Category: #CleanWIP

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 45

Earl Chinnici August 14, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Lloyd Waters

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
Excerpt from Totally Yours, aka Granny Pact Book 4!
“Livvy, you weren’t there. You didn’t see her.”
Olivia looked at her with wide, unblinking eyes from across the breakfast table. “I was there, and I did see her.”
Janet sighed in frustration. “Okay, you saw her during dinner. But you didn’t see her in the kitchen. The way she batted her big green eyes, and tossed her flouncy hair.”
Olivia wrinkled her nose. “Flouncy hair?”
“Oh, you know what I mean.”
“I sometimes know what you mean. This is not one of those times.”
“Oh, Livvy,” Janet moaned, crossing her arms over the table and putting her head down on top of them. “This is it, this is the end of me and Mitch. I just know it.”
“Hmmm. Yeah, you’ve told me the whole story twice, and I’m still not coming to that same foregone conclusion.”

Previously in CleanWIP Magazine…

#CleanWIP Articles

Left

Earl Chinnici August 13, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Left. [More info]

Photo by Hugo Petitjean

~ Earl Chinnici ~
In yesterday’s article, I mentioned how I started writing as I quit smoking gradually. Since my first paragraph that was later included in my debut contains today’s theme, I decided to share it. Other than my enthusiasm about removing some ashtrays from my home, I don’t know why I wrote this paragraph on a jagged scrap of paper and then jogged a quarter of a mile in less than five minutes and performed three chin-ups from a dogwood tree in my yard. Here is the first paragraph of my career as an author. Laugh if you want, but I wrote it with passion.
I have been smoking mostly outside for a while now. Sometime during the day today, I removed all but three ashtrays from my home. I washed eight ashtrays outside under a water hose and left them in the shed for my next yard sale!

#CleanWIP Articles

Start

Earl Chinnici August 12, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP collaboration is Start. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
I started writing in high school because I wanted to write books I wanted to read. I love reading, but I love writing more. But, as it turns out, I actually write books that I don’t read! Go figure. As an adult I shopped around several novels but never found a publisher, though a few agents were interested, but only if I wrote something the thought would be more marketable. I refused. When indy publishing took off, I knew I had a place. And here I am, forty years later with eight books and several more on the way. It all began with reading.

~ Keith D Guernsey ~
I never intended to become an author. I was just making notes from my playing and coaching days (football and hockey), and 25 years later it became Confessions of a Beantown Sports Junkie.

~ Earl Chinnici ~
In 2011, I quit smoking that product endearingly called “Tobacco Cigarettes”. During the process, I started jotting down the time I lit each cigarette. These time entries progressed quickly into complete paragraphs, eventually becoming the foundation of my first book. I only wish I had started much sooner.

#CleanWIP Articles

Sand

Earl Chinnici August 11, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Sand. [More info]

Photo by Greg Montani

#CleanWIP Articles

Lazy

Earl Chinnici August 10, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Lazy. [More info]

Photo by Heather Gunn

#CleanWIP Articles

Spirit

Earl Chinnici August 9, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Spirit. [More info]

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
The last few lines I wrote late last night for my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)…
His gaze slid toward Jehan, motioning with his head for him to move closer. “What are you—a spirit of the darkness or the light?”
“The Muslims call us jinn and afrit; you Franks would call us faeries and the like. Creatures of magic whispered about only in secret,” she said. “In truth, we—I—am a daughter of Eve, a child of the light. You have no to cause to fear or mistrust me, Thierry de St. Germaine. We are the same; we simply possess magic and long life.”
“You are immortal, if the tales are true.”
“We are also prone to great vanity and arrogance, but we can be slain, though not easily.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 44

Earl Chinnici August 7, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by David Mark

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
Here is (one of) my favorite scenes from the third Granny Pact book, which released last month. I don’t think I’ve shared it before.
“I have a girlfriend,” Julio blurted out. He groaned internally. So much for letting Olivia off the hook.
His mother stood up so fast her chair fell over. Lela came and picked it up. Then she looked at all of them, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
“Que pasa aqui?” she said.
Julio’s mother translated the news. Lela’s eyes opened wide and round. She clutched one hand to her chest, while the other hovered in the air as though she was casting a spell. Then she closed her eyes and began murmuring thanks and praises to her dear Lord and Savior for allowing her to live to see this blessed day.
Then she opened one eye and fixed it on Julio. “Es rubia?”
“Si, Lela. She’s blonde. Es rubia.”
Lela clutched her chest again and sat down heavily in the chair Julio’s mother had vacated.
Julio’s mother looked down at Lela and shook her head.

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)…
He wasn’t sure if the Sarrazins had discovered the underground tunnels, but he prayed they had not. The tunnels were old, perhaps as old as Jherusalem itself. They criss-crossed the city, though most radiated from the Temple Mount. Over the years, the Templars had widened and paved a few of the tunnels they had discovered under the streets of Jherusalem. They’d found more as they burrowed under the city. Some places the tunnels were as wide as five men abreast, while in others a large man could barely squeeze through sideways. The one Terric sought wound itself from the Temple westward toward Mount Sion and the old abbey.
When he had told Jehan months ago about the secret tunnels running beneath the streets and buildings of the city, he didn’t believe him. Seeing the long narrow corridor running away from them into the darkness, he still stood in disbelief. Had Terric not seen the tunnels before, albeit only once, he might not have believed it himself.

#CleanWIP Articles

Breath

Earl Chinnici August 6, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration is Breath. [More info]

Photo by Máté Markovics

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)
A round of murmurs filled the tent and might have grown louder and more unruly, except for the aged hand that lifted from the throne on the dais, silencing the throng.
“As to the other matters,” Raoul continued, his dark eyes flicking upward to the dais, “which are under the jurisdiction of the Church. First, the Marquis of Montferrat’s brother was married to Lady Isabella’s sister, Queen Sibylla. Although not related by blood, the Church herself considers such relations as incestuous.” The archbishop raised his hand again, more firmly this time, to quell the dissenting voices.. The Bishop of Beauvais scowled at his side, his fair face reddening with each breath. “Further, Your Grace, how do we know if the marquis is not still married to his Byzantium wife, Theodora Angeline? Until such doubts are put to rest, any marriage between Conrad and Princess Isabella would be an adulterous affair, for certes.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Manage

Earl Chinnici August 5, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Manage. [More info]

Photo by Maria

#CleanWIP Articles

Guard

Earl Chinnici August 4, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Guard. [More info]

Photo by Markus Distelrath

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)…
Stephanie stood and caught her by the arm on a return pass across the carpet. “Isabella, it will do no good to keep pacing,” she said, her voice calm but pleading. “Your mother will come when she comes. You will not hasten her by wearing a path in the carpet.”
Isabella shot her a dark, dagger-sharp glance. “She has no right to keep me here against my will and under guard.”
“You are not a prisoner.”
“Really?” she sneered, tossing her gaze over her shoulder toward the door of the tent. “Those two serjeants are not there to watch the weather.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Some

Earl Chinnici August 3, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Some. [More info]

Photo by Ingeborg Gärtner-Grein

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Half-Price Bride: A wet dishrag slapped against the counter before Louise spat, “There’s Memphis. It’s not that far, and it being a big city, your sister could find some kind of work there—plus a boarding house to move into.”
Emily tore open the envelope, her hands shaking. As she pulled out the folded sheet of paper, two large bills and a smaller one floated to the ground. She picked them up and gasped.

#CleanWIP Articles

Color

Earl Chinnici August 2, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Color. [More info]

Photo by Customerbox

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 43

Earl Chinnici July 31, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)…
The orange-red globe of the sun sunk toward the horizon. An hour or more of twilight would see the evening give way to a starlit night. Isabella sighed and leaned against the latticed wall of the castle of Tyre, gazing out over the sparkling sea. A breeze met her sigh, stirring into a riot the many fragrances of the rooftop garden. It teased strands of dark hair from her veil, blowing them across her face in an annoying fashion.

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
An excerpt!
June stared at her. “Henry’s vacuuming?”
“Yes,” said Elena. “Lucia convinced him.”
Lucia smiled, dimples flashing in her cheeks. “I can be very persuasive,” she said. Her accent made her clear voice sound like music.
June turned and walked swiftly to the kitchen entrance, Ellie following close behind. They both peeked out from behind the wall to look for themselves. Henry was, in fact, awkwardly and ineptly pushing the vacuum around the living room.
“If I weren’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,” June murmured.
“Me, neither,” said Ellie. “It’s as strange as me vacuuming my living room. I haven’t done it in decades. Jeffrey never liked my methods. I don’t go in straight, tidy rows, and I always suck up socks and pennies and other things.”
“I know, I was there that day he banned you from using the vacuum. To be fair, he spent a month picking it out, and you broke it when you sucked up that cat toy.”
“I didn’t see it!”
“It was a pole with a rope attached, Ellie. And the rope had at least twenty brightly-colored feathers and a plastic fish at the end of it!”
Ellie sighed sadly. “I know. It was General Meow’s favorite. May he–and the Dirt Devil–rest in peace.”

~ Laurean Brooks ~
An excerpt from Not What He Ordered
Molly pulled a piece of note paper from her reticule and wrote something. “Here’s my address if you want to stay in touch.” Carrie accepted the paper. “Don’t forget to tell Mr. Kramer that Katy backed out of their marriage arrangement.”
“Katy…Davis?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t forget. “It was all Carrie could think of. Strangers made her nervous, especially men. But she’d promised to deliver the message. She slipped the paper into her pocket.
“You can write to tell me how Mr. Kramer took the news. Well, I’d better get in line.”Molly picked up her bags and merged into the exit line with other departing passengers.
“Next stop Abilene!” Prepare to disembark.”
Carrie picked up her valise and melded into the line of passengers.
She scanned the station for a tall, slim, dark-haired man fitting the description of the mysterious Josh Kramer. Two middle-aged men wandered about, their gazes scanning the faces of passengers inside the depot. One man was short and the other paunchy. Neither wore a red bandanna around his neck.
After twenty minutes studying every man who walked through the door, Carrie set her luggage on the floor near a bench and sat down. If the man showed, finding him would be easier after the crowd thinned.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice boomed.
Carrie gazed up into piercing, black eyes The tall cowboy wore a black Stetson over coal-black hair with curls that caressed his ears. His strong jaw suggested a determined spirit. A little lower, a red bandanna circled his neck.
“I’m Josh Kramer. Are you the woman I’m looking for?”
Carrie’s heart raced. If only she were. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “I…I–” was all she managed.
“Well, what are you waiting for? A ranch doesn’t run itself, Miss Davis. We’d better get going.”
Her tongue came unglued. “But, Mr. Kramer, I’m not–.”
He interrupted. “Is this all the luggage you brought?”
She could only nod. He snatched up her valise and tramped outside before she could find her voice.
Carrie jumped to her feet and hurried after him, catching up as he set her bag in his buckboard. “But, Mister Kramer…I’m not–.”
“Are you ready to go, Miss Davis?”
“Mr. Kramer…I need to tell you something.”
He shook his head. “Whatever it is can wait until we get to the ranch. I’m a busy man. And Aunt Em needs help with the canning. She’s the only reason I agreed to this…arrangement.” Without another word, he scooped Carrie up and plopped her on the buckboard seat. Oh, dear! He really believed she was his mail-order bride.

#CleanWIP Articles

Treat

Earl Chinnici July 30, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Treat. [More info]

Photo by Rita

From the recently released The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer…
He shook his head and cupped her face in his large hands. “I’ve seen men of noble birth act more wretchedly than a common thief, just as I’ve known servants TREAT others with more noble generosity than the highest lord. It is the heart that matters, Josefa, not the record of one’s birth…”

#CleanWIP Articles

Reason

Earl Chinnici July 29, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Reason. [More info]

Photo by Andreas H.

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
Delusion is the reason I keep on writing… The delusion that I could ever stop! 🙂

~ Laurean Brooks ~
The love of fabricating is the reason I write. The reason I write historical fiction is due to my infatuation with certain TV cowboys from the age of 5 through 14. Cheyenne Bodie was my #1. And those were reruns.

#CleanWIP Articles

Soldier

Earl Chinnici July 28, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Soldier. [More info]

Photo by Joan Greenman

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen (Book Three: The Magdalen Cycle) (Historical Fantasy)…
THE WHITE-CAPPED WAVES of the sea rumbled and crashed upon the shore beside Henri de Troyes, second of the name and Count of Champagne, as he fell to his knees to kiss the wet sand. His hands trembled, his knees felt weak. After weeks at sea, enduring storms and rough seas and bouts of mal de mer, a wave of relief washed over him to finally be ashore once more. He was a soldier not a sailor, and if he never had endure such an experience again, it wouldn’t be too soon. Of course, if he wished to return home to his beloved Champagne, he would have to endure the seas once more; that, or take the longer, more dangerous overland route across Europe. Until then, though, he had sworn to take the cross and see the Holy City won back from the Sarrazins.

#CleanWIP Articles

Kind

Earl Chinnici July 27, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Kind (any kind). [More info]

Photo by Silvia

#CleanWIP Articles

Relative

Earl Chinnici July 26, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Relative. [More info]

Photo by Foto-Rabe

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 42

Earl Chinnici July 24, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Markus Lehner

#CleanWIP Articles

Grandma

Earl Chinnici July 23, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Grandma. [More info]

Photo by Susanne Pälmer

Jessica Marie Holt has published three endearing romantic comedies that so wonderfully fit today’s theme, we decided to feature them right up top. With permission, we’ve included the blurb for the first book of the series, Reluctantly Yours, below so you can get the jest. Books two and three of the series continue the matchmaking shenanigans.
~~~
Ellie and June have been neighbors and best friends forever. Together, they’ve weathered it all—marriages, babies, strange wardrobe choices, terrible haircuts, small-town gossip—only to have their friendship come out stronger on the other side.

But now, they’re up against a hurdle unlike any they’ve faced so far.

Unmarried grandchildren.

Tragically—and inexplicably—James, Ellie’s absolute treasure of a grandson, is single. And so is Sarah, June’s unmatched delight of a granddaughter.

But these Grannies aren’t worried. They have an ace up their sleeve.

The Granny Pact.

Yes, these doting grandmas have vowed to engineer the romantic happiness of their grandchildren—by any means necessary.

Unfortunately, James and Sarah are not that easy to convince. And, unbeknownst to the grannies, their two grandkids share a past that will make their job much, much harder—and might even test the limits of their fifty-year friendship.
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

Skill

Earl Chinnici July 22, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Skill. [More info]

Photo by Jon Kline

~ Steven F. Freeman ~
In my “day job” I’m a project manager. Needless to say, I use a “plotter” writing style. Nefarious, the first book of my thriller/mystery series, seems an appropriate fit for the readers of CleanWIP Magazine: no gratuitous violence, minimal swearing (only the softer words a few times), and no sex at all. It features a budding romance. I’ve had several reviews mention that Nefarious, being a clean read, was a nice change of pace.

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
Yeah, I got nuttin’… I can’t type. I don’t plot. Half the time it feels like I’m just winging it. The closest thing I have to a skill, is more of a gift—the gift of teaching. And it helps because as an historical fiction author, it gives me the ability to relay in story fashion what some might consider boring history in an interesting manner that brings it to life.

~ Margaret Skea ~
The nearest I have to a skill is knowing my limitations and what I should outsource in terms of the steps needed to publish – cover design, editing and formatting, rather than making a mess of them myself.

~ Kim K. O’Hara ~
Let’s see… I have a skill as a teacher, mom, and grandmother to make the kids in my stories come off pretty realistic. I have a skill as a yearbook adviser to edit and format my own books. I have a skill as a researcher to make my historical chapter books (as yet, unpublished) fit well with actual historical events (I found a map of actual roads and distances in 1838, for example).

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
I started out as a poet, so I’ve always had a skill for lyrical writing that packed the most meaning into the smallest amount of space. Then about thirteen years ago, I became a copywriter. I’ve literally written thousands of product descriptions in very specific formats, with narrow word counts, in compelling language. So I’d say the skill that has helped me as a fiction writer has been balancing lyrical, vivid prose with really concise writing. That lets me layer a lot of meaning into stories, even if they’re shorter. It makes my books feel like a quick read, and gives them a hand-crafted, feel, where every word is very intentionally chosen. On the lighter side, my overall nosiness, wild imagination, and ability to leap headlong to unwarranted conclusions have greatly helped with my ability to write compelling fiction.

~ Laurean Brooks ~
I can’t think of any particular skill besides spelling and grammar that have helped me in the writing/publishing world process– unless it’s the ability to easily make friends. Maybe it’s my goofy sense of humor. I don’t know, but I consider it a blessing to have patient friends who’ve helped or encouraged me when I was at the point of tears and ready to quit. A couple of them helped me put books up on Amazon. Others have volunteered to be beta readers. If I hadn’t had these helpful friends (you know who you are), I would have given up a long time ago. Because honestly, I’m a technical Klutz.

#CleanWIP Articles

Support

Earl Chinnici July 21, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Support. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen (Book Three: The Magdalen Cycle) (Historical Fantasy)…
She listened, and grew all the more angry as her mother sat beside her, a tight grip on her arm, while Phillip of Dreaux, the handsome, blond-haired and brilliantly blue-eyed Bishop of Beauvais—a thoroughly nasty and viperous man with the tongue of a serpent—had spun lies and half-truths out of the air to malign Humphrey and their marriage, even to bringing forth false witnesses to testify to his lies. And then, her mother, in a desperate attempt to win dramatic support for her suit from the court, had stood up and told her version of the story. A very biased, distorted view of the truth.

#CleanWIP Articles

Employ

Earl Chinnici July 20, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Employ. [More info]

Photo by Patrice Audet

From the recently released The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer…
“Forgive me, child—Josefa,” she said. “Not exactly the quiet life you expected for a convent, no doubt. I feared this might happen, though. Do not tell any of the sisters, but a messenger arrived late last night with news of a battle south of here at Stockach with a French victory.”
“But that isn’t that far from here.”
“No, it isn’t. These soldiers must be in pursuit of the Austrian army. I pray this is the end of the matter.” She turned her gaze down the long, sunlit cloister and sighed deeply. “You will wait for my return, won’t you? I promised to employ your help with the Scivias texts.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Lead

Earl Chinnici July 19, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Lead. [More info]

Photo by Barrie Taylor

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 41

Earl Chinnici July 17, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Mammiya

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen (Book Three: The Magdalen Cycle) (Historical Fantasy)…
Humphrey kissed her one last time, lingering with a labored breath, reluctant to leave her, and then fled the tent. She was alone with her thoughts and her guilt. She had betrayed him and their marriage. Deep down inside, she knew she did it because she wanted to keep Humphrey alive, but more, because she wanted to be queen in her sister’s place, a desire she had held onto for many years, ever since Amalric de Lusignan had given her the hope that one day she would, but only for a price—the price of sacrificing her marriage for a crown. She wanted to scream and break something as much as she wanted to collapse in a heap and weep.

Flashback Friday?

#CleanWIP Articles

Person

Earl Chinnici July 16, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Person. [More info]

Photo by Public Co

#CleanWIP Articles

Horse

Earl Chinnici July 15, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Horse. [More info]

Photo by Helena Lopes

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen…
Humphrey found his horse and mounted up with Thomas’ help. They rode back to regroup with the king, bloodied and worn. Isabella’s ring still hung from its chain around his neck. It bounced against his chest as he rode. He’d forgotten it when the cry for the halt had come. Lifting it to his lips, he kissed it, and concealing it once more inside his hauberk.

#CleanWIP Articles

Measure

Earl Chinnici July 14, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Measure. [More info]

Photo by Morgane Perraud

From the newly-released, The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer
~~~
“I told you my faith is my guiding light, Josefa. It is who I am. But it isn’t something by which I measure the worth of those around me. With all the things I have done in my own life, I am the last person to judge the sins of another, including you.”
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

Fry

Earl Chinnici July 13, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Fry. [More info]

Photo by StockSnap

#CleanWIP Articles

Eye

Earl Chinnici July 12, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Eye. [More info]

Photo by StockSnap

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 40

Earl Chinnici July 10, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Jörg Vieli

#CleanWIP Articles

Sugar

Earl Chinnici July 9, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Sugar. [More info]

Photo by conger design

From the newly-released, The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer.
~~~
He led her to the counter, where she waited; she glanced over the assorted baked goods in the display case while he assembled her order. A few moments later, he returned. The divine scent of the warm cinnamon and sugar wafted up from the package as he fastened it with a length of twine. He leaned over the wooden counter, pretending to brush off some imaginary crumbs with a cloth. “I included a few krapfen for you and your mother. A treat for New Year’s.”
Josefa giggled like a schoolgirl. “You will make us both very fat with your generosity, Herr Trinkaus, if you insist on adding treats to my order every time I come in here.”
“Indulge me, fräulein, and consider it a favor to an old man,” he said, winking. “I have little to delight in beyond seeing the joy it brings you.”
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

Game

Earl Chinnici July 8, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Game. [More info]

Photo by Karthik Balakrishnan

From the newly-released, The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer.
~~~
Josef leaned down and nuzzled her ear. “Are you up to the challenge, Baroness?” he teased. “I wouldn’t want you to freeze your noble self for something as common as a child’s game.”
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

Dessert

Earl Chinnici July 7, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Dessert. [More info]

Photo by RitaE

From the newly-released, The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer.
~~~
He rubbed his meaty hands together and winked at her. “And to you as well, fräulein. Might I interest you in some chocolates, today?”
It was a familiar game. One she often lost. “Not today,” she said, laughing, though she loved the rich chocolates that had made Herr Trinkaus the talk of the city. “Perhaps just a strudel for my mother and me.”
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

Kiss

Earl Chinnici July 6, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Kiss. [More info]

Photo by Anja

#CleanWIP Articles

Restore

Earl Chinnici July 5, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Restore. [More info]

Photo by Lisa Johnson

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Happy 4th of July!

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#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 39

Earl Chinnici July 3, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by public-photobox

#CleanWIP Articles

Freedom

Earl Chinnici July 2, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Freedom. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From The Haberdasher’s Wife…
She stared up into his bright blue eyes. Nothing had changed. She saw the same, self-interested man she thought she had once loved. “As what, Friedrich?—Your mistress? Or as your wife?”
“As a woman with enough wealth and freedom to enjoy the world on her terms. The Johanna I knew would claim such a thing without question.”
“So, as your mistress, then.

#CleanWIP Articles

Aspire

Earl Chinnici July 1, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Aspire. [More info]

Photo by Makalu (Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand)

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
My aspiration is to write about things I care about or that interest me, not to attract readers. I hope that attraction comes about because people like what I write. I’m not interested in getting rich, though a few sales once in a while are nice! I know that sounds strange in an industry centered around getting published as the end result of all your hard work. After so many years trying to do just that, I finally came to realize that writing is the part I enjoy–not the publishing. Publishing is just a means of sharing what I love.

~ Jessica Marie Holt ~
I aspire to touch readers’ hearts, take them on a fun journey, and, through well-crafted characters, remind them of people they know, and draw them into a story that is new, but feels cozy and familiar.

#CleanWIP Articles

Shallow

Earl Chinnici June 30, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Shallow. [More info]

Photo by Olessya

CleanWIP Magazine is sneaking a peek inside a recently released historical romance by Scott R. Rezer, The Haberdasher’s Wife…
“Josefa, please, go and get some air. Take a walk to clear your mind,” Michelina said.
Josefa glanced toward her sleeping mother. Her chest rose with a shallow breath. “I… I don’t want to leave Mother alone. Not now; not with her so close to the end.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Deep

Earl Chinnici June 29, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Deep. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Inspire

Earl Chinnici June 28, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Inspire. [More info]

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

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Relaxed Friday 38

Earl Chinnici June 26, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Frank Winkler

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Forget

Earl Chinnici June 25, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Forget. [More info]

Photo by Sonja Ittenbach

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Introduce

Earl Chinnici June 24, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Introduce. [More info]

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Thorn

Earl Chinnici June 23, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Thorn. [More info]

Photo by Christopher Willey

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Business

Earl Chinnici June 22, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Business. [More info]

Photo by Bárbara Cascão

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Pause

Earl Chinnici June 21, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Pause. [More info]

Photo by Susanne Stöckli

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 37

Earl Chinnici June 19, 2020

It’s Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Mona El Falaky

~ a fun excerpt from author Jessica Marie Holt ~
“I have a girlfriend,” Julio blurted out. He groaned internally. So much for letting Olivia off the hook.
His mother stood up so fast her chair fell over. Lela came and picked it up. Then she looked at all of them, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
“Que pasa aqui?” she said.
Julio’s mother translated the news. Lela’s eyes opened wide and round. She clutched one hand to her chest, while the other hovered in the air as though she was casting a spell. Then she closed her eyes and began murmuring thanks and praises to her dear Lord and Savior for allowing her to live to see this blessed day.
Then she opened one eye and fixed it on Julio. “Es rubia?”
“Si, Lela. She’s blonde. Es rubia.”
Lela clutched her chest again and sat down heavily in the chair Julio’s mother had vacated.

#CleanWIP Articles

Reset

Earl Chinnici June 18, 2020

Today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaborative article is Reset. [More info]