Tag Archives: writer

My Town Monday: The Original Pop Top

by Jennette,

Note from Jennette: this blog post originally ran on August 15, 2011, and remains one of my most popular posts for people to find via search. Meanwhile, I’m working on my NaNoWriMo novel, and am now over 2/3 of the way to the 50,000-word mark!

One of the fun things about writing (and reading) time travel stories is the whole fish-out-of-water aspect, especially when someone goes into the future. There is one scene in Time’s Enemy, my newly-released time-travel novel, where a character from the 1930s comes forward to modern times. When she asks for a drink and is handed a can of Mountain Dew, she’s understandably perplexed at what to do with it (and initially thinks it’s moonshine, LOL).

Anyone remember drinking beer or pop (“soda” for you non-Midwesterners) from a can like this? Younger folks might not, but in the sixties, seventies, and into the early eighties, this is what you got if you bought beer in a can, or got a Coke, Pepsi, etc. from a machine. Of course, I also remember pop in glass bottles – you know, where you bought a six pack at Kroger and paid a deposit of $.05 – .10 per bottle, which they returned when you took the bottles back to the store.

But back to the cans – before they were like this, they required a can opener, like is still used today to open larger cans of juice, although those are now mostly replaced by bottles. The can opener had a sharp point on it, and poked a triangle hole in the edge of the can. A second hole was needed to admit air.

Dayton inventor Ermal Fraze

The pull tab shown on the can to the right came about in the early sixties, after Dayton tool-and-die maker Ermal Fraze went on a picnic, and forgot to bring a can opener for the drinks. According to the stories, he ended up prying cans open on a car bumper (???), then went home and devised a can with a built-in opener – the pull tab.

The pull tab was eventually superceded by the now-familiar push-in top in the eighties, but it was the pull tab that helped push cans to edge out glass bottles in popularity as a beverage container. Fraze’s legacy lives on today in the form of full-top pull tabs that are still commonly used in canned snacks like peanuts. Dayton Reliable Tool (now DRT Mfg.), the machine shop he formed in the 1940s, is also still in business in Dayton today.

Do you know of any cool little details that we take for granted today, that originated in your hometown? Please share!

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage_can
http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/fraze.html
http://www.heartlandscience.org/manuf/poptop.htm

Photo of beer can via Wikipedia, public domain | Photo of Ermal Fraze via Heartlandscience.org

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

ROW80: NaNoWriMo, Day 18

by Jennette,

My lack of planning is making my NaNoWriMo book a challenge. As a recap, I set my daily writing goals a little differently than the standard 1,667 words/day – instead, I write 1,500 words four weeknights, and 3,000 words on both Saturday and Sunday to meet my overall goal. But I didn’t get my 3k in yesterday until 10:30 PM – and I didn’t do much of anything else all day.

I have to outline, and I did outline this book, too. However, many of my scenes were just a few words of what would happen. And I’m finding that that’s not always enough. I need to know what’s the conflict, and who or  what the antagonist is in any given scene, and many of my notes did not have this. I also got hung up on details, and spent a lot of time thinking how something specific would happen, which is something we need to ditch in order to meet the high word count goals of NaNoWriMo. I did manage to get it together just in time, so my progress is still on track, although I did not get as much done on  my revisions for Hangar 18 as I’d have liked, and I had some other things to do yesterday that now will have to be done today. Things like laundry, keeping in touch with family and friends, and some graphic design work I’m doing for my brother, who’s in the process of starting a business. Good thing I have my blogs mostly set up! Oh, and I’m hosting Thanksgiving for my family. I’m taking the day before and the day after off of work – I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to get some extra time in there, and keep my wordcount on track.

Here’s my progress for this past week:

  • 12,000 words on NaNoWriMo novel, to a total of 30,000 words or more – Done!
  • Physical activity 5x this week – partial – Done!
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 10-11 – Partial – I got Chapter 10 marked up.

Here are my overall goals for this round:

  • Format and release OVRWA holiday story anthology – Done and now available!
  • Revise Hangar 18 - revisions/markup done through Chapter 10
  • Keep up with my exercise, five times a week – ongoing
  • Win NaNoWriMo – on track with 31,178 words so far!
For this week, I’d like to:
  • 12,000 more words on NaNoWriMo novel, bringing its total up to 43,000
  • Physical activity 5x this week
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 11 & 12

If you’re participating in ROW80, how are you doing so far? If you’re in the U.S., what are your plans for Thanksgiving, and do they affect your goal setting this week, especially if you’re doing NaNoWriMo?

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

ROW80: NaNoWriMo, Day 11

by Jennette,

Flags on Normandy Beach, France

Before my ROW80 update, I’d like to first observe that it’s Veterans’ Day in the United States, and take this time to thank those who have served (and are serving) in our armed forces. It’s because of their willingness to put their lives on the line for our country and what we stand for, that we have the freedoms we so easily take for granted today.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As for ROW80, my solution for dealing with the to-do list worked wonderfully. In case you missed it, details here. Stupidly simple! (Uhhh… and stupid too, but nevermind).

NaNoWriMo progress is on track, and I remembered a few other, non-ROW80 things on my list that needed to be done, and they got done. As far as my other ROW80 goals, weeeelllllll… I’m going to cite poor planning as my excuse for not getting to my revisions on Hangar 18. I had an RWA chapter meeting and workshop all afternoon today, and guests for dinner afterward – which is when I would have done this. However, the workshop was fantastic and sooooo worth it. That’s one thing I love about writing – there’s always something new to learn. And my husband and I had a fun evening with our friends.

Here’s my progress for this past week:

  • 12,000 words on NaNoWriMo novel, to a total of 18,000 words or more – Done!
  • Physical activity 5x this week – partial – got in 3x.
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 10-11 – No.

Here are my overall goals for this round:

  • Format and release OVRWA holiday story anthology – Done and soon to be released!
  • Revise Hangar 18 - revisions/markup moving along nicely
  • Keep up with my exercise, five times a week – ongoing
  • Win NaNoWriMo – on track with 18,175 words so far!
For this week, I’d like to:
  • 12,000 more words on NaNoWriMo novel, bringing its total up to 18,000
  • Physical activity 5x this week
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 10 & 11

If you’re participating in ROW80, how are you doing so far? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? If so, look me up and let’s be writing buddies! And either way, how are you doing with whatever goals you may have made?

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

WANA Wednesday: Just in time for the Holidays! plus ROW80 Update

by Jennette,

If you’re starting to think about the holidays, and need some little gifts for the readers in your life, look no further! Home for the Holidays has a little something for everyone who’s a little romantic. This anthology of holiday stories is the work of six authors who are members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of Romance Writers of America – five of my In Real Life writer friends, and me!

The stories in the anthology run from sweet to poignant, darkness-tinged to comedic, but in each one, people find the hope of love, and joy in the holidays. Stories feature married couples and those newly-met, some whose lessons lie in the past, and even vampires… all of whom find happiness and peace when they come Home for the Holidays.

Becke Martin‘s “Coventry Arcade” is where Ben Whitaker is determined to get his beloved Lily the best gift very little money can buy in this homage to O. Henry’s classic story “The Gift of the Magi.”

In “The Holly and the Ivey” by Sandy Pennington, Jon thought bells would be ringing a merry tune when he did a surprise Christmas visit but it turned out to be a Ho! Ho! Oh, no! instead.

Aileen is frustrated when she has difficulties communicating with her mentally challenged brother. But Dr. Lew Bard shows her it’s really just a matter of “Speaking the Language,” by Ann Gregory.

There’s magic in threes in Becke Martin’s “Triple Trouble for Christmas Eve.” With her dying breath, the triplets’ mother predicted they’d all find true love by midnight on Christmas Eve. Too bad Mom didn’t specify which Christmas Eve.

In “Merry and Bright” by Ann Gregory, Alex and D’Vee discover that a cup of spicy tea and a pair of fine brown eyes can both be inspiring. The Christmas season is the perfect time to kindle friendships and create possibilities.

Aiden Flynn is no Superman, but he does have a secret identity. And he just might be able to save Christmas for one young boy and his hardworking mom in “Silver and Gold,” by Becke Martin.

Stacy McKitrick’s vampire Katarina thought she was drawn to the mortal who refused her gift of immortality 45 years ago, but on her “Last Christmas Visit,” she discovers the truth.

Christmas can be murder when a trip back in time pits Taylor Gressman against a murderous street gang, but through a new friendship, she learns the greatest gift is in the giving in “Time’s Holiday” by Jennette Marie Powell.

In “No More Resolutions” by Dakota James, Stella despises holidays. Now she has to find a husband for bosszilla, deal with a stripper pole in her house and work with Simon, the guy she loves to hate. Or does she?

Oh yeah, and I designed the cover and did all the formatting, for both the print and ebook. :D

The anthology is available in both print and ebook at Amazon.com; and in ebook from Smashwords, Kobo Books, and Sony. Coming soon to Barnes & Noble and  iTunes. All proceeds go directly to Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America, and help bring in educational programs for the whole chapter.

My story, “Time’s Holiday,” is also available as a standalone ebook for FREE! If you’ve thought about giving the Saturn Society series a try, this is a great way to see if it’s something you might like. Grab a copy of the ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo Books, Sony or iTunes.

What about you? Do you like holiday stories? Know of any good new releases this week? Or what the heck, what are your reading now?

Quick ROW80 Update: This month, my main focus is my NaNoWriMo novel. My weekly goal is to write 1,500 words four weeknights, and 3,000 words each on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday through Tuesday, I’ve written 6,000 words, bringing my total to 12,346 – right on track. So far so good!

In other ROW80 news, I solved my dilemma with things that won’t go away from the to-do list. This was not intentional. But disappear they did. I use Cozi Organizer for this, and its Remove menu consists of 1. Delete checked items, 2. Delete everything on this list and 3. Delete this list (IMO there’s not much difference between 2 and 3, but there they are). Well, with a slip of the mouse, I clicked the second item when I meant to click the first. So boom! Those pesky things hanging around on my to-do list were gone! I decided not to worry about it, and reconstructed what I knew I needed for the week. Who knew it could be so easy? :D

What is WANA? It stands for We Are Not Alone, a guide to blogging, social media and networking for authors by Kristen Lamb. It’s writers helping writers, whether or not we’ve taken the course, and proving that we really are not alone!

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

My Town Monday: One of Dayton’s Happenin’ Places

by Jennette,

Note from Jennette: I am deep in the weeds of NaNoWriMo, so I’m offering up a rerun. I have a lot of followers now who weren’t following me when this was originally published, so I’m hoping a lot of new readers will find this. It’s also timely – the facilities upgrade initiative mentioned in the blog post is on the Library Levy on the ballot in tomorrow’s general election. So if you live in the area and haven’t already voted, please go – and consider voting YES for the library! Not sure why? Read on!

The Dayton area has always been fortunate to have a fantastic library. For two centuries, the library has been a vital part of our community.

The very first officially-recognized public library in Ohio, Dayton’s first library was started in 1805, in the home of Benjamin Van Cleve. Back then, it was a pay service. The library moved several times and was even closed and all its books sold, on at least two occasion.

Photo of The old Dayton libraryThe precursor to today’s Dayton Metro Library was built on the current library’s property in 1888. This building was also home to a museum, which included natural history and Native American artifacts. The museum later became the Dayton Museum of Natural History, and eventually was renamed the Booneshoft Museum of Discovery. The museum was moved into its own location in 1955, and the library continued to serve as such until it was demolished, and the current building built, in 1961.

Today the libaray continues to be a happening place, with 20 branches located throughout Montgomery County. It’s unusual to drive past the two branches near me and not see the parking lots nearly full. In addition to traditional books and periodicals, the library began carrying music on tape in the seventies, which eventually expanded to VHS videos and audiobooks on tape, then Music CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks on CDs.  Dowloadable ebooks and audiobooks were added via Overdrive in the early 2000s – more on that in a future blog post. Programs for kids, teens and adults – on book-related subjects and otherwise – are popular.

Dayton Metro Library The library is once more outgrowing its downtown location, and has proposed an ambitious expansion plan in an effort to stay relevant and serve the community. Changes in technology – especially in book publishing – are creating a shift in how consumers patronize the library, and the usage of services has shifted to a lot more computer use, more online checkouts of e- and audiobooks, and more demand for meeting space, as opposed to shelf space for paper books. Studies have focused on cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana, where a new, expanded library has played a key role in revitalizing a stagnant downtown.

But the best part of the library remains the same – whatever book or written material you’re looking for, the library probably has it – and if they don’t, they have partnerships with a public libraries all over Ohio, and chances are, you’ll find it there. As has been the case for as long as I can remember, there’s no charge to have a book you’re looking for, transferred to your local branch if they don’t have a copy there. Loans for (and transfer of) materials from participating Ohio libraries are also free.

I got my first library card around age 6 or 7. Having lived in the area all my life, I’ve often taken the library for granted. But I’ve had friends who’ve moved out of the area to larger cities, who tell me their libraries don’t have near the selection Dayton’s library has.

What about you? Does your hometown have a great library? Do you use its service, or are you even aware of all your library offers?  (I admit that if I were to try to list them, I’d probably miss a few.)

Historic photo via Dayton Metro Library www.daytonmetrolibrary.org | 1960′s photo – unknown

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

ROW80: Four Days In

by Jennette,

What do you do when there’s something on your to-do list that just won’t go away?

One solution, of course, is to ditch the to-do list. I tried that once, but every time I do, the darn thing keeps coming back.

In all seriousness, there’s no way I’d remember to do all the things I need and want to do without it. So the list stays. But that thing that keeps hanging on… in this case, it’s working through the exercises in Get It Together, an estate planning workbook. Not the most exciting stuff, so naturally, it gets shoved to the back of the priority line.

Sometimes, that’s what we have to do. When I started this round of ROW80, I’d thought I might do NaNoWriMo, but hadn’t committed to actually doing it. Well, now that I have, writing New Book takes precedence.

I will complete Get It Together… just not this month. Probably not this ROW80.

Fortunately, everything else went better. Here’s my progress for this past week:

  • 6,000 words on NaNoWriMo novel – Done! I even went to a local write-in, got 2,000 words written, and had a great time!
  • Review Home for the Holidays print proof, correct again if needed; otherwise OK it and make available for sale! – Done! Second proof came out right, so I OK’ed it, and it’s now available! More details coming Wednesday.
  • Physical activity 5x this week – Done! It helps that I am reading an awesome book on the treadmill this week.
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 7-9 – Done, thanks to this section needing minimal revision.
  • Get it Together exercises 13 & 14 – No – see above.

Here are my overall goals for this round:

  • Format and release OVRWA holiday story anthology – Done and soon to be released!
  • Revise Hangar 18 - revisions/markup moving along nicely
  • Keep up with my exercise, five times a week – ongoing
  • Finish the Get It Together exercises - completed sections 3 – 12 – postponed until the next ROWnd
  • NEW: Win NaNoWriMo – on track with 6,300 words so far!
For this week, I’d like to:
  • 12,000 more words on NaNoWriMo novel, bringing its total up to 18,000
  • Physical activity 5x this week
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 10 & 11

If you’re participating in ROW80, how are you doing so far? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? If so, look me up and let’s be writing buddies! And either way, how are you doing with whatever goals you may have made?

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

ROW80: Jumping into NaNoWriMo

by Jennette,

I’ve decided…. I’m going to go for it this November. I’m going to do NaNoWriMo. I signed up last week, after being inspired by some of my ROW80 peeps, and I committed to it today by telling my daughter, her friend, and one of my best friends from college and her partner. It was at that point that I realized that not everyone knows what NaNoWriMo, even spelled out: National Novel Writing Month, is.

Basically, it’s a month of craziness: you commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. If you write 50, 000 words, you “win,” even if your novel isn’t complete at that length.

That sounds like a lot, yet there are plenty of professional, full-time writers who regularly produce at this level or more. I did it once before, in 2009. And yes, I “won.” I never did finish that book, but I still plan to.

The rules of NaNoWriMo require that you start a new book in November – picking up one that’s already started doesn’t count, although a lot of people do just that. I’m doing NaNo because other than “Time’s Holiday,” I haven’t written any new material since I did NaNoWriMo. I need that extra kick in the seat.

I don’t know if I’ll publish the book I’m writing for NaNo – I want to get back into writing for fun, and it’s a big departure from what I usually write, so who knows how it’ll turn out. FUN is where it’s at this month. It’ll definitely be harder to “win” this time around, as I have a regular blog and other writing activities to do, including my revision on Hangar 18, that I don’t want to put off further.

Fortunately, we can do ROW80 and NaNoWriMo at the same time. So here’s my ROW80 progress for this past week:

  • Finish Home for the Holidays print book, and if proof received, correct if needed; otherwise OK it and make available for sale – the proof had some minor issues, so I reworked those, uploaded the corrections, and ordered another proof. Done!
  • Physical activity 5x this week – No. I had a bit of a cold earlier this week, and although it was a mild one (thank goodness!), I took it easy on the physical stuff this week. I’m better now, so I’m hoping to jump back in this week!
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 4-6 – Done!
  • Get it Together exercises 13 & 14 – No
  • I got some more outlining done on my NaNoWriMo project.

Here are my overall goals for this round:

  • Format and release OVRWA holiday story anthology – Done and soon to be released!
  • Revise Hangar 18 - revisions/markup started
  • Keep up with my exercise, five times a week – ongoing
  • Finish the Get It Together exercises - completed sections 3 – 12
For this week, I’d like to:
  • 6,000 words on NaNoWriMo novel
  • Review Home for the Holidays print proof, correct again if needed; otherwise OK it and make available for sale!
  • Physical activity 5x this week
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 7-9
  • Get it Together exercises 13 & 14

If you’re participating in ROW80, how are you doing so far? Are you doing NaNoWriMo? If so, look me up and let’s be writing buddies! And either way, how are you doing with whatever goals you may have made?

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

WANA Wednesday: An Interview with Maria McKenzie, plus ROW80 Update

by Jennette,

I have a special treat this week for WANA Wednesday. Today, I’m interviewing indie author and In Real Life writing pal Maria McKenzie. Her first book, The Governor’s Sons, was blow-me-away awesome! I have her new book, Escape, on my smartphone waiting to be read!

And now, here’s Maria:

JMP: Have you been published by a big publisher? Small press/epub? Independently? Please share your publishing experience. What made you decide to take this publishing path?

MM: I chose to independently publish my books. About two years ago, I tried to get traditionally published, but after multiple rejections I decided to try independent publishing, and I have no regrets. I knew other writers who were venturing there, but I think what pushed me over the edge was what agents and publishers were starting to ask for. One e-publisher asked that you submit your own artwork, and some agents were requesting publicity plans. Since more and more is required of new authors, I figured I’d do everything myself!

JMP: I don’t blame you! Those were all big factors in my decision, too. Now that you’ve tasted the control and flexibility that comes with indie publishing, are you still pursuing a traditional publishing contract, or perhaps an agent?

MM: No, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever try again. Right now I have complete control of all my projects, and I can write what I want.

JMP: Boy do I hear that. Big publishing is really risk-adverse to anything that’s a bit different, or doesn’t fit neatly into an established genre – which is definitely how I saw The Governor’s Sons. What do you do (or have you done) for a day job? Has this informed or inspired your writing in any way?

MM: I was a librarian for thirteen years. I resigned when I had my first child back in 1999.  I really enjoyed being a reference librarian and digging up facts, and I love history. Now I write historical fiction, and half the fun for me is in the research!

JMP: One thing I loved about your books is how I felt like I was there! It’s obvious how your former day job and love of research has served you well. What about other inspirations – have there been any particular events, places, things you’ve seen/heard/read that inspired the overall premise of a book, its events, or any of the characters?

MM: My first book, The Governor’s Sons, which I published last year, was inspired by Essie Mae Washington-Williams’s memoir, Dear Senator. Williams is the love child of South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond and his family’s African American maid. Her story really touched me and made me think, what would have happened if a southern governor fathered a son by a black woman, and that son grew up to become a civil rights leader.

JMP: Dear Senator sounds like a fascinating read, and has been on my non-fiction TBR list since I read about it. What inspired your latest book?

MM: My latest novel, Escape, was inspired by my own marriage. Not long after I got married, I thought about how sad it would have been if my husband and I had known each other 150 years earlier. We were an interracial couple living in North Carolina at the time, and a century and a half earlier, we wouldn’t have been able to marry.

JMP: I thought about that with the relationship in The Governor’s Sons, too. Living in a post-Civil Rights society, it’s hard for me to imagine – but sadly true. Tell us more about your current or upcoming release.

MM: Escape: Part One of the Unchained Trilogy is my latest release, and here’s a brief synopsis:

Daniel and Lori love each other, yet to live as one in 1856, they must escape from the unyielding society that imprisons them.

Lori was born a slave in North Carolina, yet by chance was raised alongside Daniel in a wealthy abolitionist household. The sudden death of Daniel’s mother catapults Lori back into bondage.

Relegated to chattel on a rice plantation, Lori lives in constant fear under the tormenting scrutiny of Daniel’s wretched Aunt Lucinda.

After Daniel fails to convince his relatives to free Lori, he is compelled to devise a daring escape. Although a life threatening endeavor for both of them, Lori’s freedom is priceless to Daniel, and he’s willing to pay such a price for her love.

People have asked about the trilogy and the significance of the titles, so here’s that information in a nutshell:  The title of the trilogy is Unchained.  Lori was born a slave, but escapes from slavery.  Her granddaughter, Selina, who passes as white, carries the secret of her African American ancestry like a painful chain, bound around her heart. Only when she tells her family the truth can she free herself from the pain of that secret. Escape is part one of the trilogy. While Lori escapes from bondage, her daughter, Lavinia, escapes from living as a “Negro.”  In part two, Masquerade, Lavinia becomes a great actress in New York, all the while hiding her true identity.  Revelation is part three, and in this story, Lavinia’s daughter, Selina, reveals the truth about her ancestry. For what to expect in each part of the trilogy, visit the novel page on my website.

JMP: Maria, thanks so much! I can’t wait to read Escape, and I know I’ll be looking forward to the next book as soon as I finish it! Your blog has some fascinating stories about famous historical people – including some in entertainment – that no one knew were of African ancestry.

What about you? Have you ever read historical fiction featuring interracial romance? Do you find it hard to imagine a time when interracial marriages were prohibited in many places? Do you have any questions or comments for Maria? We’d love to hear from you!

Maria’s books are both available on Amazon as eBooks, and in print.

Quick ROW80 Update: I haven’t received the print proof for Home for the Holidays yet. I did get a chance to mark revisions for Chapter 4 of Hangar 18. So far so good!

What is WANA? It stands for We Are Not Alone, a guide to blogging, social media and networking for authors by Kristen Lamb. It’s writers helping writers, whether or not we’ve taken the course, and proving that we really are not alone!

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

Misfit Monday: Left Out?

by Jennette,

No, I’m not talking about that lunch meat that someone forgot to put back into the fridge, that you really shouldn’t eat. I’m talking about way back when (in my case, at least), when one of the simplest, most unintentional things makes us feel terrible: being Left Out.

If you were like me, and were the slowest runner in your class, you know all about this. Being the last one picked for anything in gym class. Being the only one guaranteed to strike out when forced to play softball (because yeah, when you’re as bad at it as I was, it sucked). Being the unpopular kid, the one that didn’t get invited to the cool kids’ parties. Of course now, I look back and think, I wouldn’t have enjoyed those parties anyway (talk to people I don’t know? who were all drinking when I wasn’t?). But back then, it was just being Left Out. If I were a holiday TV special, I’d be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

It happened in college too. See, freshman year, I was an English major. Writing was something I’d always wanted to do. Then over the summer, my dad had the “what are you going to do for a job with this” talk with me. Since I didn’t want to be a starving writer, and I liked art too, I changed majors. It worked out well, because the way the courses were set up, I could cram four years’ worth of major courses into three years – and graduate on time.

I met wonderful friends in some of my art classes. They were all a year younger than me, freshmen when I was a sophomore. But in my other art classes, the ones that were all sophomores, most people already knew each other from a year of being in class together already. Cliques had formed. Cliques I might have been a part of in the classes where everyone was new like me, but in the second-year classes, I was left out. Since I had my own artsy friends, I didn’t care, and unlike elementary and high school, it wasn’t like the students in the older classes weren’t nice to me – they were. I just wasn’t really one of them. Having my own band of misfit friends helped.

You’d think this stuff stops after we get out of school. It doesn’t. People can be clique-y in workplaces (thank goodness, not mine!) and really, anywhere people congregate, even online.

More recently, this has happened to me in online classes. Several years ago, one of my RWA chapters offered an online workshop on query letters, taught by a big NYT Bestselling Author. Every one who took the class and participated got a query letter critique by the NYTBA.

Except me. By the time I found my big girl panties and emailed the workshop coordinator to ask about it, the NYTBA had left the building. So no critique for me. It was a free class, and I already had a good query letter, so it wasn’t a big deal, but…. yeah. That Left Out Feeling never goes away, even when we can’t imagine that it’s intentional.

I was Left Out in another online workshop a couple months ago – mine was the only homework assignment the instructor didn’t address in the class. I still got a twinge of that Left Out Feeling, even though I’d taken workshops with this author before, and knew it was simply an oversight. This time I found my big girl panties right away, so I emailed her. Not only did she post my assignment, but several others in the class gave me some very nice feedback, and the instructor offered me a future workshop for free.

Yet that Left Out Feeling never stays far away from misfits! Just last week, it hit me again in a networking group I’m in on Facebook. I’d signed up for an activity offered by one of my peeps, yet when the schedule came out, I wasn’t on the list. This lady’s a class act, someone I’d interacted with plenty of times before, and she’d scheduled peeps whose credentials were as unimpressive as mine, so I figured it had to be a mistake, and posted.

It turned out, it was a mistake – mine! Yes, I’d signed up, but I hadn’t seen the instructions to provide her with my email address – d’oh!

Sometimes when we get Left Out, it’s our own fault!

So speak up, jump in… and who knows, you may be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and end up doing something very special!

What about you – were you Left Out as a kid? What about now? Do you still get that Left Out Feeling, even when you know it’s unintentional? I’d love to hear from you! Let me know I’m not alone – or if I’m just too neurotic!

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.

ROW80: One Big Goal Down

by Jennette,

Three to go! It took awhile, and I ended up learning some new software, but that ended up being fun, and I got the holiday anthology formatted for both e-book and print, and the print proof on its way to me already. For my first two books, Word worked out just fine provided I proofed the whole book to make sure it wasn’t hyphenating words in stupid places (which it does). But this anthology was my first time using CreateSpace, which flagged a couple of graphics that Word had reduced quality of for file size – to a lower resolution than it should have. Therefore, I switched to Adobe InDesign, professional page layout software that my day job employer thoughtfully provided along with the web design components I regularly use. I’ve been mostly out of the graphic design field for fifteen years now, so I’d never used it. However, the overall functionality was much the same as what I used to use way back then, so it was more a matter of learning the specific commands of how to do a particular thing, like set up page headers that could be different for each story. And wow, did it do a much better job than Word!

Here’s my week’s progress in detail:

  • Format and upload Home for the Holidays anthology if all materials are received –  Done!
  • Physical activity 5x this week – Done!
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 1-3 – Done!
  • Get it Together exercises 13 & 14 – No
  • I got some more outlining done on my “just for me” project.

Here are my overall goals for this round:

  • Format and release OVRWA holiday story anthology – Done and soon to be released!
  • Revise Hangar 18 - revisions/markup started
  • Keep up with my exercise, five times a week. – ongoing
  • Finish the Get It Together exercises (description of that here) – completed sections 3 – 12
For this week, I’d like to:
  • Finish Home for the Holidays print book, and if proof received, correct if needed; otherwise OK it and make available for sale!
  • Physical activity 5x this week
  • Hangar 18 - review and markup Chapters 4-6
  • Get it Together exercises 13 & 14

If you’re participating in ROW80, how are you doing so far? If not, how are you doing with whatever goals you may have made?

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.