmcfV9LNfIty9T8xHuQ7jFMcDxuPq_nAo07b-w8znO-3r/s1600/red+kimono+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-JF-g70zOHQXBtPTFPDJ0PKsxXROZNHiXjXMi134Qm6ZHeOtNMIF6RW77pqC0jJDLXkQwg8fTh8z6Xn2nJkX4bponrxPJUnpmcfV9LNfIty9T8xHuQ7jFMcDxuPq_nAo07b-w8znO-3r/s1600/red+kimono+cover.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Life is pretty dull at the internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas, and two girls couldn't be more different than Sachi and Jubie. That is, until something magical happens. </span> <br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Click <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56000" target="_blank">here</a> to go to Smashwords for free download.</span> <br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">I hope you will enjoy the stories of Jubie and Sachi. I've had many "conversations" with these two young girls, and their friendship demonstrates what could be lost if we judge a person by the color of her skin.</span>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4214358078220293316.post-44440089554490989982012-02-14T07:13:00.001-06:002012-02-14T07:15:27.715-06:00My Valentine BoxIn honor of Valentine's Day, I'm replacing my Telling Tuesday post with a Valentine post, to "show and tell" about one of my favorite memories of one of my favorite holidays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5GbDc6hhMni18dyuKdCLgaiKi6B7hPoYGgNqxOGBrZLXLo-F8qc8W1CW6B_VVzTXLngI8CGlvzaZ_HqZsEyrcaVZcDL4F7prKVdE50YOci4mybTNCskiKA8alT-ilL7m5EuIhEguHfAu/s1600/vb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5GbDc6hhMni18dyuKdCLgaiKi6B7hPoYGgNqxOGBrZLXLo-F8qc8W1CW6B_VVzTXLngI8CGlvzaZ_HqZsEyrcaVZcDL4F7prKVdE50YOci4mybTNCskiKA8alT-ilL7m5EuIhEguHfAu/s200/vb3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Do you remember making Valentine's boxes?</div><br />
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In elementary school, I looked forward to the event for weeks. I honestly can't say if I looked forward more to decorating my shoe box or to the Valentine's that I hoped would fill it. Of course, there was always that one special Valentine I hoped for, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLJJnNDdpI9FpFo6CRjjBIszdfq9olU8yREIz8QepZGBHIq5mjo_edosLsyaRynUZ6oK6OgyD851297y_8MTQzxIY4EFAQse3du0YPh4yR5lUknxvB4T0p8ebvzN-6kKyYKxKpYx41vi5/s1600/vb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLJJnNDdpI9FpFo6CRjjBIszdfq9olU8yREIz8QepZGBHIq5mjo_edosLsyaRynUZ6oK6OgyD851297y_8MTQzxIY4EFAQse3du0YPh4yR5lUknxvB4T0p8ebvzN-6kKyYKxKpYx41vi5/s200/vb4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Weeks before the big day, my mom would take me to Wonder World (that was Fairfield's answer to Walmart back in the day,) and I would peruse the aisles, looking for red construction paper, doilies, aluminum paper, crayons, glue . . . whatever I could possibly think of to make my box the prettiest box in the classroom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Xd6G8QwKcXFovw2ODvOAL-1dO4U4O_uIY6KBuAJpUyijZaKwPKKnb9zlYZCrQIeVPr4P80sC7JTAyQyb6kZhiQVBrte38JTWPrK28sFYL8XFJ-PVl5VrXrBJ64aFVFGuwuQZLYhiZmZ/s1600/vb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Xd6G8QwKcXFovw2ODvOAL-1dO4U4O_uIY6KBuAJpUyijZaKwPKKnb9zlYZCrQIeVPr4P80sC7JTAyQyb6kZhiQVBrte38JTWPrK28sFYL8XFJ-PVl5VrXrBJ64aFVFGuwuQZLYhiZmZ/s200/vb2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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I'm sure the boys thought it was stupid, but some managed to make a box even a cootie-vaccinated boy (as evidenced by "C.V." marked on his hand) could be proud of.<br />
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Valentine's morning, I carefully packed my box in a brown shopping bag and carried it to school. Once inside the classroom, my heart beat with anticipation, and my hands trembled as I drew it out of its hiding place for its grand debut. I just knew mine would be the most beautiful, not only in the classroom, but surely in the entire school . . . heck, in the whole universe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9jv7EO1TSoKKMRE9g_JZY3hm3pg5Hk-jQJsGr8hvbtQNG4cOEfQcz6uVBPo9Rz4ugNL1VbxlImZ97zgM_IdlSGotHIXEUP3PrMaFQsNYBq8d4dn8ubsoYhk-vGVmxUvA_KozWwJU0m-z/s1600/vb5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9jv7EO1TSoKKMRE9g_JZY3hm3pg5Hk-jQJsGr8hvbtQNG4cOEfQcz6uVBPo9Rz4ugNL1VbxlImZ97zgM_IdlSGotHIXEUP3PrMaFQsNYBq8d4dn8ubsoYhk-vGVmxUvA_KozWwJU0m-z/s200/vb5.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Of course, when Sally Smith put hers on her desk, I could tell she thought the same thing. <i>Hmph.</i> No way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxzfEG77mdZece0YX6r49OdIqDQJ4CNr5NT4LCMXhwLi8KvTvcbffGuKgOrxzibJSDGv5cl-r6QJgwDe9sXYz-3yz8avdYCw14anyFElDnU5nlx06uDr-JyhleOOoQ6X6vJIgAM2nwYi2/s1600/v3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxzfEG77mdZece0YX6r49OdIqDQJ4CNr5NT4LCMXhwLi8KvTvcbffGuKgOrxzibJSDGv5cl-r6QJgwDe9sXYz-3yz8avdYCw14anyFElDnU5nlx06uDr-JyhleOOoQ6X6vJIgAM2nwYi2/s200/v3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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The next best part of the day was passing out Valentine's. Like I said, there was always one special person in the classroom for whom I'd saved my very best Valentine, and from whom I hoped to receive one, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oED0cpQCB59lYM5K5vLaBKWi3HdIKrxQZ_bpFlF1X6njLLkQSklxUFi41hDB5TO-SdH4g90WBi-mjqbQBWrVQnhf_s8e5Vwbsi1EPU_C_5XYJfqj6WUqDuJrcJC5nejaToXqyocQIy_x/s1600/v1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oED0cpQCB59lYM5K5vLaBKWi3HdIKrxQZ_bpFlF1X6njLLkQSklxUFi41hDB5TO-SdH4g90WBi-mjqbQBWrVQnhf_s8e5Vwbsi1EPU_C_5XYJfqj6WUqDuJrcJC5nejaToXqyocQIy_x/s200/v1.png" width="190" /></a></div><br />
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Oh, of course, all those store-bought Valentines were all pretty much the same, but there was always one or two that had a secret code to let someone know they were more special than the rest. ("Strike up a match?" Now, you couldn't get more "special" than that.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51rl7ZtKD8p16R-sWrugYW7F0YSvmL6hJh4cB16zdOJmrYhMovzAj21y9KQznGKvtsKh2eIhBh1hA40ymsubUwtThttCgfTaj53OfLz-3CdNgqJ6R7OY_u-bCODxoH12GAb3MVK7Fm3uM/s1600/v5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51rl7ZtKD8p16R-sWrugYW7F0YSvmL6hJh4cB16zdOJmrYhMovzAj21y9KQznGKvtsKh2eIhBh1hA40ymsubUwtThttCgfTaj53OfLz-3CdNgqJ6R7OY_u-bCODxoH12GAb3MVK7Fm3uM/s200/v5.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><br />
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And what about "Popping the question?" Yep, that was a secret code, all right.<br />
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After all the cards were passed out, after we'd had our cupcakes and our tongues were red with icing dye, after the last bell of the day rang, I ran home. Inside the brown paper bag I carried, my full box rattled with Valentine's, and my heart raced faster than my feet, in my rush home to open my cards.<br />
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I tore open each envelope, scanned the card and read each name.<br />
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"Nope. Nope," I said, then tossed the card aside and reached for another. "Nope." My hopes began to fade. Had he not even given me a card, even one without a secret code?<br />
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Then, there it was:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">To: Janice</div><div style="text-align: center;">From: Your Secret Admirer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-twyyMMggx9zpDfksoGzP3otnc7lhMVJHhoGUPfpawqlFZzll9Ta1jeFXghIXx0q5pHqwGlmhyphenhyphenSvxMGYOf0AHPgN4eHy0HLgmtw47yVK2hyQsHLdfhbh4IH3q6_c620gnuUjAXxm2EHZI/s1600/v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-twyyMMggx9zpDfksoGzP3otnc7lhMVJHhoGUPfpawqlFZzll9Ta1jeFXghIXx0q5pHqwGlmhyphenhyphenSvxMGYOf0AHPgN4eHy0HLgmtw47yVK2hyQsHLdfhbh4IH3q6_c620gnuUjAXxm2EHZI/s200/v2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
"I just want to be your Valentine." Was that not the sweetest thing anyone could ever say?<br />
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Even if Sally Smith did win the Valentine Box Contest, <i>I </i>was the one with a Secret Admirer.<br />
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<b><i>Do you have a favorite Valentine's memory? Hope you'll share it in my virtual Valentine's Box.</i></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gh03oxTidN3DYXNFtFA4GfvCRSzJyM4bG1dNSIJqWRl5iJJoGZfsATHUEvy0dOc5xa8MWObTFQW8t40JyQIgREmyni_UUqXaNXHroHO8O5Pn4ZawdmPp_ndyxe05JNRdmV1-o8Ujd73T/s1600/v6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gh03oxTidN3DYXNFtFA4GfvCRSzJyM4bG1dNSIJqWRl5iJJoGZfsATHUEvy0dOc5xa8MWObTFQW8t40JyQIgREmyni_UUqXaNXHroHO8O5Pn4ZawdmPp_ndyxe05JNRdmV1-o8Ujd73T/s320/v6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jan Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600019541133998696noreply@blogger.com8