Tag: Friday

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 77

Earl Chinnici March 26, 2021

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

Photo by Julita

~ Earl Chinnici ~
This first “phase” of “my project” lasted for a period of twelve to thirteen weeks. A major factor in the length of my “Phase One” is that I didn’t know there was going to be a “Phase Two”. I did not yet even realize I had a project underway. However, I did want to smoke less. I also felt it would be nice to choose whether to smoke and not just do it because of habit or addiction.
Once I allowed myself to consider the many aspects of my habit rather than just make excuses, I realized that my addiction to tobacco cigarettes was way out of control as far back as junior high school. I wondered how much longer I could continue to inhale all of this poisonous smoke each day before I would need a breathing tube.

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Relaxed Friday 76

Earl Chinnici March 19, 2021

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

Today’s featured photo is a pseudomural of a green frog peeking over the edge of a canna lily leaf. It is one of 168 designs now available through the CleanWIP storefront with many more designs on the way. Purchases from the CleanWIP store help this magazine continue and also assist in the Hurricane Irma hurricane/tornado recovery effort of its owner. Thank you for your help.

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/73715366?asc=u

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Relaxed Friday 75

Earl Chinnici March 12, 2021

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

Photo by Manfred Richter

~ Earl Chinnici ~
After school, I’d usually help out around the shop. Lisa taught me the business side of running an auto repair shop and Dave taught me to get my hands dirty. Once I proved myself, I formally asked for a job. It tickled Dave when I handed him a filled out application one evening after dinner. He said he had to okay it with the boss, although we both knew Lisa would be fine with the idea; she would choose shopping or crocheting over working in the shop any day.

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Relaxed Friday 73

Earl Chinnici February 26, 2021

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

Photo by Shell Ghostcage

Thanks for tuning in, so to speak. I’ve been busy creating many fun products for the CleanWIP Storefront while continuing efforts to regain functionality of the collaboration group, now on MeWe. I’m also brainstorming a redesign of this e-zine to help showcase some of the greatest articles, posts, and tweets from everyone who has joined in the CleanWIP fun. Hopefully, we can get soon get back to the business of bringing readers some very special content from authors who prefer the cleaner end of the writing spectrum. ~ Earl

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Relaxed Friday 69

Earl Chinnici January 29, 2021

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

Photo by Abhay Bharadwaj

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Relaxed Friday 68

Earl Chinnici January 22, 2021

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

Photo by Alex Prykhodko

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Relaxed Friday 67

Earl Chinnici January 15, 2021

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

Photo by Gundula Vogel

All morning I’ve been thinking about working out, adding new content to this magazine, creating a list of questions for the upcoming character interviews, designing new products for the CleanWIP store, connecting with new authors, reading a couple dozen emails, and creating a proper business plan. ~ Sigh. ~ I’ve been thinking about these things all morning. I believe I may need to take off the remainder of the day and relax.

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Relaxed Friday 66

Earl Chinnici January 8, 2021

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

Photo by Sean Griffin

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Relaxed Friday 65

Earl Chinnici January 1, 2021

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

Photo by Jan Alexander

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Relaxed Friday 64

Earl Chinnici December 25, 2020

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

Photo by Diana Parkhouse

A Message of Hope: Clean Fantasy Authors D. Art and Kay McKinney Release Fifth Book in Series on December 26, 2020.

Hope Never Lost, the fifth book in the Mage Saga series, continues the story of Achron Windslo, the white mage once thrust outside of time, now tasked with rebuilding a nation from nearly nothing. Can the growing population of mages in Empleheim find a place in a world that will not understand their very existence and fears the power they possess? And beyond just the wary eyes of their neighbors, the last of the great mages speaks of a far greater danger, one that threatens more than just their world. The quiescent powers in Achron’s family may well prove to be the hope everyone needs.
Building on a series dedicated to exploring the themes of family and virtue, Hope Never Lost presents an adventure that is both clean and exciting, didactic and enjoyable. The Mage Saga is a sweeping fantasy tale of action, surprise, humor, and courage.

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Relaxed Friday 63

Earl Chinnici December 18, 2020

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

Photo by Vincent Ciro

Reconnecting on MeWe
We recently left Facebook and headed to MeWe where we reopened the official CleanWIP collaboration group as well as a public magazine MeWe page to mingle with both readers and authors who like to keep things clean. We’re revisiting Special Edition articles to help readers of MeWe get to know the magazine and the authors who often contribute. This past week, we reconnected with Daphne Self, a long time member of American Christian Fiction Writers. We do hope you’ll join us over on MeWe if you haven’t already, but only after you check out this fun book trailer of Daphne’s Alabama Days.

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Relaxed Friday 62

Earl Chinnici December 11, 2020

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

Photo by David Mark

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Relaxed Friday 61

Earl Chinnici December 4, 2020

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

Photo by Couleur

New to MeWe
We recently moved from Facebook to MeWe and our site stats show we’re rebuilding our social presence stronger than ever. Since we’re so new to MeWe, we’re revisiting many favorite articles on our new magazine page there. We’re also reconstructing our collaboration group for authors, poets, bloggers, and other creative people. We hope you’ll join us there if you haven’t already.
Private group for creators:
https://mewe.com/join/cleanwip
Public page for readers and creators:
https://mewe.com/p/cleanwipmagazine
But, Earl, we are friends:
https://mewe.com/i/chinnici

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Relaxed Friday 60

Earl Chinnici November 27, 2020

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

Photo by Christiane

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Relaxed Friday 59

Earl Chinnici November 20, 2020

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

Photo by Tim Hill

In Case You Missed Us
(We missed you too. Welcome back.)
The CleanWIP Magazine group for authors, poets, and other creative people has a new home on MeWe as well as a public page where we can share news and all sorts of fun things with the readers. We apologize to anyone who didn’t catch the advance notice of the move. Incidentally, Facebook’s concept of prioritizing content Facebook deems important played a large part in our difficult decision to make the move. Though the move has been a great deal of work and we dearly miss those who have yet to find us on the new-to-us platform, we’re quite excited about the considerable uptick in visitors and interactions now that fans of CleanWIP Magazine are allowed to directly decide for themselves regarding the importance of our message.

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Relaxed Friday 58

Earl Chinnici November 13, 2020

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

Photo by J.W.Vein

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Relaxed Friday 57

Earl Chinnici November 6, 2020

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

Photo by James Wheeler

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Relaxed Friday 56

Earl Chinnici October 30, 2020

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

Photo by Jill Wellington

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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.

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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…

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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.

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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.

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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

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Relaxed Friday 50

Earl Chinnici September 18, 2020

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

Photo by Kordula Vahle

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Relaxed Friday 49

Earl Chinnici September 11, 2020

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

Photo by David Mark

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Relaxed Friday 48

Earl Chinnici September 4, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

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Relaxed Friday 47

Earl Chinnici August 28, 2020

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

Photo by Denis Doukhan

~ Keith D Guernsey ~
We are honored to announce a joint promotion with the American Cancer Society where we will be donating 25 cents/copy for any of our books (including our newest “Overcoming the Odds“) ordered between 8/26/2020 and 10/31/2020 to this wonderful organization.
Will you help us cure this dreaded disease today?
Thank you, Keith
(2X cancer survivor)

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 46

Earl Chinnici August 21, 2020

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

Photo by Rebecca Tregear

~ Scott R. Rezer ~
From my current WIP, The Gambit Queen: Book Three of the Magdalen Cycle (historical fantasy)…
Northward, where it traversed the forest, the trees had encroached the road; tall grasses and brush choked the sides of the hard, dry track. Saplings grew at the edge, intrepid advances of the old forest eager to reclaim the land with its dark shadows.

Next Week in CleanWIP Magazine

Each Thursday, we post the themes for the upcoming week to the Themes page of this site as well as in the CleanWIP collaboration group. Here’s some of what we have planned. Several Special Edition articles are also currently works-in-progress.
~~~
Thursday, August 27: CAUSE
Wednesday, August 26: WOMAN
Tuesday, August 25: PARK
Monday, August 24: LOST
Sunday, August 23, 2020: RIDE

#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…

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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.

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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

Relaxed Friday 42

Earl Chinnici July 24, 2020

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

Photo by Markus Lehner

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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?

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Relaxed Friday 40

Earl Chinnici July 10, 2020

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

Photo by Jörg Vieli

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Relaxed Friday 39

Earl Chinnici July 3, 2020

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

Photo by public-photobox

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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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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

Relaxed Friday 36

Earl Chinnici June 12, 2020

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

Photo by Pascal Laurent

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Relaxed Friday 35

Earl Chinnici June 5, 2020

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

Photo by Sven Lachmann

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Relaxed Friday 34

Earl Chinnici May 29, 2020

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

Photo courtesy of Dnipro Hotel

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Relaxed Friday 33

Earl Chinnici May 22, 2020

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

Photo by Philipp Kleindienst

~ Irene Onorato ~
When I read a book, I judge the author’s writing strength by very simple criteria.
I’m not terribly concerned about a few typos or a couple of boo-boos with punctuation. Minor formatting errors mean nothing to me. The criteria I’m looking for is this: Can the author make me laugh, cry, get angry, smile, feel nervous, or afraid? Will the story evoke primal emotions in such a way that I feel fully immersed in the lives of the characters? That’s the kind of writer I strive to be.
Recently, I was blessed by a reader who wrote a blog about Justice for Hattie Mayfair, the first book I’d written outside my normal romance genre. I hadn’t strayed far, but this story had added elements of suspense. In her blog post, the reader gave me the best compliment I’ve ever received as a writer. Her comment let me know I had hit the mark. That she felt things. Deeply. Here’s a snippet of what she said…
“I can tell you I was on my toes most of time. I sat on the edge of my seat, laughed, and shed a few tears. Especially at the end… full ugly cry!”
Full ugly cry. I love it.

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 32

Earl Chinnici May 15, 2020

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

Photo by Walkers on the Way

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Relaxed Friday 31

Earl Chinnici May 8, 2020

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

Photo by Lubos Houska

~ Arthur Daigle ~
Here’s a short piece from my latest Dana Illwind and Sorcerer Lord Jayden story:
“I kind of remember the sun,” Dana said. “Shiny and warm, moved a lot.”
Jayden looked up from his spell tablets and raised an eyebrow. “Historically, Sorcerer Lords are more inclined to madness than farm girls.”
“I’m owed a little bit of going over the edge. It’s rained for fifteen days! Not little storms, either. I saw a house float away. You know magic. Can’t you make it stop?”

~ Laurean Brooks ~
Excerpt from To Trust Her Heart:
Was Jake alluding to his wife’s death? “You are a strong believer.”
“You aren’t?” His blue eyes sought hers and lingered.
She winced. “Not anymore. God seems so distant. I’m not sure He has
time for everyone. I mean…why else would tragedy come to those who
believe in Him? Your wife’s death, for instance.”
“And your husband’s?”
Amanda shifted her focus to the circling hawk. The mention of her
late husband reminded her why she couldn’t trust God. She’d prayed
fervently for a turnaround in her marriage, but God had turned a deaf ear.
Greg continued in his infidelity, and finally died in it.
“Amanda, God gave each person a free will. He won’t force His own
will on anyone.”
He did it again. Read her mind. She folded her arms across her chest.
“Meaning…?”
“When Adam and Eve took a bite of that forbidden fruit—whatever it
was—sin was birthed on the earth. One act of disobedience brought all
kinds of disasters upon the world. Death, sickness, strife, greed, anger,
violence, lust, and pain… We have a choice; we can keep blaming Adam and Eve—or God—for the sin in the world, or we can accept God’s provision for our individual sin and move on.”
“In other words, each person must accept responsibility for his or her own actions and choices.”

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 30

Earl Chinnici May 1, 2020

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

Photo by Julius Silver

The Haberdasher’s Wife by Scott R. Rezer is now available for pre-order on Amazon with release day set for May 15.
1800—Überlingen, Imperial Free City of the Holy Roman Empire.
Change is on the wind. A new century has begun and war with Napoleon Bonaparte continues to spread like wildfire, while the Enlightenment quietly breaks down traditional barriers of class, education, and the arts, in the last holdouts of Absolutism in the old German States.
For Josefa von Bandel, a nobleman’s daughter, her life on the quiet shores of the Bodensee is caught up in the dramatic changes sweeping across Europe—and in her own troubled life. She is young and beautiful and willfully stubborn. She risked her reputation for a scandalous affair—but will she sacrifice everything else for love?

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 29

Earl Chinnici April 24, 2020

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

Photo by Enrique Lopez Garre

~ Patricia Snelling ~
(from her current cozy mystery work-in-progress)
Within minutes of Andre stepping onto the podium, a terrific crash reverberated as the platform collapsed sending Andre catapulting—music stand, scores and conductor’s baton flying across the room almost landing in a Euphonium player’s lap.

#CleanWIP Articles

Relaxed Friday 28

Earl Chinnici April 17, 2020

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

Photo by dayamay from Pixabay

~ Patricia Snelling ~
The drive through the countryside invigorated her as she inhaled the sweet smell of freshly cut hay through her open window. Arriving in Martha’s driveway, she swerved to avoid squashing her pink, miniature Kunekune pig, Hibiscus who was like a child to her.