Wednesday, October 7, 2020

IWSG: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 ~ Call Me a Working Writer

 




It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Jemima Pett, Beth CampBeverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner.

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is: 

When you think of the term working writer, what does that look like to you? What do you think it is supposed to look like? Do you see yourself as a working writer or aspiring or hobbyist, and if latter two, what does that look like? 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy October, Everyone!  
I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and happy.  

I see myself as a working writer.
It has been a slow journey, but last November was a turning point for me.
Right around Thanksgiving I learned that my short story "Dare Double Dare"
had landed a spot in the 2020 IWSG Anthology Voyager:  The Third Ghost.
For the first time I felt real.

My First Book Signing
Dream Come True
Credit:  Susan Fiscus




This past year has been a crash course
in what it means to be a writer with a published book.
I have learned so much from being included in the anthology.
I have been mentored through the process by L. Diane Wolfe,
Alex J. Cavanaugh, and my fellow writers featured in the anthology.
My ideas and my list of things to do as an author are increasing faster
than my ability to implement them.  But that's a good problem!

What does this look like for me?  
There isn't a day that goes by that I am not working
on something connected with my writing.
Staying safer at home since March 6th has helped me a lot.
I am not distracted by such things as traveling or visiting family.
That is not a good problem, but it has helped my writing.

Missing My Extended Family
and all the wild wacky fun we have together
Natalie, Jake, Bertie, Pat, Donnie, Andrew, Louise (Me), and Sara
August 7, 2016
Photographer Unknown



I'm mentally gearing up to tackle NaNoWriMo in November.
I've never done it before, but I'll never have a better chance
since I'm likely to be staying safer at home for the foreseeable future.
I think NaNoWriMo will be a powerful motivator.
I'm putting out into the universe so I can't chicken out.
I'm collecting some funnies for when I need guidance or a laugh.







I'm so looking forward to making the rounds tomorrow!
Happy writing in October!  



Till next time ~
Fundy Blue


Waiting for the Ferry to Tiverton
Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada
July, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Check out today's post at the IWSG Anthologies blog site:
Voyagers Author Roland Clarke and His Thriller "Spiral of Hooves."


Roland Clarke


This is the latest in a series about the Voyagers authors and what they're up to now.
Roland's post gives us a look into the exciting world of equestrian eventing,
and his novel Spiral of Hooves is a thrilling murder mystery
that will keep you turning the pages until long after midnight.

Courtesy of Roland Clarke

Friday, October 2, 2020

Autumn Arriving Along Piney Creek


We've been enjoying beautiful warm fall days this week. 
I grabbed my camera and headed for the open space along Piney Creek.

In the heat of the afternoon, the natural area was still and silent,
but there are always things to observe.

Cottonwood Leaves Turning
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved










Empty Nest
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Autumn Touches Middle Pond
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Rabbit and Mullen Plant
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Piney Creek Among the Bullrushes
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Peek-a-Boo, I See You!
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Among the Horsetails
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Bullrushes and Cottonwoods
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Rabbitbrush in Bloom
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved










Milkweed Patch
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Milkweed Pods Releasing Seeds
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Upper Pond
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Cottonwood Leaves
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Lounging on a Lawn
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved









Heading out of the Park for Home
Along Piney Creek 
Aurora, Colorado
September 29, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



I hope you are staying safe and healthy!
All the best to you!









Till next time ~
Fundy Blue



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




    








For Map Lovers Like Me:


Location of Aurora, Colorado, USA




Area Where I Took the Photographs
(by the asterisk in the lower middle)
Map Data © 2018 Google United States


Southern Aurora and Northern Parker
Map Data © 2019 Google United States





Adapted from a Sign in the Park
Red-Tailed Hawk Park
Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Chrys Fey Has Done It Again with a Cold Thriller!

My blogging buddy Chrys Fey has done it again!  
She has just released the next book in her Disaster series, Frozen Crimes.
   
I can't wait to read the latest adventures of Beth and Donovan.  This couple has survived terrifying disasters in the past while outwitting killers and solving crimes, but will they and their unborn child survive the double threat of a stalker in a blizzard?

  To launch Disaster Crimes, Chrys is hosting a blog hop today.  





She has asked participants a fun question:  
Whom would you want to be stuck with during a blizzard, and what would you do?
(Family members and spouses don’t count.)




Rats!  If I can't have Terry, 
I'll just have to settle for Jamie Fraser!
This is a highlander with proven survival skills,
someone who is used to battling life-threatening
disasters, weather, and nefarious characters.
Not only is he gorgeous, but he is a gentleman too.
And he likely comes equipped with
yards and yards of warm Scottish tartan
to wrap up in and a skean dhu to boot! 




 




Chrys invites you to hop around to the other participants to read their answers.

Click on this link to join in:  Frozen Crimes Blog Hop



Read on to learn more about Frozen Crimes.



   

When disasters strike around every corner,

is it possible to have a happily-ever-after?

 



 

BLURB: 
Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn’t get any better…
until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages
and unsettling items, but it isn’t long before his menacing goes too far.  Hoping for
a peaceful Christmas, Donovan takes Beth to Michigan. Days into their trip, a winter storm named Nemesis moves in with the goal of burying the state. Snowdrifts surround their house, and the temperature drops below freezing. Except, the storm isn’t the only nemesis they must face. Everyone’s lives are at stake—especially that of their unborn child.
Will they survive, or will they become a frozen crime?

BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes


 

EXCERPT:
The crunch of the shovel pounding into the snow and ice filled his ears. It was all he could hear. The rest of the street was silent beneath its wintry blanket. Breathing was difficult with the icy air clogging his lungs. His nose burned. His throat was dry and on fire. But he ignored it, focusing on his task.

Crack, crack, crack.

He jabbed the shovel into a hunk of snow. On the third hit, it shattered into several pieces. He scooped them up and flung them to the side. He surveyed what remained. There was one big ball in the middle of the path that needed to be dealt with next. He moved over to it and struck it. That one impact had it severing in two. He was about to hit it again when something crashed into the back of his head.

Explosions of white light danced over his vision. Pain enveloped his skull. 

The shovel slipped from his fingers. Blackness cloaked his mind, coaxing him into its depths.

Beth. Her name was a whisper in his head, as if his thoughts were being sucked into a wormhole.

His legs collapsed under his weight.

Cold. It seeped into him, consuming him. And then his consciousness fled down that same void that ate his thoughts.


 

***HUGE DISASTER CRIMES GIVEAWAY*** 

 



 

Prizes: 
4 eBooks (Disaster Crimes 1-4: Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, Tsunami Crimes, Flaming Crimes
+ Girl Boss Magnets (4), Inflatable Cup Holder (1), 
Adventure Fuel To-Go Cups (2), Anchor Fashion Scarf (1), 
Mermaid Nail Clippers (2), Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle (1),
Snowflake Handmade Bookmark (1), Insulated Cooler Bag (1)
 
Eligibility: International
Number of Winners: One
Giveaway Ends: October 30, 2020 12:00am EST
LINK:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/
 



***FREE EXCLUSIVE EBOOK***

 



 

To get the exclusive prequel to the Disaster Crimes series, sign up for Chrys’ newsletter. By signing up, you agree to receive Chrys Fey’s newsletter. After you confirm subscription, you will receive an email (so check your inbox and spam folder) with directions on where to snag your eBook copy of THE CRIME BEFORE THE STORM.


 




 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crime Series, a unique concept that blends
disasters, crimes, and romance.  She runs the Insecure Writer's Support  Group (IWSG)
on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press.  https://www.chrysfey.com


Author Links:

Website / Blog / Goodreads Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

 

 

I wish Chrys lots of success with her latest book!






Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




    







  

Friday, September 25, 2020

A Taste of Home ~ Nova Scotia Brown Bread

Being stranded at home by Covid-19 has had its advantages.
For one thing, I've revived my early bread baking skills, much to Terry's delight.
I've made multiple batches of delicious white and whole wheat bread.
The flavor and texture of homemade bread is so much better than store-bought,
and the investment of time and energy in baking bread is well worth it.
    
I felt confident and empowered last Sunday morning,
so I decided to tackle a recipe for Nova Scotia Brown Bread.
My sister Barb sent me her favorite recipe for this traditional bread.
She's been on the hunt, trying this recipe and that, tinkering and adjusting,
until she created the taste she remembered.
Our great grandmother Cossaboom made the best brown bread,
and Barb is a master baker like her.




If you haven't tasted 
Nova Scotia Brown Bread,
you have missed out on a
scrumptious treat.
It goes especially well
with homemade baked beans.

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


If you would like to make this Nova Scotian treat, I'll walk you through the process.
Don't be intimidated by the thought of making bread.  It's really easy.
All it requires is a commitment of about three hours.

Nova Scotia Brown Bread:
Ingredients:
1½ cups quick rolled oats (I substituted old-fashioned rolled oats by pulsing them a few times in a food processor.) 
2 cups boiling water
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening  (I substituted 1 tablespoon butter.)
1 tablespoon quick-acting yeast
½ cup warm water
1 teaspoon white sugar 
¾ cup molasses  (I used "blackstrap" molasses, but if I were home in the Maritimes, I'd use Crosby’s Molasses!) 
4-5 cups white flour  (I used almost 6 cups.)

Ingredients
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
 
Steps:
1.  Mix together rolled oats, salt, and shortening in a large bowl.  Pour in boiling water and
     stir.  Let this oat mixture stand until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.

2.  In a separate bowl gently combine yeast, sugar, and warm water.  Let it rise for 10
     minutes.

Oat Mixture Cooling, Yeast Rising
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




3.  When the oat mixture is lukewarm, add the molasses and mix well. Do not add the
     molasses when the oat mixture is too hot, or it will change the texture and
     require more flour.

Stirring in Molasses, Yeast Rising
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




4.  Add yeast mixture to molasses-oat mixture.  Add one cup of the white flour.  Beat well.

Molasses-Oat Mixture, Flour, and Yeast Mixture
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




5.  Keep adding white flour in one cup increments up to 4 or 5 cups.  As you get near
     the end, you may need to use your hands to work the flour in.  If the dough is really
     sticking to your hands, keep working in a little more flour at a time until it isn't. 
      (Have some extra flour in a separate bowl.  I had to call Terry for help because I didn't have any extra flour out, and my hands were covered with globby, sticky mittens of dough ~ LOL.  I don't know if it was altitude, humidity, or what, but I needed almost 6 cups of white flour.  The dough will feel tacky, but not sticky, when enough flour is worked in.  Mom used to say the dough would feel like a baby's bum.)

6.  Kneed bread for 10 minutes, dusting surface with flour if needed.
     (This is a great way to release excess energy or frustration!  I like punching it down with my fists.)

7.  Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm
     spot until it doubles in size.  It takes about 60 minutes.  
     (Be aware that it might take a little less time or a little more.  You want a doubling in volume.)

Dough Rising ~ Pick a Spot Without Drafts
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




8.  When the dough has risen, divide it into four equal-sized pieces and form the pieces
     into balls.  Place 2 balls in one greased bread pan and the remaining 2 balls in a
     second greased pan.  Let the dough rise until double in size.  It takes about
     45 minutes.  Preheat oven for 350º F while dough is rising in the pans.       
     (Again, it might take a little less time or a little more.  A doubling in volume is what you want.  
      I like to baste the dough with melted butter, but that isn't necessary.)

Butter-Basted Loaves Ready for the Oven
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




9.  Bake bread for 35-40 minutes.  The loaves are done when they are well-browned on
     top.  If you tap a loaf, it should sound hollow.  Carefully remove the pans from the 
         oven wearing oven mitts.  Tip each pan onto a cooling rack.  If the loaves are done,
     they should slide right out of the pans.  Cool on racks.

Cooled and Read to Enjoy
September 20, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




10.  When loaves are cooled, they can be sliced with a bread (serrated) knife.  A loaf
       will last for a week in the refrigerator.  Loaves can also be frozen.  
       (This bread is so yummy that you can eat a slice with nothing on it.  Barb and my Aunt Mary Lou say it makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever.  Sounds perfect for a Saturday night supper.)

        
Cheers to Sisters Everywhere!
Barb and I
August 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




Have a safe and happy weekend ~ Bake some bread!





    Till next time ~
    Fundy Blue

     On the Bay of Fundy
       © M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
       All Rights Reserved










Just the Recipe:


Nova Scotia Brown Bread:
Ingredients:
1½ cups quick rolled oats 
2 cups boiling water
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening  
1 tablespoon quick-acting yeast
½ cup warm water
1 teaspoon white sugar 
¾ cup molasses  
4-5 cups white flour  

Steps:
1.  Mix together rolled oats, salt, and shortening in a large bowl.  Pour in boiling water and
     stir.  Let this oat mixture stand until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.

2.  In a separate bowl gently combine yeast, sugar, and warm water.  Let it rise for 10
     minutes.

3.  When the oat mixture is lukewarm, add the molasses and mix well. Do not add the
     molasses when the oat mixture is too hot, or it will change the texture and
     require more flour.

4.  Add yeast mixture to molasses-oat mixture.  Add one cup of the white flour.  Beat well.

5.  Keep adding white flour in one cup increments up to 4 or 5 cups.  As you get near
     the end, you may need to use your hands to work the flour in.  If the dough is really
     sticking to your hands, keep working in a little more flour at a time until it isn't
     sticking. 

6.  Kneed bread for 10 minutes, dusting surface with flour if needed.

7.  Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm
     spot until it doubles in size.  It takes about 60 minutes.  

8.  When the dough has risen, divide it into four equal-sized pieces and form the pieces
     into balls.  Place 2 balls in one greased bread pan and the remaining 2 balls in a
     second greased pan.  Let the dough rise until double in size.  It takes about
     45 minutes.  Preheat oven for 350º F while dough is rising in the pans.       
     
9.  Bake bread for 35-40 minutes.  The loaves are done when they are well-browned on
     top.  If you tap a loaf, it should sound hollow.  Carefully remove the pans from the
     oven wearing oven mitts.  Tip each pan onto a cooling rack.  If the loaves are done,
     they should slide right out of the pans.  Cool on racks.


10.  When loaves are cooled, they can be sliced with a bread (serrated) knife.  A loaf
       will last for a week in the refrigerator.  Loaves can also be frozen.