Poppen's Thoughts on Writing and Stuff: Busy! Busy! Busy!

Questions of the Week - WIN A $15 Amazon.Com Gift Certificate

In Sharon Poppen's Western Romance "Hannah', why doesn't Bennie kill Hannah?

- or -

What was the all important goal pursued by the Farrell Brothers in Sharon Poppen's novel 'After the War, Before the Peace.

The first correct answer to either question wins a signed copy of 'Hannah', a western romance and adventure tale.' Use the most recent blog 'comments' to submit your answer.

Reader Olivia Miller knew that in the novel 'Hannah' when Hannah accuses Liam of having the biggest something she has ever seen, she is referring to his appetite. Ms. Miller received a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate for the correct answer.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Lots going on! Where do I start??? First of all good news about some things getting published.

My ebook 'Hannah' is now available in print. Check it out either at virtualtales.com or at amazon.com. Folks have posted some great reviews!

Then my Irish tale, 'Finding More Than Gold', about a young lass going to find her gold in Alaska was picked up for publication by Awe-Struck Publishing. They have it on schedule for Jan. 2010! I've already had a preview of the potential book cover and they have done a great job of zeroing in on the two main characters, Abby and Tommy.

My local writer's group, Lake Havasu City Writers Group, puts out an anthology every two years. The next one is due out in 2010. I'm on the committee to make it happen. Jim, our new president, has set up a great website where all the submissions have been posted. Each member is allowed and encouraged to submit three pieces. We, on the committee, will read them and rank them as 1, 2 or 3, with #1 being the one we liked best. Every member will get at least one of their submissions published. Every year the anthology is a wonderful combination of fiction, memoirs, essays and poetry and every year the quality gets better and better!

I've been very lax with my on-line writing groups, but managed to crit and sub some pieces on each group over the last couple of days. Some amazing writers out there!!!

I hope to stay current with these blogs, but I'm in Calif. right now for the summer taking care of grandkids while they are on school break. I miss my desert hot weather, but being so far away from them most of the year, I really cherish these two months we spend together.

My quote for my life these days is "Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life." Dr. David M. Burns

Story of the Week

The Art of Eating Spaghetti
By Sharon Poppen
Word count = 773

What a silly assignment from my editor. ‘The Art Of Eating Spaghetti’! Everyone knows there’s only one sensible way to eat a big plate of spaghetti, at least without making a mess of your clothes. All you need to do is cut the noodles up into bite size bits. What a foolish assignment!

However, like a good reporter, I approached the subject matter with an observational attitude. What a surprise to find the topic wasn’t at all bland and unimaginative, but truly a food safari that culminated in a treat for all five of my senses.

One of the first things I discovered was that my method of eating spaghetti was rare. Most of the people I observed used my husband’s technique. Dave takes a spoon and braces it against the bottom of his fork. He then commences to wind the noodles up into a bite size ball. Try as I might, when I follow his lead, I end up with a major portion of the noodles wrapped loosely around my fork flinging sauce in every direction.
Then, there’s the style my three-year old niece embraces.

When Melissa finds the noodles too long, and no one cuts them up for her, she uses nature’s first eating utensils, her fingers. She REALLY likes spaghetti; and when she uses her primitive utensils, she shares it with her outside as well as her inside. Often, the sauce is the same color as her copper-colored hair, which creates a situation that is both culinary and visual.

Part of the spaghetti experience is the rich, heavily seasoned sauce. Meatballs, ground meat, sausage or meatless? What a scrumptious menu of choices! In many homes it is not so much a dilemma to choose, as an honor. Combining the choice with savory items like oregano, tomatoes, onions, garlic and a plethora of additional spices is akin to a glorious quest.

Then, there’s the question of whether to add the sauce to the pasta and serve it as a complete package or to serve the pasta and the sauce separately, leaving the gourmands to mix their own concoctions. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus in this area.

Garlic bread is a must with a spaghetti dinner. After all, a plate of spaghetti is one of the few meals that not only allows for the sopping up of excess sauce; it demands it. However, there is a strange phenomena associated with garlic bread. When eating out, the bread is usually perfectly toasted, although sometimes a little soggy. While at home, it is frequently served heavily toasted with crispy edges and the hint of smoke wafting from the kitchen. Cheese may be added to the bread, but true garlic bread lovers shy away from this addition.

Speaking of cheese, TO SPRINKLE OR NOT TO SPRINKLE THE PARMESAN, is the debate over many lacy or red checked tablecloths. It’s not a problem when eating in a trattoria, but in someone’s home, one should probably forego it. Although, if you’re in the mood for drama, Italian cuisine chefs have a certain flair for the dramatic, especially when it comes to altering their creations.

One cannot discuss the art of eating spaghetti without mentioning what the correct beverage compliment should be. The advantages of Chianti, burgundy or even a blush can be debated, but white wine should be illegal on a table laden with pasta. Chianti has a major advantage in that it usually comes in a quaint little bottle that, when empty, functions as a picturesque candle holder.

It appears there is an ‘Art to Eating Spaghetti’ after all, an art that involves all of the senses. It is certainly visual, with the contrasting colors of the noodles and the sauce, the lacy or red-checkered table linen and the faces of small children. The aroma of a spaghetti meal in progress is unmistakable and undeniable. The feel of the noodles in a child’s fingers, the feel of the warm bread, and the feel of the cool wineglass give testimony to the sensation of touch. Spaghetti can even have a sense of sound. Doesn’t everyone have a family member who slurps? The eating of spaghetti seems to invariably stimulate the sounds of convivial conversation, the clinking of silverware and the tinkling of wineglasses raised in a toast. And finally, the taste! No matter where or how Spaghetti’s made, at home or in a restaurant, it never tastes exactly the same, yet it is always deliciously the same.

Eating spaghetti is indeed an art! And this was not a silly assignment, but a wonderful excursion through one of the most delectable meals on this diverse planet.

The End

Poppen's Thoughts on Writing and Stuff

Finding More Than Gold

Hannah - Available Now!

After the War, Before the Peace - Available Now!

Questions of the Week - WIN A $15 Amazon.Com Gift Certificate

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Busy! Busy! Busy!

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