After the Ball–um–Critique

At the bottom of this page, I’ve posted a link to a very old song, “After the Ball”. That’s how I feel sometimes at the end of a critique: kind of sad that it’s over. However, I look forward to the next one, unlike the poor singer of the sad song.

Yesterday was a kick-up-your-heels kind of day because all six of us Cozy Critters made it to the hundred-year old table at the same time! This has been a busy summer with one or more on vacation or catching up with work, or sick. So, it was great that yesterday nothing interfered.

Helen, who regularly publishes inspirational articles with various Christian periodicals, shared the two that Vision Magazine recently bought: Spots on the Carpet and Tow Truck Experience. She has two works-in-progress, Following Instructions and God Will Show Up. Helen’s gift, besides writing, is encouragement. Her articles always make me feel happier and more hopeful, like sunshine after a shower.

She also shared a magazine that sometimes buys poetry: The Secret Place published by Judson Press.

“Okay, Jane, what’s in that red box?” I asked.

Opening the mysterious box she had in front of her, Jane showed us her collection of small, antique dolls. Each one had a story. Some were dolls her mother made. Residing inside that box were a hard rubber teething doll from her babyhood, a porcelain angel, and a Frozen Charlotte. Then there was the tiny doll with the china head. She and her mother found the head in their garden when Jane was a little girl. Her mother sewed a cloth body to go with the head. Each doll had a story so what could Jane the writer do but write about them? The result was the delightful, Memories That Play Hide-and-Seek. Beautiful!

Peg, the voracious reader, told us about a book series she is currently reading. The Marsh Madness by Victoria Abbott is on her tablet right now. This the fourth book in a series. The protagonist works for an old woman who is a bibliophile. In each book, the plot centers around a famous author and is the object of her search. A unique slant on writing mysteries and a clever way to create reader interest. This sounds like a fascinating series.

Judy, who draws such beautiful word pictures with her poems, read two, Staying at Grandma’s and The Tattered Dress. I’m afraid that some of our eyes were a bit moist when Judy finished. Judy draws on memories of her childhood in many of her poems. So does Jane and I guess a lot of us do that. Our backgrounds, the road we’ve walked, are all a part of who we are at present. Our families, our surroundings, our life experiences fashion who we are and how we write. I am grateful that Judy joined our group and feel blessed by her poetry.

Nancy’s article, Bringing the Prodigal Home has just appeared in Just Between Us, a Christian periodical. Nancy is another gifted writer and speaker whose words encourage people to trust God, no matter the circumstance. She now has a place on CWA Radio. Her spot, Living Life Unedited is sure to bless your life. Nancy, whose life is certainly busy and full, has just returned from the Arkansas Women Bloggers conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

I read one of the latest chapters of the current Darcy and Flora work in progress, Stirring the Plot. (At least, I think that’s the title; I’m not yet sure.) And I reminded them that the first of a brand new cozy mystery series, Moonlight Can Be Murder, is launching in November or perhaps December. There are pluses to waiting a month. Decisions! And, I asked for help in launching; people who are willing to read and review, to host a blog post, to go throughout town and shout the news through a megaphone, or pay for a spot on a nationally known news program. (I’m exaggerating just a tad.)

Of course, while we critiqued and discussed, that pesky little punctuation mark, the comma, came up. It always does! It cannot just lie there quietly on the page and go unnoticed. Dratted thing! With the internet, some grammatical rules have changed. Those of us who were taught to space twice after a period and all such antiquated stuff, have a hard time adjusting. But, we try! Jane put it quite nicely: “I don’t have a degree in commas!” she declared. And neither does anyone else.

So there you have it. A busy, productive meeting. Now, relax, grab a cup of coffee and a good cozy mystery and listen to a song that was popular way back in our parents and grandparents’ day. You might have a tissue close at hand, though. It’s one of those beautiful but sad songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtwYVvtOIuM