Category: #CleanWIP

#CleanWIP Articles

Crime

Earl Chinnici October 26, 2020

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

Photo provided by Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Vision

Earl Chinnici October 25, 2020

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

Watercolor by Evren Ozdemir

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 55

Earl Chinnici October 23, 2020

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

Photo by Rene Rauschenberger

We’re a day late seeing this, so don’t wait until tomorrow. Get it now.

#CleanWIP Articles

Scratch

Earl Chinnici October 22, 2020

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

Photo by Daga Roszkowska

#CleanWIP Articles

Thrill

Earl Chinnici October 21, 2020

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

Photo by Frank Winkler

#CleanWIP Articles

Life

Earl Chinnici October 20, 2020

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

Photo by Bruno

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Once upon a Trick-or-Treat. Click this link to enjoy a hilarious Halloween adventure via Smart Girls Read Romance. A gorilla mask and a scary old man made this night memorable.

#CleanWIP Articles

Background

Earl Chinnici October 19, 2020

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

Photo by Quang Nguyen vinh

#CleanWIP Articles

Face

Earl Chinnici October 18, 2020

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

Photo by Ian Lindsay

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 54

Earl Chinnici October 16, 2020

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

Photo by Larisa Koshkina

In case you missed it…

#CleanWIP Articles

Cane

Earl Chinnici October 15, 2020

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

Photo by Mabel Amber

On our THEMES page, we post new themes each Thursday for the week ahead Sometimes this occurs before sundown. We post these chronologically descending to prevent the need to scroll through the many past themes to find the current and approaching themes.
~~~
Thursday, October 22: SCRATCH
Wednesday, October 21: THRILL
Tuesday, October 20: LIFE
Monday, October 19: BACKGROUND
Sunday, October 18, 2020: FACE

#CleanWIP Articles

Bring

Earl Chinnici October 14, 2020

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

Photo by Michael Gottwald

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Hugh grunted. Henri glanced up at the brown-haired former prince of Galilee. His was not a face that hid his annoyance well. His hawk nose lent him a fierce look that marched his piercing blue eyes. “My lord, I was born in those hills. I know the land. If the Germans meet no resistance, they will for certes find themselves riding down into lands patrolled by Muslim riders. We must ride out after them before they succeed in their raid. Perhaps, we can bring them back before they endanger the peace.”

~ Earl Chinnici ~
My words were not as well-received as I’d hoped. “You must be out of your mind, Jenny. You think I should apologize after the way that country-clubbing jerk treated me? Whose side are you on anyway? I should have known you’d bring up my temper again. You never let things be. Most people put in their two cents, but you always manage to donate a dollar.”
I nearly lost it then and there, but managed to recall the second chapter of my first book where I wrote about my “Live Happy This Second” theory and I replied with every bit of stoicism I could muster. “That’s not very nice, Charlie. If you didn’t want my opinion, you shouldn’t have asked.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Train

Earl Chinnici October 13, 2020

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

Photo by Liselotte Brunner

#CleanWIP Articles

Kick

Earl Chinnici October 12, 2020

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

Photo by Sepp

~ Earl Chinnici ~
Many people kick the habit and addiction of “Tobacco Cigarettes” each year and a lot of those people choose the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout as their quit date.
Planning ahead has been proven to greatly increase the rate of success—which is one reason I’m mentioning this today. There’s plenty of information online on this topic and I will offer the book I wrote as I quit gradually as a Kindle Free Book Deal during the days leading up to the smokeout which this year will be held November 19.

#CleanWIP Articles

Full

Earl Chinnici October 11, 2020

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

Photo by Myriam Zilles

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Isabella wore only a thin chemise, but the heat of the candles brought beads of sweat to her brow. She swooned a little, but tightened her grasp on the beads. A pain lanced through her back. Nothing uncommon with this child. “Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum…” she said, wincing, mouthing the words of the prayer in a murmur. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee…

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 53

Earl Chinnici October 9, 2020

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

Photo by Brin Weins

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Isabella woke with a gasp and a cry. Sweat matted her hair to her brow; it dampened her chemise as well as the sheets and pillow. Her hands trembled. She had dreamed of Henri, a terrible dream that shook her with fear even as it began to fade from her memory. She remembered only the glint of knife.

#CleanWIP Articles

Touch

Earl Chinnici October 8, 2020

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

Photo by Valeriia Miller

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades…
Ernoul stumbled to his knees, weak with exhaustion. His element of surprise had failed him. Ismail stormed closer and batted Ernoul’s sword from his hand. It flew spinning to fall on the stone flagging and slid to rattling stop some distance away. The light of the blade faded without his touch.

#CleanWIP Articles

Mark

Earl Chinnici October 7, 2020

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

Photo by Paul Brennan

~ Earl Chinnici ~
I began writing as I quit smoking “Tobacco Cigarettes” gradually. Here are a couple paragraphs from a chapter of the book I eventually published (MAYBE…) called Tips, Tricks, and Dramatic Visualizations.
~~~
Make lists. For example, you might list things you could buy with the amount of money you usually spend on a couple of cartons. You could make a list of reasons you would like to weaken your addiction or entirely break the habit. Maybe you could list your triggers and then plan ways to respond without cigarettes the next time you encounter each trigger.

Perhaps one of the most beneficial lists you could make would be a long list of substitutes and diversions that you believe might work for you. Do not be afraid to add something to the list that you are not sure would work. You can always mark a substitute or diversion off later if you find it does not work well for you.

#CleanWIP Articles

Hat

Earl Chinnici October 6, 2020

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

Photo by Eduardo Aquino

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of The Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy set during the crusades… (helmet for hat)
She looked out from a helmet eyes that others saw as fierce and green and set within a wide face weathered from years of long exposure to the sun of Outremer and whiskered from a long day at its post. She grunted as the other soldiers did and laughed at the serjeant’s jest as he dismissed them. Warm ale awaited most of them once they were off duty. She begged off this time; she had other duties to attend that did not require her guise as a soldier of the king’s guard.

#CleanWIP Articles

Coin

Earl Chinnici October 5, 2020

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

Photo by Gerd Altmann

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy…
“Peace is gift enough, my lord Levon,” Henri said. His eyes lifted to the bright blue skies and the hawks overhead. One of the hawks plummeted through the air like a falling arrow toward its prey. “I would rather look forward to good relations between our peoples in the near future.”
“Still, I would have you blessed with a gift for your efforts,” Prince Levon said. “I thought perhaps ten thousand gold pieces would be appropriate.”
Henry’s gaze swung down toward the prince. “Ten thousand?” He shook his head. “I cannot accept such an extravagant gift, my lord. It might be perceived as payment to work the truce to your favor.”

From the Book of Luke
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find {it}? And when she hath found {it}, she calleth {her} friends and {her} neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (KJV, Luke 15:8-10)

#CleanWIP Articles

Smile

Earl Chinnici October 4, 2020

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

Photo by Silviu Georgescu

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, Book Three of an historical fantasy…
He stared sidelong at her. A smile played across the handsome dark features of his face. He backed away through the columns toward the outer door of the Dome and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
His voice came back to her, echoing in the octagonal hall of the Qubbat al-Sakhra. I am the chosen one, my dear Mariamne. The beginning and end of all things in heaven, and earth, and under the earth. I am the Great Power…

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(from a WIP with a female author/mechanic/hero protagonist—book’s title not yet public)
One day while I was working and the bosses were off having lunch, a handsome young man pulled up to one of the open bay doors. I recognized the parking decal in the windshield immediately; we attended the same college. I also recognized a sound coming from his truck indicating the engine wasn’t firing on all eight cylinders. In the engine repair business, we commonly refer to this telltale noise as a “miss” or we’ll say it is “missing on one of the cylinders,” so I didn’t give it a second thought as I welcomed him with a smile and said “Something seems to be missing.”
“Not any more,” he replied with a slow side-to-side shaking of his head as though he had discovered one of the universe’s best-kept secrets. “Not any more.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 52

Earl Chinnici October 2, 2020

It’s our fifty-second Relaxed Friday! Here’s the scoop on #CleanWIP Relaxed Fridays.

Photo by Christophe Schindler

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, and historical fantasy… Wrote this today…
The massive stone walls of Masyaf loomed against the dark spring night; two towers crowded a long, narrow stairway that ascended into darkness. Ernoul called up a ball of bluish-white handfire and drew his sword. The slender ancient blade of silver glowed with a similar light…

~ Earl Chinnici ~
Many people join in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout each November. If this is something you’re considering, planning ahead can greatly increase your probability of quitting forever.
I’m sure some of you wonder why I’m mentioning this here in CleanWIP Magazine. Well, I began writing as I quit smoking that product commonly referred to as “Tobacco Cigarettes” gradually and published a book on the subject two and a half years later. This new career—if we can just call it that for my own amusement—caused me to connect with authors around the world to learn marketing techniques and better writing skills. This eventually led to the creation of this e-zine. But, I’m off on a tangent here and I don’t want to lose the point of this…. If you’re considering joining the Great American Smokeout this year, I urge you to start joining the smokeout today by learning more about it and about the addiction and by making some type of change to your cigarette habit.
You can find my first book on Amazon. (Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You) I will host a Kindle Free Book Deal just prior to the smokeout if you’d rather await a free copy. Either way, I wish you great success on your quit.

#CleanWIP Articles

Hair

Earl Chinnici October 1, 2020

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

Photo by Ruan Schoeman

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen, an historical fantasy… (I even slipped in the word coffee—kaffé—from the other day!)

The master assassin inclined his head. He sipped a cup of kaffé. “No more of my men will die this day, Sayyid. I give my word. I cannot say the same for this man.”

Snapping his fingers, two assassins strode across the garden toward the tent dragging a bound and hooded man. A man who wore a bloodied and torn surcoat of a Templar. Forcing him to kneel before the master and Henri, they tore off the hood, and pulled his head by back by his hair. A twisted strip of cloth gagged his mouth. His eyes widened at seeing Henri lounging with the master of the Assassins.

#CleanWIP Articles

Fit

Earl Chinnici September 30, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Coffee

Earl Chinnici September 29, 2020

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

Photo by Jill Wellington

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP The Gambit Queen, an historical fantasy…
(Kaffé is Arabic for coffee.)
“Doubtful, my lord,” Al-Adil said, sitting back on his heels.
Yusuf made an offer of káffe and watched as his brother imbibed of the bitter drink. “The Ifranj seem content to sit outside the walls of Akka until the Last Day. A month ago, perhaps, we might have had some hope, but now… now they grow only bolder in their attacks.”

Let’s peek inside Love’s Full Circle by Cherry Christensen:
~~~
“I’ll get a fresh pot of coffee brewing. Do you still take yours with cream and two sugar cubes?”
The white stoneware plates rattled in his hands. “I can’t believe you remembered. I would have thought you had forgotten everything about me, about us.”
Kayden shrugged and poured batter into a waffle iron as the coffee percolated. “Some things you can’t forget.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Neighbor

Earl Chinnici September 28, 2020

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

Photo by Mauro Pérez

#CleanWIP Articles

Daughter

Earl Chinnici September 27, 2020

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

Photo of a father and his daughter by Kadres

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle, an historical fantasy…
Isabella soothed her daughter’s lusty cry with the the tip of her smallest finger. Alix needed fed and put to bed, but she wanted just a little bit more time with her. The affairs of state in Henri’s absence kept her busy all day. She had only the night to enjoy her children. She made a face at Alix, smiling, and kissed her small nose. The baby suckled on her finger, her bright gray eyes staring up at her from beneath a downy show of dark hair.

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 51

Earl Chinnici September 25, 2020

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

Photo by Valentin

View this post on Instagram

Weekend Freebie + Last Chance to Enter Giveaway

A post shared by Jenelle Schmidt (@jenellelschmidt) on

“There are moments of grief, disappointment, regret and anger.” from On the Road to Remission by Keith D Guernsey

#CleanWIP Articles

Rest

Earl Chinnici September 24, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

In case you missed it…

#CleanWIP Articles

Snack

Earl Chinnici September 23, 2020

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

Photo by Brooke Lark

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(from Maybe You Should Move Those Away From You)
I was not yet certain I would actually write this book about my journey to overcome cigarette addiction, although the thought had crossed my mind a few times. I mainly wanted a couple of photos of this vent as a personal reminder that I did not want to subject my home, my lungs, and the rest of my body to that mess again. I also wanted to share the pictures with a few close friends. I did not realize until much later that the resolution of the photos of this disgusting air vent would be important. I also did not consider being a subject of any of these photos. You can rest assured that if I had known ahead of time I would pose for a photo, I would have changed out of my comical cartoon nightshirt and my snack food baseball cap.

#CleanWIP Articles

Register

Earl Chinnici September 22, 2020

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

Photo by Brianna

#CleanWIP Articles

Cookie

Earl Chinnici September 21, 2020

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

Photo by Cindy Fernandez

#CleanWIP Articles

Create

Earl Chinnici September 20, 2020

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

Photo by Lubos Houska

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 50

Earl Chinnici September 18, 2020

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

Photo by Kordula Vahle

#CleanWIP Articles

House

Earl Chinnici September 17, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(from the opening chapter of one of my works-in-progress)
We didn’t set out to be heroes, but heroes we became. I’m sure you’ve seen our faces on billboards and subway walls. We’re uncanny symbols of America’s determination and resilience. Some people claim we’re not human; some claim we’re not real. We want you to know we are. We do have feelings.
The entire world has heard the sanitized version of that fateful day and how our actions saved millions, but due to matters of national security, the president urged us to wait a year before opening up to the media. On the White House lawn, he commended us for our bravery; in the Oval Office, he thanked us for our silence.
So much remains untold, but through this symphonic memoir, we hope to answer many of the remaining questions. We hope to silence a couple vicious rumors too.

#CleanWIP Articles

Link

Earl Chinnici September 16, 2020

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

Photo by Hans Braxmeier

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Check out the LINK to my Amazon author page if you like romance with convoluted plots, quirky characters, and predicaments that will have you scratching your head. https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00SBXMVL4

#CleanWIP Articles

Storm

Earl Chinnici September 15, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Nature

Earl Chinnici September 14, 2020

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

Photo by Noel Bauza

#CleanWIP Articles

Raise

Earl Chinnici September 13, 2020

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

Photo by Mabel Amber

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 49

Earl Chinnici September 11, 2020

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

Photo by David Mark

#CleanWIP Articles

Swap

Earl Chinnici September 10, 2020

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

Photo by Chris Spencer-Payne

~ Earl Chinnici ~
(from a WIP, the name not yet for public consumption)
Charlie helped hold me together when Mom died and I knew he’d also hold me to my promise that I’d use a fair chunk of the money from the insurance policy she’d “fed for the past thirty years” toward an elaborate signing event within six months of publishing Live Happy Or Die Trying.
“Take it into the city,” she’d urged.
So I did. I planned a great book signing right in the heart of Atlanta.
Thirty days before the signing, I was to spend two hours with Rachel Sparks of the Write Connections morning show at Barnesville’s local radio and television station, WBRN. I’d talk with fans who called in and asked questions. At a semi-random moment of the show, primarily determined by a computer, a light on the studio’s soundboard would glow to signify the next two callers win a special prize—a luxurious evening of food and fun after the book signing for them and their dates with me and Charlie.
As part of the deal I had with the station, I received a copy of the audio from the show to use in marketing the book. I’d intended to use sound clips in commercials and have an edited version of the entire show playing softly at the signing until everyone was seated.
Since the doors to the signing were to open at 7:00 in the evening, I’d offer finger foods as they arrived. When the replay of the radio event finished, I’d read ten paragraphs my early fans had voted favorites, followed by a heartfelt talk about the secrets of living happily or as Mom put it, “Live happy, dear. Live happy or die trying.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Quirk

Earl Chinnici September 9, 2020

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

Photo by Johnny Briggs (subsection… cropped for this article)

#CleanWIP Articles

Look

Earl Chinnici September 8, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Grateful

Earl Chinnici September 7, 2020

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

Photo by GLady

#CleanWIP Articles

Read

Earl Chinnici September 6, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 48

Earl Chinnici September 4, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

#CleanWIP Articles

Bowl

Earl Chinnici September 3, 2020

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

Photo by Barbara Rosner

Announced Themes
Themes have been selected for next week. We try to have these selected and posted to our Themes page each Thursday.
~~~
Thursday, September 10: SWAP
Wednesday, September 9: QUIRK
Tuesday, September 8: LOOK
Monday, September 7: GRATEFUL
Sunday, September 6, 2020: READ
~~~

#CleanWIP Articles

History

Earl Chinnici September 2, 2020

History is today’s #CleanWIP theme and collaboration. [More info]

Photo by Tim Hill

#CleanWIP Articles

Prevent

Earl Chinnici September 1, 2020

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

Photo by Silvia

#CleanWIP Articles

Match

Earl Chinnici August 31, 2020

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

Photo by Alicja

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Ryan’s Reckless Bride: The questionnaire she’d received from the agency puzzled her. Ryan McKay could not be the right match. The paper stated that her match was “…an adventurer looking for a like-minded spouse who loves to travel. Neither culinary or other domestic skills required.” His live-in housekeeper performed those tasks. So far, Mr. Mckay hadn’t mentioned a housekeeper.

We simply couldn’t resist this seemingly perfect opportunity to mention the Granny Pact Matchmaker Series by Jessica Marie Holt. The fourth book in this romantic comedy series is expected to be released in early October. It is now available for pre-order.

#CleanWIP Articles

Beach

Earl Chinnici August 30, 2020

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

Photo by Elizeu Dias