Tina Haapala, Excuse Editor

Today's guest post is a blog tour stop for author, Kristie Cook, who has recently released a companion novella for her popular Soul Savers series. Remember to comment for a chance to win prizes from Kristie (I will leave the comments open for entries until Friday, November 4). Have a great week and watch for a new writing contest and market newsletter this week (that is, if you are a subscriber )--Tina  How the Ancient Greeks Lived: A Look into the World of Genesis Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella is a bit different from the other Soul Savers books. Although the fantasy world I created is the same, the real world is not. After all, it takes place over 2,000 years ago, around 200 B.C. So it required a lot of research to understand life in Greece during that era. For each stop along the release tour, I’m sharing something I learned and how it ties into the story. Just like today, homes in Ancient Greece varied depending on class. Wealthier people had larger homes that were usually ...

Credit: NBC If you are a fan of Parenthood , and haven’t watched October 11 th ’s  episode (I haven’t caught up to this week’s yet), you may want to skip this if you don’t want to deal with a little spoiler.  Or not. It may not make a difference to you. See, Crosby, the younger, hip brother, and Adam, the more uptight, responsible brother (played by Peter Krause, who I LOVED in Six Feet Under ) are starting a music studio. Crosby tells Adam he really needs to loosen up when he meets with their potential client, a rapper named Mistah Ray. Cut to Adam, looking more ridiculous than Jamie Kennedy in Malibu’s Most Wanted , walking down the street after getting talked into some “fly” clothes, just like Crosby suggested.  He catches a glimpse of his image in the car window and panics. He’s on his way to meet the rapper/potential client, but he realizes he looks like nothing like himself.  He grabs a lifeline and calls Crosby, who is closer to his house, and asks him t...

The Excuse Editor blog has been on a little unintentional break.   The blogging gurus and marketing mavens out there endlessly remind us that blog posts should be consistent. I agree. But stuff happens. I also agree that writers need to continually write in order to improve and flourish.   Not many writers would disagree with that idea. But again. Stuff happens. So. Stuff happened and I haven’t been blogging and I haven’t been writing (much). I’ve only sporadically been Facebooking , and my tweets are as rare as the tinamou .   (I was able to send out the monthly contest listing, though!) The best way to get started again is to begin.   And that’s lesson #1 for today: You gotta start somewhere. Whether you are making your first attempt at writing, or you have been stopping and starting for years, when you decide to write, create a starting line wherever you find yourself at that moment. Now, runners at a starting line don’t stare, contemplate, and plan when t...