Venn Diagram

Venn diagrams have long been used to show how certain groups can overlap into other groups.

For example:

 

This is a basic diagram, and one I'll be using today sans the letters. 

The question you might ask is why is a writer using a diagram like this? Especially a writer who is a very linear writer like me. 

Well, it started yesterday when I was walking . . . and finally caught up with Ron (An older gentleman who I sometimes happen to see on the path. Usually we simply pass each other going opposite directions, but yesterday, I caught up to him).

He asked about my writing and I told him I was beating my head against a wall because of this synopsis. I mentioned that I tend to think linearly, but this story was a little more convoluted in the mystery. 

And then I thought of the Venn diagram.

It could help me map out the the intersections of the story. I need to figure the connections, so I can scatter the clues in an appropriate way when I set the information in a linear fashion of story, Blake Snyder's beat sheet.

 

I've never done this before, and I have a feeling I'll be printing off many blank copies to scribble on them before I figure out the right combinations. 

So last night when I couldn't sleep, I thought of various scenes to help fill in the spaces. 

This is going to get good!

Later, Peeps! 

Oh, SUGAR PLUM DISASTER (Christmas short) is still available for free. 

Last of the Free Books

Click the book cover for the Amazon link.

Free Books

Today's selection of books brings my to book three, For Whom the Bell Trolls:

And A Maze of Monster Mix-Ups is still free. It is a good companion title to TROLL. . . be sure to read it first.

Happy reading!

Foodie Friday -- Beef and Barley Soup

Crockpot soup!  I love a good crockpot soup, don't you?

The original recipe was from the 1950's or 60's. It's old. My mom had typed it on a card, then I typed it on a card in the 1980's. It called for beef shank or neck. . . I don't know about you, but the three grocery stores that I shopped at didn't have beef shank or neck. Years ago, Walmart had beef tongue, but that's another story.

Most modern stores in the US won't carry the 'remnants' from animals. If you can find a cheaper cut of beef, more power to you! The how to cook will be in the Tips and Tricks.

I also couldn't find barley. What is this world coming to??  By the time I got to store #3, Reasor's, a local grocery chain, I found a wonderful selection of grains . . . but no barley. Every other kind of seed and grain imaginable, but no barley. What to do? I spent 5 minutes trying to remember the size of the pearl barley we used for this recipe. I found spelt. Yes, spelt. It's a German wheat grain. After cooking for eight hours, it still had a bit of a chew to the texture. I enjoyed it, my hubby didn't.

Beef and Barley Soup

1 1/2 bottom roast, bite-sized cubes
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
3/4-1 cup barley (spelt)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. savory
4 cups beef broth

2 Tbls. cornstarch, for thickening

Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT cornstarch, in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until beef and barley are tender.

To thicken, place cornstarch into small bowl, add a few spoonfuls of broth to cornstarch and stir to make a slurry, stir into soup. Repeat if needed to thicken to desired level.

Taste for seasoning. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks:

• For beef shank or neck: Take three pounds of beef (because there will be bone, etc. and you need more meat), dredge in flour, place in hot pan with 4Tbls oil, brown on all sides. THEN cook it like the recipe states, before serving it, remove the meat from the bones and put it back into the crockpot. 
• If unsure how salty the beef broth is, then use only half of the salt stated in the recipe and adjust after it cooks.
• If using dried parsley vs fresh, then use about 1-2 Tbls.
• I turned the crockpot on high for the last hour to cook the spelt a little more
• I used Better than Bouillon beef base. I find it to be less salty than regular broth
• I didn't need to adjust any seasonings. It turned out really good.
• Reheats well. The beef became really tender after it sat for a day or two in the fridge

Enjoy!

Maze of Monster Mix-Ups is still available for free today.

Tomorrow will be a different book, but I can't remember which one! 

Midnight Trials

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what time it is?

I do. Mainly because I have to turn my alarm clock away from the bed because the light is too bright.

Normally, my guess is pretty close to the actual time, but I was seriously off my game last night. By an hour. I thought it was 3:30, but nope, it was 2:27 . . . then I managed to stay awake until 3:30 when I finally got back to sleep.

Wonder if I'm paying a penance for something . . .

Same thing happened two hours later. I thought it was 5:51, but it was 5:31. So here I am writing a fluff of a morning blog.

--gotta save my creative juices for my stories, right?

So since I failed at my game last night, I'm giving away two of my stories today:

 MAZE OF MONSTER MIX-UPS

This little Halloween story never gets the love I wish it did. I don't know why, but that 's the way of the world. But, my friends, it's more than just a Halloween short story, it's also a prequel to book three, For Whom the Bell Trolls and it's filled with clues . . . if you pay attention to them.

and TODAY is the last day to get book two,

THE FAST AND THE FAERIEOUS

That's it for today. Tomorrow I'll post an wonderful soup recipe, Beef and Barley Soup. Well, I couldn't find any barley in three different grocery stores I tried, so I had to substitute another grain. I chose spelt, yes, spelt. It turned out pretty good. 

Later, Peeps! 

Fighting Back

It takes a concerted effort to start -- 'fill in the blank' -- again.

This has been me. 2013 was the year I allowed everything to get mired in the mud. 

• my weight loss -- I've regained more weight than I care to admit right now
• my writing -- I stopped writing. I was at a "why bother" stage in my life
• my crocheting -- in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, I crocheted over 13 afghans. Major Burnout.

I was burned out on life, so I simply gave up. I did nothing in 2013. 

Well, I did write a couple of picture books, but I have no idea how to write picture books, so they don't count.

Giving up, my friends, is the easy way out. 

I'm too hard-headed and have never been known to take the easy way . . . well, okay, sometimes when I see others make the mistakes, I'm too smart to repeat them! But, in general, I will try to forge my path. 

In honor of kicking my butt into gear, I'm offering . . . 

For FREE!

Click the book cover, or this The Fast and the FAERIEous hyperlink. 

Poor faerie is stuck in a pickle jar! How did that happen?

So what changed? 

I did. Slowly. Since the beginning of 2014, I crocheted 2 afghans and I'm working on a third. 

I wrote yesterday. Considering I've been staring at the same words for almost two years, I actually put new words on the page-- 1605 of them to be exact. It's not a huge amount, but it's a start. 

And I read one Amazon review on FOR WHOM THE BELL TROLLS. . . 

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved all three, but... March 1, 2014

By Mindy

Format:Kindle Edition

PLEASE tell me there is more coming! Been waiting over a year. There is so much left in the story that needs to be finished.

With that kind of patience, how can I disappoint a fan? 

It's time for me to write, DRAGON DAYS OF SUMMER. . . and find a cover artist.

Later, Peeps!

St. Patty's Day Surprise

Because I love St. Patrick's Day, and in honor of my first story, I give you . . . 

Lost Leprechaun Loot! 

for FREE!

Click the picture for their link to the Amazon page. 

It's supposed to be an ugly Sunday with sleet and snow falling, what a perfect time to do some reading, right?  

How to Lose Weight While Eating Bonbons is also still available for FREE!