IWSG, A Total Eclipse of Green Cheese, Quotes and Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

This month's question is: How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

I'm not sure how long I've been blogging, maybe since around 2003/04? My earliest posts, where I tentatively put my big toe in the internet waters, seem to have disappeared. So, I can only go back as far as April 19, 2008.  Blogging introduced me to many people in the writing world and I am every so grateful to all of them. I used to blog almost every day, then it was three times a week, then once a week. Now it's once a month. And, I feel guilty for not visiting other blogs like I used to. My excuse is that I'm always at work on the first Wednesday so by the time I'm off on Friday I'm so distracted with other things that I don't get around to visiting visiting! That's not very nice of me when there are several of you who keep coming back to read my wandering words. 

As for Facebook, I think I've been on since around 2015, maybe earlier, but I don't really know, nor do I know how to find out. For me FB has been a needed place to keep in touch with my family and friends in the Caribbean, particularly after hurricanes. Lots of valuable and needed information has been able to be shared and for that reason, I stay on board. FB has gotten very political (I'm guilty of adding to it) and I'm dismayed at the amount of mis and disinformation that get's posted, but I'm also inspired by the many uplifting memes and stories.

I was on Twitter/X for a  while, but I never did get the hang of it or how to use it or figure what good it was for. So, when I heard Musk was going to buy it, I deleted my account.

Origins: is a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's phrase is: The Moon is Made of Green Cheese

Not really a phrase... but there's a reason for choosing this descriptor of the moon.

A HUGE BIG DEAL is going to happen here in my small town. 

We are GROUND ZERO for the TOTAL ECLIPSE the universe has scheduled for Monday, the 8th. A mere 5 days away! We are starting to see an influx of traffic. NASA is already here as we will have about the longest time in the dark, 4 minutes and 24 second. Realize the total population of the town and county is about 53,000.  No one has been able to give us a reasonable estimate on the number of people that will be descending upon us, but it's anywhere from 150,000 to 500,000! We are excited and holding our breath at the same time. How will our infrastructure and facilities hold up? The "Authorities" say they aren't concerned about the people who have made plans well in advance -- hotels, motels, B&Bs etc. have long been booked with a minimum 3 to 4 night stay. But they ARE concerned about the day trippers who think they'll just be able to get on Interstate 10, Texas 27 or Texas 16 to come watch the sun disappear. The people who haven't planned are the ones who will cause the worst of the traffic jams; they might run out of gas, not have enough water and food on hand, and will be difficult to reach if there's an emergency. It could take anywhere from 5 to 8 HOURS on I10 to get from here to San Antonio a mere 60 miles away. No heavy trucks or semis will be allowed to travel on the 8th in more the 80 counties. Interstate 10 will have one lane closed in both both directions, a distance of about 100 miles -- we're in the middle of that -- to allow people to park and watch the event. 

We will be staying put at home.

I'd like to say I'll be posting pictures on Facebook the day of, but the Authorities have warned us that cell and internet connectivity will likely be non-existent for the day because we only have 4 cell towers and they'll quickly be overloaded.  However, those of us with Spectrum and WiFi, may be ok. 

All that said, I'm excited as I've never experienced a total eclipse.

Now on to the curious idea of the Moon as Cheese

Since the moon is going to be covering the sun I thought the idea would be interesting to explore.

Thinking the moon is made of cheese is an old metaphor used by many nationalities in folktales to describes a simpleton who, upon seeing the moon reflecting in water, believes it is a wheel of cheese. The general population never actually believed the moon was made of cheese let alone green cheese -- which is newly made, unaged cheese.  As early as the 1520s, it has been considered an example of...to put it bluntly...stupidity to think it was.

Fables, proverbs, and children's stories about the moon reflected in water and thought to be edible can be found in Slavic, Turkish, Jewish, Zulu, French, Scottish, and English cultures. It was interesting to discover that a fox or wolf, or in the case of the Zulu story, a hyena, was often involved.

Quotes of the Month

 "In other words, if a decision-maker thinks something cannot be true and interprets this to mean it has zero probability, he will never be influenced by any data, which is surely absurd. So leave a little probability for the moon being made of green cheese; it can be as small as 1 in a million, but have it there since otherwise an army of astronauts returning with samples of the said cheese will leave you unmoved." Dennis Lindley

"If I tell you there's cheese on the moon, bring the crackers." Tyronn Lu

Being Thankful

Today I'm obviously thankful for the opportunity to watch a total solar eclipse.

We pray for clear skies, 

particularly since there is currently a 50% chance of rain for Sunday and Monday.

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How long have you been blogging, or been on Facebook/Twitter etc.? Have you ever seen a total eclipse? (I've seen several partials). Would you/have you traveled to see a total eclipse?

IWSG, Gee Willikers Let's Chew the Fat Awhile, Quotes, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:    Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

This month's question is: Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?

I haven't "played" with AI at all, nor do I intend to. I'm too old for this New Age stuff. I think it's impact on the arts could possibly lead to a diminishing of human creativity, ingenuity, and imagination. 

Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's phrase is: Chew the fat

There appear to be several myths about the origins of this phrase, all of which sound quite plausible but are unverifiable. The truth came as a complete surprise to me.

Myth 1: It came about because sailors ate salted/dried fish and meat while at sea which required a lot of chewing.

Myth 2: It originated with Native American tribes who chewed on animal hides to soften them.

Myth 3: (The most commonly believed one) In the fifteen hundreds a family could show of its wealth by offering guests small bits of pork to chew. (Ewwww) 

Here's something from 1942-43.

The Truth: We can blame it on the British army in India. "Prior to the adoption of metallic cartridges, most ammunition was composed of powder and a ball wrapped in paper or cloth soaked in animal fat, which was bitten open during musket drill. Soldiers were known to chew on these ends to pass the time and reduce nerves, and in some cases to stave off cravings for chewing tobacco." (Wikipedia)

1885 is when it was first used in a book titled, Life in the Ranks of the British Army in India by J. Brunlees Patterson, where he described it as military men  complaining, grousing, and grumbling about conditions. An earlier form (1875) "chew the rag," is American and is more about gabbing and gossiping. 

Today's Weird Word is: Gee willikers

This is strictly an American euphonism, an exclamation of surprise, enthusiasm, or exasperation. Earliest citation is from 1847. "Perhaps (i) a fanciful alteration of Jerusalem! (which is probably itself a euphemistic alteration of Jesus.)" Oxford English Dictionary. 

There are many variations of this theme: Gee-Whittaker, Gee-whitaker, Geewhillikins, Gee willikers. 

Does anybody even use it any more?

Quotes of the Month from Eleanor Roosevelt 

One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.

We shall have to be willing to learn and to accept differences of opinion and background.

In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. The choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

...freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.

It takes a good home and a good school to prepare young people for citizenship in a democracy and even then they will have to go on learning throughout life.

Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for the seemingly simple things of life:

air to breathe, food to eat, a roof over my head.

The list is long. 

What simple things are you thankful for? Have you used AI? What are your thoughts on it? Have you ever used "chewing the fat" or "gee willikers"?

IWSG, By the Skin of My Teeth I'm Driving that Jalopy, Quotes, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   Janet Alcorn, SE White, Victoria Marie Lees, and Cathrina Constantine!

This month's question is: What turns you off when visiting an author's website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author's books? Constant mention of books? Oh gosh. Lack of information about what?  I don't recall ever visiting a blog or website that's a drone of negativity. But I'm sure that would be a turn-off for me. My own blog is guilty of not mentioning my books much, but they're there...over to your right if you'd care to check them out. Since writers have had to become their own promoters (even if published traditionally) I can't fault those who loudly toot their own horns. If they don't do it, who will? I'm an introvert in that department. I'm happy be in the chorus and sing my part, but I'm not comfortable as the soloist.

Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or  phrase.

Today's phrase is: By the Skin of My Teeth

I was surprised to learn how old it is...

The phrase made it's first written debut in the 1550s in the Geneva Bible.

Job. A haunting painting
of despair... 

When Job is lamenting all that Satan has done to him and all that God has allowed to happen (it is a piteous and heart-wrenching passage to read) he cries out in anguish, "I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth." And this is a direct translation from the Hebrew. Who can say how long the Hebrews used the phrase before it was written in the Book of Job? I think it's safe to say, it's anywhere between 4 to 9 thousand years old, as that's how old scholars believe Job's story to be (give or take 5 thousand years). You can read the whole lament here at Job Chapter 19. None of that explains what the skin of one's teeth actually is. I'm kind of inclined to think it's that semi-slimy layer of scum that's on your teeth when you wake up in the morning. (Gross I know.) Or maybe it has to do with the gums.

Today's Weird Word is: Jalopy

Most sources acknowledge there's no sure source of where or how this word originated. It popped up in the early 1920s. Most however agree it might have come from Jalapa, Mexico (same place the Jalapeño is from) which, it seems, is where used cars from the US were sent to die.

In my experience growing up the Virgin Islands, a jalopy was definitely a beat-up vehicle, a rust-bucket held together with baling wire and maybe duct tape, but still running, still operational. Anyone who had a good running jalopy could be called upon to go places regular vehicles couldn't go. I learned to drive in a jalopy. It was a jeep that jumped out of second gear and barely had reverse! 

We were "jeeping" and "off-roading" LONG before it became a "thing.

Quotes of the Month

"Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life." Gregory Peck

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"Enjoy life as it is today -- it is going to change." Stephen Ramjewan

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"Measure not men by Sundays, without regarding what they do all the week after." Thomas Fuller

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"Those sons-of-bitches over there ain’t buying. Every yard gets ’em. They’re lookers. Spend all their time looking. Don’t want to buy no cars; take up your time. Don’t give a damn for your time. Over there, them two people – no, with the kids. Get ’em in a car. Start ’em at two hundred and work down. They look good for one and a quarter. Get ’em rolling. Get ’em out in a jalopy. Sock it to ’em! They took our time." John Steinbeck from The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 7.

I don't know who wrote this analysis of the quote, but it's great.   "Dehumanized by his runaway greed, the used car dealer lectures his employees on how to exploit customers. Seeing vulnerable migrants as easy money, he motivates his sales team to suck as much money as possible out of them. There is irony in the fact that even those not interested in buying a car are targets for his cynical sales pitch."

And who knew "Sock it to 'em" didn't originate in the late 1960s on Laugh-In.

Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful that we survived a very hard freeze 

(at one point we were colder than Billings, Montana!) 

And, we got a little bit of rain. 

The weather has been wild and crazy.

What are you thankful for? Do certain authors' blogs or websites annoy you? Have you ever felt like you were hanging on by the skin of your teeth? Ever owned or driven a jalopy?

IWSG, Origins, Weird Words, Quotes, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:    Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Diedre Knight, and Natalie Aguirre!

This month's question is: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors? I am not a member of BookBub. I've heard of it, I've looked at the site, but to be honest, I don't buy many new books. I go to the library for new stuff. I don't know about anyone else but going to a site like BookBub is, for me, overwhelming. 

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So last year (already?) I chose interesting words to delve into. This year I'm going to explore interesting phrases and weird words.  I'm also going to go through my extensive collections of quotes and end each post with something pithy, humorous and/or mind-bending. Clever me. So original....

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Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's phrase is: Up to snuff 

After three years of being careful and getting all our vaccines, hubby and I finally got one of the many COVID variants. Nice gift at the end of the year... We now call ourselves, Disease and Pestilence.  Anyway, I wasn't feeling up to snuff which made me wonder where the heck THAT phrase came from. I only knew it had something to do with snuff.

All sources agree it does indeed have to do with the sniffing of snuff, a tobacco product, which gave a certain quality of sharpness or energy to the user. So a person described as being "up to snuff" was someone who was alert, clever, and not easily fooled. So, someone NOT up to snuff, was the opposite.

The first written use comes from a play by John Poole written in 1810. It's called Hamlet Travestie: In Three Acts a humorous spoof of Shakespeare's famous play. Poole was apparently quite popular in his day.

Today's Weird Word is: Discombobulate
We all know that it means to be in a state of confusion, or disorder. But where did it come from? In that imaginative time between say 1830 and 1890, there was a fad going around to create fanciful mock-Latin words. Discombobulate is one of these and appears to be the only one that has survived. Others include: Absquatulate, to run away or make off with. Confusticate, to confound. Panjandrum, meaning a "pompous person of power and pretension." Love that alliteration! I like all of these mock-Latin words, particularly confusticate. 

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I only manage to read 22 books of my 30 book Goodreads goal. But that's ok. It's always interesting to look back and be surprised by the variety and eclectic nature of my reading.

Harbor Me - Jacqueline Woodson

The Beatryce Prophecy - Kate DiCamillo

Shout - Laurie Halse Anderson

Squeeze Me - Carl Hiaasen

Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield - I LOVED it even though it took me three months to read!

Melissa - Alex Gino

The War That Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Fish in a Tree - Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Pale Blue Dot - Carl Sagan

Queen Hildegarde - Laura Elizabeth Richards

This Book is Gay - Juno Dawson

Wait for Signs - Craig Johnson

Garvey's Choice - Nikki Grimes

A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park

Bellevue - David M. Oshinsky - A interesting history of the famous hospital in NYC

See You on a Starry Night - Lisa Schroeder

The Children's Blizzard - Melanie Benjamin

Harriet Tubman - Kathleen V. Kudlinski

Hell and Back - Craig Johnson

The Ranch that was Us - Becky Crouch Patterson - a family memoir about a huge ranch not far from                 where I live in the Texas Hill Country

Femina - Janina Ramirez - A account of relatively unknown mediaeval women who did amazing things

How to Meditate - Pema Chodron - A very nice book with which to end the year

2024's list begins with three books I'm currently reading

Rattlesnake - C. Lee McKenzie - a great ghost story!

The Women's West - Susan H. Armitage - A compilation of articles and stories about the lives of real                  women who were pioneers of the American West

A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living

Quotes of the Month

"This planet is not Terra Firma, it is a delicate flower and it much be cared for." Astronaut Scott Carpenter

"I'd like to read a book...I've never read a book before. I understand they have pages and everything." Frank Oz

"Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things." Frank A. Clark

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful hubby and I didn't get any sicker than we did. The medication we got certainly stopped it from galloping into our lungs and we are definitely thankful for that.

Happy New Year!

Are you a BookBub user? Have you read any of the books on my list? What do you think of those faux-Latin words? Got a favorite? Do you think we should make up some new ones? I'll start. Incompuhensive: The state of being almost understandable, but not quite, so that it drives one slightly crazy.

The Gift of Words

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:   C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!

This month's question is: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author? I rarely critique the author unless it's to say something general as in "I found the writing a bit choppy" or "I really liked the author's style of writing." My book reviews are pretty simple, I don't give synopses because there are plenty given by other reviewers and there is the book blurb itself. My reviews are mostly about what I like or don't like, how the story make me feel, what I learned or didn't learn. They don't tend to be longwinded. I rarely get into the "psychological" or "metaphorical" meaning behind a story. I rarely give out 5 stars either. For me, 5 stars are for those really powerful and special books that leave me kind of breathless and wanting more, that make me weep or laugh out loud, a book I will want to read more than once. Being honest with myself, most books I like are good solid 4s. A few are 3s. Unless an author is well known and people are raving about a book I find particularly bad, I rarely write reviews for books to which I would only give 1 or 2 stars. If the author is not famous and I think their story is bad (for whatever reason) but has lots of positive reviews, I keep my opinion to myself and don't post a review. I don't want to hurt another author's chances at making a little money.

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Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's words are: GIFT and BIBLE

Christmas is on it's way. What could be better than discovering the origins of these two words?

Gift, "that which is given," has traveled a long and winding road. We will go from newest to oldest: 

Old Norse gift, gipt meaning "gift or good luck".

Proto-Germanic geftiz, (which is also the source of the Old      Saxon gift, Old Frisian jefte, Middle Dutch ghifte "gift",        German mitgift "dowry") all come from the geb "to                give" which in turn comes from the

Words are Gifts

Proto-Indo-European root ghabh "to give or receive." This humble root word forms part or all of these words (this is not the full list):  able, cohabit, cohabitation, debit, debt, due, duty, endeavor, exhibit, exhibition, forgive, gavel, gift, give, habeas corpus, habit, habitable, habitant, habitat, habitation, habitual, habituation, inhabit, inhibit, malady, prohibit, prohibition, provender. 

I love that the word FORGIVE is related to GIFT.

The word Bible comes from the Latin biblia, which in turn comes from the Greek work biblion, meaning "paper scroll" and evolved to be an "ordinary word for a book as a division of a larger work." 

It's the paper scroll part that's interesting. Biblion was a diminutive of byblos, meaning "Egyptian papyrus." The city of Byblos was a Phoenician port from which papyrus was exported to Greece.  

We have papyrus to thank not only for the word paper, but also for the long list of words that have to do with books from bibliophile to biblioteca which is Spanish for library.

LoanWord: A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. Today's loadwords come from Old Norse. There are so many, it was hard to choose. Loft/aloft, Anger, Are, Awe, Bag, Bait, Band (as in rope), Billow, Bleak, Both, Boon, Bug, Cake, Cozy, Creek, Cur, Die, Dirt, Dregs, Dump, Egg, Glitter, Gun, Happy, Haven, Husband, Keg, Kid, Kilt, Knife, Lad/Lass (not Scottish!? the Vikings gave them to us!) Leg, Mistake, Mug, Ransack, Reef, Rotten, Sale, Same, Skill, Skin, Skull, Sky, Take, Thrift, Troll, Ugly, Wail, Window (which means wind-eye) Wrong.

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Merry Christmas,

Happy New Year,

Peace on Earth,

and

Broccoli on Mars

Flames of Wrath by JL Campbell, a Book Blog Tour

The need to right a wrong against an innocent victim 

triggers a hailstorm of revenge. 

Today I have the pleasure of helping my longtime internet friend, JL Campbell, spread the word about her latest book!

A mother’s quest for justice turns into a race against time to stop insidious murders that mysteriously begin populating throughout the city. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware will be enthralled by this emotionally chilling thriller!

The need to right a wrong against an innocent victim triggers a hailstorm of revenge!

 

In less than twenty-four hours—before Alexia Leighton is scheduled to return to Miami from spring break in Jamaica—a group of friends betray her in a grisly assault that stops a heartbeat away from murder. The seventeen-year-old prays for the mercy of death. She survives. While on the road to recovery, Alexia's attackers become victims of mysterious acts of violence, leaving authorities confounded and racing against time to prevent another deadly attack. Concern looms, as the perpetrator has proven to be two steps ahead of them at every turn.

 

When the attention swings to Alexia's mother, a cyber-security expert, the family closes ranks. Geneva Leighton must quickly eliminate herself as a suspect, but not without handing down more punishment. The offenders fear for their own safety and the secrets that plague them. Can they trust the police to find the killer before someone else dies, or has their fate been sealed—leaving them with no place to run, and no place to hide . . .

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Describe your writing style.

I’ve been told that my writing is literary in nature but that sure isn’t the case with Flames of Wrath. Since the genre has certain conventions, I had to stay within those if I hoped to write a well-paced story. Readers have also said my characters are compelling and that I have a way with dialogue.

What makes a good story?

For me, that would be one in which I am immersed in the plot and have a hard time taking breaks from reading. I like characters that I can relate to, and even if I can’t see things from their point of view, I want them to be interesting and have layers to their personality. I’m an armchair adventurer, so I’m fascinated with books that take me to diverse parts of the globe. 

What are you currently reading?

I’ve been reading the Nena Knight series and I’m about to start book three. I’ve been enjoying these thrillers mainly because of the character and how she navigates the world she’s thrown into after a series of unfortunate situations. The pacing is good and the plot is engaging. In between that, I’ve been reading The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. Let’s just say this book is an intense read that’s not for the faint of heart. It’s about a twelve-year-old boy who faces a harrowing experience inside a reform school in Jim Crow Florida.

What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

I no longer have what I’d consider a process. Used to be, I’d outline my story so I knew where I was going from the get-go. Then, I started doing a combination of both—knowing the start, the ending, and a few of the huge happenings in between. At heart though, I prefer to be organized and not write by the seat of my pants because when I write that way, there’s too much cleaning up to do in the editing phase. At the outset, I prefer knowing a huge chunk about my characters—the stuff they own, their personality quirks, and their history. A vague outline is also a bonus, but the one thing I have to know when I sit at the keyboard is what the current chapter is about. Without that compass, I’d be lost.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

As weird as it sounds, it’s not any part of the mayhem Geneva causes or how she deals with her daughter’s enemies. My favourite part is where she’s talking to Spence, her husband, and telling him but not telling him what she’s done to get justice for their daughter. It’s serious and funny, in parts. That, and the family scenes were special for me as I believe in the love and support that family provides.

And a bonus question … If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

Definitely cinnamon. It’s a distinctive spice that can be sprinkled in with most baked goods. It has may beneficial properties, but like Geneva, too much of it can play havoc with one’s health.

And there you have it, a little about me and what reading and writing looks like in my world.

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National Bestselling Author, J.L. Campbell lives in Jamaica and writes across several genres. She is a certified editor, and book coach, who has produced over forty books. When she’s not writing, Campbell adds to her extensive collection of photos featuring Jamaica’s natural beauty. 

She can be found lurking about at these sites: Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Flames of Wrath by J.L. Campbell, a Crime Thriller, can be found at:

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's Talk Turkey, IWSG, Being Thankful

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:  PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

This month's question is: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not? I have participated, back when it was still new. I did it twice and finished both times. The novels I wrote languish in their files because 1) they need a lot of work and 2) I'm lazy. One is a crazy fantasy with lots of humor that's kind of a combo of Oz and Disc World. The other is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, West Indian style. Both have potential, but both need soooOOOOoooo much work... 

Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.

Today's word is: Turkey

Last month is was about pie, so it's seems only right that this month it be about turkey.

Back in the 1540s the Portuguese imported the guinea fowl from Madagascar and it arrived in Europe via... you guessed it... Turkey. But wait, guinea fowls were not called turnkeys.

The North American bird we call the turkey was first domesticated by the Aztecs and introduced to Spain by the Conquistadores. Because North Africa was under Ottoman (Turkish) rule and because it looked similar to the guinea fowl, by the time the North American bird arrived in Europe in the 1550s, the name "turkey" was starting to stick. However, the wild undomesticated bird arrived in England from the American colonies in the 1530s and was already becoming a popular main course at Christmas by the 1570s.

So there you have it, from Madagascar to Mexico we get look-alike guinea fowls called turkeys.

LoanWord: A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. Today's loanwords are Arabic and Turkish/Persian in origin. All are very familiar and rather pretty, too. Arabic: Safari, Lemon, Admiral, Alcohol, Algebra, Sofa, Zero, Candy, Caravan, Shawl, Alchemy, Cotton, Zenith, Hazard, Apricot, Giraffe. Turkish/Persian: Sherbet, Talc, Tapestry, Sandal, Scarlet, Bazaar, Carafe, Percale.

Turkish Delight Dribble

She lounged on the sofa, sipping her alcoholic beverage, and nibbled on Turkish Delight. The shawl draped about her shoulders warded off the chill. Some idiot offered her a dish of sherbet. In a scarlet rage, she threw her sandal at the offender.

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Being Thankful

Today I am thankful that we've had some rain. Not much, almost three of inches, but it's been heavenly.

We also had our first serious cold front, dropping into the mid 30s at night, and staying in 40s during the day.

What are you thankful for? Have you participated in NaNo? Are you ready for the holidays?