%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  It's about adventure! Life, Scouting, Family, writing what else is there? |
|
WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 25 OCT 2021: Just a little about me. I've been married for 30 years in NOV this year!! and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys in their teens. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. I love to write, but since I've been so involved with the Boy Scouts program since 2015 (now Scouts BSA since girls were invited to come on board) I haven't written much. I hope to get back to more writing soon, as I'm scaling back my BSA commitment. Update on this: I was able to get out 2 stories that were previously published. The update/publishing is going slow. I like to get out in nature, take walks around Castaic Lake, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bi about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there.  Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." |
| I'm very excited to see my story, "Red Paint, Crimson Blood," was selected as an Honorable Mention Winner in the 2007 76th Writer's Digest Competition in Genre Fiction. Here's a link to my website if you want to check it out. Click Short Stories and the link will take you to the story. Comments & feedback welcome! Leave a note on my website messageboard "The Fiction Cafe" or leave a line here! You can also find the story here on WDC in my Short Stories Port! Website: http://sgcardin.tripod.com/ *** Okay, so not more than 2 hours after I posted my last entry, the police came by and evacuated us. The Castaic Ranch had come close to us. I got the kids to Simi Valley and I took a vacation day to stay with them and my mother-in-law. We were all fine and thankfully the firefighters were able to stop the advance in that direction. We were able to go back to our homes later on that night. The Ranch fire is still burning but it is now 75% contained. They hope to have full containment by Halloween. |
| I don't know if it's hit the news in your area, but So. California is on fire! There are fires in San Diego, Irvine, Canyon Country, Aqua Dulce, Malibu and - Castaic! Thankfully the fire in Castaic is to the southwest of me. Still, I can flames on the hill tops in the distance. Containment is minimal - 10% at this point. School was closed for the day. I still have to go to work so I'll be taking the kids to Simi Valley to stay with the in-laws. In that regard, my family is fine, but it's still worrisome. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm okay. **** The Red Sox beat Cleveland! This TEAM is amazing!! Being a native New Englander, I'll be rooting for the Red Sox. My short story, "The Curse of the Bambino" was inspired by the 2004's Sox win over the Yankees. Now I'll have to come up with another story. hehe **** Check out the following link for my Press Release on the Wolf's Torment. Thoughts,comments & opinions welcome. http://www.prweb.com//releases/2007/10/prweb562727.htm Steph |
| I know it can be hard work putting together a newsletter for Writing.com. Heck, I'm a permament editor for the Drama Newsletter and I've guest stints in the Short Story/Action & Adventure newsletters. Coming up with interesting topics, doing the research, and selecting editor's picks can be time consuming. I find I usually have to start work on a newsletter about two weeks out. I select my topic, research it, write it up, and after I edit it, I have my proofreader at work edit it to. Then I try to select picks that are revelant to my topic. Knowing all this is involved, I try to give out a Newsletter Merit Badge every week to that editor who did an outstanding job. This week I have my merit badge out to Vivian   who did a great job on the Short Stories newsletter this week. Her topic was critiquing stories and she made a lot of points that I try to hit on in my review as these are points that editors and agents that writers query look for in the sample of the writing.Write on, Viv! Steph |
| Are you considering traditional publishing. Then one of the things that is a must is to find an agent. There are plenty of agents out there who are blogging. One of them is: THE REJECTOR. I try to pop in from time to time, because yes, I would like to find an agent for some of my projects I have in the works and it helps to hear what the Rejector has to say. The last topic discussed was "Titles." The advice given was don't worry about titles. That's something that can be worked on. There's a list of previous posts and archives. While THE REJECTOR is honest and maybe harsh for some people's tastes, I find it refreshing to be told up front what to expect, what works, what doesn't. Again, if you're interested in what the Rejector has to say about query letters and traditional publishers, take a look. It will ultimately help you put your packet together for submission. Here's a link: http://rejecter.blogspot.com/ |
| emmyloo Tagged me. Here's the rules: Link to your tagger and post these rules. List 8 (yes 8 – the horror of it all ) random facts about yourself. At the end tag 8 other people. Let them know in their blog comments they’ve been tagged. Eight Facts about myself? Sigh... #1 - I love to sing but I'm horrible. I was a 2nd Alto in my Freshman year in High School, but after the teacher said he was giving me a D for the year, I dropped out. #2 - I've been collecting comic books since I was 12. I own the a couple of books from the X-Men's Dark Phoenix saga, Elektra's death in Daredevil. I have the Teen Titans from 1984 w/Marv Wolfman and George Perez. Another favorite of mine was the Legion of Superheroes. #3 - My favorite all time band is the Beatles. #4 - At the tender age of 18, I was stationed in Muenster, Germany, guarding nuclear weapons. #5 - I have a AA in Liberal Arts from the University of Maryland. #6 - I met my husband in a miliary leadership class, PLDC. (Primary Leadership Development Class) We were married in Nykobig, Denmark on Nov. 14th 1991. #7 - I have a BS in Political Science from California Baptist University with a minor in Socialogy. I graduated Magna cum Laude with a 3.6 GPA and I was selected as the Outstanding Evening College Student in 1995. #8 One of my favorite school field trips was in 1985. I went to Newport, Rhode Island and toured the mansions down there. My favorite mansions were "The Breakers" and "Rosecliff," where the Great Gatsby was filmed. Okay... time to tag... GeminiStar  Stiggles  SHERRI GIBSON  Vivian katherinea Mark Debi Wharton Gunny |
| Just wanted to share a review that I got back from Foreword/Clarion about Berlin: S. Cardin Writers’ Showcase Press Softcover $14.95 212 pages 978-0-595-16419-6 Two stars The Deutsche Democratic Republic during the Warsaw Pact era was a grey country steeped in mutual suspicion. As this book’s protagonist views it, “East Germany seemed to stay stopped in time—her guess, 1949.” A mind-boggling proportion of common citizens were informants to the state secret police, known as the Stasi. The figure of one-sixth is most often cited. Destination: Berlin is set in 1988, during uncertain change, as glasnost and perestroika charge up the Eastern Bloc for independence movements. Ronald Reagan cracks into the sound bite hall of fame by demanding, “Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” American and British militaries maintain a major presence in West Germany. Author S. Cardin demonstrates that Soviet and East German spy agencies walked a tightrope between cooperation and cross-manipulation, in hopes of securing the most information. Here they wish to acquire launch codes to American nuclear warheads. Into such an intriguers’ paradise innocently appears American Corporal Sharon Cates, an award-winning member of the military police. She travels by train to Berlin with a briefcase from her security job at the launch code vault in Osnabrück, West Germany. Aboard she guardedly socializes with Dimitry Nagory, a Soviet soldier attached to the London embassy. He’s too refined and linguistically gifted to be there by pure accident. A sudden explosion blows the train from the rails, throwing Sharon and Dimitry into a rural farmscape where they evade pursuers on foot. They must scramble halfway from the border to the safety of West Berlin; a degree of trust is necessary. All too soon, a series of decisions bring on the point of no return. Sharon is apprehended with the briefcase by Soviet intelligence, but Dimitry gets the weapons advantage. “If he put the gun down, she was caught. If he shot at his own agent, he would be branded a traitor...” The Stasi / KGB search for the American and a renegade Soviet is basically one full-time guy from each agency to trying to recover nuclear secrets, assisted by local polizei and a few lesser agents. This illustrates how close the USSR was then to perishing for a lack of funding. This book’s nearly straight-line story doesn’t match the most notable of thrillers for motivational opposition, or judicious twists and reversals. The characters’ dialogue regarding Berlin attractions, such as the Brandenburg Gate or Spandau Prison sounds too much like brochure copy. An embedded comparison to veteran bestseller John LeCarre invites a no-win assessment. The author served the in United States Army, including seven years with the military police in Europe. The utilitarian value of Destination: Berlin is enhanced by maps, a glossary of military terms, and suggested stops for tourists. Those who have been to Germany, or plan to travel there are likeliest to receive the full benefits of the author’s efforts and enthusiasm. Todd Mercer |
| Thought I'd take a minute to talk about a great online resource for writers - Writer's Digest Online. I have a subscription to the magazine and I always find something useful in there. There are lots of great tips. One thing I think they kind of push is books on writing. Not that I mind. I don't have the time or money to take any actual formal writing classes, but reading a book about the craft is something I can do. I want to improve as a writer, and I find writer's digest offers a lot for those serious about wanting to improve. One book on my list to by is called "HOOK" and it's about hooking a reader in the first few chapters. Currently I own "The First Five Chapters,' and "Self Editing for the Fiction Writer." Two great books which offer good tips. I also have "Characters, Emotions & Viewpoint," and "Plot and Structure." If you're interested in any of these books, let me know and I'll put up a blog on them. Writer's Digest has a great forum section. They have a general place for Tips, Advice, Introductions, Books that youv'e read, and more. Then they have a section where you can put up a story and it will be critiqued by the readership. They also sponsor a monthly flash fiction writing contest with a prompt. That's a tough contest but it will help you hone your writing. Here's a link to the forums: http://www.writersdigest.com/mbbs/forum/category-view.asp Here's a link to the main page: http://www.writersdigest.com/ Writer's Digest also sponsors several contests throughout the year. They are: the Annual Writing Contest, The Genre Fiction, and the Short Short Contest. The Genre Fiction is due in November so get your entries in! The Short Short contest deadline is also coming up. Yes, there are fees for their contests, the fees are minimal and winning or even an Honorable Mention is a writing credit you can use in your writing resume. Maria Schiender blogs for Writer's Digest. It's a great way to keep up with things that are going on in the writing community. The recent focus has been on blogs itself though. You can find a gem or two there. What I like about Writer's Digest is the contests. For me, contest writing is a great way to hone my writing skills. Word limits and deadlines are a reality. Research for contests in important. If you're used to writing entries for Writing.com contests, writing for the Writer's Digest contests aren't much different. If you get a chance, check out Writer's Digest and let me know what you think. Steph |
| Well, as usual, I've been busy. I posted a bunch of pics up on my Yahoogroups. I'd gotten a bit behind on developing and posting my pictures with my friends back in NH. Anyhow, I posted one with me and Joseph on his birthday and I said "Boy, I look old." My friend, Idgy, bless her, said, "No, Steph, you don't look old. You look tired." And she's right! I am always tired. Sigh... Here's the pic:  What a little blondie, he is!! As soon as I can, I'll convert my pics from the pumpkin patch. ***** I did an interview for "The Inside Scoop" with Reader's Views. If you get a chance, check it out and let me know what you think. The interview focuses on my new release, "The Wolf's Torment." http://www.insidescooplive.com/author-pages/Cardin-SC-reading-interview.html I'd love to hear your thoughts and impressions. Also, if you get a chance, swing on over to my website and join my mailing list. I'm running a contest on my official messageboard for October - submit your best Halloween poem. 1st prize is a $25.00 GC for Amazon. Well, school's been out for the week and my son Andrew has been pretty bummed. He can't wait to go back to school. Today I'm trying to catch up - I did a bunch of housework and right now I'm simmering a crockpot. ((hugs)) Steph |
You know, I feel like bitching righ now and my topic is reviewing here on WDC. First off here are two great articles by Verm
I loved "What Not to Write," and I'm so glad there are others here on WDC who feel the same way. Colored font, all caps, please review, chat review, I all agree with. That is not writing. I take my writing seriously, and I'm of the same mind that most here take their writing seriously and want to improve. I NEVER write "You're writing sucks." That is counterproductive. I ALWAYS try to give a good concise review based on certain BASIC elements an editor in the writing field. These are things that catch agents attention as well. I always write, "I might suggest," because that's helpful and honest and not too critical of someone else's writing. That said... In Verm's item, he talks about PERSONAL WRITING. Every so often, and I agree with Verm here, you get someone who writes I write for my own personal enjoyment and don't want critism. This comes from someone who I pointed out a few or more errors. Well if that's the case - make it unrate-able and don't enter it in any contests. Verm also talks about Ignoring your Readership. If the author ignores comments they don't agree with they lose a value tool. Again, if you don't want my opinion on how to make your piece your better, then don't enter it in any of my contests and don't make it rate-able. Here's some recent comments I recieved to a review I gave that PEE'D me off. I suggested writing in the past tense. #1 An professional editor who saw this would immediately throw it out unless it was geared for children. Past tense is the ACCEPT writing standard. Do you see Stephen King writing in the present tense? No. How about Dan Brown? Nora Roberts. You don't. Hell, the guy IS dying, how am I to get the same effect AFTER he DIED? Who the hell cares? It's a very PRESENT situation that expresses the fear and confusion of being IN THE MIDST of war. To be removed from that in any past tense relation makes it less suspenseful. I don't appreciate a response to my review like this. This is rude and unprofessional. Thanks for letting me bitch. |
| Hi all. Just wanted to give you a head's up - I'm running an off site on my official messageboard this month and I hope you'll have a chance to pop over there and check it out. The contest: Submit your best Halloween poem between now and 31 OCT 2007. I'll judge the contest between 1-4 NOV and get the prizes out to you on 5 NOV.What are the prizes? 1st place - $25.00 GC to Amazon 2nd place - $15.00 GC to Amazon 3rd place - $10.00 GC to Amazon I'd love to have you check out my messageboard and submit a poem. Here's a link: http://p219.ezboard.com/October-2007-writing-Contest/ftherogerhowarthphotogaller... Steph |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
I love gyros. We have a Greek church and restaurant in town and a festival. But... I'm not there. 
