mariannedonley

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The Character Must Die

I killed one of the characters in my novel. (It was more like two, but I have no qualms about the second one.) I came up with a death scene I really liked and just had to use it, so someone had to “go.”

I killed one of the characters in my novel. (It was more like two, but I have no qualms about the second one.) I came up with a death scene I really liked and just had to use it, so someone had to “go.” I’m still not sure if it was in the best interest of the story, or if I’m just stuck on having to use a particular description. As I reflect on the sequence of events and the wording, and…

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Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author

When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be knitting.

Featruing Marianne H. Donley Marianne H. Donley makes her home in Pennslyvania with her husband, son, and a very very active dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, The Charmed Connection, Sisters in Crime, The Guppies and Capital Crimes. When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a…

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Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month

When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be knitting.

Featruing Marianne H. Donley Marianne H. Donley makes her home in Pennslyvania with her husband, son, and a very very active dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, The Charmed Connection, Sisters in Crime, The Guppies and Capital Crimes. When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a…

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Rabt Book Tour: Excerpt From Everybody Loves Polar Bears by LoLo Paige

From Everybody Loves Polar Bears: A tall, neon life-size Barbie hurried toward them, long blonde curls springing up and down like miniature slinkies.

Book 1 of the Polar Paired Series Romance Enemies to Lovers Date Published: December 19, 2023 Publisher: Avoca Press Purchase Links Everybody Loves Polar Bears by LoLo Paige Excerpt A tall, neon life-size Barbie hurried toward them, long blonde curls springing up and down like miniature slinkies. Victoria Miracle approached in all her glittery goose-down glory, a fusion of glamor and…

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What’s Your Heat Level?

Happy April. I apologize for a repeat post. I’m assisting my mother on a project which has consumed most of my attention. I’ll be back next month with a new post. I selected this post, because it’s a good reminder to understand the heat levels of your. I consider knowing your heat levels as one of the basic fiction writing…

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Book Tour: Everybody Loves Polar Bears by LoLo Paige

In the frosty mayhem of the Alaskan film set for Everybody Loves Polar Bears, accident-prone Macy Applegate catapults herself into a hilarious array of mishaps better suited for a blooper reel.

     Book 1 of the Polar Paired Series   Romance Enemies to Lovers Date Published: December 19, 2023 Publisher: Avoca Press     Expect the unexpected when it comes to love under the Aurora skies.   In the frosty mayhem of the Alaskan film set for Everybody Loves Polar Bears, accident-prone Macy Applegate catapults herself into a hilarious array of mishaps better suited for a blooper reel. As…

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Featuring Marianne H. Donley

When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be knitting.

Marianne H. Donley makes her home in Pennslyvania with her husband, son, and a very very active dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, The Charmed Connection, Sisters in Crime, The Guppies and Capital Crimes. When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be…

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Marianne H. Donley: Featured Author

When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be knitting.

Marianne H. Donley makes her home in Pennslyvania with her husband, son, and a very very active dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, The Charmed Connection, Sisters in Crime, The Guppies and Capital Crimes. When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be…

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Drenched

A day of never-ending rain. Pounding on the roof, dripping off overflowing eaves, collecting in pools and puddles on the lawn. Hour after hour, by the quarter- and the half-inch, the water climbing the sides of the rain gauge in the small yard . . .

A day of never-ending rain. Pounding on the roof, dripping off overflowing eaves, collecting in pools and puddles on the lawn. Hour after hour, by the quarter- and the half-inch, the water climbing the sides of the rain gauge in the small yard until it reached a full three inches. Photo by reza shayestehpour on Unsplash The broad Delaware flowed brown with the mud it had picked up farther…

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Astronomical Events and Romance?

Mr. Moon meets Mrs. Sun—or is it the other way around? There’s a big solar eclipse coming on April 8th! It’s predicted to be a spectacular one, witnessed by over 32 million people. We know that the paths of the moon and the sun will line up. The moon will block the sun and cast the earth into darkness, while “deep pink geysers of nuclear fire shoot from the Sun’s edge” as described in the link…

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Book Tour: Lexi Wells Gift of Sight by Karen Tjebben

Lexi never considered her gift of sight anything but a curse until she is lured to a murder scene by a young, dead girl.

      Paranormal Thriller Date Published: 06-26-2023             Lexi never considered her gift of sight anything but a curse until she is lured to a murder scene by a young, dead girl. Detective Evan Steele doesn’t like working with others, especially ones who ruin his crime scene. Going against his gut and logic, he teams up with a medium who challenges everything he ever believed. Together,…

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Nemesis and the Swan: A Review by Veronica Jorge

Nineteen-year-old Helene languishes in a squalid French prison tormented by questions she cannot answer. Why was she arrested? Who could have made a wrongful accusation against her? And if so, why?

Nemesis and the Swan by Lindsay K. Brandy Blackstone Publishing 2020 ISBN 978-1-09-405947-1 Nineteen-year-old Helene languishes in a squalid French prison tormented by questions she cannot answer. Why was she arrested? Who could have made a wrongful accusation against her? And if so, why? Together with Helene, we attempt to unravel the mystery of her imprisonment as we follow the journey of…

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Book Tour: The Desk from Hoboken by ML Condike

In a bid to heal from the grief of a personal loss, forensic genealogist, RaeJean Hunter, takes on a straightforward case —identify human remains found on a nearby college campus, believed to be the 180-year-old remains of Mary Rogers, a woman who died my

  A Genealogy Mystery Series   Mystery Date Published: March 5, 2024 Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC.         In a bid to heal from the grief of a personal loss, forensic genealogist, RaeJean Hunter, takes on a straightforward case —identify human remains found on a nearby college campus, believed to be the 180-year-old remains of Mary Rogers, a woman who died mysteriously in 1841 and was…

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Big, Cheesy News Update!

I’m so excited to announce that my second children’s book, Mac and Cheese in Outer Space is coming soon!  I will be working again with Winda Mulyasari, who helped my mac and cheese world come to life back in 2020 when I published Mac and Cheese, Please, Please, Please. Winda is super talented and I’m excited to watch her take my wild ideas and turn them into beautiful illustrations. My mac and…

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Judging English by Carol L. Wright

As readers of English, it’s fairly easy for us to tell whether an author is from the US or the UK simply because of word choices or spelling variations between the two countries.

As readers of English, it’s fairly easy for us to tell whether an author is from the US or the UK simply because of word choices or spelling variations between the two countries. The reason for this is partly that, at the time of American independence, spelling in English was not completely standardized. How one spelled a word depended more on local convention than a universally accepted right or…

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All the Emotions with Designing My First Book Cover

This month I have had the pleasure of experiencing all the emotions of designing my first book cover. We all know how important book covers are. Book covers sell your book. They communicate what’s inside. And there are numerous blog and social media posts just on covers. So EVERYONE looks at book covers, because they are very important.  Initial thoughts for book cover designs I think many of…

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My psychedelic bell bottoms and Audrey Hepburn shoes: How I turned my 1960s 'stuff' into a 'happening' at UC Irvine by Jina Bacarr

My psychedelic bell bottoms and Audrey Hepburn shoes: How I turned my 1960s 'stuff' into a 'happening' at UC Irvine by Jina Bacarr

I write novels about Paris WW2, the US home front during WW2, the TITANIC, the Civil War. I live and breathe history. So it’s no surprise I collect ‘stuff’ from history. Vintage clothes, chinaware. Jewelry. And my own history, too. Childhood, teen years… and university life. When I had the opportunity to help plan the Golden Anteater Society Event at the University of Caliornia Irvine (alumni…

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