A lookie-loo

Helen Howell, author of Jumping At Shadows, and hostess of the writerly blog Helen Scribbles, tagged me with The Look Challenge. This game is a relatively painless one: find the word look in your work in progress and post the neighbouring paragraphs.

The first thing I realized when I did a word search for 'look' is that I use it too damned often. There were 303 occurrences in my 87,366 word manuscript. Is that a lot? Cause it seems like a lot.

The second thing I realized was how hard it was to choose one section out of 303 occurrences. Gah, I could have spent all day choosing one bit.

Naturally I chose one involving excrement:

When Shawn was a little kid he was a veritable dog poo magnet. Everywhere he went he picked some up in the soles of his sneakers. They’d be going somewhere in the car and the heater would start working and that’s when the aroma of canine du jour would waft up to the front seat, sending his parents into a gagging, whining chorus of, “Awww, Jesus Christ on a stick, Shawn, not again!”

He’d be like, “What? What’d I do?” Butch would stop the car in a flurry of curses and he’d pile out and open the passenger door and examine his son’s feet and, sure enough, there’d be a dog turd smeared on the sole of his shoe.

“We don’t even have a Christly dog!” Butch would say as he helped Shawn clean up.

“That’s because he’s a Dog Poo Magnet,” Weezie would add. “Shawn is magnetically altered to pull in dog poo from all points of the globe. He is the north pole of dog poo. If you don’t believe me, look up Dog Poo Magnet in the dictionary and you’ll see a picture of our Shawnie.”

Of course, posting my own lookie-loo isn't enough; now I must tag five others. All of these bloggers, by the way, are writers I met at this summer's Muskoka Novel Marathon, and I chose them in honour of our marathon wrap-up event being held this Saturday in Huntsville. I had the BEST time at the marathon this year and can hardly wait to rub elbows with these guys and hear what they've been up to. 

Kevin Craig is a multi-published author and one of the kings of the novel marathon. It's amazing how fast and how well this guy writes. Also? He has literary tattoos, one for each of his books that have been published. So, as well as being king of the marathon, he's the king of cool. Srsly.

Lizann Flatt is one of Canada's best known children's authors and I had the absolute pleasure of sitting next to her at the marathon. A few years ago one of her books was selected to be involved in a very prestigious program which gives a children's book to every Grade One student in Canada. Lizann's book was chosen! How amazing is that? (Plus she's really sweet. Really sweet. Did I mention sweet?)

M-E Girard is hell on wheels. She is outrageous, outspoken and funny as the day is long. Lately her hilarious blog is ranty and raucous, just like she is. And I mean that in the nicest of all possible ways.

Sharon Ledwith gave me bling! She had bracelets and bookmarks from her new book, The Last Timekeepers, and she was handing them out to everybody at the marathon. I have worn the bracelet many times since and, whenever I do, I am reminded of how very, very nice Sharon is. 

Lori Twining? What's not to love about Lori Twining? She's a veritable cheerleader of life and her enthusiasm was full on and adorable at the marathon. Her blog is self-deprecating and charming, just like she is, and even after pulling an all-nighter at the marathon, she was still cheery and wonderful to be around.

Act now and you can have your tarot cards read for free! Also, a wee chat with Mizz Helen Howell

 Good  morning everyone! Of course it's not morning everywhere in blogland, especially in Australia where author Helen Howell is probably just crawling into bed as I'm polishing off my first cup of joe. You know Helen, right? She's one of my Friday Flash buddies, a writer who has just published her first book, a young adult novelette called Jumping At Shadows.

Not only have I read it, I had the distinct honour of being one of Helen's beta readers. I had never beta read an entire book before and, whew, I have new respect for all editors of all books (especially the lovely Mizz Laurita Miller who is currently editing my own). It's a lot of work! I mean, it's fun work, but it's still work, trying to help the author make it the best work she possibly can. Luckily Helen's book didn't need much polishing up and her story made the task a joy. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you can find it at Smashwords and Amazon.

In the meantime, did you know Helen reads tarot cards? Not only that, she's willing to give free readings to the first five people who speak up in the comments. FREE READINGS. I know, right? How cool is that? 

So go get your glass and put it up to the wall and listen in as me and lovely Helen have a wee chat.

Hey Helen!
How are things on your side of the world?
So I've put together a few questions for you and am hoping you'll have fun with the answers. Ready?

Okay here we go! ^__^

You're a magical woman, Helen Howell. Your new novelette, Jumping At Shadows, has a lot to do with magic and mystery, and it features a crystal ball on the cover. In real life you do tarot card readings. Which makes me wonder – how big a part does magic play in your own life and did your experiences play a part in the writing of your book?

Ah, life is full of magic! You just have to look around you to see. ^__^ I've always been, right from the start, what I suppose others call psychic. I don't like to use that label. But I have through different periods of my life seen ghosts, and sometimes just known when things are going to happen. I like to think of it as a tuned in intuition. Magic or the concept of magic and the imagination to believe in it, has always been part of me. I guess that's why I like to read among other things, middle grade fantasy. Hey what little girl doesn't want to believe there are fairies at the bottom of the garden?

My novella was not influenced by my belief in magic but rather by those books in the fantasy fiction genre I like to read. Alice in Wonderland being one of the first and I recently got a new illustrated edition of this. Harry Potter - read 'em all. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe just to name a few.

Jumping At Shadows is described as a magical adventure. My heroine Belle and her side kick Rosy, both love to read magical books. When they find themselves in the alternative world what they experience does seem like magic to them. But in reality all the gadgets that make things happen, with the exception of the crystals, were invented by Rhubost, (Belle's distant relative). So although the book has a strong magical feel to it, it could also be described as soft science fiction.

How DO you do a tarot reading and how much faith do you have in the results?

There are two schools of thought about how one reads tarot, that is the predictive reading or proactive reading. Predictive sort of speaks for itself. You tell the person what is going to happen. Proactive is where you help the seeker to make the best decision for themselves. Having said that, there is always a certain amount of prediction within a reading, but by doing proactive you help the person to see the advantages or pitfalls to certain directions. With proactive reading you encourage the seeker to ask open ended questions - for example, what, how, where - What do I need to do etc? or How can I improve my relationship with x? As opposed to asking: Does Fred love me? or will I get the job? Both these last two questions tend to need a yes no answer, which of course tarot can do, however it would be far more productive for example to ask What do I need to do to give myself the best shot at this job?

Tarot has long been thought of as a 'fortune telling' tool but it's so much more when used well. It can be a tool for self growth and one that helps you gain insight in order to make the best decisions for yourself. When I had a tarot reading website this is how I describe how I felt tarot worked:

I believe that the Tarot works in a way that connects to our energy and becomes a tool that enables contact with our higher self. This helps us to become enlightened about the choices we have and the possibilities that may be available, but remembers that we also have free will so those possibilities are changeable and depend on the choices we make.

When you have a reading the influence it may have on your life is that it can cause you to look where you have not thought to look before. By exploring beyond normal perception you can gain a more positive outlook, facilitate a greater understanding of yourself and your situation and in turn, empower you to make a better choice for yourself.

I have seen tarot help people to gain clarity and to go forward with more determination and direction in their life. So I certainly have faith in its ability to help people. But you know one should remember that tarot cards are just that, pieces of cardboard with images. Yes, the images do have a long history and within them are core meanings. But a reading is only as good as the reader. What I am saying is the magic is not in the cards but in the readers ability.

Belle and Rosy, the two main characters in Jumping At Shadows, are feisty, happy, charming girls living adventurous lives. Was your own girlhood similar to theirs? Are you more like Belle or Rosy?

I was more like Rosy I think. Rosy's a bit of a tom boy and so was I. Always willing to climb that tree and scrump those apples. ^__^ I've drawn on my own memories of school days in order to write this story, and it is set in around the early 60's. The tunnel they go through to get to the gym is the one I use to have to go through. I think even when we write fiction, there has to be some reality in it to be believable. That is where the similarity begins and ends.

How was the novel-writing/publishing experience for you? Would you do it again? Are you working on a sequel? Are you happy or disappointed with the self-publishing process and what pitfalls are there you would advise other writers to avoid?

This novella, (well it's a novella now but the original draft was around 60,000 words which I reduced to just under 50,000), took around 4 years from beginning to end. I worked on the first draft for 12 months, but took lots of breaks to write short stories and flashes etc. This helped me not get bogged down in it and come back each time with fresh eyes. I formed a plot outline but a fair way in I found it wasn't going to work, so had to sit down and rethink the plot. Having an imaginative son helped a lot at this stage. He and I had a brainstorming session to get it back on the road. Then came the edits, 6 times in all, but you can't escape the process.

I've left the book so that it can have a sequel, but right now I have another fantasy fiction on the back burner about a boy who thinks he has what it takes to be a wizard ^__^

Publishing was a learn as you go process. Fortunately I enlisted the help of my husband to do the formatting, but there still were kinks to iron out and the meat grinder at Smashwords thinks that people only use word - most frustrating when you work on a Mac. I think putting the thing together is the easiest part. As an Indi author the hardest part is promotion, you have to do it for yourself. Trying to find the fine line between getting your book out there and not annoying the public too much is tricky.

I think my advice to anyone who was planning to do this is, make sure you have your manuscript edited and polished, enlist beta readers to help you see where you may need to improve it. Don't try to skip the editing step, a first draft is rarely the best. Then when you're ready to publish, plan it and make your launch noticeable. Good luck.


I was wondering if you'd be willing to do tarot readings for those who would ask for it in the comments? You don't have to, of course, and I won't mention it if you'd rather not, but it might be fun.

Okay I would be willing to do 5 one card readings for the first five to put up their hands - they can only ask one question and preferably not one that requires a yes or no (difficult to do with one card) so perhaps you could guide them to ask their question with an open end like: 

What do I need to - or How can I etc. or Where should I etc. will get them the best results.

ALSO - Tell me a little bit about your fascinating life, what it's like to live in Australia (whereabouts exactly are you?); what it's like to live life a day ahead of the rest of the world (it kills me that you're going to bed when I'm waking up), what your family life is like (happy anniversary!) and what's UP with all your baking!!!! Geez, you're making the whole world hungry over there!

Thanks for the anniversary wishes, 39 years how time flies! Well, I was born in England where I stayed until I was 31 before moving to Australia. I started out my working life as a secretary, until I came to Australia then I moved into age care. fter that I became a massage therapist, then an instructor in an Adult Education Facility for intellectual disabilities. Left that and went to work in a spa as a remedial massage therapist. Now retired. I have done various things in my life, in England taught in a ballet school on Saturdays. When I came out here I joined a wine makers association and made my own country wines, for which I won two bronze and one silver medal. (Don't make wine any more, you can buy it by the cask these days ^_^). I was also a watercolour painter and exhibited my work for around 18 years. No longer do that. Around four years ago I took up fiction writing and that is what I put my energy into these days.

Australia was always called the lucky country, it has wide open spaces, beaches and for the most part a fair bit of sunshine. Coming from England I loved that fact that I could grow things in this climate outdoors that would only be seen in a hot house back home. I adore some of the wild life, (not the spiders or snakes) but the parrots that come visit my garden, that is until they eat my apples instead of their bird seed! The thing I really like about Australia is that you don't need lots of money to enjoy life. Our parks are free, our beaches are free, so all you need to do is pack up some sandwiches and head on out into the fresh air.

 Sometimes I feel living in the future makes me miss out on some fun chats! It's strange that I am waking up here when all of your are going to bed and I read the tweets and games and conversations that have gone on while I sleep.

Baking - I've always loved cooking. Not everyday meals that's boring stuff, but making special cakes or bread or preserves. There is nothing more satisfying that looking at a shelf filled with jars of things that you've made yourself. I've recently done a batch of orange and lemon marmalade - the lemon trees are dripping here at the moment. ^_^

Thanks for asking me over Cathy, I've enjoyed chatting and I've left you a jar of marmalade on the table over there!

MARMALADE! My favourite! (Can you imagine having lemon trees in your backyard? I certainly can't.) Thanks for that, Helen, and thanks for dropping by. It's always a pleasure having you here and best of luck with Jumping At Shadows. I hope you sell TONS of copies.

Now, the first five people who ask for it in the comments can have their tarot cards read by the illustrious Mizz Howell. She read mine a few months back and was bang on with everything she said. How much fun is that?

Helen Howell - Letter from a Friend

If there's anybody I'd like to have for tea it's Helen A. Howell.

She has such a lovely, calming, creative presence in my internet world that I just want to reach out and give her a squeeze. It would be a long reach, however. Helen lives in Australia. I live in Canada. It's summertime for her right now, while I'm socked in under January snow. She gets parrots at her birdfeeder. PARROTS! Can you imagine? I get chickadees. We're about as opposite as opposites get but, like all my internet friends, distance and differences dissolve in a melting pot of writerly like-mindedness.

Helen is one of my Friday Flash friends (try saying that three times fast). I started writing flash stories two years ago – I can honestly say it was a pivotal moment in my life. Not only did I discover the joy of writing fiction, I also discovered a circle of people who would become as familiar to me as real-life friends and family. From comments on each other's stories, to chatting on Facebook and Twitter, these folks are on a first name basis with me. All I have to say is, "I was talking to Lou," or, "I got an e-mail from Linda," and my husband knows who I'm talking about. Helen is one of these special people.

Recognize this? ^_^ It's practically Helen's trademark. She sprinkles it everywhere, in her Facebook comments, on her blog, in her letters – it's like a little happy face breadcrumb and if you follow it you will find one of the loveliest, cheeriest, most creative people in this great big world – my friend, Helen.

10th January 2012

My Dear Friend,

Well, here I am on a dull day in January, when it’s supposed to be our summer, yet grey clouds are thrown carelessly across the sky like a discarded blanket. As I look out the window of my office, I see my darling little bird feeding table. It’s in the shape of a house, white roof and red body; it’s always alive with the comings and goings of the feathered kind. I do love my garden and the time I spend in it—an oasis in a busy world.

A lot of my days are spent at the keyboard, penning in the modern way my ideas for stories. I‘ve nearly finished the last lot of edits to my novel. Did I tell you that when I first started writing three and half years ago I jumped in the deep end? Oh yes, I jumped straight in and wrote a novel—a fantasy fiction for children from eight years upwards—it took me twelve months. It is this novel that I am finally polishing.
I began fiction writing at the age of fifty-six and half . I never thought that I could be a writer, let alone write a novel. Yet when I unleashed my imagination, gave it free rein, it surprised me at what I could accomplish. They say the pen is mightier than sword don’t they? It is how one uses those words that creates joy or unhappiness. Words have such strength don’t they? They achieved so much. The thrill of a story; the excitement of an adventure, the sadness of a loss, the cut of a knife. I hope the words I have created in the last three and half years have entertained and brought a smile to the lips of those who read me, or a gasp as I attempt to thrill and chill.

I’ve always been creative and as a child I use to play theatre with my friends. We’d set up a mock stage and perform for anyone willing to watch. Then like all small girls I took ballet classes—little did I know that I would go on to be a ballet teacher. At the age of fifteen I even won a choreography competition, where I also designed the costumes for the dance I created. Such a long time ago now, it almost seems like it was another life.

In my late thirties I took up watercolour painting. I loved the feel of being able to create pictures with the stroke of a brush . I guess I was more impressionist than realist and I went on to follow that pursuit for over 18 years and exhibiting my work at various art shows. Painting, I think, is a lot like writing. You start with a blank piece of paper, it holds so much potential, promise and as you make the first stroke the picture begins to reveal itself. One is pulling together a vision and transforming it into a reality. In my 'about me' on my writing blog, I wrote: “Writing for me is like painting pictures with words. It is an expression of thought, feeling and imagination all drawn together to form one glorious vision of an initial idea.”

Now having recounted my creative endeavours from early childhood onwards, I wonder why I thought I could never write?

There is one thing I would also loved to have been able to do—sing. Yes, of course I can sing, but not necessarily in tune! I marvel at those who possess amazing voices and think it would be so splendid to have been one of them. Nevertheless, I have been blessed with certain gifts of creativity and I should not discount those things that I can achieve.

Oh I don’t think that I ever mentioned to you that I use to read tarot professionally — Madam Helen delves into the future - well stumbles around a bit ^_^. I say use to, because late last year I retired from professional reading and also as the co-author of the blog Tarot Notes Major and Minor—my ex tarot partner now runs it herself. I have had a love of tarot that spans thirty plus years, and I never cease to be amazed at how these little pieces of cardboard can get to the root of a problem. Is it the cards or is it the reader that holds the magic? I’ll leave you to decide that one.

Oh look, I’ve babbled on for such a long time, but I do hope that you will have enjoyed reading this and perhaps feel that you have got to know me just a little better. Right, back to those edits or that book will never be finished!

With fondest regards,

Helen A. Howell