December 2015 archive

Paula Picked a Plighted Path of Parallel Plots

Several chapters into Paula Hawkins’ best seller The Girl on the Train, I note the thriller’s structure of three character point of view with parallel plots. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, by David Shafer, which I also read in the fall, follows the same three character parallel plot. Although the point of view and plot structure are …

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Hot Blacktop Ch. 6 – Test Ride – Part I

One week turned into two. Sienna had tried Saint’s patience, but he’d worn her down, with phone calls and small hand written notes that he’d had delivered with a single Gerber daisy every other day. The instant connection they’d made was something Saint couldn’t ignore. He didn’t want to seem too eager though, or…stalkerish. He …

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Story Starters Part 2

I quoted an unknown author last month who stated “Bad decisions make good stories.” To this I will add, good decisions also make compelling stories. A suddenly wealthy African American woman buys a town she discovered for sale on the internet. Henry Adams, Kansas, is one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves …

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Giving…Thanks…

On Thanksgiving morning, I rose early on a rainy and cold day for a 5k race. My daughter arranges the volunteering that she and I do for several years. We’ve run in road races, but during warmer seasons. Each year, we’re assigned a spot on the running route to give our water or point runners …

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