Saturday, October 1, 2016

Class Flash Listings of Great Writing Classes


UPCOMING CLASSES
October 2016-September 2017

Master Class: FEARLESS WRITING by Laura Baker
10/31-11/11
Writers start with freedom from doubts and just a passion for story. Then all too soon you struggle to overcome weaknesses in your storytelling. But what if the very thing you’re muscling into submission is what would empower you? This is the premise of Fearless Writing — that what you call flaws are what make your stories unique. Packed with exercises and feedback from award-winning author Laura Baker, this class taps your own dramatic powers, then puts those powers to work, transforming your story concept into a Story Vision empowered with your own strengths.
 

The rest of these classes are all taught by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
Click on the links to take you to the class for more information

onlineBASICS: NOVEL-WRITING MONTH PREP
(Oct. 10-21)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
            It's one thing to write 50,000 words in a month. It's another thing to sell the finished book.If you're writing purely for the joy of self-expression, there's no need to think about publication. But if you'd like to share your finished work with readers, a little preparation can make the writing process lead more naturally into the next step. Learn how to create a book that delivers exactly what YOUR kind of novel readers want.

onlineCHARACTER PSYCHOLOGY
(Oct. 31-Nov. 25)
sinc-guppies.org/
            Great conflict comes from not only the situation, but from within the characters themselves. This class offers tools for shaping basic personalities into plausible characters who'll naturally wind up in conflict. Explore the various personality theories -- from Adler and Jung to Dewey and MBH -- and see which will offer the best opportunities for conflict that's built in right from the start.

live in Scottsdale, AZEDIT HELL TO REVISION HEAVEN(Nov. 510:30-11:30desertroserwa.org
            What, why & how much to revise, and how to tell when it's done!

(Bet you already know December is a no-class month...)

onlinePROMOTION & PERSONALITY
(Jan. 9-20, 2017)
sinc-guppies.org/
            There are so many ways for writers to promote their books, nobody should have to do something that feels uncomfortable for the kind of person they are. Looking at the nine personality types, three subtypes, and five birth-order positions shows which best reflects you — and which kinds of promotion will come more naturally, so you won't have to dread all the activity that comes with releasing a new title or building a brand.

onlineCREATING YOUR HERO'S FATAL FLAW
(Jan. 31-Feb. 24, 2017)
sincNE.org
            Giving likable, plausible characters a compelling conflict is easier with Enneagrams. Counselors and HR managers use this tool to identify the nine personality types: Reformer, Nurturer, Achiever, Romantic, Observer, Guardian, Adventurer, Leader and Peacemaker. Each one has its own uniquely heroic and distinctive traits, plus a troublesome flaw, that naturally bring them into conflict with other people...and with themselves.
onlinePLOTTING VIA MOTIVATION
(March 6-31)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
            Any of us could write a book in which characters get shipwrecked on an uncharted desert isle. We've seen what seven such characters would do…over and over and over again. But what would YOURS do? If you nail down any character's motivation, it doesn't matter whether the ship capsizes or lands safely three hours later. Your characters will create a plot from whatEVER happens, because you've got their motivation built in from the very beginning. Here's how to do it.

onlineFROM PLOT TO FINISH
(April 3-14)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
            A continuation of the March process open solely to people who've taken PVM online or in person at some point, this no-more-than-30-people group gets you plotting a brand new or already-begun book (using your completed 14-point worksheet) from start to finish. No need to prepare a new story idea, character bios, goal charts or anything else, because you'll see how to plot an entire book -- and actually have it ready to type -- by the end of this hands-on workshop.

live in Atlanta, GAALL-DAY WORKSHOP(April 22georgiaromancewriters.org
            Stay tuned for the topic, theme and other details…coming this fall.

onlineNINE FLAWS, NINE TRIUMPHS
(May 1-26)
rwamysterysuspense.org/coffin
            Writers who discover the versatility of enneagrams, the nine personality types and subtypes discovered by the Sufis and brought west a century ago, are fascinated by how easy it is to identify their existing characters and create new ones -- each with uniquely heroic and distinctive traits, as well as a fatal (or not so fatal) flaw that naturally brings them into conflict with other characters AND with themselves.

live in Phoenix, AZTHE ALPHA MALE, FROM ABE TO ZEUS(June 29:30-10:30desertroserwa.org/desertdreams
            What makes an alpha male? How can you make yours compelling? 


onlineBLOCK-BUSTING
(June 7-27, 2017)
sinc-guppies.org/
            This class offers practical and psychological techniques for dealing with writer's block. Part of that block is a lack of joy in the process, so this roll-up-your-sleeves session looks at the causes--including boredom, exhaustion, and fear of success--and the benefits of getting blocked. Writers finish with new awareness of what works for them, and with renewed inspiration for returning to the craft they love. 

(Oh, right, July is good old Vacation Month!)


onlineBLURBING YOUR BOOK
(August 7-Sept. 1)
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/ groups/BookBlurb/info
            You've seen online listings that made you buy immediately, knowing you wanted that book for sure. You've seen others that told you "don't want this one" and others that left you lukewarm. While nobody can (or should) write listings that attract readers looking for a whole different type of book, writing blurbs that turn browsers into buyers is easy to do...with the hands- on techniques from this filled-with-feedback class. 

onlineTHE HERO'S JOURNEY, FOR HEROINES
(Sept. 4-29)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
            Christopher Vogler identified 12 steps for daredevil heroes who explore the outside world and return with the elixir. But a character whose emotional journey leads to flowering change instead of physical adventure, as described in Kim Hudson’s 13 steps, will embark on a journey filled with other -- more internal --challenges. For writers whose heroine faces her own less traveled road to discovery, this class offers a fascinating map.




Friday, September 30, 2016

Last Friday of the Month Recipe Featuring Author Claire Gem's Lasagna Recipe


YUM!  I minute I knew Claire was going to post a Lasagna recipe, my taste buds tingled in anticipation. And when I found lasagne is featured in her latest book, The Phoenix Syndrome, it was  a perfect fit.

Recipe of the Month: Mama’s Homemade Lasagna



Hi Claire, welcome to the blog.  Tell us why you love making this recipe!

Hi, L.A. Thank you so much for hosting me, the timing couldn't be more perfect. This is one of those all-day cooking affairs that usually requires a special occasion—and a crowd to eat it! Although my mother cooked many Italian dishes, I will admit, she didn’t make lasagna often, nor did she have a specific recipe for the dish. So the first time I attempted the feat, I studied numerous recipes, and then came up with my own.

The reason I chose this dish to highlight for Recipe of the Month is because in my new release, The Phoenix Syndrome, (which came out just yesterday!) my heroine Lannie Marvin constructs this “stratified feast” in anticipation of a family dinner with her husband and son. I describe exactly how the kitchen looks after such an endeavor! Then, as Lannie is getting ready to put it in the oven, her son announces he has other plans for dinner and her husband texts from the office to say the same. Lannie considers tossing the entire pan at the wall, but decides to just pour herself a glass of wine and cry instead.

Recipe: Mama’s Homemade Lasagna


1 pkg (lb) lasagna noodles
1 small carton ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 lbs. shredded mozzarella
1 lb. ground beef
3-4 links Italian sausage, hot or sweet (you choose or mix)
Sauce: you can either make your own favorite homemade sauce, or purchase 1 large jar Prego or Ragu Homestyle or Old World Style.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
If you choose to make the sauce from scratch, begin that early in the day (a recipe for another time ). If not, about 3 hours before dinner time, steam sausage, covered, until done through in a pan with a small amount of water. Then uncover and brown. Remove sausage from pan and brown ground beef until done. Slice sausage into 1/4 inch medallions and mix with drained ground beef.

Beat egg in medium bowl, add ricotta and blend until smooth. Stir in parmesan and parsley. 

Boil large pot of water with 1-2 tablespoons of salt and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Add lasagna noodles, one at a time. Stir often to avoid sticking. Boil 6 minutes only. The noodles will be just starting to get limp. Dump out hot water and fill with cold.

Using a large, deep lasagna pan (needs to be at least 3 inches deep), spray with cooking spray. Coat bottom of pan with about 1/2 cup of the sauce (does not need to be hot at this point). Remove lasagna noodles one at a time, allowing excess water to drain, and place four noodles on the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly.

Dot noodle layer with dollops of ricotta mixture, smoothing with spoon. Use about 1/3 of the mixture. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, spreading evenly. Ladle 1/2-3/4 cup of sauce over top, then top with 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with another layer of lasagna noodles.

Repeat twice. Once the top layer of noodles is in place, ladle with sauce to cover lightly, and seal with foil. Place in 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Lasagna should be bubbling along the edges and hot in the center. Once this occurs, uncover, spread with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and raise oven temp to 400 degrees. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before attempting to slice. Serve with additional sauce, bread, and salad. Mangia!


Short Book Blurb: 
Research technician Lannie Marvin has a very rough birthday. Turning forty is bad enough, but she discovers her husband is leaving her, & then is bitten by an experimental mouse at work. Lannie snaps, taking off to chase her old dream of a music career & her new crush: the drummer of a heavy metal band.

Tristan Allard holds a benefit every year for his late wife, who was also his muse. He's beginning to have doubts about his ability to write the band's music. Plus, he's damn lonely. So when Lannie nearly plows him down at the backstage reception, he's ready to learn more about her--and her long-abandoned dream of music composition.
But reality invades their hot weekend fling, as Tristan is headed back to the UK, & Lannie discovers, to her horror, that the experimental mice have gone deaf.

Buy Links: 
Amazon | Book Trailer


Bio: Claire writes intensely emotional romantic novels. Her vision is to transport her readers into another place and time, creating characters so real, readers miss them when they reach The End. Her heroes are hot, & her heroines strong and brave: a combination producing the spark to fan the flames of your most intense romantic fantasies. Claire's characters are human, just like you & me. They make mistakes, they get clumsy sometimes, & they're not too proud to laugh at themselves & each other.

The keyword here is EMOTION. Big on the *Sigh* factor, Claire's stories aim to hit you straight in the heart and leave you smiling through happy tears.

She writes in two genres: romance w/a ghostly twist, and sexy contemporary. Claire's books are like a thrill ride at a theme park. Whether it's spooky-scary, angst-ridden relationships filled with gut-wrenching turmoil, silly chuckle moments, or hot-flash-inducing sex, Claire guarantees to take you on an emotionally intense romantic journey.

Find Claire: 
Website | Facebook | Twitter