Kathleen Kaska

A Voice That Resonates

/in , , , , , , /by

A Voice That Resonates

If asked to name writers with a distinct voice, I could rattle off a list: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Karen Blixen, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, Harper Lee, Stephen King, John Irving, Anne Rice. Defining “voice,” however, is far more elusive.

When I first started writing fiction, I went to a writers’ conference where the presenter described voice as the emotional connection between the writer and the reader. That idea stayed with me—and clarified something I had experienced but hadn’t named.

Early on, I focused on plot because I didn’t know how to build one. Voice barely registered until I picked up a novel by an unfamiliar author. It was his fourth book—and a bestseller. The characters carried me through more than four hundred pages. I immediately bought his earlier novels and struggled through them, finishing out of curiosity. The difference was unmistakable. In the fourth book, I could hear the characters’ voices. In the first three, I couldn’t. He hadn’t found it yet—or hadn’t learned how to sustain it. Since then, I’ve read everything he’s written. He’s now a favorite.

Voice isn’t plot, character, or setting—though it brings all three to life. It’s the writer’s way of seeing and presenting the world on the page.

Consider The Great Gatsby. From its opening lines, Nick Carraway speaks with an intimate, reflective ease, as if confiding across a café table. That conversational authority draws the reader in and keeps them engaged.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch views injustice through a child’s honest, questioning perspective. Her voice not only narrates the story— it amplifies its moral impact.

And in the novel  Rebecca the narrator—the second Mrs. de Winter—voice carries a quiet melancholy that settles over the entire novel, shaping how we experience Manderley before we fully see it.

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and a chain on the gate. I called in my dream to the lodge-keeper and had no answering and peering closer to the rusted spokes of the gate I saw that the lodge was uninhabited.

A strong plot, character, and setting are essential. But voice is what makes a story personal—what transforms pages into an experience. It’s the difference between a book we finish and one we remember. It’s the icing on the cake.

What are your favorite books with strong voices that speak to you?

https://kathleenkaska.com/

One-hit wonder

One-Hit Wonders

/in , , /by

Do you know there’s a list of one-hit wonders on Wikipedia? It’s true, there is, and those one-hit wonders are even broken down by decade. Back in May 2025, Jay Hartman, Editor-in-Chief, White City Press emailed me with an invitation to submit a short story for Lunatic Fringe, a sequel to their anthology (I Just) Died in Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired by One-Hit Wonders. The only criteria was the song had to come from the list, could not have been done before, and it had to actually inspire the story. It wouldn’t do just to have a character listen to the song or dance to it or some other easy way out.

Now, I’ve had stories in anthologies before (including five that I published under Superior Shores Press). In fact, I got my start as an author by being published in three anthologies in one year (2014). But invited? I’d never been “invited” before. I allowed myself ten minutes of feeling important before surveying the one-hit wonder list. And there it was:

One-hit wonders

Baby, It’s You by Smith

I was probably a bit too young to fully appreciate the angst in lead singer Gayle McCormick’s voice (though I’ve certainly been there and done that since), but I’ve loved that song since the first time I heard it, which would have been 1969, the year it was released. I wasn’t the only one. Baby, It’s You sold over one million copies between July and October 1969, out-charted popular versions by the Beatles and Shirelles, and was awarded a gold record.

Like many bands with or without one-hit wonders, Smith soon disbanded, and after a brief solo career, McCormick left the music business. A lifelong smoker, she died of metastatic lung cancer in 2016, at the age of 67.

My protagonist in the story is named (you guessed it) Gayle. And the man that broke her heart? None other than Mac McCormick, a wannabe writer and very much married man.

The opening paragraph of my story goes like this:

My Mama always said there’s a lid for every pot, it just took some folks longer than others to find their match. Even so, I’d just about given up hope of ever meeting my lid when Mac McCormick walked into my life.

And later…

I was sitting on my Mama’s porch, rocking back and forth in her white wicker recliner. It had been six months since that first day at the Sleep & Nap and with the exception of the bookstore and the coffee shop, Mac and I had never been anywhere else. It hadn’t mattered in the beginning, mostly because I’d been so sure that he was my lid. But now I wondered if maybe it was loose somehow, like my lid didn’t have a snug enough fit, like there was something else I needed to do. Because not going anywhere, well, it just didn’t feel right.

“Ah, Gayle honey,” my Mama said when I’d finished, her voice soft, the way it got when she was about to tell me something I didn’t want to hear. “Seems like you’ve found yourself a double boiler.”

I looked at her, confused.

“A married man, honey.”

Married?

That would never do.

If you’ve never heard the song …

or if you’d like a refresher, there’s a fabulous Youtube version.

And if you’re a fan of songs that have lived on long after you’ve forgotten the artist who recorded them, then Lunatic Fringe is the anthology for you! Enjoy contributions that mix the best of music and crime from Steve Liskow, Vicki Erwin, Kaye George, John M. Floyd, Linda Kay Hardie, Sandra Murphy, Karen Keeley, Teresa Inge, Michael Bracken, Mary Dutta, Nikki Knight, Judy Penz Sheluk (that’s me!) and Adam Meyer.

You can find  Lunatic Fringe at your favorite retailer or purchase directly from White City Press.

The past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of seven mystery novels, five anthologies, and two award-winning books on publishing, including Finding YOUR Path to Publication and Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.

 

Clicking Our Heels Featured Image

Clicking Our Heels – Some of Our Favorite Things

/in , /by

Clicking Our Heels

Some of Our Favorite Things

Welcome to 2026. This year, the gang wants to give you more insight into all of us. That’s why our theme each month will address something personal or share some of our favorite things. This month, the topic is what would surprise you, our readers, most about each of us.

T.K. Thorne: I am a short, grey-headed, sweet old lady, and I get a chuckle out of the typical disbelieving reaction when people learn I was a police captain.

Saralyn Richard: I’m super organized when it comes to my house, my closet, and my former work as a school administrator and consultant, but my writing desk and first drafts are rather chaotic. I can’t explain this dichotomy, except that creative work may involve the opposite side of my brain.

Kathleen Kaska: I’m a Yankees fan.

Judy Penz Sheluk: Probably that I listen to talk radio while I write. And that I can’t write if there’s music on in the background because I find it too distracting.

Lois Winston: I hate peanut butter! Can’t even stand the smell of it. It triggers my gag reflexes. When my kids were little, I had to hold my breath while making them PB&J sandwiches.

Bethany Maines: I think that most readers would be surprised by how instantly anxious I get when someone says those fearsome words “I read your book.” Because I never know what is going to come next.

Gay Yellen: Readers seem to love the passages in my books involving food. But I do not cook. I just like to eat, and so does my protagonist!

Mary Lee Ashford: I’m not sure readers would be surprised by much of anything because I share a lot of things about my crazy life and my loves with them. I guess I don’t talk much about what I did before retirement because boring… So I guess readers might be surprised to know I spent 30 plus years as a public servant, at first in Customer Service aka complaint central, then as a Management Analyst/Congressional Liaison, and then a Business Analyst, and finally as the Deputy Director of Information Technology.

Donalee Moulton: That depends, to a certain extent, on what book they’ve just read. If it’s Hung Out to Die, my first mystery novel, readers will be surprised to learn I do not drink coffee (at least with caffeine) and I do not like donairs. (I hope they would not be surprised to learn I am not a psychopath.) Readers of Bind and Melt might come to believe I have a penchant for PowerPoint presentations. I do not.

Debra H. Goldstein: That I’m shy.

The Games People Play & the Value of Improvisation: Part Two

/in , , , /by

Donnell Ann BellBy Donnell Ann Bell

Last month I wrote a blog called The Games People Play & the Value of Improvisation | The Stiletto Gang

My point in writing the blog was to explain how word games and improvisation can activate our brains. For writers, games and improvisation not only are fun, we can also use them as tools. Tools to inspire or to help us get unstuck. Further, working these puzzles often churn out writing nuggets worthy of a goldmine.

In last month’s blog I gave an improv example and invited others to play. This month, I’d like to post the participant contributions, and to put myself on the spot as well, I even gave it a whirl.

Special thanks to Marianne Shields one of the Stiletto Gang Readers who I think is a closet writer!!! Be sure to read her gem of an improv.

Here’s how my improvisation assignment works:

Assign five random words and the start of a sentence. (Words are from the Merriam-Webster Deluxe Dictionary. The start of a sentence is from a random book on my shelf.)

Instructions: Create a paragraph or two using the five random words. Participants were free to start with the fragmented sentence or use it further inside their narrative.

Finish this sentence:  Nothing explained the. . .

Five Random Words:

Damage

Firepit

Mirror

Plumbing

Stretch

~~

Participant: Brooke Terpening

Nothing explained the cracked Mirror in the Firepit or the Damage that Stretch(ed) from the broken Plumbing line.

 

Participant: Mary Lee Ashford

Looking in the mirror I surveyed the damage from the firepit. I stepped into the shower and prayed the plumbing was feeling cooperative and I’d be able to adjust the water temperature. It was a stretch to reach the faucet, and I winced. Nothing explained the cruelty.

 

Participant: Marianne Shields

Nothing explained the awful damage to the pearl beading on Margaret’s scarlet ball gown When she went for her final fitting a few days ago, it looked fabulous. She brought it home and carefully hung it on her closet doorframe beside her bedroom mirror. It was quite a stretch to get it up high enough to be out of the reach of Susie, her nosey little scotty. Looking out the bedroom window, she noticed Mack’s plumbing company van parked at the curb in front of the house. Her handyman was scheduled to connect a gas line to the patio firepit this morning.

Meantime the mystery of what or who had torn the lovely beading away from the bodice and skirt of the dress needed to be solved. As she retrieved the beads that were scattered on the floor, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a long green feather. Good grief, she thought, was Petie loose in the house again? A month ago, her parrot had somehow escaped from his cage and had been flying freely about the house. The brightness of her red dress no doubt attracted Petie and his natural curiosity. He could not resist the shiny beads.

 

Participant: Donnell Ann Bell

As an arson investigator I was often called in to confirm questionable fire scenes. But as I talked to the lead cop, I couldn’t sign off on his report just yet. True, the winds had been 40 miles an hour two nights ago. I simply found his theory that firepit sparks had ignited the blaze a stretch. Not that it couldn’t happen, (embers were a leading cause of forest fires) But nothing explained the considerable damage. A typical house fire didn’t melt the plumbing or reduce a three-bedroom house to the foundation. Still, I’d yet to discover any evidence of an accelerant or any other point of origin besides the pit.

Clad in my rubber boots and gloves I traipsed through the ash and rubble one last time, ready to accept defeat and add my signature to the report. That was, until my boot kicked up something solid. At the sight of an uncharred ladies’ compact, I froze. I also suspected I’d find the mirror inside undamaged as well.

It wasn’t a lucky guess. I’d found an identical compact at a scene I’d investigated the month before.

 

Thanks to the participants for playing improv with me. See you next month! 🙂

 

What Ever Happened to …?

/in , , , , , , /by

Whatever happened to the classmates in your old school yearbooks?

What happened to their dreams? And what happened to yours? Are all the memories tucked away in a box somewhere, or proudly displayed on your bookshelf? Have you looked at them lately and reminisced? Or were those years best left to be forgotten?

In my continued slog through what remains from my mother’s storage unit, I came across a boxful of her college yearbooks, plus one from her high school, and one from my father’s high school, too. Together, they weighed fifteen pounds, and were large enough to overwhelm my already over-burdened  bookshelves. So I wondered…

… What to do with these old books book now?

I pored over the pages of Mom’s books, looking for her familiar young face and checking out her class activities. Most of them were familiar to me: French club, a campus play or two, a modeling job, a social club, etc.

My Dad had saved only one annual from his small town high school. Seeing his teenage smile was a moment to savor.

But, hidden among the pages was something truly wonderful, something I had overlooked when I was hurriedly packing them up.

The dreams of a young man from a small town

I finally decided to call our city library to ask if they had any interest in old school yearbooks. Yes, they replied, but only if they didn’t already have them in their collection. So I took them there, and just as I was about to hand them over, I had a last minute urge to check them again.

And that’s when I found the clipping from an old newspaper.

You see, my father once told me that his first ambition in life was to become a pro baseball player.

He was a Dad who shared his love of the sport with this lucky little girl. He taught me the rules of the game, and how to throw and catch and bat. Took me to local community games, where he coached a local team. And he was among the first to buy season tickets when our town got a pro baseball franchise.

After he died, I remembered seeing an old newspaper clipping with the headline “Ace Yellen Does it Again.” I don’t know what happened to that article. I hope it shows up someday. But for now, I’m planning to frame the one I rescued from his yearbook that day as I was about to leave the books there.

In case you can’t read the fine print, the article reports that in this game, he’d pitched an 8-0 shutout and hit a home run. And a double, too. No wonder he loved baseball. Apparently, he was pretty darn good at it.

It’s funny what happens when you start to see your parents as young people, after they’re gone. As a writer, I’m suddenly getting an urge to merge parts of their stories into something I’d like to write. Who knows? Perhaps Ace Yellen will spring to life in one of them and hit a walk-off homer.

Have you looked through your old yearbooks lately? 

Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism.  She later served as the contributing editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “Notable.”

Her multi-award-winning Samantha Newman Mystery Series is packed with suspense and laced with touches of romance, heart, and humor. Available on Amazon or through your favorite bookseller. 

 

Do You Play Games?

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

In my ongoing effort to declutter, I’ve been taking books to the Family Garden in the park and filling the Little Library there. I’m always thrilled when the last batch I loaded has been taken, and I’m happy to fill it up again. 

But on occasion, there are a few oldies I just can’t part with, like my very yellowed paperback edition of Games People Play, by Eric Berne. I recently spotted it on a shelf behind two other rows of books. (Yes, my bookcases are overburdened, no matter how much I try to lighten the load.)

Mind Games

Berne’s New York Times bestseller was based on his theory of Transactional Analysis, a cultural psychology phenomenon he introduced in the early 60’s. I encountered the book years later when it was assigned reading for an acting class, and again just recently, among other text books from my early days as a theater nerd.

Inside its yellowed cover, I had dutifully underlined paragraphs of Berne’s theories with a red ink pen. Over the years, several pages became unglued. But they were all accounted for, and chock-full of the kind of mind games that define unhealthy interpersonal transactions (or, in non-psychobabble: toxic relationships).

There are 36 “games” identified in its chapters, spread among seven classifications. “Life Games” include Kick Me, Now I’ve Got You, You SOB, and See What You Made Me Do, among others. These are followed by “Marital Games,” “Party Games” (not the children’s party variety) and “Sexual Games,” followed by three more categories. You can see some of them listed on the book’s back cover.

As a treatise on psychotherapy, the point is to get patients to recognize harmful patterns of mind games that are present in their own lives, and eventually, to learn how to stop them, whether the patient is the player or the played-upon. In acting class, it was meant to help us decode the depths of a character’s motivation.

The book is way too technical to be anything but a slog. But on reflection, I realize that I’ve internalized much of its wisdom over the years. It definitely helps me create more fully rounded characters in my writing, especially for villains like E.B. Odom in The Body Business.

And in real life, thankfully, I’ve managed to avoid—or at least identify and remove myself from—most situations in which I might be feeling “played.”

Fun Games

Speaking of more pleasant games, my favorite is the one I play with my husband almost every day at lunch, when I take a break from writing. As I wind down the morning, he’s making a delicious chopped salad which we share over a backgammon table. We’re pretty evenly matched at this game, and the competition’s friendly. Afterward, I’m refreshed for the rest of the afternoon.

Any kind of healthy game can serve as an antidote to any toxic thought gremlins that invade our tranquility. Lots of people I know play Wordle or some variation of it to relieve stress. Group games like Bridge, Poker, and Mahjong are popular again, too.

It may be impossible to permanently shut the woes of the world away, but there’s no harm in trying to raise the fun quotient for a few moments of peace.

Of course, you could also lose the blues by reading a good book!

When you’re plagued by toxic mind games, what do you do to stay calm?

Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism.  She later served as the contributing editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “Notable.”

Her multi-award-winning Samantha Newman Mystery Series is full of suspense, with touches of romance, heart, and humor. Available on Amazon or through your favorite bookseller.

Rabbit Holes & Root Beer

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

Help! I’ve burrowed down another rabbit hole, and I’m stuck in a warren full of of too many possibilities. So deep am I into the research for my next book that I lost track of time. Which is to say, I almost forgot to write this post.

With no plan for what to post today, I turned to a holiday calendar for inspiration. Maybe this date in history would spark and idea. Boy, did it ever, though it sent me burrowing even deeper.

Turns out, today is National Black Cow Day. Curious as to why we should celebrate dark bovines, I clicked and learned that today’s Black Cow hoopla is all about a drink I’d always known as a root beer float—that delicious concoction of vanilla ice cream melting inside a tall, icy glass of root beer.

Okay, I thought, a fun subject, but not meaty enough to write about—until I read more, and discovered sassafras.

Sassafras is an incredibly fun word to say out loud. (Try it!)

It’s also the original ingredient in root beer, first marketed in America in the 19th century by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires. But that’s not what kept me deep inside that rabbit hole.

When I discovered how important sassafras was to native tribes across the eastern half of what became America, I had to read on.

Here’s why: Attentive readers of my Samantha Newman Mystery Series may recall a mention in Book 3, The Body in the News, of the discovery of a possible ancient Native American campsite on Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch. With the idea of that as a plot point in the next book, I’ve been researching indigenous people who may have once inhabited the region.

Cornell Botanic Gardens

Who were these people? What did they eat? What tools did they use? Were they peaceful, or warlike? What might they have left behind at the campsite? I’ve already done a ton of research based on those questions, with more to go. And, to that, I now add this question: Did sassafras trees grow on their land?

Today I learned that every part of the sassafras tree was used by Native Americans from the east coast to west of the Mississippi into Central Texas. Roots from which root beer flavoring is derived were used as toothbrushes. An emetic made from bark was used in purification after funeral ceremonies. Leaves, rubbed onto bee stings, wounds, cuts, sprained ankles, and bruises, were thought to have healing properties.

Ground Sassafras/Cornell Botanic Gardens

Timber from the sassafras tree was used in construction, furniture making, and—when explorers learned of its utility— shipbuilding. By the early 18th century, sassafras became the second-most exported American product, right behind tobacco.

I could tell you everything I’ve learned about sassafras and the possible tribes who may once have hunted on what’s now Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch in my books, but I’m running out of time to get this posted.

Also, I have to get back to my research.

bittersoutherner.com

But I’ll leave the foodies among you with one more sassafras fact: its leaves were also dried and pulverized for use as a thickening and flavoring agent. If you’ve ever had true Cajun gumbo, you’ve enjoyed the flavor of filé, made from ground roots or leaves of the sassafras tree.

All of which makes me hungry for some gumbo right now. Maybe I’ll chase it with a few frosty swigs of a root beer float.

Happy National Black Cow Day to you, and may your day be full of fun adventures, down rabbit holes or wherever you roam.

Gay Yellen is the author of the award-winning

Samantha Newman Mystery Series including:

The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News!

Writing Life and Inspiration: Strangers + “What if?” = Plots and Characters in Fiction

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

By Lois Winston

Whenever I hear a writer complain that she can’t come up with an idea for a plot or character, I offer this advice: “Get off your phone and keep your eyes and ears open.” No matter where I go—from the supermarket to a doctor’s appointment to the line at the DMV—I see people with their noses buried in their phones. I’m the outlier. As an author, part of my writing life is spent eavesdropping on conversations and observing the behaviors of those around me. That’s where I get much of my writing inspiration. For me, strangers + “what if?” = plots and characters in many of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.

Ideas for plots and characters are all around us if we just take the time to look and listen. Neighbors, friends, relatives, strangers, and the daily news provide constant sources of ideas for plots and characters. All you need to do is channel your inner snoop gene while pretending not to pay attention.

I’ve been privy to the most sensitive of conversations while sitting on a commuter train, in a department store dressing room, and even while doing the necessary in a mall ladies’ room stall. Sometimes, I’ve even heard both ends of the conversation, thanks to the person on the train or in the dressing room or lavatory having placed the call on speaker. Those lavatory experiences became the source of a scene in Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series.

The world is full of interesting and odd individuals, and I came across some of the oddest back in 1998 when my husband and I moved to a new house. These people and their strange habits have stuck with me over the years. With the encouragement of some of my readers to whom I told about these former neighbors, I incorporated them into my latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. To my knowledge, none of the real people were ever murdered or committed murder, but the traits I observed did make their way into Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth book in my series, currently up for preorder with a release date of February 2, 2025.

Seams Like the Perfect Crime

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 14

When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?

Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.

After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.

When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?

Craft projects included.

Preorder now. Available 2/4/25

P.S.: On Monday evening, January 27th at 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, and 4pm PT), I’ll be the guest of the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group, hosted by Heather Harrisson and Shawn Stevens. If you’d like to join in for a fun hour + of all things murder, mayhem, and cozy mysteries (there will be prizes and surprises!), join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty. 

Hope to see you there! 

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, and children’s chapter books. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.

Looking Back and Peering Forward

/in , , /by

by Paula Gail Benson

As I reach the end of this year, I take stock of the many changes that have taken place in my life. I’ve mourned the loss of family and friends. I thanked our Pastor for including an extra candle at our All Saints’ Day commemoration to recognize those who were not members of our congregation but who were remembered in our hearts.

I’ve experienced change in my work, in the lives of my family and friends, and in the organizations to which I belong. As things develop, they bring challenges. Just as we figure out how to cope, we often see the circle coming around so that something from the past returns to sustain us.

For me, that happened this year when I reconnected with former classmates at a high school reunion. A few of us stayed late and gathered on a porch away from the music and crowd, so we could spend time talking and catch up with each other. We found we were still the people we remembered ourselves to be, and that was very comforting.

I remain grateful, when confronted with future uncertainty, that I can still rely on the past to give me hope. I am grateful that even with losses, I can celebrate discoveries.

My high school friends and I have been able to get together since our reunion. We plan to continue to do so. I look forward to our remaining close and having many new adventures.

At this time for reflection, I hope your moments of rejoicing may outweigh those of sadness and regret. May you find yourself looking forward to happiness.

Wishing you all the best of holiday seasons.

The Magic of Editing

/in , , , /by

Source: Clker-Free-Vector Images/Pixabay

By Donnell Ann Bell

As a writer, I can attest that I stare at a computer monitor more than I ever stare at a mirror. So, it should be no surprise there are times I walk by one and am shocked at the creature staring back at me. The thoughts that come to mind? For god’s sake, woman, put some makeup on! Where did those wrinkles come from? What’s with that hair? For years, I wore my hair short because, frankly, a stylist I’m not. What’s more, many a baseball cap has come to my rescue during bad hair days.

When my husband and I moved to Las Cruces I noticed people of all ages wore their hair long. I mentioned it to my stylist who said, “Well, let’s grow yours and see what happens!” Uneasily, I agreed, and soon learned growing out layers is a process. At every appointment I’d suggest we cut it. Her response was always the same, “Not yet.” “I’m too old for long hair,” I’d insist. To which she’d argue, “Are not.”

These days there isn’t a baseball cap in my closet. Of course, I still have bad hair days but now my saving choices are banana and claw clips. (And let me tell you, those things are EASY and a side benefit of never having to fret in front of a mirror.)

In addition to not looking in mirrors, I’m terribly uncomfortable with selfies. Likewise, I haven’t had a professional author photo taken since 2010. After a recent hair appointment, when my stylist did my hair, and not me, I thought, wow, this might make a decent picture. Into my bathroom I went and came up with a possible pic—save that my glasses caught such a glare, no one could see my eyes.

I was ready to ditch the idea, when a possible solution came to me. My brilliant critique partner designs covers; she does amazing graphics as well. Maybe Lois could get rid of the glare. I sent her the photo and to my disappointment, she said, “I can’t,” then quickly added, “But my son can.”

“Never mind,” I said, mortified that anyone besides a trusted friend would look at my image. But Lois asked him anyway. Further, she added to my mortification telling me how busy he is and that it would be a week.”

A couple of days later, however, she texted me, including a GIF of Seinfeld’s Elaine doing a happy dance. Her text read, “Check your email, your picture is ready!”

“Oh my gosh,” I cried, then jokingly asked, “Do I look as good as Elaine?”

“You look better,” Lois said.

Yeah, right.  Nevertheless, I dashed to my computer and downloaded the picture that her son had edited for me and laughed out loud. I was still laughing when I called her and said, “Lois, this isn’t me.”

“It is,” she said, “Only better. He even got rid of the electric toothbrush in the background.”

Seriously? I took a selfie with my toothbrush in the background? Is it any wonder my face is perpetually red?

Want to see what he came up with?

Note: I must have been so horrified by the toothbrush pic, I deleted it before I decided to write this blog. So I found one of me having fun trying on glasses before an eye doc appt.  (FYI, I haven’t changed my glasses since 2010, either. :))

 

Before: 

 

 

                                                                                      After: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew Lois’s son was a talented artist who owned his own business. I had just never delved into how talented. When I pried further, Lois said, “Scott has a degree in animation. He specializes in post-production work for movies and TV. He worked for several companies in New York before starting his own when he moved to Tennessee in 2019. He’s worked on many major shows and movies and was nominated for one Emmy so far. You can find his CV on IMDb.

When I said, “He’s amazing,” she added, “I’m a proud mama.”

Well, I should say so!

It seems like cheating to use this as my author photo. Then again, we often edit things to make our projects better, right?!  I’m so grateful to Scott Winston for taking his valuable time to help what he captioned, “Mom’s friend.” I wish him amazing success and karma in life.

The fact is, I couldn’t use this photo without admitting how “doctored” it is. But trust me, I plan to use it. Lois was so generous to say, “It’s you, only better.” Know what I really think? That photo shows the magic and value of editing!

 

 

© Copyright - The Stiletto Gang