Writing Contest For Those Who Believe in 'The Good'

"And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown --in the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability....and goodness.....of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth, that we always make it just by the skin of our teeth --but that we will always make it....survive....endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes, will endure --will endure longer than his home planet, will spread out to the other planets, to the stars, and beyond, carrying with him his honesty, his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage --and his noble essential decency."

"This I believe with all my heart."

As read by Mrs. Heinlein received a standing ovation.

If you can relate to this, then there is a short story contest you need to consider.


The Robert A. HeinleinCentennial Short Story ContestThree prizes will be given for the best original short storiesreflecting the spirit, ideas, and philosophies of Robert AnsonHeinlein.$5,000 first prize$2,000 second prize$1,000 third prizeIf you want a short declaration of who the man was and his works, thengo to this link http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/thisibelieve.html

Free Lessons For Authors

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPIC-eWorkshop/

EPIC eWorkshop is precisely what it sounds like. This is a learning experience for new authors and new-to-e-book authors. List members need not be members of EPIC (The Electronically Published Internet Connection) to join in. We'll be discussing the indie/e industry, publishing in general, submitting, finding an e-publisher, contracts, and any other business aspects of indie/e publishing.

While this is not a critique group, you may post query letters for comment, at any time. When classes involve list members posting excerpts, the excerpt rule will be lifted.

This is not a promotion list. We will certainly share submission successes and heartbreaks, but we won't be advertising anyone's books or services.

This list is for adults only. At the same time, there will be no explicit sexual content allowed on list. This is a workshop for everyone from Inspirational and Children's/YA through erotica, but it's a business/learning group in general and not dedicated to a particular genre. Erotic content is better suited to groups like ERWA (Erotic Readers' and Writers' Association), where the entire group is dedicated to erotic writing.

Please read the full list rules before posting. List cops are available to help you find your feet.


We are also accepting proposals for those who wish to give workshops in their particular area of expertise. Several members, including myself, have non-EPIC-sponsored yahoogroups where erotic content may be presented without offense. If you have an announcement of an online workshop, please feel free to post that as well.

Suggest a 2007 Book For a Writer's Contest

http://www.dream-realm-awards.net/rules.htm

Or cross-genres of romance, YA or erotic thereof... The Dream Realm Awards are now open for e-books over 40K released in 2007. Entry is $20. You enter with the first 3 chapters or 12K of the RTF file (whichever is shorter)...no art.

If you make the finals, they need the full book. It cannot be a reprint. You can only enter the book in one category (READ the descriptions...though FAIRY DREAMS is sensual romance, it must enter as erotica...their rules), and you cannot enter more than one book per category, though you can enter different books in different categories. There is also a cover art portion, but cover artists have to enter it, AFAIK.

Brenna--

http://www.brennalyons.com http://www.myspace.com/brennalyonsFairy Dreams is the best bar none fantasy romance that I have ever read! The action is non-stop; the deep abiding love so well portrayed that you feel as though you are experiencing it yourself. Regina for Coffee Time Romance


My Website - Writer's Resources
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Writer's Online Courses

Chat With Authors

We are doing a few major workshops for Small Press Month. We are hosting one of our biggest workshops this week.

Place: www.inspiredauthor.com (click the chat-room button at the top of the page.
Time: 7 - 9 eastern (come when you can)
Membership: none needed - just enter your screen name and enter


Katie Adams

Katie Adams is a highly successful grant writer. In fact, she obtained over $12 million in grants for her clients in only 3 months! She can help you learn how to get free publicity, money to promote your writing, and much more! If you want to become famous overnight, then be at the Inspired Authors chat on Friday night.

Katie has offered to host a 2 hour workshop to help authors promote themselves and their work, build winning PR campaigns, and launch their careers. Have your questions ready! She is also looking for cream of the crop writers for her new business venture. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime chance.

Authors must be well known even before releasing their first book. This takes a “presence” that is only accomplished by proactive marketing. If you miss this one, you will regret it.




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Share Your Favorite Grandfather's Story

The inspiration for The Pledge came from stories my grandfather told me. His stories went far beyond life lessons and relating family history. They inspired me. They made me the person I am today. I have read a lot of stories, but for some reason, the stories that grandfathers tell us are the best.

Tell me your story. I will publish some of them into my newsletter. Others will be published into my blog. I’ll share your grandfather’s story with other people. Let me know what made the story so special. Share your pictures. Pictures of where your family came from. Pictures of you with your grandfather. But - no pictures that include people who have not given their permission - or children.

How to Submit: Submit your stories, no longer than 500 words as a comment on this post. I will chose stories to appear in my newsletter and post on some of my sites. Selected stories may include pictures and a link to your website. I will contact you via the contact form on your website. Submit Your Grandfather Story at www.writer-writer.com



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Free Author Promotion Workshop: Three Famous Speakers

We had a great chat on promotion last night. There were a lot of things covered, and we had the author of one of the top SELLING BOOKS book on Amazon (3 days on Amazon and in the top 50 000). Nikki gave us some excellent tips and advice.

We also explained the difference between promotion by spamming your name, and promotion by Branding.

After 2 hours, there were still questions, so I decided to devote tonight's chat on 'becoming famous' without spending money.

I have invited a PR person, Katherine Adams who works with businesses and CEOs. She is writing a book on landing six figure jobs. If she comes, she can tell us more about 'branding' yourself. She won her clients 12million last year - so she is no 'small fish' when it comes to PR.

Mirella Patzer will tell how she became a popular speaker and was invited to speak (paid) in Italy, the setting of her book - all within less than 2 months.

Nikki Leigh will be there. Her current book on promotion has only been on amazon for 3 days and is in the top 50 000 (out of 3 million) selling books.

We also have Lori Chance, a book coach, and a few other tentative speakers.

I am also saving transcripts. So if you were one of the people who felt you just didn't know that you 'could' become famous without a lot of hassle - and you wanted to know more - come to the IA chat tonight.

http://www.inspiredauthor.com/ - Click Chat. You do not need to become a member.

Chat is Every Friday 7PM Eastern

Tonight's event will have the chat room at www.inspiredauthor.com open from 6 - 9+ You do not need to become a member, or enter any personal information. Just type in a screen name and you are in the chat.






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Regency Debutantes: a Feast of Fictional Heroines

The Regency debutante comes in very handy for authors like me, even though she is as individual as the writers who create her. She can appear in just about all shapes and sizes--within a framework of having the ability to attract "Mr. Right," of course. (In other words, she can be anything as long as it's attractive enough for the purposes of a romance.)

Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is being able to understand and relate to the heroine; therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways and definitely lacking in others; she must be attractive but not so perfect that you can't believe in her; she must strike a chord in every female reader who picks up your book, and any writer can create such a character simply by making her human. That is the one thing we ALL have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles and faults.

But what is a Regency debutante? How is she different from other fictional heroines?

A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is “a young woman making a formal debut into society.” In our case, it is Regency society, which is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. No other time period was quite like the Regency; Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at it while also caring about those who were part of it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting plots full of characters plucked from many layers of that society.

The interesting thing about the debutante of the Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from anywhere. Families came from abroad for the 'season' to debut their favored young ladies among the English rich. Most of the time, they, too, had money and therefore were supremely 'qualified' to join the “marriage mart.” But they might also be hiding a bankruptcy—it wasn't always easy to discover the truth in those days of slow travel and communication (by today's standards).

Likewise, any country miss and her mama might aspire to a London “season” and there was always the chance of making an astounding success. (You see how it easily makes for the stuff of romance novels?)

So the Regency Debutante was any young lady of gentle birth making her "come out" into the wider society of adults of her community; If she were wealthy or could gather enough financial backing, (or had good connections) she could make that debut into London or Bath society, circles where the possibility of making a good match (marriage) were greater.

Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their heroines, but to understand what "the season" was about, one must recognize this formal female creature! She often was not in for fun and games, despite the whirl of social entertainments on her schedule, but if she happened to be pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then upper class society was sure to welcome her in.

Another aspect that makes Regencies so enjoyable is the clothing needed for the debutante's season. The quantity AND the quality--it all counted, and it all makes for fun reading. That, along with descriptions of social customs and manners, makes delving into the era an experience you will likely want to do again and again.

The Regency? You've got to love it!


Linore Rose Burkard writes Inspirational Romance with a special interest in the Regency. She also writes articles on Regency Life, Parenting, and Self-Improvement. Get her FREE monthly eZine "Upon My Word!"



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The History Of The Harlequin Romance Novel

Romance novels have long been associated with a guilty pleasure - covertly enjoyed by women who hide behind their sunglasses on the beach or under the covers on a lazy weekend afternoon. Novels such as these glorify the fantasy of falling in love - elevating the "knight in shining armor" to a level of grandeur never to be experienced by mortal men; bulging biceps, mysterious eyes, and desirable lips - the men of the romance novel are entrusted to sweep the heroine of the book off of her proverbial feet; and in so doing, sweep the masses of women who cling to every word in an attempt to escape reality - off of their feet as well. The romance novel is just that - an escape; and no one provides a portal for better escape than the Harlequin romance novel.

Interestingly enough, the Harlequin romance novel began with a man; not a tall, dark stranger of the novel's pages, but a Canadian businessman eager to break into publishing. Harlequin was founded in 1949 by Richard Bonnycastle and immediately set about publishing books in a wide array of genres popular in the day - such as mysteries and Westerns. It was not until the late 1950s, when Harlequin acquired Mills & Boon - a British romance publisher - that Harlequin made its first foray into the romance novel industry. But by the mid-1960s Harlequin had made a decision to focus solely on the publication of the Harlequin romance fiction novel - based on the enormous popularity of the books (and a not-so-gentle nudging from Bonnycastle's wife Mary).

Differentiating itself further in the market, Harlequin shunned traditional marketing, and opted instead to reach its audience through a non-traditional sales approach. It is for this reason that the Harlequin romance novel can most often be found for sale in drugstores and grocery stores - at the time, frequent haunts of women who were the prime audience for Harlequin.

Just as popular as the fiction itself, Harlequin romance cover art holds its own appeal for fictional romance enthusiasts. The visual of the brawny hero and his damsel in distress has become synonymous with the Harlequin brand; in fact, collectors eagerly seek out vintage Harlequin cover art in a nod to the birth of a brand. While the Harlequin novel covers have gradually changed throughout the years to reflect a more modern audience, the cover art is still just as meticulously created as it was at its inception.

The company's entrance into the online market in 1996 brought the Harlequin brand to the next level, allowing readers to check in with their favorite series and authors. Taking it one step further, Harlequin launched http://eharlequin.com in 2000 offering an online library where readers can read and shop at their own leisure.

Today, Harlequin remains the largest publisher of romance novel series - publishing over 500 new titles every month - in 25 languages - and with distribution in every major market around the world. The company also encompasses the work of nearly 1,500 fictional romance authors.

Still looking for the perfect romance? Try visiting http://www.MyRomanceLife.com, a website that specializes in providing romance advice, tips and resources including information on the Harlequin romance.


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History Books Can Lift You To Be Serene Warrior Powered by Bliss

Ancient warriors were the most powerful, and as societies grew more complex, the warrior class either were at the top, such as Alexander the Great who overpowered Darius of Persia. Alexander had been trained by Aristotle to believe in God and a good life if one lived a good life. Since then, warriors have used their wits to find their ways to power. Such warriors rarely end their lives in a state of bliss or happiness.

It has been such a changed world since the English secret agent James Bond first opened at the cinemas in 1962 and we all lined up to see this exciting new old adventure. I recall it well. We had read of it first, that our inspiring new President, John F. Kennedy, had admitted, as only an offside in an interview, that at the moment his favorite bedtime reading was about James Bond. Again, a warrior, but one who playfully fought on the side of good over evil.

I and millions became eager to find out what inspired this great man, who was a true war hero himself, and his own life story was on the screen. So why would he need to admire James Bond? Aha, this was his other secret life. We all wanted in.

A World War Two heroic figure, admired by our heroic new President, was soon coming to the screen. He was apparently suave, licensed to kill, a lady killer, in behind enemy lines against impossible odds each time. And yet. This man who created James Bond had been James Bond, and he died soon into this series, and his words were carried forth by others, many times more.

President John Kennedy had made an instant hit of the book in an off hand remark to a reporter on what his latest bed time reading was. JFK mentioned how he was enjoying the wartime exploits of an English secret agent given the name James Bond.

The sensation that this created I recall well, which then soon created the movie that made an instant star out of Sean Connery.

And during that permissive age, with each movie, James became less forever with each diamond of a woman he met. Now, today your rather cavalier ways James, causes most of us to wince.

The issue now coming around after all those years of permissive self indulgence is now seen among our grand children. They curl their lips at such folly, and more likely enjoy an even balance, or where the right is more to the point, rather than the sexual dalliance.

And not so long after James Bond came the Beatles and meditation and the search for a deeper meaning to life. And many, including myself, have meditated while studying psychology and thriving in business until now, God willing.

And now studies by University of California have confirmed that there are eight common factors in those who live longest and report highest rates of personal contentment and a sense of satisfaction with their lives. This is science confirming ancient history wisdom.

The keys are

1-Count Your Blessings.
2-Acts of kindness, practice them.
3-Savor the Joys of Life.
4-Thank a Mentor.
5-Learn to Forgive.
6-Friends and family, keep them close.
7-Take Care of Your Body.
8-Develop Strategies to Cope with Stress, Hardships

So whether you behave like Alexander of Napoleon at times, allow these softer values to enter every pore of your being, until you Tarzan and you Amazon Jane still remember to show your godly examples: kittens, puppies and small children will be the first to notice.


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Online Book Stores: Expanding the Horizon of Book Reading

Books are the best friends of human being. It realizes us the power of knowledge, helps our understanding of different subjects and makes us a better person. It also improves our communication skills and our overall personality. There is nothing more exciting than reading a book and losing yourself in the characters present in the book and being a part of twists and turns of a great story.

You go to the nearest book stores to find your favourite books. It has been the convenient way of reading books so far. Although it is very common to go to these stores but now it is very difficult to get time to visit the store. Even if you go there, you don’t find the books you were looking for. Also, many times the traditional book stores don’t offer you a host of options to shop. Keeping all these factors in the mind, many new concepts and ideas are coming into the market. Readers are getting the joy of reading whole book on their PC with a reasonable pricing option. It really sounds good if you are looking for comfort with no compromise in services.

With the increasing use of internet and its applications in our daily life, the concept of online book store is getting a huge popularity. People love to see, read the summary and post their requirements of books through online process. It is more comfortable and convenient. This concept was first used in schools, colleges and universities in order to provide their students a better choice of gaining knowledge. All the libraries in these places were made online within the local area networking system. Later on, this innovative idea was absorbed by the internet savvy persons and they developed online book stores. All these have not only benefited to the readers but also to the authors since they receive more royalty now mainly because of increased sales globally. Consequently, it also helps the price of books putting down and making the availability more convenient.

The online book shops are becoming famous for its variety too. It gives a list of the renowned authors and their books. You can also find the not so popular authors here and enjoy the novels. It gives a number of choices to the users to find exclusive book lists, hard to find novels and the price range with a simple click. For example, if you are looking for a Harry Potter book, you can simply type the name in search box and you will get the required details within no time. These stores also deliver your booked stuff to your residence.

There are some other lucrative services offered by the online stores. If you are not a person who loves reading books, you can find the DVD and CD version of your favourite books here. The price of this multimedia stuff is kept affordable for you. Now, enjoy reading or watching the fictions or Non-fictions in a most innovative way. There are many sites where you have to get yourself registered and they will be informing about the latest books and offers through e mail. Hence, you will be updated with the happenings in the book world.

The fame of online book portals is obvious in the UK. Some of the biggest book stores in the world come from the UK. The renowned book chain Waterstone is one of them. The fact remains same with the online version of the stores. It is the best place to lure the book worms with a number of online bookstores UK. The online bookstores Ireland, London are also very popular among the book lovers with its huge variety of reading materials. Amazon.co.uk, Rupizcompare.co.uk, etc are some of the leading sites that provide the wide variety of books at the affordable price. You can also find the attractive offers and deals on the sites. It gives an exciting shopping experience to you.

Know more about books price comparison at rupiz compare and get discount shop for audio books and best selling books visit book stores here.



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Enspiren Press

I currently work with enspiren press. I have several of my new books released through there. My fiction, The Pledge, a Historical Laird and Lady novel. And, my non fiction novels. Take a few minutes to visit and view my profiles and read excerpts of my books.

Can You Write a Novel?

We walk through a bookstore and imagine the day we can pull a book off the shelf, and read our name on the cover. The euphoric feeling of becoming a published author enables us to type the next ten pages, or address another brown envelope and resubmit our next story.

Writers do not count the hours needed to reach their goals. The journey becomes a forgotten memory when the goal is reached. Unfortunately, many writers walk this road for years before realizing that publishers are more interested in profits than creativity.

The writer learns how easily a good story can be changed into a marketable story. There is no magic formula. Reading another ‘how to’ book will not unfold a new secret. A writer only needs to copy successful writers to shorten their journey between creativity and publication. The following are four basics shared by successful authors.


Write

There is no getting around it. If you want to be a published author, you must write every day. As obvious as this rule is, many writers only write occasionally. It takes practice to teach a writer to think in complete sentences. Writing hones our grammar skills, and improves our style. Eventually, we can eliminate most mistakes in the first draft.

A new writer often takes ten drafts to finish a marketable story. Experienced writers can finish the same story in five drafts. Talent and education does not divide these two groups. The only consistent is practice, and daily writing.

Polish

This is the first lesson we learn, and the last technique we understand. Writing a good story is a growing process. We learn new things as we write.

I see this in the manuscripts I critique and edit. In most cases, the last fifty pages of a story are a hundred percent better than the first fifty. This is the result of practice, and application. The author learned to self-edit as they wrote. Authors who do not take the time to learn the art of editing remain blind to common mistakes in their own work.

We often make the mistake of editing too much. There is no rush when polishing. It is better to read the entire manuscript, looking for one or two problems, than it is to correct everything in one or two rewrites. Our distaste for editing causes us to miss common mistakes, which will result in another rejection letter.

Read

How to get published? Learn what publishers are releasing. No ‘How to’ book can promise a ‘one size fits all’ manuscript. Each publisher has their own style, vocabulary, and structure. An experienced author looks for strong similarities between their manuscript and a publisher’s recent releases. When they find a close fit by reading new releases, they send that publisher a query. New writers sabotage their efforts by playing submission roulette with the newest publisher’s directory.

Fact: Avid readers make the best writers.

I asked several published authors how many times they rewrite before submitting. The answer is a shocking ten to fifteen times.

Promote

The best time to start promoting is now. Promotion has several advantages. It builds a fan base. It helps us overcome the fear of submission and sales, and it changes our attitude.

A positive, professional attitude is invaluable when it is time to submit. Our promotion attempts may start small, like forming a book club at our library, but soon we start seeing ourselves as professionals. This changes us from hopeful wannabes, seeking a publisher’s affirmation, to professional authors. When this happens, we do not need publishers with national distribution to earn enough money to write full time. We have enough momentum to drive our own careers forward.

It takes time to learn we can weave these four elements together. The only way to fail is to quit. Everyone starts a career by setting a goal. After choosing a direction, they invest time studying and working to make that goal a reality. Writing is no different. Our goal is much simpler than most people’s, to become a successful writer.

Write, read, and have fun.


Learn More from Suzanne James at www.writer-writer.com

The Banned Narrator-Are You An Epistolary Novelist?

Do you like to write letters to those who have meant something to you? Do people like receiving your letters? Have others said they always look forward to your letters?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions you could be an Epistolary Novelist.
This novel approach to fiction writing is unique in that the entire novel is composed with letters written between main characters or a solitary writer.

One of the classic Epistolary Novels in Christian fiction is the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. In this work two demons are conversing by letter to learn ways to frustrate Christians. These letters provided unique insight into the lives of Christians and how we respond to the world around us and the frustration we sometimes feel when dealing with other Christians.

One element that is totally removed from an Epistolary Novel is the narrator. Each chapter is composes specifically of a letter from of the novel's main characters and presents a perspective unique to that author. There is no tool to lead the reader in any particular direction; they are influenced only by the words of your fictional character.

Another benefit of an Epistolary Novel is that you can present many unique points of view because each letter contains a prospective unique to the fictional author.

It may be difficult to think about how to manage a series of letters, you must learn how to take your plot and direction through the use of one or more voices. You have to work at keeping the characters and voices separated so each letter (chapter) bears the unique stamp of the character you have developed.

It is possible to develop an Epistolary Novel using only one character. In this scenario the novel may read much like a journal with an entire series of events being passed along in a time stamped dateline.

You will find there are several issues in the story that may not be resolved in subsequent letters. It may be several letters before an issue addressed in one letter is finally clarified. The intent is to present a realistic representation of the manner in which letter writing takes place.
A few authors have used the Epistolary Novel approach using email correspondence instead of standard form letters, but the truth is you can set your work of fiction in virtually any time period you choose.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects.

Make A Website in minutes with HighPowerSites or Build A Website with BuildAGreatSite.
Start your own ebook business and Resell Ebooks with BooksWealth.

Why Has It Become Crucial Nowadays To Write Cutting Edge Fiction?

Read on and discover why…

It’s an open secret that fiction is the most notoriously difficult of genres to break into as a writer aspiring to achieve the recognition that leads to publication.

The biggest majority of competent wordsmiths activate their innate skills for years on end but all they have to show for persistent effort is a never-ending stream of rejection slips.

And it's getting more difficult with each day that passes. The book trade is now almost totally geared towards bestsellers and so-called celebrities. Breaking in new fiction authors and placing their work in bookshops is no easy matter.

But it was ever thus in the publishing industry. What for example do these celebrated authors have in common?

Alexandre Dumas
D.H. Lawrence
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Rice Burroughs
George Bernard Shaw
Gertrude Stein
James Joyce
John Grisham
Mark Twain
Mary Baker Eddy
Rudyard Kipling
Stephen Crane
Upton Sinclair
Virginia Woolf
Walt Whitman
William Blake
Zane Grey

These famous masters of fiction were all obliged to take the route of shelling out hard cash to have their debut novels printed before they acquired celebrity status.

So what, if anything, can contemporary scribes do to circumvent this seemingly insurmountable barrier?

They can add a vital edge to their fiction; a cutting edge that will transform them from hopeful writers into published authors aspiring to bestseller status; a cutting edge developed by an author who first made his mark with a stream of bestselling books in the realms of non-fiction and who is now duplicating that success with his fictional output; a cutting edge that will do the same for any writer.

If you would like to read more of this author’s thoughts on cutting edge fiction visit his website.



JIM GREEN is a bestselling author in the realms of both fiction and non-fiction. http://how-to-write-cutting-edge-fiction.com

What is Urban Christian Fiction?

Urban Christian Fiction is a genre of emotional, vivid and conflicting stories that mixes God, faith and the urban church. It does not purposely exclude violence or sex from its story line, but weaves it into the plot based upon its relevance. It closely resembles Urban Fiction or Street Lit except, God is the center of the character’s lives. Urban Christian Fiction usually portrays characters of African or Latino depicting urban culture.

Two Main Elements of UCF

Raw Honesty – characters do not water down their feelings as it pertains to God, themselves, or the people in the church; however, blasphemy is not acceptable.

Drama – UCF would not be what it is if the story did not involve a little “drama” in the church. Drama in the church is real people doing real things while serving a real forgiving God. In short, the characters don’t always do it right and sometimes they get caught doing it wrong.

Urban Christian Fiction does not hide sin or cover it up. It exposes the sins, the faults and the shortcomings of its characters while exposing the world to an all powerful God.

Characteristics of Urban Christian Fiction

• It is unpredictable, gritty and raw

• Protagonist experience some form of “church hurt” and tries to discover a way to get over it with the help of God

• Protagonist does not always resolve his/her problems in a cookie cutter manner

• Forgiveness of hurt is real and raw, sometimes not forgiven easily

• Church scandal is eminent and unavoidable – it adds the element of drama to each story.

• The protagonist has an intimate relationship with God. God is the center of the protagonist’s heart. He or she lives, moves and breathes their relationship with God.

Urban Christian Fiction speaks to the inner soul of the reader that longs for answers to forsaken questions. These life-changing and thought provoking stories leave the reader saying, “Thank God I’m not in this by myself.”


Wanza Leftwich is the Gospel Writer. To receive free tips on writing Urban Christian Fiction go to http://www.thegospelwriter.blogspot.com

What Is The Classic Detective Fiction Novel?

Among good reads, the classic detective fiction novel should come in somewhere near the top, mixed with various other genres. Such collections as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is still a good seller and can be found at nearly any bookstore due to the still common popularity. Such readers may occasionally have to special order some items though; due to the length of time those novels have been in existence. If there were more good fictional detective novels gracing the shelves of the bookstores today, there would not still be the demand for those fantastic pieces that were created so many years ago.

The reader requires constant entertainment and most of these classic detective fiction novels can provide that to them easily. Although some of the terms and phrases are now somewhat outdated, it is still a most interesting read for the well versed reader to pick up and follow. The books that aren't exactly highlighted or featured any longer always pique the interest of the most self respected reader. To find such books, one must simply do the research and ask if need be since there are many that are still in print.

In these stories, the reader embarks upon an interesting journey through time to a world where things are still much simpler than the life of today. There are still crimes however, since that is what the book focuses on in depth. A theft may have occurred and subsequently caused a murder. The hero is, of course, the detective. This character is proficient in the means of detecting crime. His attitudes and morals can be described by the author in several different ways, but the general view of the detective is intelligence. If the detective is not perceived as intelligent, how should he be able to solve the crimes that the police cannot? The author makes it interesting of course, using clever phrases and great character descriptions to involve the reader as much as possible in the storyline. The reader often thinking or trying to figure out who the culprit is that committed this crime.

This is why a lot of these novels are referred to more commonly as the "Who Done It" type of book. The author creates an issue, a crime, and the reader is ultimately trying to figure out who committed the crime all throughout the book. If it is written in any great detail whatsoever, the reader will be roped into the book in no time flat; desperately reading on to try to figure out which character committed the crime and exactly how it was pulled off by that character.

Doyle was definitely one of the leading writers of the fiction detective novel with his amazingly unusual novels portraying crimes that some would not have thought about being committed. But Doyle could not have accomplished the worldwide recognition of such stories without his leading character, Sherlock Holmes, gracing the pages and solving the crimes at just the right point in the story. This is one of the reasons that his character is so loved, and has to rate today as the classic detective in the classic detective novel.




Chris Haycock is an information publisher, and a real fanatic about early detective fiction. Having amassed a large collection of early detective/mystery novels. A particular favourite is Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. For more information, and details of an offer not to be missed why not go now to http://www.sherlockandwatson.com

A Look At Science Fiction Books

Science fiction books have been my favorite reading since my childhood days. I was introduced to the world of science fiction at the good young age of eight, when I was introduced to a science fiction book club. We children enjoyed good time reading classics like ‘The Time Machine’, ‘Invisible Man’, Journey to the Center of the Earth’, and a whole lot of science fiction books. The experience of reading them was so unique that I cant really forget the story line and characters in space operas like ‘Citizen of the Galaxy’ by Robert A. Heinlein, ‘Ender’s Game’ by Orson Scott Card, etc.

I always liked to anticipate the unpredictable, see the future. It is the epic scope of the science fiction books that attracted me. The books of a specific kind called speculative fiction try to tell today what the world looks like tomorrow. Space opera captured my childhood fantasy and still continues to. Whole galaxies lining up for a war, one party to establish supremacy and the other one defending their ground; there is suspense, thriller, unpredictability, and everything you need to unleash your fantasy. Alien races from a different dimension, prophecies, betrayal, love, honor, etc made science fiction books playing with my emotions for many years now.

Many that become sci-fi lovers asked me suggestions on science fiction books. My advice to them is to browse through collections. Science fiction books are the best categorized form of fiction writing. There come dozens of new collections every year. You can find them in different combinations. While making you choice from among the variety of available science fiction books, always make it a practice to skim through the content. At first read excerpts from all science fiction genre, and without much delay you will identify the science fiction books that are really suited for your taste. Just go with your heart – do you find it interesting to read a story? Pick it. Do you find the storyline tough? Drop it. It is that simple to make your choice.

Fantasy books sometimes overlap with science fiction books, although they are always not the same. If you have a taste of fantasy, chances are higher that you have a heart for sci-fi too and vice versa. You can clearly distinguish between fantasy and sci-fi in most cases, but there are no rules to distinguish them. Harry Potter series is pure fantasy while Time Machine is purely sci-fi. Fantasy books come with some magic, supernatural powers etc, while sci-fi characters are made more believable by defining technology, timelines and possibilities and the topics sci-fi writers choose generally will be of interest by common man.



Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning books. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Science Fiction Books

Women's Fiction vs Romance

Women's fiction and romance have similarities, but also distinct differences. While many of the publishers may be the same for both genres, editors are looking for the key elements that make for compelling women's fiction. (Lisa Craig, Inkspot copyright 2000).

From the research I have completed, women's fiction may have romance as a component, but it is not the complete plot, just a part. Women's fiction revolves around a story-line that women (perhaps more than men) would enjoy reading. The issues involved should appeal to a woman, including the enpowerment of women.

Quoting Lisa Craig again: "Women's fiction, however -- like the women who read it -- has evolved to include subjects and themes that range far beyond romance."

In Craig's article, she quotes Literary Agent Linda Hyatt of the Hyatt Literary Agency: "Good women's commercial fiction usually touches the reader in ways other fiction cannot. Relationship stories, generational sagas, love stories and women's commercial fiction must touch on subjects women can relate to in their real lives. Whether there is a happily ever after ending, or a bittersweet one, whether the reader laughs or cries, women love reading stories that touch their emotions - and tug at their hearts."

I like the way author Eileen Goudge explains, first by quoting advice from her editor. "Think of your novel as a tapestry, woven with multicolored threads of various warps and wefts." Then Goudge compares women's fiction with that tapestry, saying the more intricate the tapestry of this genre, the richer it is. Each subplot starts as thread on the loom of imagination. The author's job is to weave the threads together in a way that's not only coherent but engrossing to the reader.

Her explanation actually applies to any writing, not just women's fiction, but she does give the picture of a plot more entailed than a straight romance plot.

Goudge later in her article (Women's fiction vs. romance, The Writer April 2007) states that the writing separates the two genre. Romance writers, she says, indulge in "verbiage that borders on purple prose." In women's fiction, flowery descriptive passages, unnecessary adverbs and love-scene metaphors are cut.

Although, differences may exist, the relationship between the genre is close, and they often overlap. Appealing to both audiences is possible and often desirable.


After teaching composition for twenty-five years and becoming an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ a site for Poetry, Vivian Gilbert Zabel, also writing as V. Gilbert Zabel, produced Hidden Lies and Other Stores, Walking the Earth:, and The Base Stealers Club, which can be ordered through most book stores and on Amazon.com.

A Short Explanation of Classic Detective Fiction

Classic detective fiction is the type of fiction that really makes a reader focus on the pages. These types of stories are not generally very gory or bloody as such stories can be today, but they do hold some blood and gore inside the pages; they just release it shortly and at proper intervals. The history of classic detective fiction is interesting to say the least.

Most critics agree that classic detective fiction rose from the pages around 1841 when the famous Edgar Allen Poe wrote the story of The Murders in the Rue Morgue. His character, Dupin, is able to solve the crimes that were unable to be solved by the police thereby paving the way for future detectives to come along and do the same. He created the dazzling detective who attempts to solve the perplexing crime and the aloof colleague (or friend) who records every bit of the case in detail. The police, of course are lost. They appear to be unsure of which road to follow and by the end they are completely astonished as everything is laid out before them by the hero (the detective).

After Poe's discovery and subsequent tale, there were many attempts at successful detective fiction but none were notable until Recollections of a Detective Police Officer by Waters. At this point, the stories had become almost unreadable since there really was no literary attempt. The end to hack writing came in 1859 when Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White forced other writers to show some sort of a literary effort to be able to compete. The other notable novel that followed in Collins' footsteps was Hugo's Les Miserables (1862) which is still immensely popular in theatre today.

Novels such as this were published for years, giving the public reason to believe that there would never be an evolution of the genre. However, in 1887, Sherlock Holmes emerged from the pages of Beeton's Christmas Annual. Unfortunately, the original story did not take off at first. The intricate character had seemed doomed to fade into the pages and be lost forever. Four years later, in 1890, Lippincott picked up Doyle and put him on contract to write more Holmes stories. Strand magazine also began publishing Doyle's detective stories. This is when the craze began. The first stories were combined into a book to form a series. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was enormously successful, and so was the following series, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, even though Doyle made a decision to kill of Holmes in this series. Of course, since this was now a very popular character, the death of Holmes generated anger and protest among the public. The demand for Sherlock Holmes was greater than ever. Although Doyle obviously did not want to do it, he was finally forced to bring the character back to life around 1905 to appease both the public and the publishers.

This character and the cases that he participated in changed the way that detective fiction would be written from then on. Doyle is now considered to have paved the way for the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.


Chris Haycock is an information publisher, one of whose many hobbies includes crime fiction. Early detective fiction in particular. A particular favourite is Sherlock Holmes. If you would like to know more about Sherlock Holmes and an excellent offer, why not go now to http://www.sherlockandwatson.com

Science Fiction by Arthur C Clarke

It is difficult to have a discussion with someone about science fiction if they are not familiar with the works of Arthur C Clarke. The concepts are not too awfully difficult to understand and not nearly as complex as reading Issac Asimov for the science fiction novice and anyone can enjoy Mr. Clarke’s works. If you are interested in science fiction, I recommend this set of audio tapes:

The Arthur C Clarke Collection, including “2001 A Space Odyssey” “Transit of Earth” “Fountains of Paradise” and “Childhood’s Earth”

They are available all together in one easy to listen to collection. It will be an excellent review of Arthur C Clarke’s works. Arthur C Clarke is one of the great science fiction writers of all time and much of his work is now been set as a goal for scientists to make into reality. It was a pleasure to review all of these works in this rather long audio series and there was rarely a dull moment. It is interesting to see how the science fiction of yesterday becomes the reality of today and how the same science fiction today is becoming closer and closer to tomorrows reality. It was read in the authors voice and it made it that much more real. Arthur C Clark is not only brilliant, but we are lucky to have had him on the planet. Order these audio tapes today and you will be glad you did.


"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

10 Things To Do Before Buying A Novel

OK, you don’t get much time to read novels anymore. You used to but that was another life. Before you could pick up something that appealed and because you read so much, you weren’t too disappointed if it didn’t grab you like you thought it would. Things have changed. Now when you pick up a novel to read it has to get you in quickly or it will collect dust on your bedside table. There are too many other things demanding your attention…like sleep!

And when you go to the bookshop sometimes its hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of books on offer, especially with the big mega stores becoming the norm. So what to do?

I’ve put together a checklist that with a little bit of preparation can help you wade through
the sea of books and help you pick a surefire winner: a novel that will captivate YOU.

1. The best place to start is to look out in magazines, newspapers and online for book reviews – see what is being billed as the latest must read. Even if you don’t have time to read the whole review, jot down the title and author as one to look out for.

2. Ask friends for the best book they have read in the last few months or this year or the last few years if like you they really are struggling with the whole when-am-I-going-to-find-time-to-read-a-novel?-thing. Don’t just ask them what book was their favourite; ask them why they liked it. Was it an unusual story, was the pace so fast they needed a crash helmet, did it have edge of the seat suspense, did it remind them of growing up? You want to know what exactly made it a great read for them. This will help you to refine your search, especially if they say they liked the quirky twist in the ending and you don’t do quirky. Just because you’re close friends doesn’t automatically mean you like the same books.

3. Ask the people behind the counter at your favourite bookshop what they enjoyed reading and get them to take you to it or give you a specific reference number so you can find it easily yourself.

4. When you get the book in your hands look at the cover. Is it a catchy title? Does the cover appeal to you? Despite the old saying about not judging book covers, publishers put a lot of time and effort into creating a captivating cover and title. Does it work for you?

5. Turn it over and read the back. Does it still appeal? Do you only like reading modern books and this is set in the 1800s? It’s important to be fairly ruthless at this stage. If the premise for the story doesn’t leave you wanting more, chances are the writing probably won’t either.

6. Look at the size of the book. I know this isn’t something for the purists but if you don’t get time to read many novels, don’t launch back in with a 700 page tome or it will probably take you all year and then you’ll be frustrated and annoyed at wasting time and money on something you haven’t enjoyed.

7. The next step is crucial. Read the opening – does it get you in straight off? Novels have a bit more time to seduce you than a short story but not much these days. A good opening is like someone placing a thread around your finger and gently tugging on it. They’ve got you but can they keep you?

8. Has the author mentioned 10 characters and 5 different place names in the first 3 paragraphs? You want to be captivated not confused, remember? If your main reading time is before you drop off to sleep, books that have lots of characters and places or even a family tree at the beginning are a warning that it gets complicated and you need to keep track of who is who and what they’re up to.

9. Are there lots of long sentences or are they short and sharp? Lots of short sentences usually mean action and pace. Something. Is happening. Right now. Usually it’s best to go for a story with a combination of both – one that suits your preferred action/background information mix.

10. If you still think the book in your hands is worthy, randomly flip open the book in 5 places and see whether it is densely packed with text. Is there dialogue at each page you stop? No dialogue usually means that a book is more descriptive rather than direct scenes. If you want a compelling read then go for something with a fair amount of dialogue; if you don’t mind a slower pace then bits of dialogue here and there is probably enough to keep you going.

If it all stacks up, buy it and enjoy. Just one more tip though. If it doesn’t captivate you in the first 100 pages and you find reading it a chore, give it up. Don’t keep persisting just because you don’t like leaving things unfinished. The book won’t feel hurt if you don’t finish it. And the author will never know.



About the Author

Regency Debutantes: a Feast of Fictional Heroines

The Regency debutante comes in very handy for authors like me, even though she is as individual as the writers who create her. She can appear in just about all shapes and sizes--within a framework of having the ability to attract "Mr. Right," of course. (In other words, she can be anything as long as it's attractive enough for the purposes of a romance.)

Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is being able to understand and relate to the heroine; therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways and definitely lacking in others; she must be attractive but not so perfect that you can't believe in her; she must strike a chord in every female reader who picks up your book, and any writer can create such a character simply by making her human. That is the one thing we ALL have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles and faults.

But what is a Regency debutante? How is she different from other fictional heroines?

A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is “a young woman making a formal debut into society.” In our case, it is Regency society, which is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. No other time period was quite like the Regency; Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at it while also caring about those who were part of it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting plots full of characters plucked from many layers of that society.

The interesting thing about the debutante of the Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from anywhere. Families came from abroad for the 'season' to debut their favored young ladies among the English rich. Most of the time, they, too, had money and therefore were supremely 'qualified' to join the “marriage mart.” But they might also be hiding a bankruptcy—it wasn't always easy to discover the truth in those days of slow travel and communication (by today's standards).

Likewise, any country miss and her mama might aspire to a London “season” and there was always the chance of making an astounding success. (You see how it easily makes for the stuff of romance novels?)

So the Regency Debutante was any young lady of gentle birth making her "come out" into the wider society of adults of her community; If she were wealthy or could gather enough financial backing, (or had good connections) she could make that debut into London or Bath society, circles where the possibility of making a good match (marriage) were greater.

Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their heroines, but to understand what "the season" was about, one must recognize this formal female creature! She often was not in for fun and games, despite the whirl of social entertainments on her schedule, but if she happened to be pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then upper class society was sure to welcome her in.

Another aspect that makes Regencies so enjoyable is the clothing needed for the debutante's season. The quantity AND the quality--it all counted, and it all makes for fun reading. That, along with descriptions of social customs and manners, makes delving into the era an experience you will likely want to do again and again.

The Regency? You've got to love it!

Linore Rose Burkard writes Inspirational Romance with a special interest in the Regency. She also writes articles on Regency Life, Parenting, and Self-Improvement. Get her FREE monthly eZine "Upon My Word!" which includes a monthly fre.e download at HERE

The 7 Habits Of Highly Successful Authors

The more I read how the successful authors do it, the more I realize that, like successful people in all walks of life, they all do things in common that contribute enormously to their success. So how can we learn from successful authors to ensure our own success in 2008 and beyond?

We can start by adopting what I call "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors". Adopt these 7 habits and you just may find that 2008 is the year you break through your own writing barriers!

1. Write about something you care about.

Whether you are writing fiction or non fiction, it is imperative you write about something you care about. The successful authors have some emotional connection to their content or story. If you are writing fiction, then write from a place of emotional familiarity. Your genuine experience will come through in your writing and your readers will connect with that. If you are writing a non fiction piece, choose a topic you are passionate or enthusiastic about. After all, if you are going to invest your precious time in what you are writing, you owe it to yourself to write with passion, feeling and enthusiasm.

2. Take risks

Don't be afraid to put your head, or your hands, on the chopping block when you write. In the world of fiction, you will have no doubt heard about creating characters that are "larger than life". That doesn't mean they are giants, it means they go above and beyond and take risks and make decisions that we would not have the courage to take in our own lives. After all, it's not about what we would do when we are tethered by the restrictions of polite behavior, it's what we would do in our wildest imaginations that make our readers sit up and take notice.

For the non fiction writer, it's time for you to take a stand. Take a view and stick with it, presenting your case with conviction and vigor. No one listens to someone who writes meekly, or with a wishy washy hand. Stick your neck out, and don't be afraid to get it chopped off. All the greatest journalists are the ones who are not afraid to speak their minds. Get into that habit and you're well on your way to being that next great journalist.

3. Plan

This is definitely the most ignored but equally the most important phase of the writing process. Planning is essential to the success of any undertaking and writing is no different. J.K. Rowling spent 5 years planning the entire Harry Potter series before she put pen to paper on a single word that appeared in the books. If you are writing a short story, novel or screenplay, planning the story before you begin writing is as essential to your success as ink in your pen or power to your laptop. There are some writers who claim to just start with an image or a sentence and then the whole thing just unfolds before them, but the writers who can do this with any degree of success are few and far between. Take the time to plan out your story, at the very least know where your beginning, middle and end are. The more planning you do, the more enjoyable the writing process and the less rewriting and editing you will have to do. The same goes for non fiction pieces, where it's always advisable to have an outline in place before you write your article or book.

4. Write every day

Joyce Carol Oates said that she would write, even when her soul felt as thin as a playing card, because somehow the act of writing would set it aright. There are going to be times when you just "don't feel like it", but like any other job or activity that is important to you, you must still, somehow, sit down every day and write. It has been said that it is by sitting down every day to write that one becomes a writer. Stephen King writes every day, including Christmas Day. Whether you are working on a book, story, article or nothing, still sit down and write something every single day. Even if you only write one page every day, that's 365 pages in a year and that's a whole book, isn't it? When you are a writer, you cannot not write, and writing is like breathing. You have an urge to put things down in print, so to keep that fresh and alive, you need to turn that tap on every day. It's more than practice. It's life.

5. Be prepared to work hard

I read somewhere once that John Grisham worked for 4 hours per day and made $20 million per year. Whether that is true or not (about the hours worked or the money he makes) doesn't matter. It is far more common to hear tales today of the world's most popular commercial authors working their proverbial butts off to keep up with deadlines, promotional commitments and the ins and outs of their everyday lives. Janet Evanovich gets up and writes every morning at 5am so she can get a full day's writing in before she has to answer mail, emails and deal with her other affairs of business, Jodi Picoult has a wonderful stay-at-home husband who allows her the luxury of writing through school pick ups and travelling for long periods to do research for her novels. J.K. Rowling also said she (misguidedly) thought that life as an author would be a Jane Austen-type of affair, sitting in a room overlooking a field and writing in anonymity. Of course her life is a whirlwind of book launches, movie premieres, media commitments, school commitments, and of course she has a family with three children. And while we all no doubt wish we had her "problems" it is very obvious that in the early part of the 21st century, the life of an author, successful or not, is a hard-working life. We are either working hard to get noticed, working hard to stay noticed, or working hard to avoid being noticed. Any way you look at it, if you have an aversion to hard work, you need to look elsewhere. Successful authors work hard. Period.

6. Persistence

It is said that persistence outstrips all other virtues. I have a card propped up on my desk that says, "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go". Almost every successful author I have studied has said that their success is due, at least in some part, to pure persistence and determination. If your manuscript or article is rejected, rewrite it and submit it again. Or submit it to someone else. The first Harry Potter novel was rejected by every major publishing house before Bloomsbury picked it up for a song. Even so called "overnight successes" have a story behind them about how many times they were rejected, or how many novels or articles they've written that have no value other than as fire kindling. The authors that succeed are the ones who don't stop until they do. It's that simple. Never give up. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

7. Let it go

And finally when you have written your article, book or screenplay and have submitted it for publication or approval, let it go. If you've done the best you can with it, let it go and trust that it will make its way to where it needs to be. And start something else straight away. Regardless of whether what you have submitted is accepted or rejected, you are a writer and a writer writes. Once you finish one manuscript start immediately on another. If the one you've sent is picked up, they'll be happy that you've got something new already, and if not you're well on your way to finishing your next manuscript.

So those are the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors. Adopt these habits yourself, and before you know it, you too will join their ranks!

Suzanne Harrison is the bestselling author of 4 e-books and courses on creative writing, short story and novel writing. She is also the Director of Writers Central, the innovative online creative writing school, dedicated to creating great storytellers. Visit her at http://www.writerscentral.com.au

Literary London: on the Trail of the Capital's Most Famous Authors

London has produced some of the most successful authors and provided the backdrop for countless novels, so if you want to explore the capital's literary history, perhaps your first stop should be the historic pub "I Am the Only Running Footman" - on Charles Street in Mayfair. This 1749 drinking den, was once the hangout of servants and is said to have inspired P.G. Woodhouse to create the fictional club "Junior Ganymede" for "the gentlemen's gentlemen".

No visit to London is complete without paying homage to perhaps the most famous of all English authors, Charles Dickens, which can conveniently be done at the Dickens House Museum at 48 Doughy Street. Here you can tour the rooms where Dickens lived with his family during a particularly productive period of writing, when the author completed "Oliver Twist". The museum also holds the world's most important collection of material relating of Dickens, where visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many other items that relate to the life of the most popular and beloved personality of the Victorian age.

If all that leaves you a little thirsty, why not indulge in a pint of London's finest ale in Dickens' local watering hole - "The Lamb on Lamb". This pub was not just a hangout for Dickens, but also the meeting place of the "Bloomsbury Group", a collection of novelists and essayists whose work deeply influenced the literature of the period, and whose topics often focused on controversial areas of the time, including feminism and sexuality.

For crime fiction fans, 221b Baker Street is an essential stop on the London Literary tour. As the home of London's most famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Doctor Watson, this notorious address is the starting point for dozens of the detective duo's adventures.

To witness part of a more recent literary phenomenon, JK Rowling fans can pay a visit to Kings Cross station. From here, muggles can attempt to find Harry Potter and Co's platform 9 and three quarters, from where they catch the Hogwarts Express to their wizarding school.

Bookworms who are looking to buy a piece of prose can peruse some of the thousands of new and second-hand book shops; from the big chains like Waterstones, Blackwell or Borders, which sit next to some of the most prestigious shops and hotels in London, right down to the smaller, side-street stores, where books from times gone by are piled up and waiting to be rediscovered again.

The world is home to many famous authors, but nowhere else is there such a concentration of literary heroes as you'll find in London; so if you truly are a book lover, the British capital should definitely be on your visiting list.


Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.