tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47518206009656485642024-02-20T02:22:31.714-05:00Tara McTiernan's BlogA place where you can find out about women's fiction author Tara McTiernan...Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-86819820383186820922012-12-06T10:52:00.002-05:002013-01-07T10:26:21.388-05:00TaraMcTiernan.com - It's Official!Well, it's official! I've got a honest-to-goodness author website now. Check it out:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://taramctiernan.com/" target="_blank">http://taramctiernan.com/</a><br />
<br />
My husband, Ash, designed it and I just LOVE it! Though blogging is a great way to get your feet wet on the web as an author, blogging takes time away from writing, and, if you're a fan, you're not too happy about my books taking longer to get to you because I'm too busy blogging. So now I can devote myself to whatever novel I'm working on while still having a place on the web for fans to find out about my books, sign up to hear about new releases, etc. Let's face it - it's a very good thing!Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-66305753857609749662012-11-28T09:45:00.001-05:002013-03-04T10:41:02.325-05:00Great Stuff re Ebooks and Print Books<br />
Allison Morris reached out to me regarding her very cool and illuminating graphic/post that shows how ebooks and print books can coexist. I couldn't agree more and really wanted to share this article that can also be found on TeachingDegree.org, so see below!<br />
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<br />
<b></b> <a href="http://www.teachingdegree.org/2012/11/26/ebooks-vs-print-books/"><img alt="E-books Infographic" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/121102BooksFINAL.jpg" width="500" /></a>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-7237187370251700702012-10-16T13:00:00.000-04:002012-10-16T13:00:06.156-04:00True Ghost Story<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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member - though, of course, details have been changed to protect the innocent.
However, the ghost is 100% real and what happens related to the ghost in the story is
exactly what happened to my relative.<br />
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So, in honor of one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, I've
decided to re-publish the story here for free - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">October Twilight</i> (originally published in the October 2011 issue of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Ultimate Writer) -</i> and share it
with my fans. Enjoy...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3maSE6h0CwZ4N8JsamONXNL_G97Zddipwq1XhfLv3vxO87-syR2BaEB0LLiDSytxAE3fqsUpCU4O3Y41VgCcWRf8Y5BlqPuoMCoHeyqAttQIPfRemrQs8cgz6AqRncUKjpazTJopIWA/s1600/Fotolia_25798007_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3maSE6h0CwZ4N8JsamONXNL_G97Zddipwq1XhfLv3vxO87-syR2BaEB0LLiDSytxAE3fqsUpCU4O3Y41VgCcWRf8Y5BlqPuoMCoHeyqAttQIPfRemrQs8cgz6AqRncUKjpazTJopIWA/s320/Fotolia_25798007_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
OCTOBER TWILIGHT</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Tara McTiernan</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Copyright 2008 Tara
McTiernan</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Maggie was
on one of her Sunday get-out-of-the-house-before-you-lose-your-mind drives,
moving fairly slowly as no one was behind her, and that was probably why she
saw it at all. It was a small old graveyard, complete with a black wrought iron
fence full of curlicues and a gate. As it was nowhere near a church or even any
houses, she wouldn’t have thought to look. But she was drawn to graveyards
lately; they were the only places that felt comfortable and right these days. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>She
turned her wheel hard and pulled onto the high-grass and wildflower filled
shoulder. A few late black-eyed Susan’s leaned in her open passenger window as
if to ask her a question. Maggie looked at the flowers. “Don’t look at me. I’m
just crazy,” she said. She was talking to herself a lot recently, so it didn’t
seem strange to talk to flowers while she was at it.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">Glancing</span> in her rearview mirror to make sure no cars were coming up on her side, she opened the door and then walked back to the graveyard, looking around the area.
There weren’t any houses in sight, not even a lone driveway leading to some
house hidden by trees, just the thick woods and the road. The graveyard was set
a little back from the road and up on a rise. She climbed the crumbling brick
stairs to the gate and tried it. It was locked. The wrought iron fence was
Victorian in style, the pickets topped by pointed arrows as if telling the
souls where to go when they died. Go to Heaven and see little Brian, less than
a month old, too young to sin. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She shook her head. I won’t think about that
today. It’s Sunday, a good day, a family day. Only that was the problem. First
Brian had been taken from</div>
<a name='more'></a>her, and then John left because she couldn’t get over
Brian, double punishment for a crime she didn’t commit. She shook her head
again, more violently this time. Stop it!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Through
the gate, the old gravestones leaned in every direction, some broken, some
completely flat as if heaved from the ground, others sunken as if being dragged
down into the earth by the dead. Many were covered with moss and hard to read
from the gate. A few had carvings of skulls with wings above the worn away name
and date. The skulls stared at her. She turned away and started walking around
the outside of the fence, looking for a break. All around, except on the side
that faced the road, the woods pressed tightly to the edge of the fence,
forcing her to walk further into the woods than she wanted to in order to
continue. A few rusty-sounding crickets sawed out the last of their summer song
in the leaves that had already fallen. Most of the trees still held their
foliage and they blazed above in bursts of red and orange and yellow, a display
Maggie was numb to. Other than the crickets and the occasional sound of a
breeze passing through the treetops, the woods were silent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Maggie
weaved in and out, coming closer to the fence to find it still whole and
sturdy, being forced away by thickened areas of trees and shrubs blocking the
way. At one point, as she got closer the graveyard, she saw a white form that
seemed to be watching her from among the gravestones. She froze, and stared. It
didn’t move, but the prickling feeling of being watched remained. She walked
closer and saw that it was a statue of an angel standing over a grave she
hadn’t noticed earlier, all the way in the back of the cemetery. Being watched!
She chuckled and walked on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, she was back where she started. If she weren’t
wearing the summer weight cotton skirt and thin flats she’d thrown on that
morning, she would have tried to climb over the fence. It was one of those
Indian Summer days in early October in Connecticut, when the heat of the day
fools you and the minute the sun starts to sink lower in the sky you end up
with your arms wrapped tightly around you and your teeth chattering. Already
the heat had left the air. Maggie shivered and felt that prickling feeling
again. What is that? Forget it, I’m just being paranoid. I’ll come back
tomorrow with my camera, wearing jeans, and get in there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was taking a photography class with Continuing Education
at the local high school, one of her best friend Lauren’s many suggestions to
help her grief-stricken friend get out of the house. Maggie smiled, thinking of
Lauren, sunny and elfin, her short black hair sticking out every which way, her
green eyes smiling. Lauren and her husband, Bob, had invited her over for
dinner that night. Maggie hoped they weren’t going to invite any more eligible
bachelors. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t even officially divorced yet, but
everyone was trying to set her up, get her out, help her. With the exception of
Lauren, it all just felt like a swarm of buzzing flies around her head, getting
in her ears, flying at her eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So, what do you do?” Tim asked. Lauren and Bob had invited
Tim, a very cute bachelor, to dinner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m an office manager at Imtek in Weston. You?” Maggie
listened politely as he told her about his job as a pharmaceutical rep. He was
definitely the type: handsome enough, charming, chatty. She could tell he liked
her, which made her sad. Here was this perfectly great guy, and she couldn’t
feel anything. She felt like telling him he was drawing at a dry well. Instead,
she smiled and asked him questions about himself, her mama’s good girl ‘til the
end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They moved from cocktails and cheese and crackers to steaks off
the grill to coffee and apple pie. Finally, Tim left, tucking her phone number
into his pocket and promising to call her the next night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was watching his
car back out of the driveway when Lauren came up behind her and hugged her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, I’m so psyched for you! Isn’t he the greatest? I knew
you guys would hit it off!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tim’s car disappeared, and Maggie heaved a huge sigh. “Phew!
Thank God he’s gone.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What? Maggie!” Lauren released her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie turned around to face her friend. “When are you going
to learn? I’m so not ready!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re going to let this ruin your life, aren’t you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, no, I’m not. I just need some time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What, to hide out in your house? To lurk around in
graveyards?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie brightened. “Speaking of graveyards…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lauren turned and walked away towards the kitchen. “Mags,
I’m warning you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie followed her into the cheerful red and white kitchen
and watched Lauren start filling the sink to wash the pots and pans from
dinner. “What? It’s just a subject for my photo class, the class you suggested.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, I think it’s morbid. Why not do a series on
wildflowers or –wait - fall foliage! I mean, right now, we have the world’s
most beautiful fall foliage. You could include some of the local old New
England architecture, like a church or something. That would be fantastic!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You should see this old graveyard I found today. I mean,
it’s got to be from the 1800’s. It has this amazing wrought iron fence around
it and these mossy gravestones all leaning different directions. I could
probably work in some foliage, too. That’s a good suggestion.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lauren shut off the tap and turned to face Maggie. “You know
that’s not what I meant. It’s been over a year. You need to move on, be happy.
You deserve it. I think you need to move out of that house, get a condo. That
old place is too full of memories. And you better go out with Tim! He’s perfect
for you!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie looked at her friend’s sweet heart-shaped face and
knitted brow. “Okay! I’ll go out with him! But one time! I’m not promising
anything more than that.”<br />
<br />
She didn’t mention the house. She wouldn’t even
discuss it. It had been love at first sight three years ago, with its
wraparound porch and old converted barn that operated as a garage and a studio
for John. Well, now the studio was empty, but she’d fill it. And the big tree
in the backyard, complete with a tire swing. She used to imagine the early
years, little Brian paddling in one of those plastic pools in the shade of the
huge oak, then growing bigger and swinging on the swing. Still older, he would
be climbing the tree to the very top, making her worry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all her loyal thoughts, she expected the house to
envelop her in familiarity and sweet-smelling home when she walked through the
kitchen door. Instead the place seemed cold, indifferent. Even the grandfather
clock ticking in the hall, one of her favorite sounds, seemed to echo hollowly
across the painstakingly refinished floorboards. She turned on the light.
Everything was where she left it, neat, lined up. Suddenly, the kitchen seemed
all askew, as if something wasn’t right. She inspected the curtains to see if
they were straight, refolded her antique cotton dishcloths with their bright
oranges and cherries merrily dancing across them. She looked at the prints of
fruits and flowers she and John had picked out. Why did nothing work in this
room? She went from room to room and each seemed wrong for the first time,
instead of her usual verdict of perfect. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lauren. This is all your fault,” Maggie said to her empty
guest room. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She walked into the bathroom and looked at her refection in
the mirror above the sink. I’m tired. That’s all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She went to bed, needing every blanket in the cedar chest at
the foot of her bed to feel warm. Even with four blankets, she shivered until
she fell asleep on her side of the bed, still leaving the other side empty, as
if expecting John’s return.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2ekqjhta07dgGGHXQLQA4b7TX9PKBmi8Z5Pi9AN8qc4dVaARzpdas4jpGtSzc-VbB7PGp-TdvT1-jqwLy3vMBTGFaKAK1KudeLaR6ehGZ-I-S4F1esPZxMYMTz9hqbJVeBgmvRwoXcY/s1600/graveyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2ekqjhta07dgGGHXQLQA4b7TX9PKBmi8Z5Pi9AN8qc4dVaARzpdas4jpGtSzc-VbB7PGp-TdvT1-jqwLy3vMBTGFaKAK1KudeLaR6ehGZ-I-S4F1esPZxMYMTz9hqbJVeBgmvRwoXcY/s320/graveyard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After work the next day she drove straight to the graveyard,
packing her camera this time and wearing the jeans and sneakers she’d changed
into in the bathroom stall at work. The sun had fallen behind the trees,
shooting bright bolts of light between the leaves into her eyes as she climbed
the stairs to the gate, the wind gusting occasionally and sending dry leaves
scuttling down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie walked to a little rise outside of the fence, giving
her a few extra inches of a boost. She dangled and dropped the camera on the
other side of the fence and then put her hands on the cold wrought iron and
hoisted herself over, one of the arrow points catching hold of the edge of her
back pocket. There was a zipping sound of the pocket tearing, and then Maggie
was loose and over. She rubbed her butt to see how bad the tear was, but it had
only loosened the bottom half of the pocket. She picked up her camera and looked
around. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A cricket was occasionally creaking away, but other than
that it was quiet. Maggie walked around, examining the headstones, taking
photos at angles where she would get the late-day sunlight coming through the
trees with a headstone in the foreground. In one corner of the graveyard, near
the back, there was branch of a nearby maple tree, thick with bright orange
leaves, hanging low. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here’s some fall foliage for ya,” Maggie said and walked
closer. She squatted and got a row of small headstones and the leaves in the
shot. Squinting through the viewfinder, she saw something white in the corner
of the frame move. She pulled the camera away from her eyes and looked. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing. But the tickling watched feeling she had felt in the woods yesterday
was back. Someone was here. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She stood and looked around. Where were they hiding?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello?” she called. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She started walking slowly, searching. After an entire
circuit of the graveyard, she’d found nothing but gravestones, overgrown grass,
and the tall statue of the angel over a grave marked Sarah Lockwood and the
dates 1901 – 1929. It was the only grave not dated sometime in the 1800’s. What
town had this cemetery been for? It certainly wasn’t a family cemetery; there
were too many different last names. Why was this one grave added so much later? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was getting cold and dark, the sky turning a deep royal
blue overhead, tiny clouds catching the last rosy rays of the sunset. Maggie
took a last look around the graveyard, dropped her camera on the other side of
the fence as she had done before, and then started climbing over. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like a cold breeze, a voice behind her whispered. “Don’t
go.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie gave a little scream and turned to look over her
shoulder. Behind her stood a white form, its face that of a young woman, the
eyes black holes in its paleness, the mouth open as if to speak again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then it was gone, as if a switch had been thrown.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie scrambled over the fence, her feet landing with a
sickening crunch on top of her camera. She let out another shriek, looked down
at her broken camera and then back at the graveyard. Empty. Still the cold
tickling feeling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She snatched up the camera and the pieces she could pick up,
leaving the broken pieces of lens on the ground and ran down the stairs, taking
two at a time. She jumped into her car, throwing the camera and its pieces in
the passenger seat. An SUV roared past just as she shut the door, headlights
temporarily blinding her. She revved the engine and hit the gas, spinning the
tires before they gained purchase. Then she was speeding away, down the curving
purple twilit road toward home. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just get home. Just get home,” she whispered to herself as
she drove, taking risks she usually wouldn’t take, wheeling around other cars,
pushing through yellow-turned-red lights. She didn’t look in her rear-view
window or she would have seen that she had a passenger, fading in and out in
shades of white and grey, black eyes lively, sitting in the back seat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zPd9V8hIYz2c-D0KyqKWGu32c-9S1-9mFOntw_MvCx5cLItsyHdye8uNDuXp46VFFsRma9bn7MMwqEAuq7XK4sC_vmslhKO-oYdjLib8i7Xg_tI6IfcjXONhNaim2TPak1W8vtlLjZ0/s1600/Ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zPd9V8hIYz2c-D0KyqKWGu32c-9S1-9mFOntw_MvCx5cLItsyHdye8uNDuXp46VFFsRma9bn7MMwqEAuq7XK4sC_vmslhKO-oYdjLib8i7Xg_tI6IfcjXONhNaim2TPak1W8vtlLjZ0/s320/Ghost.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lauren, you’re right, graveyards are morbid.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, it’s about time. What’s up? Are you home? Can I call
you right back?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie sat down at her kitchen table, cradling the phone
with both hands to her face. “No, no, Lauren! Just talk to me for a minute.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s just that I’ve got some spaghetti sauce boiling over
and the phone doesn’t reach that far. Listen, I’ll call you right back.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Please, just for a minute.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>“What’s
the matter?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hold on a sec. I’ve just got to turn that down before it
burns. Don’t go anywhere.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m not,” Maggie said in the smallest possible voice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She waited, clutching the phone, and felt the cold tickling
again. She turned her head and looked into the living room. Black eyes looked
back at her from the wing chair by the fireplace. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello,” it whispered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie’s eyes grew wide as she stared at the beautiful
wraith from the graveyard, white wisps dissipating out into the air around it,
sitting in her living room. She gripped the phone so hard with sweaty hands
that it slipped and fell with a clatter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay, I’m back,” Lauren said from the phone on the floor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Go away,” Maggie breathed at the creature.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’re lonely,” it whispered. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sarah? Are you Sarah?” The angel statue, the 20th century
grave.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It nodded, white wisps around it seeming to reach toward Maggie.
“You’re just like me. All alone.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hello?” Lauren called.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What was that
cemetery? Why was it like that?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ghost just shook its head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Leave, go away,” Maggie croaked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maggie? Are you there?” Lauren said, her voice taking on an
edge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ghost’s face turned horribly mournful, black eyes
becoming deep pits. “You don’t want me either. No one wanted any of us.” Then
it was gone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suddenly Maggie remembered a story she had heard years
before about a local graveyard of outcasts: the mentally ill, the borderline
criminals, wanderers. Was that it? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie leapt to her feet and stepped into the living room.
Icy cold enveloped her, her breath coming out in clouds in front of her. She
hesitantly walked toward the wing chair. The cushion was still plumped. She
placed her hand on it and it was freezing cold. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She looked around the room at
the antiques she and John had so carefully picked out together, going to estate
sales and little antique stores and auctions to collect them. It was suddenly
all so dry and stale and dead. She wanted everything fresh and new and smelling
of sawdust and manufacturing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maggie! I’m coming over there!” Lauren called from the
kitchen floor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maggie ran for the phone, grabbed at it and made it skitter
across the floor. Finally she had it in her hands. “Lauren?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maggie! Oh, my God! You totally freaked me out!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lauren, I’m selling the house. I’m going to get a condo
with big skylights, lots and lots of skylights. Really modern.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Maggie, what are you talking about? I mean, that’s fantastic,
but I thought it would take a lot more to unglue you from that place. But wait
a second, modern? You hate modern stuff.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not any more. Listen, I better get off the phone so I don’t
tie up the line when Tim calls. That’s right, I’ve got to get call waiting…and
a cell! No more old-fashioned Maggie. Oh, and by the way, feel free to set me
up with anyone else you think would be right for me,” Maggie said. She looked
toward the living room and the empty wing chair. “You’re right, it’s time to
get rid of the ghosts and memories.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I think I’m having a heart attack. I better sit down.
Maggie!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And no more graveyards.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m dying here!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t you dare!” Maggie said and they both laughed,
Maggie’s laugh high and hysterical with relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Her eyes kept darting back
toward the living room, checking, but the room stayed empty. They talked for
over an hour; the living room growing warm while Lauren’s spaghetti dinner grew
cold, Maggie finally planning her future while her best friend cheered her on.</div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-74133311873258754132012-10-02T13:00:00.000-04:002012-10-02T13:00:05.193-04:00Coming Soon: Cocktail Hour<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXOgC4dr5_W9hYIlDjxt5UU-_iYWtWJl7YUWx6LirMXZBVWydB5VAIYO6JlBhQxR-RNQOYhwFPHolzoRfB4R-MKwzw9FSUk23Fcv1sEWY_oQzw-AkJvsP-cv6doUMQkf3kx4MoNUKg9o/s1600/CocktailHour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXOgC4dr5_W9hYIlDjxt5UU-_iYWtWJl7YUWx6LirMXZBVWydB5VAIYO6JlBhQxR-RNQOYhwFPHolzoRfB4R-MKwzw9FSUk23Fcv1sEWY_oQzw-AkJvsP-cv6doUMQkf3kx4MoNUKg9o/s320/CocktailHour.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I know, you're probably wondering - where's the bar? No, I'm
talking about my second novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cocktail
Hour</i>! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right now we're in the editing process and then a cover will need to
be designed, but it's looking good for my next book to be released in either
December or January (hope, hope!). So, for those of you who have been
interested in seeing more of my work - it's a comin'!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What's it about?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's the official product description:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cocktail Hour</i>, where the elite meet and everything
sparkles...especially knives in the back.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What if your friend -
someone admired, envied, and fervently sought after by everyone who knew her - was
really a dangerous sociopath? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her
latest novel, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cocktail Hour</b>, mainstream
fiction author Tara McTiernan answers that question as she takes you on a wild
roller-coaster ride of thrilling highs and terrifying lows in this gripping
novel about friendship gone horribly wrong.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spring in glamorous
uber-rich Fairfield County, Connecticut is a time of beginnings: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a new diet for the approaching summer spent
out on the yacht, fresh-faced interns being offered up at the office as the
seasonal sacrifice to the gods of money, and corporate takeovers galore. Five
women in their thirties have a brand-new friendship, too, one that fed and
watered regularly at local hotspots over cocktails. With all of their personal
struggles - Lucie's new catering business is foundering due to vicious gossip,
Kate's marriage is troubled due to an inability to conceive, Chelsea's series
of misses in the romance department have led to frantic desperation, and Sharon's
career problems are spinning out of control - the women look forward to a break
and a drink and a chance to let their guards down with their friends. And
letting their guards down is the last thing they should do in the kind of
company they unknowingly keep with the fifth member of their cocktail-clique:
Bianca Rossi, a woman who will stop at nothing to have it all.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As each woman's life
is affected by this she-wolf in sheep's clothing, the truth starts to come out,
but will they see it before it's too late? Or will their doubts about their own
perceptions and gut feelings stop them from protecting themselves in time?
Exciting, chilling, and emotionally charged, Tara McTiernan delivers a
delicious page-turner that will change your view of everyone you think you
know.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does that sound? Very excited to hear reader reactions
to this book once it's released...</div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-62829718548958745352012-09-18T11:13:00.000-04:002012-09-18T11:13:40.727-04:00The Agony and the Editing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMO8oerN6kp3x3FR1NricZOTa2WtpvRZwBHeQ_nARB0XJPNrfQRICOSoVlqciXmNAAo-VMtfnfgjlDy1-NYcH9N9g0NFi3eeQkSvneb8f3yF0sgB6cB-9nAU6V-EYnRfSSvJ635D6fx4/s1600/AgonyEditing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMO8oerN6kp3x3FR1NricZOTa2WtpvRZwBHeQ_nARB0XJPNrfQRICOSoVlqciXmNAAo-VMtfnfgjlDy1-NYcH9N9g0NFi3eeQkSvneb8f3yF0sgB6cB-9nAU6V-EYnRfSSvJ635D6fx4/s320/AgonyEditing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you've ever read a poorly edited book, you know agony. I
mean <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">pain</b>. Most people don't even
continue reading. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if you're a writer today - traditionally published or
indie - you must learn how to edit your own writing and do it so well that you
don't need much professional editing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Traditional publishers rarely spend a lot on editing any of
their author's books, including bestselling novelists. They just don't have the
budget for heavy editing. So if you want your book accepted by a publishing
house, you better get that sucker cleaned up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indie writers usually can't afford extensive editing. You must
hire someone to edit your work, but you'll pay for their time and if you didn't
do a ton of editing of your own before sending it out, count on a hefty bill
(to the tune of thousands of dollars, money you may never recoup in sales no
matter how convinced you are that your novel will be a runaway success (this is
kind of like expecting to win the lottery)). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following are some suggested steps based on how I edit
my own novels and hope it will be helpful to fellow writers. For you readers
out there, you can see the amount of hard work that goes into those books you
devour, books that may seem effortless and a pure pleasure to create for the
author. Yes, writing has many great joys, but it is hard - sometimes agonizing
- work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Copy Editing Tips
from the Trenches</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Soft" Edit</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This should be your first method of editing. Edit within the
live document (not printed). I recommend at least two soft edits. Be careful to
keep the story as-is. The part of you that wrote the story and is the creator
is better at storytelling than the editing part of you. They are literally
different parts of your brain. Just fix things like:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Awkward sentences or paragraphs</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Grammar (except for fragments - they can work to
add punch to your writing if used correctly)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Spelling</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Overused words</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Overused descriptions</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Continuity issues. Example: a character is
wearing a green sweater and then suddenly it's red with no explanation.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Story timeline issues. Example: the dinner party
lasted three hours but dessert was served four hours after the party started. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Clichés, unless they're meant to be
tongue-in-cheek/a joke or used in dialogue. Lots of people use clichés in
speech, but a novelist who describes their character as "sleeping like the
dead" or "screaming like a Banshee" should be hung by their
thumbs for a day and made to sing Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" over
and over again for a crowd of angry mental patients.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Update and research facts. You can't have things
happening in your novel that are impossible. Even if you write sci-fi or
fantasy, the things that happen have to be realistic in the world you've
created.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hard Edit</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is when you print out your book and grab a red pen or
red pencil. It's </div>
<a name='more'></a>amazing how many things you will find that you missed on the
screen. Edit for the same things you did during the soft edit.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Read Aloud Edit</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one of the best tools I've found to find mistakes I
couldn't see after multiple edits. Simply sit in front of the screen and softly
read the manuscript aloud. Boy, will it make your brain leak out of your ears
when you see how many mistakes are still there. Also, this is a great way of
testing your dialogue. If it sounds wrong out loud, you'll have some tweaking
to do in order to make it sound right. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alternate Format Edits</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Making your manuscript into an ebook via free software like
Calibre or changing the word size on your file or implementing any other structural
changes to your document will help you find even more errors and is a great way
to do a final check before sending your book to a professional copyeditor. If
you need help learning how to edit, I highly recommend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Self-Editing for Fiction Writers </i>by Renni Browne and Dave King. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, that's it! After I finish the first draft, I let the
manuscript "rest" for six weeks before editing, a great technique for
getting perspective on the work that I heard about through Stephen King. Then I
perform about six thorough edits/polishes in addition to a pro editor. I
actually enjoy editing, especially now that I understand that you don't edit
the story, just any faulty or confusing writing/telling of the story. Lots of
people think that editing is rewriting. NO! Do NOT rewrite. If it's that bad,
delete it and start over fresh. You'll have learned from the experience of
writing and your next version will be far better. </div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-57803099952623123302012-09-05T11:32:00.000-04:002012-09-05T11:32:54.713-04:00Beta Readers Rock<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeq_Om3c68f2vmHyUmmmEOonMe1v8FbBAqaAVU193gT3mFkM2D4cHoJCL6h75Cm_xcpMKhISa6fXFJZNRn_Js0XpbfJNZigIDW-o4N4IX9FDA_U8JrPnUnARim06HB3RCA5UG31GqWy8/s1600/BetaReaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeq_Om3c68f2vmHyUmmmEOonMe1v8FbBAqaAVU193gT3mFkM2D4cHoJCL6h75Cm_xcpMKhISa6fXFJZNRn_Js0XpbfJNZigIDW-o4N4IX9FDA_U8JrPnUnARim06HB3RCA5UG31GqWy8/s1600/BetaReaders.jpg" /></a></div>
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Think your own editing and a pro-editor is enough? Think
again!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I finished editing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot
Girls </i>I knew that even though I'd gone over the manuscript too many times
to count, I still needed many more pairs of eyes to see it and tell me about
any flaws or problems or other issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, not just one other pair of eyes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many
</i>and preferably not someone who would just say it was wonderful because they
loved me. Like my mother.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, I put out a request to all my Facebook friends and got
five wonderful women who were willing to read the book and give me feedback. Let
me tell you, it was a fantastic thing and a must-do for any writer,
particularly if it is a first or second book and you're still learning the
ropes. </div>
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<br /></div>
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How do you get Beta Readers? Here are a few tips from my
experience:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Avoid asking anyone you think might just praise
your writing no matter how bad it is. You're looking for feedback, not
flattery. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Likewise, avoid asking anyone you think tends to
be overcritical. If they tear apart everything, your poor book will be torn
apart, too, and that won't help you at all. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Offer your beta readers either an ebook or a
bound galley of some kind. Do not give them a huge printed wad of a manuscript
- think about making it as convenient as possible for them. I offered an ebook
in any format they wanted and used Calibre to create them (proofed them, too,
before sending to make sure they weren't an illegible mess).</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Tell your Beta Readers that they will be
mentioned in the Acknowledgements (and do it) as well as receive a print copy
once the book is published for their library. Of course, make sure they
actually want a print copy (almost all of mine did). </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>When you get feedback, thank them for their time
and help and note what their issues with the book were. Do not feel that you
have to make every suggested change, but be open to it - otherwise, why bother
asking for feedback? If more than one person finds the same problem, you HAVE
to fix it. If you can't figure out how to fix it, either join a writer's workshop
and submit it or get a developmental editor to help you with that section/part
of the book. But if more than one person had a problem with anything in the
book, the majority of readers will have the same problem and that must be fixed
before any readers buy the book (and subsequently get pissed off, rightly so).</li>
</ul>
<br />
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Hope this helps and, while I'm talking Beta Readers, a big
shout-out to mine is in order. My eternal gratitude to Elise Gallivan, Tanya
Hale, Yvette Hochberg, Rita Morgan, and Tanya Wells for your help and wisdom -
you are all goddesses!</div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-15824361599209004862012-08-21T11:05:00.000-04:002012-08-21T11:06:41.619-04:00Readers Group Guide - Barefoot Girls<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17EdpbepM7q7nohh6TDUakbqHT5AOwx-9LGdEwnC562Cq5cBeGYDnHfDhYqeitVJVM7RkIKDxvmiyv02zsmYfadHntj6_4DQLpllhvTvvF4RQm9fZkAEKPDkpuINE2Pd7uvnOfxIpiJE/s1600/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17EdpbepM7q7nohh6TDUakbqHT5AOwx-9LGdEwnC562Cq5cBeGYDnHfDhYqeitVJVM7RkIKDxvmiyv02zsmYfadHntj6_4DQLpllhvTvvF4RQm9fZkAEKPDkpuINE2Pd7uvnOfxIpiJE/s320/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
Reading
groups and clubs are one of the best, most foolproof ways to find great books.
Why? Almost everyone who is in such a group is an avid reader. They've been
around the block and back and can usually recommend a great novel for their
book club to read and discuss. That means a much better lineup of books on your
shelf or in your e-reader that you can look forward to reading with pleasure.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i> was being read and
evaluated by my wonderful group of beta readers, one of my readers and friends,
Elise, said that a group discussion guide would be perfectly suited to this
book: one that covers many issues that matter to women (while it entertains).
As a result, said guide was created and included in the back of the book. Yet,
it's not easy to reach unless you've downloaded the novel or bought a paper
copy, so here it is in all its glory for book lovers out there who are looking
for a guide for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls:</i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">READERS GROUP GUIDE: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i> by Tara McTiernan</b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Book Description</i></div>
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When her hometown newspaper reviews Hannah O’Brien’s newly
released novel, the nature of her book is called into question when the
reviewer suggests it is a memoir depicting her neglectful alcoholic mother –
Keeley O’Brien Cohen, the most beloved of the Barefoot Girls -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a little too accurately for fiction, citing
rumors rather than sources. Deeply hurt and betrayed, Keeley cuts Hannah out of
her life. Desperate, Hannah does everything she can to apologize and explain,
but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the rest of Hannah’s life starts to
unravel, pushing her to risk her engagement to Daniel, the one man who had been
able to scale the high walls around her heart. </div>
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At the eleventh hour, the Barefoot Girls are able to
convince Keeley to send Hannah the keys to the Barefooter house, the home and
heart of their friendship. Barred from their clubhouse since she was twelve,
Hannah grabs the chance to visit the little shack filled with memories and
perched at the tip of Captain’s Island in the Great South Bay on Long Island, New
York. </div>
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As Hannah battles to come to terms with her equally blessed
and troubled childhood and understand her mother and her sister-close friends,
she’s confronted with the power of forgiveness and the dangers of holding on to
the past.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">READING GROUP QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR
DISCUSSION</b></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">There were several
fascinating settings in the novel: Manhattan and Park Avenue society, the
wealthy enclaves of Greenwich and Westport, Connecticut, and remote rustic
Captain’s Island (a fictionalized composite of several small islands on
Long Island, New York). Which one did you find most intriguing and why? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Hannah is lost is the world
at the beginning of the novel, slowly finding her way and growing more
confident, even demanding, as the<a name='more'></a> novel progresses. Did you relate to her?
What about her reminded you of yourself?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">The four Barefoot Girls are a
rare group of life-long friends. Have you ever wanted friends like that?
Do you already have them? Did you feel that the book genuinely touched on
what it’s like to be part of a gang of girls? What parts were most vivid
to you?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">One of the themes of the
novel is the unique relationship between mothers and daughters. Did you
feel that the book adequately described the challenges of being a mother?
What about the experience of being a daughter? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Some of the Barefooters were
raised in happy homes (Zooey and Amy and, to a lesser degree, Pam) and
some were abused as children (Keeley). How well did you think the story
addressed childhood abuse? What about Hannah’s frequent abandonment by
Keeley as a child? Did you feel that the book adequately addressed the
fallout of childhood abuse and/or neglect?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Rose is one of the dominant
antagonists in the story. Did you think that she was realistic? Did she
remind you of someone from your youth? How did you react to her mental
breakdown and final acts of violence? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Keeley has suppressed the
memories of her painful childhood and even some of her early years raising
Hannah. What do you think the author is saying about suppression of
memories and the consequences of "putting the past behind us"
without examining it?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Amy and Pam are both strong
characters who bicker frequently yet remain friends. What do you think
holds their friendship together? What friendships have you had that are
similarly fraught?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Daniel is a player who has
finally been caught by cupid's arrow and faces the inner challenge of not
being able to escape the love he feels for Hannah and the outer challenges
of Hannah's ambivalence and his former wing-man Brian's efforts to break
up his engagement. Do you believe that a playboy can reform and be in a
committed marriage? What future do you see for the couple? </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">In Keeley and Zo's final
confrontation about Hannah's upbringing, Zo said," We do the best we
can in this crazy world, we make our stupid mistakes, but if we have love
and we show it to each other, nothing can be that wrong that it can’t be
fixed.” How is the concept of love's healing power important in the novel?</li>
</ol>
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Hoping this helps facilitate lots of fascinating
conversations!</div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-77709301855340865322012-08-08T14:20:00.001-04:002013-02-25T10:32:57.057-05:00Marilyn Monroe - The Woman Who Never Got Out of Character<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<i>"I have too many fantasies to be a housewife. I guess I am a fantasy."<br />-Marilyn Monroe</i><br />
<br />
On the 50th anniversary of her tragic death questions still remain about Marilyn Monroe, but after reading many of her quotes and books about her, what struck me most was that she made me think of a character in a book or a movie: a lovely, otherworldly, and wise character, the kind of character every writer wants to create (I certainly do). And that led me to question: was Marilyn Monroe Norma Jean's creation? An artificial persona intended to excite and enchant others, to become their fantasy? A character she concocted and played for the rest of her life, onscreen and off?<br />
<br />
I say, yes, without a doubt. <br />
<br />
Norma Jean Baker played a character for most of her life, a character she called "her" who wiggled her hips and fluttered her eyelashes and spoke in a breathy voice. A beguiling character who was vulnerable and sexual at the same time - a rare thing in the fifties when vulnerability was tied up by the good girls and sexuality was considered "fast" and "tough" - and one that played to our hopes and dreams about the American woman. <br />
<br />
Watch her in movies and then watch her in interviews: she is always playing the same character and no one ever played Marilyn Monroe, the star and legend, better (though many have tried). She lived to be a star and for her<br />
<a name='more'></a>fans, to the point of losing the love she desperately desired, driving away her husbands and lovers. One of her husbands, Arthur Miller, said, "She was a super-sensitive instrument, and that's exciting to be around...until it starts to self-destruct." Joe DiMaggio left her after they fought about her super-sexy skirt-lifting scene in <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>. They were attracted to her because she played Marilyn Monroe. They were driven away from her because she played Marilyn Monroe<br />
<br />
Why did Norma Jean create Marilyn? How much of Marilyn the character was Norma Jean? And what did her life-long act do for and to her? We know it made her a star - but did it play a role in her death? Was being a character 24/7 enough to drive her to and then over the brink? Everyone knew she needed champagne to get through the day and sleeping pills to get through the night: that's a lethal combination. Most experts agree that an accidental overdose was the cause of death (though there are plenty of theories out there, this is the only proven one). It seems that, instead of the mafia or famous politicians, what killed Norma Jean was being Marilyn Monroe...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ul7RshPanMc" width="420"></iframe>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-44700305387543087962012-08-01T13:00:00.001-04:002012-08-01T13:00:47.333-04:00How to Get the Most Out of GoodReads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5pKlRQkrzugxQF9BRsJqsisChSXnVSlbonUifYhOijU7t1W_HVwl1OPZwlWkTZ07QTWF61MUuQv8CJJsijGd9MsLuyybPoZHdSobqfbWTg7pUx274iQu7kRRQGY32IlXeg8lfWfD2oc/s1600/GoodReads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5pKlRQkrzugxQF9BRsJqsisChSXnVSlbonUifYhOijU7t1W_HVwl1OPZwlWkTZ07QTWF61MUuQv8CJJsijGd9MsLuyybPoZHdSobqfbWTg7pUx274iQu7kRRQGY32IlXeg8lfWfD2oc/s320/GoodReads.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I love GoodReads. Not because I'm a writer - but because I'm a reader. Reading was and is my first love. Being caught up in a great story inspired me to dream of writing great stories myself. <br />
<br />Of all the sites out there for readers, nothing rivals GoodReads. However, many people join GoodReads, rate a few books, and forget about it, not understanding that the site is a <b>tool </b>for readers, not just a place to review books. Using GoodReads properly will help you find better books and find more enjoyment in them. It's easier to share what you're reading with friends and get fantastic spot-on book recommendations. It's a playground and a virtual book-loving heaven for bibliophiles!<br />
<br />So how do you use it "properly"?<br />
<br /><b>Top Five Ways to Get the Most Out of GoodReads</b><br />
<br /><i>1) Rate and Review</i><br />Everyone rates and reviews a few books, but what you really want to do is rate (review if you have time) every book you've read. This is important as GoodReads then recommends books based on those ratings. Automatically - just click on "recommendations" and there will be tons of them, all targeted to you. But the only way that GoodReads will yield the kind of results that will help you find the next book you want to read is if you rated enough books in the first place!<br />
<br /><i>2) Giveaways</i><br />Under the "Explore" pull down menu is a wealth of GoodReads goodness, but one of the best things, especially for those of us looking for a risk-free way to try out new authors, is GoodReads giveaways! With a simple click,<br />
<a name='more'></a> you sign up to win a free book that will be mailed to you by the publisher or author. Zero risk. Zero cost. One hundred percent awesomeness! (FYI - for writers, the giveaways on GoodReads are an outstanding way to build buzz about your book. You have a targeted audience - people on GoodReads like to read, after all - and you can get them thinking about your book, even buying it if they don't win a copy. My recent giveaway of <i>Barefoot Girls</i> had 2042 people signed up in only 12 days and 492 people added it to their "to read" shelves!)<br />
<br /><i>3) Book Clubs</i><br />If you're as busy as the rest of us, you probably want to join a book club but just don't have the time. Enter GoodReads. They have book clubs and discussion groups of all kinds and you can participate from the comfort of your own home, maybe between doing chores around the house or while the baby is napping. Talk about convenient! Yet, you get all of the benefits of an in-person book club: the fascinating and even heated discussions, the book recommendations from other readers that you grow to know and like, and a motivation to pick up a new book and give it a try. There are also fan clubs for particular authors if you have a favorite writer you'd like to discuss or Q&A with on a regular basis. GoodReads is a veritable hive of book-loving activity and the best place online for readers out there.<br />
<br /><i>4) Quotes</i><br />Under "Explore" there is also a section called "fun" and I have to say my favorite is the quotes area. Feeling down in the dumps? Go to GoodReads quotes and find inspiration as well as laughter. You can mark quotes as favorites and see what your friends love and even find quotes from your favorite writers. I love how going to that section is always so uplifting and I visit it frequently. Under "fun" there are also trivia games and quizzes to take, so the entertainment doesn't end with great quotes.<br />
<br /><i>5) Friends and Family</i><br />One of those questions we all mean to ask people we know and often forget to is, "Read any good books lately?" Well, if you make a point of reaching out to your friends and family members on GoodReads, you'll not only know what books they like or dislike, you can see what they thought of any recent books they've finished right on your home page in the feed! That way, you don't have to search to see, it's delivered to you, giving you ideas of what book you'd like to read next, or skip after all when you hear your friend's scathing review of a book you were considering. This is also very handy if you like to buy books for friends as gifts: you'll know exactly what they're reading, have read, and are planning to read. Handy, huh? <br />
<br />So, if you're on GoodReads and you haven't taken advantage of all of its great tools and free fun stuff, it's time to start. And if you're not on GoodReads....why NOT? Unlike other social media sites, you don't have to post your personal pictures or say what you're doing - or hear about all that either. It's just about books and serving readers, so don't hesitate to join in the fun!<br />Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-81226368838680259322012-07-18T12:46:00.001-04:002013-02-25T10:33:14.478-05:00Mermaid Body Found<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXxDERTF7OYldNvxtI1xXWUfaew8fLdBQY1occjx8NglNBGPf_5FGCDlMrOQQ1p07xA1tYxULdxjDw4iuWzedeKt4S3HUBREIleAb122wEWNsNrfMRoI1wlcgpXTaZYLM37FAFbr-YJc/s1600/istockmermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXxDERTF7OYldNvxtI1xXWUfaew8fLdBQY1occjx8NglNBGPf_5FGCDlMrOQQ1p07xA1tYxULdxjDw4iuWzedeKt4S3HUBREIleAb122wEWNsNrfMRoI1wlcgpXTaZYLM37FAFbr-YJc/s320/istockmermaid.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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Everyone's going ballistic over the body of a mermaid being found. Even the NOAA got involved, issuing a formal statement in an effort to curb the hysteria. News organizations are up in arms wondering why, stating that the show that aired on Sunday on the Discovery Channel titled <i>Mermaids: The Body Found</i> was clearly science fiction.<br />
<br />
<b>Okay, media-heads, you want to know WHY people believe this stuff?</b><br />
<br />
No, it's not because we're dumb. Get over yourselves.<br />
<br />
No, it's because magic and fantasy and mythology are things that continue to fascinate us, that make us sit up straight and pay attention, even today in a world almost completely explained and dissected by science. We're fascinated because mystery itself draws us. We're fascinated because a part of us will always be that child trying to stay awake on Christmas Eve and witness Santa's arrival. We're fascinated because wouldn't life itself prove to be the miracle we know in our hearts it is if creatures like unicorns and mermaids turned out to be real? By finding a mermaid's body, we may all open the door again to the possibilities that swirled around us daily back before the age of science. Anything could be true, even magic.<br />
<br />
It's funny that the media is comparing this show and the reaction to it to <i>The Blair Witch Project</i>, because they are extremely similar and the forces at work that made that poorly-filmed amateurish movie a runaway success were the same as what drives this news story. You say "based on real events" and we hear one word: real. You say "witch", we say "really"??? You say "mermaid", we say "where" and "how soon can we book a cruise to go see them"????<br />
<br />
It's the reason behind the huge upswing in the fantasy genre in fiction, this <br />
<a name='more'></a>craving for magic and mystery, and it is pure human nature, this curiosity and ability to imagine things and create whole worlds like Disney World. It is behind our greatest inventions and why we live in a space-age kind of society today. And so, all of you who want Ariel to rise out of the waves, her tail flipping and wet hair sparkling, my hat is off to you - you are the dreamers and that is one of the best most beautiful things about humankind. <br />
<br />
Let's all dream a little more, believing that anything is possible. Isn't it?<br />
<br />
<i><b>FYI: GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!</b></i><br />
<br />
An autographed paper copy of my novel <i>Barefoot Girls </i>will be given to the lucky winner of a GoodReads giveaway starting tomorrow (July 19). Be sure to sign up before the giveaway ends on July 31st for a chance to win!Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-21920664947526528072012-07-11T15:22:00.001-04:002012-07-11T15:35:29.666-04:00Free Ebooks for Everyone!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
To be honest, I can't believe I've jumped on the free ebook
bandwagon. It's shocking, really.<br />
<br />
You see, my attitude up until recently was that if it was
free, how good could it be? Would anyone even buy an ebook again considering how
many free ones are available? And piracy, piracy, piracy - eek! These are valid
points...but a brilliant argument made by Neil Gaiman on YouTube convinced me
that my fears were misplaced.<br />
<br />
<b>Why Free Ebooks Are a Good Idea </b><br />
<br />
There is one main and extremely compelling reason: exposure
to new readers. Think about it - how often do you buy an unknown author's work?
Really, I'm serious here. Most people find new writers by getting their books
at a library or borrowing a book from a friend or - these days - downloading a
free ebook. Because sometimes the sample and the cover and description aren't
enough. You want to see if the writer can hold your interest, carry off a
story, and even make you think about the characters or tale itself long after you've
finished it.<br />
<br />
So....<br />
<br />
I'm making some of my short story ebooks
available for free! Right now, <i>Girl Shaped Shadows</i> is free on Smashwords (go here for a free ebook: <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131892" target="_blank">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131892)</a> or a free PDF is available right off of this website on my
new handy-dandy "FREE EBOOKS" page: <a href="http://taramctiernanfiction.blogspot.com/p/free-ebooks.html" target="_blank">http://taramctiernanfiction.blogspot.com/p/free-ebooks.html</a> Another short story is in the works as well and should be
published within a few months. Definitely check them out and enjoy!<br />
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<b>Other Big News:</b></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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<i>Barefoot Girls </i>is finally available in print! Woo hoo! You
can find it on Amazon here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Girls-Tara-McTiernan/dp/1477684107/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Girls-Tara-McTiernan/</a> As well, it will be available in your local bookstore and/or
library shortly. </div>
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The awesome art with added ereader at the top of this post
was created by T. Cavanaugh on his blog here: <a href="http://drscavanaugh-ebooknews.blogspot.com/2011/09/art-project-adding-ebooks-to-art.html" target="_blank">http://drscavanaugh-ebooknews.blogspot.com/2011/09/art-project-adding-ebooks-to-art.html</a></div>
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Signing off with Neil Gaiman's fantastic video about copyright
piracy and the web:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0Qkyt1wXNlI?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-83638035239815361872012-07-03T14:30:00.000-04:002012-07-11T15:36:05.769-04:00Ebooks versus Print Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I was surfing the internet the other day and happened upon a video by Margaret Atwood, a brilliant writer whose work I adore, who was talking about ebooks versus print books. After watching it, I realized it truly merited a discussion. Why do people still buy paper books? Do you know that 80 % of the reading public ONLY reads paper books? Another fascinating fact is that most owners of ereaders still read paper books, too!<br />
<br />
So what is the lure of the paper book? What are the benefits of electronic? Let's list them and compare:<br />
<br />
<b>Print versus Electronic: Convenience</b><br />
Sorry, but ebooks win this one. It's so much more convenient to sit at home in your pj's and order books to your heart's content and get them immediately. No need to climb in your car and go to the local bookstore or wait for them to be delivered. Right here, right now, you can read it.<br />
<i>Round one goes to: Ebooks</i><br />
<br />
<b>Print versus Electronic: The sensual aspect</b><br />
Holding a Kindle or another ereader just isn't like holding a paper book, smelling that fresh binding-and-paper (or old binding-and-paper) smell. You won't enjoy the cover art as much either, glancing at it only when you first purchase it and open the ebook, then probably never seeing it again.<br />
<i>Round two goes to: Paper books</i><br />
<br />
<b>Print versus Electronic: Portability</b><br />
Watch out, your ereader is so heavy it might just...wait a second! You can have twenty books on that sucker and never feel the difference as you carry it around! Try doing that with twenty paper books, even if they're slim little tomes. Still pretty heavy. And they take up so much space! Most people find themselves chucking books whenever they move, not wanting to have to box them all up and haul them along.<i> </i><br />
<i>Round three goes to: Ebooks</i><br />
<br />
<b> </b>
<b>Print versus Electronic: Cost</b><br />
Ebooks are usually cheaper than print books. Now, they shouldn't be pennies or a few bucks because the cost of paper and shipping are only a percentage of the costs that go into making a book, paper or<br />
<a name='more'></a> not. Those other expenses are the writer's royalty, the many editors needed to get the book reader-ready, the cover designer and any cover art/photo, the book designer for the interior, and the necessary marketing that helped you find the book in first place. Still, those paper and shipping cost savings translate into cheaper ebooks and that's a great thing.<i> </i><br />
<i>Round four goes to: Ebooks</i><br />
<br />
<b>Print versus Electronic: The reading experience</b><br />
One fascinating factoid I've heard many times recently is that people who have been reading ebooks for a while report having a harder time remembering what they've read, and thereby are less impacted by a great book as well as less likely to tell a friend about it. That's too bad because, as anyone who has friends who read can attest, sharing and discussing books is a joyful and addictive pleasure and one I would not want to see effected by my choice in format. Sorry, ebooks, but that is a problem...<i> </i><br />
<i>Round five goes to: Physical books</i><br />
<br />
<b>Print versus Electronic: The shopping experience</b><br />
This one's a bit more complicated. On one hand, shopping for ebooks is a click of a button and in today's hectic world, that can be a blessing and sometimes even why you had the time to get the book in the first place. On the other hand, there's nothing like browsing in a paper bookstore and serendipity leading you hither and yon as you find yourself collecting far more books than you intended to buy, feeling deliriously happy and a tiny bit high. Okay, did I just give away the fact that I'm a bookstore addict? <br />
<i>Round six: A Tie</i><br />
<br />
Apparently, ebooks come out a little ahead, just winning this match. I know I'm still a paper-book lover, but who knows how long I'll last before I'm seduced by an ereader and all its lovely modern conveniences? What about you? Are you all about ebooks or do you hold fast to your paper books? Here's that video with Margaret Atwood, in case you're interested:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-9V7ngVZdCA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-68420026303818692842012-06-18T13:06:00.000-04:002012-06-18T13:06:21.850-04:00What's Happening? A LOT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGCm30Qj4xuHMG5ikN-8ouAA1ejrmhcJWprrtI85FqKUvA3O2kwznzPcxORyM9U2bimGd1q3IUoe02Splud2mrXC6FH6CujgMdPuUlN9SQpfKN7z2zJU18omfbQAFdRcAbo2-9BeN3jA/s1600/EarthAirSmaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGCm30Qj4xuHMG5ikN-8ouAA1ejrmhcJWprrtI85FqKUvA3O2kwznzPcxORyM9U2bimGd1q3IUoe02Splud2mrXC6FH6CujgMdPuUlN9SQpfKN7z2zJU18omfbQAFdRcAbo2-9BeN3jA/s320/EarthAirSmaller.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
First off, the long-awaited print version of <i>Barefoot Girls </i>will be available within the next few weeks! For those of you who prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you'll finally be able to get it in the format you prefer.<br />
<br />
Personally, I'm still a paper-book girl. Even though my husband has been sucked over to the alternate universe of ebooks, I'm hard to sway. Let's face it, I'm a late adopter, not an early adopter. You probably won't be able to drag me away from my paper books until they stop printing them!<br />
<br />
The other piece of news is.....<br />
(drum roll, please)<br />
My short story collection, <i>Earth and Air</i>, is on sale now in ebook stores! Woo hoo!<br />
<br />
This collection contains one of my favorite short stories ever, the title piece, and I really think readers will love it, particularly if you love darker spookier fiction (well, there's a comic story at the end that leaves you laughing, or at least I hope it will).<br />
<br />
The cover is at the top of this post and the description is as follows:<br />
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handsome singing gypsy who has the power to make girls sleep, sometimes
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territory, a wilderness in the back of a bar where the colorful neon lights of
a working jukebox beckon and where she learns terrible things from a
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Tara
McTiernan's stories resemble twisted modern fairy tales, full of real-life
magic and Grimm-like darkness. Containing three unforgettable short works, Earth and Air, like her novel Barefoot Girls, illuminates and explores
the lives of women with rare eloquence, keen insight, and a sharp wit.</span></i> <br />
<br />
By the way, the last part of that description was a combination of all the wonderful reviews I've received so far for <i>Barefoot Girls, </i>so, no, I couldn't write something like that about myself.<br />
<br />
Very exciting times!Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-83100187457788581802012-06-13T11:24:00.000-04:002012-06-18T12:29:58.630-04:00Hittin' the Beach - On Book Blogs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17EdpbepM7q7nohh6TDUakbqHT5AOwx-9LGdEwnC562Cq5cBeGYDnHfDhYqeitVJVM7RkIKDxvmiyv02zsmYfadHntj6_4DQLpllhvTvvF4RQm9fZkAEKPDkpuINE2Pd7uvnOfxIpiJE/s1600/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17EdpbepM7q7nohh6TDUakbqHT5AOwx-9LGdEwnC562Cq5cBeGYDnHfDhYqeitVJVM7RkIKDxvmiyv02zsmYfadHntj6_4DQLpllhvTvvF4RQm9fZkAEKPDkpuINE2Pd7uvnOfxIpiJE/s320/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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Love the beach? Then you'll adore this week's book tour
stops for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i>! </div>
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As you know, my novel definitely qualifies as a beach read
(see my post <a href="http://taramctiernanfiction.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-beach-read-anyway.html" target="_blank">whats-beach-read-anyway.html</a> for details). As you might not know...I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> the beach. One of my favorite
places in the world! There is no sound more relaxing to me than the sound of
waves crashing on the shore rhythmically, and I live for the feel of cool salt
air washing over sun-warmed skin and the gritty tickle of sand between toes,
the sight of a jaunty parade of colorful beach umbrellas lining the shore and
children running and playing in the waves, the sweet childish pleasure of a
sno-cone or Italian ice, and the comforting memory-filled scent of Coppertone
in the air. </div>
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This week, two book bloggers who obviously love the beach,
too (as you can see if you visit their sites), are hosting virtual book blog
tour events on their blogs. Be sure to check them out and get a little taste of
sun and surf along with great book suggestions and many fascinating
conversations in the comment sections of their posts.</div>
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Escape with a Good Book (Link: <a href="http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2012/06/12/special-guest-tara-mctiernan-author-of-barefoot-girls-giveaway-too/#comment-30918" target="_blank">http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2012/06/12/special-guest-tara-mctiernan</a>) hosted me yesterday and, wow, was that a
fun mini-beach-vacation-getaway! Such great comments and stories about readers'
relationships with their mothers and friends...it was truly inspiring. Lori
(Dollycas) is also running a giveaway of a free ebook of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i> for the next twelve days, so if you want a chance at
a copy, don't forget to enter!</div>
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Kathleen at Jersey Girl Book Reviews (Link: <a href="http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/</a>) is hosting me this Friday and I am
psyched! Her book blog is also fantastic, well-written, and very beach-themed
with lots of photos and beautiful images of the shore. Can't wait to see how
the event goes and hope you can drop by and join in the conversation. </div>
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What a fun week! Now I'm really dying to go to the
beach....Ash, honey? Can we? Pretty please?</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-43868268374006231012012-06-10T14:33:00.000-04:002013-02-28T10:28:21.966-05:00Who's Talking Trash About Chick Lit?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX1Vm1EARdUcThVk2mcwarM_9qG7qXLnqqRQ1YGn6h6LdrsV-oFQF1ilgZtkrAtQ0AZ6nXFCkf5y-D7PqHhEWGoerHLIXCV3ruCp0jSfTCdbnRmZhBbteY6XF70QdJSr9ucYfq5IyKBU/s1600/Trash+Talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX1Vm1EARdUcThVk2mcwarM_9qG7qXLnqqRQ1YGn6h6LdrsV-oFQF1ilgZtkrAtQ0AZ6nXFCkf5y-D7PqHhEWGoerHLIXCV3ruCp0jSfTCdbnRmZhBbteY6XF70QdJSr9ucYfq5IyKBU/s320/Trash+Talk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The short answer: lots of people. And it pisses me off.</div>
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What got me thinking on this was an internet surfing session
a few days ago when I stumbled on a great post on Jennifer Weiner's blog, her keynote
address about blogging at a recent blogging expo. In it she talked about her
battle to defend her writing and her genre: chick lit, which is also sometimes
called women's contemporary fiction (though that is a more generalized term).
Let's face it: chick lit is often made fun of, the words said with a sneer. But
as Jen pointed out: </div>
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"As anyone who’s taken a women’s studies class will
tell you, as long as there’s a woman writing about her own life, there’s
someone – sometimes a man, sometimes another woman -- to tell her that what
she’s written is unworthy, unimportant, beneath notice, that it’s not real
literature and not worth taking seriously."</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Link the the whole post here: <a href="http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/2012/06/let-me-start-by-saying-that-i-know-im.html" target="_blank">http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/2012/06/let-me-start-by-saying-that-i-know-im.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>That is the issue with some people's crappy attitude about
chick lit: it dismisses women, says that our silly little problems aren't
important. It's insulting and the people who have to start standing up against
it are women, because all too often it's a woman doing the sneering. And if we
sneer at each other, aren't we validating the argument that is being made
against us?</div>
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Case in point: after reading Jen's post, I Googled Jen's earlier
post <br />
<a name='more'></a>about Curtis Sittenfeld's scathing review of Melissa Bank's fantastic novel,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wonder Spot</i>. In it Jen hilariously tears apart Curtis's
review, pointing out that Curtis - a woman who writes women's fiction (literary)
- wrote that review to defend her own writing. And in so doing, contributed to
the continued criticism and marginalizing of women writers. </div>
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Let's all do ourselves a favor; whether you're a reader or a
writer who enjoys women's fiction, whether it be called chick lit or women's
contemporary or literary, stand strong and unflinchingly enjoy what you write
or what you read. Don't apologize. Don't shrug it off. Because women's lives <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> important - just as important as
men's - and that's what women's fiction explores. From the search for love, to
the search for our lives' meaning, to the search for a great handbag, it all
matters to us and is worthy, even the handbag part. I mean, think about it: if
a man writes a novel detailing his fantasies about baseball, it's considered
deep and symbolic. If a woman writes a novel about fashion or shoes, it's
considered shallow and foolish. Are we going to keep playing this game? I say,
let's just stop playing. Hey, you can throw me that insult curveball anytime
you want, but I don't have to catch it.</div>
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What do you think? Have you or anyone you know talked trash
about women's fiction? </div>
Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-609496098564288012012-05-22T10:00:00.000-04:002012-06-10T18:07:44.283-04:00Summertime Kick-off: Barefooter Style<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UuSVH91OkntBrHTOX10KSEMX5EVBacXuPzXsHvuExTgKkc8QycD8P42SPiHdnj5e1Dvla0ADO3WkO2xNiXBWe85Hjiqtz0-BfTK-OM5gfELVAoklXMMXnZ8C89uEHWF3zYd90PfKy4U/s1600/iStock_000010581945XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UuSVH91OkntBrHTOX10KSEMX5EVBacXuPzXsHvuExTgKkc8QycD8P42SPiHdnj5e1Dvla0ADO3WkO2xNiXBWe85Hjiqtz0-BfTK-OM5gfELVAoklXMMXnZ8C89uEHWF3zYd90PfKy4U/s320/iStock_000010581945XSmall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If there's anything the Barefoot Girls know how to do, it's
how to find fun in anything with the help of a little creativity, a lot of
style, and some ribald humor thrown in for good measure. But, when it comes to
Mean Greens, their famous "kicks you in the pants and makes you want to
dance" margarita, the fun's already in the glass, and there's no better
way to celebrate the arrival of summer than to kick off your shoes,
Barefooter-style, and mix up a batch for your Memorial Day festivities!</div>
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However....<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it's a
secret recipe</i>. So secret and coveted, everyone on Captain's has been
begging and bargaining for it to no avail for years. Per Keeley, the Queen Bee
of the Barefoot Girls:</div>
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"Mean Greens were the Barefooter’s specialty – a
powerful margarita made of top-shelf tequila, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice,
a dusting of lime zest, a splash of homemade lemonade for sweetness, and two
secret ingredients that would go to the grave with the four women."</div>
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If you read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot
Girls </i>you probably wanted the recipe, especially if you enjoy margaritas.
So, how are you going to make your own? Here's a great top-shelf margarita
recipe <br />
<a name='more'></a>that should hold you as you fire up the grill for that first summertime
cookout this holiday weekend:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Almost Mean Green
Recipe</b></div>
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Equal parts of the following:</div>
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Patron Anejo Tequila</div>
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Grand Marnier</div>
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Freshly squeezed lime juice (don't cheat and use bottled,
fresh matters!)</div>
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Homemade lemonade (recipe follows)</div>
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Lime wedges and kosher salt to garnish.</div>
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Mix together the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice and
lemonade in a pitcher using a long-handled spoon. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses
over ice with wedges of lime to garnish. To rim your glass, wet the edge of the
glass using a cut lime, then dip in a plate of kosher salt.</div>
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Prepare to dance.</div>
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NOTE: You can use pre-made lemonade (like Newman's Own in
the carton), but it won't be as good.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Homemade Lemonade
Recipe</b></div>
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10 medium lemons</div>
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1 1/4 cups sugar</div>
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5 cups ice-cold water</div>
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Cut lemons in half lengthwise. Slice thin.</div>
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Put sliced lemons in large saucepan, pour sugar over them
and mash with a potato masher for 3-4 minutes. Put sieve over large bowl and
put half the pulped lemons in the sieve. Press and continue to gently mash
until all the liquid has been released. Discard solids and repeat with
remaining pulped lemons. </div>
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Transfer liquid to serving pitcher and pour in cold
water. Stir to blend well. Keep chilled until ready to mix up a batch of
margaritas. </div>
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Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and may
this summer be your best yet!</div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-24234817826174886082012-05-04T09:19:00.002-04:002012-05-04T09:20:46.833-04:00Featured on She Who Blogs Behind the Rows!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPfXCkY_nNQQOf_DgaxbDD0IfooIRyZERDKFWP4O_lWx3mNmvC_xTJEciz6bfqfvP56-JMdMO_OixHetxIH_oFbib-1u_C5tFf4LiT7dQLcRuqamNOvKYUeVHOKhm-puzQ3lYLoyeQK0/s1600/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPfXCkY_nNQQOf_DgaxbDD0IfooIRyZERDKFWP4O_lWx3mNmvC_xTJEciz6bfqfvP56-JMdMO_OixHetxIH_oFbib-1u_C5tFf4LiT7dQLcRuqamNOvKYUeVHOKhm-puzQ3lYLoyeQK0/s320/barefoot_girlsLARGE.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
Thrilled. That's the word that fits best. I've been featured on this excellent blog and we're hosting a giveaway (so come and get you some)!<br />
<br />
Amanda, the "she" who blogs behind the rows in the name of this blog (images come of vast libraries that smell deliciously of old mouldering books, one of my favorite scents) is an outstanding book blogger who loves books and writes very well-written and well-thought-out reviews on them. She's a fan of writers the way I am - overjoyed to meet Anne Rice recently at the RT Convention and grabbing a photo op with her. I, too, would go numb with excitement meeting Anne, the writer of one of my favorite vampire series (and many other wonderful novels). As much as I'm a writer myself, I'm a reader first. That's where it all began and where the heart of my writing lies: in reading and being transported by stories. I only hope I can do the same for others with my own...<br />
<br />
So, want a free copy of <i>Barefoot Girls</i>? Hop on over to Amanda's blog and sign up (and check out the interview while you're there if you're interested)! Here's the link: <a href="http://www.behindtherows.com/2012/05/book-feature-barefoot-girls-by-tara.html" target="_blank">http://www.behindtherows.com/2012/05/book-feature-barefoot-girls-by-tara.html</a><br />
<br />
Happy weekend!Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-83038628059333289142012-05-01T13:27:00.000-04:002012-06-10T18:08:27.399-04:00Top Ten Reasons I Love Elin Hilderbrand's Novels<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uRRbZohoc0Bi6-pqVWdExukom4Z8JB0L_MSHRbGXnh-rlPYkuVrUaK9Nt-M8InUMsbydWuu6WEX5-yeS9XC7O8yKNoeojCj_FMzJMc0byjjm7TKelY8OkQP3xxPSoeQBUXBFw1x2iOU/s1600/iStock_000011860951XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uRRbZohoc0Bi6-pqVWdExukom4Z8JB0L_MSHRbGXnh-rlPYkuVrUaK9Nt-M8InUMsbydWuu6WEX5-yeS9XC7O8yKNoeojCj_FMzJMc0byjjm7TKelY8OkQP3xxPSoeQBUXBFw1x2iOU/s320/iStock_000011860951XSmall.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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I just finished reading Elin's latest book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silver Girl</i>, and said to myself,
"Wow!" Honestly, when I picked it up, I was pretty convinced that I
was chasing a dream by assuming I would continue to enjoy her books. </div>
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Why? </div>
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Because she writes, exclusively, summer beach-reads set on
Nantucket. Now, I adore Nantucket. If I could afford to live there, as she
does, I would do it in a heartbeat. I also love beach-reads and anything summer-oriented
(one of my favorite seasons in New England, where the winter can be brutal, the
spring often too cool, and the fall glorious but fleeting). </div>
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But I thought, how much more can she milk this thing? The
answer: she doesn't milk anything. She writes great books that, yes, happen to
be set on Nantucket and do happen to be beach-oriented, but they are truly
excellent reads. If you looked at my bookshelf, you'd notice that I have pretty
much every book she's written. </div>
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Having read the body of her work, I think I'm one of her
biggest fans (Oh, no! Visions of Kathy Bates with an ax! No, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> kind of fan!). She keeps me as a
fan for many reasons. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silver Girl</i>,
one of her best books yet, is one of them. Elin has clearly grown as a writer
and <br />
<a name='more'></a>continues to develop, something you notice if you've been reading her work
for as long as I have. But there are many more reasons...and here they are: </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Top Ten Reasons I
Love Elin Hilderbrand's Brand of Summery-Goodness:</b></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nantucket!
</b>Her books are all set on this gorgeous island and make you yearn to explore
its beaches on foot while collecting shells, wander its cobblestone streets in
the afternoon while dipping into the many small stores and restaurants
downtown, and stay in one of its charming shingled houses and wake to sun
streaming through the curtains and the promise of a beautiful breezy summer
day.</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Summer
Lovin'! </b>If there is a "Queen" of summer beach-reads, it's Elin.
Why? Because she seamlessly weaves into her narratives all that is fantastic
about the summer. When you're reading one of her books you can hear the ocean's
roar, smell the charcoal burning on the grill, see the hydrangea nodding their bright
blue heavy blossom-heads over a white picket fence, taste the bright tartness
of freshly picked berries, and feel the sand between your toes.</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Characters
That Are Real People: </b>Elin Hilderbrand's characters are so....human.
They're good, but not too good. They have doubts and fears that are
understandable. You worry along with them and rejoice for them when things go
well. </li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page-Turning
Stories: </b>Elin's stories are so well-told they're hard to put down. They
have plenty of excitement and action to go along with the character
development. You find yourself <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">having</i>
to know what happens next!</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Her
Voice: </b>Every great writer - in my opinion - has their own unique voice.
You'd know their writing if it was given to you anonymously. It's like an old
friend: a familiar personality and a certain way of looking at the world. Elin
Hilderbrand has her own voice, one like none other. </li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Personal
Growth: </b>Another great thing that all great books have in common is that the
characters grow as people in the story. And they grow in ways that are
surprising at times. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silver Girl </i>was
yet another book of Ms. Hilderbrand's in which the characters grew a great deal
while remaining believable and retaining their original personalities.</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Got To
Have Friends: </b>One of the things I love most about her books is the
friendships in them. They are so genuine: satisfying and then frustrating and
then heartbreaking and then back. The characters start to feel like friends of
yours by the end of every book.</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Little
Romance: </b>I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, yet Elin's are technically
romance-driven. The reason I think that it doesn't bother me is that the love
story doesn't seem tacked on or forced, that the love interests always make
sense to me. You never have this big jerk who the girl inexplicably desires.
When the lovers come together in her stories, you find yourself saying,
"But, of course!"</li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not Too
Much Sex: </b>I'm no Puritan, but I really don't enjoy graphic sex scenes. A
little sex goes a long way with me. The sex scenes in Elin Hilderbrand's books
are like the baby bear in the Three Bears story: just right (and mostly out of
sight). </li>
<li><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Keep
Surprising Me: </b>My final point I've already made at the start of this post.
To me, the only reason to keep reading an author is to see where they're going
next. If it's the same old thing every time, I get bored. With Elin, life
really is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!</li>
</ol>
Do you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand's books? Do you have a
favorite?Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-77296642090150498022012-04-24T10:34:00.000-04:002013-03-23T10:18:14.609-04:00Guest Post on Thoughts in Progress!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had the pleasure of guest posting on Mason Canyon's wonderful book blog, <i>Thoughts in Progress</i>, today. Mason's prompt-questions were very inspiring and a pleasure to think through, particularly those about the messages behind my novel, <i>Barefoot Girls</i>. I don't think anyone sits down to write a novel with a specific message, but it's fascinating to discover what themes came through as the work was created; things that usually are very meaningful to the writer.<br />
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What a great experience - thanks, Mason!<br />
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Check it out here:<br />
<a href="http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-tara-mctiernan-voracious-reader.html" target="_blank">http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-tara-mctiernan-voracious-reader.html</a>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-60100957327136187472012-04-13T11:05:00.000-04:002012-06-10T18:08:53.498-04:00Ebook Drama<br />
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John Scalzi, that talented science fiction writer and very smart man, wrote a brilliant article on his blog about ebooks that I think all people who love books should read. Check it out here:</div>
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<a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/04/12/dear-consumers-who-apparently-think-the-current-drama-surrounding-ebooks-is-like-a-football-game/" target="_blank">http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/04/12/dear-consumers-who-apparently-think-the-current-drama-surrounding-ebooks-is-like-a-football-game/</a> </div>
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Here is something he said that hit me in the solar plexus and made me want to blog about it. Commenting about the various players (including Amazon, major publishing, Apple, etc.) in the current ebook drama unfolding due to the Department of Justice's case against Apple and five major publishers, Mr. Scalzi wisely said, "Each of these companies are interested in making it appear that they are on your side, or at the very least, will wish to validate your choice to be on their side. Please be smarter than that. Recognize that they love you for your money."</div>
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Exactly. </div>
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There is a battle going on for readers' pocketbooks, pocketbooks that seem to be growing as more and more people are discovering how incredibly convenient, lightweight, and affordable ebooks are. All these players had no idea that there was so much money in ebooks and they want as much as they can get their hands on. And they will do whatever<br />
<a name='more'></a> it takes to get it, including pretending to be your buddy. As John Scalzi so wisely pointed out, entire departments in these corporations are devoted to perpetrating that myth of friendship and concern for your well-being. </div>
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My point? If you're inclined to believe what you hear on the news, grab a big ol' grain of salt. Because you'll need to take it with anything you hear from the media about ebooks. Honestly, John Scalzi said it all better and with much more savvy and experience behind his statements, so his article's a must-read. </div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-56517628310833994482012-04-04T11:28:00.002-04:002012-06-10T18:09:19.312-04:00How Do You Get Your Inspiration?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I've recently been asked the following question a number of times: "How do you get your inspiration?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a time-worn question to writers along with the well-meant-but-still-insulting, "Where do you find the time to write?" (Apparently, we writers have just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> much time on our hands! It's remarkable! Yet, most novelists have demanding full-time jobs, spouses, children, pets and a wide assortment of time-sucking responsibilities to attend to just like everyone else.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The first question is not insulting at all. It's flattering. It is the innocent and fascinated question of a person who probably reads quite a lot; who read your novel and wondered, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where does she come up with this stuff? Is there an ethereal being, the revered and also feared Muse, at her beck and call? How can I get this Muse to come to my house? Does she like warm cookies and milk?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The train of thought about creativity I just described is common. In fact, it's so common that a film, a late-90s comedy, was built around this premise of the necessity of a muse. It was called, appropriately, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Muse</i> and starred Sharon Stone as the coveted creature living in the lap of luxury thanks to an army of deluded Hollywood screenwriters and directors who vie for her magical abilities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But the writer who waits for the muse writes sporadically if at all. No, if you want that magic, you're going to have some butt-in-chair time, hands on the keyboard, sans fairy dust. The only way to get inspired is </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">to write. Yes, to carve out some time from your busy schedule as almost all writers do, waking at an ungodly hour (like I do, pre-crack-of-dawn at 4 am), or up until the wee hours if you're of the night-owl persuasion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is how it works if you are so crazy as to want to write fiction:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sit at desk. Read through notes a little (no more than five minutes) to figure out where you're trying to go with this thing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Some writers now edit the prior day's work, cycling back to get into the rhythm of the story. I do this. Some prefer to just dive in. Some have outlines. Some have nothing but the seat of their pants, "pantsers" as they like to call themselves: flying along and hoping for the best.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Apply fingers to keyboard and push yourself into the current character as much as you can. You will find that - wow, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is </i>some magic - you will actually become them as you write.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Muse appears on shoulder and starts whispering about what happens next. Shocks you at times. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Really? But? </i>You want to ask, but you can't because the muse is continuing speaking, ignoring your silly questions, moving forward with the story. And you must hurry and type quickly to catch up with her.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You finish the scene or section and look up, still half-dreaming, and realize hours have tripped by in what felt like minutes. That is the time-travel of creativity.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The funny thing is that if you spend enough time with your butt firmly in the chair, you'll find inspiration popping up everywhere, ideas flying at you while driving, while in the shower, while out with friends. You find yourself having to keep a pad and pen on hand at all times. Once you get that muse talking, sometimes she doesn't stop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that's</i> magic, and it's heady stuff, but you'll never get it waiting for it to show up. You have to do the hard time, the time sitting and working without that fleeting mythic creature, caring enough about the story to do it on your own.</span></div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-60531476415279328592012-03-23T12:21:00.003-04:002012-06-10T18:09:41.568-04:00What’s a “Beach Read” Anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although I generally love the weather in North Carolina where my husband and I live, this spring has been ridiculously summer-like with its hot days and heavy humidity (today, it's 84 degrees). While this has most locals speculating about whether this summer will be an inferno so hot we’ll be frying eggs on the sidewalk, but what it got me thinking about is the term “beach read”. I guess all this steamy heat has me yearning for cool sea breezes and the roar of incoming waves against the shore.<br />
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So, what does this term mean, anyway? Isn’t every book a book you can read on the beach or by the pool? Honestly, I read all kinds of books on the beach (and everywhere else). I’ve read scary horror novels on the beach and touching memoirs on the beach and nonfiction how-to’s on the beach. I don’t have a particular kind of book I search for before I go to the beach – do you? So, what’s up with this silly seemingly-meaningless term?</div>
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You might be asking: “Why do you care, Tara? What’s the big kerfuffle?” (Damn, I’ve always wanted to use that word in a blog post, and I finally got my chance! Kerfuffle! Kerfuffle! Okay, calm down.) The answer: it’s one of the search terms on online book stores for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i>. </div>
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So, I decided to do a little research, and this is what I found out<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Beach Read is….</b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Engaging Page Turner</i></div>
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Okay, I’d be happy to take that! Actually, one of my favorite compliments I’ve gotten from readers so far is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i> is impossible to put down. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Book about Summer or the Beach</i></div>
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Yes, much of the book takes place on or near the beach out on Long Island, but the main part of the story takes place one fall (September and October to be exact). Still, there are many flashbacks to prior summers, so, between the setting and season, it fits. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Romance or Intrigue Is Involved</i></div>
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There are two major romances in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i>, the one between Hannah and Daniel and the one (in the past) between Keeley and Michael. There is also a bit of intrigue related to Rose’s downward spiral of insanity and the danger she poses to characters in the story, so that’s there, too. Wow, it looks like the book qualifies. But…</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Book That Is Not Too Heavy</i></div>
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Whoopsie! There are definitely some heavy issues covered in the book: child abuse in particular. I would not call that light. But wait. I did some more digging and I found a list of “smart” beach reads. They included historical fiction about the Great Depression like Sara Gruen’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Water for Elephants </i>(loved that book!) and the works of literary writers like Anne Tyler covering such weighty subjects as foreign adoption in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Digging to America</i>. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Tearjerker</i></div>
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These people are crazy with their contradictory definitions. Light reading that makes you cry. What??? Well, the good thing is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls </i>has many tear-jerking moments as well as laughs, so at least it fits the bill. </div>
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My conclusion: there is no real definition for “beach read” other than you finally have a peaceful moment and you’re going to grab up whatever book you’ve been dying to read and read it already. If there is anything that makes sense to me is, if the term “beach read” is going to be used at all, it should apply to books set on the beach or near a beach or in some way makes you remember happy summers of the past. For example, a great beach read is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summer Sisters </i>by Judy Blume. Also, anything by Elin Hilderbrand, who writes wonderful beach-themed books set on Nantucket. And….oh, what the hey…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefoot Girls</i>!</div>
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What do you think? Any book stand out in your mind as a quintessential beach read?</div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-2245280253333958712012-03-15T16:35:00.003-04:002012-03-15T16:38:15.971-04:00Interview on Freda's Voice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G-xa3c0emKY8vqxMgwCJWmlzpAUdB2FBypETSDF0470FTEC4xNyvdT5OI_ufmwnpWfmtcCeoVQFC6Zofz0pOb24JYfg0eHrrOkXUTt7A6f3ML45QRZivADazmD6cCjM8Ulgnp08r0SM/s1600/barefoot_girlsLarger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G-xa3c0emKY8vqxMgwCJWmlzpAUdB2FBypETSDF0470FTEC4xNyvdT5OI_ufmwnpWfmtcCeoVQFC6Zofz0pOb24JYfg0eHrrOkXUTt7A6f3ML45QRZivADazmD6cCjM8Ulgnp08r0SM/s320/barefoot_girlsLarger.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />
My very first author interview was recently conducted on Freda's Voice, a wonderful book blog I admire greatly. <br />
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It was a lot of fun doing this with Freda, who in addition to being well-read and very smart, is also very kind - offering her help to get the word out regarding my novel <i>Barefoot Girls.</i> If you're interested in seeing the interview in all its glory, check it out here: <a href="http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2012/03/get-to-know-author-tara-mctiernan.html?showComment=1331828958752#c8960455945950125990" target="_blank">http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/get-to-know-author-tara-mctiernan</a><br />
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Even better, sign up for the giveaway! A free copy of the ebook is being given to the lucky winner - why can't that be you?Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-68691146380192275062012-03-07T09:20:00.002-05:002012-06-10T18:10:13.030-04:00Barefoot Girls Song List – Bonus Tracks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89AdRMP4wZ_2dJQuLqfl7zQzIQK1g8o6cJ9U-KrgDlNOloWRJy0Lz1-XJDtwMfpwmVNKcDEByPoicU44l97OTT2WHKzEj2JjoNz4IBrl9Tb9PcRqPGfAVv9nWw_ysOMPziBNTgF-5qC0/s1600/BarefootSoundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89AdRMP4wZ_2dJQuLqfl7zQzIQK1g8o6cJ9U-KrgDlNOloWRJy0Lz1-XJDtwMfpwmVNKcDEByPoicU44l97OTT2WHKzEj2JjoNz4IBrl9Tb9PcRqPGfAVv9nWw_ysOMPziBNTgF-5qC0/s320/BarefootSoundtrack.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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A lot of novels have additional matter in the back including maps of the fictional place/setting, character listings, and Reader’s Guides for book clubs. One of my beta readers, Elise, said that <i>Barefoot Girls </i>was well-suited for a readers group, so, voila! The ebook has a list of questions for discussion designed for a book club in the back (the print version will have the same bonus content). </div>
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Another thing that came to mind while I was writing the book and again while I was editing and re-reading it, was that it was a natural for a soundtrack or playlist. There are just so many songs that the Barefoot Girls love, so many songs that are referenced in the book at pivotal moments and even quoted lyrics (printed with permission, of course) used for effect in one scene. So, that was another destined “back-matter” item located in the final pages of the book: a list of sing-along songs from Captain’s Island, where people still sing socially and without American Idol-inspired anxiety. No, on Captain’s, you don’t have to limit your warblings to the shower or a karaoke night.</div>
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For readers who visit this site, I thought I’d throw in some bonus tracks – the other great songs that call to mind moments from my novel <i>Barefoot Girls. </i>In fact, if this book is ever made into a movie, I’m going to insist on most of the songs on the original list plus a few from this one.<br />
<a name='more'></a> The songs here are listed in the order they would appear in this dream-come-true movie.</div>
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So, with no further ado, here is the list, complete with a short explanation for each song (spoiler free as much as possible; spoilers noted if they exist in that paragraph):</div>
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<b><i>Barefoot Girls Soundtrack – Girl, Put Your Records On!</i></b></div>
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<i>“Oh Very Young” by Cat Stevens</i></div>
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This would play in one of the early scenes showing Hannah and her mother together, starting when Hannah is playing with the marbles. I always thought the song spoke beautifully about fleeting naiveté and believe it captures not only Hannah’s youthful innocence, but also her young mother’s – always trying so hard to do the right thing without so much as one decent role model.</div>
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<i>“Crash” by The Primitives</i></div>
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This song was referenced by Pam in an important scene where the four Barefooters meet at Pam’s waterfront house in Westport to try to figure out what to do about Hannah’s potentially broken engagement to Daniel. It would be great if it played while showing Keeley driving her husband’s Jaguar like a maniac to get to Pam’s. It wouldn’t have to be in the movie, but it is referenced and one of the Barefooter’s favorite songs from the 80’s, so it’s appropriate on this bonus list of songs.</div>
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<i>“Love Shack” by The B52’s</i></div>
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Not mentioned in the book, there is still no other better song to elicit images of the Barefooter House – a funky little shack it certainly is, and full of love. If it was in the movie, I’d put it in the scene where Hannah sees the photos from the last Dog Days Celebration that she had missed where everyone is having a great time in spite of her tantrum and refusal to attend.</div>
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<i>“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding</i></div>
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I’ve already noted how absolutely perfect this song is for Captain’s in my post about the <a href="http://taramctiernanfiction.blogspot.com/2012/02/book-cover-for-barefoot-girls.html">Barefoot Girls book cover</a>. The docks on that island (and the real island that inspired Captain’s) are where it’s at! In the movie, it would be when three of the Barefooters visit Hannah. And no, not giving any more info or it’s giving too much away – only those of you who have read the book will know what I’m talking about. Hint to those who read it: they take their shoes off even though the weather is inhospitable.</div>
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<i>“Under the Sea” from Walt Disney’s The Little Mermaid</i></div>
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Okay, I seriously doubt that Disney would grant these rights to someone else’s movie, but really – those of you who read <i>Barefoot Girls</i>, is there a song that could be better for a movie montage of Hannah being taught to swim by Amy and Keeley? I mean, come on!</div>
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<i>“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt</i></div>
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This song was referred to by Hannah during her blow-up argument with Keeley, and many of its words are incredibly eloquent, describing exactly how Hannah feels in her strained relationship with her mother. But, as the song was intended to address a lover, not a mother, I wouldn’t put it in the movie. I list it here because it is so apt in every other way. It makes me want to cry - that song and that scene are both just so heartbreaking. The moment you know someone will never love you the way you want them to.</div>
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<i>“The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac (SPOILER ALERT – don’t read this paragraph if don’t want to know about a pivotal plot point)</i></div>
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I’d put this song for the scene just before the climax with Rose passing Pam’s house, something dangerous clutched in her hands. This song starts with a low thudding base and eerie sitar-like strumming that seems to threaten, and then just builds and builds, just like the scene. The words too: watching, listening, fury about perceived lies - they are all indicative of Rose’s activities and mindset before she commits her final act of destruction. </div>
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<i>“Wild Night” by Van Morrison</i></div>
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This song is all about that electric enthusiasm you feel for an upcoming night out – particularly when you’re young and excitable. So, what more appropriate song could there be than this one when the four teenage Barefooters are getting ready at Pam’s for the wild and horribly fateful party at Clay’s house?</div>
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<i>“Boat Drinks” by Jimmy Buffett</i></div>
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Not only is this song a favorite Barefoot Girls song (they are rabid Parrot Heads) and exactly reflects the laid-back fun-loving atmosphere on Captain’s Island, it would be ideal for the final and very happy scene that I won’t give away here. All I can say is: splash!</div>
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<i>“We Are Young” by fun</i></div>
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With all these older songs, I’d want to end the movie on a fresh note while still staying true to the Barefoot Girls spirit. This great new song by fun is a perfect fit and I’d play it during final credits, to send audience members out of the theater singing and smiling – because that’s what this fantastic anthem-of-a-song makes you want to do.</div>
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So there it is: a partial soundtrack for <i>Barefoot Girls</i>! What do you think? </div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4751820600965648564.post-17500132909228556882012-02-23T12:52:00.002-05:002012-06-10T18:10:35.668-04:00Barefoot Truths: You’ve got to have friends…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdXyncoCnQwNHF4BI8h5RPdDkJ1r4D4liDeZEkMr0DAAA7mo29N6rIFFmL15LdkNBMRRaLQfDSbk1KcZmxuywfhiLj5m3-g5SmZoxzMXQjZ32cqDIg_6L1-fqT1_IxYEEYVyxYxuZdP8/s1600/Evenbetterfriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdXyncoCnQwNHF4BI8h5RPdDkJ1r4D4liDeZEkMr0DAAA7mo29N6rIFFmL15LdkNBMRRaLQfDSbk1KcZmxuywfhiLj5m3-g5SmZoxzMXQjZ32cqDIg_6L1-fqT1_IxYEEYVyxYxuZdP8/s320/Evenbetterfriends.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And most of us don’t have enough of them. Not the close kind, the kind of friends you can turn to both when things are going perfectly – blue skies forever - and when life is at its worst and you feel like nothing will ever be right again. </div>
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A question that people ask me after reading my novel <i>Barefoot Girls</i> is: what was your inspiration? Well, the book was about a lot of things - the unique mother-daughter relationship, finding true love, the past and its potential hold over our lives – but most of all, it’s about friends. Specifically, it’s about women’s friendships: our basic need for them, the blessings and benefits that come with them, and the challenges that are also inherent within them. </div>
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In our ever-faster ever-busier modern lives, it seems to me that friendships are falling by the wayside, being dropped like dead weight as we rush onward, trying to keep up with a million responsibilities and interests. This is a mistake as that extra effort that goes into your friendships repays you a hundred-fold in the end. Your friends are your mirror, your cheerleaders, your helping hands, your shoulders to cry on. They are there for you in ways your family, your significant other, and your children just <i>can’t</i> be. Maybe it’s because <br />
<a name='more'></a>those people have so much tied up in you, maybe it’s because of your role in their lives, but they’re never going to just relax and let you be you the same way a friend will – loving you all the more for your quirks and human nature, which reassures your friends as they, too, are imperfectly human. </div>
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I hear you. You’re saying, “But I stay in touch with all my friends on Facebook (or Twitter)”. But that’s not the same thing as spending time together in person – it just isn’t. In person you see their expressions, call them out on the crazy things they might say, laugh together, cry together, just <i>be</i> together. </div>
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<i>Barefoot Girls </i>is about four sister-close friends who not only see each other in person during the year, they’ve made a sworn pact to spend every August together on the same little island where they grew up. There, they re-forge what holds them together, adding new layers, making it grow with careful tending and lots of love. Other books and movies and television series out there also talk about women’s friendships – why are they so important to us?</div>
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<b>Why Fictional Friendships Help Us with Our Own</b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b><i>They remind us that our friends don’t need to be perfect (and neither do we).</i></b> Pam has a compulsive and fattening addiction to chocolate chip cookies, Amy can be cold and too tough sometimes, Zo is a pushover and a hopeless romantic, Keeley has a drinking problem. Yet they all also have wonderful qualities too. Pam has a huge heart, Amy is the most fiercely loyal friend you could ask for, Zo is a great listener with a brilliant mind, and Keeley is just a load of fun to be around. Real-life friends have good and bad qualities too. By reading about not-so-perfect friends, it opens our hearts to the not-so-perfect friends around us.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Variety is the spice of life</i></b><i>.</i> Having many friends ensures that your friends will have a variety of personalities, skills, strengths, life experiences, and insights that they will bring into your life, enriching it immensely. One show that depicts this well and reminds us of its importance is <i>Sex and the City</i>. Would Carrie’s life been the same without Miranda? What about without Samantha? What if Charlotte was MIA? Nope, nope, and nope! Each brought something to the other three that was unique and all them. The same is true of the four Barefoot Girls.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Your love is like a rollercoaster baby, baby!</i></b> Fictional friendships either enlighten us or simply remind us that all friendships have highs and lows, that the tide fills the plain at times and that it is a desert at others. Sometimes, it’s where we are in life. Maybe we have a new baby or a new job and it’s swept us away from our friends. Sometimes, it feels like we’ve grown apart; but maybe we just need to grow on our own for a while before coming back together – better than ever. Keeley abandons the Barefooters for a time, but it isn’t forever, and without her, they aren’t the same. When a valued friendship of mine has ebbed and I worry it will never flow again, I remind myself of the old proverb: this too shall pass. And it’s amazing how often it does and, reunited with my good friend, it seems as if no time has passed at all and our conversation resumes right where we left off.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><i>In it for the long haul.</i></b> Lifelong friendships do happen, beginning in a playpen, eyes smiling around high-held nippled bottles. Some are found in the school yard, on the swings, passing notes in class. Others are more mature – in college while experiencing the first heady taste of freedom and responsibility, at a first job, through a club or meetup. No matter when you meet your friends, make no mistake: maintaining a friendship is work. Like tending a garden, you must make sure it is watered and fed and that weeds don’t choke it. You can’t just ignore it and expect it to flourish. Great books about friendship show that – like <i>Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café</i> by Fannie Flagg. Those two women worked to be friends – there was nothing easy about it. But the spoils, the deep riches of friendship, are well worth the battle. Old friendships are gold. As Sally Field once said, “You like me! You really like me!” Old friends really do like you, in spite of and because of everything that you are.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><i>What’s in it for you.</i></b> Fictional friendships remind us of how good it can get. They show us the laughter, include us in on the inside jokes, take us along for the wild ride into the night. We learn of new games (Kamikaze Uno, anyone?) and new recipes, hear secrets, participate in childhood pacts. All the magic is there: just keep turning the pages.</li>
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If you liked <i>Steel Magnolias</i> and re-read <i>Beaches </i>over and over, if you miss having close friends in your life and want tips on how to find and keep them, <i>Barefoot Girls</i> may be the book to inspire you. Four women – a small tribe that is, as Zo described them, “fierce and fun” – who I believe you’ll fall in love with.</div>
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Other must-reads about friendship (re-listing any ones above for your convenience) according to moi: </div>
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<i>Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons </i>by Lorna Landvik</div>
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<i>Beaches</i> by Iris Rainer Dart</div>
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<i>Circle of Friends</i> by Maeve Binchy<br />
<i>Coming Home</i> by Rosamunde Pilcher </div>
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<i>Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood</i> by Rebecca Wells</div>
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<i>Firefly Lane</i> by Kristin Hannah</div>
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<i>First Wives Club</i> by Olivia Goldsmith</div>
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<i>Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café</i> by Fannie Flagg</div>
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<i>Summer Sisters </i>by Judy Blume</div>
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<i>The Castways</i> by Elin Hilderbrand</div>
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<i>The Help</i> by Kathryn Stockett</div>
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<i>The Joy Luck Club </i>by Amy Tan</div>
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<i>The Saving Graces </i>by Patricia Gaffney</div>
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<i>Waiting to Exhale </i>by Terry McMillan</div>
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Any other books you think should be included in this list? Tell!</div>Tara McTiernanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07499227287653818619noreply@blogger.com0