tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276601742012-01-30T20:51:23.454-05:00I write ~Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist~ plus mainstream short stories. Here in my blog, I ponder writing, the arts, and indie issues, with a few reviews and interviews added. Find my website for more info: www.LKHunsaker.comLK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.comBlogger2191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-68772295429236247122012-01-30T20:51:00.001-05:002012-01-30T20:51:23.461-05:00

After writing, music is my biggest passion. Or maybe they hold equal positions as my top passions. I pull music into my books often. If I see a novel title relating to music, I look at it to see if it’s something I have to read. I’ll read most genres of books. And I love most genres of music. I have exceptions. I don’t do horror or crime novels and I don’t do rap. I’m iffy about sci fi and I

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-36649812936135585762012-01-28T13:54:00.001-05:002012-01-28T14:01:24.248-05:00

I’ve been studying the publishing and marketing world for roughly ten years now, since before I put my first book out. One fairly recent phenomenon I’ve been watching closely is the number of authors giving their books away free. I don’t mean a few promo copies. I mean by the thousands from retail websites. A few years ago, I read of an author who became well known to readers by

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-21861110486199009892012-01-23T14:33:00.003-05:002012-01-23T14:55:04.822-05:00

I used to work for a major tax preparation company. Around this time, my viewpoint began to shift rapidly. Why? I saw more than I had before. I saw the basics of the money hierarchy and I heard (far too often) how people felt about it. For two of those tax seasons, I worked 6 days a week to average 70 hours (some days my shift was 8 am to 11pm), after I woke my young children and got

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-76631474813739458732012-01-21T23:50:00.001-05:002012-01-21T23:59:38.826-05:00

Over the past several years, I’ve done a ton of song research for my Rehearsal series. It starts in 1974 so I have to be careful not to use a song before its time, but also to make sure what I use fits the mood of the particular scene. I’ve been fortunate to have received a few great suggestions from loved ones. One of those was a song my aunt suggested that Susie, my young heroine,

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-84298150722897070322012-01-14T10:56:00.001-05:002012-01-14T10:56:38.918-05:00

Is anyone else a fan of those long flowing narrative passages from the classics, back when authors were allowed to love words for what they were, for the momentum they provided, for the images they conjured, before editors came along and said, “HALT!” I am. I like words. I often go to the dictionary, and I mean my print dictionary that sits beside my keyboard and strains my eyes with tiny

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-4732568241273852192012-01-08T19:44:00.004-05:002012-01-08T20:08:30.405-05:00

January 8, 1953: Elvis Aaron Presley is born “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.” This summer we went to Graceland. The part of Memphis you drive through to get there is rather unimpressive at best. It’s busy dirty rundown city. And then you come to Graceland in the midst of that, with its stone gate, guitar fence, and large stone house with white columns. You park across the street

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-83669772262162396272012-01-01T13:40:00.001-05:002012-01-01T13:40:53.348-05:00

“I begin to realise how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good, either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.” Roald Dahl, My

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-85543175138713438152011-12-05T21:50:00.008-05:002011-12-16T09:50:07.652-05:00

Last month’s blog theme was travel, in honor of the novel I started for Nanowrimo 2011. This month, my focus is on my 2010 Nanowrimo novel: Moondrops & Thistles. Moondrops has an interesting history behind it. Over 7 guest posts during the next 10 days, I’ll be talking with my hosts about that history, about the book, and a little about myself. At the end of the 10 days, I have a nice

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-49227237055187782692011-11-30T11:14:00.001-05:002011-11-30T11:23:56.613-05:00

For the last stop on our travel adventures this month, I’d like to take you to the last state we lived in before settling in Pennsylvania. While my Army husband was stationed in Washington D.C., we lived in northern Virginia, first on base and later a few miles south in a house of our own. Virginia is a well-rounded state. It’s technically southern, but you wouldn’t know that in the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-76459974812643541332011-11-29T14:49:00.001-05:002011-11-29T14:49:06.331-05:00

Today we have author Stephanie Burkhart with us to talk about her travels in Denmark, with a romantic story thrown in! Steph’s post is a nice transition into next month’s blog theme/events. More on that later. ~~ Loraine, thanks so much for having me on the blog today. When you put out the call for a travel blog, I had to jump at the chance. I joined the Army back in 1986 and some

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-12856219805249816322011-11-25T09:25:00.001-05:002011-11-25T09:25:37.681-05:00

I never, never go shopping on Black Friday. I don’t like to shop, except for books and art/office stuff, and I don’t like crowds. This makes today a stay-at-home day for me every year. I do sometimes buy online, though. Today the 20-40 degree days here in western PA have taken a pause and we’re expecting 60 and sunny! The perfect day to go plant the rest of my spring bulbs while I still can

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-60828901692751668402011-11-22T08:55:00.002-05:002011-11-22T08:59:22.206-05:00

Today we welcome author Elaine Cantrell who is here to tell us about her visit to Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. Thanks for being here, Elaine! ~~ Once upon a time on a very cold day a young father and mother put their two sons in the car for a drive to Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. They were on their way to look at some vacation property.  The children didn’t like to ride

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-8783815998001808602011-11-21T08:48:00.001-05:002011-11-21T08:48:56.548-05:00

Today we welcome Libby Serkies, budding novelist and non-fiction writer! Libby is from my hometown area of central Illinois and she’s here to talk about her visit to Idaho and Montana. Welcome, Libby! ~~ Years ago one of my older brothers was an over-the-road truck driver, and had spent a week driving through Montana. He spoke of the skies that went on forever and the breathtaking

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-52709135972354135802011-11-16T08:50:00.001-05:002011-11-16T09:26:20.445-05:00

Today we welcome Nessa Burns Reifsnyder, co-owner of Fabricate, a fabric and scrapbooking store in Bar Harbor, Maine. Her family history in Maine dates to the 1830s. Born and raised in NYC, Nessa moved to Maine in 1982 and has lived there ever since. Along with her duties at Fabricate, she’s a freelance writer, editor, and designer. Welcome, Nessa! As a resident of Vacationland (Maine

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-62292477118169996722011-11-15T09:18:00.001-05:002011-11-15T09:18:07.714-05:00

Today we welcome Mona Risk, romance author, to talk about her trip to the Seychelle Islands. Mona has done a tremendous amount of traveling and often uses places she’s visited in her books. Welcome! Loraine, thank you for hosting me on your blog. I want to share with your readers a most unusual trip to a far away country few have seen.  When my husband sold—on behalf of his

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-88920755997109274092011-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:002011-11-11T11:00:00.734-05:00

"No oppressed people will fight and endure as our fathers did without the promise of something better than a mere change of masters." Abraham Lincoln, January, 1861 I lived just outside Washington D.C. for several years during the end of my husband’s Army career. Never did I tire of getting close to the nation’s capital to find the Washington Monument rising above the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-46138765593935036302011-11-10T11:33:00.002-05:002011-11-10T12:10:32.240-05:00

Please welcome guest blogger Sarah Todd! Sarah lived in Turkey for a short time and as she and her husband love to travel, they grabbed the opportunity to visit some of the country’s beautiful places. I have followed her travel blogs for several years, as they are always well-written, informative, and intriguing. Today, Sarah shares with us her visit to Cappadochia. ~~ ~~

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-31236669809036198342011-11-04T09:46:00.001-05:002011-11-04T09:54:18.869-05:00

I’d love to welcome today’s guest travel blogger, Shawn Kirsten Maravel. Shawn is an author and a military spouse whose latest book, The Wanderer, is centered on an Iraq veteran and his life when he returns home. As most military spouses, Shawn has done plenty of traveling! Today she’s sharing with us a glimpse of several of Italy’s northern cities. ~~ ~~ Northern Italy is

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-78703580792953369532011-11-01T11:54:00.001-05:002011-11-01T11:54:34.367-05:00

At  Point State Park, the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio all come together to merge in the City of Bridges. Take Roberto Clemente Memorial Bridge north from the park and run into PNC Park, home of the Pirates, and Heinz Field, home of the Steelers. You can walk the bridge. It’s a gorgeous view and a short walk. On game day, it’s closed to vehicle traffic to allow for the flood of

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-72045611744873129792011-09-23T15:31:00.001-05:002011-09-23T15:34:10.234-05:00

Along the River walk along the back side of downtown Bennington, there are markers depicting the town’s past. One of these was as a rail station used for logging, marketing, and travel. The walk itself is short and quiet, with a lovely little seating area on one side. I couldn’t help think it would be a nice place to write on a beautiful Vermont day. Head down a block

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-35789262255993095412011-09-12T10:55:00.001-05:002011-09-12T11:13:02.708-05:00

One of my favorite novels is Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. It’s a gritty story full of flawed characters who continue on their journeys despite mistakes and struggles. Through it all, they are in it together. They don’t always like each others’ choices, but they accept it as part of who they are and realize their friends do the same for them. At least today that’s what I’m pulling from the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-44430206832660636342011-09-01T11:11:00.001-05:002011-09-01T11:11:43.977-05:00

Summer 2011 has been packed full of travel! We love to see new places and experience new things, and this year, we indulged. During September, I’ll be highlighting some of it, although not in order. I’m starting with a place I’ve wanted to visit for at least 3 years, ever since I decided to set Off The Moon partly in Bennington, VT. Why? It worked for the story, it’s in the northeast (

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-51808909321220066822011-08-31T10:56:00.001-05:002011-08-31T11:16:26.951-05:00

Moondrops & Thistles is out already. That is, the full version is out (and getting nice reviews!). I’m still working on the shorter & spicier version (and got an A+ rating on my first actual “love scene” from a fellow author who does tasteful, romantic love scenes). Of course, a different version requires a different cover. So when I happened upon this blog cover contest today, I couldn’t help

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-34434623719030455352011-07-05T16:47:00.000-05:002011-07-05T16:47:18.970-05:00

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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-13379356447221919182011-06-03T10:53:00.001-05:002011-06-03T10:59:30.646-05:00

It’s graduation season! Some of you and yours have hit that special day. Others will do so any day. Endings that lead to new beginnings are fully in our thoughts these days. Commencement speeches will honor those who have done well with their achievements and encourage all to continue to achieve, or to change course and start to achieve on new paths. The valedictorian and

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-59674501900446913342011-05-29T09:58:00.001-05:002011-05-29T10:02:44.763-05:00

“If you get to read this, I will have died in defense of my country and all that it stands for—the most honorable and distinguished death a man can die. It was not because I was willing to die for my country, however—I wanted to live for it—just as any other person wants to do. It is foolish and foolhardy to want to die for one’s country, but to live for it is something else. To live

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-11501713463395049082011-05-08T10:12:00.001-05:002011-05-08T10:12:47.757-05:00

It’s fully appropriate that Mother’s Day should be in May, when life is regenerating, spring flowers and flowering shrubs are announcing what they are or what they will become, and warmth creeps in. Yesterday I noticed the Hummingbirds have returned. A pair of them checked out a bright red tulip and fluttered away together. A vivid black and orange Oriole visited the feeder outside the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-15495628295022053652011-05-01T15:34:00.001-05:002011-05-01T15:34:23.796-05:00

This May Day I reclaim my spirit with music (David Garrett’s gorgeous violin) with birds singing outside my open window with a day of rest after physically tiring, mentally healing days of working in the gardens with writing having recaptured the spirit of the writing itself

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-11476573485063780032011-04-25T12:11:00.002-05:002011-04-25T12:13:51.879-05:00

“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.” Ronald Reagan Optimists are those who take the credit for things that go right and blame external forces for things that don’t. Pessimists blame themselves for what goes wrong and credit external forces for things that go right. Both are necessary to an

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-8638995203959252612011-04-08T10:00:00.001-05:002011-04-08T10:15:44.818-05:00

It happened again. I was introduced to someone writing his first novel the other day as an author. He asked if I had books out. I answered that I have 5 novels and a children’s book available. He appeared duly impressed until he asked how I got into the industry, since what he found looks daunting. I told him I publish myself. At that, he gives me that “Oh. Never mind, then.”

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-64645633971534884112011-03-30T11:59:00.002-05:002011-03-30T12:08:25.891-05:00

Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime. (not this one – but it’s one of my favorites) Think about that one a moment. His paintings now go for millions of dollars each and yet, he got nothing for them, other than the love of the art. Does that make him crazy? Well, he was indeed mentally ill. Just which affliction he had has been debated and cannot be proved. Still, along

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-10383101037244403112011-03-17T11:11:00.001-05:002011-03-17T11:11:32.825-05:00

Maeve Binchy calls it “A giant, sprawling, easy-to-read story told in James Michener fashion.” I’ve yet to read Michener (*blush*) but if he fills his books with as much history as Rutherfurd, I look forward to doing so. I’m enamored of Ireland. Maybe it’s my more-than-a-quarter Irish blood. But I like to think it’s because of the spirit of the Irish: hardy, humorous,

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-53901332597426019262011-03-05T11:38:00.001-05:002011-03-05T11:38:27.702-05:00

I didn’t intend to continue the grammar lesson, but my daughter reminded me last night of something else that drives me crazy:  Double Superlatives and Double Negatives. No, you don’t have the most prettiest flowers in the garden. You have the most pretty flowers or the prettiest flowers (and prettiest is preferred to most pretty). Most prettiest is a double superlative. On the same token, if

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-61003264486149140422011-03-04T17:41:00.001-05:002011-03-04T17:43:56.009-05:00

In honor of National Grammar Day (yes, there is such a thing!), I can’t resist posting a bunch of grammar rule breakages that drive us grammar nerds totally bonkers. Some are my own. Others came from either Writer Beware’s Facebook page (Mar 4, 2011) or from Writing.com’s For Authors newsletter (Feb 23, 2011). Since I torture my nearest and dearest often enough by correcting grammar, I thought

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-59289196656058275402011-02-14T11:56:00.001-05:002011-02-14T12:05:17.589-05:00

Okay, so I forgot to tell my husband Happy Valentine’s Day this morning. Guess I’ll remember tonight. To be fair, he didn’t remember, either. Does that mean the passion in our marriage has faded? No. I don’t think it has, other than that natural tendency for a couple’s dating and newlywed time to be spark-filled before it settles into something more comfortable, more real. The sparks time

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-29494675720318467532011-01-12T12:54:00.001-05:002011-01-12T12:54:33.445-05:00

Pretty, isn’t it? Any guess as to what it is? Could be lots of things. That’s the thing about shades of gray: it can be awfully hard to clarify just what “is” without adding more definition of some sort. Ever hear the song “In Color” by Jamey Johnson? I’ve heard it a couple of times in the morning when my radio alarm is trying to gently coerce me out of bed. The gist: a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-22063963670141583772011-01-06T10:50:00.002-05:002011-01-06T10:54:18.704-05:00

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”Henry FordBelieve in coincidences? Or is there a reason for everything that seems to be a coincidence?I’m not sure which I believe. I do think a lot of things happen for a reason, yes. There are things we need to learn and struggles are often the only way we can learn them. But when

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-5545347558228014332010-12-29T19:31:00.001-05:002010-12-29T19:31:54.934-05:00

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words." Plautus Sweet words are always lovely to hear, such as when an author receives a glowing review for her latest work. We all want to hear what we’re doing right. Child-rearing experts will tell to to be sure to let your kids know when they’re doing good things, along with whatever

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-31365542352246506602010-12-21T19:59:00.003-05:002010-12-21T20:10:25.749-05:00

Have you noticed the writing prompts above? I love prompts, although I have novel ideas coming out my ears and not enough time to write them all, I still love to grab a prompt now and then and write a quick story for it. A wonderful exercise, it stirs the creative pathways and puffs out the dust and adds new dimensions, things you may not ever have written otherwise.Today I decided to issue a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-67323035521850414102010-12-04T14:47:00.001-05:002010-12-04T14:47:29.271-05:00

Thank you again to all of my Nano guests this year! They all hit their 50K goals through all of the struggles and external trials and schedules: an incredible triumph. Writers don’t live in enclosed little writing shacks where everything gets done by others and all we have on our minds is our story. Many of us like to dream of such a thing, but the truth is, we almost always have to

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-30271294443744325102010-12-01T10:34:00.003-05:002010-12-01T10:38:31.304-05:00

Nicole Zoltack is the author of Woman of Glory and Knight of Honor. We met through CRR since we both write classic (non-erotic) romance. Welcome Nicole!~~~ ~~~NaNo. How I love NaNoWriMo, much to my hubby’s chagrin. He always groans and mutters under his breath every year when November comes along.My first time doing Nano was in 2004. I was in college, and my one sister had mentioned it to me. I

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-13680346934396329432010-11-30T10:16:00.002-05:002010-11-30T10:26:24.571-05:00

Welcome to Stephanie Burkhart! Steph’s here to talk both about Nanowrimo and her Christmas release. ~~~ ~~~ I'd like to thank Loraine for having me on her blog today. Loraine's artistic spirit inspires and motivates me and I'm delighted to visit. Just a little about me: I was born and raised in Manchester, NH. When I was 18, this New England Patriot fan joined the US Army for a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-44646766765088610012010-11-29T10:23:00.003-05:002010-11-29T10:32:25.625-05:00

Welcome to Ami Hawkins, my youngest Nanowrimo guest this year! Ami is also the writer and performer of the beautiful acoustic guitar music in my Rehearsal trailer.~~~NaNoWriMo = Total CrazinessThe two things people ask me when I tell them that I’m trying to write a novel are ‘What is NaNoWriMo?’ and ‘Are you freaking crazy?’. Crazy? Maybe a little. I thought I was crazy the first time I tried it

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-85585775070844083112010-11-26T17:08:00.002-05:002010-11-26T17:11:35.214-05:00

Welcome to A.L. Marquardt, author of A Reason For Hope, as my next guest blogger, here to talk about her experiences with Nanowrimo!~~~A few weeks ago Loraine kindly asked me to write a guest post on her blog about Nanowrimo. Honestly, I've been so busy writing and thinking about my novel I've been having a difficult time coming up with something to write about Nanowrimo that was somewhat

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-31696328824096550032010-11-22T10:13:00.002-05:002010-11-22T10:17:58.971-05:00

Welcome to Ann Arbaugh, my third guest here to talk about her Nanowrimo experience! Ann is a first year Wrimo.Welcome Ann!~~~ ~~~ ~~~Several years ago, a friend told me about NaNoWriMo. I wasn’t ready for the challenge. I almost joined last year. There was a story that kept resurfacing in my consciousness. Again, I didn’t feel I was ready to work on a novel. Never mind that I already had a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-16329785355969744492010-11-20T09:19:00.004-05:002010-11-20T09:41:06.396-05:00

Please welcome Kara Hartz, today’s featured Nanowrimo participant!Kara is one of the newer Nano writers who hasn't always been so enamored of the task. This goes out to those of you who wonder why...Welcome, Kara!~~ ~~ ~~I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo every year since 2007, and every year I’m never really sure why I’m doing it. I tell myself that I’m a short story writer, not a novelist. In 2009,

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-78585516184766317272010-11-15T23:41:00.001-05:002010-11-16T12:32:34.275-05:00

This month I’ll be hosting several Nanowrimo participants as they chat about their experiences, struggles, elations, and stories. Today’s guest is Cheri Nordstrom, an ML (municipal liaison) in Illinois. MLs help organize writing events and do what they can to motivate others to push for their goals. Welcome Cheri! ~~~ How Not To Melt In 2003 I learned

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-23795814812080656122010-11-11T11:58:00.001-05:002010-11-11T11:58:07.189-05:00

Last November, I started my Nano novel with only a bare idea of what I would write. I wanted to do a home front novel, old-fashioned, sweet, simple. A couple of days before Nanowrimo was to start, I came up with two characters, Abraham and Maura, and thought about them a bit as I went through my daily activities. I decided Abraham would volunteer for war duty and I’d start the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-27637999019914245132010-11-09T17:40:00.001-05:002010-11-09T17:40:39.467-05:00

“Maybe you should skip Nano this year.” That was some advice from a friend last month, and probably very good advice, considering I have 4 novels deeply in progress and finding time for them is already an issue. However, I’m  a Nano addict. I confess. Nano, being Nanowrimo – National Novel Writing Month – is the quest to write

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-1154301363032978042010-11-01T12:41:00.001-05:002010-11-01T12:41:49.996-05:00

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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-60583761709056630992010-10-31T11:52:00.001-05:002010-10-31T12:09:20.555-05:00

Book Review 10: Pumpkinnapper by Linda Banche How could I not review this one on Halloween? I’ve known Linda for some time and I tend to forget she’s actually from the US. Why? She writes Regency romance and she does it well enough I forget she’s not British. Pumpkinnapper is the tale of Emily, a young widow who has one of the few full pumpkin patches in a time of a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-57528463550573004882010-10-30T19:36:00.001-05:002010-10-30T19:36:32.657-05:00

Book Review 9: The Gravedigger’s Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates I’m in complete awe of Joyce Carol Oates. She’s incredibly prolific with  35 novels to her name (as of 2007), and they aren’t quick, short novels. They are, from what I know so far, deep, thorough, and vast. And the actual writing is to be admired and aspired to. The Gravedigger’s Daughter follows Rebecca, a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-8827265017392786682010-10-29T20:32:00.001-05:002010-10-29T20:32:56.845-05:00

Book Review 8: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey It’s a wonderful thing when a reader enjoys a book so much he has to recommend it to anyone who might possibly enjoy it. This is how I came to read Dragonflight, the first story of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series. I don’t tend to read sci fi or fantasy. This is mainly because my head settles around reality much more

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-44501587756588601552010-10-23T11:25:00.001-05:002010-10-23T11:32:50.092-05:00

(The last three of ten reviews will come next week. For today, I want to get a bit more personal. Don’t worry, I never get too personal online!) It’s hard for someone who understands something so easily to understand why others don’t understand the same thing at all. Get that? The art of communication isn’t only in learning the language; it’s also in learning to recognize what

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-6249190361028714132010-10-20T11:17:00.001-05:002010-10-20T11:17:06.128-05:00

Book Review: Rainwater by Sandra Brown I grabbed this book as one of many during a $1 clearance sale binge at one of my favorite bookstores. I’d never read Sandra Brown, and I don’t tend to read thrillers/suspense, but the cover and description didn’t look like either. At $1, there was no risk in giving it a try. The acknowledgments at the beginning of the book note that this

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-15403777157319351202010-10-19T13:06:00.001-05:002010-10-19T13:06:46.521-05:00

Book Review 6: A Perfect Place to Pray by I.L. Goodwin Mae Spencer is married to a revered homicide detective who has been beating her for years. Finally, an incident with their child convinces Mae to leave and hide from him. I picked this one up as our library’s book club read a few months back. Goodwin does a nice job with atmosphere and pulling the reader in to the scene.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-68914709252791817452010-10-15T12:25:00.001-05:002010-10-15T12:25:44.459-05:00

Book Review 5: Lake News by Barbara Delinsky Lily Blake is a nightclub singer and music teacher at a private school. When her friendship with a priest who becomes a Cardinal gets picked up by a shady reporter with a vendetta and reported as an affair, she is suddenly swamped by the press and loses both jobs. She flees from NY to her little hometown of Lake Henry, Vermont. In an ironic

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-40310573072640349362010-10-14T11:36:00.001-05:002010-10-14T11:36:19.667-05:00

Book Review #4: Cozumel Karma by Lainey Bancroft Maggie O’Shea is stuck. She has a distant, rarely sober mother, and a needy do-nothing sister who both rely on her. And she’s part owner of a small bar that has become her home. When it all makes her too gloomy to be around, her best friend and business partner buys her a ticket for a singles cruise. She balks, but she goes. And then she

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-18745157815415593702010-10-12T11:26:00.001-05:002010-10-12T11:26:03.887-05:00

Book Review #3: Ireland by Frank Delaney Ireland depicts a traveling storyteller and the young man who becomes engrossed in the man and his stories. Along the way, we are treated to Ireland’s history, both fact and legend, and its mystical mythology. I love historicals in general, but this one is right up at the top of my LOVE-this-book list. Frank Delaney was born in

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-74222895333728376322010-10-11T10:42:00.000-05:002010-10-11T10:42:00.307-05:00

Book Review #2: Surfacing by Cate Masters When AJ Dillon, lead singer of an indie band, gets kicked out of the house, he shuffles off to Florida to stay with his grandfather he hardly knows. The one thing he does know: his grandfather is obsessed with mermaids. While working at a small resort show featuring costumed mermaids, a job his grandfather sets up for him, AJ splashes into

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-46516671674808746362010-10-10T10:08:00.001-05:002010-10-10T10:08:01.790-05:00

In honor of it being 10/10/2010, I thought I’d catch up on my reviewing for books I’ve read recently and haven’t talked about yet. To make it more interesting, I’ll add a brief CD review to each post and a brief movie review, all from what I’ve bought or watched this year. They’ll be completely unrelated to the books, or to each other, and in several different genres, so hang on: it’s a potpourri

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-15038499605480674202010-10-04T15:11:00.000-05:002010-10-04T15:11:35.176-05:00

Excerpt:Pausing at the trellis, she fingered a morning glory and dropped the parasol back to allow the dense blue-spotted vine to provide her shade. Its soft silky petal felt much like an infant’s cheek. Delicate and yet hardy. Calming and nurturing even as it needed to be nurtured. Her mother said, when they had last sat on the front porch together, how the morning glories reminded her of Maura.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-76318887576524540832010-09-24T10:45:00.001-05:002010-09-24T10:45:03.502-05:00

First, I have to yell a big CONGRATULATIONS to a fellow author and long-time close friend, Andra Marquardt, who just won the Speculative fiction category of the Genesis Award at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference! I know how much she struggles to get her work “just right” and not just done, how much she studies the craft, how much she has to say within her work that’s worth

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-72896449866309170742010-09-23T11:31:00.000-05:002010-09-23T12:16:08.521-05:00

(scroll down to catch pt 1) Continuing into Pennsylvania on 62 South, we came to Warren. The courthouse in the photo is only one of the magnificent buildings we saw as we cruised through the main part of town and then headed east toward the Allegheny National Recreation Area. Our only stop there was at Kinzua dam. I again couldn’t help thinking I’d like to grab a notebook and sit

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-46317395948212710432010-09-22T12:58:00.001-05:002010-09-22T13:12:51.200-05:00

There’s nothing like a cool, crisp morning that turns into a sunny warm day for a day-long ride on the back of a Harley. You see more from a bike than from a car or truck. You see not only the road beneath, but the sides of the road and the birds overhead. You feel the change of the air as it shifts from pavement-reflected warmth along the interstate to cooler and fresher along little

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-50135660966142590422010-09-08T16:20:00.001-05:002010-09-08T16:20:02.458-05:00

Okay, how many of you Google yourselves? Admit it. Hands up and wave big. My hand is waving big. I guess I better since I not only Google myself, but also my book titles. Every day I get a few alerts that “match” my alert phrase. This can actually be fairly fascinating if you take the time to look at them other than to see they have absolutely no relevance to you at all. (Well, now and then

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-50001567482267468872010-08-24T20:18:00.000-05:002010-08-24T20:18:40.585-05:00

There's a full moon tonight! How about celebrating with the Ebook version of OFF THE MOON, with a $2.00 coupon, good at Smashwords.com: Use Code YF84K at checkout (good only at Smashwords through Dec 31, 2010)Trailer features original music by Ben PullerMoon photo courtesy Ines of www.inescreations.comEnd lyrics courtesy Vicki Blankenship at www.spottedkivaproductions.com

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-77494180463365111392010-08-14T10:39:00.001-05:002010-08-14T10:39:06.326-05:00

I know those are song lyrics, but I couldn’t tell you the song or who sang it. Can someone fill in the blanks without looking it up? School is starting again. We have a couple of weeks or so to go since we start later than most, and later than before. When we moved here at the start of my son’s Freshman year,  he started several days late because we didn’t get here until the end of August

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-34586180481940197472010-07-25T16:33:00.001-05:002010-07-25T16:33:30.408-05:00

Last weekend, I took part in our local Victorian Festival weekend. Even as an inhibited marketer, fairs and festivals are a great way to get out there and meet readers. If there’s a group of you, that’s better yet. I lucked out. Our Chamber of Commerce representative is very author supportive, and there are quite a few of us in the area, of different genres. She sent info out and a couple of

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-73749227882046988282010-07-13T15:42:00.001-05:002010-07-13T21:55:14.197-05:00

A Basket is up for grabs at the Mercer PA newly renovated library! Actually, 6 baskets with 6 different themes are up for raffle, donated by library patrons. The one I took in is shown above: a bit of romance by CRR authors. As a Friend of the Library, I received the call for themed basket donations in the newsletter and decided to go for romance and reading! I

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-45729424067865099192010-07-10T12:04:00.001-05:002010-07-10T12:04:43.574-05:00

A friend on a writing list the other day let me know I was the #22 most viewed author on Smashwords.com (Thanks, Celia!)  It took me by complete surprise. Many authors, and I congratulate them for doing this, will regularly track sales and list numbers in many different places. I don’t. Honestly, I can’t imagine being organized enough to keep up with it. I’m not sure I’d even ever

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-21441834383842640762010-06-19T08:59:00.001-05:002010-06-19T08:59:45.190-05:00

Fred Dawson yanked his face from the onslaught of cold water thrown by a passing car, but otherwise, he didn’t bother to acknowledge it. After what he’d been through the past few months, icy dirty water gushing over him was almost laughable. Except he’d yet found a good reason, or even the tiniest excuse, to laugh since he’d been home. Home. He supposed it was home. It was at least as

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-78027109837274732542010-06-18T14:02:00.001-05:002010-06-18T14:02:45.377-05:00

I’ve come to think much of marketing is nothing but luck … a gamble that may or may not work, but then, you know you won’t win if you don’t play. Odds are something will work if you keep playing and adapting to the game. Right? As I mentioned yesterday, my early attempts seemed pointless so adaptation became necessary. I wanted to know what worked for others, what prompted readers to spend

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-10288037918318019452010-06-17T10:58:00.001-05:002010-06-17T10:58:39.816-05:00

This frustrated little guy is how most of us writers feel about marketing. UGH! Just the word “marketing” is likely to lead us to the nearest, hardest wall. I’ve been trying to learn how to market since 2003. In truth, I mainly ignored that part of the process for some time after my first book came out. A not exaggerated fact about me: I’m social phobic, and have been for many, many

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-78673855906768240812010-06-11T10:51:00.001-05:002010-06-11T10:51:56.136-05:00

Sometimes you have to go back to the basics and start at the beginning. Yesterday, still stuck on my WIP (work in progress), I walked away from the computer, grabbed pencil, binder, and loose leaf paper, and went to work on my front porch. I was distracted with perusing nature for some time, and by a little hummingbird that kept buzzing back and forth between the nearest tree and my porch

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-70039038580532673302010-06-07T12:30:00.001-05:002010-06-07T12:30:40.217-05:00

I have a dearly departed friend, also my first editor, who wrote a book called “The Real Shakespeare” several years ago. She joined a large debate of those who believe the man named William Shakespeare did not actually write all of those gorgeous plays. I give all respect to Marilyn Savage Gray for her views and incredible research for the book. Maybe she’s right. And maybe those who say it was

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-53562355405478522062010-06-04T16:50:00.001-05:002010-06-04T18:41:51.762-05:00

Abraham slung his backpack over his shoulders and headed down the dusty road toward town. His father asked to take him. Begged, nearly. But Abe didn’t want his goodbye, which could be his final goodbye, to be at the train depot. He wanted it at home, on their farm, where by all rights he should have been helping with chores. His father would manage without him. He had always managed.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-38856962592647874202010-05-22T17:48:00.001-05:002010-05-22T17:48:23.079-05:00

How many of you used to sit beside your record player and repeatedly lift the needle to set it back to just the right spot in order to hear that first or second or third verse again? It was the easiest way to learn a song’s lyrics, wasn’t it? When you repeat one verse at a time without the rest of it distracting you, it’s quite simple to memorize one song after another. I can’t even imagine how

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-80896934906204710062010-05-13T11:41:00.001-05:002010-05-13T11:41:59.009-05:00

Thanks to Lindsay Townsend for this award and game!  Find her contest using the award at Lindsay’s Romantics. The Game: Below I’ve listed 7 statements. One is about me. The other 6 are about one of my characters. Anyone who emails loraine @ lkhunsaker.com (no spaces) to say which one is actually me, with a mailing address included and permission to add you to my

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-91668627391494541932010-05-09T10:34:00.001-05:002010-05-09T10:34:42.409-05:00

I watched the first part of Father of the Bride again last night. I had to laugh at his realization that his daughter was the age his wife had been when they married. He couldn’t imagine she had been so young. I’ve had that thought often, as next month, my daughter will be the age I was when I got married. I kept thinking how hard that had to be for my mom, as it was much the same

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-44550271768291633312010-05-05T11:32:00.001-05:002010-05-05T11:32:05.981-05:00

I first found Simon Steadman when I learned one of my favorite musicians of the past 30-some years had helped to produce an album for a band called Steadman. I had to go give the group a listen, which was easy enough, since they have a very open share policy and plenty of free downloads. I was hooked. Despite the free music offers, or because of them, I had to buy their CDs.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-29609706668920286042010-04-14T21:03:00.001-05:002010-04-14T21:13:44.146-05:00

As the sparrows in the loving arms of shelter you huddle                trust Canons fire at the borders of your home      and yet                you don’t flinch   for you know the sound; it soothes you,           rocks you to sleep, to dream of fields far away and nearby, where your protector                      slaves in love, for his country, his homeland     and yours.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-11992956008802081302010-04-11T09:02:00.001-05:002010-04-11T09:02:54.464-05:00

Back in February, Linda Banche named me as one of her "Happy” recipients. The timing was odd, as February was an atrocious month and although I meant to get it posted right away, it didn’t happen. Better late than never. So: The award asks that you list 10 things you’re happy about and then award it to other bloggers. My 10 Happy Things:

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-34486328050801583342010-04-07T11:08:00.001-05:002010-04-07T11:16:17.923-05:00

   I saw someone online the other day say they aren't watching this season because it's "a cast full of losers." First, I resent anyone calling someone else a loser unless it's like .. a rapist or murderer or a bottom feeder or the like. Although there is one celeb this year I'm very anxious to see leave, and have plenty of agreement on that, I still wouldn't use that term. Nasty, yes.

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-669200850219960562010-04-04T20:53:00.001-05:002010-04-04T20:53:36.607-05:00

The other day I rented Amazing Grace. Have you heard of the movie? I dare say many haven’t. From 2006, with director Michael Apted and a score of actors without big industry names (excepting Albert Finney), the movie seems to be getting lost in the shuffle somewhere. That’s a shame. I sat down to

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-57527077173046092552010-03-16T23:32:00.002-05:002010-03-17T08:18:41.329-05:00

In the summer of 2008, my husband and I took a trip to Scotland, Ireland, & England. Though quite a whirlwind, we brought much of it away with us.On St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d share pieces of it, using a few of the many, many photos I took along the way.If you move your cursor over top of the photos, it will tell you what each one is.[Photos are copyright-protected. Do not use without

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-28418292404022292032010-03-14T19:02:00.001-05:002010-03-14T19:02:32.569-05:00

Still Alice Lisa Genova Pocket Books 2009 www.StillAlice.com I picked up Still Alice because it was my library's book club selection this month. I'd never heard of Lisa Genova, but by the time I finished the novel, I was glad to know she's working on another. Alice is a 50 year old psychology professor at Harvard who has co-authored a text book with her husband, a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-10866211884078937812010-03-10T13:56:00.001-05:002010-03-10T13:56:04.449-05:00

Art is a way of seeing. That’s far from a new thought, but yesterday I posted a few photos of a local park in the blog I set up for my county to show the area in all its glory. I posted the link in my Facebook and received a comment about my “artistic eye.” That’s what art is all about: seeing things in a different viewpoint, looking more deeply and at different angles to find details. I’m

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-30791511262762625632010-03-06T14:42:00.001-05:002010-03-06T14:42:42.028-05:00

I’ve been asked often by other writers how I got started with publishing my books. Fair question. The publishing business is a complicated one, with many paths and many branches stemming from each of those paths. Now that Blogger has the option to add tabs to blogs, I thought I’d take advantage and use it to gather some of my thoughts and experiences with publishing. The main focus will be on

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-44627695225137678702010-02-20T10:09:00.001-05:002010-02-20T10:09:19.652-05:00

“Talking is a hydrant in the yard and writing is a faucet upstairs in the house. Opening the first takes the pressure off the second.” Robert Frost Robert Frost is somewhat featured in Off The Moon. Of course we all know he was an exceptional poet, but if you read through some of his quotes, you see that he was also a man of much common sense and

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-83453588329172945862010-02-13T21:05:00.000-05:002010-02-13T21:05:00.351-05:00

I was a child of the Seventies. Now, when most say that, they mean their late teen and early twenties years were during the Seventies and they were smack in the midst of the hippie revolution. I mean I was a child during the Seventies and my teen years began right at the tail end of that decade. But, I was always kind of old for my age and when I was ten, I fell right into that music-obsessed

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-90304806990416867752010-02-11T11:59:00.001-05:002010-02-11T11:59:28.768-05:00

Last Night in Twisted River John Irving Random House 2009 http://john-irving.com I’ve been a John Irving fan since reading The World According to Garp several years ago. And then The Cider House Rules and The Fourth Hand. I have many still to read, since his newest is novel number twelve. I’ve read half of his previous novel, Until I Find You. I

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-88439641035493263862010-02-04T09:52:00.001-05:002010-02-04T09:52:26.773-05:00

Yesterday’s discussion on a writing list triggered an A-HA moment that led to more questions. The discussion was about books that have influenced your life. While I couldn't name one in particular, I did have a short list come to mind for different reasons. But the discussion's big relevance hit when a comment brought something to light about my writing past I hadn't considered before: the

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-52357809852182247672010-01-14T10:52:00.001-05:002010-01-14T10:52:42.512-05:00

I've been reading a LOT recently for review and for study. Since many of the things I see done not quite right enough tend to be repeated, I thought I'd gather my thoughts about what I've been seeing and share them. Not that I never make any of these mistakes, but focusing on them in other works helps me catch them in my own. -------------- My Don't List from a Reader's POV with a

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-55879978147397658402010-01-06T17:56:00.001-05:002010-01-06T17:58:20.270-05:00

  Time Plains Drifter Cheryl Pierson ISBN  978-1-935048-35-0 Class Act Books December 2009 Jenni Dalton, reluctant teacher of a few obnoxious high school students, gets roped into a star-gazing field trip and ends up being swept into the past, specifically Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1895, with her students. As they are figuring out what happened and why everything has

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-37005021751950512102009-12-24T20:04:00.001-05:002009-12-24T20:04:34.375-05:00

A short and sweet romantic story written to share: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7578 (Off The Moon related, rated PG, free read) --

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-86995607386076306712009-12-20T12:19:00.001-05:002009-12-20T12:20:49.983-05:00

I just finished Cheryl Pierson's "Time Plains Drifter" and it was a thoroughly unique and grabbing read ... not your everyday romance novel! Revolving around a woman swept back into the past with a few of her school students and a man who has been dead for 16 years brought back to fulfill a mission, Time Plains Drifter is part paranormal, part romance, part mystery, and part theology. A great "

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-1498688493622493052009-12-19T13:59:00.001-05:002009-12-19T14:04:38.659-05:00

For Christmas 2007, I got creative with my family photos and turned them into a photo book, posting the best from each month with a short blurb about what we were doing that month. I had one printed for us and one for each set of parents. That went over well. :-)  It’s a great idea for parents or if you’re a grandparent, do one of your grandchildren to give to their parents. There are many

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-45817205149317422062009-12-11T13:14:00.001-05:002009-12-11T13:14:39.876-05:00

I’ll post more of these later on, but here’s the first batch. Romances that are heart-warming, fun, kicky, and non-graphic: A Knight’s Vow by Lindsay Townsend I picked this one up in paperback for only $3.99 at my local bookstore. I happen to know the author, but even so, I’m not exaggerating to say how much I enjoyed the story. This Medieval Historical romance is well written, well

LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27660174.post-90610283751958315172009-12-09T21:06:00.001-05:002009-12-09T21:06:25.222-05:00

Today’s ideas focus on the family. To start off, I’m suggesting one of my favorite mainstream authors, Marilynne Robinson. I first started reading Robinson’s work as a “have to” for a college class. The book was titled Housekeeping which I have to say made me roll my eyes. The title, however, is so completely understated. It’s an incredible book, full of cultural and psychological issues and

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