Sweet & Sassy Scribblers
​
  • Scribblings on Whatever
  • Scribblings on Empowerment
    • Healing with Vers Libre
    • Lend an Ear
  • Scribblings on Conservation
    • Through the Lens of a Nature-Lover
  • Fiction
    • Books for Children
    • Fantasy
    • Thrillers
    • Mysteries
    • Women's Fiction
    • Science Fiction
  • Nonfiction
    • Well-being
    • Spiritual Psychology
    • Poems, Essays, Etc.
  • Browse Our Library
  • Heart Song Ghostwriting
  • The Scribblers

Second Chances, the Novel and the Process

7/19/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Second Chances was my debut novel. A rather long learning curve preceded this effort. I had always loved writing, but I never considered it as a potential career when I was young. The first story I wrote was titled “My Name and I.” This came about when my family moved as I was going into the eighth grade. At that time I was called Dannye Sue. Unfortunately, my new teacher refused to call me by my full name, insisting Dannye was a boy’s name. In turn, I refused to answer the roll call until she finally gave in. It so happened that the high school newspaper ran a short story contest for the eighth grade classes. I couldn’t help myself. I wrote “My Name and I” and won first place. It was published in the following issue!

After that sweetly rewarding experience, I wrote poems as an outlet for my emotions or in answer to requests by others. Later, I wrote a manual on Technical Analysis for brokers in the commodity trading industry and various pieces related to other jobs I had. However, in 1997, I sat down to see if I could write a full length novel. I had always been interested in human psychology and for the nearly two decades prior in metaphysics. So, it was natural that these interests would inform my writing in this major undertaking.

It was so exciting! I would quit in the evening and inform my husband, “You’ll never guess what Darian did?” I very much felt like my characters were writing the book. I managed to make my way to the end of the book. Fortunately, it only took a short while for me to realize how much I had to learn. As soon as life allowed, I sat down to do a rewrite and change the title. As you might imagine, my enthusiasm created a massive tale! Unfortunately, my husband and I were in process of creating a 5 CD audiobook and making plans to move out of state, so I put my novel on the back burner. Just as I thought I was ready to make the move to transform my tale into two novels, my husband had a stroke. I was beginning to think that my future as a writer was cursed!
​
However, I prevailed and completed my rewrite and edit on Second Chances and on the second half of the tale, The Threads That Bind, which takes place 39 years later. 
Below are some of my earlier reviews of Second Chances.

Sandy Wolters:
Is there really evil in the world? Yes. It goes by the name of Darian. I want to start out by saying that I am a paranormal junkie. This book, SECOND CHANCES by DANNYE WILLIAMSEN, is so much more than your everyday paranormal read. There are no vampires. There are no werewolves, although there is a wolf, Avatar, with a very interesting back story.

Second Chances has a character, Darian, who is so evil, yet the author found a way to write his story that compels the reader to feel sorrow and sympathy for him. The writing in this book was scintillating!

Carol Wyer:
This is quite simply one of the best paranormal thrillers I have read. Second Chances grips the reader from the outset and carries them along in a huge tide of eloquent, flowing style, intriguing characters, and heart-hammering plot.

Centering around two characters: Darian and Fredrika, Dannye Williamsen's novel is not merely about good versus evil. It examines the complexity of human characteristics and demonstrates that fate and circumstance play their part, too. Both characters have substance. Fredrika represents goodness and has a well-balanced strength. Darian is truly disturbing, yet fascinating. He is bent on destruction, but salvation could be around the corner if only Fredrika is willing to accept his conditions and, indeed, him.

Karen Doering:
Dark, deep, and filled with protagonists you can both love and hate, feel sorry for and wish they are defeated, this is the one book I don't think will be easily put aside or forgotten. Once you have read it, you still need time to think about it.

Ms. Williamsen brings her characters to life with depth and dimension. Each character is multi-faceted, coming to life on the page. The narration flows so well it is hardly noticed, and the dialogue is realistic. Beautifully edited and presented, the book is easy to get lost in. I did. I was unable to put it down.

J.T. Kalnay
Dannye Williamsen presents a classic and terrifying battle between good and evil in Second Chances. Fredrika thinks she is losing her mind as unexplained happenings begin to pile up around her. Darian can't explain why Fredrika is so compelling to him. As the mystery and terror grow and grow, Fredrika and Darian identify and then confront the yin and yang of good and evil. The adversaries learn that every heart holds both good and evil, and none of us are willing to destroy any piece of our own heart. Will Fredrika survive her challenges? Will Darian devolve into pure evil? You'll have to read to the very end to find out. And after turning that last page you'll be reaching for the first page of the sequel, The Threads That Bind.

Note: 
You can read more reviews at https://www.dannyewilliamsen.com/second-chances.html .
​It is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-Dannye-Williamsen/dp/097260586X
0 Comments

So, They Walk into a Bar...

7/12/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
• An Oxford comma walks into a bar where it spends the evening watching the television, getting drunk, and smoking cigars.
• A dangling participle walks into a bar. Enjoying a cocktail and chatting with the bartender, the evening passes pleasantly.
• A bar was walked into by the passive voice.
• An oxymoron walked into a bar, and the silence was deafening.
• Two quotation marks walk into a “bar.”
• A malapropism walks into a bar, looking for all intensive purposes like a wolf in cheap clothing, muttering epitaphs and casting dispersions on his magnificent other, who takes him for granite.
• Hyperbole totally rips into this insane bar and absolutely destroys everything.
• A question mark walks into a bar?
• A non sequitur walks into a bar. In a strong wind, even turkeys can fly.
• Papyrus and Comic Sans walk into a bar. The bartender says, "Get out -- we don't serve your type."
• A mixed metaphor walks into a bar, seeing the handwriting on the wall but hoping to nip it in the bud.
• A comma splice walks into a bar, it has a drink and then leaves.
• Three intransitive verbs walk into a bar. They sit. They converse. They depart.
• A synonym strolls into a tavern.
• At the end of the day, a cliché walks into a bar -- fresh as a daisy, cute as a button, and sharp as a tack.
• A run-on sentence walks into a bar it starts flirting. With a cute little sentence fragment.
• Falling slowly, softly falling, the chiasmus collapses to the bar floor.
• A figure of speech literally walks into a bar and ends up getting figuratively hammered.
• An allusion walks into a bar, despite the fact that alcohol is its Achilles heel.
• The subjunctive would have walked into a bar, had it only known.
• A misplaced modifier walks into a bar owned a man with a glass eye named Ralph.
• The past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense.
• A verb walks into a bar, sees a beautiful noun, and suggests they conjugate. The noun declines.
• A simile walks into a bar, as parched as a desert.
• A gerund and an infinitive walk into a bar, drinking to forget.
• A hyphenated word and a non-hyphenated word walk into a bar, and the bartender nearly chokes on the irony.
0 Comments

Have You Ever Thought About How You Read?

7/5/2023

0 Comments

 
We’re all bookaholics here, so be honest with me. Have you ever immersed yourself so deeply in a book that your mind’s eye envisioned the story as it unfolded.

Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Most fiction lovers create a mental movie, and getting lost inside a thrilling tale is not uncommon. Actually, it’s entertaining and relaxing to escape reality and imagine living in another dimension and witnessing the action firsthand. 

If you’re anything like me, some evenings you’d rather stay up until the wee hours hanging out with your favorite fictional characters, and then you feel lost when the story ends.

Does Everybody Visualize the Same Thing?
Of course not! That’s the beauty of being unique individuals. What we see when we read is just one of many indicators of how we’re different. We may all look at the same words, but our minds perceive them differently.

Our experiences, education, culture, values, and other factors predispose us to interpret the text in specific ways. Since no two people think alike, our mental images when we read will differ as well. Reading a book is so much more than taking in mere words. The thrill lies in how your mind’s eye decodes that alphabet soup into a picture.

Some writers believe they must include lots of descriptive language to set people’s imaginations in overdrive. The more imagery, the better to help the reader dive into the heart of the story.
​
On the other hand, as an author, I prefer to skip sharing my preconceived notions. I believe it’s more important to allow my readers (especially kids) free reign to let their imaginations run wild and imagine the characters and scenes to their liking.

 For me, that’s the beauty of writing – to take the reader on a journey that gets those little gray cells churning madly away painting an accompanying mental picture.

Years ago, I talked with a group of middle schoolers about Gerald and the Wee People. I instructed them to close their eyes and picture the scene in their mind’s eye as I read a passage from the book.

The big reveal was a shocker! The kids came up with images I’d never dreamed possible. A few pictured the protagonists having brown hair. Others argued for black, blond, short, long, straight, or curly. Clothes varied from shorts and t-shirts to jeans to more medieval-era garments to match the setting.

I loved it! The kids were surprised at how different their classmates’ impressions differed from their own. No one was wrong because there were no correct answers. Everyone had their own ideas, making it enjoyable for them and me.

Why don’t you try Gerald and the Wee People and tell me what you think Gerald and Vernon look like? What are your impressions of the Wee People’s village and some of the residents? I’m sure Sean will be everyone’s least favorite character. Yet, who will win your heart? Will Dora’s no-nonsense approach appeal to you, or will Alyson wind up being everyone’s beloved scatter-brained teenager?
Picture
Available at Amazon.com

Print https://www.amazon.com/Gerald-Wee-People-Book-one/dp/1480210617

Kindle and Kindle Unlimited https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B004JKMT0Q

Universal link http://viewbook.at/geraldandtheweepeople
​
Amazon Author Page 
https://www.amazon.com/Greta-Burroughs/e/B003N3F5AQ
0 Comments

Are You POV-Biased?

6/28/2023

2 Comments

 
Several social media posts recently have caught my attention from people who are dismissive of first-person narratives, unless, of course, the book is an autobiography or a memoir. One person wrote I have trouble getting into first-person present tense stories. Each one so far feels like they chose 1st person present in order to immerse the reader but it's so cheap. 3rd person limited past tense all the way for me. Another asked, Am I the only person who despises first-person narratives?

It’s sometimes difficult to determine if it’s the first-person point of view or the use of present tense that distresses some readers. I, of course, have my own opinion about the use of first person and present tense. Instead of dismissing them in general, I base my opinion on the individual books. Writing in first person as well as writing in present tense can be tricky. Some books I’ve read succeed. Others don’t.
​
There are many more highly successful books in first person than you may think. In my research on this subject, I encountered an article by Diane Callahan that covers the topic much better that I could. If this is something about which you’re interested in learning more, click on The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction in First Person at this link: https://medium.com/swlh/the-complete-guide-to-writing-fiction-in-first-person-d1aedc104cab 

Whether you're a reader or a writer, do you have a bias?
 
Picture
2 Comments

When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

6/21/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
When The Walls Come Tumbling Down is a touching, page-turning novel of triumph over fears and sorrows. As it unfolds, it reminds us that when a crack appears in our walls and widens, something new has a chance to appear.
 
Two generations apart, Ashley Stanford and Claire Montoya have very little in common until their universes collide. Each has built walls in their life to survive. Ashley, however, has a head start of nearly six decades over Claire as a brick mason of the psyche. Tragedy has brought them together.
 
For well over a decade, Ashley has been the caregiver for her husband, who now lives in a nursing home. Trying to rediscover her life, she meets Claire, who is homeless and being stalked by a local drug dealer for reporting him to the police. Ashley takes her in and soon discovers there is much more to her story than she could have imagined.
 
After committing to helping Claire, Ashley is faced with her husband’s passing. To help her occupy her mind in her grief, Ashley joins Claire on a journey that could turn both their lives upside down forever.
 
Here’s a review from a faithful fan:
 
There are so many different levels to this novel.  First, we experience the emotions and responsibilities that arise for Ashley as a caregiver who must relinquish her loved one to the care of others.
 
Second, the inner turmoil of Ashley’s past and her current situation into which she has been thrown gives us an appreciation for the walls we often build.
 
Third, when Ashley meets Claire Montoya, a young girl with walls of her own and a secretive past who needs help in more ways than even Ashley can imagine, their lives become intricately intertwined.
​
I love the friendships that are formed throughout this book and how many lives are forever changed. It impressed me that you are never too old to start new beginnings and find that inner strength you never knew you had to start that next chapter in your life. Mrs. Williamsen has once again combined mystery, suspense, caring, and humor to make for a great read. Definitely another page turner! ~ S. Giarratana
 
By Dannye Williamsen
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/When-Walls-Come-Tumbling-Down/dp/B08LNJL1PH
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/When-Walls-Come-Tumbling-Down-ebook/dp/B08LPX4GP3 
0 Comments

The Power of the Written Word

6/14/2023

0 Comments

 
Why do we write? Is it for fame and fortune? Not if we’re realistic. Most of us write because we have a story to tell and a desire to tell it. We either want to write for and communicate with others or take a more personal approach and reflect on our experiences to learn from them.

Writing for others can take many paths. Whether it’s an out-of-this-world fantasy or an inspirational tale of overcoming the odds, we benefit physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically from the act of transforming our thoughts into words.

Writing helps one relax and unwind, easing pressure and stress. Transforming thoughts to words also works as an outlet for an active imagination. Sitting comfortably in your favorite spot tuning out the world while tuning in to your inner thoughts liberates your mind, allowing it to weave disconnected ideas into one chapter after another. As the tale grows, the satisfaction, confidence, and faith in your success far outweigh any self‑doubts holding you back. In other words, it makes you feel good.

Writing can help you share important information to others who may need it. It may start as only a collection of your personal feelings but becomes much more as you journal your experiences while dealing with a difficult situation. Re-reading your words helps you objectively view the positive aspects of the ordeal as well as the negative. You see that you overcame obstacles and achieved more than you thought, and you realize, Hey! I did it! Then you may want to share with others.
​
Writing may be a form of therapy.  A psychology professor conducted an informal study where he asked students to write about the biggest trauma of their lives. At the same time, a control group wrote about neutral topics. He followed both groups for six months and found that during that time the students who wrote about the traumatic events made fewer trips to the doctor than the control group. Coincidence?
Do readers benefit from the written word? Of course they do! Getting lost in an imaginary world transports a bored child to a deserted island where he searches for a pirate’s lost treasure or accidentally bounces too high on the trampoline launching him into outer space. A child can also have a learning adventure exploring the depths of the ocean looking for deep-sea creatures that glow in the dark.

It’s not just kids who benefit from escaping the realities of life. Grown-ups need their “away from it all” time as well. There’s no better way to step into someone else’s shoes and experience the unbearable heat, the terrible thirst, the fear, and the loneliness assaulting an escaped
Picture
heroine as she desperately continues her dangerous trek through a dense jungle. Adults can learn as well. Name a place you’d love to visit but know you never will. Grab a book; it’ll take you there!

Believe in the Power of the Written Word.
0 Comments

How Will You Spend Your Summer Vacation?

6/7/2023

0 Comments

 
​If you’re like me, you’re thinking, huh, what vacation?

When I was a kid, my parents took me and my brother on some wonderful excursions. Not every year, but as often as they could. One year we went to Disneyland and up the west coast. In other years we went to the Grand Canyon, DisneyWorld, Washington, DC, the Bahamas, and even Hawaii.

At the time, I never appreciated the effort it took to treat us to such fabulous adventures, but now I understand the expense and struggle they underwent to make us happy. That was love!

My husband and I traveled quite a few miles too. It was usually for a specific reason– pilot examiner training in Oklahoma, a possible move to another state, or weekend motorcycle rallies. However, we did goof every once in a while and had some pleasurable two-wheeled rides through the mountains of Virginia. I will always treasure those pleasant memories.  

Reminiscing reminded me it’s been a while since I had a vacation. So, during the next week or so, I plan on taking a day off and spending it at the Lumber River State Park with my dog, Tiger. It’ll be sort of a one-day working vacation. We’ll spend the cooler morning hours exploring the local landscape noting how many bumble bees join us in investigating the native vegetation. I’ll record how many we see, catch, photograph, and identify for the Xerces Society’s Bumble Bee Atlas. It’ll be fun, and we’ll be doing something beneficial. And Tiger will get a kick out of watching me run around trying to capture the little buzzing things with a net. A picnic lunch will follow our adventure, and then maybe we’ll chill out for a couple of hours under a shade tree next to the river.

Nowadays, that’s the closest I’ll get to taking a vacation. But then again, what’s wrong with my little mini-getaway? Why should I have to travel somewhere far away in order to have a relaxing time? Actually, I think spending a day with my trusty four-legged companion at a quiet, peaceful nearby park is much better than going to the beach surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists.

I’m not one for anything elaborate. I prefer to make my holiday simple and inexpensive. I can have fun doing anything I want or do nothing at all. It doesn’t take anything fancy, just me and my furry friend doing something we enjoy.

In Patchy and Calico’s Summer Vacation, I guess I subconsciously used that philosophy in the stories I made up for the two friends during their summer vacation. They spend a day at the beach, go camping, and visit a circus – typical summer activities. But, of course, Patchy’s curiosity turns everything inside out. His quest for adventure results in all kinds of trouble for the mischievous duo as they come nose to claw with a fiddler crab, meet an unfriendly bear, and accidentally join the circus.
​
You’ll have to read the stories to find out how they get out of the sticky situations. Their misadventures will bring a smile to your face and entertain the young ones while everyone’s sitting around a campfire. Just make sure there aren’t any hungry bears hanging around looking for a lost dog and cat.
Picture
Get your copy of Patchy and Calico’s Summer Vacation

Book two in the Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat series

Print -  https://www.amazon.com/Patchy-Calicos-Summer-Vacation-Patchwork/dp/1479125962/

Kindle -  (Free on Kindle Unlimited) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UDGKWG/
​
Universal link - http://viewbook.at/pandcsummervacation
0 Comments

Is There Hope for Our Educational System?

5/31/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​I’ve been fussing for a long time about the decline of the American educational system. My rampage began the first time a cashier had no clue how to give correct change without the cash register telling her how much to give. What really got me ticked off was when her manager couldn’t figure it out either. 

I patiently stepped in and coached them. “All you have to do is count up from what I owe you, $3.42 to the amount I gave you, $5.00. Start with the 42 cents and get three pennies – 43, 44, 45. Then a nickel will bring it up to 50 cents and two quarters will make four dollars, and another single with bring it up to $5.00.” Heaven help us if I’d given her $5.02!

What hurts me the most is seeing someone who struggles with reading. Not being able to figure out an unrecognizable word makes understanding the text so difficult. About a year ago, I wrote an article about the current method, originally called three-cueing but now referred to as Reading Recovery, used in public schools to teach reading. Instead of being taught to sound out words, students are supposed to pick up cues from the accompanying picture. Unfortunately, after first grade, the pictures get few and far between. Then it's up to the child to predict (guess) what the word could be from how it is used in the text. If the sentences make sense, the reader must be getting the words right, or right enough. 

It Doesn’t Work, People! Its disastrous results have been proven countless times in studies and statistics. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 32 percent of fourth-graders and 24 percent of eighth-graders aren't reading at a basic level. Fewer than 40 percent are proficient or advanced. But for some reason, this teaching method is still accepted.

I heard a report on NPR (National Public Radio) that rekindled my pet peeve, yet gave hope that reading instruction may go back to actually teaching kids how to read. School districts across the country are dropping Reading Recovery and taking a more science-based approach that focuses on the sounds of letters and how to figure out what the mystery word is.

My faith has been restored. Hopefully, more school systems will switch. Face it, all learning is centered on reading. With the gradual re-direction to phonics, maybe students will improve in other subjects, and teachers will be encouraged to teach more than just the test. 
​
Check out this NPR interview from last December. Hopefully, it’ll make you think seriously about this issue.
0 Comments

A Touch of Sassy

5/26/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

What Are Americans’ Reading Habits According to Latest Survey?

5/24/2023

0 Comments

 
According to Pew Research Center, eBooks reached a decade high in 2021 with 30% of the American readers having read at least one book in this format. Also in 2021, the percentage of American readers who listened to an audio book also presented a new high of 23%.
 
It’s interesting to note that 33% of Americans read books in both print and digital formats (eBooks and audiobooks). Approximately another third only read print books. Surprise! Only 9% only read in the digital formats. Sadly, 23% read no books at all.
 
Although so many of us authors feel compelled to offer eBooks in this digital age, 65% of American readers read at least one print book in 2021. This was not the high of the decade, but it was a recovery from the Covid years. The average of books read by Americans in 2021 was 14 books, but the median number of books read by individuals was five. This is identical to the first year of assessing Americans’ reading habits in 2011. 
​
Do Education, Income, or Demographics Affect These Habits?
 
The figures from the recent survey by PRC indicate that college graduates are more likely to have read books in all formats compared to other educational levels. Urban readers have a bit of an edge on suburban and rural although it is not a large gap.
 
Despite what one might assume from book clubs and readers’ groups, men read about as many books as women. According to the survey, the percentages in the “read a book in any format” category indicate that people read less as they get older. I have to confess that this is not the case for me (I fall into the 65+ category). I admit that I haven’t read as many books in the last several years as I did earlier in this millennium, but I believe I’m reading more in a year than I did in my twenties. To  be fair, when I was in my twenties, print books were the only choice most of us really had. Audiobooks were available on cassette tapes in the 1960s and didn’t come out on compact discs until the 1980s. It was easier to just carry your book with you!  
 
Picture
Picture
What About the Reading Habits of Kids?
 
In both 1984 and 2012 PRC determined that 53% of nine-year-olds read for fun nearly every day. In 2020 it was down to 42%. Those who reported they never or hardly ever read for fun was 16% in 2020 compared to 9% in 1984. In the 2020 survey, it appears that American girls are more likely to read for fun than their male counterparts.
​
The bottom line indicates that in 2020 compared to 2012, every group of nine-year-olds across the racial spectrum read for fun less in a range of 9-12% declines.
 
Do you think social media is having an affect on this decline? As an older adult with no young children in my life, I can only consider what I observe. It seems that really young kids I see at stores and restaurants are totally engrossed in their cellphones. Maybe they’re reading a book? I have no idea, but it does make me wonder if surfing isn’t having a deleterious effect on their reading habits now and in the future.
 
Thoughts On the Subject
 
  • If you’re an author, do you feel Americans’ reading habits are having an economic effect on your bottom line?
  • If you’re an author, how do you feel about only offering the eBook format?
  • As a reader, do you agree with the survey by Pew Research Center?
  • As a reader, how do you feel about the reading habits of kids being affected by online surfing?
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Genre Articles
    Guest Authors
    Inspiring Children
    Memes
    Scribblers
    Writing

    Book Genres

    Picture
    Mysteries
    Picture
    Children
    Picture
    Thrillers
    Picture
    Fantasy
    Picture
    Women's Fiction
    Picture
    Science Fiction
    Picture
    Poems, Essays, etc.
    Picture
    Spiritual Psychology
    Picture
    Well-being

    Archives

    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

    RSS Feed

I will read forever because it lets me visit in my mind the worlds that I will never be able to see; it helps me put away the stresses of the day and relax into the rhythm of the story before me; it lets me bring to the surface and experience without regrets those feelings I hide away; it lets me re-experience the thrill of first love through someone else's eyes; it keeps my mind juiced so that it will never desert me; it is always there for me even when there's no one else. I will read forever no matter whether it is print or digital because the words will always call to me. ~ A Sassy Scribbler