Interview with author Janna Yeshanova

Can you give me a top ten of movies you thought were the best thing since sliced bread? And the reason why.

Forrest Gump  - It’s my “coffee table” movie! :)  

Once Upon A Crime - Unexpected humor.When I saw it, I thought it was the one of the funniest movies of my life! :)

Argo  Real heroism portrayed in real life events. I tip my hat.

The Proposal    Smart, gorgeous, witty, diligent, my favorite Sandra Bullock! :)

Meet The Parents      My daughter deserves a prince! Is one of those existing at all?

Marriage Italian Style    Sophia Loren!  She is so gorgeous! She is so expressive!  She is so … Italian! Can’t forget this film!

The Tourist    I could not predict what happens next!  The actors are fabulous!

Erin Brockovich   Based on a true story!  Be bold!  Look forward!  Take a risk!  You will win in the end!

The Birdcage Touching!  Funny!  Sensitive!  Love wins in a clash of values!

Rain Man   Again: Love wins EVERYTHING! The movie is so funny!  So sad!  So happy! So kind! So profound!

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Thanks Janna! :o) I appreciate the time and the sharing....check her out folks!

Book Blast

I'm hosting a book blast for author Janna Yeshanova. Attached are the links for her book: 

Love is never past tense

Please give her work a look! Following is a link to the particulars.....

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/106jvxq3lr2juzh/cW0S4hsZlI/Buy%20Links%20LINPT.rtf

Fear not...

Life is full of occasions when we all feel...stressed. Whether it's a child's first steps, sky-diving or an unpleasant confrontation with a nemesis of epic proportion, fear is a natural and at times necessary response to our environment.
In the world of writing, the process itself is a collaboration of experiences. Frustration, elation, trepidation and yes...fear!
We toil over our keyboards, reworking and manipulating our characters and their worlds. We struggle to convey the proper balance of dialog, action and setting...breathing life into figments of our imagination with the ultimate goal of presenting them to the public. Our labor is a reflection of ourselves and as such a deeply personal and emotional attachment is developed.
Publishing is the ultimate goal of all writers. Period. Full stop. End of story. We want our works perused! No matter if you're a debut author or a veteran, there's always a certain amount of trepidation... even fear...of waiting for the feedback on your latest offering.
Human beings are eclectic. There's no way to please all of them at once! Such an impossibility is forgotten at times when the reviews start coming in. Inevitably there will those who simply don't like your work! They hate the style, the prose...too much backstory, not enough, to little character development or too much! Everyone's a critic...or are they? For every negative comment received, you'll likely receive positive feedback as well.
We tend to focus on the negative and we shouldn't...each type should be scrutinized carefully. Use both  to improve your work. No piece ever sold is universally accepted. Even the best sellers typically see up to 20% negative feedback! The key is to learn to not take such comments personally.
Difficult...indeed!
They feel personal! After months or even years of laboring on a project it's hard to remain objective but we must if we're to learn from and grow in the process. A thick skin is a necessary trait in the publishing world...persistence and a dogged determination are also prerequisites! Writing is hard...professional writing is even more difficult! 
Professionals use ever single tool and resource available to them...including those harsh reviews! Learn to take what is useful and pertinent and discard the rest. In the fast changing world of digital publishing the only constant is the one element that will never change. The reader!
Believe in your work and never stop improving your skill sets...fear not! 

Walk the Line

I've often reflected that our writing life mirrors our day to day experiences. Truth? Yes and no...While the characters and worlds we create are pulled from our imagination, much if not all of the way they relate with each other and their environment is based on our own experiences and desires.
The uniqueness of our craft is that we can enable responses in the way that we wish we could in reality!
An overbearing boss? No problem! Smack 'em, tell them off, plot their down fall or even their demise AND stay on the right side of the law!
As writers we can (and DO) inject our beliefs, values and world viewpoints onto our characters. Its part of what makes our work definitively our own. Our passion should be infused into our stories...BUT we walk a fine line from relating to ranting! My personal opinion is that the job of a storyteller is to enchant and entertain when writing fiction. Want to save the whales? AWESOME...but regardless of how vehemently you (or your character) believe in that cause, repetitious expounding on the topic will soon detract from even the best prose and plot.
We need to thread the needle...a story without a cause is doomed to dullness. The cause must be the underlining motivator and not the platform of the story itself. Use the cause but write about the effect! 
We are all driven by something...usually it's the humdrum of daily needs. Work, kids, grocery shopping...yawn...but on the occasions when life challenges us...rescuing a fallen comrade, rendering aid to a hurt child or intervening on behalf of another our focus becomes laser sharp. Intent merges with action usually without conscious effort and we marvel in the aftermath. How did I do that? 
That my friends should be our ultimate goal...like the great Johnny Cash said....Walk the line!

Pushing past it....

As writers we know how difficult it is to create....well... anything! If I had a dime for every time I heard the phrase "I'm writing a book too!" Sigh...I do believe there's a book inside everyone...but getting it from an idea to the page is WORK! I love writing but like most wordsmiths I'm not earning enough to live on it. That's the dream of course...and the challenge.
     I've found that there are days that there's nothing more daunting than the blank page. As a former soldier and police officer I used to think I was past intimidating...wrong! The blinking cursor on my laptop can frustrate and give me feelings of dread that I wouldn't have thought possible! I have learned however that as with most things in life that in order to persevere we must be dedicated and be persistent.
On the days (or weeks!) that I find myself struggling, I drag myself by the scruff of the neck and stick to my writing schedule...BUT wait a minute!
                                              The words won't come! 
Well...no good ones anyway! It doesn't matter...write drivel, peck out one letter at a time (unfortunately, I ALWAYS type that way!) keep hitting keys even if there's no story flowing! A waste of time? No. You're writing by God and by doing the WORK sooner or later the muse will come! Mine's a cigar chomping wise ass that grumbles and grunts, rarely putting in a constructive appearance but when he does speak...magic! Think of it this way....The great painters, athletes, and yes authors aren't ever really satisfied with their work. If they were, there would be little reason to do it again! The real reason to keep repeating any task is because deep in your heart you know...I can do better than that! 
     Am I saying you should jump from story to story? It depends....if you're "blocked" or stuck on one then it may be a viable option but beware...NOT FINISHING is one of the most common sins we writers make! Do a short story, an article or hey a BLOG...just write something! 
Writing is a joy...but don't ever make the mistake of thinking it's easy. If it was everyone would do it! As my old friend and mentor Yoda would say.
                            "Do or do not...there is no try!"
So....you still wanna be a writer? The up side is you get to create and destroy worlds of your very own design...the down side is everyone and their brother will critique the way you do it! You'll put in long hours for little or no pay and spend endless days in search of the elusive reader...who will peruse your work and go.
                              "Euhhh...it was alright."
Sigh....So where do I sign?

Back to our roots

When in a reflective mood we all sometime ponder the age old question...Who am I? What is my heritage? Is there something...more? As writers we get the unique opportunity to not only craft the backgrounds of our characters but the chance to explore the details of the events that shaped who they are now! 
Think about it....YOU decide the events and experiences that develop the psyche of your hero's and villains! The more depth and realism, the deeper you dig, the more you'll uncover...and the closer your protagonist (and antagonist) will be to feeling real! 
People are complex creatures...we all have light and dark...Yin and Yang. Even the most vile villain you can think of has to have some qualities, however slight, that allows them to at least understand their intended victims. The scariest monsters are those that can blend in and walk among us...unseen until they choose to strike!
In contrast, our hero's have to have fallibility's. A perfect protagonist that never makes a mistake is not only paper thick but boring! Layer your characters...maybe they excel at physical combat but they can't balance a checkbook...they plan and execute horrendous acts of violence but they love dogs. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!
As in our own lives, your creations need to evolve. Nature abhors a vacuum...all things and people change. We are shaped not only by our experiences but by our interpretation of them! Assemble a hundred people to view the same event and you'll get a wide and varying description of exactly what happened and more importantly, why.
Why is crucial...madness may not have a reason but it can have a purpose! By putting your characters in impossible and unfamiliar situations you'll be forced to think their way out...be spontaneous and non-linear...then ask yourself...would that really work? 
My advice? If you want to amp up your writing style, NEVER stop experiencing new things yourself! Push your own boundaries and comfort zones...life is meant to be lived and experienced first hand. New challenges and experiences will give you perspective and insights into varying points of view. The smallest things can trigger the light bulb...never changed your own oil? Give it a whirl! Go to the local VA (or pick an outreach) and volunteer for a day or two. I guarantee you'll meet some fascinating people with rich stories to tell! Look at your own heritage...was your great-great grandfather a frontiersman? A merchant marine? A WWI ace? We each have chapters in our lives....seasons that come and go as our interest change. What we mustn't lose is the passion we possessed during those times...the excitement of the new and wonderful. Keep that and your writing can't help but shine!

Sick.....AND tired!

We've all been ill at one time or another...colds, flu, allergies....You name it and most folks deal with it from time to time. Generally, I'm fortunate...I'm rarely sick more than a day or two and usually its just allergies or a head cold. Annoying...inconvenient for sure, but manageable.
This past few weeks I've had the karmic equivalent of a kick in the pants for my years of good fortune. A cold, followed by the flu and topped off with a sinus infection...Gawd. 
   Am I whining? No. Well, maybe a little...(honey say's A LOT!) Which prompted me to write about the differences between men and women when we're ill. When honey (my wonderful wife) is sick, she usually takes short naps and does task in micro burst. She only goes to the doctor as a last resort as she's a fitness/health fanatic. Her mood is dampened but rarely is she short tempered or out of sorts. A dainty little cough...."ahack...hack." A red, irritated nose...actually kindia cute.
ME on the other hand, after two days with the flu....
A waste basket full of crumpled tissue and an end table littered with prescription drugs and over the counter remedies are within arms reach of the couch, where I lay swaddled with blankets, the powerful aroma of Vick's permeating the air around me.
                "HACK---HACK----SWIIIIICHHHHKKKK----PATOOOO!"
Spitting and hacking disgusting globs of goo into the basket makes my honey cringe. Moaning, I plop back down, resuming my bear like slumber as honey mumbles.
                   "That's SO gross! You're making me nauseous!"
Harrumphing, I drag my blankey over my head, croaking.
                 "Will you rub some more Vick's on my chest?"
Rolling her eyes, (I can FEEL it!) honey sighs, replying.
                 "Yes, dear."
Uncovering my head as she reaches me, I say.
                 "And bring me some 7-up?"
Suppressing another eye roll, she reverse course to the kitchen for my drink. Handing me the glass, I sip before handing it back to her with a groan.
                 "Now the Vick's?"
Nodding, honey smears the axle grease-like concoction onto my chest. I ask her.
                 "Sing soft kitty to me?"
Scowling, honey replies.
                  "Absolutely not."
Giving her my best puppy dog look, I plead.
                  "But I'm sick!"
Smiling slightly and rubbing my head, honey answers.
                  "You are...and apparently deranged. Maybe we should check that fever again!"
College girls....To her credit, honey put up with my demands for a solid week ( I only missed two days of work) before threatening to bunk me with our dog. I grudgingly scaled back the sniveling after that...well...some anyway!
So are women tougher than men when it comes to being sick? I dunno. I think us guys just wanna be...pampered a bit more. What's wrong with that? :o) Besides, my traitorous dog snarled at me when I tried to crawl into his bed....Selfish animal!